The Crypto Conversation

Brave New Coin
The Crypto Conversation

Brave New Coin’s Crypto Conversation talks to the key people creating the Bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrency future. Hosted by Andy Pickering, learn how this rapidly evolving industry is reshaping the world as we move towards decentralized finance, NFTs and Web3.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    The Post Web Thesis - From Attention to Intention

    Jasper De Maere is Head of Research at Outlier Ventures, the world’s leading Web3 accelerator and most active Web3 investor. Their new thesis, called the Post Web Thesis explores the intersection of Web3 and AI. Why you should listen The "Post Web Thesis" is a new body of work from Outlier Ventures. Chapter 1, titled "The Web is Disappearing," argues that we're moving beyond Web3 into an era where AI-driven agents act on our behalf, making traditional web interfaces less relevant. This shift transitions us from an attention-based economy to an intention-based one, where users delegate tasks to autonomous systems. The chapter critiques the slow adoption of Web3 and sets the stage for a future where AI and blockchain converge to create agent-first networks.  The second chapter is called, Turning the Web3 Tech Stack into the Post Web Stack. The journey from Web3 to The Post Web is not just an evolution; it’s a transformation of the internet’s core principles and architecture. At the heart of this transformation lies The Post Web Technology Stack — the foundational framework of Chapter Two in the four-part Post Web thesis. This chapter builds upon the Web3 foundation they’ve collectively constructed, and optimizes it for a new primary user: AI agents. The thesis is structured into four chapters: The Why: Examines the limitations of Web3 and introduces intent-based architectures. The How: Explores the technology stack powering the Post Web, including wallets and decentralized AI. The What: Identifies the defining traits of the Post Web, such as being intent-based, verifiable, and hyper-contextual. The Endgame: Presents the ultimate vision of a fully verifiable and data-driven economic model, termed the Computable Economy. This progression suggests a future where the internet becomes an extension of our agency, with machines transacting and collaborating autonomously. The "Post Web" concept is both ambitious and thought-provoking and provides a detailed roadmap for the next decade. Supporting links Stabull Finance Outlier Ventures The Post Web Thesis Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

    35 min
  2. 12/21/2024

    Aztec - A Privacy-first L2 on Ethereum

    Zac Williamson is the co-founder and CEO of Aztec, a privacy-first Layer 2 solution on Ethereum.  Why you should listen Aztec Network is a privacy-centric Layer 2 (L2) solution built on Ethereum, aiming to enhance user confidentiality and transaction scalability within the blockchain ecosystem. By leveraging zero-knowledge proofs, specifically zk-SNARKs (Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge), Aztec enables encrypted transactions that maintain the transparency and security inherent to Ethereum. Traditional blockchains like Ethereum operate with full transparency, where all transaction details are publicly accessible. While this openness ensures trustlessness and verifiability, it compromises user privacy, exposing sensitive financial data and potentially deterring broader adoption. Aztec addresses this issue by introducing a privacy layer that conceals transaction details without sacrificing the integrity of the blockchain. A key component of Aztec's technology is its zkRollup architecture, which aggregates multiple transactions into a single proof, thereby enhancing scalability and reducing gas fees. This batching process allows Aztec to offer up to 100 times cost savings compared to standard Ethereum transactions, making private transactions more economically viable. Aztec Connect is a platform that integrates privacy features into existing Ethereum DeFi protocols such as Lido, Curve, and Element Finance. This integration allows users to engage in private staking, lending, and other DeFi activities without exposing their financial data. Developers can utilize Aztec's SDK and bridge contracts to seamlessly incorporate privacy features into their applications, promoting a more secure and user-friendly DeFi ecosystem. Aztec's commitment to privacy extends to its development of Noir, a universal language for zero-knowledge proofs. Noir simplifies the creation of private smart contracts by abstracting complex cryptographic concepts, enabling developers to write code without deep expertise in zero-knowledge technology. This initiative broadens the accessibility of privacy-preserving applications within the blockchain space. The network's vision for a trustless, scalable, and decentralized L2 solution has garnered significant attention and investment. Aztec secured $100 million in a Series B funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), underscoring the industry's recognition of the importance of privacy in blockchain technology. By integrating privacy features directly into Ethereum's infrastructure, Aztec Network empowers users with enhanced security and confidentiality, paving the way for broader adoption of decentralized applications. Its innovative approach ensures that users can transact and interact within the Ethereum ecosystem without compromising their personal data, marking a significant advancement in the evolution of blockchain technology. Supporting links Stabull Finance Aztec Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

    36 min
  3. 12/19/2024

    Axelar - The Web3 Interoperability Platform

    Georgios Vlachos is the co-founder of Axelar Protocol and director at Axelar Foundation. He received his BSc and MS Eng. in computer science at MIT. After graduation, he became part of the Algorand founding team. Axelar is a Web3 interoperability platform, delivering the shortest path to scale: an open stack to connect all blockchains. Why you should listen Axelar is a decentralized network designed to seamlessly connect various blockchain ecosystems, enabling secure cross-chain communication for Web3 applications. By acting as an overlay network, Axelar allows developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) that can interact with assets and functionalities across multiple blockchains, simplifying user experiences and broadening access to decentralized economies.  In 2024, Axelar introduced the Mobius Development Stack (MDS), comprising: Interchain Amplifier: A tool that allows for the permissionless connection of new blockchains to the Axelar network, enhancing scalability and flexibility. Interchain Token Service (ITS): Enables the minting and management of tokens across multiple blockchains, maintaining their fungibility and custom functionalities. Axelar Virtual Machine (AVM): Provides a programmable layer for cross-chain logic, allowing developers to deploy smart contracts that operate across different blockchain ecosystems. These innovations aim to establish new interoperability standards, facilitating the development of dApps that can seamlessly operate across various blockchain networks. The native utility token of the Axelar network, AXL, plays a crucial role in maintaining network security through staking, enabling governance participation, and serving as a medium for transaction fees. This tokenomics model incentivizes active participation and ensures the network's robustness and scalability. By providing a comprehensive solution for cross-chain communication, Axelar is contributing to the unification of blockchain ecosystems, promoting greater accessibility, and driving the adoption of decentralized applications across the Web3 landscape. Supporting links Stabull Finance Axelar Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

    32 min
  4. 12/18/2024

    Nirvana - A New Vision for DeFi

    Sid, Co-founder of Nirvana Finance, shares insights into the evolution of the Nirvana DeFi protocol, and the resilience demonstrated after a significant hack in 2022. He discusses the innovative features of the just launched Nirvana Version 2, including enhanced security measures and the introduction of the Market Driven Mint, which aims to stabilize liquidity and pricing. Sid emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability in DeFi governance, highlighting how Nirvana's approach sets a new standard in the industry. Why you should listen Nirvana Finance has relaunched as Nirvana V2. In July 2022, the protocol was targeted in a high-profile hack, resulting in the loss of customer funds. Following legal action, Nirvana achieved a historic victory with the conviction of the hacker—the first U.S. legal case involving DeFi hacking. Nirvana V2 is a revitalized platform, celebrating not only its restitution efforts but also advancements in security, governance, and tokenomics. Setting a new precedent in the DeFi space, Nirvana V2 has reimbursed all funds stolen during the 2022 hack. This achievement underscores the protocol’s community-first ethos, further exemplified by the introduction of a perpetual recovery model. Through an innovative revenue-sharing mechanism, all protocol-generated revenue will be distributed continuously to hack victims. To address vulnerabilities exposed during the hack, Nirvana V2 introduces a single-collateral reserve system designed to enhance the protocol’s security and stability. This isolated approach eliminates the risk of cascading failures and provides robust protection against external shocks. With these measures, Nirvana V2 positions itself as a safer and more resilient platform for users navigating the dynamic DeFi landscape. Governance in Nirvana V2 takes a step forward with its Automated Token-Managed Adjustments (ATMA) system. Unlike traditional governance structures, ATMA relies on token-based voting to enable continuous, incremental adjustments to protocol parameters. Importantly, governance tokens are earned solely through organic protocol use, with no insider allocations, ensuring fairness and aligning participants’ interests with the protocol’s long-term success. These tokens also serve as revenue-sharing assets, directly linking governance activity to the protocol's financial performance. Central to Nirvana V2’s value proposition is the Market-Driven Mint (MDM), an advanced framework for token price stability. The MDM ensures that all liquidity remains protocol-owned, fostering durability, predictability, and fairness in tokenomics. The ANA token, Nirvana’s flagship asset, features a reserve-backed rising floor price mechanism that adjusts automatically with demand. This ensures a minimum exit value, limiting downside risk while offering unlimited upside potential, making ANA a highly reliable collateral asset within the ecosystem. Nirvana Finance was established to challenge systemic flaws in traditional DeFi protocols, including insider allocations, opaque operations, and unstable liquidity solutions. Nirvana V2’s combination of decentralized governance, robust security, and pioneering tokenomics aims to set a new standard for fairness, transparency, and resilience in DeFi. Supporting links Stabull Finance Nirvana Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

    48 min
  5. 12/05/2024

    Mesh Connect - Crypto Connectivity Reimagined

    Bam Azizi is the CEO & Co-Founder of Mesh Connect, Mesh securely enables safer and easier crypto deposits, payments, and on-ramping from 300+ leading exchanges and wallets, all without leaving your platform. Why you should listen In this conversation, Bam Azizi, CEO and co-founder of MeshConnect, discusses the challenges and opportunities in the crypto space, particularly focusing on user experience and the importance of stablecoins. He explains how MeshConnect aims to bridge the gap between complex crypto transactions and everyday usability, enabling businesses to offer seamless crypto payment solutions. The discussion also touches on market trends, the future of tokenization, and the need for clearer regulations in the crypto industry. Mesh, founded in 2020 by CEO Bam Azizi and COO Adam Israel, is revolutionizing the financial technology landscape by simplifying cryptocurrency transactions. Their platform enables seamless crypto deposits, payments, and on-ramping from over 300 leading exchanges and wallets, all within a single, unified API. The company's suite of products includes Mesh Deposit, Mesh Pay, and Mesh Ramp, each designed to enhance user experience and security. By eliminating the need for API keys and manual address entries, Mesh allows users to connect their preferred exchanges or wallets directly to a platform, facilitating direct wallet-to-wallet transfers without leaving the host application. Security is a cornerstone of Mesh's offerings. The platform employs a zero-trust architecture and is SOC 2 Type II certified, ensuring that no personally identifiable information or user credentials are stored at rest. This commitment to security not only protects users but also streamlines the integration process for businesses, with most integrations completed in under a week using Mesh's developer-friendly APIs and SDKs. Mesh's innovative approach has attracted significant investment, including a $22 million Series A funding round in September 2023. Supporting links Stabull Finance Mesh Connect Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

    31 min
  6. 12/04/2024

    Fluence - The Cloudless Revolution

    Tom Trowbridge is an advocate for decentralized systems. Tom is a co-founder of Fluence Labs, and Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR) where he was President from Inception. He co-founded Fluence Labs in 2019 to revolutionize cloud computing by offering decentralized, serverless solutions that reduce reliance on traditional providers like AWS. Why you should listen Fluence Network is an open, decentralized platform designed to revolutionize how applications and services operate on the internet. It provides a peer-to-peer network that enables developers to build, deploy, and scale decentralized applications (dApps) without the need for centralized infrastructure. Unlike traditional cloud-based solutions, Fluence leverages a network of independent nodes to provide computation and storage, making it highly resilient, secure, and censorship-resistant. At its core, Fluence is built on Aqua, a unique programming language tailored for distributed systems. Aqua allows developers to write composable, modular workflows that seamlessly interact with multiple services across the network. This design enables the creation of sophisticated dApps that can interact with various APIs, blockchain protocols, and traditional systems. Aqua’s ability to orchestrate services on decentralized infrastructure removes reliance on centralized servers, making applications more robust and transparent. The network itself is powered by a decentralized marketplace of computing resources. Node operators provide storage and computational power to the network and are compensated through Fluence’s native economic model. This incentivizes participants to maintain the network’s efficiency and reliability. Developers, in turn, benefit from flexible pricing and the ability to scale their applications as demand grows without locking themselves into proprietary ecosystems or platforms. Fluence distinguishes itself through its emphasis on composability and collaboration. The platform enables developers to share and reuse application components, fostering a community-driven ecosystem of reusable modules and services. This not only accelerates development but also reduces duplication of effort, making the network an efficient environment for innovation. The open-source nature of Fluence further aligns with its goal of democratizing access to decentralized computing resources. A significant application of Fluence is in Web3, where it acts as a critical infrastructure layer for decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, and other blockchain-powered services. By integrating seamlessly with blockchain networks, Fluence can provide scalable, off-chain computation that complements the strengths of on-chain operations. This hybrid approach opens up new possibilities for complex dApps that require high-performance computing alongside blockchain security and transparency. Fluence Network represents a shift toward a more open and decentralized internet. It empowers developers to build applications that prioritize user autonomy, data privacy, and resistance to censorship. With its innovative technology and community-first ethos, Fluence is poised to become a foundational layer for the next generation of the internet. Supporting links Stabull Finance Fluence Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

    37 min
  7. 12/01/2024

    Chain4Travel - Reinventing Travel with Web3

    Pablo Castillo is CEO and CTO of Chain4Travel. Chain4Travel is the lab building the Camino Network, a Layer 1 blockchain designed for the needs of the travel industry. It provides travel-related businesses with web3 technology. The ecosystem has unified data standards for seamless communication, decentralized payments/settlements infrastructure, KYC/KYB for security. The CAM token powers it. Why you should listen Chain4Travel aims to revolutionize the travel industry by integrating blockchain technology to create a more efficient, secure, and interconnected ecosystem. At the heart of this transformation is the Camino Network, a blockchain platform tailored specifically for the travel sector. Today's travel industry is hindered by outdated systems and fragmented supply chains, with some standards and protocols exceeding 40 years in age. This antiquated infrastructure results in sluggish product development and technical enhancements, impeding innovation and efficiency. Chain4Travel envisions a decentralized and collaborative travel ecosystem. By leveraging blockchain, the Camino Network facilitates seamless connections across a distributed network, enabling rapid transactions and significantly reducing costs. This approach fosters collaboration among travel technology systems, establishing a single source of truth and paving the way for new business models, including B2C2B and C2C interactions. The Camino Network is a blockchain platform designed for the global travel industry, promoting seamless integration of travel offerings. It incorporates Know Your Business (KYB) and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, self-custodial wallets, and supports a variety of use cases.  Complementing the Camino Network is Camino Messenger, a decentralized network that connects travel suppliers and distributors for efficient trade. By mapping existing systems to Camino Messenger, businesses can easily access new partners, such as hotels, airlines, and car rentals. This tool streamlines API management, standardizes communication, and unlocks innovative monetization opportunities. Founded by industry veterans Ralf Usbeck, Thomas Stirnimann, and Pablo Castillo, Chain4Travel leverages decades of experience in travel technology. Their vision is to build a collaborative network that enables digital innovation for the global travel industry, positioning Chain4Travel as a pioneer in this transformative journey. Supporting links Stabull Finance Chain4Travel Camino Network Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

    31 min
  8. 11/27/2024

    Warden Protocol - Bringing AI to Web3

    David Pinger is the co-founder of Warden Protocol. Warden brings AI to web3, enabling any application, protocol or smart contract to integrate trustworthy AI. Why you should listen Warden Protocol is a blockchain platform designed to bring artificial intelligence (AI) into the Web3 world. It allows developers to easily add AI capabilities to their applications, smart contracts, and protocols. By combining blockchain and AI, Warden Protocol ensures that AI predictions are trustworthy and secure. At the heart of Warden Protocol is the AI Blockchain Interface (AIBI). This tool helps integrate AI into blockchain systems by verifying that AI models are producing accurate results. The verification process uses a unique method involving cryptographic proofs and blockchain consensus to ensure reliability. Warden Protocol has two main layers. The Verification Layer ensures that AI outputs are accurate and secure using cryptographic validation. The Execution Layer helps developers integrate AI into apps and smart contracts across different blockchains, automating processes efficiently. One of the standout features of Warden Protocol is its user-friendly design. Developers can integrate AI easily, without needing to understand complex cryptographic systems. It also enables smooth interactions across blockchains by aggregating multiple accounts, making it easier to sign transactions on different networks. Developers can use Warden Protocol for several purposes. They can build applications with embedded AI for enhanced functionality. The platform also supports creating Omnichain Applications (OApps), which work across multiple blockchains. Additionally, Warden introduces Keychains, which handle secure key storage and transaction signing, simplifying cross-chain coordination. Warden Protocol supports running validator nodes. These nodes help secure the network and allow participants to earn rewards. This feature ensures the stability and security of the blockchain ecosystem. Comprehensive documentation is available to help developers get started. The guides cover everything from basic information about the protocol to instructions for creating applications, managing Keychains, and running validator nodes. Warden Protocol also provides details about its tokens, WARD and WARP. Warden Protocol is a cutting-edge solution for integrating AI into blockchain systems. It simplifies AI adoption for developers and creates opportunities for innovative Web3 applications. With its secure, flexible, and user-friendly design, it is set to play a significant role in the future of decentralized AI. Supporting links Stabull Finance Warden Protocol Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

    32 min

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Brave New Coin’s Crypto Conversation talks to the key people creating the Bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrency future. Hosted by Andy Pickering, learn how this rapidly evolving industry is reshaping the world as we move towards decentralized finance, NFTs and Web3.

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