Olta is one of the most experienced lawyers in Web3, and has been busy supporting Avalanche, Owl Explains and now Enclave Markets - an exchange targeting institutions that provides privacy through transacting over a secure enclave.

From our show, recorded at Money 20/20, we also discuss the current state of regulation and recent enforcement actions in the US, and why it is forcing projects 'offshore'.

We cover:

- Opportunities with Digital Assets and Blockchain in Finance

- The legal, regulatory and compliance challenges to overcome before we see wider Web3 adoption

- The challenges with transparent ledgers and businesses wanting to protect sensitive data

- Where lawyers go to learn more about Blockchain

Note: This episode contains at least 2 very important knowledge bombs about the importance of SaaS for Web3, and the art of dealmaking for chain partnerships!

We've got more Blockchain infrastructure than we can possibly use... But is it USABLE?

Tim from Venly will explain the importance of developer tools to make Web3 more accessible to everyone...

Blockchains are brilliant. Tokens are tremendous. But development on most chains can be dire... Esoteric languages, confusing contracts, limited interoperability, and APIs that don't connect to anything legacy organisations actually use today. Venly are looking to change that.

In this show we'll talk about:

- The challenge of building with Blockchains today

- What do we mean by 'tooling' for Web3

- What's in the Venly tooling stack

- Example use cases where enterprises and projects are benefiting from SaaS / BaaS solutions

- What more is needed to see wider Web3 adoption

The UAE is the hottest nation in Blockchain right now! We cover everything from government, enterprise, crypto, legal, tax and how to the UAE plans to attract 1,000 developers a month...

The federal government and the c.50 free zones within the UAE are all competing to bring Blockchain, Digital Assets and Crypto innovation to the region. From aggressive national strategies, to incentivising and investing in start-ups, and forming collaborations with some of the biggest players in Blockchain, the UAE is more than just a tax haven for Crypto OGs.

Featuring guests from the Dubai Blockchain Centre, Dubai Future Foundation, DMCC, Tezos Foundation, CV VC, du, Etisalat, IBM, Biconomy, Karm Legal, Keystone Law, Abed Group, WoM Protocol and much more...

Whether you're into enterprise Blockchain or Web 3 and DeFi, this episode has something for everyone, as well as deep dives on the attraction of Free Zones, why start-ups pay hundreds of thousands of dollars on tax and legal advice, and bilateral government projects with Blockchain.

Shout to my amazing guests, including: Marwan Alzarouni (Dubai Blockchain Centre), H.E. Gabriel Abed (Ambassador of Barbados to the UAE), Faisal Al Hawi (Dubai Future Foundation), Fatma Elsafty (du), James Bernard (DMCC), Irina Heaver (Keystone Law), Anthony Butler (IBM), Hubert Thonhauser (Tezos Foundation), Lara Abdulmalak (Unlock Blockchain), Alexia Hefti (Abed Group), Jorge Carrasco (Etisalat), Oliver von Wolff (CV Labs / CV VC), Akshata Namjoshi (Karm Legal), Melanie Mohr (WoM Protocol), Maria Vovchok (World of Web3 Summit), Ahmed Al-Balaghi (Biconomy)

Why haven't we made interoperable Blockchains, yet? Why should we care? Is Decentralised Finance a credible alternative to big banks? And how did Moonbeam get to 1 MILLION smart contracts?
All big questions in the world of Web3, and ones that Derek Yoo (Founder of Moonbeam) is very familiar with. But the macro market story will tell you, we're not quite at 'mass adoption' of DeFi, and we're still seeing a lot of Blockchain maximalism in the world, as new chains grapple for product-market fit.
We'll discuss all this and more, including:
- The importance of DevX and UX
- Derek's rationale for building on the Polkadot network
- DeFi maturity and its value to the world today
- How Moonbeam attracted a million smart contracts to the platform
- The wider challenge of attracting developers Blockchains and Web3
- 'Competition' from the proliferation of L2s and L3s
- What more is needed to see wider use of DApps and Web3 tech

What do Blockchain, Banksy, concert tickets, sex tapes, baseball cards and Batman have in common?... It's the roast of Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) and I'm joined by 5 Blockchain superstars who bring different perspectives on the good to the very, very bad of how companies and individuals are looking to transform the world with NFTs and tokens.

In this show we cover:
- The basics of Blockchain and token technology
- The established model for physical collectibles and what we need to consider in the digital world
- Digital twins for real-world assets (crypto chips, stickers, wallets and custody)
- Legal considerations for tokens, copyright and IP
- And a VERY diverse set of NFT examples in the roast (virtual collectibles, ticketing, art, trash art, airlines, postage stamps, malicious calls, tweets, 'intimate' tapes, and more...)

Shout to my amazing guests - please go give them a follow: Brendan Cooper, Irina Heaver, Keir Finlow-Bates, Anne Griffin and Sebastian Becker

It's the last destination of Season 2 before a very special 'Finale' episode, and where better to go than the country that many credit for being the birthplace of the Blockchain movement: Canada... Yes, Canada... Canada has had a surprisingly significant influence from the original Bitcoin white paper, to the founding of Ethereum, Crypto Kitties, the Blockchain Research Institute and much more...

While Canadians are famously modest about their achievements, I'm going to do my civic duty and shine a light on the impressive Blockchain projects, the people and associations behind the rise of Blockchain in Canada. This might just be the most enlightening show we've ever produced, and we've got a VERY special guest speaker for this episode's Bonus Round!

We include speakers from leading Blockchain organisations like Stellar, Shyft, Linux Foundation, Hut 8 Mining, Shopify, Guild One, Veritree, Deloitte, MHH Technology Group, Blockchain Supply Chain Association and Global University Systems; as well as leading academic institutions like ICTC, George Brown College, and the University of British Columbia... Oh, and a rather significant guest speaker...

A veteran of 7 MILLION Ted Talk views, author of the most-read book on Blockchain, and founder of the Blockchain Research Institute: it's the legendary Don Tapscott! Do not miss the chance to hear the great man's take on the good and the bad of Blockchain in Canada, and what more is needed to scale Blockchain technology in Canada and around the world.

Shout out to my other guests: Alexis Pappas, Amy Ter Haar, Derrick Emsley, Emma Todd, Erik Valiquette, George Petrovic, Hilary Carter, Jaime Leverton, Janine Moir, John S. Lee, Joseph Weinberg, Louisa Bai, Marc Lijour, and Vicki Lemieux.

A great introduction to how Blockchain is being applied in the business of international supply chains and logistics. Martijn talks through how the Port of Rotterdam began exploring Blockchain business networks, creating partnership ecosystems and developing its own Deliver platform with ABN-AMRO and Samsung, along with a number of other topics, including:

- The role of a port in the wider technology innovation landscape

- Benefits of Blockchain in trade, logistics and trade finance

- How to form and govern a global business network

- Details about PoR's Deliver platform and its learnings and challenges to-date

- Interoperability between Blockchain networks (Hyperledger and Ethereum)

- The role of other exponential technologies in supply chains, including AI, Drones, Quantum and Digital Twins

References to topics mentioned on the podcast:

Port of Rotterdam: www.portofrotterdam.com

Blocklab: www.blocklab.nl

Deliver platform: www.deliver.community

Martijn's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/martijnthijsen

A Blockchain technology Master Class with Antonio Senatore, Deloitte's Global CTO for Blockchain. We discuss what he sees as the 'core' Blockchain technologies for enterprise, his key learnings from taking both Public and Private Blockchain platforms into production, and his forecast for when we will see emerging domains like Zero Knowledge Proofs, Interoperability and Blockchain-enabled AI being ready for prime time.

On this episode we discuss:

- What it takes to be considered a 'mature' Blockchain platform

- Relative maturity of Ethereum, Hyperledger, Corda, VeChain and others

- Key challenges for implementing Public and Private Blockchains in enterprise

- The importance and time horizon for Interoperability between Blockchain networks

- Why we should be excited about Blockchain and AI, and what can they bring together

- What are Zero Knowledge Proofs, and what is required for broader adoption

- What questions to ask of emerging Blockchain technology vendors looking for partnerships

- Where Antonio gets his reading list

References mentioned during the show:

Antonio's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-senatore-b759273/

Andreas Antonopoulos: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aantonop/

QEDIT: https://qed-it.com/

Polkadot: https://polkadot.network/

Constellation Network: https://constellationnetwork.io/

Everything you want and need to know about Blockchain and Web3 Gaming in a single, epic episode! Kieran Warwick (and his brothers) created and launched Illuvium - a 'AAA' game with epic graphics, compelling gameplay, extensive roadmap, and underlying NFT economy. There is nothing out there like this, and Kieran breaks down why Blockchain gaming changes everything, but also why we shouldn't be too bullish just yet. Life after Axie Infinity and ponzinomic 'play to earn' NFT games needs to change, and the Illuvium team thinks they have the recipe: mixing the best of Pokemon, WoW, Minecraft and MMORPG that we loved in our childhood with elements of ownership, interoperability and tokenomics that work in harmony with game mechanics. In this session we discuss: - The back story to how Illuvium was founded - Why there is so much excitement, activity and funding around Web3 gaming - The Illuvium vision and roadmap - The implications of 'Interoperable Blockchain Games' - How the bear market, Luna, 3AC, FTX etc. impacted activity in the Illuvium ecosystem, and what happens next - What more is required to see wider use of Web3 / decentralised technologies in gaming We also cover some Q&A around how Illuvium and Web3 games make money, what are the metrics that matter for game developers, and whether we'll see a collabo between Illuvium and Moonsama in the Polkadot ecosystem. Essential listening for anyone interested in Blockchain and gaming.

The ZK series continues with Hubert and vlayer: an exciting team looking to give back control and equitability of data using Blockchain technology...

If you're not paying attention to zero-knowledge technology at this point in the evolution of the internet and decentralised applications, you should be. And it's refreshing to see that not all teams are correlating the 'data opportunity' with just AI - but the wider petabytes of data that humans and businesses create every day.

On this show, Hubert and I will delve deeper into the applications for ZK in building a more equitable internet for all of us, including:

- WTF are Web Proofs

- Why the world needs another data infrastructure company (and where others have failed to-date)

- Learnings from Hubert's experience with data fraud, and what needs to change to protect sensitive data in future

- The vlayer origin story, and major use cases

- Why people should care about data protection

- Alternative approaches to data protection and comparisons

Midnight, a data protection Blockchain developed by Input Output (IOHK)(a core contributor to Cardano), has just launched, but what does this mean for Web3?
I'm joined by Midnight's Head of Product, Mauricio Magaldi, for a wide-ranging discussion on why data remains a huge issue (and cost) in Web2 as well as Web3, and how Midnight's unique architecture and zero knowledge technology can help any developer to build better apps.
This is a show for anyone who uses, builds or buys applications in their daily life.
We discuss:
- Why data remains an underrated issue for individuals and companies
- What do we mean by data protection, and what good looks like
- Why decentralisation can be great for apps, but where major Blockchains have failed in terms of data and metadata protection to-date
- Why Midnight exists today
- What Midnight's technology is all about
- How to get involved in early access to Midnight's devnet

A uniquely Danish view on construction, design and the disruptive impact of Blockchain. Niels has been working with the Danish Industry Foundation to explore technologies and use cases that can bring transparency, efficiency and solve age-old problems within the sector, and he explains why he thinks Blockchain offers something very different to what has gone before.

In this episode we discuss:

- Why the Construction industry has a data and transparency problem

- Ideation and prioritisation of the 150+ Blockchain uses cases that Niels and the team developed 

- Deep dives on the team's priority use cases: Material traceability, IoT devices, Client decision making, Component tracing, and 'Proof of Work' 

- Working with Stellar, Azure, Hyperledger, Quorum

- The future of BIM, 3D models, reality capture, generative design and exoskeletons

- Key challenges of working with Blockchain in the Construction industry

- Niels' prediction for when we'll see true digital transformation in the sector

How to find Niels:

Niels' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsfalk/

HD Lab: https://www.hdlab.dk/

*Apologies for some glitches in Niels' audio in this episode - Zoom was not having a good day...

I've never made a show like this before... A full 'Web3 founders journey' from Dominic going all the way back to 2013, Gamecoin, Ethereum and the trials and tribulations of Internet Computer, the Blockchain boasting the most transactions per-day of any chain. Be warned, shots are fired during this episode!... Dominic Williams, Founder and Chief Scientist at DFINITY, created Internet Computer to remove the need for centralised IT systems and dependence on the Googles and Amazons of the world. And maybe take a chunk out of Ethereum’s dominance of Web3 along the way. His goal is not to remove Web2, but to work in harmony with it. Not to bring single-chain maximalism, but to seek a world of trustless connection between multiple blockchain networks. So Dominic is a pragmatist also. In this session we'll discuss: - Why the world needs the Internet Computer - The science behind ‘Proof of Useful Work’ vs. PoS and PoW - What it takes to build and scale a decentralised protocol - What we have learned from the recent issues with Luna, 3AC, FTX in 2022, and the imperatives for 2034 - Whether enterprises or industrial applications play a significant role in scaling Web3 - Advice to anyone building with Web3 tech today There's also some tangents where we discuss issues with Solana, FTX, the Crypto Media and many 'insider' issues than few people ever get to hear about. Do not miss this one!...

We take a closer look at Israel, known by many as 'Start-up Nation'... A country famous for its production line of entrepreneurs, military-inspired tech, cryptography and most recently Blockchain. Home to over 250 global R&D centres, 6,000 tech companies and 150 Blockchain businesses, Israel has a unique recipe for success in tech - and Blockchain is no exception. 

In this episode we cover: 

- The rapid adoption of Blockchain in Israel from Bitcoin to ICOs to creating leading global players

- The story behind 'Start-up Nation' and why Israel's entrepreneurs are so successful

- The diversity and make-up of the Israeli Blockchain community 

- Country-specific use cases around Financial Services, Trade, Identity and Healthcare

- Chutzpah: the secret, intangible ingredient behind all Israeli successes

- And a rare cameo from the legendary Aviv Lichtigstein - Founder of 101 Blockchains

Shout to the amazing guests who made this show possible: Yael Rozencwajg, Odelia Torteman, Rena Thomas, Igal Nevo, Kfir Nissan, Gabi Zodik, and Aviv Lichtigstein

Are Blockchain & AI force multipliers or competitors? Will Blockchain 'unlock' AI adoption, or is the reality much less positive?...

Arthur Breitman, Co-founder of Tezos, was working with AI and Self-Driving Cars long before he stepped into Blockchain. So he has an informed view, and a desire to see both technologies succeed, albeit without the hype!

On this episode, we'll look to demystify the value of Blockchain and AI, and debunk narratives that talk to Blockchain and AI either being critical for each others' success, or too different to be able to work well together.

On this show, we'll cover:

- Arthur's Web3 and AI journey to-date

- An introduction to the unique capabilities of AI and Blockchain technologies

- Evaluating the claim that "AI needs crypto, and crypto needs AI.”

- Distinguishing between genuine opportunities and hype - What more is needed to see adoption of AI and Blockchain together at-scale

We’re doing a playback of the 10 most interesting things we learned about Blockchain technology from Season 2 of Blockchain Won't Save the World. We’ve been to Canada, Brazil, The Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Israel, India, The UAE, Japan, Singapore and Australia; as well as launching the popular ‘Students React’ show, so there's a ton of great content to choose from.

It was hard to pick the 10 best moments, but in the end we landed on the following:

- The first ever digital currency: invented in 1934 (Switzerland, Efi Pylarinou)

- How some countries are more decentralised than others (Germany, Katharina Gehra)

- How to create a thriving Blockchain ecosystem (Netherlands, Marloes Pomp)

- How Blockchain and Open Source is driving economic empowerment (India, Richa Joshi)

- How Blockchain supports the bottom of the economic pyramid (Brazil, Isaque Eberhardt)

- The challenges of launching a Blockchain business in a regulated country (Malta, Dave Pulis)

- How not to regulate-away your entire Blockchain community (Canada, Don Tapscott)

- The important role of Blockchain accelerators (Singapore, Ming Ng)

- Enterprise Blockchains are not dead (Japan, Norbert Gehrke)

- Diversity and inclusion have a chance with Blockchain technology (Akshata Namjoshi)

Thanks to all of my guests from an amazing and inspiring second season of BWSTW. If you want to hear more from any of these speakers, check back on some of the earlier episode from this Season, or from Season 1. And watch out for an explosive Season 2 Finale, coming next month!...

You guessed it... We're doing another Roast!...

After 22 episodes and 1 Roast, I've learned a lot more about Blockchain and DLT from those in the industry doing real work, running global platforms, and taking the technology into production. I've tried to summarise 10 new or updated observations about Blockchain in enterprise from Season 1. Some of the key topics include:

- Strategies for scaling

- Blockchain for social impact

- UX challenges with Public Blockchains

- Self-sovereign Identity

- My favourite quote from Season 1

- How to think about Token business models

- Scaling IoT and Blockchain

- How to solve problems in your sleep

Thanks to all my guests from Season 1, and thanks to all those listeners from around the world you provided feedback and ideas to help improve the series. See you all for Season 2!

What an episode! One of the most insightful and enjoyable so far, and Staci is the first guest on the show to throw me off my intro game!

Don’t miss Staci Warden, CEO of Algorand Foundation, sharing her insights for how Blockchains and Web3 can aim higher, solve real-world problems, and pass the test of time… Staci is one of the most respected leaders in Web3. She has overseen the growth and expansion of the Algorand ecosystem, new technology, new team and some exciting recent announcements.
It’s so important to have experienced leaders identifying and addressing the challenges of Web3 today. We have incredible technology but it take more than that to drive change. On this episode we discuss:
- Staci’s path to becoming CEO of Algorand Foundation
- What it takes to build and scale a protocol like Algorand in 2023
- What Staci has observed from Web3 in the past year, and the imperatives that give us for Web3 going forward
- How Enterprises or industrial applications play a role in scaling Web3

- The issues and importance of Quantum computing-resistant Blockchains
- Verticals or geographies where Algorand is seeing strong adoption
- The importance of tooling for a Blockchain ecosystem - Python, Python, Python
- Advice for anyone building with Web3 tech today ('Easy internet money is gone')

Do not miss this episode! Some of the most inspiring, insightful and rich guidance of any podcast I've recorded to-date. 16 of Switzerland's Blockchain Elite talk about the surprisingly long history (as far back as 1934!) of Blockchain, digital currency, start-ups and associations that have put Switzerland in the Top 3 Blockchain nations worldwide. We talk about early Bitcoin developments, establishing foundations like Ethereum, Tezos and Libra, how to found successful start-ups, the venture capital scene, why Blockchain may not be the death of banks, and a healthy amount of Crypto as well!...

In this episode we cover:

- The history of Blockchain and Digital Currency in Switzerland from 1934 to 2009 to the present day

- Why decentralisation is in Switzerland's DNA, and the focus of different regions when it comes to Blockchain 

- The many and varied Blockchain associations, and how they co-exist in harmony 

- The make-up of the Swiss Blockchain community, from gritty start-ups to glamorous events, retreats and parties

- A huge range of use cases, including: Nestle, Wisekey, SEBA Bank, Sygnum, Komgo, FGX, Minespider, Liquity, DFINITY, Smart Valor, 21 Shares, Swisscom Blockchain, the World Trade Organisation, Crypto Finance, Adresta, CV VC and many more...

- A special bonus segment on Blockchain in the Luxury Watch industry

- How Swiss universities are applying Blockchain principles and open sourcing their courses

- Diversity and inclusion in Blockchain, and

- What more is needed to scale Digital Assets, Crypto, how to grow Blockchain start-ups and ecosystems, and the industry more widely

Shout to my incredible guests: Efi Pylarinou, Emmanuelle Ganne (WTO), Fabian Schaer (University of Basel), Jan Brzeczek (Crypto Finance), Leonie Fluckiger (Adresta), Lucas Betschart (Bitcoin Association Switzerland), Liudmila Zavolokina (University of Zurich), Micha Roon (Energy Web Foundation), Olga Feldmeier (Smart Valor), Paul Meeusen (DFINITY), Pedro Lopez-Belmonte (Richemont), Ralf Glabischnig (CV VC), Roland Cortivo (Swisscom Blockchain), Sheraz Ahmed (Crypto Valley Association), Sina Meier (21 Shares) and Tatjana Meier (IBM)

What do JP Morgan, Sex  Workers, Squirrels, Timestamping, Space Force and 'The Power of  Ethereum' have in common?... It's the Roast of Blockchain, and you're  about to find out... I'm joined by Keir Finlow-Bates (inventor), Irina Heaver (lawyer), Samson Williams (start-up / space cadet), Anne T. Griffin (product manager), Marta Piekarska-Geater (Hyperledger ecosystems) and Antonio Senatore (Deloitte CTO) to talk through Blockchain's most epic fails, and also where the experts see Blockchain technology is likely to succeed.

In this roast we cover:

- Which super heros do my guests think are most like them

- Blockchain for Blockchain's sake

- Tokens for tokens' sake

- Not considering scaling and commercial models for Blockchain platforms

- How Banks turned from hate to love on Blockchain and digital assets

- KYC and Digital Identity for Sex Workers (and their customers)

- The questionable use of private timestamping

- Intermediaries using Blockchain to disintermediate themselves

- Where Blockchain will have the most positive impact in the years to come

Please take the time to check out and follow my guests, and we'll be back for Season 2:

Keir: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keirf

Irina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaheaver

Samson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samson-williams-axesandeggs

Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetgriffin

Antonio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-senatore-b759273

Marta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martapiekarska

As the entire world is looking to Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) as a potential solution to COVID-19, Arwen Smit gives us some home truths about the complexity of identity management, what is required to develop SSI networks, and potential business models for private sector enterprises. Arwen is hugely knowledgeable and a pleasure to listen to - essential for anyone who wants to learn more about the digital identity space.

In this episode we cover:

- An overarching framework for identity and trust (human trust, cryptographic trust)

- The major problems that SSI aims to address (and some that is should not)

- How SSI could be applied to the COVID-19 Pandemic

- Critical challenges to consider (governance, ethics, fraud, commercial models)

- The relevance of Blockchain as an enabler for SSI

- Case studies including Estonia, MOBI, Sovrin, the UN and more

- Arwen view on 'If data is the new oil, is SSI the electric motor?' and,

- Her most valuable, most impactful, and favourite SSI use cases for the future

Links to topics discussed:

- Arwen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arwensmit

- Arwen's Website: https://arwensmit.com

- Identity Reboot: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Identity-Reboot-Reimagining-Privacy-Century/dp/1916314414

One of the most insightful shows EVER! Web3 is not about siloed, slow, monolithic databases. It’s about open, interoperable, innovative platforms available to all. And Canton Network promises to be the missing link to connect the world’s global financial system with Blockchain.
Canton only recently announced its whitepaper and vision, but has already made quite an impact. With tech companies and financial giants like Goldman Sachs, Deloitte and Microsoft as founding members, there’s some serious scale and value already accessible to the network.
I’m joined by Yuval Rooz, CEO of Digital Asset, and one of the architects of Canton, who will give us the full story of how Canton was formed, how he plans to construct a decentralised network of DLTs across the globe, and what’s in it for the average citizens of Earth…
In this show we talk about:
- The history of Digital Asset and recent DA projects
- Canton’s vision and how the consortium was started
- The Canton problem statements: 1. Lack of privacy (all data published to all nodes) 2. Unpredictable fees / competition for block space
- How Canton technology compare to other options for Financial Services e.g. DLTs (Corda, Fabric), Public Chains (Ethereum, Ripple), or traditional APIs
- How Canton creates value for consortium members
- How Canton can foster open innovation, in the spirit of DeFi / Public networks
- The next steps on the Canton roadmap

Devon is one of the best Marketeers of the Web3 era. He'll share frameworks & strategies from his time at Ava Labs, Immutable & F/AS that can help any Web3 project grow. Do not miss this!...
Marketing is everything from understanding the market, the competition, establishing digital and physical channels, finding your voice, amplifying your community, and enabling them to amplify your work as much as you do...
In this 'Masterclass', Devon will share his experience working with some of the biggest and most successful Blockchain projects, including:
- What does Web3 marketing comprise
- The art of storytelling and building a narrative
- How to communicate across different media types
- How to harness a Web3 community for growth
- The importance (or not) of 'KOLs'
- Which 'narratives' in 2024 are hot, or just hot air...
If you're working in growth, marketing, or leadership for a Web3 project, you NEED to hear what Devon has to say.

Kicking off Season 3 with a HUGE interview! The technology leader behind all things Blockchain, Web3 and Metaverse at Mercedes-Benz. One of the best known and loved car companies on the planet. Do not miss this... Season 3 is loving themed: "Will it Web3" which means I'll be talking with some of the world's most influential leaders to get their take on whether Blockchain and Web3 will disrupt their industries or domains of technology, or if it's already happening today!  Hartmut (VP of IT Technology & Cross Functions, Mercedes-Benz AG) is a highly experienced enterprise technology leader, Blockchain and Web3 advocate, and is driving the department which provides Mercedes-Benz with its most cutting edge technologies It's rare to hear from someone who plays such a significant role in one of the world's leading automotives, let alone get his insights on Blockchain and the details behind their latest Blockchain-IoT-Data project: Acentrik. Over the course of this podcast we cover: - The involvement of Mercedes-Benz in Web3 - Real world application for enterprises – Acentrik as a Blockchain product - How Mercedes-Benz are thinking about the Metaverse - Hartmut's advice for anyone working with Blockchain and Web3 technology

Excited to bring you a follow-up to one of the most popular podcasts from Season 1. I'm joined by Holger Koether (IOTA) and Sebastian Becker (Riddle & Code) to discuss the cutting edge work happening in Europe and further afield. In this show we cover:

- Benefits of combining Blockchain and IoT

- Key use cases that IOTA and R&C are working on today

- Creating a European-wide Blockchain infrastructure on public blockchains, enabling machine-to-machine transactions

- Learnings for anyone to apply to their own Blockchain & IoT projects

If you want to hear more on this topic, check out Season 1 Episode 10 with David Sønstebø and IOTA from Season 1

DePIN is a sector where Blockchain tech is having a major impact. We talk this, and Filecoin’s 6-year history with Porter Stowell.

Decentralised Physical Infrastructure Networks: In short, the democratisation of compute, storage, communication and more. Optimising existing industrial-grade infrastructure and also allowing individuals to participate in a P2P sharing economy. Sound interesting and disruptive? It is.

Amazon and Google aren’t exactly quaking in their boots, but they’re watching with interest, and have been making moves in Web3 to make sure their legacy businesses doesn’t get blindsided by Blockchain.

Filecoin has been leading the charge, particularly in storage, since 2017 and was one of the most love projects from Web3’s previous growth cycle. Porter gives us his take on the emergence of DePIN, what it REALLY takes to scale viable decentralised networks, as well as:

- A Filecoin 101 for those who are new here

- How to manage supply and demand in DePIN networks

- The art of the ‘deal’ for B2B, large-scale storage

- What more is needed for DePIN networks to become attractive to enterprises and a wider user base

Combining the exponential capability of both Blockchain and IoT is seen by many as the next major horizon for technology innovation, and few know more about this topic than David Sønstebø who takes us through everything you need to know in this space, from the use cases to the architecture, and when he expects the Blockchain+IoT fusion to reach the mainstream. In this episode we cover:

- Why the Internal of Things needs its own network, and why traditional connectivity and payment rails will not work

- The genesis of IOTA - from Internet Forums to International Foundation

- Key domains where Blockchain and IoT can have the greatest impact: Automotive, Supply Chain, Smart Cities

- A detailed comparison of Blockchain and Direct Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture

- Interoperability with Hyperledger, Ethereum and other Blockchain protocols

- Unified Identity Protocol, IOTA Enterprise Edition and Distributed Identity for COVID-19

- Forecast for when IOTA and DAG infrastructure will be production ready and scaled

Links to topics discussed on the show:

IOTA: https://www.iota.org

Unified Identity Protocol: https://blog.iota.org/the-first-step-towards-a-unified-identity-protocol-7dc3988c8b0e

David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-sonstebo-760319a5/

David's Twitter: @DavidSonstebo

We may be entering the 'end game' for Blockchain and Web3, with different chains being connected seamlessly. But what happens next in this interoperable, connected world?

Supra have been working to provide Web3 with trusted data for 4-years, and now are moving to the next stage of their evolution: 'MultiVM'.

On this podcast, Josh takes us through:

- The history of Supra

- The importance of Oracles

- Why we have failed to deliver meaningful interoperability so far - What is a 'MultiVM'?

- If we've solved for connectivity between chains, what more is required to see widespread adoption of Web3

Note: Sorry for the poor audio quality on Anthony's mic. Still some teething issues with the new recording setup!

A country the size of India deserves serious attention, and with 17 Blockchain veterans on this episode, we uncover the fascinating past and the bright future of Blockchain in India. We go all the way back to 2012 and discuss everything from crypto folklore to huge government interest to the army of Blockchain talent that is transforming the tech landscape in every sector in India today. In this episode we cover:

- A brief history of Blockchain in India from 2012 to today

- Use cases including telecoms, digital identity, life sciences, banking, payments, DeFi, agritech and much more

- The Blockchain community from OGs like Polygon (Matic) to AgroTrust, Hyperledger and the Bosch Blockchain Centre of Excellence

- The importance of Crypto to Indians, implications of the impending crypto ban, and government interest in CBDC

- How huge state governments and the national Blockchain roadmap are shaping India's Blockchain future

- How 4 Million software developers get access to Blockchain training from formal and informal settings

- The importance of diversity in the India Blockchain community, some positive examples and where more work is needed

- Important learnings for scaling Blockchain in terms of capability, leadership, language and regulation

A huge shout to the amazing Indian Blockchain leaders who contributed to this episode: Swati Bhide (IBM), Sunil Sharma (SquadX), Gokul Alex (Gigamesh Garage Ventures), Prasanna Lohar (DCB Bank), Debajani Mohanty (My Earth ID), Rajesh Dhuddu (Tech Mahindra), Kamlesh Nagware (Snapper Future Tech), Richa Joshi (Ethereum Push Notification Service), Kalyan Kulkarni (AyanWorks), Gaurav Somwashni (AgroTrust), Krishnan Mohan (Bosch), Raj Kapoor (India Blockchain Alliance), Ishan Roy (Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency), Srinivas Mahankali (National Insitute for Smart Government), Gnana Lakshmi (WileyNXT), Vinod Kashyap (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India), and Sandeep Shukla (Indian Institute of Technology)

Welcome to Season 2! New theme music, more guests, and a different way of looking at Blockchain technology, culture and community through the eyes of Blockchain experts in the less-publicised nations around the world - and we're starting with Brazil. There is more Blockchain activity happening in Brazil than almost anywhere in the world, and Brazil has produced some of the most talented minds in Blockchain. Adoption of the technology is tightly linked to the strengths and deficiencies of Brazil as a nation, and it's fascinating to observe.

In this episode we cover:

- Brazil's relationship with technology, and how Brazil is a Blockchain leader despite lagging behind tech adoption in other areas

- Examples of national Blockchain use cases in Public and Private sector - from National Identity to Agri Business to Finance and Crypto Assets

- How Blockchain is spoken about in society and the press

- The make-up of Brazil's Blockchain community: Fintechs, Cypherpunks, Gov-techs and Enterprise Adopters

- The main personalities in Brazilian Blockchain, and who you should be following

- Case studies on start-ups in Agri-business and Renewable Energy, and Henkel's 'Reci-Chain' for Recycling

- What more is needed to bring Blockchain initiatives to scale in Brazil, and key learnings for other countries

Shout to my guests: Mauricio Magaldi, Rosine Kadamani, Gladstone Arantes, Tatiana Revoredo, Renato Lopes, Deborah Aguirre, Kiko Duarte, Isaque Eberhardt and Igor Ferreira

Many (including myself) are hailing ZK as the technology that will finally enable mass adoption of Web3. But how? And what's missing today that ZK provides?

Ken Timsit is a Web3 veteran and a strong advocate for ZK tech. He is MD of Cronos Labs and its Particle B ecosystem accelerator, and was previously CRO at Consensys.

On this show, we're going to be covering as much as possible on the proposition and benefits of zero-knowledge, and how it is being applied in Web3 today, including:

- An introduction to Cronos

- An overview of the ZK landscape, and how it’s being used today (Roll-ups, data protection, EVMs, L1s vs. L2s) - Important use cases for ZK

- The opportunity for ZK and DeFi to drive further adoption - Challenges and limitations of ZK today

- What more is required for wider adoption of Web3 in general

At one time, Japan was the largest Bitcoin trading nation in the world. After tragic hacks to Mt. Gox and CoinCheck exchanges everything changed. Regulations came in, Blockchain talent deserted, while large enterprises continued to research DLT use cases. Can the recent excitement around NFTs, DeFi and DAOs rejuvenate this once proud crypto nation?...

There remains a lot for us to learn from the Blockchain community in Japan: it's powerful and far-reaching Blockchain Associations, expertise in CBDCs, 80-strong consortium focused on digital assets, the Digital Yen stablecoin that is accepted for tax payments in certain prefectures, and some inspiring grass roots projects such as Astar network and a plethora of new entrants to the NFT space that could already be considered 'mass adoption'.

This is both a sad and inspiring story, with much to learn for anyone working in Blockchain around the world...

Shout to my amazing guests: Aya Walraven (Mercari), Norbert Gehrke (Tokyo Fintech), Ken Kawai, (Anderson, Mori & Tomotsune), So Saito (So & Sato), Marisa Yoshikawa McKnight (Liquid), Tamara Soykina (Far East Blockchain), Ryu Takaki (IBM), Mamoru Fujimoto (SBI R3), Kazumasa Miyazawa (Soramitsu), Kohei Kurihara (Privacy By Design Lab), Toshi Matsuda (FDFA) and Mario Larangeira (Tokyo Institute of Technology) 

What does it take to grow a global Blockchain ecosystem? Listen to the Gnosis story and you'll find out. There's more to it than you think...
Successful ecosystems are more than simply the Blockchain. They're more than simply the technology. It's about bringing together core tech, developers, capital and users, all wrapped up with shared and aligned incentives
Dr. Friederike Ernst is a co-founder of Gnosis, and has been a big part of their overall rise and success, and she will help share some of the key components of the Gnosis ecosystem, and what it took to build it.
On this show we cover:
- Friederike’s journey as a co-founder of Gnosis
- The overall Gnosis Ecosystem (Chain, Pay, DAO, Studios, Capital)
- How Gnosis Chain differs from other L1s
- How Gnosis Pay is transforming payments
- The importance of decentralised governance, and how Gnosis DAO works in practice
- What more is needed to see wider use of Web3 tech

The potential for decentralised networks and using protocols to open the floodgates for transparent and fair data monetisation has been a promise made by many over the years.... Streamr are the latest to take on the challenge, focusing initially on Telecoms, Banking and IoT, and are making use of Blockchain within their platform, but possibly not the way you'd expect. Shiv Malik takes us through the opportunity for decentralised data monetisation and the unique concept of Data Unions that Streamr are trying to enable.

In this episode we cover:

- The opportunity for individuals and enterprises around data monetisation

- The role of Blockchain in enabling large scale data monetisation

- Definitions of Data Unions and Data Cooperatives

- Case study examples of data monetisation in Telco and Banking, and scaling decentralised IoT networks for Smart Cities

- Creating 'Monoplasma' side chains for micro payments 

- Overcoming scaling and pricing issues with Ethereum 

- Comparing Streamr's architecture with DAGs and DAOs - is it one, the other, or both?

- How to form, price and scale your own enterprise Data Union

Links to topics discussed in the show:

Shiv's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivmalik

Shiv's Twitter: @shivmalik

Streamr: https://streamr.network/

Why does the world need another Blockchain when we have Ethereum? This is the exact question Beniamin and the Elrond (now MultiversX) team pondered in 2017. And have been comprehensively answering ever since.
'First Generation' Blockchains like Bitcoin have managed to pass the test of time due to their simplicity. However smart contract chains have evolved, and different protocols have started offering improvements on early-stage designs,

In this episode, we cover:
- An objective view on the current state of Layer 1 (and Layer 2) Blockchains

- What it takes to drive REAL adoption of decentralised technology

- An unscripted deep dive into the world of AI for Blockchains

- What MultiversX does differently in terms of developer experience, user experience and performance

- Learnings from Beniamin's own content creation journey with the Full Shard Podcast

- The road ahead - what's next for the MultiversX roadmap

Depending on who you listen to, Enterprise Blockchain is either thriving or dead. Giovanni Franzese gives us his informed view on where we REALLY are...As Ericsson's Global Head of Enterprise Blockchain, Giovanni has been at the core of many of the world's most cutting edge Blockchain projects, solving enterprise problems that most people didn't even know existed!Giovanni's role is to enable large organisations to adopt Blockchain and DLT technologies, creating, deploying and managing end-to-end solutions across Private and Public Clouds. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Corda Foundation. So he's seen some things!...On the show, we discuss:- How he first found his way into Blockchain and Web3- The story of building and growing Blockchain within Ericsson- The opportunity for Blockchain tech in Telco and other key industries- Use cases with a focus on Finance and Trade- General advice to enterprises building with Blockchain

Want to know how Hedera Hashgraph was created? How to grow a Blockchain in 2022? Or what Web3 needs to do in the fallout from Luna and FTX? Leemon Baird shares his amazing insights and answers your questions in a live Q&A... I'm delighted to be able to bring someone of Leemon's pedigree and experience to this show, and to hear a calm and objective voice as we're trying to understand what happens next following a challenging year for Web3 in 2022. Hedera Hashgraph has a novel governance model, some impressive partnerships, and remains focused on the core values that enable Web3 whether its for Web2 or Web3-native organisations. In this show we discuss: - How was Hedera Hashgraph created? - What does it take to scale a protocol in 2022? - What is the importance of governance? - Will enterprise or industrial applications play a big role in Web3? - What verticals will drive adoption of decentralised technology? - What have we learned from the recent issues with Luna, 3AC, FTX in 2022, and what imperatives does that give us going forward? - What advice would you give anyone building with Web3 tech today? We also cover use cases, technical specifications, whether governments could be Hedera council members, and a fascinating sidebar on the important domain of DeRec (Decentralised Recovery). Leemon has an amazing talent for making complex topics seem simple. Do not miss this one! If you want to see the video version of the LinkedIn Live, please connect with me on LinkedIn (anthonyjjday)

The fascinating story of how a $1bn company, famous for sticker books and trading cards, launched its own Blockchain business. Brendan is incredibly knowledgeable about Blockchain, DLT and Crypto, and he managed to convince a very traditional business to take the leap straight into Crypto Collectables - and he's got much more planned for the future. We talk about why they chose Hyperledger Sawtooth, how he helped Panini Executives to 'level up', and where wallets, mirror nodes and Zero Knowledge Proofs fit in his technology roadmap.

In this episode, we discuss:

- The history of the Panini collectables business

- Brendan's early Blockchain inspiration from Crypto Pepe

- Important adjacencies: Rare cars, artwork and fractional ownership

- Why 'Panini Coin' (or CoopCoin) never made it into production and the problem with the 'Crypto' moniker

- 'Levelling' up the Panini Executive Team to become Blockchain experts

- The reaction of traditional customers and the crypto community

- Why Panini's platform uses Hyperledger Sawtooth, Ethereum's UX and scaling challenges, and using mirror nodes for public verification

- Collectables technologies to keep tabs on: public protocols, crypto collectables, privacy solutions, DeFi and ZDP

- Future considerations - bearer instruments, custodial services, live sports feed oracles, full crypto, DAOs?

- What Fortnite should have learned before launching digital collectables

Links to topics mentioned in this episode:

Brendan's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendantcooper

Panini Blockchain - https://www.paniniamerica.net/blockchain

OpenSea - https://opensea.io

Starkware - https://starkware.co

International Standard Content Code - https://iscc.codes

Social Identity of Objects - https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170024485A1/en

Rob Massey may be one of the most influential people in Blockchain that you've never heard of. The man responsible for advising some of the largest ICOs, token issuances, exchanges, consortia and regulators gives us the lowdown on why tax is critical to consider in the digital asset space, and how it can be an agile and collaborative initiative, even where regulation or guidance is limited in a particular jurisdiction.

In this episode we discuss:

- Different digital asset structures and the various tax considerations

- The process of engaging with regulators where guidance is thin on the ground

- How enterprises are looking at digital assets and tokens to create liquidity, capital or new business models

- An introduction to the implications of tax for security tokens, 'property' tokens and utility tokens

- How to 'draw out' the tax implications of different digital asset models and business flows

- Example tax engagements and the differences between enterprises, consortia and foundations

- Tax implications for Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and Distributed Autonomous Organisations (DAOs)

- Different tax considerations for different geographies (the humans, tax treaties, network, and feeling 'natural')

- The potential for digital assets in Financial Services and for IP rights management

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Rob's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-massey-7571b7b/

Deloitte's 2020 Blockchain Survey: https://www2.deloitte.com/ie/en/pages/technology/articles/Global_Blockchain_survey.html

This is one for the culture! Veteran inventor and holder of numerous Blockchain patents, Keir Finlow-Bates takes us through what it takes to innovate in the Blockchain space, why some of the world's largest companies are rushing to create Blockchain patents, and what it takes to get one. We also talk about Keir's approach to identifying where Blockchain can be disruptive, using the subconscious mind to create content, and why it's better to invent in a van than in a shed! In this episode we cover:

- Why companies like Visa, GM, Baidu and Walmart are churning out Blockchain patents

- Why Vitalik Buterin is wrong on patenting Blockchain innovations

- The process for patenting Blockchain propositions

- Why Keir became an inventor and how to generate new-to-world inventions

- Some of Keir's most famous Blockchain inventions (Proof of Location, Alternative Mining Power)

- How Blockchain could support the patent value chain (registration, licensing, transfer of ownership)

- Where P2P Networks, Asymetric Key Cryptography, Hash-Linked Lists and Byzantine Fault Tolerance provide most value

- The source material for Kier's legendary Blockchain vlogs

- The power of subliminal processing (this one is really cool!)

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Keir's Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/keirf/

ChainFrog: www.chainfrog.com

ThinkLair: www.thinklair.com

“The Metaverse is Bullshit if you don’t solve a problem”... This and much more from some very knowledgeable experts who are building real Metaverse propositions today, as well as a closer look at legal, accessibility and diversity considerations for how we may spend our digital lives in future...

We LOVE a roast on Blockchain Won't Save the World, and this just may be our best roast yet!

I'm joined by Rutger van Zuidam (Odyssey Momentum), Keir Finlow-Bates (Orthoverse.io, Blockchain Wizard), Irina Heaver (Lawyer and Blockchain VC), Mauricio Magaldi (11:FS, BlockDrops) and newcomer Giselle Mota (NFTY Collective) who share their thoughts on:

- What is the Metaverse (and what it should not be)?

- What does it take to build a Metaverse?

- What advice would you give to others starting out in the Metaverse?

- How should we think about accessibility, diversity and inclusion in the Metaverse?

- What are the worst Metaverse initiatives you've seen, and why?

- Why we don't need pockets and roofs in the Metaverse, and

- Skeuomorphism. Lots of skeuomorphism...

I promise, but the end of this episode you will look at the Metaverse, and the concept of digital virtual collaboration in a whole different light.

It's been one hell of a season, and this is the perfect way to bring it to a close. Thanks to every single listener and guest who have made the Blockchain Won't Save the World Podcast so successful, and who have brought our amazing community together over the past few years.

Don't we have enough Blockchains already? Short answer: No... And Azeem from Morph is going to explain why, in full HD!...
Blockchains keep evolving, and Layer 2s present an opportunity to provide unique functionality, integrations and experiences for dApp builders. And Morph is a really interesting example of an L2 that is innovating beyond just the chain code.
This is an in-depth discussion around why the world still needs more L2s, and what are the key tactics for launching and growing 'yet another' Blockchain in 2024. We cover:
- Morph 101
- Why Ethereum, and Web3 in general, need another L2
- What's required to build a blockchain ecosystem
- What Morph are doing to differentiate from other L1s and L2s
- How to grow Web3 adoption without fragmenting ecosystems, developers and funding
- What’s next for Morph, and the roadmap ahead

Season 4 of BWSTW kicks off with the legendary Charles Hoskinson. He shaped the direction of Ethereum and Cardano, and now Midnight. So you'll want to hear what he has to say about what is needed for Blockchain and Crypto to properly scale...

Charles is recognised as one of the leading thinkers when it comes to Web3, but is also the founder of a number of non-Blockchain businesses making use of disruptive technologies, so he brings a broad commercial perspective He also knows what it takes to scale Blockchain and Crypto ecosystems, from the code, to the community, to regulation and engaging with market intermediaries.

In this show we talk about the path ahead for Blockchain technologies for further enter the mainstream, including:

- What Charles has learned about adoption from his years with Cardano

- The imperatives for further use of decentralised technologies

- The main use cases where Blockchains can drive meaningful change

- His vision for Midnight, and where a data protection Blockchain succeed where others have so far failed, and

- Advice for enterprises and governments looking to engage with Web3, Blockchain & Dapps

Crypto exchanges have created some drama in Web3 lately. Can we do better? Christian and Blocktrade believe so, and have a plan for disrupting the 'traditional' role that exchanges play... through play!On this show, Christian Niedermueller, CEO of Blocktrade, shares his views on the world of exchanges, and why he and the Blocktrade team are going to transform the customer experience, and bring trust back to crypto.Two major parts of the recipe will. be 'gamification' and 'education'. There is still a big gap in peoples' understanding of how Web3 works and given exchanges are typically one of the first touchpoints with crypto, there is a responsibility to help educate customers. But this doesn't have to be a dull, bank-esque experience, and the Blocktrade team are pioneering new ways to make learning and engaging with crypto fun and memorable. On this episode we'll discuss: - Christian’s Blockchain origin story and the founding of Blocktrade- The role and importance of exchanges in Web3 (and Web2)- How Blocktrade is differentiated from other exchanges- The role exchanges play in educating people and businesses about Crypto- The power of gamification in customer education and retention- What is needed to see wider adoption of Web3

Josiah's race to be first to sell 'phygital' opal stones in the Metaverse was recently filmed by the Discovery Channel, and now you can hear his story on the Blockchain Won't Save the World podcast...

If you're looking for innovative examples of Web3 and the Metaverse, you're going to love this!

During their TV series, Josiah and his partner Lisa become the first small-scale mining company to run 100% on renewable energy, leading other mining companies in becoming carbon neutral and selling phygital Opals in virtual store in the metaverse.

During this show, we discuss:
- What does it take to mine opal sustainably?
- How does Blockchain and the Metaverse enhance the buying or selling experience of opal?
- What have the DeStore team learned so-far about the challenges of launching phygital assets?
- What guidance would you give to others looking to set up a business in the Metaverse?

Josiah's is a super interesting story, and you don't often hear about the link between Australian opal and the Metaverse. Also check out their TV show 'Outback Opal Hunters' coming to Discovery in your country soon...

For the first time EVER, we play a Blockchain game LIVE on the Blockchain Won't Save the World podcast!... This was serious fun. Seriously... Web3 gaming is not 'owning your NFTs'. Alex will explain why Blockchain infrastructure and gamification can transform more than just casual gaming... With a background in trading, exchanges and multi-technology innovation, Alex Altgausen has a broader outlook on Web3 than many. He pioneered the launch of StormGain (a sophisticated competitor to traditional crypto exchanges) and recently founded Banksters: a game and innovative gamification infrastructure combined. Games are about fun, and providing meaningful experiences and rewards for users' commitment and engagement with their games. They rarely care about what technology is under the hood, and we'll explore this deeper on the show. We talk about:- What it takes to build and grown a Web3 game like Banksters- The potential for Blockchain to disrupt the Gaming industry- How to think objectively about the value in the technology- How major game developers are looking at Web3 tech today- Advice for others game developers based on the Banksters experience

Students from the University of Auckland share what excites and scares them about some of the most well-known Blockchain platforms, including Cardano, Monax and 'Digital Street' Property Management. We also dive into some thoughtful discussion on decentralised governance, grants and treasuries, DAOs (Decentralised Autonomous Organisations) and who would be crazy enough to apply Blockchain in some of the least digitally mature industries in the world (Construction, Legal, Property). 

Huge shout to Troy Egan, Abhinaw Sai and Mina Cu for the excellent preparation and fascinating insights from some of their own projects, and to Alex Sims from the University of Auckland for bringing us all together.  

Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse are creating new ways for luxury brands to innovate. Massimo Paloni shares how BVLGARI is using Web3 tech to redefine 'timeless', elevate storytelling, and engage customers like never before... BVLGARI is one of the most iconic luxury brands in the world, and is famous for unwavering commitment to innovation. Massimo (Chief Operations & Innovation Officer, and member of the Executive Committee) has overseen investment in a range of technologies, not just Blockchain, and talks with real clarity on why this is critical for luxury, but must be done in keeping with the brand's history, not just for short-term hype. We can all learn a lot from Massimo. In this episode, we discuss: - How technology advancement influences innovation in luxury goods - How BVLGARI is thinking about Web3 and the Metaverse - The story and impact from the Blockchain-enabled products that BVLGARI has launched over the last few years - How Web3 and complimentary technologies can enhance customer intimacy and experience And some great audience questions that cover how to set up a Web3 team, how to measure success, and advice for other brands looking to use Web3 tech.

SpaceAI is a project that might just blow your mind! We've seen a range of DePIN projects capture the imagination, but not that have a full-stack offering that works both in Space and on Earth...

DePIN projects typically offer one of compute, connectivity or storage. Few do all at once. And it's even less likely to find a project with literal space-age hardware that works as well on satellites as it does buried underground.

Welcome to SpaceAI. The coolest DePIN project you've never heard of. The SpaceAI team is already working with governments, energy providers, telcos, satellite operators and many others. So this is technology that is being used TODAY. Not for when Elon starts terraforming Mars...

In this podcast Diego shares the origins of SpaceAI, along with:

- Why the Space Economy needs Blockchain technology - The role of hardware and IoT for enabling DePIN

- Use cases for Space AI's hardware and DLT

- How to build Web3 tech on existing open standards

- The next steps for use of Space tech (in Space and on Earth)

It’s another Students React podcast, and this one is a must listen. The Blockchain students from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania present some fascinating projects, some learnings from their experience with crypto, and a very unique ‘in-house’ project that drew serious debate, including:

- Cardano Foundation
- Energy Web
- Chainalysis Inc.
- Boba
- Mina Protocol (formerly Coda)
- Zuz Lab (link in the comments)

As well as some wider discussion around Pussy.Finance, the value of meme coins, whether open source vs. zero knowledge will become the dominant mode for Blockchain transactions, and much, much more. 

Always inspiring to hear the future leaders of the world talking about Blockchain. Shout to Seth Goldstein and Ishgun Singh Arora for helping bring us all together. The future of Blockchain in Pittsburg is looking bright...

As ever, this show should not be seen as investment advice. Always DYOR, and stay safe out there.

Blockchains are immutable, transparent and pseudonymous. But do they protect your privacy? We get a data protection masterclass from Harry Halpin who has been leading Nym and championing this domain for years... I've said it to anyone who will listen for the past few years that while we're open to mass adoption of the decentralised internet, not all of Web3 is going to blend well with existing Web2 technologies and business models.
And for goodness sake, do not connect your crypto wallet to your doxxed facebook account! But the issues around data protection and privacy go far deeper than this.
In this show we talk about:
- A brief history of Nym, ''mixnets' and how they led to Bitcoin
- The importance of privacy-preserving technology in Web3 and Web2
- The particular areas, problems or industries where the need for privacy chains is more prevalent
- The issues with Meta and Amazon offering NFT and Web3 integrations
- New technologies around identity and zero-knowledge, incl. zk-nym (privacy-enhanced attribute-based credentials)
- How individuals can get more agency and confident in managing privacy
- What more is required to scale Web3 in a privacy-preserving way
This is a topic that everyone should feel the need to level-up on, and I can assure you, this will be a great place to start!

We'll never get to widespread adoption of Blockchain and Web3 unless we can make it easy for enterprises and governments to easily integrate the tech. AvaCloud (from Ava Labs) believe they have cracked this problem...

I'm joined by Nick Mussallem, Head of Product for Ava Labs, who will share everything the Avalanche community has learned about Blockchain adoption. They have partnered with major enterprises, AAA games, top brands, and have a bustling Web3 ecosystem.

AvaCloud is the Avalanche 'Blockchain as a Service' (BaaS) offering that aims to make adoption and integration of decentralised technologies easy-peasy. But what does that mean, and why weren't we doing this before?

In this show we discuss:

- The rise of Avalanche and why it's different to other Blockchains

- The importance of Blockchain as a Service and how it helps

- The creation of AvaCloud and what's 'in the box'

- Use cases and real world examples of AvaCloud in action

- Advice for anyone looking to build with Blockchain technology

(Note: apologies for my audio quality - realised I wasn't using the podcast mic halfway through the show! smh)

In this episode we uncover the surprising ingredients behind Malta's rise as one of the 'go to' destinations for Blockchain businesses. It's a story of economics, politics, law, technology, a little bit of hype, and the critical issue of how to virtual world of protocols and digital assets co-exists with the physical world or national borders and regulation. This is one of the deepest episodes yet, and there are some fundamental Blockchain learnings in here that everyone needs to know! In this episode we cover:

- Malta's constant struggle to find it's economic niche, and how its specialty in technology and law created advantage

- The role Malta played in supporting Blockchain businesses during the emergence of Bitcoin, ICOs and virtual financial assets

- The founding of the Maltese Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) and how it evaluates Blockchain companies against Maltese regulation

- The rush of ICOs, crypto and Blockchain businesses to Malta, and the 'thinning of the heard' since 2016

- Blockchain use cases for the island of Malta, including Financial Services, Real Estate and Social Care

- Examples of Blockchain businesses in Malta, and their experience of trying to become regulated

- The role of the Blockchain community and academia in supporting further scaling of Blockchain in Malta

- The future of Blockchain and Virtual Financial Assets, and how Malta's law and regulation may yet play a global enabling role

Shout to all the amazing guests who were part of this episode: Max Ganado, Joshua Ellul, Dave Pulis, Beata Young, Kenneth Farugia, Jonathan Galea, Sandro Psaila and Jean-Michelle Azzopardi

How did a sports betting company become a world leader in Blockchain? Co-founder Matt Kalish explains how NFTs and the Reignmakers fantasy sports experience are unlocking entirely new business models...
This is one of those shows that will make things 'finally click'...
When you see a business with high digital penetration, based on real-world events and data feeds, and with high levels of fan engagement, there's a strong basis for fast-paced innovation.
Matt and the Draft Kings team have captured the imagination of thousands of fans and consolidated the 'fantasy sports' category. They're publishing content licensed by top sports associations like the PGA, UFC and NFL, with individual player NFTs selling for thousands of dollars.
On this episode we find out why and how Draft Kings have been thriving in Web3, and cover:
- The origins of DK's interest in Web3
- An introduction to the Reignmakers products

- How to combine the best of sports, gaming and NFTs
- What's coming in Reignmakers Football Season 2
- How DK measure the impact of Blockchain and NFT tech
- The challenges of working with Web3 technology
- The response of 'traditional' customers of DK as well as of the wider Web3 and NFT communities

Vodafone have launched a Blockchain-enabled Digital Asset platform for monetising Petabytes of B2C and B2B data, and David Palmer is the man behind it. You NEED to hear his story... Telecoms companies are somewhat familiar with the idea of distributed networks and interoperability, and furthermore the telco industry has seen some of the world's largest Blockchain platforms deployed to address issues like roaming, privacy and cross-carrier settlement. Vodafone are taking it up a level with their Digital Asset Broker platform, allowing a global network of devices to securely and privately trade with one another. They are already looking at use cases with IoT, Energy, Automotive, and much more. And have locked down a number of major partnerships. In this session we discuss: - The Telecoms industry's relationship with decentralisation and Blockchain - How Vodafone is looking at emerging technology today - Digital Asset Broker: what does it do, and how Blockchain helps - The Digital Asset Broker ecosystem and partnerships - The importance of Enterprise and Government use cases in Web3 - What more is needed to see wider adoption of Web3 technology in Telco in future

Australia has been a latecomer to Blockchain, Crypto and Web3, but that may be about to change... We get an exclusive interview with Steve Vallas, CEO of Blockchain Australia, right at the close of Australia Blockchain Week 2022. Steve explains why the mood has never been more positive around Blockchain; why the government is taking Crypto seriously; and why, after a talent exodus, Aussie Blockchainers are beginning to return home.

In this episode we cover:

- The highlights of the largest and most successful Australia Blockchain Week ever (250 speakers, 4 cities, all sectors)

- Australia's Blockchain and Crypto community

- Why government interest and conversations about Blockchain are '10x-ing' in Australia

- Australia's first Blockchain unicorn

- What a forward-looking regulatory regime in Australia could look like (including recognition of DAOs)

- The state of Blockchain talent and diversity in Australia

Check out more about Australia Blockchain Week here: www.blockchainweek.com.au

Check out Blockchain Australia here: https://blockchainaustralia.org

Alison McCauley, trained organisational psychologist and Blockchain thought leader, explains why companies and executives find it so hard to understand and adopt Blockchain technology. We discuss the barriers to embracing emerging technology, why Blockchain's hype cycle has been uniquely unhelpful, and predict how and where Blockchain adoption will be most impactful. In this episode we cover:

- How senior leaders think, and why emerging tech (and Blockchain specifically) doesn't fit their mental model

- Where hype comes from, and why Blockchain hype isn't comparable to that of AI or Cloud

- The psychology behind driving change and creating burning platforms

- The external factors impacting demand and peoples' expectations for Blockchain technology

- How Blockchain incentive models could be the missing ingredient for Contact Tracing apps

- Alison's most impactful use cases: voting, credentials, carbon credits, digital identity, DAOs

- What is the place for crytocurrencies in an enterprise context

Links to topics discussed in the show:

Alison's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/unblocked

Alison's Twitter: @unblockedfuture

Edelman Trust Barometer: https://www.edelman.com/trustbarometer

Everything you wanted to know about Stablecoins in one podcast. The boys from Sygnum talk through how they created their own Swiss Franc Stablecoin under Swiss banking regulation, the different classifications of Stablecoin, and how the future may unfold in terms of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and Facebook's Libra. A must for anyone wanting to understand Stablecoins in more detail.

In this episode we cover:

- Stablecoin classification: Centralised crypto-collateralised, Decentralised crypto-collateralised, FIAT collateralised and CBCDs

- How to develop a Stablecoin using Ethereum ERC20 tokens

- Integrating Public Blockchain and HSMs with traditional core banking platforms

- The differences between permissionless cryptocurrencies and regulated stablecoins (KYC, Whitelists, Pauses and Confiscation)

- How many Stablecoins does the world need? Will there be one to rule them all, or multiple domain or country-specific coins?

- The value and potential impact of Libra and Central Bank Digital Currencies

References made in the show:

Sygnum: https://www.sygnum.com/

Gorazd's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gorazd-ocvirk-phd-43ba4763/

Gavin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinpacini/

What is Digital Cash, and how does it fit in a world with Libra, Central Bank Digital Currencies and Crypto? Jack Nikogosian has made the transition from Bitcoin to ICO to regulated digital bank, and explains the unique value of central bank-backed Digital Cash for enabling access to banking for all, and the goal of zero fee remittances worldwide. A truly transformative opportunity.  

In this episode we discuss:

- The challenge of bringing Bitcoin to traditional banking systems

- The difference between Digital Cash, Stablecoins, CBDCs and Cryptocurrencies

- The cost of cross-border payments and remittances for migrant workers

- How digital cash could be a better underlying asset for Facebook's Libra

- The technology architecture for a digital cash bank (core banking, Ethereum, cloud, compliance, data centres)

- How to scale a digital cash ecosystem worldwide

- Migrating from an ICO token model to a traditional shareholding and buyback model (this is really cool...)

Links to topics discussed on the show:

Aryze: https://aryze.io/

Jack's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacknikogosian

Coinify: https://coinify.com

We take a drive through the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative's (MOBI) work to-date on blockchain for automotive and mobility, and their imminent crossover into developing Smart Cities technology platforms. Chris and Tram talk about Citopia - an open Blockchain platform for multi-modal ticketing and with scope to expand into infrastructure monetisation and use of gamification to drive citizens' behaviour. We also hear about a top secret Citopia deal that could be coming to a country near you... This episode covers:

- The origins of MOBI - from small gatherings to global automotive consortium

- The ups and downs of being a couple in emerging tech

- The 4 main benefits of Blockchain for Smart Cities

- The BIG opportunity - optimising and monetising $26Tn of road infrastructure globally 

- Citopia: the first Smart Cities mobility platform using Blockchain and open APIs

- A sneak preview of a Top Secret national project where Citopia will be launched in the near future

- The contrast of developing technology with the public and private sectors 

- Example pain points in West Hollywood (Through traffic) and Manhattan (Deliveries and parking fines)

- The importance of tokens, cryptocurrency, digital twins and verifiable ID for enabling Smart Cities use cases

- Other innovations that Blockchain can help scale today: distributed electric charging, virtual battery storage, provision of city services and marginal cost pricing, incentivisation of citizen behaviour, drone deliveries and taxis

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

Tram's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tram-vo-6abba310

Chris' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-ballinger-5aa38912

MOBI Website: https://dlt.mobi

MOBI YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeme5eBgtJA6Q5qaZ8G8ZQg

With a supportive Government, some of the world's largest trade networks, and a relentless drive for technology innovation, it's no surprise that some of the world's notable Blockchain projects are based in Singapore. We take a fascinating look at how Singapore became a global hub for Blockchain, the role of Government, Cryptocurrencies, and some of the amazing individuals leading the Blockchain community.

In this episode we cover:

- The history of Blockchain growth in Singapore over the past 5 years

- The focus and importance of technology innovation in Singapore

- A huge range of use cases, including: MAS, Tribe Accelerator, Contour, DLT Ledgers, Hyperledger, R3, Affinidi Group, Standard Chartered, Accredify, Dedoco, Mighty Jaxx and many more...

- A masterclass on the importance of Economics in Blockchain from Lisa Tan

- The unique role of Government in driving Blockchain adoption across a range of settings

- Blockchain talent and the role of Academia

- Diversity and inclusion in Blockchain, and 

- What more is needed to scale in a country already steeped in Blockchain success

Shout to my incredible guests: Alan Lim (MAS), Amit Ghosh (R3), Andrew Koh (HBL), Arnaud Brolly (SITA), Atul Patel (DLT Ledgers), Carl Wegner (Contour), Ernie Teo (Dedoco), Jenny Goh (IBM), Julian Gordon (Hyperledger), Kevin Pang (SGTECH), Lisa Tan (Economics Design), Ming Ng (Tribe), Steven Koh (GovTech), Zelda Anthony (Standard Chartered), Zheng Wei Quah (Accredify)

Special shout also to Khai Wei Ong for the last minute Malay translation! 

Want to learn about the opportunities and challenges of working with Blockchain technology in Africa? We hear first hand from students looking into applying Blockchain for anti-counterfeit medicines, food traceability, and voting. We also hear some fascinating insights into how African countries are applying unique physical security methods to provide security, authenticity and prevent fraud.

Students from Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda share what excites and scares them about some of the most well-known Blockchain use cases, including PharmaLedger, BitCerts, IBM Food Trust and BallotChain (eVoting). Huge shout to Clare, Faith, Joseph, Ridwan (and Kayode our coordinator) for the fascinating insights and local anecdotes from working with technology in Africa.

Sheila (former Joe Biden campaign manager) and Jason (ex-FBI cyber security agent, focused on Bitcoin and nation state election fraud) give us a detailed view into how Blockchain is already being used in state and local elections in the US, what the key capabilities are for mobile voting platforms, and how they have overcome bias and challenges around security, UX and standards to drive transformation in the US and Europe.

In this episode we discuss:

- The issues with voting security and accountability today

- How the FBI evaluates Blockchain, Bitcoin, and nation state attempts to influence elections

- Blockchain voting pilots in West Virginia (military and ex-pats) and Denver (mayoral and municipal elections)

- Key components of a mobile voting platform (voter authentication, ballot marking, data management, threat monitoring)

- Which Blockchain platforms and node configurations are used to underpin mobile voting propositions

- Would democratic and republic parties consider hosting election nodes and what voter data is actually stored on-chain

- Common issues, challenges and misconceptions around Blockchain from stakeholders in the political sphere

- What more is required in terms of functionality, security, standards, open sourcing etc. to scale use of mobile voting

- Other applications outside political voting (corporate governance, universities, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)

Links to topics discussed in the show:

Sheila's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-nix-83399424

Tusk Philanthropies: https://tuskphilanthropies.com

Mobile Voting.org: https://mobilevoting.org

Jason's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasontruppi

ShiftState Security: https://www.theshiftstate.com

Voatz: https://voatz.com

West Virginia Case Study: https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/10/18080518/blockchain-voting-mobile-app-west-virginia-voatz

Denver Case Study: https://cointelegraph.com/news/denver-municipal-election-another-small-stop-on-the-road-to-universal-blockchain-voting

Wallets are a critical interface for any user of Dapps and Web3 services. But the UX and functionality is often so complex or limited. Not for long...

If you've been in Web3 for a while, chances are you've used Metamask once or twice. You're ok with having to manually add your random tokens, or get quoted astronomical gas fees from time to time. But better things are on the way.

Metamask and Mesh are working together to bring aggregation of multiple accounts across the crypto-verse, more comprehensive transaction history, integrations with a wide range of brokers and exchanges, and simpler logins with high levels of security. Want to know more?...

On this show we discuss:

- A beginners guide to Metamask

- What use cases / pain points Mesh are we trying to address with their multiple integrations and feeds

- Lessons learned from Mesh and Metamask's massive integration efforts

- The importance of Stablecoins in scaling Web3

- When we will see wider adoption of Web3, dapps and decentralised tech

For Web3 and Decentralised Apps (DApps) to reach mainstream, we need a place to store data that isn't just the Blockchain. We need decentralised storage! And Storj has been leading the way since 2014. But there's a twist. Decentralised storage isn't just (only) about enabling Web3...
I'm joined by Ben Golub, CEO of Storj Labs and the former CEO of Docker, who knows a thing or two about scaling technology. And we're going to have a 'full stack' conversation about how, when and if DApps will ever reach mainstream.
In this show we'll be discussing:
- The history of DApps and how they differ from 'traditional' apps
- The importance of Decentralised Storage to scale DApps
- How Storj is differentiated from other solutions (centralised and decentralised)
- Why you shouldn't store everything on a Blockchain
- What more is needed to see wider adoption of Web3
- Advice to anyone looking to build DApps that scale

'Decentralise everything' they say... Helium accepted the challenge. How do you decentralise wireless telecoms to allow anyone or any device to connect to the internet? Listen in to find out more...
On this show we discuss how a 10-year old silicon valley project pivoted to Blockchain, then made a full migration from roll-your-own protocol to Solana, and a lot more besides!

- The history of Helium Network and the DePIN network
- What makes the combination of IOT and Blockchain so powerful
- Early applications for Helium
- Plans for migration to Solana
- What it takes to grow an ecosystem like Helium and the challenges of working with physical hardware
- Advice to others building with Web3 and Blockchain tech

Henkel is a $35bn company and has one of the most diverse Blockchain portfolios in the enterprise space. Rodolfo, Head of Blockchain at Henkel, talks us through their investments in Sustainability, Supply Chain, Tax and Recycling, and notable collaborations with BASF, Siemens, GS1 and Plastic Bank. An essential episode for anyone looking to understand how Blockchain is being used in Consumer Goods today.

In this episode we cover:

- The role of internal Blockchain teams in a company like Henkel

- Henkel's notable Blockchain platforms: Recichain (Recycled Plastic), Tax Chain (European Tax and Cross-border Exchange), Plastic Bank (Circular Economy and Social Impact), Anti-counterfeit for Specialty Products

- How Blockchain is helping Henkel to achieve its sustainability goals

- How to pitch use cases to internal stakeholders, prospective partners and crafting the business case

- Future opportunities for Blockchain in CPG, notably data and loyalty

- Rodolfo's key learnings from deploying Blockchain technology in an enterprise context (MVE, Focus, Expectations Management)

Links for topics discussed on the show:

Rodolfo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodolfo-quijano-4044a61

Blockchain at Henkel: https://www.henkel.com/spotlight/2018-12-10-blockchain-launchpad-for-a-connected-future-894756

Plastic Bank: https://plasticbank.com

Good Chain Foundation: https://thegoodchain.io

She256: https://she256.org

Jeremy Waite: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremypaulwaite

Is this (finally) 'Mass Adoption'? TON may have finally cracked how to put Blockchain and Crypto into the hands of Billions, but how did they get there? And how do you build a blossoming community in the process?
Jack Booth, Co-founder of TON Society, a grassroots movement supporting the TON Blockchain community, will share his insight and experience on how we grow vibrant and meaningful communities with Web3 technology. As well as sharing an insider's view into the rapid rise of the TON network.
On this show we'll cover:
- Introduction to TON and TON Society
- The importance of communities for Blockchains projects
- What TON Society is doing differently to attract developers and drive engagement
- What more is needed to see wider use of Blockchain and DApps

The Netherlands was destined to be a leader in Blockchain and decentralised technology. A global hub for trade, financial services and payments innovation, and with a fascinating history steeped in working together to fight back the water; the Netherlands has all the ingredients to be a Blockchain super power. And they haven't been slacking... This episode cites more than 50 examples of projects or organisations working with Blockchain, as well as some important initiatives like the Dutch Blockchain Coalition that have been driving public-private partnerships locally and globally. This is one for the culture: colourful characters, medieval history, influential start-ups, mega-corporations, government experts and so much more.

Shout to an amazing set of guests for this episode: 

Arne Rutjes, Jacob Boersma, Olivier Rikken, Marloes Pomp, Robert Verwayen, Simon Lelieveldt, Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt, Bob Gravestiyn, Aljosja Beije, Sabine Brink, Thibault Schrepel, Rutger van Zuidam, Rudolf van Ee, and Anna Klaapwijk

On-air shouts to a huge number of companies, organisations and projects:

IBM, WBNode, Dutch Blockchain Coalition, Ledger Leopard, Keen Ventures, ABN-Amro, ING, Rabobank, BlockLab, Port of Rotterdam, Shell, TheNewFork, Odyssey, University of Utrecht, Blockchain Netherlands, Deloitte, 2 Tokens, MDex, Bitonic, Python, Philips, Dutch Digital Delta Blockchain Experts Group, Sphereon, WordProof, TomTom, Booking.com, Adyen, Takeaway.com, Guts Tickets, Albert Heijn, Axiom, Equigy/Tennet, Vinturas, Samsung SDS, VAKT, Komgo, We.Trade, Marco Polo, Hyfen, Port XL, T-Mining, Biconomy, Tribe, Port of Singapore, Tu Delft, TU Eindhoven, Groningen University, Nijmegen University, Tilbert University, Maastricht University, Netherlands Bank, Rise, and Female Ventures

Don't miss Sergio Mottola, President of one of the most active and innovative music platforms - powered by artists, labels, brands and superfans - talk about why 'Blockchains' haven't transformed music yet, but how NFTs just might... PUBLIC PRESSURE was created in light of huge promise, but ultimate failure of 'Blockchain' (as an infrastructure) to change the balance of power and economic models within the music industry. There was a more specific need. More deliberate ingredients. And more accessible technology... And now, Sergio sees that the real change can take place. It's not just about 'tokenising everything' either. PUBLIC PRESSURE have forged a number of commercial partnerships in the 'traditional' music industry (festivals, labels, artists) as well as the emerging Web3 community (gaming, NFTs, and the awesome Moonsama community on Polkadot). If you didn't understand how Web3 will, and importantly won't change the music and creator economies. You need to listen to this! In this show we will cover: - Sergio's journey as a Founder using Web3 tech - The mission and competitive advantages of PUBLIC PRESSURE - Opportunities for Web3 tech to disrupt the music industry (and why it hasn't happened so far) - Why music communities should be looking at gaming and other Web3 communities for partnerships and growth - What more is required to see Web3 tech gain more traction in music, with artists and consumers

Welcome to the first ever edition of Blockchain Won't Save the World. This episode covers why I believe Blockchain has a marketing problem and how I plan to set the record straight. I'll share the topics that you, the community, most want me to cover in future episodes, such as:

- Myth busting
- How to ‘sell’ Blockchain
- Blockchain architecture
- Scaling platforms
- Forming ecosystems
- Blockchain commercial models
- Digital & self-sovereign identity
- Supply chain management
- Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)
- Climate action & social impact
- Stablecoins
- Open source & ecosystem governance
- Government & public initiatives
- Blockchain legal matters
- Regulation

And also walk through my Top 10 learnings and observations from 5 years working in Blockchain. Thanks for tuning in, and looking forward to your feedback for future episodes.

Links to those mentioned in the Podcast:

Peter Diamandis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterdiamandis/

Singularity University: https://su.org/

Rutger van Zuidam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rutgervz/

Odyssey Hackathon: https://www.odyssey.org/

Web3 gaming is just getting started, but most people think it's just about the protocol or the tokens... What about the DATA?

We get a fascinating insight into what game developers need to create decentralised gaming economies... The team at Helika have worked with top studios like Yuga Labs, Proof of Play, Animoca Brands and many more, and have seen the early promise of Web3 gaming fall flat because of one particular challenge: DATA.

Actually, it's more than just data. It's how to design, collect, interpret and act on data; as well as designing a coherent game economy that can work in harmony with a decentralised crypto economy. No mean feat.

In this show we'll discuss:

- The maturity of the Web3 gaming ecosystem

- What makes Web3 hard for traditional game developers

- The importance of data for Web3 games

- What is different when it comes to decentralised games and digital assets

- Best practices for data management in gaming

- Advice to any company looking to build with Web3 tech

Cardano has one of the strongest ecosystems in Web3, but why? Frederik, the CEO of Cardano Foundation will help to explain all... With a Market Cap of $14Bn (at time of recording) and seen by many as the largest competitor to Ethereum as a smart contract Blockchain, there's good reason to follow the growth of Cardano to-date. It has been a story of pragmatic, peer-reviewed and largely hype-free development since it was founded in 2015 and launched in 2017. But that's just the tech side. What about the 'ecosystem'?As CEO of Cardano Foundation, Frederik is responsible for a non-profit organisation whose mission is to advance operational resilience, education, and adoption of the Cardano Blockchain and the tools and dApps built around it. But how does that work in practice? We talk about:- The role of Foundations in Web3, and what do they do on a day-to-day basis- The challenges and imperatives for growing Web3 ecosystems- The verticals that will drive adoption of decentralised technology- The interaction between Blockchains, AI and the Metaverse in our future- Advice to anyone building with Web3 tech today

Getting the inside track on the Open Source movement and some of the Hyperledger Projects you may never have heard of... Marta is an Ecosystem Director for Hyperledger and is responsible for growing the community, progressing projects from ideas to Labs to Projects, and has worked with developers, enterprises and consortia worldwide. She also supports technical governance for Sovrin, and shares her views about the intersections between Sovrin, Hyperledger and Indy. In this episode we talk about:

- The importance of open source technology for developers, enterprises and governments

- The mission and goals of the Hyperledger Foundation

- The process and governance for starting and progressing Hyperledger Projects 

- The origins of Cactus, the latest project in the Hyperledger 'greenhouse'

- A comparison between Sovrin and Hyperledger, and where they intersect with Hyperledger Indy

- Encouraging diversity, growing a Blockchain community and how to keep the peace

- Key learnings from Marta's past projects, including Caliper ('A Working Group that did real work'), Iroha ('Hyperledger's Greatest Hidden Secret') and Ursa ('Don't Implement Your Own Crypto')

- What's Next: Why interoperability and on-chain governance are needed, but the importance of defining 'how' and 'where'

Links to content discussed on the show:

Marta's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/martapiekarska

Hyperledger YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_X0WkMtkWzaVUKF-PRBNQ

Hyperledger Website (for Developers): https://wiki.hyperledger.org

Hyperledger Website (for non-Developers): www.hyperledger.org

Marta's New Book: https://www.manning.com/books/permissioned-blockchains-in-action

Want to meet the man who's trying to integrate ALL the Blockchains? That's no mean feat. Jan-Jaap Jager is transforming Web3 and making it easier for anyone to build Dapps on one or many different chains...

We've said this before, but Web3 will never reach 'mass adoption' if applications are hard to develop, and we don't provide tooling for developers and teams who don't want to learn random Blockchain coding languages.

Step forward Chainstack! It is their mission to make Blockchain development and infrastructure easy to use, and to give developers and organisations as much choice as possible when it comes to starting and supporting their Web3 journeys. Public. Private. Subnets. APIs. It's all here...

In this show we'll cover:

- The origins of Chainstack

- The problems with building on Blockchains today

- The importance of BaaS and SaaS for Web3 to scale

- The most exciting or impactful use cases that Chainstack enables

- What it takes to manage a portfolio of 25+ Blockchains

- Advice to anyone looking to build Dapps or Blockchain offerings

Oh Mama! Who's ready to ROAST some Blockchains? Our favourite season-ending format is back, with some very special guests...

This is where we cut loose, make fun of ourselves (and others), throw a little shade (in a respectful way) and generally find humour in the weird nuances of Blockchain and Web3.

This time round, we're roasting the daft things that happen when the Bear Market comes around, token values drop, funding gets cut, scam projects get exposed, and dodgy 'influencers' start looking for work in AI or McDonalds...

And to help stoke the fires, and bring the funny, I'm joined by some legendary Web3 OGs who have seen more than their fair share of stupid Blockchain things in their illustrious careers:

Mathew Sweezey (The Enterprise Guy)

Irina Heaver (The Crypto Lawyer)

Diego Borgo (The Brand and Culture Guy)

Sandra Helou (The Metaverse Builder)

Keir Finlow-Bates (Architect & Engineer Extraordinaire)

Emily Landon (The Web3 Recruiter)

So join us for a light-hearted look at the ridiculous things that go on in our industry, peppered with some jokes, some war stories, and some predictions of when this Bear Market will end...

MakerDAO predates Ethereum and Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) are one of the least understood but potentially most disruptive implementations of Blockchain technology. Rune Christensen talks through the history of MakerDAO, the mechanics of the stablecoin, voting, lending and the potential move towards accepting tokenised real-work collateral. We also discuss why Central Banks are interested, how the crypto crash only strengthened the MakerDAO platform, and how DAOs could be applied in government and legal services. 

*Apologies for the sound quality - Rune was recording in a very echoey room*

In this episode we cover:

- MakerDAO's history from the pre-Ethereum era up to the $250m capitalisation it has today

- Why Argentina and Buenos Aires has become an early cluster for MakerDAO adoption

- The mechanics of the DAI Stablecoin, Vaults, and MKR Governance Tokens

- Examples uses of DAI loans: buying a car, mortgage refinancing or buying more crypto

- How MakerDAO solves the principle agent problem by having MKR holders accountable for risk taking

- How to manage the issue of voter turnout in a DAO, how votes are initiated, and how to cultivate a community

- The upcoming vote on using real world, tokenised assets as collateral such as ConsolFreight (Trade Finance) & PaperChain (Music Royalties)

- Launching just before a crash: how the worst possible market conditions actually proved MakerDAO's robustness

- Feedback and interest from the US Federal Reserve and People's Bank of China in DAOs and DeFi 

- How to look at DAOs from a legal and regulatory perspective

- Other areas where DAOs can be disruptive: Global monetary policy, government, anti-corruption, legal services

- The one thing that Blockchain does better than anything else

Links to topics discussed on the episode:

Rune's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/runebentsenchristensen/

MakerDAO: https://makerdao.com

Maker Forum: https://forum.makerdao.com

ConsulFreight: https://www.consolfreight.io

PaperChain: https://paperchain.io/

Kaleido has been consistently making it easier for anyone to use Web3 technology: multi-chain, across the stack, for B2B and B2C, but what more is needed to see Web3 scale if the technical barriers are being removed?... I'm joined by Sophia Lopez and Stephen Cerveny, the co-founders of Kaleido, who have been working relentlessly since 2015 to make it as easy as possible to stand-up Web3 tech. Just a few clicks and you're running and Ethereum node. A few more clicks are you've created a private network using Hyperledger Fabric. And more recently, Kaleido have included Polygon, Avalanche, ISO compliance, SOC2 compliance, and a whole lot more. There is literally no excuse for saying that setting up Blockchain technology is 'hard' any more...
In this episode we will talk about:
- The history of Kaleido, for those who don’t know
- What the team has been working on over the past few months
- Learnings from the past 12 months’ of Web3 (FTX, 3AC, Luna etc.) and the imperatives they give us for scaling Web3 in future
- The current state of ‘Enterprise Blockchain’ and emerging pockets of growth
- What went wrong with well know 'Gen 1' DLT projects that were shut down (SGX, B3i, We.Trade) and how we overcome similar challenges
- How can we enhance Developer Experience and make it easier for anyone to build in Web3
- How far we are away from delivering fully decentralised websites, apps and e-commerce

Whatever happened to Hyperledger? Good news: it’s still growing, but in ways you might not have expected… We’re incredibly lucky to have booked 1hr in Daniela Barbosa’s hectic schedule for an update on Hyperledger, Linux Foundation, Enterprise Blockchain and what’s on the roadmap for 2023 and beyond. This session is action-packed. Daniela takes us through ALL the Hyperledger projects (Fabric, Besu, Cacti, Besu, Burrow, Sawtooth, Aries, Indy, Iroha, Bevel, AnonCreds, Bevel, Caliper, Cello, Ursa, Solang, Transact), as well as ongoing collabs with other Web3 ecosystems (Ethereum, Cardano, Hedera, Casper, Polygon). And you thought it was just about Fabric!... In this show we talk about: - What’s has been happening with Hyperledger over the last 12 months- What Daniela wants to bring to the Hyperledger community since taking over from Brian Behlendorf- The current state of ‘Enterprise’ Blockchain in the context of the wider Web3- Whether ‘Public vs. Private’ Blockchain is still a relevant debate- Guidance for any organisations looking to start using Blockchain technology- Daniela’s biggest learnings about Web3 in the last 12 months, and what more is needed to see wider adoption

Want to know what it takes to grow a Blockchain ecosystem like NEAR? Or what Web3 the issues with Luna and FTX mean for Web3 in 2023? Listen in… Marieke Flament, CEO of NEAR Foundation shares her learnings from an unprecedented year and answers your questions in a live Q&A… Marieke is one of the most prominent leaders across Blockchain Layer 1s, and under her leadership the NEAR ecosystem has grown significantly and established big partnerships with enterprise, sports and Web3 organisations. In this show, we discuss: - What it takes to scale a Layer 1 protocol in 2022/3 - What we learned from the recent issues with Luna, 3AC, FTX in 2022, and the imperatives for Web3 in future - How enterprise applications play a role in scaling Web3 - The particular verticals driving the next 1Bn users - Advice to builders interested in Web3 tech today As well as some fascinating responses to questions around the Metaverse, regulation, CBDC, digital identity, sustainability and much more. Don’t miss this truly insightful episode!

Students from UNSW University Sydney share what excites and scares them about some of the most well-known Blockchain use cases, including Algorand, Quorum, Sovrin, Ocean Protocol, OpenSea, PowerLedger, Helium, and IOTA.   Huge shout to Ambrose, Regio, Sidra, Gian, Rahma, Samuel, Pooja and Guntur for the diligent preparation and insightful and honest perspectives. If you want to watch the YouTube version, check it out here: https://youtu.be/8kQiunylNu4

We finally did it! Charles Adkins, an enterprise innovation and blockchain veteran is finally going to bless the podcast, and share his view on why 300 Fortune 500's using NFTs is barely the start of Web3 adoption...
If you don't know, Charles is the guy who advises the likes of Nike, Walt Disney, Red Bull, and Polygon how to drive success with emerging technology. And for the past year he's been helping Aptos to secure some of the world's most notable Blockchain collaborations.
Is Blockchain dead? Does the Metaverse still need Web3 technology? Are all the projects and funds flowing into AI now?... We discuss this and more, including:
- Why should the enterprise world be interested in Blockchain?
- What makes a great Blockchain use case?

- Why does Charles always have a copy of 'Move Over Brokers, Here Comes the Blockchain' within reach?
- What is Aptos doing differently that is making enterprises take note?
- What will drive wider adoption of decentralised technologies?
- What advice would he give other chains or enterprises building with Blockchain technology

How many Layer 1 Blockchains do you know that are mission-driven to support sustainability? VeChain might be the only one…

Not only that, they’re the only Blockchain whose whitepaper was co-authored by BCG. This is a serious team, with serious ambitions, and Sunny Lu joins us to answer YOUR questions.

Many Blockchains will say they are ‘sustainable’… Which is a common reference to the fact that their energy usage (through Proof of Stake Consensus) is 99% lower than Bitcoin’s. But are they driving change through enabling sustainability projects? VeChain are, and along with insights into the technology and the use cases, we talk about:

- The history of VeChain

- Why Blockchains uniquely benefit sustainability initiatives

- Collaboration with BCG and how a top consultancy committed to writing a Web3 whitepaper

- Blockchain incentive design, and how mature ‘X to Earn’ models have become in 2024

- What more is needed to see wider use of Blockchain and decentralised technology

Germany is a fascinating example of how Blockchain technology can evolve and scale in unexpected ways. Driven by a mix of the cosmopolitan crypto community, engineering-focused start-ups and a national Blockchain strategy (and a few lawyers...) this is not the stereotypical German story you might be expecting. In this episode we cover:

- The diverse Blockchain community from Berlin to Bavaria

- Germany's little-know history in the emergence of Ethereum and DeFi

- The national Blockchain strategy and what it means for enterprise and government

- Deep dives into Blockchain at Daimler, The German Energy Authority and Bitwala

- The role of academia in accelerating the Blockchain talent pool and research

- The importance of the Blockchain Lawyer, and much more...

Shout to all my guests on this episode (in order of appearance): Katharina Gehra (Immutable Insight), Florian Glatz (Bundesblock), Dennis Hillemann (KPMG Law), Christoph Iwaniez (Bitwala), Philip Sandner (Frankfurt School Blockchain Centre), Sebastian Becker (Riddle & Code), Philipp Richard (DENA), Harry Behrens (Daimler), Sven Hildebrandt (DLC), Nina Siedler (DWF and INATBA), Bruce Pon (Ocean Protocol), Thomas Jarzombek (German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy), Wolfgang Prinz (Fraunhofer Institute).

Also a special shout out to Mr. Bojangles for the fresh beats - love you cuz...

Decentraland pioneered the crossover of Blockchain and the Metaverse, and now they're back with version 2.0. And they've been working on some important things along the way...

I'm joined by Yemel Jardi, a Web3 veteran, developer, Executive Director of Decentraland, and occasional virtual 'celebrity'.

We take a look back over the launch and growth of Decentraland, the challenge of competing with established gaming and VR categories, and what it took to develop Decentraland 2.0, including:

- Decentraland 101

- The state of the Metaverse in 2024

- Decentraland vs. Fortnite vs. Minecraft

- Parties, Hide & Seek, and What Decentraland User Get Up To

- The Challenge of Building Governance for a Virtual World

- What More is Needed to See More People Use Virtual Worlds

MoonPay are one of the biggest names in Web3. And without 'ramps' and tools that connect to Web2, the decentralised internet will never reach full potential.

5-years and 20 million customers later, Ivan Soto-Wright has learned a lot, and has a lot to say about what it takes to onboard new and skeptical users to Web3. The UX has also come on a LONG way since the early days.

In this LinkedIn Live, we'll talk about:

- Ivan’s Web3 ‘origin story’

- The problems with Web3 UX, and how they're gradually being solved

- What are 'on ramps' & the various aspects of MoonPay’s business today

- Ivan's most valuable use cases for Blockchain & Crypto

- The hardest things MoonPay had to solve in scaling the business

- Learnings from partnerships with PayPal, Adidas, Gucci, Nike & MasterCard

- What are the critical things needed to see further adoption of Web3, and what is the upcoming MoonPay roadmap

Without Blockchain nodes, there would be no Blockchain. But not all nodes are created equal. And many chains are falsely claiming 'decentralisation'. Chris from BlockJoy is on a mission to enable better Blockchain infrastructure...

The reality is that Web3 is still heavily dependent on the Cloud. But should users, developers and communities care: 'Yes' according to Chris.

In this episode, we'll give everyone an introduction to Blockchain nodes, and cover a range of other important topics, including:

- Nodes 101

- Mapping Web3's Cloud Dependency

- Why Bare Metal Servers are 'So Back'

- What It Takes to Build Validator Infrastructure

- How We Deliver 'Better' Decentralisation

- The Future of Blockchain Infrastructure

Marketing Blockchains AND Blockchains for Marketeers! The emergence of Web3 requires new marketing skills and brings new tools for marketeers. Join us for a marketing masterclass from the team at Blokhaus.Web3 isn't just cringey crypto parties and expensive stadium sponsorships. Ecosystems and network effects are critical to sustain decentralised communities, and like it or not, that means customers, developers, VCs, apps and infrastructure providers need to find each other. There are also cringey parties, and we'll be talking about those too!In this LinkedIn Live session, we discuss:- What is a 'full stack' Web3 marketing agency- The difference between marketing Web3 products, apps and services vs. ’traditional’ marketing- New Web3 ‘tools’ for marketeers, and how they change / enhance the marketing mix- Which industries or brands have made the best impact in Web3- The recipe for a successful Web3 event- How can traditional marketeers increase their learning and awareness of Web3 and Web3 tech

Enterprises could bring 1 Billion users to Web3. But how do you get them excited about decentralised tech? Alan Vey and the Aventus team know exactly how... Aventus have worked with a wide range of ‘Web2’ companies, from cargo tracking at Heathrow Airport, to loyalty management with Cashback app, to helping Beatport launch music NFTs to 50m users and over 100k record labels.So they know a thing or two about what enterprises do and don’t want when it comes to Web3, and what are the biggest challenges that come up along the way. On this show we discuss:- What enterprises really think of Blockchain and Web3- How to look for valuable use cases for enterprises- Use cases in supply chain, music, art and loyalty- How enterprises really feel about crypto- Advice for anyone building with Blockchain

Zero-Knowledge (ZK) technology has gathered a huge following globally, but is still little-known and under-appreciated in Web3 circles. But it is showing huge value providing scalability and data protection for Web3 builders and users alike.

Boasting an impressive CV, including the likes of PayPal, Diem, Libra and now Mina, Kurt Hemecker knows a thing or two about bringing complex technology to regulated industries. Which is exactly the skillset Web3 needs right now.

On this show we discuss:

- Kurt's path to Mina

- The mission and role of Mina Foundation

- The importance of ZK tech for Web3

- Examples of ZK apps and use cases that Mina are supporting

- What more is needed to see wider use of ZK and Web3 tech

Onboarding is one of the biggest UX challenges with Web3, and Mysten Labs think they've cracked it with zkLogin. Single sign-on but privacy-preserving. I'm joined by Kostas Chalkias (AKA Kostas Kryptos) to learn more...

Google, Facebook and Apple have cornered the single sign-on (SSO) market in an attempt to improve UX but also capture more about YOU and what you do online... The emergence of Zero Knowledge technology paired with the existing SSO providers' tools can enable simple UX while protecting your ID and data. Curious? You should be.

Join me and Kostas, where we'll talk about:

- The problems with SSOs and credentials today

- An introduction to zkLogin

- Use cases and what can be built on top of zkLogin

- A beginners guide to the Sui network

- What more is required to see zk tech adopted more widely

- Guidance for people building with Blockchain and zk

“Not the Podcast we want, but the Podcast we need right now”... The legendary Blockchain Beard Guy, Kris Bennett, talks through his Blockchain Origin story, the basics of Blockchain Architecture, his favourite use cases and key learnings for developing and scaling  enterprise platforms.

On this show we cover:

- The emergence from Bitcoin to Blockchain Beard Guy

- Use cases in cable TV networks, automotive, aviation, the corona virus and more…

- Introduction to Blockchain architecture (Hyperledger, Ethereum, Bitcoin, Corda, Multichain)

- Challenges while going into production and scaling networks

- How to discuss Blockchain with senior stakeholders

- Resources for learning core Blockchain skills

Shout to Blockchain Training Alliance (https://blockchaintrainingalliance.com/) and Chad and Melissa for lending me Kris for an hour!

Kris’ LinkedIn profile can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbennett2000/

Meet Proof of Impact who are using Blockchain, complex algorithms and a Micro Services approach to verify environmental, social and health impact at a granular, unit level. Kevin discusses the unique process of digitally verifying impact projects, unitising and creating impact securitisation models, and creating customised portfolios for enterprises. A fascinating and scalable approach to driving social and climate impact.

In this episode we discuss:

- How securitisation (the financial mechanism behind mortgages) can be applied to social impact projects

- Defining what is a 'unit' of impact, the required digital verification models, and creating immutable proofs

- Dynamic impact 'pricing' based on differing levels of verification

- Using the Ethereum blockchain for tokenisation, and which is the best protocol for tokenising a Rhino

- How to scale a global Blockchain impact platform 

- Proof of Impact's involvement in the COVID19 response, and a call for support

You can find more about Proof of Impact here: https://proofofimpact.com/

Proof of Impact Twitter: @proofofimpact

And Kevin's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindeanpettit/

Krystal is a global expert in designing and forming consortia and business networks using Blockchain technology. She shares critical thinking and experience in the areas of network design, business case and governance models, with a number of real-world examples. Crucial topics for anyone looking to scale Blockchain networks and initiatives.

In this episode we discuss:

- Network intent - rationale and objectives for forming Blockchain networks

- Building the business case - Business value, incentive structures and return on investment

- The implementation challenge of creating new digital businesses with non-digital participants

- Comparing market utility, founder-led and for-profit network models

- Governance design using BOLT: Business, Operations, Legal and Technology

- Member management - onboarding, offboarding and ‘the rules to change the rules’

- A lot of ‘cake talk’: Scaling by Cupcake, Birthday Cake and Wedding Cake

Krystal’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystalwebber/

Krystal Webber on Twitter: @krwebber1

Initiatives mentioned by Krystal in the podcast:

Tradelens: https://www.tradelens.com

FoodTrust: https://www.ibm.com/IBM-Food-Trust/Blockchain