Lightspeed

Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Catherine Gu, Head of Product, Digital Assets at Solana, to discuss her transition from Visa to Solana, the institutional adoption of blockchain, tokenization, payments infrastructure, and developer platforms. We also cover privacy and compliance challenges, onchain metrics, liquidity dynamics, and Solana’s vision for internet capital markets. Enjoy! -- Foll...

 Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by defipancakes, Co-Founder and CTO of Titan, to discuss a major social engineering exploit affecting Drift, broader DeFi security practices, and the Solana ecosystem’s response. We also explore Titan’s new Dart routing product, market structure trends, stablecoin and tokenized asset activity, and evolving competition in onchain trading and perps. Enjoy! -- Fo...

Gm! In today’s episode, we cover institutional crypto adoption, tokenization, and regulatory developments, along with Blockworks IR and disclosure frameworks. We also explore perpetual markets, product innovation, and trends across DeFi, neobanking, stablecoins, and DePIN as crypto and traditional finance continue to converge. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Dan...

Gm! In this episode, Eugene Chen, CEO of Ellipsis Labs, joins us to break down Solana’s evolving market structure and the launch of Phoenix Perps. We explore onchain trading design, routing and sequencing challenges, MCP’s role, and how user behavior and incentives are shaping the future of DeFi. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Ellipsis Labs: https://x.com/ellipsi...

Gm! This episode features a panel from DAS New York with Konstantin Richter and Tom Zschach. The discussion covers traditional financial infrastructure, the integration of digital assets, and emerging concepts like agentic payments, along with regulatory gaps, system design challenges, and how SWIFT intersects with evolving crypto-based payment systems. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/...

In this special episode, we introduce Blockworks’ new investor relations platform for onchain businesses. As institutional capital continues to enter crypto markets, expectations around transparency, standardization, and professionalism are rising. But instead of replicating legacy systems, Blockworks IR takes a different approach, leveraging real-time, onchain data to create a more transparent, d...

Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Kru and Cal, co-founders of Umbra, to discuss building privacy infrastructure on Solana using MPC and zero-knowledge technologies. We cover product design, compliance, SDK integrations, and how privacy could drive institutional adoption and improve crypto usability. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow Umbra Privacy: http...

Gm! In today’s round up we are joined by Noah Goldberg of Theia Capital  to discuss new SEC guidance distinguishing digital commodities and securities, implications for token design and valuation, and evolving regulatory clarity. We also discuss token versus equity models, KYC tradeoffs, global market access, and whether the industry will shift toward tokenized equity or maintain diverse structure...

Gm! In today’s episode we are joined by Harmonic CEO Ben Coverston to discuss his background in quantitative trading and transition to crypto, the evolution of DeFi on Solana, and Harmonic’s approach to block building and transaction scheduling. We also cover market structure debates, decentralization concerns, competition among block builders, and potential protocol changes like MCP and Alpenglow...

Gm! In today’s episode we discuss crypto market volatility amid geopolitical tensions and rising institutional interest reflected in Solana ETF inflows. We also discuss tokenized equities and the push toward 24/7 trading, before exploring MetaDAO’s evolving launchpad model, including permissionless fundraising, tokenholder protections, and challenges around launch cadence, incentives, and long-ter...

Gm! In this episode we are joined by Tushar Jain, Shayon Sengupta and Spencer Applebaum from Multicoin Capital to discuss their updated crypto investment thesis, emphasizing blockchains as infrastructure for global financial markets. The conversation explores themes including stablecoin-driven fintech, DeFi integration with traditional apps, tokenized assets, credible neutrality in blockchains, ve...

Gm! In this episode, we discuss recent trends in the Solana ecosystem, including declining onchain revenue, continued inflows into Solana-related ETFs, and growth in tokenized equities. We also cover liquidity and structural challenges in onchain equity markets, RWA expansion on Kamino, and the Axiom insider trading controversy. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Fo...

In this first episode of Inflection Point, we explore the accelerating convergence between traditional finance and crypto as institutional adoption begins reshaping the foundations of global financial infrastructure. The conversation examines ETFs, DeFi innovation, market structure shifts, institutional flows, and how evolving investor behavior is changing Bitcoin and digital asset markets. Along...

Gm! In this episode we’re joined by Nick Ducoff, Head of Institutional Growth at the Solana Foundation, to explore Solana’s institutional adoption and the rise of internet capital markets. We discuss the growth of tokenized real-world assets, stablecoins, and onchain equities, alongside regulatory dynamics, institutional tooling gaps, and the structural advantages of public blockchains. We also di...

Gm! In today’s episode we have a 0xResearch crosspost where they were joined by Lucas Bruder, Co-Founder of Jito Labs to discuss Jito’s BAM block builder on Solana, highlighting transparency, verifiability, and application-controlled execution. They also cover market structure, stake adoption, MCP, slot time reductions, and JitoSOL’s ETF efforts. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/L...

Gm! In this episode, we’re joined by MacBrennan Peet, Founder of Project 0, to discuss how the platform is tackling capital and risk fragmentation across DeFi venues. We cover unified margin, cross-venue credit, automated strategies, dynamic risk management, integrations across Solana lending markets, and Project 0 Pay. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow Proj...

Gm! In this episode we discuss Blockworks’ new Solana-focused Lightspeed IR platform and a report on Solana block building. We examine the rivalry between Jito BAM and Harmonic, impacts on transaction ordering, fees, market structure, validator clients, and the push toward protocol-level solutions like MCP and application-controlled execution. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Ligh...

Gm! In today’s episode we are joined by Kristin Smith to discuss her transition to the Solana Policy Institute, recent U.S. crypto policy shifts, and progress under the Genius Act. We also discuss the CLARITY Act, market structure reform, DeFi and developer protections, institutional adoption, and the importance of durable regulatory clarity. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Light...

Gm! In this episode we cover Solana’s recent onchain performance, revenue trends, and upcoming network upgrades. We also discuss ecosystem token dispersion, client competition between Jito BAM and Harmonic, market structure challenges for perps, Prop AMM profitability metrics, and MetaDAO’s shift toward uncapped ICO raises and permissionless scaling. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.c...

Gm! In today’s episode we are joined by Tristan Frizza Co-Founder of Bullet to discuss his journey from Zeta Markets to founding Bullet, a next-gen Solana perps exchange. We also discuss Solana congestion challenges, network extensions, ZK rollup design, data availability via Celestia, proving with Succinct, launch plans, incentives, and token migration. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitt...

Gm! In this episode Danny, Dan and Ian discuss recent market volatility across crypto and commodities, onchain performance during stress events, chain fee dynamics, AI agents interacting with crypto rails, and Pump.fun’s revenue, buybacks, and long-term value capture debate. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow Kairos Research: https://x.com/Kairos_Res Follow I...

Gm! In this episode we are joined by Xiao-Xiao, President of Jupiter, to discuss his background and transition to Jupiter, the shift toward onchain finance, growth of decentralized trading, stablecoins, mobile adoption, institutional participation, and Jupiter’s product strategy, and long-term vision for onchain financial infrastructure. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeed...

Gm! We're back with Carlos for another weekly roundup. We cover Solana’s SKR airdrop and token design, Solana Mobile’s strategy, renewed memecoin activity and launchpad economics, Pump.fun’s evolving revenue model, and tokenized stocks and internet capital markets on Solana. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow Carlos: https://x.com/0xcarlosg Follow Danny: http...

Gm! In this episode we’re joined by Saeed Badreg, CEO of Wormhole Labs, to discuss Solana’s push to expand onchain markets through cross-chain asset listings, historical bridge challenges, Sunrise’s coordinated go-to-market approach, liquidity and distribution strategies, and the future of tokenized assets. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow Wormhole Labs: ht...

Gm! In this episode Jun Bug and kdot co-founders of BULK join us to discuss building a high-performance perpetuals exchange on Solana, testnet rollout plans, covering latency and reliability challenges, validator-based architecture, decentralization trade-offs and incentive structures. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow BULK: https://x.com/bulktrade Follow kd...