The Rollup

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...

For today's episode, we’re diving into one of the most controversial conversations around Ethereum’s future—the decisions required to create a truly thriving onchain ecosystem. Joined by Max Resnick, we raised key questions about the future of rollups, appchains, and Ethereum’s economic structure. Are rollups helping Ethereum grow, or are they parasitic? Should apps like Uniswap stay on Ethereum L...

For today's episode, a thanksgiving day special, we are breaking down an evolving model in the crypto space that looks beyond traditional VC funding. Legion, a platform built from the ground up to address issues with token launches, is reshaping how communities and projects interact with each other. We are teaming up with Legion to bring early stage opportunities to our community of amazing listen...

For today's episode, we were joined by Tarun & Jon to take a closer look at one of the most compelling debates in crypto: The valuation, 'moneyness', collateral asset viability, and onchain usage of ETH vs. SOL. Is there a real chance that Solana could flip Ethereum in the next several years? Ethereum, with its ETF advantage and rollup-centric focus, is standing strong but may face hurdles in...

Today, we're exploring a project that has its sights set on making onchain DeFi just as approachable as traditional exchanges and brokerages. Infinex, led by Kain and Jed, brings a fresh take to the DeFi landscape by prioritizing user experience and easing the transition for those who are familiar with centralized platforms like Binance but hesitant to fully dive into DeFi due to the UX complexiti...

Today, we’re diving into the story of Ethereum—its past, its present, and its ambitious path forward with a core leader of the community, and founder of The Daily Gwei, Anthony Sassano. Ethereum’s evolution is a tale of resilience and innovation. From surviving brutal bear markets to leading the charge with decentralized applications and L2 solutions, this ecosystem has seen it all. During the rel...

Welcome to a blast from the past. Imagine this: You're on your laptop in summer 2020, when you see a message from a friend "new yield farm just opened called Yearn, you can only farm it for one week with DAI." You ape in. The rest is history, and DeFi was (more or less) born. That was the early stages of Andre's journey into DeFi. For his latest reappearance, we will take you on a deep dive into h...

Today, we’re unpacking Beam Chain, a proposal by Justin Drake that’s sparked wide-ranging discussions in the Ethereum community. Andy and Robbie sat down with Justin in Bangkok to discuss this in person, just one day after his presentation. Beam chain aims to accelerate Ethereum’s roadmap by introducing a massive hard fork specifically aimed at the consensus layer. Whether you’ve heard about the b...

In this conversation, Ellie discusses the launch of Espresso on Mainnet, focusing on the significance of the Global Confirmation Layer for decentralized sequencing and interoperability among rollups. The discussion covers the benefits of fast and safe bridging, the potential for cross-rollup transactions, and the positive reception from the community. Ellie emphasizes the importance of composabili...