Unchained

By Laura ShinNews Business News Tech News

Unchained episodes

April 30, 2024Bitcoin Layer 2s Aim to Attract Ethereum-Like Dapps. Will They Succeed? - Ep.638
In this episode of Unchained, host Laura interviews Alexei Zamyatin, co-founder of Build on Bitcoin, Willem Schroé, founder of Botanix Labs, and Orkun Kılıç, co-founder of Chainway Labs. They discuss their respective projects, all of which are focused on developing Layer 2 solutions for Bitcoin.
Zamyatin's Build on Bitcoin is a hybrid Layer 2 that connects to both Bitcoin and Ethereum, aiming to bring innovation back to the Bitcoin ecosystem. Schroé's Botanix Labs is developing a decentralized Layer 2 solution using the ‘Spiderchain,’ which uses a series of multi-signature wallets to secure the chain. Kılıç's Chainway Labs is building Citrea, a zk-rollup on Bitcoin that aims to create a Bitcoin-backed economy.
All three projects are in various stages of development and testing, with BOB’s mainnet launch expected shortly.
Show highlights:
Introduction to Build on Bitcoin (BOB), Botanix, and Citrea: How they aim to innovate and expand Bitcoin's capabilities, including their architectural designs that integrate Ethereum users and work toward decentralization and trustlessness
Security Aspects and Integration Strategies: What the security risks associated with BOB, Botanix, and Citrea are, and strategies to enhance decentralization over time
How these Layer 2s influence Bitcoin fees, and how Botanix's integration can leverage the Bitcoin ecosystem, with insights on the potential of Layer 3s and zk-rollups to transform Bitcoin's utility and fee dynamics
How these projects aim to attract Ethereum users and developers, and the reasons why this may be an attractive opportunity for them
How Runes, Ordinals, and BRC-20s operate on Citrea, Botanix, and BOB
How Bitcoin is always a derivative when it’s not in its Layer 1 and the pros and cons of different bridging solutions
The concept of forward secrecy and how it can help improve security in blockchains
Why Willem believes that Layer 3s are possible and bullish for Bitcoin
How "merged mining” resembles Ethereum’s restaking and why it’s positive for Bitcoin
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Guests:
Willem Schroé, founder of Botanix Labs
Orkun Kılıç, cofounder of Chainway Labs
Alexei Zamyatin, cofounder of Build on Bitcoin
Links
Recent coverage on Unchained of Bitcoin L2s:
Stacks’ Muneeb Ali On Why Bitcoin Is Exciting Once Again
Build on Bitcoin
BOB learning documents
Announcement of mainnet on May 1st.
Unchained: Bitcoin DeFi App Sovryn to Deploy on Hybrid Layer 2 Network Build on Bitcoin
Alexei’s tweet on BitVM/rollups
Alexei went on a retreat with the inventor of BitVM
Citrea
Unchained: Here's What You Should Know About Citrea, Bitcoin's First ZK Rollup
Whitepaper
Orkun Mahir Kılıç’s interview on Unchained Premium
Citrea learning documents
Clementine -Citrea's BitVM Based Trust-Minimized Two-Way Peg Program
Botanix
CoinDesk: Willem Schroé: Building Botanix, a Bitcoin Layer 2 That Brings the EVM to Bitcoin
Botanix and the Future of Bitcoin
Bitcoin Magazine: Spiderchains: A Proof Of Stake Second Layer For Bitcoin
Willem Schroé’s interview on Unchained Premium
Learn More:
Unchained:
What Is the OP_CAT Bitcoin Improvement Proposal?
What Are Opcodes in Bitcoin? A Beginner's Guide

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1 hr 24 min
April 26, 2024Consensys’s Lawsuit Against The SEC: Will It End Gensler's ‘Unlawful Power Grab’? - Ep. 637
On Thursday, Consensys sued the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a Texas federal court, seeking to prevent an impending SEC action against its MetaMask wallet and to clarify that ether is not a security.
The complaint calls out the agency for what Consensys describes as “regulatory overreach,” challenges its notion that ETH is a security, and says the SEC has violated the Constitutional requirement of fair notice under the due process clause. It notes that for years, the SEC and its sister agency, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, took the position that ETH is not a security.
The lawsuit also challenges the SEC’s recent focus on Ethereum's switch to proof of stake in 2022 as a basis for increased scrutiny, a stance Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin deemed "preposterous."
Laura Brookover, Senior Counsel & Head of Litigation and Investigations at ConsenSys, joined Unchained to unpack the lawsuit and what it means for the future of Ethereum and overall crypto in the US.
Show highlights:
Why Consensys sued the SEC and why Brookover feels like the SEC has gone too far
How they are looking for a Judge to declare that the ETH is not a security
Whether the switch to proof of stake turned ETH into a security
Why the SEC issued Consensys a Wells Notice, with one potential allegation being that it is operating an unregistered securities broker through its MetaMask wallet
How the major questions doctrine applies to what the SEC is doing in the industry, according to Brookover
Why Hinman’s speech is still relevant today, even after 6 years
Whether the moves by the SEC are related to a motivation to deny ether spot ETFs
How the several cases against the SEC show that the industry “has had enough”
Whether Texas is a jurisdiction favorable to crypto, given that many lawsuits are being filed there
The implications of a Consensys victory for the industry and what the next steps in the case are
Thank you to our sponsors!
iTrustCapital
Polkadot
Guest
Laura Brookover, Senior Counsel & Head of Litigation and Investigations at ConsensysLinks
The lawsuit:
Fortune: SEC sued over Ethereum, crypto firm asks court to state token is not a security
ConsenSys’s complaint
Bill Hughes’ thread on why Consensys sued the SEC
Consensys is suing the SEC to defend the Ethereum ecosystem
Hinman speech
CryptoLaw: The Hinman Speech Documents
Major questions doctrine
Unchained: Why the SEC vs. Ripple Order Is Now About 2 Things: Coinbase and Congress
Reuters: SEC argues Coinbase crypto case not barred by ‘major questions’ doctrine
Other SEC cases:
Coinbase
Unchained:
Why the SEC’s Case Against Coinbase Is So Significant for Crypto
Court Rejects Coinbase’s Bid to Dismiss SEC Charges Against It
Uniswap
Unchained:
Gary Gensler’s Case Against Uniswap: Does the SEC Even Stand a Chance?
SEC Puts DeFi in Its Sights With Potential Uniswap Suit
Uniswap Blog Post on the Wells notice
Marvin Ammori Thread on Wells notice
Ethereum Foundation
Unchained:
SEC Investigating Ethereum Foundation Regarding Proof-of-Stake Transition: Report
The Real Reason Why the SEC Might Be Going After Ethereum
Debt Box
Unchained: SEC Sanctioned for ‘Abuse of Power’ in Debt Box Lawsuit
Beba
DeFi Education Fund and Beba sue SEC over airdrop policies
Lejilex
Lawsuit document

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37 min
April 25, 2024 The Chopping Block: Uniswap's SEC Scrutiny, Token2049 Flood Catastrophe, and Bitcoin's Halving Impact - Ep. 636
Welcome to The Chopping Block, where Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner dissect the crypto world’s topics of the day. In this episode, we delve into the SEC's recent scrutiny of Uniswap, exploring the potential legal and regulatory impacts on the DeFi landscape. We also discuss the unprecedented flooding in Dubai and its effects on the recent crypto conference, highlighting the resilience of the crypto community in the face of natural disasters. Shifting our focus to Bitcoin, we analyze the implications of the latest halvening event and what it means for Bitcoin’s inflation rate and market dynamics. Through these discussions, we unpack the intricate relationships between regulatory actions, environmental challenges, and technological advancements in cryptocurrency. Join us as we navigate through these complex topics, offering deep insights and expert analysis on the events that are shaping the future of blockchain and digital currencies. Tune in to understand how these pivotal moments are influencing the strategic direction and ethical considerations within the crypto space.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Show Highlights
🔹The devastating floods in Dubai and their impact on the Token 2049 conference
🔹 Analysis of Bitcoin's halvening event, exploring whether it's a bullish signal or just market noise.
🔹 Examine the evolution and market impact of new Bitcoin protocols like ordinals and runes, assessing their effectiveness and reception within the community.
🔹 Explore the dynamics of the Asian market's influence on Bitcoin's secondary layers, discussing the integration of substantial Bitcoin deposits and yield strategies.
🔹 Dive into the SEC's Wells Notice to Uniswap and its broader implications for decentralized finance (DeFi).

Hosts
⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Robert Leshner, Founder of Compound
⭐️Tarun Chitra, Founder and CEO of Gauntlet

DisclosuresLinks
Fighting for DeFi by Uniswap: https://blog.uniswap.org/fighting-for-defi

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57 min
April 23, 2024The US vs. Crypto: Jake Chervinsky on Crypto's Legal and Regulatory Status - Ep. 635
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Jake Chervinsky, chief legal officer of Variant, discusses the current state of crypto regulation, touching on several ongoing legal and regulatory issues in the crypto space, including Uniswap’s Wells notice, the Coinbase case, the Tornado Cash case, the Ethereum Foundation investigation and more. Chervinsky argues that the government's approach to these cases is often misguided, particularly in instances where they hold software developers liable for how third parties use their software. He also discusses the potential implications of the government's case against Tornado Cash, suggesting that it could have far-reaching consequences for all open-source software developers.
Chervinsky also delves into the SEC's ongoing investigations into the Ethereum Foundation, as well as the recent IRS draft form that lists unhosted wallets as a type of broker. He expressed concern about the potential impact of these investigations on the crypto industry, but remained optimistic about the future of DeFi in the US.
Show highlights:
How the Tornado Cash case could set a critical precedent for open-source software
How the government’s Tornado indictment reveals a fear of unsurveilled financial systems, according to Jake
What the implications of the Tornado Cash case could be for the broader DeFi space
What lessons can be learned from the $62 million hack of Munchables on Blast
How to address the challenge of malicious actors like North Korea using a permissionless system
Whether Coinbase's staking services are considered a securities offering
Whether Judge Failla’s ruling on Coinbase acting as a broker could be overturned
Why Jake thinks the SEC will face significant challenges in its potential case against Uniswap Labs
How the Debt Box case order impacts the SEC’s reputation, according to Jake
How the industry is pushing back against the SEC’s regulation by enforcement with its own lawsuits for Lejilex and Beba
The future of DeFi in the U.S. and its potential for success, according to Jake
Why Jake believes the SEC will deny Ether ETFs and why he disagrees with the latest stablecoin regulation bill by Lummis and Gillibrand
How the U.S. Presidential election could impact the future of the crypto industry
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Guest:
Jake Chervinsky, Chief Legal Officer at Variant
Previous appearances on Unchained:
Why the SEC vs. Ripple Order Is Now About 2 Things: Coinbase and Congress
The Chopping Block: Jake Chervinsky on How the SEC Has Lost Credibility
All Things Crypto Regulation With Jake Chervinsky
Everything You Need to Know About the Looming Battle Over Privacy in Crypto
Can Crypto Be a Force in the Midterms? Yes, Say Kristin Smith and Jake Chervinsky
Links
Tornado Cash
Jake’s amicus brief with Amanda Tuminelli
Unchained: Given the Sanctions on Tornado Cash, Is Ethereum Censorship Resistant?
Unchained: Is This the End of DeFi? Why the US Government Is Going After Tornado Cash
Munchables exploit
Unchained: Blast-Based NFT Game Munchables Recovers $62.5 Million Lost in Exploit
SEC cases:
Coinbase
Unchained:
Why the SEC’s Case Against Coinbase Is So Significant for Crypto
Court Rejects Coinbase’s Bid to Dismiss SEC Charges Against It
Uniswap
Unchained:
Gary Gensler’s Case Against Uniswap: Does the SEC Even Stand a Chance?
SEC Puts DeFi in Its Sights With Potential Uniswap Suit
Uniswap Blog Post on the Wells notice
Marvin Ammori Thread on Wells notice
Ethereum Foundation
Unchained:
SEC Investigating Ethereum Foundation Regarding Proof-of-Stake Transition: Report
The Real Reason Why the SEC Might Be Going After Ethereum
Debt Box
Unchained: SEC Sanctioned for ‘Abuse of Power’ in Debt Box Lawsuit
Beba
DeFi Education Fund and Beba sue SEC over airdrop policies
Lejilex
Lawsuit document

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1 hr 27 min
April 19, 2024After the Bitcoin Halving, Will the Runes Protocol Live Up to the Hype? - Ep. 634
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Not only will April 20 (or 19, depending on which part of the world you are) mark the fourth Bitcoin halving, but also the launch of a new primitive on Bitcoin called Runes Protocol.
Charlie Spears, co-founder of Blockspace Media, joined Unchained to talk about all things Runes, which is a messaging protocol that allows for the creation of fungible tokens on Bitcoin. It is designed to fix some of the issues with the BRC-20 token standard, such as inefficiency and proliferation of unspent transaction outputs. Charlie believes that the launch of Runes will increase demand for Bitcoin's blockspace and potentially lead to higher transaction fees. He also discusses the potential for Runes to interact with Bitcoin covenants and layer two solutions.
Show highlights:
What Runes is and why Charlie believes that it is the hottest thing since Ordinals
The differences between Runes and BRC-20 fungible tokens
Runes’ unique features, with Charlie pointing out that this is “what the degens really want”
Whether the Runes Protocol will create a “burst of demand” and have a positive impact on miners
Whether the launch of Runes will be successful in the long-term and how Bitcoin’s blockspace could become more attractive
Whether Bitcoin L2s will help clear Bitcoin’s mempool, and why Charlie believes that they won’t reduce fee pressure on the base layer
The coolest things that Runes Protocol will enable, according to Charlie
How Taproot Assets and RGB differ from Runes and why they have not taken off
Why Casey, the founder of Runes, will claim the first inscription with Uncommon Goods
Thank you to our sponsors!
iTrustCapital
Polkadot
Guest
Charlie Spears, cofounder of Blockspace MediaLinks
Recent coverage on Unchained of the Bitcoin halving: Arthur Hayes and Will Clemente on How This Bitcoin Halving Is Different
Runes
Unchained: What Are Runes? A Guide to the New Fungible Token Protocol on Bitcoin
Bitcoin Runes Explainer by Charlie Spears
BRC-20s and Ordinals:
Unchained:
What Are BRC-20 Tokens? A Brief Introduction
Bitcoin’s BRC-20 Mania: Is It Sustainable?
How to Create a Bitcoin Ordinal
Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs Are Hot and Getting Hotter. What's the Hype About?
Halving
Unchained:
Bitcoin Halving: What Is It & How Is It Determined?
Here’s Why No One Agrees Exactly When The Bitcoin Halving Will Happen
Bitcoin Miners Diversify Their Revenue Streams as Halving Nears
Bitcoin L2s
Unchained:
Stacks’ Muneeb Ali On Why Bitcoin Is Exciting Once Again
Citrea: An Ethereum-Like Experience Built on Bitcoin?
How Botanix Aims to Enable Smart Contracts on Bitcoin

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43 min
April 16, 2024Arthur Hayes and Will Clemente on How This Bitcoin Halving Is Different - Ep. 633
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
The Bitcoin halving is just around the corner, expected to be on April 19 or April 20.
Arthur Hayes, CIO of Maelstrom, and Will Clemente, co-founder of Reflexivity Research discuss the rise in Bitcoin prices ahead of the halving, the impact of the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US, and the potential effects of the halving on the price trajectory post-halving. They also discuss the potential impact of a new class of investors on Bitcoin's price, volatility, and decentralization.
Learn more: Bitcoin Halving: What Is It & How Is It Determined?
Moreover, they dive into the impact of the macroeconomics, geopolitical, and demographic conditions for the crypto asset industry, the potential for L2s on Bitcoin, and their price predictions for bitcoin by year-end.
Show highlights:
How the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs altered the price trajectory of BTC before the halving
Whether the introduction of spot Bitcoin ETFs impacts Bitcoin's decentralization and price volatility
Whether this cycle could be the "last cycle" or the "supercycle"
Why Arthur predicts a 90% drawdown in the future and how they determine when the markets are nearing the top of the cycle
The effect of high inflation, the election, and the termination of the bank term funding program on Bitcoin
How artificial intelligence is expected to trigger a productivity boom, according to Will
Why Will considers Coinbase to be mispriced
Whether Bitcoin L2s have a future and if security budgets are a concern
Their views on Bitcoin Ordinals and the Runes Protocol launch
Why Will views DOGE as a purer commodity than ETH
Arthur's rebuttal to claims that Ethena could follow in Terra/Luna’s footsteps
Arthur's and Will’s Bitcoin price projections for the end of the year and the cycle
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Guest:
Arthur Hayes, CIO of Maelstrom.
Previous appearances on Unchained:
Arthur Hayes on Why Bitcoin Is Money and ETH Is a Shitcoin He Loves
Arthur Hayes, Former Ethereum Skeptic, on Why the Merge Makes Him Bullish on ETH
Arthur Hayes of Bitmex on Why Countries Will Turn to Digital
The Chopping Block: Arthur Hayes on Why Crypto Needs to Ditch the Banks
How Crypto and Blockchain Technology Could Change Financial Services
Will Clemente, Co-founder of Reflexivity Research
Previous appearance on Unchained: Strong Hands Aren't Selling Bitcoin. So Who Is?
Links

This cycle
Naval’s tweet: “The narrative for this cycle is ‘this is the last cycle.’”
Unchained:
Here’s Why No One Agrees Exactly When The Bitcoin Halving Will Happen
Bitcoin Miners Diversify Their Revenue Streams as Halving Nears
Heatwave by Arthur Hayes
Dissecting Bitcoin's “4 Year Cycle,” guest post by Will Clemente on The Pomp Letter
Bitcoin ETFs:
Unchained:
The Best Spot Bitcoin ETFs for Different Types of Investors
Who Is Buying Into Spot Bitcoin ETFs? We'll Soon Start to Get an Idea
Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work?
Macroeconomic conditions
CNBC: Consumer prices rose 3.5% from a year ago in March, more than expected
FT: Investors lose hope of rapid US interest rate cuts this year
Block size wars
Bloomberg: The Block War Is Still a Sore Subject for ‘Bitcoin Jesus’
Bitcoin L2s
Unchained: Stacks’ Muneeb Ali On Why Bitcoin Is Exciting Once Again
Runes
Decrypt: Bitcoin Runes Launch at the Halving: Here's Everything You Need to Know
Ethena
Hayes’ tweet on Ethena
Unchained:
ENA Surges 20% to New All-Time High as Ethena Rolls Out Reward Boosts
Ethena’s USDe Grew to $2 Billion in 7 Weeks. Is It Safe?
What Is Ethena's USDe Synethic Dollar?

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1 hr 8 min
April 12, 2024Gary Gensler’s Case Against Uniswap: Does the SEC Even Stand a Chance? - Ep. 632
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a Wells notice to Uniswap Labs, the team behind the prominent decentralized exchange (DEX) Uniswap, signaling a forthcoming enforcement action.
Amanda Tuminelli, Chief Legal Officer at the DeFi Education Fund, joined Unchained to unpack what the case could mean for Uniswap and the overall decentralized finance (DeFi) industry.
Amanda also talks about the DeFi Education Fund's recent lawsuit against the SEC over its airdrop policies and the industry’s need for a proactive counteroffensive approach in dealing with the SEC.
Show highlights:
Why Amanda thinks that the SEC is going to take a “kitchen sink approach” to their charges
How the SEC could make a case that some of the tokens traded via Uniswap are securities
What the next steps are in the case, with a lawsuit possibly coming soon
Whether there’s an inconsistency between the SEC’s position and Judge Failla’s rejection of the motion to dismiss the Coinbase lawsuit
How the different components of Uniswap make it hard to prove that Uniswap Labs is responsible for everything that happens on the protocol
Why the DeFi Education Fund recently filed a lawsuit against the SEC
Why Amanda believes in a “proactive counteroffensive strategy” with the SEC
How Amanda would like legislation to be implemented in the U.S.
Why the Tornado Cash developers are not liable for the actions of third parties such as North Korean hackers, according to Amanda
Why Amanda thinks Uniswap will ultimately win against the SEC
Thank you to our sponsors!
iTrustCapital
Polkadot
Guest
Amanda Tuminelli, Chief Legal Officer at DeFi Education Fund
Previous appearance on Unchained: Is This the End of DeFi? Why the US Government Is Going After Tornado Cash
You’ve got a friend in me: How amicus briefs are helping the crypto industry win over the courts, Amanda’s op-ed for Fortune
Links
Wells Notice
Unchained: SEC Puts DeFi in Its Sights With Potential Uniswap Suit
Unchained: UNI Drops 16% as SEC Targets Uniswap Labs
Uniswap Blog Post on the Wells notice
Marvin Ammori Thread on Wells notice
Other cases:
Fortune: Don't blame Uniswap for crypto scams, judge rules—and she's right
The Block: Three crypto advocacy groups file amicus briefs in Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm's case
The DeFiant: SEC Faces Lawsuit Seeking To Exempt Airdrops From Securities Classification
Unchained: Court Rejects Coinbase's Bid to Dismiss SEC Charges Against It
Social media commentary:
Paul Grewal’s tweet on the potential inconsistencies with the Coinbase case.
Gabriel Shapiro’s tweet on how Uniswap AMM smart contracts are not run by the Uniswap company

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42 min
April 11, 2024 The Chopping Block: The EVM Parallelization Dilemma, Solana's Network Congestion, and Avi Eisenberg's Legal Battle - Ep. 631
Welcome to The Chopping Block, where Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Robert Leshner dive into the crypto universe's hottest topics. In this episode, we have the CEO/Co-Founder of Monad to explore the fascinating world of Monad and its ambitious endeavor to revolutionize EVM scalability through innovative parallelization techniques. The discussion shifts gears to the recent turmoil in Solana, dissecting the network's congestion issues and the broader implications for blockchain efficiency and scalability challenges. As the conversation deepens, we pivot to the gripping courtroom drama surrounding Avi Eisenberg, challenging the foundational crypto principle of 'code is law' and sparking debate over the legality of smart contract exploitation. Through these discussions, we untangle the complex interplay between technological innovation, regulatory frameworks, and the ethical considerations that define the crypto industry. Join us as we navigate the intricate dynamics shaping the future of blockchain technology, providing insightful analysis on the strategic developments and moral dilemmas at the heart of the digital age. Tune in for a compelling journey through the strategic and ethical battlegrounds that are forging the path forward for crypto and blockchain.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Show Highlights
🔹 Dive into Monad’s efforts to revolutionize Ethereum with parallelization for higher transaction throughput and efficiency.
🔹 Discussion on Solana's congestion issue, its impact on network performance, and lessons for future scalability.
🔹 Examination of Avi Eisenberg's courtroom saga, challenging the boundaries between legal systems and blockchain autonomy.
🔹 Insight into the scalability challenges facing blockchains and the innovative solutions proposed by new projects.
🔹 Analyzing the ethical considerations in exploiting blockchain vulnerabilities and the responsibility of the crypto community.
🔹 Debate on the future of smart contracts in light of legal challenges and the evolving concept of 'code is law'.
🔹 Perspectives on the balance between innovation and user protection in the rapidly evolving landscape of decentralized finance.

Special guest
⭐️ Keone Hon, Cofounder/CEO at Monad Labs
Hosts
⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Robert Leshner, Founder of Compound

DisclosuresLinks
The Mango Markets Attacker on Whether His 'Trade' Was Ethical or Not - Ep. 413
https://unchainedcrypto.com/podcast/the-mango-markets-attacker-on-whether-his-trade-was-ethical-or-not-ep-413/

Nickel Blowup Made a Lot of Trouble by Matt Levine
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-03-14/nickel-blowup-made-a-lot-of-trouble

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1 hr 5 min
April 09, 2024Polygon’s AggLayer Wants to Be a Hub for Ethereum Layer 2s. Can It Succeed? - Ep. 630
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron and co-founder Brendan Farmer discussed everything about the AggLayer, a decentralized protocol built by Polygon that enables fast, secure cross-chain interactions and allows different chains to use the same native bridge. This allows users to seamlessly move assets across chains in the AggLayer ecosystem.
The AggLayer aims to unify blockspace so that it feels like a single chain, improving user experience. Boiron and Farmer also discussed the potential for Layer 2 solutions to scale Ethereum, the benefits of zero-knowledge technology, and the future of Polygon's proof-of-stake chain.
Learn more: What Are Zero-Knowledge Proofs?
Show highlights:
Background of Brendan and Marc and how they joined Polygon
A brief description of what Polygon is overall
What the AggLayer is and how it aims to enable the best of monolithic and modular blockchains
How Brendan differentiates the AggLayer from its competitors, such as Optimism's Superchain or Cosmos and why he believes that zk-technology is such a game changer
How the interoperability experience gets better in such a system, according to Marc and Brendan, and what will become possible that's not now
Which chains can use the AggLayer and how it works to improve security across chains
The tradeoffs between the various types of zkEVM provers
How projects should decide their architecture and when it would make sense to tap the AggLayer
Why projects should build on the AggLayer, including layer 1s, according to Marc
How Layer 1s can still join the AggLayer and retain their own consensus and sovereignty
Why Polygon believes that zk-technology is the future of blockchain architecture
Why the Polgyon zkEVM suffered an outage on March 30
Whether Layer 3s are needed to scale the Ethereum ecosystem
Why Brendan believes that EigenLayer is not a good fit for rollups to use
The transition of the Polygon PoS chain to become an Ethereum L2 using the AggLayer
When EIP-4844/Dencun will go live on Polygon
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Guests:
Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs
Previous appearances on Unchained:
Gary Gensler vs. Crypto: What Will the SEC Attack Next?
The Chopping Block: The SEC Is Attacking Crypto – Will Gary Gensler Succeed?
Brendan Farmer, co-founder of Polygon and co-lead of Polygon Zero
Links
AggLayer
Polygon: Aggregated Blockchains: A New Thesis
More technical Agglayer explainer
CoinDesk:
Polygon Lands Astar Network as First User of New 'AggLayer’
Cosmos-Based Canto Blockchain Reverses Course on Polygon Layer-2 Plans, Unveils New Roadmap
Zaki on the comparisons with Cosmos
zk-Technology
Polygon: Upgrading Every EVM Chain to ZK: Introducing the Type 1 Prover
The different types of ZK-EVMs by Vitalik
Unchained: Why Zero-Knowledge Proofs Are Critical to Ethereum’s Future
Polygon zkEVM
Unchained: Polygon zkEVM Chain Goes Down for 10 Hours
Blockworks: Polygon unpacks zkEVM outage and ‘emergency’ upgrade
Layer 3s
Unchained: Layer 3s Only Exist to Take Value Away From Ethereum: Polygon Labs CEO
0xCygaar on L3s and L2s
Potuz on the benefit of L3s

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1 hr 12 min
April 05, 2024Ethena’s USDe Grew to $2 Billion in 7 Weeks. Is It Safe? - Ep. 629
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
This week, Ethena was in the spotlight after the airdrop of ENA, its new governance token. Ethena’s flagship product, the “synthetic dollar” USDe has amassed a $2 billion market cap in less than two months. Meanwhile, ENA’s market capitalization sits around $1.4 billion, with a fully diluted valuation of $15.5 billion.
In this episode, Guy Young, founder of Ethena Labs, discusses the risks associated with Ethena, including custodial risks and counterparty risks to exchanges. Young also talks about the use cases of Ethena's governance token, and discusses the potential for Ethena to be integrated with DeFi and CeFi.
Show highlights:
An introduction to what Ethena is and how USDe works
Why the team doesn't want to refer to USDe as a stablecoin, and prefers to use the term "synthetic dollar"
What the risks of USDe are, including custody, counterparties, and smart contracts
Why Guy is "pleased" with how the ENA airdrop went through
How ENA will be used and what its role will be in the governance of Ethena
Why Ethena is now onboarding Bitcoin as collateral
Why Guy thinks that there's been an "exaggeration" regarding the situation with Maker and Aave
Guy's response to the critics who say that Ethena is essentially Terra/Luna
Whether USDe would only work in a bull market
How the Ethena insurance fund works and what it aims to accomplish
What's next for Ethena after onboarding Bitcoin, with Solana potentially being the next asset
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
iTrustCapital
Guest
Guy Young, founder of Ethena Labs.
Previous appearance on Unchained: How Ethena's USDe Challenges Traditional Stablecoin Models
Links
Ethena:
Unchained: What Is Ethena’s USDe Synethic Dollar? A Beginner’s Guide
Decrypt: Ethena Just Launched to a $1.2 Billion Market Cap: Here’s What You Need to Know
Dust on Crust by Arthur Hayes
Airdrop:
Unchained: Airdrops From Wormhole and Ethena Labs Set to Inject $2.4 Billion Into Crypto Market This Week
Cointelegraph: Ethena will become highest revenue-generating crypto project — Delphi Labs CEO
ENA Airdrop and Season 2: Sats Campaign
Learn more: What Is a Crypto Airdrop? A Beginner’s Guide
MakerDAO/Aave controversy:
The Block: MakerDAO proposes allocating $600 million worth of DAI into USDe and sUSDe
The Defiant: DeFi Projects Clash After MakerDAO Adds Ethena’s USDe As Collateral,
Comparisons to Terra’s UST:
The Defiant: Ethena Stablecoin’s 27% Yield is Triggering Terra-Induced PTSD
Andre Cronje’s thoughts on USDe
Cointelegraph: Ethena Labs founder clarifies USDe stability amid high yield worries

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43 min

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Crypto assets and blockchain technology are about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity to the Internet of Things. In this podcast, host Laura…

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