Episodes

  • Here’s how Argentina is leading the charge on digital identity with ZK tech | The Scoop Podcast w/ Matter Labs

    Here’s how Argentina is leading the charge on digital identity with ZK tech | The Scoop Podcast w/ Matter Labs
    Nov 6 2024
    Alex Gluchowski is the Co-Founder CEO of Matter Labs, a company focused on scaling Ethereum using zero-knowledge proofs, and Matthias Broner is their Head of Growth for Latin America. In this episode, Gluchowski and Broner discuss the QuarkID project in Buenos Aires, which uses zero-knowledge proofs to give citizens control over their digital identity and serve as a model for decentralized digital identity systems. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 04:25 Blockchain Scaling 07:19 Buenos Ares ZK-Powered 12:01 Government Innovation 16:40 DID Tech Stack 18:25 ZK 101 19:57 Impact on Argentinian 21:39 DID Expansion 25:59 Crypto's Utility 31:33 Development Roadmap 32:42 Public Services Onchain 34:50 DID Security 36:24 ZKsync Roadmap This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
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    43 mins
  • Institutional familiarity with DeFi is on the rise, says Superstate's Robert Leshner

    Institutional familiarity with DeFi is on the rise, says Superstate's Robert Leshner
    Oct 31 2024
    Robert Leshner is the CEO of Superstate, an asset management firm that tokenizes traditional financial assets like U.S. Treasuries and brings them onchain. In this episode, Leshner explains the advantages of tokenized assets, such as the ability to operate 24/7 and the increased composability with DeFi protocols. He also discusses the regulatory and macroeconomic tailwinds that have made this an opportune time to launch tokenized products. OUTLINE 00:00 Health & Routines 07:03 Superstate Overview 12:26 Growing DeFi with RWAs 15:22 RWA Revolution 24:24 Benefits of Tokenization 27:18 Onchain vs. Offchain Crypto Exposure 29:18 Real-time NAV Updates 38:16 Real-Time Settlement 41:01 Crypto's Role in TradFi 46:13 The Future of Finance 49:07 Crypto's Regulatory Climate 53:58 Superstate's Asset Roadmap 58:47 Personal Prioritization 62:27 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • It doesn’t matter if AI scares you, it’s inevitable

    It doesn’t matter if AI scares you, it’s inevitable
    Oct 14 2024
    Erik Voorhees and Teana Baker-Taylor are co-founders of Venice, an open-source and uncensored AI chatbot and content generation platform. In this episode, the Venice co-founders discuss the vision and approach of their product in contrast to more restrictive and centralized AI models like ChatGPT. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:43 Origin of Venice AI 02:37 'AI is like Bitcoin but scarier' 07:29 Proprietary AI Models 09:12 Regulatory Inefficiencies 11:16 Global AI Regulatory Regimes 16:46 AI Censorship 20:11 Moderation on Venice 25:01 Freedom vs Privacy 34:11 Venice Pricing Model 36:35 AI Agents 39:44 AI 'Rights' 50:37 Venice Roadmap 54:10 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
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    57 mins
  • Stablecoins and RWAs are onboarding TradFi to crypto, says Fireblocks CEO

    Stablecoins and RWAs are onboarding TradFi to crypto, says Fireblocks CEO
    Oct 10 2024
    Michael Shaulov is the Co-Founder & CEO of Fireblocks. In this episode, Shaulov discusses how Fireblocks' core business has evolved over the past few years, particularly in the area of stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:56 Business at Fireblocks 06:15 Fireblocks & Stablecoins 09:59 RWA TVL Growth 15:36 Institutional Stablecoin Adoption 25:22 TradFi's Adoption of Crypto Infrastructure 29:27 Onchain Identity Systems 38:10 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
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    41 mins
  • CMT Digital investors unpack how crypto's VC landscape has transitioned from mania to maturity

    CMT Digital investors unpack how crypto's VC landscape has transitioned from mania to maturity
    Oct 1 2024
    Sam Hallene and Aryan Sheikhalian are analysts at CMT Digital, a subsidiary of the CMT Group. In this episode, Hallene and Sheikhalian unpack the key trends they are observing in crypto's VC market, including the intersection of blockchain and AI and its implication for improving user data ownership, verified inference, and the use of blockchain to govern non-deterministic models. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 05:31 Current VC Landscape 07:02 VC Market Decoupling 12:11 PMF in Crypto 15:58 Non-Financial Use Cases 22:00 DeFi's Future 23:17 Tokenization Trends 29:13 Crypto Venture Market Forecast 35:56 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
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    38 mins
  • Amid a crowded sector, Scroll's Sandy Peng says L2 ecosystem success hinges on having a quality team

    Amid a crowded sector, Scroll's Sandy Peng says L2 ecosystem success hinges on having a quality team
    Sep 30 2024
    Sandy Peng is the co-founder of Scroll. In this episode, Peng discusses scaling Ethereum and particularly emphasizes the importance of business insight and experience outside of crypto in driving application-level innovation. OUTLINE 00:00 Intro 01:07 Peng's Journey to Scroll 04:27 Peng's Regulatory Background 07:52 Industry Headwinds 10:31 Ethereum Scaling Competition 15:00 Consumer Crypto Apps 16:49 Improving Crypto UX 23:06 Stepn's Success 26:11 ZK Advantages 29:45 Scroll's Roadmap 34:14 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
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    37 mins
  • How TON's Telegram distribution strategy is bringing millions of new users onchain

    How TON's Telegram distribution strategy is bringing millions of new users onchain
    Sep 25 2024
    This episode of The Scoop features Bitget Wallet COO Alvin Kan, and two builders from the TON ecosystem — Catizen co-founder Ricky Wong and Miles, a core team member of Tomarket. The conversation explores how Telegram's large user base is enabling rapid adoption and growth of Telegram 'Mini Apps' on top of the TON blockchain. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:29 TON Overview 03:06 TON's Advantages 06:21 TON's Future 08:29 Catizen's Hyper Adoption 10:30 Tomarket Overview 12:34 Ton Ecosystem Collaboration 15:54 Building on TON 17:14 TON's Consumer Focus 20:56 TON User Behavior 24:45 User Retention 27:59 TON Roadmap 31:47 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
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    33 mins
  • Former Coinbase exec launches stablecoin-native crypto exchange

    Former Coinbase exec launches stablecoin-native crypto exchange
    Sep 19 2024
    Vishal Gupta is the co-founder and CEO of TrueX — a new stablecoin-native trading platform. In this episode, Gupta unpacks how TrueX aims to provide a "stablecoin-native" trading experience with segregated custody, primarily targeted at institutional clients in the United States. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 04:50 TrueX Overview 11:13 Exchange Innovation 14:42 Institutional Client Trading Needs 17:52 Stablecoin Collateral 19:21 TrueX Matching Engine 23:11 Segregated Service Offerings 25:52 TrueX Funding 27:41 Broker Adoption 31:06 Crypto's Credit Market 33:51 True Markets Roadmap 35:50 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
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    38 mins