Lightspeed (Blockworks)

Gm! This week we invite Kyle Samani to the show for a wide ranging discussion on his current crypto thesis. We deep dive into the L1 vs L2 debate, Stablecoins & DePin as crypto's killer use cases, why Solana will ultimately flip Ethereum & so much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Kyle: https://x.com/KyleSamani Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy -- Get 15% off an indoor or outdoor Helium Mobile Hotspot using code LIGHTSPEEDHOTSPOT: https://hellohelium.com/hotspot Helium Mobile is a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. By creating coverage, you’re helping to build a better network together, while earning MOBILE rewards. -- Join us at Permissionles III. Use code LIGHTSPEED10 for a 10% discount: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:20) What Crypto Enables (03:58) The L1 vs L2 Thesis (08:42) Building Crypto Applications: Stablecoins & DePin (13:51) Helium Mobile Ad (16:25) The RWA Thesis (18:48) Social Tokens, Meme Coins & Crypto Gaming (26:14) MEV & L1 Value Capture (31:02) Why Solana Will Flip Ethereum (33:54) Permissionless III Ad (34:57) Token Issuance (40:27) Economic Security (49:19) Restaking Is Not Solving A Problem (52:07) Measuring Decentralization (54:56) Advice For Founders (57:07) L2s Are Mispriced (01:01:11) Solana L2s -- Disclaimers: Although our guest this week is a Managing Partner of a registered investment adviser, nothing in this podcast should be considered an offer of Multicoin’s investment advisory services or should otherwise be confused for investment, tax, legal or other financial advice. Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Today's episode is from our other favorite podcast, 0xResearch. Garrett joins the team to explain this month's Solana rally! We dive into Solana's developer traction and documentation quality, the sustainability of low fees, comparisons to Ethereum L2s, and upcoming major ecosystem upgrades and catalysts like Firedancer. To close out the team touches on governance updates on inflation and incentive programs from Synthetix, Arbitrum, and dYdX. Enjoy! As always remember this podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Subscribe to 0xResearch on: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3foDS38 Apple: https://apple.co/3SNhUEt Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3NlP1hA - - Follow Sam: https://twitter.com/swmartin19 Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/MattFiebach Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Blockworks Research: https://twitter.com/blockworksres Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use 0X20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (0:00) Introduction (1:36) The Solana Accusatory Audit (6:25) What is there to do on Solana? (14:38) Does SOL not being money hurt DeFi? (22:01) Hexens Ad (22:48) Lack of Protocol Documentation (26:13) Are there New Users? (30:25) L2 Framework is Overrated (46:24) DAS London Ad (47:20) ACP 13 Reducing Barrier of Subnet Validator Sets (55:38) Arbitrum Governance Updates (1:01:57) 1inch Selling ARB Airdrop - - Check out Blockworks Research today! Research, data, governance, tokenomics, and models – now, all in one place Blockworks Research: https://www.blockworksresearch.com/ Free Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Anatoly joins us to discuss why Solana is uniquely designed to utilize ever-increasing bandwidth and compute. We cover Solana's core thesis, how blockchains benefit from hardware improvements, the fundamental flaws of L2s, Anatoly's favorite applications, decentralization and more! Anatoly is a legend, you don't want to miss this one! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:47) Solana’s Core Thesis (10:29) The Scaling Bottleneck (13:43) Do All Blockchains Equally Benefit From Hardware Improvements? (17:47) Pros and Cons of Parallel Execution (20:56) The Realities of Decentralization (24:32) Solana’s Design Moat (27:57) Jito Mid Roll (29:01) Permissionless Plug (30:01) The Fundamental Tradeoffs of L2s (44:43) How Should Solana Approach Business Development? (48:33) The Role of Solana Labs and the Solana Foundation (50:18) The Compressed NFT Opportunity (53:54) We Need to Fix DAO Governance (55:40) Anatoly’s Metric of Success for Solana (58:21) Why Anatoly Hasn’t Left Crypto (01:00:12) Why an Average Joe Would Use Solana (01:01:58) Rapid Fire - - This episode is brought to you by Jito. Jito is the easiest way to earn MEV rewards on Solana with liquid staking. Stake your SOL with Jito to start earning high yield powered by MEV and access instant liquidity through Jito’s liquid staking token JitoSOL so that you can use your staked assets across Solana DeFi. Visit jito.network to get started today! - - Follow Anatoly: https://twitter.com/aeyakovenko Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Jito jito.network Endgame: Proof of Governance - Jon Charbonneau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toPd1vgHjVE - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we're back with another roundup. We discuss Solana's on chain boom, why economic value reached a new all time high, Stripe's recent acquisition of Bridge & much more. Enjoy! – Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain. With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:29) Solana's On Chain Boom (10:17) Solana's Breaking Point (14:21) Firedancer (18:47) Sei Ad (19:13) Solana's Economic Value (22:37) Memecoins & Fee Markets (31:35) Meme's (35:31) Stripe Acquires Bridge (40:35) Crypto M&A, IPOs & Regulation (45:07) Crypto Mobile Apps (56:11) SocialFi -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we invite Austin Federa to the show for a discussion on the current state of Solana & the most exciting developments happening in crypto. We deep dive into the current state of Firedancer, how to build community within crypto & attracting developers to Solana. We then debate is economic security a meme & of course the latest meta... social tokens & meme coins. Enjoy! -- Follow Austin: https://x.com/Austin_Federa Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy -- Get 15% off an indoor or outdoor Helium Mobile Hotspot using code LIGHTSPEEDHOTSPOT: hellohelium.com/hotspot Helium Mobile is a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. By creating coverage, you’re helping to build a better network together, while earning MOBILE rewards. -- Join us at Permissionles III. Use code LIGHTSPEED10 for a 10% discount: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:11) The State Of Solana In 2024 (05:17) The Solana Foundation (08:45) Firedancer (11:37) Helium Mobile Ad (12:56) The Solana Roadmap (19:20) Crypto Marketing (24:54) Blockchain Speed & Latency (31:27) Permissionless III Ad (32:29) Blockchain Incentives (36:03) Is Economic Security A Meme? (38:42) Issuance vs Cost (47:41) Meme Coins & Social Tokens -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rooter (co-founder of Solend) and Edgar (co-founder of MarginFi) join us to debate last week's mSOL depeg and how to implement risk management. Last week's mSOL depeg led to liquidations throughout Solana DeFi and a heated debate between the Solend and MarginFi teams. In this episode, we discuss what happened, where Solend and MarginFi disagree, the oracle debate, why liquidator profitability matters, points systems vs token launches and more! - - (00:00) Introduction (01:18) The mSOL depeg and Liquidation Debate (32:15) Merinade Plug (33:26) Two Risk Management Philosophies (40:26) Why Liquidator Profitability Is So Important (50:38) Addressing the Twitter Drama (01:06:25) Professional vs Lazy LPs & Token Governance (01:12:49) Solana Airdrops and Points - - Marinade is the most optimal way to stake on Solana. Unleash your staked SOL liquidity with their liquid staking token, mSOL, or use their new product called Marinade Native to get the best of Marinade's automated liquidated staking without the DeFi or peg risk! Check out Marinade today at https://marinade.finance/! - - Follow Rooter: https://twitter.com/0xrooter Follow Edgar: https://twitter.com/edgarpavlovsky Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Tarun's new article on risk management https://www.gauntlet.xyz/resources/how-to-measure-risk-models-part-i MarginFi https://twitter.com/marginfi https://app.marginfi.com/ Solend https://twitter.com/solendprotocol https://solend.fi/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, Luca Netz joins the show to discuss the future of Pudgy Penguins. We deep dive into the Pudgy origin story, why Luca launched PENGU on Solana, building in the Solana ecosystem, what's next in 2025, key advice for founders & so much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Luca: https://x.com/LucaNetz Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off tickets to Digital Asset Summit 2025: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2025-new-york -- Renaud Partners has built the most elite network of native crypto marketers globally. They create custom, expert teams to support founders with transformative strategy work. Trusted by some of the best founders, VC firms, and ecosystem leaders in the business, helping their teams expedite their marketing success and catalyze their growth. If you’re a founder or a VC looking for support for your teams, I highly recommend connecting with them at RenaudPartners.com -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (00:58) The Pudgy Penguin Playbook (06:41) The Pudgy Penguin Origin Story (12:54) Renaud Partners Ad (13:54) What Is Igloo? (20:19) Creating Memetic Distribution (25:22) Launching PENGU On Solana (33:05) Building In The Solana Ecosystem (38:55) Advice For Founders (44:34) NFT IP Ownership (52:53) Building Online Communities (59:13) What’s Coming In 2025? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Antonio García Martínez joins us to discuss why onchain attribution and advertising are crucial to crypto's growth. Antonio is a prolific ad tech entrepreneur, the author of Chaos Monkeys and now the founder of Spindl. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of Web2 advertising, crypto's massive onchain attribution opportunity, data privacy and ownership, potential catalysts for crypto's adoption, how AI will impact advertising and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:56) The Evolution of Ad Tech (13:47) How Spindl Brings Attribution to Web3 (22:11) Crypto’s Publisher Problem and Discovery (25:38) The Importance of Being Native to the Medium (33:19) Data Privacy and Ownership (35:55) Antonio’s Web3 Thesis (41:03) Should DAOs Exist? (44:24) What Will Catalyze Crypto's Adoption? (48:09) AI’s Impact on Advertising (51:10) Advice for Startup Founders (54:20) Rapid Fire - - Follow Antonio: https://twitter.com/antoniogm Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - -  Resources Spindl https://www.spindl.xyz/ Chaos Monkeys https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Monkeys-Obscene-Fortune-Failure/dp/0062458191 Stratechery (Ben Thompson) https://stratechery.com/ Mobile Dev Memo https://mobiledevmemo.com/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Luigi DeMeo and Patrick O'Grady join us to discuss Avalanche's core thesis and roadmap. We cover Avalanche's cored design, why projects will leverage subnets, what's holding Avalanche back, legacy vs next-gen chains, L2 rollups and appchains, the RWA use case and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:05) Avalanche’s Design and Core Thesis (10:34) Avalanche's Consensus Mechanism and Validator Requirements (18:54) AVAX and Value Accrual (24:45) Legacy vs Next-Gen Chains and Rune’s SVM Post (32:45) L2 Scaling and Appchains (40:39) Where Will Value Aggregate on Avalanche? (45:38) Avalanche’s Core Focus and Use Case (56:18) How Do You Think About Community? (01:05:17) Rapid Fire - - Follow Luigi: https://twitter.com/luigidemeo Follow Patrick: https://twitter.com/_patrickogrady Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Avalanche https://twitter.com/avax https://www.avax.network/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, we explore Infinex’s mission to unlock DeFi by massively improving the onchain user experience. We discuss Kain’s crypto journey to date, the impact fees have on UX, and Infinex’s decision to integrate Solana. Finally, we cover the Craterun yield farming campaign, and how the current token meta could be broken. Enjoy! -- Follow Kain: https://x.com/kaiynne Follow Infinex: https://x.com/infinex_app Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq —- Get 15% off an indoor or outdoor Helium Mobile Hotspot using code LIGHTSPEEDHOTSPOT: https://hellohelium.com/hotspot Helium Mobile is a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. By creating coverage, you’re helping to build a better network together, while earning MOBILE rewards. —- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/f/2384-Bm5cmDzMievw#0e6OFJ_z6eTET8hNa73DgtrCELQonflRQSETWlfzdvE — Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ —-- (00:00) Introduction (02:02) Kain's Crypto Journey (06:03) What is DeFi Missing? (10:52) Helium Mobile Ad (11:31) Issues With Onchain UX (22:39) Infinex as a Portal Into DeFi (25:05) Solana Integration & The Impact of Fees on UX (36:45) Access Protocol Ad (38:04) Permissionless III Ad (39:07) What is Crate Run? (43:35) Breaking the Token Meta - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Ted Livingston joins us to discuss crypto's micropayments opportunity and Code's big announcement! Ted is a product legend who built the fastest-growing messenger app (Kik) and is now building the best payments experience in crypto. In this episode, we discuss the history of micropayments, how micropayments unlock new use cases, why Code uses Kin, why Code built an L2 on Solana, Ted's Bitcoin thesis and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:55) Ted’s Story: Building The #1 Messaging App (05:36) Crypto's Micropayments Opportunity (20:52) DAS London Plug (21:50) Breaking News: Code Is Officially Open Source (30:15) Why Code Uses Kin, Not USDC (40:39) Live Micropayments Demo (43:08) Code’s 2024 Roadmap (45:18) How Developers Leverage Code’s SDK (47:18) Unique Use Cases and Institutional Partnerships (51:26) Solana, Code’s L2 and Appchains (01:03:46) Ted’s Bitcoin Thesis - - Follow Ted: https://twitter.com/ted_livingston Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Code Is Now Fully Open Source https://tedlivingston.substack.com/p/code-is-now-fully-open-source Code https://www.getcode.com/ https://twitter.com/getcode Lightspeed's Previous Episode With Ted https://spoti.fi/3T03NzE https://bit.ly/3SWZ8hE - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Welcome to Lightspeed's second "Roundup" episode, where Mert and Garrett discuss the top stories of the week and trends they are seeing in crypto. In this episode, we discuss Solana disinformation, the increasing adoption of the SVM, why DePIN could be crypto's next narrative, the ETH vs SOL debate, the power of permissionless frontends and more! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:36) Solana Misinformation (08:26) Why Crypto Needs to Focus on Distribution (21:56) SVM Adoption, Integrated vs Modular Ecosystems & DePIN (31:56) Web3’s Social Opportunity (38:54) ETH vs SOL: Scarcity vs Abundance (45:25) The Permissionless Frontend Thesis (52:54) Today’s Fundraising Environment - - Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Zero to One by Peter Thiel https://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296 Ethereum and Solana by Joel Monegro https://www.placeholder.vc/blog/2023/10/10/ethereum-and-solana Anatoly's episode on Validated https://spoti.fi/3RZqZ0g - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Qiao Wang from Alliance DAO (a web3 accelerator) joins us to discuss the applications and protocols that are primed to dominate crypto's next cycle. Qiao reviews thousands of crypto startups every year, has an uncanny ability to predict future narratives and is one of my favorite thinkers in the space! In this episode, we discuss why RWAs and payments are crypto's massive opportunity, how speculation is crypto's killer feature, Solana's comeback vs Ethereum's headstart, Coinbase's giant opportunity, where the developers are building and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:45) Two Massive Opportunities: RWAs + Payments (18:40) Why DePIN Works (21:01) Speculation is Utility (24:28) DAS LDN Plug (25:26) Where Are Developers Building? (28:57) Why Price Leads Everything (32:13) DeFi Apps and Horizontal Integration (34:53) The SuperApp Thesis (39:32) Coinbase and Onchain Identity (46:56) Cosmos’ Problem (49:46) L2 Competition and Fragmentation (57:29) What it Takes to Be a Great Crypto Founder - - Follow Qiao: https://twitter.com/QwQiao Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Good Game podcast https://spoti.fi/3MKMLRQ Alliance DAO https://alliance.xyz/ https://twitter.com/alliancedao What does it take to be a good crypto founder? https://medium.com/alliancedao/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-good-crypto-founder-6c2600a99770 - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Ben Chow joins us to discuss how Meteora will multiply Solana's TVL. Ben is the co-founder of Meteora and a Solana DeFi OG. In this conversation, we discuss Meteora's origin story, why TVL matters, Meteora's 3-pronged plan to increase Solana's TVL, how Meteora prevents cascading risk, Solana's DeFi competition, how to launch a token and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:02) The Origin Story: From Mercurial to Meteora (09:16) Building for Sustainable Yield (11:33) Solana Needs TVL (14:51) How to Use Meteora (19:06) DAS LDN Plug (20:04) Meteora’s 3-Pronged Plan to Grow TVL (32:08) Composability and Cascading Risk (40:31) Meteora’s DAO, Goals and Incentives (44:49) Solana DeFi Competition (48:13) Tips for Teams Launching Tokens (51:58) Protocol Fees, Value Capture and POL - - Follow Ben: https://twitter.com/hellochow Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Meteora https://twitter.com/MeteoraAG https://meteora.ag/ Lightspeed's first episode with Ben https://spoti.fi/47EPS6p - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we are joined by Lucas Bruder & Sreeram Kannan to discuss everything you need to know about restaking on Solana vs Ethereum. We deep dive into why does restaking matter, how it differs on Solana vs Ethereum, is economic security a meme & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Lucas: https://x.com/buffalu__ Follow Sreeram: https://x.com/sreeramkannan Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off tickets to Digital Asset Summit 2025: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2025-new-york -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:11) What Is Restaking? (03:33) Jito’s Restaking (06:25) The EigenLayer Origin Story (13:59) The Restaking Business Model (17:48) Why Does Restaking Matter? (26:52) Restaking On Solana vs Ethereum (34:37) Data Availability (42:39) Solana’s Inflation Impact On Staking (45:31) Is Economic Security A Meme? (52:39) Biggest Misconceptions About Restaking -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we welcome Amir Haleem CEO of Nova Labs for a discussion on how Helium is building out DePin infrastructure to capture one of crypto's biggest opportunities. Enjoy! -- Follow Amir: https://twitter.com/amirhaleem Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (04:19) The Helium Origin Story (06:45) Permissionless III Ad (07:47) Helium Mobile (16:20) What Is The Helium Network & How Does It Work? (22:41) How To Bootstrap A Network (29:43) Who Is Using Helium Mobile? (32:28) Why Build On Solana? (36:51) SIM Swaps (43:04) Onboarding To Helium Mobile -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

This episode is the opening presentation from Breakpoint 2023! You'll hear from Solana's top talent, including Anatoly, Dan Albert, Amira Valliani, Noah Prince and Mert Mumtaz. This is the Solana ecosystem deep dive you won't want to miss! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:52) Anatoly: The Solana Thesis (12:58) DAS 2023 Promo (13:55) Dan Albert: Firedancer Is Live On Testnet! (20:03) Amira Valliani: Client Diversity and Decentralization (27:35) Noah Prince: Only Possible On Solana (35:29) Mert Mumtaz: Now Is The Time to Build (42:18) Austin Federa and Anatoly: What's Next? - - Follow Anatoly: https://twitter.com/aeyakovenko Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/DanPaul000 Follow Amira: https://twitter.com/amiravalliani Follow Noah: https://twitter.com/redacted_noah Follow Austin: https://twitter.com/Austin_Federa Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Link to all Breakpoint panels https://www.youtube.com/@SolanaFndn Breakpoint 2023 https://solana.com/breakpoint - - Disclaimers: Although our guests this week are managing partners of a registered investment adviser, nothing in this podcast should be considered an offer of Multicoin’s investment advisory services or should otherwise be confused for investment, tax, legal or other financial advice. Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! this week, Leah Wald joins the show to discuss what led Cypherpunk Holdings to go all in on Solana. We deep dive into the Solana ETF outlook, investing in the ecosystem, the role of staking, TradFi demand for Solana & much more! -- Follow Leah: https://x.com/LeahWald Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:25) Going All In On Solana (09:14) Investing In The Solana Ecosystem (16:01) Solana ETF (23:50) Staking (30:45) TradFi Demand For Solana -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, Dan Smith from Blockworks Research joined us to discuss L2 MEV extraction, Blockworks Research’s Solana Dashboard, and Total Economic Value on Solana! Additionally, we discussed how validators earn revenue from MEV, and supporting small validators. Finally, we unpacked Sanctum's recent LST partnerships, and speculated on whether or not NFTs will ever make a comeback. Enjoy! Resources Blockworks Research Solana Dashboard: https://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ Dan Checks the Chain Part 1: https://x.com/smyyguy/status/1831761080252539182 Dan Checks the Chain Part 2: https://x.com/smyyguy/status/1831803935549747563 -- Follow Dan: https://x.com/smyyguy Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/f/2195-aOAlZYc4ARht#Lhr8-0rBdVrxL94ZjOHwVtwxI2OSal2xw6Sz51lYuzU – Step into MyPrize—the online multiplayer crypto casino that lets you battle your friends and play alongside creators. On MyPrize, you're invited to get rowdy and share every victory and defeat with your pals. Because we know the only thing more fun than beating the house is beating your friends. Get started now with a 150% deposit or purchase bonus: https://myprize.com/invite/Lightspeed -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (03:23) Is MEV Being Extracted on L2s? (15:57) Diving Into the Blockworks Solana Dashboard (24:34) Access Protocol Ad (25:16) MyPrize Ad (25:46) How Do Validators Earn Revenue From MEV? (28:57) Where Should TEV Be Going? (33:44) Supporting Small Validators (42:40) Are Stakers Entitled to a Large Share of TEV? (48:08) Sanctum's LST Partnerships (55:39) Are NFTs Coming Back? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Joe McCann and Mike Dudas join us to discuss their Web3 investment framework. We cover Solana's core advantage and if SVM adoption impacts their thesis, investing in monolithic vs modular infrastructure, the state of crypto venture capital, the key to attracting new developers, crypto's most exciting verticals and more! Joe and Mike are two prolific investors with unique insights you won't want to miss. - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:51) Joe and Mike’s “Earned Secret” (14:22) The Solana Thesis (32:04) Jito MidRoll (33:08) Investing in Monolithic vs Modular Protocols (42:08) Eclipse and the SVM Value Accrual Debate (49:17) The State of Crypto Venture Capital (58:56) Applications and Sectors to Watch (01:06:00) The Crypto Media Landscape (01:09:00) Rapid Fire - - This episode is brought to you by Jito. Jito is the easiest way to earn MEV rewards on Solana with liquid staking. Stake your SOL with Jito to start earning high yield powered by MEV and access instant liquidity through Jito’s liquid staking token JitoSOL so that you can use your staked assets across Solana DeFi. Visit jito.network to get started today! - - Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/mdudas Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/joemccann Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Jito jito.network 6th Man Ventures https://6thman.ventures/ Asymmetric https://asymmetric.financial/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we invite Cindy & Chris from Drift to the show to discuss how they're building the largest perps DEX on Solana. Enjoy! -- Follow Cindy: https://twitter.com/cindyleowtt Follow Chris: https://twitter.com/crispheaney Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy -- Try 3 months FREE of Helium Mobile with the code LIGHTSPEEDMOBILE: hellohelium.com Experience a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by the people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. Drastically save costs while you enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data for just $20/month. Plus, you can earn MOBILE tokens for sharing where you use your phone the most. -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Welcome to Lightspeed's third "Roundup" episode, where Mert and Garrett discuss the top stories of the week and trends they are seeing in crypto. In this episode, we discuss why all eyes are on Solana, hype vs reality, Bankless' Ethereum vs Solana episode, the significance of Solana projects launching tokens and our takeaways from Breakpoint. - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:35) Why Are Prices Pumping Right Now? (03:15) The Ethereum vs Solana Philosophy (37:37) Focus On Product and Finding PMF (49:33) Solana Projects Launching Tokens (55:38) Horizontal Integration and DeFi Competition (57:53) The Big 3 and Crypto’s Ecosystems - - Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Bankless' Ethereum vs Solana episode https://spoti.fi/3QzTD5K - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we welcome Brandon Millman & Donnie Dinch for a discussion on Phantom's recent acquisition & how they grew to be the largest wallet within the Solana ecosystem! Enjoy! -- Follow Brandon: https://x.com/BChillman Follow Donnie: https://x.com/donnie Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Try 3 months FREE of Helium Mobile with the code LIGHTSPEEDMOBILE: hellohelium.com Experience a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by the people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. Drastically save costs while you enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data for just $20/month. Plus, you can earn MOBILE tokens for sharing where you use your phone the most. -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:34) Why Phantom Acquired Bitski? (07:02) Onboarding New Users (13:30) Helium Mobile Ad (14:32) Crypto's Wallet Landscape (18:35) Wallet Services & Business Model (23:13) Chain Integration To Phantom (29:31) Permissionless III Ad (30:34) User Retention (33:38) Wallet Security (42:20) Solana's Dropped Transactions -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. We discuss will Solana flip Ethereum, L1 vs L2 value accrual, Van Eck's meme coin index & the SocialFi hype. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Try 3 months FREE of Helium Mobile with the code LIGHTSPEEDMOBILE: hellohelium.com Experience a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by the people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. Drastically save costs while you enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data for just $20/month. Plus, you can earn MOBILE tokens for sharing where you use your phone the most. -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:41) Solana Will Flip Ethereum: MEV & Fees (12:56) Helium Mobile Ad (14:00) How Profitable Is It To Run A Validator? (18:59) Value Accrual: L1s vs L2s (29:32) Solana's Node Count (37:17) Permissionless III Ad (38:19) VanEck's Bullish Meme Coins (43:26) SocialFi -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, we’re joined by Andrea Fortunio, Co-founder of MagicBlock! We discussed the current state of the Solana gaming industry, AAA vs Mobile gaming, and the benefits of Ephemeral Rollups. Additionally, we dove into the security implications of utilizing optimistic rollups in onchain gaming. We ended the episode with coverage of MagicBlock’s current timelines, and their experience in the A16z accelerator. Enjoy! Resources MagicBlock Engine footage: https://x.com/magicblock/status/1802717656102978040 – Follow MagicBlock: https://x.com/magicblock Follow Andrea: https://x.com/supermarioblock Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain.  With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (05:07) Why Run Games Fully Onchain? (11:42) The Solana Gaming Industry (15:47) AAA Games vs Mobile Gaming (18:05) Sei Ad (18:31) The Benefits of Ephemeral Rollups (36:41) Security Implications of Optimistic Rollups for Onchain Gaming (40:10) Why Not Build A L2? (46:16) MagicBlock Timelines (50:55) A16z Accelerator & Crypto Gaming Sentiment -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Jeff Morris Jr. joins us to discuss how crypto can build products users love. Jeff is a venture capitalist and product genius who previously led Tinder's Revenue team as Tinder went from $20M to $1.2B in ARR and became the #1 grossing app in the App Store. In this conversation, we cover user acquisition and branding, the power of subscription business models, how to find crypto market fit, how to take advantage of platform shifts, learnings from NBA TopShot and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:08) Venture Narrative Whiplash (08:20) Protocols as Open-Source Software (11:41) The Power of Subscription Business Models (15:24) Permissionless Plug (22:32) Using Tokens to Incentivize Users (23:32) Does Anything in Crypto Have Product Market Fit? (28:36) How to Make Crypto More Accessible (34:28) Decentralization vs User Experience (42:31) What Verticals Are Underrated in Crypto? (45:20) Learnings from NBA TopShot (47:39) The Difficulty of Building Consumer Products (52:49) A Founder’s “Earned Secret” (58:11) Platform Shifts (01:01:50) Launching on Multiple Chains & Distribution (01:09:19) Writing Tips & Final Takeaways - - Follow Jeff: https://twitter.com/jmj Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Chapter One https://chapterone.com/ Jeff's Substack https://jeffmorrisjr.substack.com/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! this week Matthew Sigel returns to discuss the current state of Solana in 2025. We deep dive into Van Eck's new ETF filing, the state of the market, crypto IPOs under a Trump administration, unlocks on Solana & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Matthew: https://x.com/matthew_sigel Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off tickets to Digital Asset Summit 2025: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2025-new-york -- Renaud Partners has built the most elite network of native crypto marketers globally. They create custom, expert teams to support founders with transformative strategy work. Trusted by some of the best founders, VC firms, and ecosystem leaders in the business, helping their teams expedite their marketing success and catalyze their growth. If you’re a founder or a VC looking for support for your teams, I highly recommend connecting with them at RenaudPartners.com -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:22) Van Eck’s Onchain Economy ETF (05:15) The Rise Of XRP (09:43) Renaud Partners Ad (10:43) Finding Projects In Crypto (14:50) Crypto IPOs (18:57) State Of The Market (20:58) Solana Unlocks (27:06) MEV On Solana (35:18) Value Accrual Of L2s (39:32) Ethereum vs Solana Apps (41:29) The Solana ETF (45:12) Speculation vs Utility (47:35) Alt L1s (48:41) Data Availability (50:45) The State Of Solana (56:25) VanEck Ventures -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Santiago Santos joins us to discuss his crypto investment thesis and conviction in Solana's adoption flywheel. Santiago is a prolific investor, co-host of Empire and one of the most respected minds in crypto. In this episode, we discuss Santi's crypto thesis, Solana's incredible flywheel, scarcity vs abundance, if decentralization matters, Santi's favorite investment themes and more! - - (00:00) Introduction (1:19) Why Crypto Matters (4:42) How to Build and Keep Conviction (15:36) Santi’s Solana Thesis (23:30) Scarcity vs Abundance Mindset (36:57) DAS Promo (37:54) Solana vs Ethereum DeFi (42:27) Does Decentralization Actually Matter? (46:29) Predictions and Investment Themes (53:59) Crypto Banks and Coinbase’s Opportunity (58:58) Running and Life Lessons - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Empire podcast https://spoti.fi/3vFsYh6 The Summit by Santi https://medium.com/@santiago.rs/the-summit-an-exploration-of-goals-and-values-17a7f782dccd Helius' blog post on Firedancer https://www.helius.dev/blog/what-is-firedancer - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, Andrej Radonjic joins the show to discuss the recent Grass airdrop, how crypto can help fix the internet, the intersection of AI & crypto & much more. Enjoy! – Follow Andrej: https://x.com/0xdrej Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain. With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) - Introduction (02:08) - Airdrop Takeaways (11:35) - Web Scraping (18:38) - Sei Ad (19:04) - DePiN & Grass Data Capacity (27:54) - Token Demand & Utility (30:36) - Training AI Models (33:56) - Can Crypto Fix The Internet? (37:14) - Monetizing AI (40:04) - Building On Solana (42:55) - Rollups (45:30) - What's Next For Grass? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're joined by Mike Dudas & Carl Vogel of 6th Man Ventures for a discussion on the investing landscape in crypto. We deep dive into the Solana ETF application, why crypto needs more applications, the promise of AI & DePin, crypto's airdrop dilemma & much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mike: https://x.com/mdudas Follow Carl: https://x.com/carlkvogel Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/f/2384-Bm5cmDzMievw#0e6OFJ_z6eTET8hNa73DgtrCELQonflRQSETWlfzdvE -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:16) The 6th Man Ventures Origin Story (06:00) Solana ETF (09:39) 6MV's Investing Thesis (12:36) Access Protocol Ad (13:15) Alt L1s (14:53) Ethereum's L2 Roadmap (19:49) Appchains & Composability (23:40) Time For Crypto Applications.. Not Infra (27:43) AI & DePin (32:26) Permissionless III Ad (33:29) Airdrops (42:51) Crypto's Token Vesting Problem (48:25) Liquid vs Venture Investing (50:46) Advice For Founders -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week Rebecca Rettig joins the show for a discussion on crypto's policy landscape in 2025 & beyond. We deep dive into why Rebecca recently joined Jito, meeting with the SEC & their stance on SOL, the impact of crime season within crpyto, what's coming for crypto policy & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Rebecca: https://x.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off tickets to Digital Asset Summit 2025: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2025-new-york -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Accurate Crypto Taxes. No Guesswork. Say goodbye to tax season headaches with Crypto Tax Calculator: https://cryptotaxcalculator.io/us/?coupon=BW2025&utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=referral+&utm_campaign=lightspeedpodcast Generate accurate, CPA-endorsed tax reports fully compliant with IRS rules. Seamlessly integrate with 3000+ wallets, exchanges, and on-chain platforms. Import reports directly into TurboTax or H&R Block, or securely share them with your accountant. Exclusive Offer: Use the code BW2025 to enjoy 30% off all paid plans. Don’t miss out - offer expires 15 April 2025! -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:14) Meeting With The SEC (05:12) Joining The JITO Team (08:49) Post Gary Gensler (14:42) Ledger Ad (15:33) Is SOL A Security? (20:51) Staking On Solana (27:44) What’s Next For Crypto Policy? (36:41) The Crypto Summit (38:32) Crypto Tax Calculator Ad (39:04) Ledger Ad (39:52) Strategic Bitcoin Reserve vs Stockpile (41:23) MEV In Crypto (46:19) Crime Season (49:16) Crypto’s Social Layer (54:07) The State Of DeFi -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

We're so back! This week we invite Chris Osborn & Jon Wong to the show to discuss one of the most exciting announcements in recent weeks within crypto... Blinks. We deep dive into what are Blinks, why they're needed for the internet, attracting developers, and the roadmap for the rest of 2024 & beyond. Enjoy! -- Follow Chris: https://x.com/aliquotchris Follow Jon: https://x.com/jnwng Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/f/2798-btCKUaDKpByo#yhgOUz70HUz2u4D1NRmsvWTH8SK_xbRcH_HwNLqWKyc -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:44) What Are Blinks? (07:10) Blinks Are Needed For The Internet (10:23) Access Protocol Ad (11:05) Blinks On Mobile & Attracting Devs (16:51) The Blinks Business Model (22:30) The Blinks Origin Story (31:36) Security (40:50) Integrating Blinks Into Twitter (45:53) What's Next For Blinks? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Solana just had one of the craziest weeks in its history. Jito's airdrop has created a wealth (and attention) effect that has captured all of crypto. What a week. In this episode, we cover Jito's token launch, Solana's airdrop season, finding value in the bull market, the integrated chain advantage, the nuances of client diversity and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:48) Jito and Solana's Airdrop Season (13:44) Finding Signal in the Bull Market Noise (22:56) DAS London Plug (23:54) The Advantage of Integrated Chains (29:29) Liveness and Client Diversity (42:53) Solana Apps to Explore - - Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Jon Charb's latest research https://dba.xyz/l1s-vs-l2s-rollups-vs-integrated-general-purpose-vs-app-specific/ Jupiter episode https://spoti.fi/3TheHkn BetDEX https://www.betdex.com/ https://twitter.com/BetDEXLabs - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Ansem joins us to discuss why Solana DeFi is the best opportunity in crypto right now. Ansem is one of the top traders in the space who is a master of finding crypto's next narrative. In this episode, we cover the Solana opportunity, why Ansem is bullish on crypto gaming, how to think about L2s vs appchains, the closing investment opportunity, Ansem's favorite crypto applications and more! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:18) Terminally Online (03:28) DeFi Kingdoms and Crypto Gaming (06:17) Is Speculation a Feature or a Bug? (08:40) Jito ad (09:44) Permissionless ad (10:44) Why Ansem’s Bullish on Solana DeFi (14:04) The Solana Thesis (22:32) Navigating L2s, Modularity and Appchains (25:39) Why People Should Be Watching Cosmos (32:05) Building Great Products for New Users (37:26) Crypto Twitter (45:22) Today's Unique Opportunity (52:15) Rapid Fire - - This episode is brought to you by Jito. Jito is the easiest way to earn MEV rewards on Solana with liquid staking. Stake your SOL with Jito to start earning high yield powered by MEV and access instant liquidity through Jito’s liquid staking token JitoSOL so that you can use your staked assets across Solana DeFi. Visit jito.network to get started today! - - Follow Ansem: https://twitter.com/blknoiz06 Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Jito jito.network Ansem's Substack https://blknoiz06.substack.com/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In this episode, Keone from Monad and Zon from Initia to discuss the spectrum between modular and integrated blockchain designs. They explore the tradeoffs in decentralization, performance and scalability between the two approaches. They explore AppChains, rollups, composability challenges in modular systems, EVM compatibility, and when to scale blockchains horizontally vs vertically. To close out Keone and Zon also share valuable insights on building Web3 communities organically. Thanks for tuning in! - - Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@expansionpod Subscribe on Apple: http://apple.co/4bGKYYM Subscribe on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3Vaubq1 Follow Zon: https://x.com/ItsAlwaysZonny Follow Keone: https://x.com/keoneHD Follow Rex: https://x.com/LogarithmicRex Follow nosleepjon: https://x.com/nosleepjon Follow Expansion: https://x.com/ExpansionPod_ Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (03:24) Modular vs Integrated (11:47) Who are Appchains for? (28:58) Composability in Modular World (36:15) Monad's Endgame (39:47) Importance of Decentralization (48:05) Building Web3 Community -- Disclaimer: Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation. Nothing said on Expansion is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Rex, Jon, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, Jon Charbonneau joins the show after Jito announced their suspension of their mempool function. We deep dive into solving the MEV problem, Ethereum's Dencun upgrade, the current state of crypto in 2024 & of course.. meme coins. -- Monad is a fully EVM compatible Layer 1 blockchain that can support 10,000 real transactions per second. Monad aims to open up the design space for the EVM to support high fidelity DeFi, consumer facing applications, and more generally allow crypto to scale to the masses. If you are interested in participating in Monad's journey, follow: https://twitter.com/monad_xyz and join: https://discord.gg/monad. -- Follow Jon: https://twitter.com/jon_charb Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:42) Jito's Impact On Solana (11:45) Monad Ad (12:42) MEV On Solana (18:32) Rollups (23:44) SOL Value Accrual (26:41) Ethereum's Dencun Upgrade (30:55) Data Availability (40:10) Are Layer 3s A Business Move? (50:35) The State Of Crypto (59:14) Meme Coins (01:02:29) Solana's Fee Market -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In today's episode, we're joined by Balaji Srinivasan and Akshay BD to discuss crypto networks, sovereignty and the practicality of decentralization. If you only tune in to one episode of Lightspeed, this is it. We discuss if crypto is a bet on tech or financial collapse, blockchain infrastructure ideologies, Balaji's Network State, how to build effective communities, the future of open source, combatting tribalism and more!  - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:01) Is Crypto a Bet on Tech or Financial Collapse? (08:04) Appchains vs Monolithic vs Modular Ideology  (13:07) Why Akshay Joined the Solana Community (14:49) Jito Promo (15:54) Permissionless Promo (16:54) The Network State (31:21) Market Depth and the Overton Window (37:25) How to Build Effective Communities (43:43) Three Ways to Align People (50:11) How to Combat Tribalism (01:03:54) Crypto has PMF, Regulation is Holding it Back (01:14:57) Will Centralized Companies Embrace Open Source? (01:17:28) Advice for Startup Founders - - This episode is brought to you by Jito. Jito is the easiest way to earn MEV rewards on Solana with liquid staking. Stake your SOL with Jito to start earning high yield powered by MEV and access instant liquidity through Jito’s liquid staking token JitoSOL so that you can use your staked assets across Solana DeFi. Visit jito.network to get started today! - - Follow Balaji: https://twitter.com/balajis Follow Akshay: https://twitter.com/akshaybd Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Jito jito.network The Network State https://thenetworkstate.com/ The Network State (Balaji, Estonia 2015) https://teleport.org/blog/2015/07/the-network-state/ Software is Reorganizing the World (Balaji, 2011) https://www.wired.com/2013/11/software-is-reorganizing-the-world-and-cloud-formations-could-lead-to-physical-nations/ The Secret Document That Transformed China https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2012/01/20/145360447/the-secret-document-that-transformed-china SuperTeam https://superteam.fun/ https://twitter.com/SuperteamDAO - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Paul Bohm joins us to discuss how decentralized marketplaces, like ride-sharing, can leverage crypto's coordination tools to compete against today's incumbents. Paul is a visionary, crypto OG and founder of Teleport. In this episode, we discuss Paul's core insight, Teleport's design, go-to-market strategies, how to ensure quality in decentralized services, why AirBnB onchain isn't a thing and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use BLACKROCKLIGHTSPEED to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month and the discount code expires November 27th! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:16) Paul’s Core Insight that Lead to Teleport (10:32) How Teleport Works (19:25) Why Build Teleport on Solana? (21:32) DAS LDN Plug (22:17) How Governance Plays a Role (25:02) Go-to-Market and Market Forces (36:08) How Drivers, Users and Dispatchers Get Started on Teleport (41:55) How to Ensure Consistency and Quality of Service (45:34) What Teleport Means for Solana (47:59) Biggest Learnings as a Founder (51:03) Why Not Onchain AirBnB? (57:07) Rapid Fire - - Follow Paul: https://twitter.com/paulbohm Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Teleport https://twitter.com/TeleportXYZ https://www.teleport.xyz/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

This week, Steven Goldfeder & Rachel Bousfield join the show to discuss the Ethereum scaling roadmap, the origin story of Arbitrum, solving the scaling trilemma & what trade-offs exist between decentralization, security & scalability. To hear all this & more, you'll have to tune in! -- Access Protocol is the best way to discover premium content from crypto's top publishers and independent creators. Access Protocol has reinvented content monetization, meaning you can access this premium content without endless ads or hard-to-cancel subscriptions. Access Protocol is crypto-native, built on Solana, and already has 225K users reading content, receiving NFTs and interacting with creators! Use this link to check out Access Protocol today:https://bit.ly/AccessProtocol_Lightspeed -- Follow Steven: https://twitter.com/sgoldfed Follow Rachel: https://twitter.com/CryptoIsCute Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home -- (00:00) The Origin Story Of Arbitrum (07:54) Solving The Scaling Trilemma (11:19) Access Protocol Ad (12:09) What Is A Rollup? (17:48) Why Choose Optimistic Rollups vs ZK-Rollups (23:09) Launching A Rollup Without Proofs (30:12) Data Availability (36:27) Scalability Trade-Offs (46:12) Do Sequencers Need To Be Decentralized? (56:08) The Ethereum Rollup Roadmap -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're joined by Illia Polosukhin & Bowen Wang to discuss the current state of crypto, AI & what's next for NEAR. We deep dive into NEAR's approach to scaling, L1 value accrual, how to unlock cross chain liquidity, Ethereum's alignment problem & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Illia: https://x.com/ilblackdragon Follow Bowen: https://x.com/BowenWang18 Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off tickets to Digital Asset Summit 2025: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2025-new-york -- Just for Lightspeed listeners, visit https://bonkbets.io/ and connect your wallet to get 10% back on any losses to bet again. For a limited time, make two $10 bets on any game before March 1 2025 to get a free third $10 bet. -- Accurate Crypto Taxes. No Guesswork. Say goodbye to tax season headaches with Crypto Tax Calculator: https://cryptotaxcalculator.io/us/?coupon=BW2025&utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=referral+&utm_campaign=lightspeedpodcast Generate accurate, CPA-endorsed tax reports fully compliant with IRS rules. Seamlessly integrate with 3000+ wallets, exchanges, and on-chain platforms. Import reports directly into TurboTax or H&R Block, or securely share them with your accountant. Exclusive Offer: Use the code BW2025 to enjoy 30% off all paid plans. Don’t miss out - offer expires 15 April 2025! -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (00:51) The NEAR Thesis (04:19) NEAR’s Approach To Scaling (11:21) Bonk Bets Ad (11:53) NEAR’s On Chain Demand (19:24) L1 Value Accrual (23:06) OmniBridge: Unlocking Cross-Chain Liquidity (25:44) The State Of Crypto & AI (33:15) Crypto Tax Calculator Ad (33:47) Bonk Bets Ad (34:19) What Are Shade Agents? (40:11) Trusted Execution On NEAR (42:51) Blockchain For AI (45:03) The State Of Crypto (48:42) Ethereum’s Alignment Problem (50:28) What’s Next For NEAR? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we’re joined by Zooko, Sean Bowe, and Anatoly to discuss Zcash! We covered scaling Zcash, how it works and whether or not it can function as money, and how Zcash fits into your privacy stack. Enjoy! -- Follow Zooko: https://x.com/zooko Follow Sean: https://x.com/ebfull Follow Anatoly: https://x.com/aeyakovenko Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- Lightspeed Audience Survey: https://lightspeed-4bed7b.beehiiv.com/forms/8c6edcb5-f0e8-4d08-957f-2bfc3a41686c -- Chaos Labs, the leading onchain risk management firm, recently launched its new flagship oracle product, Edge, which delivers integrated, high precision risk and price data for any onchain application with a market. Edge emerged from stealth after 2 months securing Jupiter, the top trading platform on Solana, already securing $30B in volume and more than 60% of all Solana perps volume. https://chaoslabs.xyz/ -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Renaud Partners has built the most elite network of native crypto marketers globally. They create custom, expert teams to support founders with transformative strategy work. Trusted by some of the best founders, VC firms, and ecosystem leaders in the business, helping their teams expedite their marketing success and catalyze their growth. If you’re a founder or a VC looking for support for your teams, I highly recommend connecting with them at RenaudPartners.com -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:58) What is Zcash? (04:49) Scaling Zcash (20:35) Chaos Labs Ad (21:34) Renaud Partners Ad (22:37) Ledger Ad (23:23) Can Zcash Function as Money? (27:16) How Does Zcash Work? (42:50) Transitioning Away From Proof of Work (52:55) Zcash as Part of Your Privacy Stack -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup episode to discuss the launch of PumpSwap & the data around meme coins on Solana. We deep dive into are meme coins really dead, Tron flips Solana in REV, the STABLE act draft & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Dan: https://x.com/smyyguy Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:03) The Launch Of PumpSwap (12:18) SocialFi (20:05) Are Meme Coins Dead? (21:36) Tron Flips Solana In REV (27:15) The STABLE Act Draft -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

This week, Robin Hanson & Proph3t join the show to discuss one of crypto's most exciting experiments... Futarchy. With the launch of MetaDAO, Proph3t aims to enable a market driven approach to social governance. By implementing Robin's proposed system of Futarchy, could this be a way to fix DAO governance? -- Follow Robin: https://twitter.com/robinhanson Follow Proph3t: https://twitter.com/metaproph3t Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Monad is a fully EVM compatible Layer 1 blockchain that can support 10,000 real transactions per second. Monad aims to open up the design space for the EVM to support high fidelity DeFi, consumer facing applications, and more generally allow crypto to scale to the masses. If you are interested in participating in Monad's journey, follow: https://twitter.com/monad_xyz and join: https://discord.gg/monad. -- (00:00) Introduction (01:27) Prediction Markets, Governance & What Is Futarchy? (07:39) Roadblocks To Adoption of Futarchy (10:19) Monad Ad (11:14) MetaDAO: Building The First Futarchy (12:48) Governance Powered By The SVM (20:22) The MetaDAO Endgame (27:12) Futarchy As A Service (F.A.A.S) (32:06) Vota: A Vote Market On Solana (34:20) Solving Liquidity Fragmentation (41:30) Defining Success For Futarchy -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we're joined by Dan Smith from Blockworks Research. We discuss what's happening on Solana as total economic value keeps reaching new highs. We deep dive into Solana's inflation, staking SOL, Solana's transition to a top three asset within crypto & comparing the 2021 cycle to today. Enjoy! – Follow Dan: https://x.com/smyyguy Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain. With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on Ledger.com. -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (03:14) Solana Economics (07:55) Staking SOL (15:08) Sei Protocol Ad (15:35) Ledger Ad (16:11) Solana's REV All Time High (24:33) Sandwiching Attacks (29:18) Solana's Fee Market (41:50) The 2021 Cycle vs Now -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. We discuss users getting sandwiched, what's next for Solana, Airdrops & how socialFi could be one of crypto's largest opportunities. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/i#_GDgHrrTybKgdRXEWcAdviT -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:01) Users Are Getting Sandwiched (12:46) Access Protocol Ad (13:25) What's Next For Solana (14:22) Time.fun & Crypto Social (24:14) Crypto Gaming (33:08) Permissionless III Ad (34:11) What Is Mithril? (40:51) Airdrops & Crypto Marketing -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Ryan Wyatt is the former Head of YouTube Gaming and President at Polygon Labs. He is a master at business development, strategy and product. In this episode, Ryan explains why crypto gaming is here to stay. We discuss Ryan's time at YouTube and path to Web3, the value of Web2 business development, what crypto unlocks for gaming, the consolidation of crypto's infrastructure layers and more! - - (00:00) Introduction (00:49) How Ryan Became the Head of Gaming at YouTube (11:44) The Jump to Web3 and Polygon Labs (20:12) Web2 vs Crypto-Native Talent (23:08) Business Development Matters (30:28) Why Gamer’s Hate NFTs (35:26) What Crypto Unlocks for Gaming (44:11) How Generative AI Will Impact Gaming (47:22) What Games are Best Positioned to Integrate Crypto (52:56) The Shift From Infrastructure to Apps (57:02) Is Gaming Crypto’s Savior? (59:46) What Ryan Wants to Work on Next (1:02:15) Rapid Fire - - Follow Ryan: https://twitter.com/Fwiz Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week Santi joins the show to discuss why now is crypto's time to accelerate adoption. We deep dive into Santi's updated Solana thesis, crypto's biggest opportunities in 2025, what's next for Inversion & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off tickets to Digital Asset Summit 2025: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2025-new-york -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Accurate Crypto Taxes. No Guesswork. Say goodbye to tax season headaches with Crypto Tax Calculator: Generate accurate, CPA-endorsed tax reports fully compliant with IRS rules. Seamlessly integrate with 3000+ wallets, exchanges, and on-chain platforms. Import reports directly into TurboTax or H&R Block, or securely share them with your accountant. Exclusive Offer: Use the code BW2025 to enjoy 30% off all paid plans. Don’t miss out - offer expires 15 April 2025! -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:03) Crypto’s Broken Funnel (08:01) What’s Crypto’s Biggest Opportunity? (15:16) Ledger Ad (16:04) DePIN (19:58) Crypto’s End State (25:53) The Solana Thesis (30:46) Crypto Tax Calculator Ad (31:18) Ledger Ad (32:06) Managing Risk (47:03) What’s Next For Inversion? (55:20) Reviving Old Businesses -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we’re joined by Daniel Lev from Coinflow! We discussed Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge, challenges faced by crypto payments businesses, and TradFi’s adoption of stablecoins. Additionally, we unpacked the impact of US regulations on the stablecoin sector, and the fees associated with on and off-ramps in crypto. Finally, we covered interesting use cases Coinflow is enabling today. Enjoy! – Follow Coinflow: https://x.com/CoinflowLabs Follow Daniel: https://x.com/SirDigitalDan Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain. With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:45) Stripe Acquires Bridge (07:03) Challenges Faced By Payments Businesses (10:46) The Problems With ACH (14:07) TradFi Adoption of Stablecoins (26:58) Sei Ad (27:25) How Cypherpunk Are Stablecoins? (30:49) Struggling With US Regulations (41:06) Fees Associated With Crypto Ramp Providers (45:53) Daniel's Journey Before Coinflow (50:28) Gaining Solana Labs as a Client (52:04) Mobile Integrations (55:10) What Is Coinflow Enabling Today? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we're joined by Anatoly Yakovenko Co-Founder of Solana Labs. We deep dive into Solana transaction fee's, how to remain competitive within crypto, SOL inflation, competing with Apple & Google, does Solana have a moat & so much more. Enjoy! – Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Anatoly: https://x.com/aeyakovenko Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on Ledger.com. -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:51) Solana's Transaction Front Running (06:37) Solana Fee Markets (10:18) Composability At Scale (12:50) Competing With L2s (19:43) Ledger Ad (20:20) Synchronous Composability (21:59) Validators (27:06) Solana Inflation (29:16) How Does Solana Compete? (32:31) Execution Is A Moat (35:36) Firedancer (40:47) Solana Mobile (45:25) Competing With Apple & Google (47:04) L1 Business Models (49:49) Solana Bandwidth -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Tristan Frizza, Marius Ciubotariu and Ben Chow join us to debate if Solana has hit an inflection point that will usher in new users and use cases. We discuss the implications of Visa's Solana partnership, how Solana has changed since 2021, why people should care about Solana DeFi 2.0, go-to-market strategies, Rune's SVM fork proposal and more! Tristan, Marius and Ben are prolific Solana DeFi founders with unique insights you won't find anywhere else. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:31) Solana’s Inflection Point  (04:13) Building in Solana: 2021 vs 2023 (21:57) What is Solana DeFi 2.0? (31:15) PERMISSIONLESS PLUG (32:15) G2M: What’s Your Strategy, Who’s Your Customer (50:01) DeFi’s Unique Value Proposition (55:37) Rune’s Proposal to Fork the SVM + Appchains (01:08:08) Rapid Fire - - Follow Marius: https://twitter.com/y2kappa Follow Tristan: https://twitter.com/Tristan0x Follow Ben: https://twitter.com/hellochow Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Zeta Markets https://twitter.com/ZetaMarkets https://docs.zeta.markets/mad-wars/intro-to-the-mad-wars Meteora https://twitter.com/MeteoraAG https://www.meteora.ag/ Hubble Protocol https://twitter.com/HubbleProtocol https://app.hubbleprotocol.io/ Jupiter Exchange https://twitter.com/JupiterExchange https://jup.ag/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! this week, we're live from Permissionless with Tristan Frizza & Jayant Krishnamurthy. We discuss the current & future state of DeFi on Solana, the rise of alt L1s, the next evolution of DeFi & what Solana can improve on in the future. Enjoy! -- Follow Tristan: https://x.com/Tristan0x Follow Jayant: https://x.com/jayantkrish Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- (00:00) Introduction (01:24) Bringing Trading On Chain (04:41) Solana L2s (06:26) Solving Crypto's Oracle Problem (10:46) The State Of DeFi On Solana (16:17) The Next Evolution Of DeFi (21:17) The Rise Of Alt L1s (30:59) What Solana Can Improve On -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Nic Carter joins us to discuss how digitized dollars are crypto's killer use case. We explore predictions for stablecoins, what people get wrong about Tether, US regulation, why L1 networks over-index on scarcity, crypto's most over/underrated sectors and more! Nic is a crypto OG, prolific writer and investor. You don't want to miss this one! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:34) Stablecoins: Crypto Is All About Moving Dollars (08:58) Terra’s Failed Attempt to Leverage BTC (10:29) Delta-Neutral Stablecoins (14:59) Tether Haters Were Wrong (20:00) The State of US Stablecoin Regulation (27:33) Jito Mid-Roll (28:37) Permissionless Plug (20:00) The State of US Stablecoin Regulation (29:37) How Stables Impact the Value of L1 Tokens (34:42) Why Crypto Has Become a Religion (40:48) We’ve Overindexed on the Scarcity Features of L1 Networks (44:44) The Value of Composability (50:33) Crypto’s Most Overrated/Underrated Sectors (56:33) 4 Stablecoin Predictions (59:34) Rapid Fire - - This episode is brought to you by Jito. Jito is the easiest way to earn MEV rewards on Solana with liquid staking. Stake your SOL with Jito to start earning high yield powered by MEV and access instant liquidity through Jito’s liquid staking token JitoSOL so that you can use your staked assets across Solana DeFi. Visit jito.network to get started today! - - Follow Nic: https://twitter.com/nic__carter Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Jito jito.network Nic Carter's Website https://niccarter.info/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week Shayon Sengupta joins the show to discuss a recent research report published by Multicoin Capital on Jito. We deep dive into the Jito thesis, token buybacks, why MEV drives L1 value accrual & more. Enjoy! Link to the Jito (JTO) Asset Report: https://x.com/shayonsengupta/status/1896994763842445423 -- Follow Shayon: https://x.com/shayonsengupta Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Join the Lightspeed Manlets Collective Telegram: https://t.me/+QUl_ZOj2nMJlZTEx -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:11) The Jito Thesis (07:01) Token Buybacks (14:17) Token Value Accrual (21:38) Jito’s Impact On Solana (37:07) Firedancer (42:16) Jito Restaking (47:11) Why MEV Drives L1 Value -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week Patrick O'Grady, Aaron Buchwald & Stephen Buttolph join the show to discuss the path forward for the Avalanche ecosystem. -- Follow Patrick: https://twitter.com/_patrickogrady Follow Aaron: https://twitter.com/AaronBuchwald Follow Stephen: https://twitter.com/stephenbuttolph Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy -- Try 3 months FREE of Helium Mobile with the code LIGHTSPEEDMOBILE: hellohelium.com Experience a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by the people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. Drastically save costs while you enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data for just $20/month. Plus, you can earn MOBILE tokens for sharing where you use your phone the most. -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off your ticket to Permissionless III: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:20) The Avalanche Architecture (07:38) Helium Mobile Ad (08:41) Reinventing Subnets: ACP-13 & ACP-77 (20:38) ACP-77 New Fee Mechanism (35:58) Permissionless III Ad (37:00) The HyperSDK Unlock (43:56) Vryx 100k TPS Breakthrough (54:51) C-Chain Functionality (01:03:42) Future Of The EVM -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Abhay Kumar, the CEO of the Helium Foundation, joins us to discuss how DePIN and Helium are bringing undeniable utility to crypto. Helium is a DePIN protocol that coordinates and incentivizes the buildout of wireless infrastructure around the world. In this episode, we discuss the secret to Helium's success, why Helium migrated to Solana, DePIN competition and moats, the value of onchain identity and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:16) What is DePIN? (02:18) The Secret to Helium’s Success (09:23) Why Helium Migrated to Solana (19:02) Onboarding Users, Hotspots and Oracles (26:39) Helium Mobile and Go-to-Market Strategies (43:41) Nova Labs and the Helium Foundation (46:36) Competition and Moats (49:33) Does Solana Have a DePIN Network Effect? (55:01) Demand Catalysts (57:45) DeFi, Composability and Onchain Identity (01:03:25) Advice for Crypto Founders - - Follow Ahbay: https://twitter.com/abhay Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - -  Resources Helium https://www.helium.com/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, Matthew Sigel from VanEck joined us to discuss VanEck’s Solana ETF filing, gauging customer demand for spot crypto ETFs, and an ETFs impact on the Solana network. We also dive into what Solana needs to improve on, determining the value of L1s, and bringing the NASDAQ onchain. Enjoy! Resources Recent Developments With Solana ETF 19b-4s:https://x.com/matthew_sigel/status/1825630561865715912?s=46&t=Bicxk0ccRPkhOv9SfacvBQ -- Follow Matthew: https://x.com/matthew_sigel Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/f/2195-aOAlZYc4ARht#Lhr8-0rBdVrxL94ZjOHwVtwxI2OSal2xw6Sz51lYuzU – Step into MyPrize—the online multiplayer crypto casino that lets you battle your friends and play alongside creators. On MyPrize, you're invited to get rowdy and share every victory and defeat with your pals. Because we know the only thing more fun than beating the house is beating your friends. Get started now with a 150% deposit or purchase bonus: https://myprize.com/invite/Lightspeed -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:20) VanEck's Solana ETF Filing (05:45) Gauging Customer Demand for Spot Crypto ETFs (11:07) The SEC's Impact on a Solana ETF Approval (16:58) What is the Significance of an ETF on the Solana Network? (20:23) Access Protocol Ad (21:05) MyPrize Ad (21:35) VanEck's Memecoin Index (26:06) Are Meme Narratives Bad For Finance? (29:19) Determining the Value of L1s (33:51) How Can Solana Improve? (41:18) Bringing the NASDAQ onchain (45:41) What is Solana Doing Well? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! We're back with a special episode to discuss how Solana performed over the weekend as Trump launched his meme coin. We deep dive into the record on chain activity that occurred, how Solana managed to perform, the impact of Jito, what happened with Coinbase & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:27) Solana’s Chain Performance (09:48) Ledger Ad (10:36) Breaking On Chain Records & The Jito Impact (18:54) Code Inefficiencies (21:44) Landing Transactions (26:54) Solana Outages (28:12) Is The $TRUMP Launch Bad For Crypto? (43:56) Coinbase -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Lucas Bruder and Liam Heeger join us to discuss how Firedancer will transform Solana. Lucas (the co-founder of Jito) and Liam (a core engineer at Jump working on Firedancer) are two of the most talented developers in the Solana ecosystem. In this episode, we cover Solana's scheduler challenge, blockspace market dynamics, how Jito impacts transaction efficiency, Firedancer's goal and impact on client diversity, governance, validator profitability, applications for Jito's Stakenet and more! - - (00:00) Introduction (00:56) Solving Solana’s Core Challenges (11:11) The Downstream Effect of Solana’s Network Jitter (14:12) Jito’s Role in Optimizing Solana’s Performance (17:43) Intro to Firedancer and Validator Clients (23:24) DAS London Plug (24:21) Firedancer and Client Diversity (39:27) Why Optimize the Base Layer? (43:28) How Multiple Clients Impact Shipping Velocity (49:56) JitoSOL and Governance Responsibilities (52:33) Validator Profitability (55:18) Stakenet and Restaking (01:02:53) Predictions and Hot Takes - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Follow Lucas: https://twitter.com/buffalu__ Follow Liam: https://twitter.com/CantelopePeel Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources WTF is Stakenet by Lucas https://buffalu.substack.com/p/wtf-is-stakenet Umbra Research https://www.umbraresearch.xyz/ Jito https://www.jito.network/ Jump Trading https://www.jumptrading.com/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, Sean Carey, Partner at Borderless Capital, joined us to discuss all things DePIN! We dove into DePIN selling points, the sustainability of DePIN projects, and what infrastructure makes the most sense for DePIN. Additionally, we spoke about why crypto and DePIN work so well together. Finally, we closed the episode by discussing Solana’s impact on the future of DePIN networks. Enjoy! -- Follow Borderless Capital: https://x.com/borderless_cap Follow Sean: https://x.com/densone Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain.  With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (04:53) Borderless Capital's DePIN Fund (11:59) DePIN Selling Points to LPs (28:09) Sei Ad (28:36) How Many DePIN Projects Are Sustainable? (35:02) What Infrastructure Makes the Most Sense For DePIN? (43:21) DePIN Needs Crypto (58:33) Solana's Impact on DePIN (1:03:01) Optimizing L1s For DePIN -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Matthew Sigel and Patrick Bush join us to discuss their recent report that predicts SOL to hit $335 by 2030. Matthew (head of crypto research) and Patrick (senior investment analysts) lead VanEck's crypto division. VanEck is a prolific TradFi asset management firm founded in 1955, but that hasn't stopped them from building one of the best research teams in crypto. In this episode, we discuss their Solana bull case, how to value L1s, if DCF valuations are a meme, Solana's biggest challenges, Cosmos vs Ethereum vs Solana, macro's impact and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:48) VanEck’s Path to Investing in Crypto (03:53) Investing in Smart Contract Platforms (06:39) The Solana Bull Case (17:53) Firedancer Questions (24:18) Integrated vs Modular Ecosystems (31:09) DAS London Plug (32:06) What Metrics Matter? (34:12) ETF Approvals and VanEck’s Philosophy (37:28) How to Value an L1: The DCF Meme (42:16) What About Cosmos? (48:36) Macro and a Multipolar Future (54:02) Favorite Verticals in Crypto (58:00) Rapid Fire - - Follow Matthew: https://twitter.com/matthew_sigel Follow Patrick: https://twitter.com/Patrick_Bush_VE Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources VanEck’s Base, Bear, Bull Case: Solana Valuation by 2030 https://www.vaneck.com/us/en/blogs/digital-assets/matthew-sigel-vanecks-base-bear-bull-case-solana-valuation-by-2030/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, Kyle, the CEO of Hedgehog Markets, and Nigel, the CEO of BetHog, joined us to discuss a burning question: will prediction markets survive? We covered the UI improvements prediction markets have made, how these markets are useful for surveying public opinion, and solutions for resolving gray area outcomes. Additionally, we talked about Hedgehog Markets usage of Blinks for prediction markets. Finally, Kyle told us what success looks like for Hedgehog Markets. Enjoy! Resources Nigel’s Post on Prediction Markets: https://x.com/nigeleccles/status/1828133312306552854 -- Follow Kyle: https://x.com/kdipep Follow Nigel: https://x.com/nigeleccles Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/f/2195-aOAlZYc4ARht#Lhr8-0rBdVrxL94ZjOHwVtwxI2OSal2xw6Sz51lYuzU – Step into MyPrize—the online multiplayer crypto casino that lets you battle your friends and play alongside creators. On MyPrize, you're invited to get rowdy and share every victory and defeat with your pals. Because we know the only thing more fun than beating the house is beating your friends. Get started now with a 150% deposit or purchase bonus: https://myprize.com/invite/Lightspeed -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (03:17) Prediction Markets vs Betting Platforms (08:28) Will Prediction Markets Survive After the US Election? (20:06) Improving the UI of Prediction Markets (24:08) Surveying Public Opinion With Prediction Markets (26:53) Resolving Gray Area Outcomes (34:10) Access Protocol Ad (34:52) MyPrize Ad (35:24) Using Blinks For Prediction Markets (38:34) Benefits of Betting and Prediction Markets Onchain (50:52) Why Do Sportsbooks Ban Sharp Users? (56:29) Futarchy: A New Form of Governance (1:08:14) What Does Success Look Like For Hedgehog? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, we’re joined by Dan Smith to discuss avoiding noise in crypto data, the issue with FDV, and stablecoin supply across chains. Finally, we end the podcast by diving into the concept of conditional liquidity, MEV, and Solana’s sandwich attack problem. Enjoy! Resources Solana MEV Landscape From Helius Labs: https://x.com/__lostin__/status/1877444749298381156 Dan’s Post on the Wash Trading Bot: https://x.com/smyyguy/status/1873461466541486096 Top 10 Chains by Stablecoins: https://x.com/smyyguy/status/1875613474774249724 -- Follow Dan: https://x.com/smyyguy Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Renaud Partners has built the most elite network of native crypto marketers globally. They create custom, expert teams to support founders with transformative strategy work. Trusted by some of the best founders, VC firms, and ecosystem leaders in the business, helping their teams expedite their marketing success and catalyze their growth. If you’re a founder or a VC looking for support for your teams, I highly recommend connecting with them at RenaudPartners.com -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (03:01) Analyzing a Wash Trading Bot (09:15) Avoiding Noise in Crypto Data (16:18) Ledger Ad (17:18) Renaud Partners Ad (18:06) The Issue with FDV (30:43) Stablecoin Supply Across Chains (42:29) Thoughts on Conditional Liquidity and MEV (50:21) Solana's Sandwiching Problem -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Cindy Leow and Chris Heaney join us to discuss how Drift is building the #1 trading experience on Solana. In this episode, we cover Drift's core design and liquidity layers, the advantages of perps, why Drift built on Solana, vertical vs horizontal integration, Drift's distribution framework, what DeFi got wrong and more! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:48) Drift: Solana’s Perpetual Swaps Exchange (01:55) The Advantages of Perps (04:08) The Liquidity Trifecta: Drift’s 3 Layers of Liquidity (14:19) Drift’s End Game (17:54) Permissionless ad (26:40) Why Build on Solana? (27:40) Vertical and Horizontal Integration (31:27) Abstracting the Underlying Chain (34:58) How Drift Approaches Distribution (40:41) Customer Acquisition (43:52) What DeFi Got Wrong (54:21) Hot Takes: NFTs Fail if DeFi Fails & Mutable Contracts (59:40) Why Are You Building in Crypto? (01:04:47) Regulation and Building in the US (01:07:57) Rapid Fire - - Follow Cindy: https://twitter.com/cindyleowtt Follow Chris: https://twitter.com/crispheaney Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Drift https://linktr.ee/driftprotocol https://twitter.com/DriftProtocol - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, Ben Mills, the Co-founder of Meso, joined us to discuss peer-to-peer payments! We looked back on the early days of P2P payment apps, how crypto can improve upon these web2 systems, and building trust with users. Additionally, we discussed his journey from Venmo to Solana, and how Venmo was able to stand out amongst its peers. Finally, we talked about the unique challenges crypto founders face, and how mainstream adoption is a meme. Enjoy! -- Follow Ben: https://x.com/benemills Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/f/2195-aOAlZYc4ARht#Lhr8-0rBdVrxL94ZjOHwVtwxI2OSal2xw6Sz51lYuzU – Step into MyPrize—the online multiplayer crypto casino that lets you battle your friends and play alongside creators. On MyPrize, you're invited to get rowdy and share every victory and defeat with your pals. Because we know the only thing more fun than beating the house is beating your friends. Get started now with a 150% deposit or purchase bonus: https://myprize.com/invite/Lightspeed -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- 00:00: Introduction 02:07: What's Interesting in Crypto Today? 05:35: Optimism Around Crypto Apps and Infrastructure 11:26: The Early Days of Payments Apps 17:55: How Can Crypto Improve P2P Payments? 21:47: Access Protocol Ad 22:28: MyPrize Ad 22:59: What Did Venmo Do Differently? 32:07: Making the Leap From Venmo to Solana 38:25: Crypto's Instant Payments Breakthrough 45:48: The Unique Challenges of Building in Crypto 56:04: Mainstream Adoption is a Meme -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Udi Wertheimer joins us to discuss Ordinals, Taproot Wizards and how to solve Bitcoin's branding problem. Udi is the co-founder of Taproot Wizards, a wildly successful Bitcoin NFT project that hopes to change Bitcoin's image and community. In this episode, we discuss the history of Bitcoin NFTs, how ordinals and inscriptions work, why Taproot Wizards has been so successful, Bitcoin L2s, the power of branding and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:35) The History of Bitcoin NFTs and Ordinals (07:11) Ordinals vs Inscriptions (11:05) Bitcoin’s Branding Problem (28:07) DAS London Plug (29:04) Bitcoin L2s: Lightning and Stacks (35:54) The Future of Bitcoin (46:05) Crypto Twitter and Bitcoin ETFs (52:09) Rapid Fire - - Follow Udi: https://twitter.com/udiWertheimer Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Taproot Wizards https://twitter.com/TaprootWizards https://taprootwizards.com/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Joel Monegro, co-founder of Placeholder, joins us to discuss Solana's compounding advantage. Joel is a crypto OG, a prolific writer (wrote The Fat Protocol Thesis in 2016) and co-founded Placeholder with Chris Burniske. In this episode, we cover Joel's Solana thesis, upcoming infrastructure consolidation, app-specific L2 use cases, Joel's updated thoughts on The Fat Protocol Thesis, finding your investment edge and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:20) Ethereum vs Solana: Two Design Approaches (09:45) Solana Pre and Post FTX (15:30) A Consolidation of Infrastructure (23:24) DAS London Plug (24:33) The Fat Protocol Thesis (39:01) Investment Philosophies & Application-Specific L2s (45:07) Joel’s Path to Venture Capital (53:24) How to Improve Your Writing (59:57) Finding Your Investment Edge (01:04:42) Rapid Fire - - Follow Joel: https://twitter.com/jmonegro Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Placeholder https://www.placeholder.vc/ Ethereum and Solana by Joel https://www.placeholder.vc/blog/2023/10/10/ethereum-and-solana The Fat Protocol Thesis by Joel https://www.usv.com/writing/2016/08/fat-protocols/ Joel's Website https://monegro.org/work/2018/2/1/fat-protocols Carlota Perez https://www.amazon.com/Technological-Revolutions-Financial-Capital-Dynamics/dp/1843763311 - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we welcome Tzvi Wiesel Founder & CEO of Baxus to discuss why they're building on Solana, growing a global marketplace for spirits & of course... how Baxus are bringing whiskey onchain. Enjoy! -- Follow Tzvi Wiesel: https://x.com/web4O Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Use Code: LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off you ticket to Permissionless III: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (00:58) Baxus Overview (09:02) Permissionless Ad (10:04) Account Abstraction (13:58) User Flow & Experience (22:05) Marketplace Dynamics (31:17) App Chain vs Solana (40:45) DeFi & Institutional Demand (51:49) Market Size of Rare Spirits & Wine -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we're back with another roundup. We deep dive into Solana's new all time high, the Pump.fun drama, are memes positive for crypto & more. Enjoy! – Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- Chaos Labs, the leading onchain risk management firm, recently launched its new flagship oracle product, Edge, which delivers integrated, high precision risk and price data for any onchain application with a market. Edge emerged from stealth after 2 months securing Jupiter, the top trading platform on Solana, already securing $30B in volume and more than 60% of all Solana perps volume. https://chaoslabs.xyz/ -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (04:16) Solana Hit's A New All Time High (07:26) Pump.fun (13:39) Chaos Labs Ad (14:39) Ledger Ad (15:37) Are Memes Positive Or Negative For Crypto? (29:59) Increase Bandwidth Reduce Latency (35:55) Financialization In Crypto (39:27) Short-Termism vs Long Term Building (43:40) Crypto IPOs (45:38) Timely Vote Credits (53:38) The Crypto Elevator Pitch -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! this week, we begin by discussing Snowden's recent comments that Solana is centralized. We then deep dive into Mert's biggest takeaways from recent conferences, the impact of Firedancer, reasons to be bullish DePin & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain. With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- (00:00) Introduction (03:28) Is Solana Centralized? (18:02) Defining Success In Crypto (23:49) Sei Ad (24:15) Firedancer (32:50) Solana TPS & Block Demand (39:37) The Firedancer Impact (44:49) Crypto's KOLs (53:09) Crypto Conferences (56:19) Bullish DePin -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, Dan & Mert discuss the current state of the network by deep diving into how transaction fees on Solana actually work, the ending of Jito's mempool & the continued meme coin impact. To hear all this & more, you'll have to tune in! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:34) Solana Transactions Fees (14:36) Jito's Impact On Solana (24:46) Circle's CCTP Launches On Solana (30:34) Solana Meme Coins (34:20) Solana vs Ethereum Fees (43:45) Post 4844 Clarity (49:16) The State of L2s -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In today's episode, we're joined by Ilja Moisejevs and Richard Wu to discuss how Tensor is building the #1 NFT marketplace in Solana and why compressed NFTs are Solana's new unlock. We cover why Ilja and Richard chose Solana, the advantages of professional vs retail products, compressed NFTs, Tensor's roadmap, crypto's path to mass adoption and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:20) Tensor: NFT Trading for Prosumers (04:28) Why Build NFT Infrastructure? (07:57) How Did You Choose to Build on Solana? (12:31) Path Dependency: Expanding From Pros to Retail (15:19) Competition (18:57) Loyalty Points and Hyperscaling (21:07) Compressed NFTs: The Unlocks and Tradeoffs (36:23) Permissionless Ad (37:23) Tensorians: Tensor’s NFT Project (44:20) Tensor’s Roadmap and Owning the User Relationship (50:32) What You’ve Learned as a Founder (01:02:47) Rapid Fire - - Follow Richard: https://twitter.com/0xrwu Follow Ilja: https://twitter.com/_ilmoi Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Tensor https://twitter.com/tensor_hq https://linktr.ee/tensor_hq - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we're joined by Tushar Jain to discuss his most recent Solana improvement proposal to reduce Solana's inflation & switch to a market based inflation rate. We deep dive into Solana's current emission schedule, how this could be improved, Solana the asset vs the network & another SIMD proposal Tushar is preparing to announce. Enjoy! Find out more about Tushar's inflaion proposal here: https://x.com/TusharJain_/status/1879942468726079773 -- Follow Tushar: https://x.com/TusharJain_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:39) Solana’s Inflation Problem (07:42) Ledger Ad (08:32) The Role Of Staking (16:46) Solana: The Asset vs The Network (20:24) Multicoin’s Solana Inflation Proposal (33:17) The Role Of MEV (37:37) Risks To Reducing Inflation (47:21) Multicoin’s Staking Proposal (54:53) Market Based Inflation (57:16) MEV On Solana -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

This week, Chris Hermida & Mitch Gildenberg Co-Founders at Switchboard join the show for a discussion on how they're helping scale crypto's oracle infrastructure network. We deep dive into the origin story behind Switchboard, their V3 rollout, speed & latency, todays oracle use cases, lessons learned from the Mango exploit in 2022 and more! -- Monad is a fully EVM compatible Layer 1 blockchain that can support 10,000 real transactions per second. Monad aims to open up the design space for the EVM to support high fidelity DeFi, consumer facing applications, and more generally allow crypto to scale to the masses. If you are interested in participating in Monad's journey, follow: https://twitter.com/monad_xyz and join: https://discord.gg/monad. -- Access Protocol is the best way to discover premium content from crypto's top publishers and independent creators. Access Protocol has reinvented content monetization, meaning you can access this premium content without endless ads or hard-to-cancel subscriptions. Access Protocol is crypto-native, built on Solana, and already has 225K users reading content, receiving NFTs and interacting with creators! Use this link to check out Access Protocol today:https://bit.ly/AccessProtocol_Lightspeed -- Follow Chris: https://twitter.com/hermidao1 Follow Mitch: https://twitter.com/DoctorBlocks Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:24) The Origin Story Behind Switchboard (04:57) Solving Crypto's Oracle Problem (09:34) Access Protocol Ad (10:22) Monad Ad (11:17) Takeaways From The 2022 Mango Exploit (17:44) Lending Markets & Liquid Staking (21:46) Switchboard V3 (25:01) Oracle Speed & Latency (29:59) Oracle Use Cases (32:09) Permissionless Oracles (36:54) Oracle Randomness (40:40) Switchboard Oracle Network (42:14) Oracle Decentralization (51:17) Final Thoughts -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week Arnold Lee joins the show to discuss how Sphere is accelerating global payments for fintech companies by leveraging Spherenet built on the SVM. We deep dive into what is Spherenet, the problem with global payments, permissioned vs permissionless systems & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Arnold: https://x.com/0xdirichlet Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain. With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:58) What Is Spherenet? (10:26) The Spherenet Roadmap (14:55) Sei Protocol Ad (15:22) Permissioned vs Permissionless Chains (25:18) The Future Of Crypto (33:03) Crypto Payments (48:14) Working With Iggy Azalea -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

The most hyped airdrop in Solana's history happened last week: the JUP (Jupiter) token launch. We sit down to discuss what happened, how Solana performed, the controversy, what's next and why it's time for Solana to double down on product! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:36) The JUP Airdrop: What You Need to Know (17:03) Why Solana Needs to Double Down on Product (24:10) Access Protocol Promo (25:12) Is Solana’s Performance Really Needed for Every App? (30:57) Writing, Twitter and Finding Signal in Crypto (40:56) Solana’s Writing Hackathon (46:14) Launching a Token Is Stressful AF - - Access Protocol is the best way to discover premium content from crypto's top publishers and independent creators. Access Protocol has reinvented content monetization, meaning you can access this premium content without endless ads or hard-to-cancel subscriptions. Access Protocol is crypto-native, built on Solana, and already has 225K users reading content, receiving NFTs and interacting with creators! Use this link to check out Access Protocol today:https://bit.ly/AccessProtocol_Lightspeed - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Resources Solana Summer by Packy McCormick https://www.notboring.co/p/solana-summer - - Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're joined by Dan Smith for another roundup. We deep dive into the LIBRA token launch and it's impact on Solana. Enjoy! -- Follow Dan: https://x.com/smyyguy Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/LightspeedpodhqSubscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off tickets to Digital Asset Summit 2025: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2025-new-york -- Just for Lightspeed listeners, visit https://bonkbets.io/ and connect your wallet to get 10% back on any losses to bet again. For a limited time, make two $10 bets on any game before March 1 2025 to get a free third $10 bet. -- Accurate Crypto Taxes. No Guesswork. Say goodbye to tax season headaches with Crypto Tax Calculator: https://cryptotaxcalculator.io/us/?coupon=BW2025&utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=referral+&utm_campaign=lightspeedpodcast Generate accurate, CPA-endorsed tax reports fully compliant with IRS rules. Seamlessly integrate with 3000+ wallets, exchanges, and on-chain platforms. Import reports directly into TurboTax or H&R Block, or securely share them with your accountant. Exclusive Offer: Use the code BW2025 to enjoy 30% off all paid plans. Don’t miss out - offer expires 15 April 2025! -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:33) The LIBRA Fallout (10:59) Bonk Bet Ad (11:30) Crypto’s Social Layer (18:10) Why Is Sentiment So Bad? (21:43) Are Meme Coins Ruining Crypto? (25:18) The Impact On Solana (30:57) Crypto Tax Calculator Ad (31:29) Bonk Bet Ad (32:01) State Of The Market -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Illia Polosukhin joins us to discuss how NEAR is building the blockchain operating system. NEAR first came to prominence in 2020 as an alternative Layer One that is laser-focused on abstracting the complexities of onchain infrastructure. Since then, Illia (who is one of the brightest minds in crypto) and the NEAR team have transformed NEAR into crypto's interoperability layer. In this episode, we discuss NEAR's journey from AI to crypto, why NEAR scales via sharding, NEAR's chain abstraction and account aggregation layer, the AI narrative, crypto's biggest problem and more! - - (00:00) Introduction (00:49) NEAR's Transformation: From AI to Crypto (03:22) Scaling via Dynamic Shards: Near’s Unique Design (21:20) Access Protocol Ad (22:21) DAS London Plug (23:18) NEAR’s Data Availability Service (27:16) Chain Abstraction and the Blockchain Operating System (40:03) NEAR’s Missing Narrative (43:40) Network Value Accrual (49:18) The AI x Crypto Narrative (59:33) What Is Crypto’s Biggest Problem? -- Access Protocol is the best way to discover premium content from crypto's top publishers and independent creators. Access Protocol has reinvented content monetization, meaning you can access this premium content without endless ads or hard-to-cancel subscriptions. Access Protocol is crypto-native, built on Solana, and already has 225K users reading content, receiving NFTs and interacting with creators! Use this link to check out Access Protocol today:https://bit.ly/AccessProtocol_Lightspeed -- Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Follow Illia: https://twitter.com/ilblackdragon Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources The NEAR Whiteboard Series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9tzQn_TEuFWweVbfTbaedFdwVrvaYPq4 NEAR https://twitter.com/NEARProtocol - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. After a crazy couple of weeks for Solana & crypto more broadly, we deep dive into Stripe's crypto announcement, Solana MEV, EigenLayer's token launch, Kamino + Drift Airdrops & more! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Try 3 months FREE of Helium Mobile with the code LIGHTSPEEDMOBILE: hellohelium.com Experience a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by the people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. Drastically save costs while you enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data for just $20/month. Plus, you can earn MOBILE tokens for sharing where you use your phone the most. -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:15) Stripe Is Bullish (13:36) Helium Mobile Ad (17:10) MEV On Solana (28:34) Firedancer (35:17) Permissionless III Ad (43:49) Performance vs Decentralization (46:30) Kamino & Drift Airdrops (57:10) EigenLayer (01:08:50) Crypto Needs More Apps -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, Jack and Mert discuss how betting rebranded to prediction markets, and potential SocialFi and prediction market crossovers! They also dove into the EigenLayer airdrop controversy, and the conflicts of interest associated with it. Additionally, they asked - do we need fewer tokens? Are current crypto incentive models broken? Finally, they discussed the pros and cons of crypto payment systems. Enjoy! Resources Unpacking a potential Polymarket ‘ban’: https://blockworks.co/news/unpacking-potential-polymarket-ban Coindesk: Top Crypto Startup Drove Other Projects’ Airdrops to its Employees: https://x.com/CoinDesk/status/1824067033350258815 EigenLayer’s Response to the Coindesk Article: https://x.com/eigenlayer/status/1824175022308724749 -- Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Access is the new way to support and consume content from your favorite creators. Over 140 subscriptions to select from, spanning from large crypto media to a long tail of talented independent researchers and artists. No paying for subscriptions. Simply stake, consume, and get rewarded. Claim your free subscription through this link. But be quick there is a limited number available! https://tiplink.io/f/2822-V0U0FYRTsGIR#expE3HuuYEpKUuo2-nSeNKZCB_BFWHaliw-uZbhhCnM – Step into MyPrize—the online multiplayer crypto casino that lets you battle your friends and play alongside creators. On MyPrize, you're invited to get rowdy and share every victory and defeat with your pals. Because we know the only thing more fun than beating the house is beating your friends. Get started now with a 150% deposit or purchase bonus: https://myprize.com/invite/Lightspeed -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:01) The Betting to Prediction Market Rebrand (19:08) SocialFi x Prediction Markets (22:04) Access Protocol Ad (22:46) MyPrize Ad (23:16) EigenLayer Airdrop Controversy (31:52) Do We Need Fewer Tokens? (38:27) The Future of Crypto Payments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Ian Cummings joins us to discuss how to build a sustainable crypto game. Ian has been in gaming for over 23 years, created NFL Madden's hit stick while working at EA Sports, and is now the creator of Solana's race horsing game Photo Finish. In this episode, we discuss the story behind the hit stick, how Ian chose to go after the horse racing market, the secret to customer retention, how to win at Photo Finish, Photo Finish's partnership with the Kentucky Derby and more! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:19) Starting at EA Sports (05:51) Creating Madden NFL's Hit Stick (12:24) Access Protocol Ad (13:26) DAS London Plug (14:23) Why A Horse Racing Game? (24:42) How Crypto Became A Core Component (30:16) Photo Finish's Key Differentiator (36:19) Launching the Stylish Studs PFPs and Go-to-Market (45:35) How to be Good at Photo Finish (54:47) Customer Retention and Growth (01:01:19) Partnerships with CNBC and the Kentucky Derby - - Access Protocol is the best way to discover premium content from crypto's top publishers and independent creators. Access Protocol has reinvented content monetization, meaning you can access this premium content without endless ads or hard-to-cancel subscriptions.  Access Protocol is crypto-native, built on Solana, and already has 225K users reading content, receiving NFTs and interacting with creators! Use this link to check out Access Protocol today:https://bit.ly/AccessProtocol_Lightspeed - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Follow Ian: https://twitter.com/iancummingsnft Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Photo Finish Live https://twitter.com/photofinishgame https://photofinish.live/ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Did Pyth's airdrop overwhelm the Solana network? Was the degraded user experience an application fault, the result of a crude fee market or a stability issue? Garrett and Mert answer these questions in today's roundup. We also cover the SEC's attack on crypto, Solana's airdrop season, the changing L2 sentiment, Bonk's meteoric rise and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use BLACKROCKLIGHTSPEED to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month and the discount code expires November 27th! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:23) The SEC vs Kraken, SOL and Airdrops (6:03) Pyth’s Airdrop and Solana’s Network Stability (13:46) Priority Fees, Jito and Out-Of-Network Payments (17:33) The Changing L2 Sentiment (26:08) Coinbase Continues to Ignore Solana (29:31) Will L2s Ever Be Immutable? (33:48) Durable Nonces and Preconfirmations (39:18) Product vs Decentralization (44:20) Bonk’s Meteoric Rise (47:18) Gameable Metrics, Onchain Identity & Competition - - Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Dune's Headmaster https://twitter.com/andrewhong5297 A Guide to Solana for Ethereum Analysts https://read.cryptodatabytes.com/p/a-guide-to-solana-for-ethereum-analysts - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we're joined by Austin Federa to discuss the launch of DoubleZero. We deep dive into leaving the Solana Foundation, Austin's vision for reshaping the internet, the DoubleZero business model, what to expect in 2025 & much more. Enjoy! – Follow Austin: https://x.com/Austin_Federa Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- Lightspeed Audience Survey: https://lightspeed-4bed7b.beehiiv.com/forms/8c6edcb5-f0e8-4d08-957f-2bfc3a41686c -- Chaos Labs, the leading onchain risk management firm, recently launched its new flagship oracle product, Edge, which delivers integrated, high precision risk and price data for any onchain application with a market. Edge emerged from stealth after 2 months securing Jupiter, the top trading platform on Solana, already securing $30B in volume and more than 60% of all Solana perps volume. https://chaoslabs.xyz/ -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Renaud Partners has built the most elite network of native crypto marketers globally. They create custom, expert teams to support founders with transformative strategy work. Trusted bysome of the best founders, VC firms, and ecosystem leaders in the business, helping their teams expedite their marketing success and catalyze their growth. If you’re a founder or a VC looking for support for your teams, I highly recommend connecting with them at RenaudPartners.com -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (03:46) Title: Founding DoubleZero (08:58) Title: The DoubleZero Unlock (14:04) Chaos Labs Ad (15:04) Ledger Ad (15:58) Renaud Partners Ad (16:58) Reshaping The Internet (21:29) Demand For Fibre (32:44) The DoubleZero Origin Story (35:28) State Propagation (39:21) The DoubleZero Business Model (47:12) What's Next For DoubleZero? (48:48) Leaving The Solana Foundation (58:58) Looking Forward To 2025 -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! In this episode, Hardhat Chad from Ore joined us to discuss their mission to improve Proof of Work! We discuss Ore’s origin story, differences between Ore v1 vs Ore v2, and how Ore  fits into the Store of Value narrative. Additionally, we dive into how Proof of Work concepts can solve the fair launch problem. Finally, Hardhat Chad gives us insight into the upcoming Ore game being developed. Enjoy! -- Follow Ore: https://x.com/OREsupply Follow Hardhat Chad: https://x.com/HardhatChad Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- Step into MyPrize—the online multiplayer crypto casino that lets you battle your friends and play alongside creators. On MyPrize, you're invited to get rowdy and share every victory and defeat with your pals. Because we know the only thing more fun than beating the house is beating your friends. Get started now with a 150% deposit or purchase bonus: https://myprize.com/invite/Lightspeed -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:13) Overview of Ore (07:19) Ore's Origin Story (16:02) My Prize Ad (16:32) Differences Between Ore v1 and Ore v2 (22:32) Ore's Mining Difficulty (32:07) Why Hold Ore? (37:29) Can Proof of Work Be Applied to Airdrops? (46:46) Ore as a Store of Value (49:11) The Ore Game (57:10) Hardhat Chad's Founder Journey -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup to discuss why SIMD 228 didn't pass. We deep dive into Solana's governance problem, L1 vs L2 value accrual, Ethereum's scalability challenges, Solana's ultimate vision & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Join the Lightspeed Manlets Collective Telegram: https://t.me/+QUl_ZOj2nMJlZTEx -- Accurate Crypto Taxes. No Guesswork. Say goodbye to tax season headaches with Crypto Tax Calculator: https://cryptotaxcalculator.io/us/?coupon=BW2025&utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=referral+&utm_campaign=lightspeedpodcast Generate accurate, CPA-endorsed tax reports fully compliant with IRS rules. Seamlessly integrate with 3000+ wallets, exchanges, and on-chain platforms. Import reports directly into TurboTax or H&R Block, or securely share them with your accountant. Exclusive Offer: Use the code BW2025 to enjoy 30% off all paid plans. Don’t miss out - offer expires 15 April 2025! -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (00:58) Why SIMD 228 Didn't Pass (09:36) Crypto Tax Calculator Ad (10:07) Validator Voting On SIMD 228 (20:37) Solana Governance (22:06) Should Solana End Its Delegation Program? (28:47) Solana's Inflation Problem (30:20) Crypto Tax Calculator Ad (30:53) L1 vs L2 Value Accrual (39:23) Ethereum Scalability (41:57) Solana's Ultimate Vision -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Solana DeFi is having a resurgence, and Solana DeFi Summer is a narrative that's starting to emerge. What's the catalyst behind this resurgence, and is it sustainable? We bring on Jarry Xiao, Lucas Bruder and MacBrennan Peet to find out. We discuss why Solana DeFi is seeing a resurgence, token incentives, CLOBS vs AMMs, metrics that define a healthy ecosystem, what's next for Solana DeFi, liquid staking and more. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:15) What’s Going on in Solana DeFi? (05:02) Token Incentives and Points (14:24) What Will Spark Solana's DeFi Summer? (15:56) Capital Efficiency: CLOBS vs AMMs (16:13) Is Solana a Consumer or Professional DeFi Chain? (25:46) The Best Metrics to Evaluate a DeFi Ecosystem (34:49) Jito Liquid Staking ad (35:55) Permissionless ad (36:55) Understanding Risk and Avoiding Crazy APYs (41:08) What’s Next for Solana DeFi? (44:10) Building on Solana vs L2s (50:41) Applications vs L1s: Who Owns the User Mindshare? (53:12) Who Will Use DeFi? (56:23) Your Most Controversial Crypto Take (01:09:09) Rapid Fire - - This episode is brought to you by Jito. Jito is the easiest way to earn MEV rewards on Solana with liquid staking. Stake your SOL with Jito to start earning high yield powered by MEV and access instant liquidity through Jito’s liquid staking token JitoSOL so that you can use your staked assets across Solana DeFi. Visit jito.network to get started today! - - Follow Lucas:https://twitter.com/buffalu__ Follow Jarry: https://twitter.com/jarxiao Follow MacBrennan: https://twitter.com/macbrennan Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Jito jito.network https://bit.ly/3K3TKnC MarginFi https://www.marginfi.com/ https://twitter.com/marginfi Ellipsis Labs https://ellipsislabs.xyz/ https://twitter.com/ellipsis_labs Phoenix https://twitter.com/PhoenixTrade_ - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we invite Garrett Harper & Stepan Simkin from Squads to the show after they raised a $10 million Series A round. We deep dive into the Squads origin story, why wallet security matters & how they want to help power Solana's on chain economy. Enjoy! -- Follow Stepan: https://x.com/SimkinStepan Follow Garrett: https://x.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy -- Join us at Permissionles III. Use code LIGHTSPEED10 for a 10% discount: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:14) The Squads Origin Story (06:17) What Are Smart Accounts? (08:30) What Is Fuse? (15:10) Permissionless III Ad (16:13) Formal Verifications & Wallet Security (24:51) Powering Solana's On Chain Economy (32:28) Building A Subscription Model (39:06) DAO Services & Governance (44:26) Advice For Founders -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we have an episode with Anatoly Yakovenko & Kyle Samani recorded live at DAS NY. We discuss the current state of Solana & what to expect in 2025, how to bring assets onchain, Firedancer, the bull case for DePIN & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Anatoly: https://x.com/aeyakovenko Follow Kyle: https://x.com/KyleSamani Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Join the Lightspeed Manlets Collective Telegram: https://t.me/+QUl_ZOj2nMJlZTEx -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. For the developers and the builders: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (00:48) The Solana Thesis (02:33) Internet Capital Markets (05:40) Bringing Assets Onchain (08:05) Ledger Ad (08:55) How To Reduce Latency (15:52) Firedancer (19:22) The Solana ETF Impact (27:34) Ledger Ad (28:25) The Growth Of Stablecoins (33:51) The Bull Case For DePIN (35:39) Solana’s Meme Coin Boom (39:55) 5 Years Of Solana, Whats Next? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Welcome to the first episode of Lightspeed! Armani Ferrante joins Garrett and Mert to discuss what crypto wallets get wrong. Armani is a product genius and the founder behind Anchor, Backpack, xNFTs and Mad Lads. In this episode, we cover the innovations behind Backpack and xNFTs, why demand generation is everything, if projects should go multichain, how to build a community, why Armani decided to build on Solana, why most apps will launch their own chain and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:48) Wallets: The Gateway to Crypto (04:01) Backpack: The Wallet’s iPhone Moment (10:25) A Focus on Product vs Distribution (16:19) Should Projects Go Multichain?  (18:52) How Backpack Thinks About Distribution  (21:52) Permissionless Ad (23:09) xNFTs vs Native Apps (25:00) Why Choose Solana? (35:38) Metaplex and Why Neutral Standards Matter (39:05) Why Armani Loves the Cosmos Vision (48:47) Work-Life Balance & In-Person vs Remote (55:46) Leadership Lessons from Building Backpack (59:44) Rapid Fire Segment - - Follow Armani: https://twitter.com/armaniferrante Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Backpack https://twitter.com/xNFT_Backpack Mad Lads https://www.madlads.com/ https://twitter.com/MadLadsNFT Anchor https://www.anchor-lang.com/ https://twitter.com/anchorlang Coral https://www.coral.community/ https://twitter.com/0xCoral - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Today we are joined by the team from Magic Eden to discuss the state of NFTs. We cover what went wrong with the 10K PFP collections, royalty fees and creator monetization, horizontal vs vertical marketplaces, Magic Eden's multichain strategy, the advantages of different L1s and more!  - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:47) Is the 10K PFP Collection Dead? (05:26) Why Should People Care About NFTs? (08:52) Royalty Fees and Creator Monetization (20:47) Permissionless Plug (21:47) Compressed NFTs on Solana (28:49) Horizontal vs Vertical Marketplaces (33:52) Magic Eden’s Multichain Strategy (01:00:32) Yoot’s Migration to Polygon (01:07:40) Rapid Fire - - Follow Zedd: https://twitter.com/zhuoxunyin Follow Tiff: https://twitter.com/hausoftiffany Follow Rex: https://twitter.com/zhouzhuojie Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Magic Eden https://magiceden.io/ https://twitter.com/MagicEden - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! this week, we're live at Permissionless with a discussion on crypto's creator economy. We deep dive into capturing attention in crypto, building DRiP, why build on Solana, NFTs, meme coins & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Vibhu: https://x.com/vibhu Follow Steve: https://x.com/solanasteve_ Follow Jake: https://x.com/SolJakey Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed -- DragonSwap is the DeFi Hub on Sei’s Layer 1, allowing users to swap, provide liquidity, and farm! Built on Sei’s sub-second execution environment, DragonSwap is transforming the DEX landscape by building an “onchain CEX” that leverages chain-abstracted AVSs, enabling users to buy any asset on any chain. With tons of incentives already available, September will bring even more to Sei users with partners like Stargate and Frax! Start farming on Sei today by visiting https://dragonswap.app/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:22) Crypto's Creator Economy (07:14) Capturing Attention In Crypto (13:27) Content On DRiP (17:24) Why Build On Solana? (17:50) Sei Ad (25:57) Investments vs Commerce In Crypto (29:28) Building A Media Company In Crypto (31:22) NFTs (42:21) Will DRiP Ever Launch A Token? (45:38) Meme Coins -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, we're joined by Ryan Watkins to discuss the bull case for Solana in 2025. We deep dive into how Ryan's Solana thesis has developed over time, the rise of AI agents, the state of applications in crypto what to expect in 2025 & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Ryan: https://x.com/RyanWatkins_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Utilize the Solana Dashboard by Blockworks Research: http://solana.blockworksresearch.com/ -- Renaud Partners has built the most elite network of native crypto marketers globally. They create custom, expert teams to support founders with transformative strategy work. Trusted by some of the best founders, VC firms, and ecosystem leaders in the business, helping their teams expedite their marketing success and catalyze their growth. If you’re a founder or a VC looking for support for your teams, I highly recommend connecting with them at RenaudPartners.com -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:45) The Solana Thesis (08:48) App Fees & Revenue (12:22) Renaud Partners Ad (13:23) Crypto Infra: Speculation vs Utility (17:29) AI Agents (25:20) The Syncracy Thesis (28:58) L1 Competition (36:29) Bitcoin & The Rise Of L2’s (45:31) Hyperliquid (51:56) Does Decentralization Matter? -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're joined by Swen Schäferjohann for a discussion on Solana's latest scaling unlock... ZK compression. We deep dive into Light protocols origin story, how does ZK compression work, L1 composability & account construct & the future of Solana's scalability. Enjoy! -- Follow Swen: https://x.com/swen_sjn Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Get 15% off an indoor or outdoor Helium Mobile Hotspot using code LIGHTSPEEDHOTSPOT: https://hellohelium.com/hotspot Helium Mobile is a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. By creating coverage, you’re helping to build a better network together, while earning MOBILE rewards. -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:52) Light Protocol Origin Story (10:23) Helium Mobile Ad (11:42) How Does ZK Compression Work? (17:00) The Cost Of State vs Ledger Space (21:42) Photon Indexer (26:26) Move Fast & Break Things vs Enshrining (31:52) Permissionless III Ad (32:54) What ZK Compression Unlocks (34:49) L1 Composability (36:43) Account Construct (40:36) How Is ZK Used In ZK Compression? (49:02) Why ZK Compression Is Not A Rollup -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This episode Alex Smirnov joins the show for a discussion on how deBridge is working to power the crypto economy with cross chain bridging & interoperability. Enjoy! -- Follow Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexSmirnov__ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off your ticket to Permissionless III: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:32) Bridging & Interoperability (07:33) Permissionless III Ad (08:36) Decentralization vs Performance (14:20) The Intent Bridging Model (27:59) Bridging Mechanics (31:17) MEV (35:32) Fee Compression (39:56) Bringing Liquidity On Chain (42:30) Bridging Risk (48:23) Governance & Validators -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Kash Dhanda and Brandon Potts join us to discuss how builders can leverage Solana's unique value proposition to be the go-to ecosystem for crypto's next wave of users. Kash is a founding member of Superteam, where he helps Solana projects launch and grow their community, and Brandon is a Principal at Framework Ventures. In this conversation, we cover Solana's resurgence and payments narrative, crypto business models, Solana's shortcomings, whether Solana will be the default consumer chain, crypto's emerging market opportunity and more! - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:59) Solana’s Resurgence (07:34) The Payments Narrative: Solana’s Schelling Point (14:03) Content Creation + Solana's Value Prop (18:13) Crypto Business Models (23:06) The Importance of Community (27:22) Web2 vs Web3 (32:25) DAS London Plug (33:33) The Most Exciting Things in Solana Right Now (40:16) A Solana Roast: What Needs to Improve? (45:33) Is Solana the Consumer Chain? (50:36) Crypto’s Emerging Market Opportunity (56:49) Abstract the Tech, Focus on Outcomes (01:01:36) Hyperdrive: Solana’s Hackathon - - Follow Kash:https://twitter.com/kashdhanda Follow Brandon: https://twitter.com/b_potts23 Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Superteam https://superteam.fun/ Framework Ventures https://framework.ventures/ Hyperdrive https://solana.com/hyperdrive - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we have an episode with Leah Wald live from DAS NY 2025. We deep dive into the launch of Solana ETFs in 2025, the SOL Strategies playbook, Leah's current crypto thesis & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Leah: https://x.com/LeahWald Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Join the Lightspeed Manlets Collective Telegram: https://t.me/+QUl_ZOj2nMJlZTEx -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (00:22) Launch Of The Solana Futures ETF (05:54) Are Institutions Bullish? (08:41) Solana’s Ultimate Vision (11:08) The Laine Acquisition Playbook (13:04) Is SOL Strategies The Microstrategy Of Solana? (16:06) The Solana Thesis (19:10) Final Thoughts -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Dan Romero joins us to discuss how Warpcast could become crypto's first mainstream app. Warpcast is a crypto-enabled social app built on top of the Farcaster protocol. Warpcast offers a Twitter meets Reddit-like experience that leverages the composability, permissionless innovation and embedded finance of crypto. In this episode, we discuss how Dan decided to focus on Social, how Farcaster works, why "Frames" are a massive developer unlock, the Warpcast and Farcaster business model, the onchain vs offchain components, Dan's go-to-market strategy and more! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:08) The Origin Story (05:09) Why Focus On Social? (08:50) Farcaster and Warpcast: What It Is and How It Works (15:29) DAS London Plug (16:26) Farcaster Hubs and Onchain Pragmatism (26:37) The Technical Process Flow (34:07) The Business Model (39:19) Why “Frames” Are A Massive Developer Unlock (59:03) Adding Solana Support to Warpcast (01:03:39) The Go-to-Market Strategy (01:10:14) The Drivers of History (01:14:48) Founder Advice - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Follow us on Warpcast! Dan: https://warpcast.com/dwr.eth Mert: https://warpcast.com/0xmert Garrett: https://warpcast.com/gharp Use this signup code to get started on Warpcast:  https://warpcast.com/~/invite-page/238010?id=cd17c51d Follow us on Twitter! Dan: https://twitter.com/dwr Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Warpcast signup link https://warpcast.com/~/invite-page/238010?id=cd17c51d Why Twitter is a Big Deal (Paul Graham) https://paulgraham.com/twitter.html - -  Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we're joined by Ben Leventhal & Jesse Walden to discuss Blackbird & the launch of Flynet. We deep dive into the Blackbird origin story, launching an L3, how to build a great consumer app, what makes a successful airdrop, advice for founders & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Ben: https://x.com/benleventhal Follow Jesse: https://x.com/jessewldn Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/lightspeed Join the Lightspeed Manlets Collective Telegram: https://t.me/+QUl_ZOj2nMJlZTEx -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off tickets to Digital Asset Summit 2025: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2025-new-york -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors the Lightspeed podcast. As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your Solana assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now and build confidently, knowing your SOL are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Accurate Crypto Taxes. No Guesswork. Say goodbye to tax season headaches with Crypto Tax Calculator: https://cryptotaxcalculator.io/us/?coupon=BW2025&utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=referral+&utm_campaign=lightspeedpodcast Generate accurate, CPA-endorsed tax reports fully compliant with IRS rules. Seamlessly integrate with 3000+ wallets, exchanges, and on-chain platforms. Import reports directly into TurboTax or H&R Block, or securely share them with your accountant. Exclusive Offer: Use the code BW2025 to enjoy 30% off all paid plans. Don’t miss out - offer expires 15 April 2025! -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (00:45) What Is Blackbird? (09:02) Launching An L3 (10:22) Building On Base (13:01) Ledger Ad (13:49) Building A Consumer App (17:45) Flynet: Blackbird’s Onchain Transaction Network (27:25) Loyalty Apps (31:48) Crypto Tax Calculator (32:19) Ledger Ad (33:07) How To Build A Great Application (38:17) What Makes A Successful Airdrop (45:22) Getting Into Crypto (47:27) Advice For Founders -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Jack, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week we discuss the state of the network, MarginFi drama, Uniswap vs the SEC, airdrops, Monad's $225 million raise & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Try 3 months FREE of Helium Mobile with the code LIGHTSPEEDMOBILE: hellohelium.com Experience a new phone service that uses the Helium Network – a decentralized wireless network built by the people – AND the nation’s largest 5G network. Drastically save costs while you enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data for just $20/month. Plus, you can earn MOBILE tokens for sharing where you use your phone the most. -- (00:00) Introduction (01:24) Solana: State Of The Network (13:03) Helium Mobile Ad (14:05) Do Validators Need To Be Profitable? (17:36) MarginFi (33:28) Airdrops (36:58) SEC Sends Uniswap a Wells Notice (46:42) Monad Raises $225 Million -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Matty Taylor joins us to discuss how Colosseum, the Y-Combinator of Crypto, will find, fund and accelerate Solana's next killer app. In this episode, we discuss why Matty is launching Colosseum, tactical tips for founders, why Solana is the best ecosystem to build applications, how to participate in Colosseum and Matty's #1 advice for discovering a startup idea. - - (00:00) Introduction (01:07) Leading Solana Lab’s Growth Team and Hackathons (7:08) Why Are People Hyped for Colosseum? (12:50) The Winning Formula: Team, Product, Market (16:24) What Do Founders Often Get Wrong? (18:31) Tactical Tips for Founders (22:13) Jupiter’s Inspiration for Solana’s Devs (24:48) Why Colosseum is a “Remote” Program (26:34) Why Stay in Solana? (28:24) Hackathon Dates: Starts March 4th! (29:30) Matty's #1 Piece of Advice - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Follow Matty: https://twitter.com/mattytay Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Colosseum https://twitter.com/ColosseumOrg https://www.colosseum.org/ - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm! This week, Jesse Pollak creator of Base joins the show for a discussion on what the team have been building. As retail activity picks up on both Solana & Base, we thought why not just invite Jesse to the show to discuss the L2 end game, network scaling, base fee revenue & much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jesse: https://twitter.com/jessepollak Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:42) The Base Origin Story (11:49) The L2 End Game (16:21) Virtual Machine: Alt vs EVM (21:19) Decentralizing The Sequencer (28:05) The Security Council & Blast Exploit (36:30) L2 & L3 Interoperability (44:10) Network Scaling: Two Paths, One Endgame (46:50) Data Availability (53:34) Base Fee Revenue -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Dan and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.