Best Node Foundation Podcasts (2025)

1
Engineering Agave for Solana's Next Chapter w/ Brennan Watt (Anza) 42:01

13d ago42:01

42:01

In this episode, Austin speaks with Brennan Watt, VP of Core Engineering at Anza, about the evolution of Solana’s validator clients. The conversation centers on Agave, originally developed at Solana Labs and now, by Anza. Brennan offers perspective on the critical role validator clients play in overall network performance, recounting challenges enc…

1
How MegaETH's Node Specialization Enables Real-Time Applications w/ Lei Yang (MegaLabs) 49:24

27d ago49:24

49:24

In this episode, Austin sits down with Lei Yang of MegaLabs to explore the architecture behind MegaETH and its unique approach to enabling real-time blockchain applications. By specializing node roles and optimizing for high-frequency transactions, MegaETH tackles technical challenges like network latency and state propagation head-on. The conversa…

1
The Aptos Roadmap w/ Avery Ching (Aptos Labs) 52:04

1M ago52:04

52:04

In this episode, Austin chats with Avery Ching (Aptos Labs) about the latest developments and future vision for Aptos. Avery recounts his early involvement with Libra/Diem at Meta, his journey into the crypto space, and the technical challenges and solutions that Aptos is tackling. The episode dives into the architectural framework of Aptos, dynami…

1
Is Social Trading Crypto's Next Big Thing? w/ Ilja Moisejevs and Richard Wu 40:38

2M ago40:38

40:38

In this episode, Austin chats with Ilmoi and Richard Wu about Vector, a social trading app that combines elements of Robinhood and Twitter. They delve into the core functionality of Vector, its community-building strategies, and the sophisticated technical infrastructure underpinning its seamless experience. The discussion also addresses broader to…

1
Increase Bandwidth, Reduce Latency w/ Mateo Ward and Andrew McConnell (Malbec Labs) 1:00:20

2M ago1:00:20

1:00:20

In this episode of Validated, Austin discusses his new venture DoubleZero with co-founders Andrew McConnell and Matteo Ward. They discuss the necessity of creating high-performance networking specifically tailored for blockchains, comparing it to the traditional internet and private networks. They delve into their backgrounds and how their experien…

1
Will Stablecoins and PayFi Replace Traditional Banking? w/ Anna Yuan (Perena) 44:35

5M ago44:35

44:35

In this episode, Austin chats with Anna Yuan about the founding of QuineCo, the company behind Perena, a new protocol designed to support the liquidity, interoperability, and capital efficiency of stablecoins. The conversation covers the comprehensive value chain of stablecoins, the existing inefficiencies in current stablecoin ecosystems, and the …

1
Let's Make Solana Cypherpunk w/ Yannik Schrade (Arcium) 39:51

6M ago39:51

39:51

In this episode, Austin chats with Yannik Schrade (Arcium) about the current state of zero knowledge technology. The conversation delves into various aspects of zero knowledge proofs, secure multi-party computation (MPC), and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE). Yannick explains the historical development of these technologies, their applications, a…

1
The Placeholder Playbook w/ Chris Burniske and Joel Monegro 1:09:10

7M ago1:09:10

1:09:10

In this episode, Austin chats with Chris Burniske and Joel Monegro from Placeholder, a cryptocurrency venture capital firm. They delve into the firm's unique approach to investments, combining venture capital structures with public market practices. The conversation covers the formation of Placeholder, their investment strategies focusing on long-t…

1
WTF RPC? w/ Brian Long (Triton One) 58:08

7M ago58:08

58:08

In this episode of Validated, Austin chats with Brian Long (Triton One) about the significance and functionality of RPC (Remote Procedure Call) services in blockchain. They delve into the complex roles RPCs play in enhancing blockchain usability, data retrieval, and transaction processing. Brian shares insights from his experience during the early …

1
Blinks and Actions w/ Jon Wong (Solana Foundation) and Chris Osborn (Dialect) 49:27

8M ago49:27

49:27

In this episode, Austin chats with Jon Wong (Solana Foundation) and Chris Osborn (Dialect) about the development of and use cases for Blinks and Solana Actions. Blinks, short for "blockchain links," allow users to take direct "Actions" on the Solana blockchain such as swapping tokens, donating, or voting on governance directly from a link on platfo…

1
Turning BTC into a Programable Asset on Solana w/ Justin Wang (Zeus Network) 25:43

8M ago25:43

25:43

In this episode, Austin chats with Justin Wang (Zeus Network) about bringing Bitcoin onto Solana. Unlike previous BTC x Solana integrations, Zeus has built a new communication layer, termed as "Layer 1.5," to enable programmability for Bitcoin and other non-programmable UTXO chains on Solana. Justin shares Zeus' security model and other technical d…

1
How Zeta Markets’ L2 Makes a DEX Feel Like a CEX w/ Tristan Frizza 49:53

9M ago49:53

49:53

In this episode, Austin chats with Tristan Frezza about Zeta Markets, a decentralized perps trading platform on Solana. Tristan shares insights on Zeta's inception in early 2021 and their mission to bring Nasdaq-like derivatives markets on-chain. The conversation delves into the technical challenges of building such a platform in a fully decentrali…

1
How Gameshift's API Is Simplifying web3 Game Development w/ Davis Hart (Solana Labs) 36:48

9M ago36:48

36:48

In this episode, Austin chats with Davis Hard (Solana Labs) to talk about GameShift, a new API designed to streamline blockchain integration for game developers on Solana. GameShift aims to simplify the process of incorporating blockchain elements into games by providing a Rust-based API that intermediates between the game and the blockchain, reduc…

1
A Blockchain Dev's Guide to Leaving Cities w/ Austin Adams (Anagram) 56:15

9M ago56:15

56:15

In this unconventional episode, Austin talks with Austin Adams of Anagram and Metaplex about his decision to leave urban life behind. Unlike most of his peers who work in major tech hubs, Adams has settled in rural Texas, where he spends his free time farming and operating his tractor. Their conversation explores the benefits and challenges of work…

1
What Futarchy Looks Like in Practice w/ Kollan House (MetaDAO) 45:14

9M ago45:14

45:14

In this episode, Austin chats with Kollan House, cofounder of MetaDAO, the first project to put the concept of futarchy into practice since its conception in the early 2000's. Put simply, futarchy is a system of governance that uses market mechanics to make decisions. MetaDAO provides a platform to create, manage, and participate in futarchies, and…

1
Bringing Blockchain to Music Streaming w/ Ray Jacobson (Audius) 46:06

10M ago46:06

46:06

In this episode, Austin chats with Ray Jacobson (Audius) about what decentralization unlocks for the music streaming ecosystem. In contrast with legacy streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, Audius leverages blockchain to increase accounting transparency for artists. The platform allows artists to have more control over monetization meth…

1
The CBDC Debate (Part 2) w/ Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) 46:27

10M ago46:27

46:27

In this second episode on CBDCs, Austin and Amira return to chat with Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL). Foster recently voted against the CBDC Anti-Surveillance Act. Unlike Congressman Emmer, Foster believes in the importance of controlled privacy, distinguishing between continuous government surveillance and the ability to de-anonymize transactions …

1
The CBDC Debate (Part 1) - Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN) 29:19

10M ago29:19

29:19

In this episode, Austin and Amira (Head of Policy, Solana Foundation) chat with Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN), a champion of the the recently passed CBDC Anti-Surveillance Act. Congressman Emmer details his concerns about government surveillance through CBDCs, emphasizing his beliefs in individual privacy and financial freedom. They also discuss top…

1
The Pro-Crypto 2024 Election w/ Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) 55:22

10M ago55:22

55:22

According to Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), being pro-crypto is being pro-American. In this conversation, Austin and Senator Hagerty discuss the many partisan divides on crypto and the industry's global implications. Hagerty explains his views on regulatory overreach, CBDCs, repatriating American crypto founders, and much more. DISCLAIMER The content…

1
The Infinite-LST Future w/ FP Lee (Sanctum) 50:23

10M ago50:23

50:23

In this episode, Austin chats with FP Lee (Sanctum) about the liquid staking landscape on Solana. They discuss the architectural differences between staking on Solana and other blockchains, such as Ethereum, and how seemingly trivial implementation details have profound downstream implications for builders. FP breaks down Sanctum's product suite an…

1
A Crypto Native's History of Markets w/ Tarun Chitra (Gauntlet) 1:06:36

10M ago1:06:36

1:06:36

In this episode, Austin chats with Tarun Chitra (Gauntlet) about the history of markets and the evolution of the math which underpins them. Over the course of their free-form conversation, they cover everything from the ancient history of futures (literally) to the impact of computers on finance in the 80's to the creation of financial products on …

1
Firedancer w/ Kevin Bowers 1:00:10

11M ago1:00:10

1:00:10

In this episode, Austin visits Jump Crypto's office in Chicago (The Pit) to talk about Firedancer, Solana's second independent validator client. They discuss its roadmap, its rollout, and the ways in which it will optimize and improve upon the architecture of Solana's existing client. Kevin elaborates on his unconventional views on programming lang…

1
How Metaplex Core Moves Beyond NFT Standards w/ Stephen Hess (Metaplex Studios) 46:38

11M ago46:38

46:38

In this episode, Austin chats with Stephen Hess about the evolution of the Solana NFT ecosystem from the summer of 2021 to the present. Starting from the initial creation of the Solana NFT standard, Austin and Stephen reflect on recent technological advancements such as compressed NFTs, programmability, and the introduction of the "Core" standard. …

1
Building web3 Login Your Grandma Can Use w/ Itai Turbahn (Dynamic) 40:07

11M ago40:07

40:07

In this episode, Austin chats with Itai Turbahn (Dyanmic) about the future of wallet onboarding. Dynamic is building web3 authentication that allows crypto-enabled companies to seamlessly serve web3 natives and crypto novices alike. Over the course of the conversation, they discuss things like user management for multi-wallet users, tokenizing KYC,…

1
Parallelizing the EVM on Solana w/ Andrey Falaleyev (Neon) 38:40

12M ago38:40

38:40

In this episode, Austin chats with Andrey Falaleyev, CTO of Neon, an EVM that lets devs build and deploy dApps from EVM chains to Solana, all while maintaining compatibility with the EVM opcode set. Andrey discusses Neon's decentralization and security, elucidating technical details around how Neon's parallelization works. He also sheds light on th…

1
Does DEX Liquidity Need a Defense Layer? w/ Nitesh Nath (DFlow) 40:24

12M ago40:24

40:24

In this episode, Austin chats with Nitesh Nath of DFlow, a protocol that protects DEX liquidity against toxic order flows on Solana. According to Nitesh, users of DFlow will gain benefits such as tighter spreads, lower volatility, and more efficient price discovery, among others. He explains DFlow's unique system of "endorsers" for identifying type…

1
What's Behind the Move Movement? w/ Rushi Manche (Movement Labs) 38:53

12M ago38:53

38:53

In this episode, Austin chats with Rushi Manche (Movement Labs) about bringing the Move programming language to Solana and other blockchains. They discuss some of the hype behind Move, such as its "built-in" security, and the inherent trade-offs that every programming language has. Rushi further explains topics like the difference between the Sui a…

1
Why Does Mexico Want to Tokenize Its Treasuries? w/ David Taylor (Etherfuse) 42:24

1y ago42:24

42:24

In this episode, Austin talks with David Taylor (Etherfuse) about tokenizing Mexican bonds and equities. By bringing these assets onchain, Etherfuse is drastically reducing global barriers to entry in emerging markets. David discusses the Mexican government's enthusiastic response to their partnership and how their success could set a precedent for…

1
The Long-Term Vision for the DA Layer w/ Connor O'Hara (Celestia) 57:15

1y ago57:15

57:15

In this episode, Austin chats with Connor O'Hara (Celestia) about the scope of DA projects like Celestia. After a reflective discussion on a wide range of topics from the early days of Bitcoin to tradeoffs of proof-of-stake networks, Connor gets at the heart of how data availability works, how it differs from settlement and state, and where data av…

1
The Restaking Thesis w/ Sreeram Kannan (Eigen Labs) 1:03:49

1y ago1:03:49

1:03:49

In this episode, Austin chats with Sreeram Kannan (Eigen Labs) about EigenLayer's vision for restaking. Sreeram argues that restaking is merely a way of making proof-of-stake networks more programmable, addressing the economic and architectural considerations required to make the restaking thesis work. The conversation also elucidates the relations…

1
Level Up. Go Crankless. w/ Jarry Xiao (Phoenix) 43:24

1y ago43:24

43:24

In this episode, Austin chats with Jarry Xiao from Ellipsis Labs about Phoenix, the fastest on-chain orderbook on Solana. They explore Phoenix's innovative design, which enables settlement without the need for asynchronous cranks, setting it apart from previous order books on Solana. The conversation covers a range of topics including capital effic…

1
Rethinking Solana's Validator Client Paradigm w/ Ahmad Abbasi (Syndica) 28:57

1y ago28:57

28:57

In this episode, Austin talks with Ahmad Abbasi (Syndica) about Sig, a new Solana validator client built in Zig. Unlike other Solana validator clients, Sig is optimized for reads as opposed to writes. Ahmad unpacks the seemingly herculean task of writing a new validator client from scratch and why this was an important decision for Syndica's core b…

1
What Solana Unlocks for GameFi's Backend w/ Albert Chen (Genopets) 29:03

1y ago29:03

29:03

Web3 gaming is one of the oldest proposed use cases for blockchain. In this episode, Austin chats with Albert Chen (Genopets) about the state of web3 games on Solana and beyond. They dive into Genopets, exploring its gameplay, its web3 integration, and the philosophy guiding its backend design. The discussion also covers Genopets' semi-custodial ap…

1
The Enterprise Self-Custody Problem w/ Connor and Nicolas from Cordial Systems 34:40

1y ago34:40

34:40

In this episode, Austin talks with Nicolas and Conor from Cordial Systems, an enterprise custody solution initially developed for Jump Crypto. They discuss how to build a self-custody solution that serves crypto-native businesses without compromising the security standards of traditional systems. Nicolas and Conor explain the limitations of current…

1
How DRiP Is Able to Give Away Millions of Free NFTs 35:17

1y ago35:17

35:17

In this episode, Austin chats with Vibhu Norby, CEO of DRiP, a platform that has distributed millions of digital collectibles to its community ... for free. Among other topics, Vibhu discusses the unlikely emergence of the company's vision and how the innovation of compression helped that vision become a reality. According to Vibhu, platforms like …

1
A Cross-Chain DePIN Conversation w/ Alex Rawitz (DIMO) 42:33

1y ago42:33

42:33

In this episode, Austin chats with Alex Rawitz, co-founder of DIMO, a DePIN project built on Polygon which allows users to collect and monetize their car's data. Instead of pitting one blockchain against another, Austin and Alex have an optimistic, open-minded discussion about the DePIN space in general. The conversation also highlights a non-maxi,…

1
The Case for Onchain Options Trading w/ Lev & Serge from DeVol Network 44:14

1+ y ago44:14

44:14

In this episode, Austin chats with Lev Gelfer and Serge Levin from DeVol Network, a low-cost, fully onchain option trading platform. Serge and Lev dive deep into complex trades and the advantages of bringing options to blockchain, but at a higher level, this episode is an exploration of exactly the kinds of projects that are only possible on Solana…

1
Why Payment Processing Companies Need to Start Thinking About Blockchain w/ Nabil Manji (Worldpay) 46:50

1+ y ago46:50

46:50

In this episode, Austin chats with Nabil Manji of Worldpay, one of the largest payment processing companies in the world. In a recent collaboration with Worldpay, Visa expanded its USDC settlement to the Solana blockchain. Austin and Nabil chat about the current landscape of card payments and what the integration of blockchain unlocks for large fin…

1
Is Bitcoin Still Relevant in a Smart Contract World? w/ Matt Luongo (Thesis) 51:32

1+ y ago51:32

51:32

In this episode, Austin chats with Matt Luongo (Thesis) about the role of decentralized custodial solutions for Bitcoin such as Threshold's tBTC. Beyond the technical details of how tBTC works and what its holders can do, the conversation often digresses into Bitcoiner views of the world in the context of a crypto industry now dominated by smart co…

1
An Open-Source Toolset for Token Infrastructure w/ Tommy Johnson 43:47

1+ y ago43:47

43:47

In this episode, Tommy Johnson discusses Armada, a collaborative project between PsyFi and HXRO that provides an open-source toolkit for launching tokens from inception to full decentralization. He and Austin reflect on the historical pain points of token launches, the evolution of tokenomics over the last several years, "governance-light" vs. "gov…

1
How Justin Bons Reconsidered His Thesis About Solana 1:01:51

1+ y ago1:01:51

1:01:51

In the early days of Solana, Justin Bons (Cyber Capital) was one of the network's biggest public critics. However, in the last several months, Justin has had a change of heart. In this episode, Justin opens up about both his disillusionment with the Ethereum L2 roadmap and why no longer sees Solana in a negative light. He also discusses the importa…

1
Live from Breakpoint: Conversation w/ Rune Christensen (MakerDAO) 28:51

1+ y ago28:51

28:51

In this episode live from BP 2023, Austin sits down with Rune Christensen to discuss MakerDAO's Endgame plan. Rune outlines how the concept of subDAOs will fix the current problems faced by DAOs, why SVM architecture is best suited to carry out his Endgame vision, the toxicity of tribalism, and more. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for ed…

1
Crypto's Killer App Is Already Here: Stablecoins w/ Dante Disparte (Circle) 49:21

1+ y ago49:21

49:21

In this episode, Austin is joined by Amira Valliani (Solana Foundation) to chat with Dante Disparte (Circle) about stablecoin adoption, regulation, and more. Dante envisions a promising future for stablecoins as he explores fundamental questions about their ultimate objectives and distinct applications in the world of payments. DISCLAIMER The conte…

1
The Toly Episode 46:32

1+ y ago46:32

46:32

In this episode, Austin has a freeform conversation with Anatoly Yakovenko about the state of Solana. Beyond the cliches of the past, present, and future of the network, Austin and Toly explore higher level ideas such as design philosophy, hardware limitations, balancing new features with network performance, AI and blockchain, and much more. DISCL…

1
What Decentralized Credit Means for Emerging Markets w/ Thomas Bohner 51:21

1+ y ago51:21

51:21

Private credit in emerging markets like Latin America generally lacks modern infrastructure. According to Thomas Bohner (Credix), blockchain is the perfect technology to bring these markets into the future. With a company like Credix, investors and borrowers are able to leverage smart contracts for things like instant settlement and frictionless cr…

1
How Pyth Is Changing the Oracle Game w/ Jayant Krishnamurthy 51:31

1+ y ago51:31

51:31

Oracles are an essential part of how real-world data gets integrated into DeFi smart contracts, but historically, that process has been fraught with challenges. In this episode, Jayant Krishnamurthy (Duoro Labs) explains how Pyth is addressing these challenges and redefining how a blockchain oracle can work. Originally built on Solana’s L1, Pyth is…

1
Why Multisigs are Becoming the Default Security Paradigm 45:33

1+ y ago45:33

45:33

Multisigs, short for "multiple signatures," are wallets that require multiple private keys to authorize transactions. In the wake of 2022's many collapses, multisigs have increasingly become the default security paradigm in both the Solana ecosystem and the crypto space more broadly. In this episode, Stepan Smikin (Squads) discusses the many use ca…

1
Blockchain and AI: An Artist's POV with Lance Weiler 1:01:30

1+ y ago1:01:30

1:01:30

Technology has defined the form and function of storytelling since the beginning of time. In this episode, storyteller, artist, and professor Lance Weiler offers an optimistic perspective on how blockchain, AI, and other frontier technologies will affect storytellers across mediums. Rather than discussing the tech behind NFTs on Solana, Lance shows…

1
How Compression is Changing the Way We Think of NFTs 51:14

1+ y ago51:14

51:14

In today's episode, Austin moderates a panel discussion about compression with Jon Wong (Solana Foundation), Noah Prince (Helium Foundation), and Ilmoi (Tensor). Compression is a way of storing data on Solana that reduces costs by orders of magnitude. For now, its most common use case is compressed NFTs. With compression, you can mint one hundred m…

1
Can Block Explorers Work Like Traditional Search Engines? 35:38

2y ago35:38

35:38

Transparency is one of the key features of blockchain, and block explorers play an important role in that transparency. However, navigating explorers on Solana can have a high learning curve, even for crypto natives. This is due to Solana’s abstract data structures, a feature that makes indexing and interpreting data on the blockchain difficult. In…

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