The Rollup

AI and crypto are finally converging beyond just trading bots. Purpose-built chains like Ritual are enabling AI-powered smart contracts that can adapt in real-time – think automated trading strategies that adjust to market conditions or DeFi positions that manage themselves. In our chat with Ritual founders Anish and Saneel, they explained how they're making AI decisions verifiable onchain. Th...

For today’s episode, we are digging up our latest knowledge of AI and DeSci. Yesnoerror is flipping the script on research validation. Instead of traditional AI fact-checkers, they're letting the research community influence what gets verified next. Their AI agent, as co-founder Ben Parr explains, digs through millions of papers catching details human reviewers might overlook. Every check is t...

Blockchain systems face limitations with large complex datasets, as smart contracts weren't designed for intensive computations. Space and Time addresses this with their ZK Co-Processor, enabling smart contracts to process complex calculations while maintaining security. This opens up practical applications: loyalty programs with historical tracking, personalized lending rates, and verifiable trad...

Zero-knowledge proofs are evolving from complex cryptographic tools into practical blockchain solutions. Like the evolution from mainframe computers to smartphones, ZK proofs are transforming how we approach crypto technology. RiskZero and Irreducible are leading this change through innovations in binary fields and hardware acceleration, making ZK proofs as accessible as email. Their advancements...

Today's episode takes a deep dive into the next era of Bitcoin, the network, and BTC the asset. As Bitcoin transitions from retail speculation to institutional adoption, new infrastructure is quietly reshaping its capabilities. Stacks stands at the forefront of this evolution. BitVM and its iterations are progressing faster than expected, turning theoretical discussions into practical solutions. W...

For today's episode, we discuss the rise of Aave and a new era of crypto in America. Trump is President! Aave turns 5! We caught up with Aave founder Stani Kulechov and Chaos Labs' Omer Goldberg to talk about the Trump Effect on DeFi, what's new in Aave V4, and where DeFAI is headed. World Liberty Finance, the Trump Family DeFi business set to launch later this year, will provide a whi...

Today, we're diving deep into Optimism's Superchain with Mark Tyneway, who's been leading efforts to revolutionize how blockchain networks interact. Mark shares insights from his work with the Ethereum Interop Forum and breaks down why we might be overcomplicating decentralization. The Superchain vision? Making different blockchain networks work together as seamlessly as apps on your phone. No mor...

For today's episode, we explore whether or not the saying: "Most DeSci projects today are just ICOs in a lab coat" is truth or an overexaggeration. When Tarun Chitra dropped this line during our chat, the Pump. Science founder Benji Lebowitz nearly hopped out of his seat. What followed was one of the most fascinating debates we've had on the show about where crypto tools meet scientific research....

For today's episode, we were joined by Jason Zhao of Story Protocol to discuss the intersection of IP and AI. The convergence of blockchain, AI, and creative content isn't just reshaping how we think about intellectual property—it's creating the next major frontier in crypto. While others chase the latest DeFi trends, Story has emerged as one of the most strategically positioned projects of this c...

For today's special episode, we were joined by Haseeb of Dragonfly to discuss his 2025 predictions in-depth. The intersection of artificial intelligence and DeFi is no longer a distant future—it's happening now. As AI tools become more sophisticated, they're fundamentally changing how developers approach smart contracts, how projects structure token launches, and how we think about the future of b...

For today's episode, we are live from Bangkok again discussing what it takes to build a massive userbase onchain from the ground up. Picture this: It's early days, and Axie Infinity is trying to scale on Ethereum. They experiment with Loom Network, but like many early solutions, it just can't handle their explosive growth. Rather than compromise, they take the bold step of building their own solut...

For today's podcast, we were joined by Wei Dai, a researcher at 1kx and PhD cryptographer, to discuss investing in crypto's killer apps, the shift from infra to apps, and interop. Think of rollup clusters as the high-speed railways of blockchain - they're not merely accelerating transactions, they're fundamentally transforming how we approach value transfer across networks. Just as railways reshap...

In today's episode, we explore how sometimes the best innovations come from rethinking the basics rather than fixing what already exists. That's exactly what Flashbots is achieving with their groundbreaking innovations in the rollup space - creating something entirely new instead of patching the old. At its core, this is about building a better trading system from the ground up. Flashbots stepped...

For today's episode, we sit down with Mert Mumtaz to examine Solana's technical architecture and its impact on blockchain scalability. Solana established itself by achieving high speeds and low transaction costs, challenging traditional blockchain limitations. The platform's approach to scaling focuses on increasing bandwidth while reducing latency - a departure from conventional blockchain design...

Privacy-enabled blockchain technology is transforming how we process sensitive data. In conversation with Guy Zyskind, we explore how Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) allows smart contracts to compute encrypted data while maintaining security. Real-world applications are already emerging on Arbitrum's infrastructure - from sealed-bid auctions preventing front-running to confidential token transf...

For today's episode, we decided to up the spice levels and have some fun. While technical specifications and token metrics often dominate L2 discussions, a more compelling story lies beneath the surface: the fundamental philosophical and strategic differences between Ethereum's leading scaling solutions, Arbitrum and Optimism. In a recent roundtable discussion, we explored these contrasting vision...

For today's episode, we are discussing the evolving frameworks for understanding value in the crypto markets, with the goal of answering the following: How do we value digital assets in an ecosystem that's constantly evolving? We were joined with industry veterans Jordi Alexander and Sam Kazemian who both revealed fascinating insights in how we should think about crypto valuations. Sam introduces...

In today’s video, we are joined by Steven Goldfeder to discuss scaling Ethereum. Steven Goldfeder joins us to examine Ethereum scaling through Arbitrum's journey - from Princeton research paper to production infrastructure. We'll analyze Orbit's technical architecture, which enables customizable chain deployments, and evaluate their "community source" licensing approach. The discussion explores bo...

For today's episode, were taking a deep dive into based rollups to answer the following question: Could the next breakthrough in Ethereum scaling come from working with the network rather than around it? While most rollup solutions build separate consensus layers, an intriguing new approach called based rollups takes a different path – leveraging Ethereum's existing validator network to sequence b...

Beyond protocols and price charts, today's episode dives into navigating crypto as an investor, builder, and human being. Our conversation with Santi spans from deeply personal insights on mental health and finding meaning, to why crypto remains one of today's most transformative industries. At its core is a powerful message about belief - the conviction that you can excel in your chosen path, esp...

Today's episode explores how the rollup-centric vision for Ethereum brought massive scalability gains, but also new challenges - from fragmented liquidity to complex coordination across execution layers. Enter Espresso and Arbitrum's collaboration, tackling these hurdles head-on. At its core is Espresso's fast confirmation system, enabling rollups to validate transactions with both speed and stron...

The blockchain landscape is evolving beyond isolated chains and fragmented liquidity. Enter AggLayer - a framework reimagining how rollups and chains interact. But why does this matter? AggLayer isn't just another interoperability solution. It's a foundational layer that lets chains share network effects while maintaining their independence. Think of it as the invisible infrastructure that makes c...

In today's episode, we explore the next evolution of the modular blockchain landscape with Nick White and Jon Charbonneu. Celestia's base layer now supports 21 chains and is pushing sovereign rollups as the next step. As a minimalist data availability focused L1, Celestia has had a big year with a lot yet to come. Our conversation explores the mechanics behind Celestia's blockchain design, from la...

For today's episode, we dive into Elastic Chain and the core principles of ZK technology. Imagine if interacting across blockchains was as simple as sending an email - no fragmented bridges, no multiple wallets. That's exactly what ZK Sync's Elastic Chain aims to deliver. At its core, Elastic Chain is built on a powerful premise: scalability, interoperability, and user experience can coexist seaml...

For today's episode, the spotlight is on Arbitrum—not just the L2 you’ve come to know, but a growing network exploring new dimensions of scaling, decentralization, and interoperability. From innovative concepts like BOLD for permissionless validation to Timeboost’s approach to tackling MEV and decentralized sequencing challenges, there’s a lot to unpack here. So, Andy sat down with Ed Felten to di...