NEAR’s co-founder Illia Polosukhin shares the need to shift from corporate-owned AI to models that benefit individuals and communities. 

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk interview Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol. Polosukhin discusses the intersection of AI and blockchain technology, explaining how NEAR Protocol began as an AI project and evolved into a blockchain platform to address issues related to compensating collaborators.

Takeaways

• NEAR Protocol started as an AI project and transitioned into a blockchain platform to address the challenge of paying collaborators.
• User-owned AI is crucial to ensure that AI models and systems benefit individuals and communities, rather than just corporations.
• Data availability is a fundamental component of blockchain technology, ensuring that all transactions are accessible and can be used to reconstruct the state of the blockchain.
• Chain abstraction allows users to interact with multiple blockchain networks without needing to understand the underlying technology or worry about transaction fees.
• NEAR Protocol is focused on solving real problems and finding use cases that drive the adoption of blockchain and AI technology.

Chapters | 

00:00 Introduction and Background of Ilya Polosukhin

05:20 The Disruptive Potential of AI

08:35 User-Owned AI

22:17 Chain Abstraction

26:15 Solving Real Problems with NEAR Protocol

-

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

EPISODE LINKS |  

NEAR 

Enter the Black Dragon: NEAR Co-Founder Joins the NEAR Foundation as CEO 

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adeniyi Abiodun envisions a long-term goal for Sui to develop a decentralized web stack, leading to a fully decentralized internet infrastructure.

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk interview Adeniyi Abiodun, co-founder of Mysten Labs and the Sui blockchain,.They discuss the vision and goals of Sui as a global coordination layer for intelligent assets. Adeniyi highlights the importance of creating a blockchain accessible to developers outside the Web3 native community, focusing on usability and ease of adoption. He explains the differences between Sui and other blockchains, such as its object-based system and unlimited throughput, emphasizing Sui's potential in various industries, including gaming and AI, and the importance of bringing Web3 to Web2 users.

Takeaways

• Sui aims to be a global coordination layer for intelligent assets, focusing on usability and accessibility for developers outside of the Web3 native community.
• The Sui blockchain differentiates itself with its object-based system and unlimited throughput, allowing for faster and more scalable transactions.
• Sui has applications in various industries, including gaming and AI, and aims to bring Web3 to Web2 users by providing seamless integration and improved user experiences.
• The upcoming release of Mysticeti, the new consensus engine, will further enhance the speed and efficiency of the Sui blockchain.
• The long-term vision of Sui is to build a decentralized web stack that encompasses various layers, including storage, bandwidth, and more, to create a fully decentralized internet infrastructure.

Chapters | 

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:20 Working at Facebook Meta

06:07 Comparison with Aptos and Move Language

09:21 SWE as the Blockchain for Developers

11:12 Differences between Move and Solidity

14:08 Bringing Web3 to Web2

20:07 Future Plans and Mississetti Consensus Engine

25:25 SWE's Vision: Coordination of Intelligent Assets

28:06 Asset Model and Non-Financial Applications

32:14 Importance of Mysticeti Consensus Engine

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

EPISODE LINKS | 

Sui

Mysten Labs

Sui Concepts Overview 

Move Concepts | Sui Documentation 

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sergey Gorbunov on Axelar's Focus on Security and Programmability.

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk interview Sergey Gorbunov, CEO of Interop Labs and co-founder of Axelar Protocol, who discusses the partnership with Ripple and the exclusive bridge they are building for the XRP Ledger's new EVM side chain. He emphasizes simplifying user experiences and blending blockchain technology with traditional systems and believes that decentralization is a key factor in the success of interoperability protocols.

Chapters | 

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:34 The Importance of Interoperability

06:56 Axelar's Differentiators and Partnership with Ripple

13:04 Simplifying User Experiences and Blending Blockchain with Traditional Systems

-

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

-

EPISODE LINKS |  

Interop Labs

Axelar 

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Schwartz and Robert Leshner share how the convergence of traditional financial markets and on-chain systems presents a major opportunity for driving adoption over the next 20 years.

Sponsored by BitGo. 

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," comes to you LIVE from Consensus 2024 in Austin Texas. Hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk chat with David Schwartz, CTO of Ripple, and Robert Leshner,  CEO & Co-Founder of Superstate, on the challenges and opportunities in bringing real-world assets on-chain and more.

Chapters | 

00:00 The Conference Experience and Developer Mix

02:12 The Convergence of Traditional Financial Markets and On-Chain Systems

04:25 Challenges and Opportunities in Bringing Real-World Assets On-Chain

05:49 The Impact of Restaking in Traditional Finance

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

EPISODE LINKS |  

BitGo 

Superstate

 Ripple 

-

The Protocol is produced by the CoinDesk team: production assistant Victor Chen, senior producer Michele Musso, executive producer Jared Schwartz, and Senior Booker, Melissa Montañez. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dan Reecer, COO of the Wormhole Foundation, explains that open-source code and decentralization are essential for transparency and trust in the blockchain industry.

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk interview Dan Reecer, the COO of Wormhole Foundation.  Wormhole is a messaging layer protocol that connects different blockchains, allowing for the transfer of assets and data. They discuss the Wormhole Interoperability Project and its recent token airdrop. Reecer, emphasizes the importance of open-source code and decentralization in the blockchain industry. 

Takeaways | 

• Wormhole is a messaging layer protocol that connects different blockchains, enabling the transfer of assets and data.
• Wormhole recently conducted a token airdrop, rewarding token holders and aligning with power users who have contributed to the network.
• Controversies surrounding airdrops highlight the importance of transparency, fairness, and thoughtful allocation of tokens.
• The future of blockchain interoperability will likely involve collaboration between different protocols, with two to three winners emerging in the long term.

Chapters | 

00:00 Introduction and Overview

02:10 The Wormhole Token and Governance

04:22 Multi-Gov and DAO Voting

07:22 Governance Interoperability and Bridge Protocols

11:39 Addressing Bridge Flaws with Technologies like Storage Proofs

19:55 Building Connections Between Blockchains

24:12 Competition and Multiple Interoperability Solutions

26:01 Comparing Wormhole to Layer Zero

30:30 Influence of Jump Trading and Transparency

34:55 Lessons from Recent Airdrops

39:13 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

EPISODE LINKS |  

Wormhole

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Flashbots’ Hasu discusses the recent MEV Boost exploit, emphasizing the ongoing MEV challenges and the need for decentralized solutions.

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk interview Hasu, head of strategy at Flashbots and advisor to the Lido DAO. They discuss the recent exploit in the MEV Boost codebase, the Department of Justice's response, and the ongoing efforts to solve MEV. The conversation also covers restaking, Lido's role in the restaking ecosystem, censorship resistance, design differences between Eigenlayer and Symbiotic, and the future of Ethereum.

Takeaways | 

• The recent exploit in the MEV Boost code base highlights the ongoing battle to solve MEV and the need for more decentralized solutions.
• Restaking is a market to rent economic security and work from an open market, and there are different approaches to restaking, such as native restaking and non-native restaking.
• Lido aims to make staked ETH the dominant asset in Ethereum DeFi and stimulate demand for renting security with StakeETH.
• The design differences between Eigenlayer and Symbiotic in the restaking ecosystem offer different trade-offs in terms of capital efficiency and spillover effects.
• Censorship resistance in Ethereum can be addressed through inclusion lists, private memepools, and geographical/geopolitical diversity in the network.

Chapters

00:00 MEV Exploit and the Battle to Solve MEV

09:04 The Role of Lido in the Restaking Ecosystem

21:11 Swav: Fast, Private, and Decentralized Off-chain Computation

28:11 Restaking: Renting Economic Security

32:54 Design Differences: Eigenlayer vs. Symbiotic

39:02 StakeETH: Making Staked ETH the Dominant Asset

40:55 Addressing Censorship Resistance in Ethereum

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

EPISODE LINKS |  

How MIT Brothers Allegedly Cheated a Noxious-But-Accepted Ethereum Practice for $25M

 Brothers Accused of $25M Ethereum Exploit as U.S. Reveals Fraud Charges 

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Node sales are becoming a popular fundraising method in the blockchain industry, where projects sell nodes instead of tokens or equity.

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk; who discuss node sales, address poisoning, and the concept of account abstraction on Ethereum. The hosts also touch on the challenges of mainstream adoption of blockchain technology and the lack of standards in token launches.

Takeaways | 

• Node sales are becoming a popular fundraising method in the blockchain industry, where projects sell nodes instead of tokens or equity.
• Address poisoning is a type of exploit where a victim is tricked into sending a legitimate transaction to the wrong wallet address.
• Account abstraction is a concept that aims to make crypto wallets on Ethereum easier to use and more versatile.
• The lack of standards in token launches and the challenges of mainstream adoption continue to be issues in the crypto industry. SoFund has a reward system where 20% of the total supply of their token, SOF, will be awarded as rewards to node buyers over the next three years.
• The distribution model for rewards and tokens can be a balancing act between satisfying investors and contributors to the ecosystem.
• Maximal extractable value (MEV) is a problem on the Ethereum blockchain where operators can front-run and extract profits from transactions, causing financial losses.
• Metamask has introduced smart transactions to combat MEV, offering lower fees, transaction transparency, and protection against front running.
• The development of different types of wallets and transaction systems is an ongoing effort to improve user experience and address complex technical challenges in the blockchain industry.

Chapters |

00:00 The Rise of Node Sales

07:12 Account Abstraction on Ethereum

25:27 Understanding the Reward System and Distribution Model of SoFund

27:21 The Challenge of Balancing Rewards for Investors and Contributors

32:21 Exploring Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) on the Ethereum Blockchain

35:23 Metamask Introduces Smart Transactions to Combat MEV

41:31 Competition and Innovation in the Wallet Landscape

45:24 The Search for Solutions and Improvements in the Blockchain Industry

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

EPISODE LINKS | 

Ethereum Developers Target Ease of Crypto Wallets With 'EIP-3074' 

sophon 

Popular Crypto Wallet MetaMask Rolls Out 'Smart Transactions' to Combat Ethereum Front-Running 

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The battle for supremacy among layer two solutions in crypto has projects vying to showcase their tech. Despite criticism, airdrops and token launches by Ren and Eigenlayer have faced user disappointment.

This episode is sponsored by the Stellar Community Fund

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk; they cover the story of Celo choosing Optimism as their layer two solutions, the vulnerabilities found on Optimism and the launch of tokens by Ren and Eigenlayer.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview

01:43 Celo Chooses Optimism as Layer Two Solution

07:20 Vulnerabilities on Optimism and Layer Two Wars

16:31 Token Launches by Ren and Eigenlayer

28:14 Intersubjective Forking and Regulatory Uncertainties

34:46 The Crypto Industry as a Complex Game

37:04 Conclusion

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

EPISODE LINKS | 

Celo Chooses Optimism, Concluding Bake-Off Among Layer 2s 

The Protocol: EigenLayer's 'Intersubjective Forking' Is Objectively Not Done

What Is Restaking? What Is Liquid Restaking? What Is EigenLayer?

EigenLayer, After Touching Off Restaking Frenzy, Plans Own EIGEN token

Avail Data Availability Integrated by Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, StarkWare, ZkSync

-

From Our Sponsor: 

The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) is an open-application awards program that draws on community input to support developers and startups building on Stellar and Soroban. Accelerate your web3 project today.

Apply for Funding at communityfund.stellar.org

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Runes and Ordinals ‘Artist’ Creator, Casey Rodarmor has just invented two of the most dramatically impactful protocols in the blockchain industry's history and embraces cryptocurrency's speculative and gambling nature.

This episode is sponsored by the Stellar Community Fund

Follow the show here for more.

In this installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk, 

are joined by Casey Rodarmor to discuss the launch of Runes, a protocol on the Bitcoin blockchain that allows users to create and trade meme coins. Casey expresses skepticism about the usability of layer two solutions and the potential for stablecoins on Bitcoin.

Takeaways |

• Casey Rotemar believes that many projects in the crypto space make false claims about utility and are ultimately worthless.
• Runes embraces the speculative and gambling nature of cryptocurrency, positioning itself as a degenerate casino.
• Casey discusses the potential regulatory concerns and the ability of Bitcoin to withstand a nation-state attack. Bugs were found before the launch of Runes and Ordinals, including a divide-by-zero bug and issues with high-fee transactions and the mint logic.
• Getting Bitcoin soft forks adopted can be challenging, but there are new BIP editors who are helping to merge proposals and improve the process.
• Casey is skeptical about the usability of layer two solutions and believes that developing on top of Bitcoin without modifying the base layer is often the best approach.
• There is potential for stablecoins on Bitcoin, but Casey is unsure if there is enough market demand for them.
• The names of some of the runes created by the community can be offensive, but there are also creative and funny names emerging.
• Casey is interested in developing a file-sharing protocol unrelated to blockchain or cryptocurrency, with a focus on improving the user experience.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

05:58 Runes: A Degenerate Casino on the Bitcoin Blockchain

13:58 Bitcoin's Strengths and Ethereum's Weaknesses

27:58 Bugs and Challenges Before the Launch

35:26 The Potential for Stablecoins on Bitcoin

41:59 Creative and Offensive Rune Names

49:57 Developing a User-Friendly File-Sharing Protocol

-

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

-

From Our Sponsor: 

The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) is an open-application awards program that draws on community input to support developers and startups building on Stellar and Soroban. Accelerate your web3 project today.

Apply for Funding at communityfund.stellar.org

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rootstock Chief Scientist, Sergio Demian Lerner, regards the upcoming Bitcoin halving is a moment of celebration for the community and highlights the importance of transaction fees for the sustainability of the network.

This episode is sponsored by the Stellar Community Fund

Follow the show here for more.

In this installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk, dive into 

are joined by Sergio Demian Lerner, Chief Scientist at Rootstock, to discuss his research on the Patoshi pattern and the early mining of Bitcoin. He explains how he identified that Satoshi Nakamoto had mined approximately 1.1 million Bitcoins and had never spent them, which built trust in the system. Sergio also shares his insights on the upcoming Bitcoin halving and the importance of transaction fees for the sustainability of the network. 

Takeaways

• Sergio Demian Lerner identified the Patoshi pattern, which revealed that Satoshi Nakamoto had mined approximately 1.1 million Bitcoins and had never spent them, building trust in the system.
• The upcoming Bitcoin halving is a moment of celebration for the community and highlights the importance of transaction fees for the sustainability of the network.
• Rootstock aims to bring the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to Bitcoin and focuses on financial inclusion and the use of Bitcoin collateralized stablecoins.
• The cultures of Ethereum and Bitcoin differ in terms of complexity, centralization, and fragmentation, with Ethereum being more open and welcoming to developers.
• The introduction of BitBM and the development of bridges on Bitcoin may lead to changes in the Bitcoin ecosystem, such as the addition of new opcodes for more efficient operations.

Chapters

00:00 Uncovering the Patoshi Pattern

13:51 Rootstock: Bringing the EVM to Bitcoin

Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER 

EPISODE LINKS |  

Polygon Acquires Ethereum Scaling Startup Mir for $400M 

Polygon Plans 'AggLayer,' in Bid to Synthesize Modular, Monolithic Blockchains 

Polygon Releases 'Type 1 Prover,' Claiming Milestone Set by Ethereum's Vitalik Buterin 

Polygon, StarkWare Tout New 'Circle STARKs' as Breakthrough for Zero-Knowledge Proofs  

-

From Our Sponsor: 

The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) is an open-application awards program that draws on community input to support developers and startups building on Stellar and Soroban. Accelerate your web3 project today.

Apply for Funding at communityfund.stellar.org

-

The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.