In this episode, Austin chats with Michael Repetny, a core contributor to Marinade. They discuss the history and technical details of Marinade, its role in the Solana ecosystem, and its approach to staking.

In this episode, Connor (Temporal) and Brennan (Anza) offer a unique perspective on Solana's evolution, contrasting practical building with core protocol development. The conversation delves into the real-world challenges of building on Solana, from physical infrastructure failures to the ever-present reality of MEV. Connor highlights how transparency tools have exposed sandwich attacks and slot-lagging, forcing the ecosystem to adapt. Looking forward, they debate the path to a more robust market structure, discussing potential solutions like multiple concurrent leaders and increased compute power.

In this episode, Austin chats with Tristan (Bullet) to discuss the significant evolution of decentralized finance (DeFi), particularly focusing on the re-emergence of Central Limit Order Books (CLOBs) and the innovative development of Bullet on Solana. Tristan dives into the history of order books, their challenges in the DeFi space, and the technological advancements that are now overcoming these obstacles. They explore the unique position Bullet occupies in the Solana ecosystem, advancements in smart contract programming, the importance of co-location for trading efficiency, and the promise of ZK proofs for verifiable off-chain compute. Additionally, they cover how Bullet seeks to provide superior user experience without compromising on performance, aiming to compete with centralized exchanges while leveraging the transparency and security of blockchain technology.

DBA co-founder John Charbonneau discusses his journey from TradFi to crypto, detailing his evolution from an Ethereum maximalist to a multi-chain pragmatist. He argues that as the crypto market matures beyond hype cycles, real revenue and cash flow are becoming key valuation metrics. He points to Hyperliquid's controversial rise as a prime example of the industry's struggle with decentralization, noting the irony of Solana advocates lodging critiques once used against them. Looking ahead, Charbonneau predicts successful protocols will adopt traditional functions like customer support and investor relations, viewing regulatory clarity as vital for the industry's future health and transparency.

In this episode, Kash Dhanda of Jupiter shares his crypto career journey and his unique role blending content creation with product strategy. He delves into Jupiter's unconventional organizational structure, explaining how it fuels their rapid product development and acquisition strategy. Kash highlights the reasoning behind key initiatives such as the Drip House acquisition and Jupiter Lend, underscoring their commitment to long-term growth. The conversation also addresses the challenges of serving a diverse user base, from crypto novices to seasoned traders, and Jupiter's dedication to community support.

In this episode, Austin and Peter Van Valkenburgh Coin Center's mission and the critical role of educating policymakers. The discussion spans over Coin Center's inception, its efforts in shaping sound crypto regulations, and its battles against adverse policies. Peter sheds light on Coin Center's ongoing lawsuits, the implications of recent DOJ guidance, and the controversy surrounding meme coins in American politics. Peter also provides insights into future challenges and opportunities in crypto regulation, emphasizing the vital importance of nuanced policies that balance innovation with oversight. Whether you're a crypto enthusiast, policymaker, or just curious about the intersections of technology and regulation, this episode offers valuable perspectives.

In this episode, Austin chats with Ouriel Ohayon (Zengo) about the evolving landscape of crypto wallets and wallet security. The conversation dives into the history and challenges of crypto custody solutions, from the problems with centralized custodians and self-custody methods to the sophistication of hacking groups. Ouriel discusses how Zengo is tackling these issues with their MPC wallets where there's "nothing to give away". He provides insights on the unique security features of Zengo, such as its passwordless experience, recovery protocols, theft protection, and physical attack safeguards. The episode also explores the business model of crypto wallets and how they can generate revenue while maintaining user experience and security.

In this episode of Validated, host Austin talks with Chaofan Shou about building Solayer, high-performance side chain for Solana. Chaofan describes the specifics of Solayer's hybrid model, which sits between a traditional Layer 1 and Layer 2, offering faster execution environments for market makers and reducing high priority fees. They get into its technical architecture, including the use of specialized hardware like FPGA and SDN for optimized transaction processing and state management. The conversation also touches on their plans for ecosystem development, particularly within the DeFi and gaming sectors, and addresses the balance between scalability and decentralization.

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 encountered in 2022 and 2023 and the improvements that have shaped the current landscape. They dive deep on topics such as memory allocation optimizations, the development of the Agave scheduler, and the broader movement toward a multi-client ecosystem. 00:00 - Anza's Origin and Early Challenges with Solana 07:47 - Technical Debt and Development Philosophy 12:58 - Scheduler Innovations and Performance Enhancements 18:19 - Modular Codebase and Future Improvements 22:36 - Governance and Protocol Changes 24:50 - CU Limits and Performance 32:08 - Validator Client Collaboration 35:54 - Future Performance Goals 41:25 - Final Thoughts DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, options, futures, or other derivatives related to securities in any jurisdiction, nor should not be relied upon as advice to buy, sell or hold any of the foregoing. This content is intended to be general in nature and is not specific to you, the user or anyone else. You should not make any decision, financial, investment, trading or otherwise, based on any of the information presented without undertaking independent due diligence and consultation with a professional advisor. Solana Foundation Foundation and its agents, advisors, council members, officers and employees (the “Foundation Parties”) make no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information herein and expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information or any errors or omissions therein. The Foundation Parties shall have no liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to any person arising from or related to the content or any use of the information contained herein by you or any of your representatives. All opinions expressed herein are the speakers’ own personal opinions and do not reflect the opinions of any entities.

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 conversation also delves into data flow models and the practical implementation of a scalable, high-performance Ethereum Layer 2 solution—designed to outperform the speed limitations of traditional finance systems.

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, dynamic parallelism, and the concept of Shardines. Avery details the project’s aim to optimize scalability, latency, and cost-efficiency, while highlighting the innovative features with a focus on developer experience and real-world applications.

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 topics including the relationship between timing and PMF and the nuances of moderation policies in web3.

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 experiences in telecom and high-frequency trading influence the development of Double Zero. This episode covers various technical topics including the limitations of the public internet, the importance of a purpose-built network, and how DoubleZero provides a decentralized, efficient, and secure connectivity for blockchain validators.

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 potential transformative impact of "PayFi" on global finance. The discussion also touches on the regulatory landscape, the evolving role of stablecoins in traditional versus decentralized finance, and the future of payment systems and financial services in a more interconnected digital economy.

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, and how they differentiate from traditional encryption methods. The discussion also covers challenges in the field, such as computation complexity and the need for hardware acceleration. Yannick introduces Arcium’s approach to confidential computing, emphasizing developer accessibility and practical implementation in DeFi and DePIN. The conversation also explores the potential future of these technologies, including the integration of AI and the vision of a global supercomputer for confidential computations.

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-term holds, and how they developed conviction in Solana. Chris and Joel discuss the importance of managing valuations, the role of market cycles, and the importance of decentralized exchanges (DEXs) in crypto market structures. They also offer advice for entrepreneurs on fundraising and selecting the right investors.

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 adoption phase of Solana's network and discusses the operational challenges and hardware requirements for RPC nodes. They also touch on topics such as Solana's state compression, historical state ledger storage, decentralized trading infrastructure, and data accessibility through projects like Old Faithful.

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 platforms like X. This technology integrates with Chrome extension wallets like Phantom and Backpack, rendering these interactions seamlessly in the browser. The conversation highlights the rapid adoption and excitement within the developer community around these new features, the security model ensuring safe transactions, and the future potential for mobile integration and expanding Blinks’ functionality across other web platforms.

In this episode of Validated, Justin discusses the intersection of Bitcoin and Solana, particularly focusing on the work his team is doing at Zeus. Unlike previous integrations that create liquidity bridges like TBTC, Zeus is building a new communication layer, termed as 'Layer 1.5,' to enable programmability for Bitcoin and other non-programmable UTXO chains on Solana. Justin explains that Zeus does not support fragmentation on Layer 1, advocating for seamless usability through Solana's RPC. Zeus employs nodes using multi-party computation (MPC) models for security, safeguarding assets while enabling their use within Solana's ecosystem. The discussion includes detailed technical insights on how Zeus manages transactions, secures assets using Taproot addresses, and coordinates through its nodes. Justin shares his vision for the future of web3 applications that could leverage Zeus to build more integrated and functional decentralized apps, implying a strong potential for Solana to interact with various Proof of Work (PoW) chains. Upcoming initiatives, such as the Apollo project and prospective hackathons, aim to bring more developers into the fold to innovate using this new layer.