The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs

The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs

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The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs episodes

  • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Chen Zhuling, CEO and Founder of RockX, Asia’s leading enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure and non-custodial staking provider.
    Join them as they:
    • Talk about the early days of Bitcoin in Asia 
    • Delve into building a delegated proof of stake blockchain network
    • Explore the evolving market driven by dApp usage
    • Shine a light on the role of staking in securing blockchain networks
    • Weigh in on the opportunities and constraints of liquid staking 
    • Discuss how institutional clients can join a distributed validator network
    • Discuss the future of staking as a service

    Chen Zhuling is the CEO and Founder of RockX, a non-custodial staking and access node API provider. He is also the Co-Founder of Aelf, a cloud-powered public blockchain for businesses. With a background in engineering and strategy consulting, Zhuling has been involved in the crypto space since 2017 and is passionate about building infrastructure for the blockchain industry.
    If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.


    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    52 min
  • Building for the Creator Economy: How Calaxy is Charting a New Future with Rusty Matveev
    In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy.
    Join them as they:
    • Talk about Rusty’s journey to Calaxy
    • Weigh in on the rise of Web3 and the resurgence of the Metaverse
    • Delve into how Calaxy is building a platform to empower creators
    • Shine a light on the importance of user experience in Web3
    • Unpack how Calaxy is contributing to the future of the creative economy 
    • Discuss network characteristics for social media platforms
    • Explore what’s on the horizon for Calaxy


    Rusty Matveev is the Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy, a next-generation social marketplace revolutionizing creator monetization and fan engagement by connecting them through curated content, communication forums, and digital collectibles. Rusty has a background in entrepreneurship, investing, and software development.
    If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.


    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    1 hr 2 min
  • The Rise of Self-Sovereignty: Reimagining Digital Asset Custody with Andrew Lawrence of Censo
    In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo.
    Join them as they:
    • Talk about Andrew's background and early interest in blockchain
    • Weigh in on self-sovereignty in holding digital assets
    • Delve into Censo's self-custody and key management approach
    • Shine a light on  hierarchical key management 
    • Explore the role of mobile phones and biometrics in Censo’s ecosystem 
    • Discuss the pros and cons of building open-source solutions 
    • Delve into the future of self-sovereign digital asset management

    Andrew Lawrence is the CEO and Co-Founder of Censo, a pioneering FinTech company that provides self-custody and private key management solutions for organizations to better manage and protect their digital assets. Andrew has a diverse background in financial markets and has been involved in the crypto space since 2012.
    If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.
    To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter/X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
    Episode Highlights:
    [00:02:12] Recognizing the Power of Blockchain - Andrew’s journey into the world of blockchain began in 2012 when he stumbled upon the Bitcoin whitepaper. As a veteran of the financial markets, he immediately recognized the potential of blockchain technology. He saw a powerful parallel between the organization of blockchains and the mutual balances and credit systems used in traditional finance. This realization sparked his interest and set him on a path to explore the possibilities of blockchain technology. 
    [00:10:44] The Importance of Self-Sovereignty - Andrew strongly believes that the core principles of self-sovereignty and decentralization are imperative for the success and longevity of the crypto ecosystem. Historically, value was stored in tangible entities like gold or food, under the custody of a centralized entity. Today, digital assets offer inherent self-sovereignty. Yet, many organizations still opt for centralized solutions to manage their digital assets, due to regulatory constraints and the complexities surrounding key management. Although central custodians provide an easier, though potentially risky, solution, many choose them for their convenience. To truly harness the potential of the crypto movement, Andrew believes in the need for decentralization and self-sovereignty.
    [00:25:04] Seedless Sovereignty in Key Management - Censo gives users and organizations total sovereignty over their keys and assets, while eradicating the complexities and vulnerabilities traditionally associated with key management. Their solution is built on open-source, decentralized software that runs on clients' hardware, ensuring full control and non-extractability of keys. This system interacts with on-chain policy engines and establishes a secure trust connection between keys and users' mobile devices, with encryption safeguarded by the phones' hardware security modules. The unique feature of Censo's approach is its seedless key management. If a user loses a key, it can be cryptographically reconstructed via a multi-approver transaction. 
    [00:29:09] The Pivotal Role of Mobile Phones and Biometric Authentication -  The Censo ecosystem integrates mobile phones as the core of its security approach. According to Andrew, mobile phones are the most secure individual computing devices available due to their hardware security modules from which keys cannot be extracted. The Censo system ties a user's identity to key signing through biometric authentication. It operates in two parts: a web app for initiating transactions and mobile phones for signing and approving them. The biometric gating of the phone's secure enclave ensures the keys remain inaccessible and secure. This entire mechanism guarantees that sensitive activities demanding trust are controlled by the users via their phones or contracts.

    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    57 min
  • S1E43 - Zac Townsend - Meanwhile | BTC-backed Life Insurance
    Episode Notes

    In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Zac Townsend, CEO and co-founder of Meanwhile, the first and only life insurance company denominated in Bitcoin. Discussion topics include using technology to improve institutional processes, how life insurance can ensure Bitcoin’s longevity, the product Meanwhile offers and the types of customers they seek, and how life insurance can be a part of a balanced financial portfolio.

    To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter/X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.



    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    59 min
  • S1E42 - Jesper Johansen - Northstake | Onboarding the Institutions
    Episode Notes

    In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Jesper Johansen, CEO and co-founder of Northstake, which builds streamlined and regulatory-compliant staking products for institution-grade investors and clients. Topics include the significance of MiCA legislation in Europe, building businesses off Proof-of-Stake blockchain networks, how Northstake provides secure staking services to institutional clients, and plans to launch an ETH staking-based alternative investment fund.

    To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter/X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.



    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    50 min
  • S1E41 - Tama Churchouse - Cumberland Labs | Incubating Web3 Solutions
    Episode Notes

    In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs, a global blockchain incubator comprised of blockchain developers, product managers, researchers, traders, and former founders. Topics discussed include getting Bitcoin in 2013, lessons learned as a VC in the EOS ecosystem, the four P’s of incubating a new business, and recently launched Cumberland Labs products.

    To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter and TikTok.



    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    48 min
  • S1E40 - Holly Wood - Boson Protocol | Big Brands, Phygitals, and NFTs
    Episode Notes

    In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Holly Wood, Director of Business Development at Boson Protocol. Topics discussed include working with grassroots creatives and big brands, how Web3 launches have similar vibes to brand launches for verticals like streetwear, the prevalence of in-house Web3 teams and staff at big brands, and phygitals/digi-physical items.

    To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter and TikTok.



    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    35 min
  • S1E39 - Oliver Linch - Bittrex Global | Navigating the Global Regulatory Seas
    Episode Notes

    In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Oliver Linch, CEO of Bittrex Global. Topics discussed include the difference between Bittrex Global and Bittrex, Bittrex Global’s forthcoming conversations with US regulators, and various different regulatory guidelines across different jurisdictions in the world.

    To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter and TikTok.



    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    57 min
  • S1E38 - Aaron Kaplan - Prometheum | The Path to Becoming the First Securities-Compliant Exchange in the US
    Episode Notes

    In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Aaron Kaplan, founder and co-CEO of Prometheum. Topics of discussion include wanting to build a regulatory-compliant exchange in 2013, how he felt like a crazy person talking about securities laws during the ETH ICO, incubating Prometheum, how Prometheum is posed to be the first regulatory compliant digital asset custodian in the US, and the path forward for crypto in the US.

    To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter and TikTok.



    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    53 min
  • S1E37 - Lars Seier Christensen - Concordium | From Internet to Blockchain: Seeing What Others Couldn't
    Episode Notes

    In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Lars Seier Christensen, Chairman at Concordium Foundation. Topics discussed include building an online trading platform in the early days of the internet, new technology and adoption cycles, the importance of digital identification, discovering Bitcoin, and how Concordium seeks to provide certain features that other blockchains don’t natively provide.

    To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter and TikTok.



    Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

    Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

    • Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
    • Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
    • The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

    Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guest
    The Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so
    59 min

About The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs

From the publisher's feed

The Smart Economy Podcast features interviews with some of the most interesting people within the blockchain industry, working to make the new smart economy a reality.