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Brendan Farmer, Co-Founder of Polygon, gives an overview of Polygon's Ecosystem and its adoption and benefits of the Ag Layer.
This episode is sponsored by the Stellar Community Fund
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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
the strategy and vision behind the Ag layer, which aims to solve the problem of L2 fragmentation on Ethereum with Brendan Farmer Co-Founder of Polygon.
Polygon is focused on building a unified environment for value, liquidity, and state in the Ethereum ecosystem. The Ag layer connects different mini-ecosystems within Polygon and allows chains to plug into the liquidity and value that already exists.
Takeaways
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
01:19 Polygon's Strategy and Tech Shift
06:50 Analogies for Understanding the Ag Layer
07:26 Adoption and Benefits of the Ag Layer
09:36 Overview of Polygon's Ecosystem
10:54 Polygon Today: POS Chain and ZKVM Chain
12:28 Polygon's Technological Innovations
14:35 POS Chain and the Future of Polygon
19:42 The Ag Layer as a Connector
22:02 Competition and Collaboration in the Industry
23:36 Avoiding Fragmentation and Rent-Seeking
25:23 The Challenge of Monetizing Users in Crypto
27:44 The Builder Marketplace and Block Building
28:16 MEV and the Ag Layer
32:16 Addressing Outages and Ensuring Stability
34:44 Precautions and Warnings for Users
38:27 The Eigen Layer and L2 Vision
40:17 The Den Koon Upgrade and the Blob Market
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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
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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
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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.
Sreeram Kannan, the founder of Eigenlayer, discusses the initial 'training wheels' phase for Eigen DA, a data availability service, and the implementation of slashing and market mechanisms.
This episode is sponsored by the Stellar Community Fund
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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 the innovative world of Eigenlayer. They explore the decentralized trust network's vision and technology in a conversation with Sreeram Kannan, the founder of EigenLayer.
The roadmap for Eigenlayer includes the launch of Eigen DA, a data availability service, and the implementation of slashing and market mechanisms. The project is currently on track for a mainnet launch in early Q2.
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Takeaways |
EPISODE LINKS |
EigenLabs CEO on Jump in User Deposits | Video | CoinDesk
About - EigenLayer
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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
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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.
Solana has seen remarkable growth and market capitalization, with its token soaring by 791% over the past year. Despite this surge, the factors driving the popularity and success of meme coins on the Solana network remain uncertain.
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, discuss the rise of Solana and the recent craze around meme coins on its platform with guest Anatoly Yakovenko, CEO of Solana Labs.
Anatoly delves into his journey into crypto and evaluates the sustainability of meme coin growth, probing its impact on Solana's network. He also tackles the challenge of failed transactions on Solana and outlines upcoming upgrades aimed at addressing priority fees and expanding block size. Throughout the discussion, Anatoly Yakovenko provides insights into Solana's comparison with Ethereum, its competitive landscape and ecosystem, scalability initiatives, roadmap, outage management, security measures, and the business model behind the Solana Phone.
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Takeaways |
EPISODE LINKS |
Solana
Anatoly Yakovenko and Solana Bounce Back
Solana Meme Coin Slerf Clocks Higher Trading Volume Than All of Ethereum
SOL Crosses $200 as Meme Coin Frenzy Bumps Demand for Solana Network
Solana-Based Crypto Exchange Drift Plans Pre-Launch Market for New Tokens
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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
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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.
Tim Beiko from the Ethereum Foundation, shares the Importance of the Dencun Upgrade, what are their concerns, and Ethereum's long-term scaling strategy.
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, discuss the Ethereum Dencun upgrade, a significant upgrade for the Ethereum blockchain, with a special guest, Ethereum Foundation's Tim Beiko.
The upgrade introduces ephemeral data storage, known as blobs, which will reduce storage costs for layer twos and roll-ups. The Dencun upgrade is technology-neutral and does not favor any specific layer2 solution. However, there are concerns about the potential fragmentation of the Ethereum ecosystem and the shift towards less secure chains. Overall, the upgrade is an important step towards Ethereum's long-term scaling plans.
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Takeaways |
EPISODE LINKS |
Ethereum Finalizes 'Dencun' Upgrade, in Landmark Move to Reduce Data Fees
Ethereum.org
5 Things to Know About Ethereum's Latest, Greatest Upgrade: Dencun
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.
Paul Frambot discusses the future of DeFi and the potential for widespread adoption.
This episode is sponsored by the Stellar Community Fund
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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 the evolving landscape of DeFi with guest Paul Frambot, the Co-founder and CEO of Morpho Labs, a research and development company responsible for building and growing the Morpho protocol.
Dencun Coming Next Week - What Are We Expecting?
Leading figures behind layer-2 teams told CoinDesk how Ethereum's upcoming Dencun upgrade will affect their networks – and costs.
Gauntlet and DeFi Lending
According to Gauntlet, the move to Morpho offers the potential for more money with greater flexibility.
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TAKEAWAYS |
EPISODE LINKS |
Ethereum Fees Set to Drop for Arbitrum, Polygon, Starknet, Base. But How Much?
Days After Ditching Aave, Risk Manager Gauntlet Moves to Rival Lender Morpho
Curve Crisis Shows Pitfalls of Decentralized Risk Management
Morpho
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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.
A Preview to ETH Denver, hosts delve into strategies aimed at democratizing Ethereum accessibility for all attendees, ensuring inclusivity across the community.
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, welcome Jesse Pollak, the Creator of Base and Head of Protocols, as a guest host. Together, they delve into topics such as Decentralized Governance, Fraud Proofs, Security, and other relevant discussions leading up to ETH DENVER.
Takeaways |
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EPISODE LINKS |
Base
L2 BEAT- Base
The Protocol: Friend.tech Fades as Crypto Craze, but Ethereum Is Scaling
Fintech Provider Portal Raises $34M Seed Round for Bitcoin-Based Decentralized Exchange
Jesse Pollak Creator; Head of Protocols Base; Coinbase
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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.
Ether.fi CEO Mike Silagadze joins as a Guest Host to discuss the controversies and issues surrounding the Starknet airdrop, the phased rollout of Soroban smart contracts on the Stellar blockchain and the concept of liquid restaking incentives and rewards.
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, explore the following stories:
Starknet Airdrop Coverage
Starknet Token STRK begins trading at $5 after a mammoth airdrop. A Fully diluted value of STRK reached as high as $50 billion with an initial market cap of $3.64 billion.
Stellar Starts 'Soroban' Smart Contracts
The "Protocol 20" upgrade, which adds support for Ethereum-style smart contracts to the decade-old payments-focused blockchain, had been delayed by three weeks due to precautions after a bug was found.
Liquid Restaking Landscape
New liquid restaking platforms like Puffer and Ether.Fi have attracted billions of dollars in deposits, but they've birthed a speculative "points" frenzy that carries some risks.
PROTOCOL VILLAGE GUEST HOST |
Mike Silagadze, CEO and Founder at Ether.fi - the first ETH staking protocol that allows stakers to maintain full control of their keys throughout the entire staking process, making it the only truly decentralized liquid staking platform.
Takeaways |
- Controversies and issues often arise with airdrops, including eligibility criteria and token unlocks.
-The introduction of smart contracts on established blockchains can rejuvenate the ecosystem and attract new users.
-Liquid restaking is a natural extension of proof-of-stake blockchains and allows users to stake their assets while maintaining liquidity.
-Points in liquid restaking protocols have sparked speculation and trading frenzy, but their future value is uncertain.
-The explosive growth in the liquid restaking market may experience a correction in the future. The money printer being turned on again has led to a speculative frenzy in various markets, including crypto.
-Restaking has become a focal point of speculation and value creation in the crypto space.
-EtherFi aims to become a trusted brand for holding ETH and accessing DeFi, with plans to roll out integrated products over time.
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EPISODE LINKS |
Starknet Token STRK Begins Trading at $5 After Mammoth Airdrop
STRK Tokens Claimed Hit 420M in a Day as On-Chain Metrics Soar
Starknet’s STRK Drops 53% Amid Token Issuance Criticism
Stellar Starts Phased Rollout of 'Soroban' Smart Contracts
Liquid Restaking Tokens or 'LRTs' Revived Ethereum DeFi. Can the Hype Last?
Liquid Restaking Protocol Puffer Rakes in $1B in Deposits in Just 3 Weeks
As Crypto 'Points' Farming Grows, So Does Risk of Vague Promises
Etherfi
Mike Silagadze - EtherFi | LinkedIn
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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.
The hosts dissect three key topics: the inception of DN 404 tokens on Ethereum, the resurgence of the OP_CAT function in Bitcoin, and the ongoing airdrop season in the crypto sphere, delving into the implications and controversies surrounding these developments.
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, explore the following stories:
Developers on the Ethereum platform introduce 'DN-404' tokens.
The new token type claims to solve some of the drawbacks with ERC-404s, an experimental standard that launched last week – to such popularity that it's already driven up congestion on the Ethereum blockchain.
The 'OP_CAT' function from the Satoshi-era Bitcoin code is being revived amidst a surge in development enthusiasm.
Developers Ethan Heilman and Armin Sabouri view OP_CAT as a simple opcode that offers some of the general-purpose functionality currently missing in Bitcoin
The Eigenlayer TVL experiences a significant spike due to a suspected airdrop.
Capital locked on restaking protocols is now at $10 billion, in December it was just $350 million.
Takeaways |
ERC-404 tokens on Ethereum allow for the fractionalization of NFTs, enabling greater liquidity and trading opportunities.
The revival of the Opcat function in Bitcoin's development could open up new possibilities for building on the network.
Airdrop season is in full swing, with various projects distributing tokens to reward users and incentivize participation in their ecosystems.
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EPISODE LINKS |
Ethereum Developers Create 'DN-404' Tokens After ERC-404s Send Network Fees Surging
What Is ERC-404? The Experimental Standard Whose First Token Has Rocketed 12000% in One Week
Satoshi-Era Bitcoin Function 'OP_CAT' Dusted Off as Development Fervor Grows
Starknet Blockchain Plans Much-Awaited Airdrop of New STRK Tokens Next Week
EigenLayer's Cap Lift Prompts $4B Inflow as ETH Restaking Heats Up
Wormhole airdrop: Wormhole (W) Tokenomics
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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.
Special Guest Host Nebojsa Urosevic, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Tenderly, joins us to share insights on Ethereum's development process and future.
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, explore the following stories:
The Solana Blockchain Freeze
Solana, the low-latency blockchain that's seen an explosion in activity in recent months, experienced an approximately five-hour outage on Tuesday.
Eigenlayer Lifts Staking Cap, Soars Past $3B
The temporary lift comes as restaking on Ethereum is booming despite warnings from developers that it might strain the network.
Taproot Wizards NFT Project Sells OUT
All 3,000 of the "Quantum Cats" digital images were claimed by the end of Monday's public mint, selling for a fixed price of 0.1 BTC ($4,265) each – despite severe technical issues that had delayed the process by a full week.
PROTOCOL VILLAGE INTERVIEW SEGMENT
Final ‘Holesky’ Testnet
The test simulated “proto-danksharding,” a technical feature aimed at reducing the cost of transactions for rollups as well as making data availability cheaper.
Guest: Nebojsa Urosevic is Co-Founder and SVP of R&D at Tenderly -
A full-stack infrastructure solutions provider, powering Web3 developer teams with the essential tools and services throughout their development journeys. As a former software engineer for almost a decade, with experience in building, scaling and maintaining large-scale distribution cloud systems, Nebojsa is now responsible for the development and maintenance of a custom scalable Ethereum Virtual Machine that has the ability to reverse engineer transaction execution and perform various simulations in real-time.
Takeaways |
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EPISODE LINKS |
Solana Back Up Following Major 5-Hour Outage
EigenLayer Lifts Staking Cap, TVL Soars Past $3B
Bitcoin NFT Project Taproot Wizards Sells Out First Collection, Raking in $13M
Ethereum's Dencun Upgrade Reaches Final ‘Holesky’ Testnet, Starting Countdown to Data 'Blobs'
Tenderly
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.
Joining us, Riad Wahby, Co-founder and CEO of Cubist, delves into the risks of restaking, potential contagion effects on blockchain security, and the essential questions that the blockchain ecosystem must address.
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, explore the following stories:
TOPICS |
Lido DAO Endorses Rivals
LayerZero launched a Lido stETH bridge last October without asking for Lido DAO's permission. The community responded this week by endorsing a pair of its biggest competitors.
"Blockchain protocols frequently pride themselves on their "permissionlessness" – the idea that anyone, anywhere can build on top of a protocol without asking for explicit approval. But in practice, it is sometimes wiser to ask for permission."
Blockchains and Decentralization
The goal of these "protocol councils,” sometimes called “security councils,” is to nudge these nascent networks toward increasing decentralization, by gradually removing them from under the control of their original developers. How are they different from boards of directors?
PROTOCOL VILLAGE INTERVIEW SEGMENT
Guest: Riad Wahby
Riad Wahby is the co-founder and CEO of Cubist, a developer of hardware-backed, non-custodial key storage and signing infrastructure that enables companies to protect staking keys and secure withdrawals.
Takeaways |
Keys are fundamental in blockchain interactions and require careful management to ensure security.
Restaking introduces risks and potential contagion effects that can impact the security of the underlying blockchain.
The restaking ecosystem offers opportunities for innovation and collaboration, but reputation and risk assessment are crucial for making informed decisions.
Building systems that can withstand non-compliant users and incentivize responsible behavior is essential for the long-term success of blockchain networks.
There is continued interest in blockchain and crypto among students, with a focus on computer security, cryptography, and the intersection of blockchain and AI.
Balancing entrepreneurship and academia requires efficient time management and leveraging the support of graduate students and teaching assistants.
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EPISODE LINKS |
Lido DAO Rebukes LayerZero by Endorsing Rivals Wormhole, Axelar for Crypto Bridge
As Blockchains Push Toward Decentralization, These People Serve as Ultimate Guardians
Riad S. Wahby
Riad S. Wahby - Google Scholar
Cubist
Cubist Launches Bank-Grade Ethereum Key Management Service
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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.
From the publisher's feed
Dive deep into the blockchain realm with The Protocol Podcast, where we unravel the intricate technologies powering cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Join us on a…
Meet your hosts: Brad Keoun, Sam Kessler, and Margaux Nijkerk…and tune in, techies!