Lightspeed

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Lightspeed is a podcast for those interested in how crypto can solve real problems and create products users love. It's a callback to the garage days of Silicon Valley, where builders pushed the limits of hardware and software to build world-changing products. We interview the projects and founders that will make this same impact today.

1 HR AGO

DoubleZero Edge: Democratizing the Speed Advantage | Austin Federa

Gm! In this episode, we’re joined by Austin Federa, Co-Founder of DoubleZero, to discuss the network’s growth, its shift to Edge-based data monetization, and the role of high-speed data in trading. We also cover Solana’s roadmap, validator dynamics, DeFi fairness, and evolving Foundation strategy amid shifting regulatory and institutional conditions. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow DoubleZero: https://x.com/doublezero Follow Austin Federa: https://x.com/Austin_Federa Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:39) DoubleZero Growth Update (3:41) Why Edge Changes Revenue (6:48) Why APIs Are Too Slow (9:22) How Shreds Create Alpha (16:13) Can DeFi Be Fair? (20:07) Alpenglow and Constellation (28:58) What Comes Next? (31:01) Solana Foundation’s New Playbook (35:02) Where Foundations Should Compete (46:51) Edge Launch Timeline (47:46) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

48 min
1 DAY AGO

How Institutions Are Moving Onchain | Catherine Gu

Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Catherine Gu, Head of Product, Digital Assets at Solana, to discuss her transition from Visa to Solana, the institutional adoption of blockchain, tokenization, payments infrastructure, and developer platforms. We also cover privacy and compliance challenges, onchain metrics, liquidity dynamics, and Solana’s vision for internet capital markets.Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Solana: https://x.com/Solana Follow Catherine: https://x.com/catgu_ Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:31) Catherine's Crypto Journey (8:45) Why Solana Now (12:05) Solana Developer Platform (17:00) Privacy for Institutions (21:23) KYC and Attestations (27:50) Better Onchain Metrics (31:42) Solana’s Liquidity Pitch (35:35) Institutional Adoption Inflection (40:12) Internet Capital Markets (44:30) Memecoins, Brand, and Growth (49:25) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

50 min
9 APR

Titan's Solution to Onchain Pricing | defipancakes

Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by defipancakes, Co-Founder and CTO of Titan, to discuss a major social engineering exploit affecting Drift, broader DeFi security practices, and the Solana ecosystem’s response. We also explore Titan’s new Dart routing product, market structure trends, stablecoin and tokenized asset activity, and evolving competition in onchain trading and perps. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Titan: https://x.com/Titan_Exchange Follow defipancakes: https://x.com/defythepancake Follow Carlos: https://x.com/0xcarlosg Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:12) Drift Hack Fallout (4:28) Lessons From the Drift Hack (10:27) Titan Launches Dart (17:02) Conditional Liquidity Debate (22:09) Stablecoin and New Asset Flow (30:38) Onchain Routing’s Future (36:23) Solana Foundation’s Role (41:25) Phoenix vs. Bulk Perps (50:34) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

51 min
2 APR

The Institutional Shift Driving Crypto Forward

Gm! In today’s episode, we cover institutional crypto adoption, tokenization, and regulatory developments, along with Blockworks IR and disclosure frameworks. We also explore perpetual markets, product innovation, and trends across DeFi, neobanking, stablecoins, and DePIN as crypto and traditional finance continue to converge. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Dan Smith: https://x.com/smyyguy Follow Carlos: https://x.com/0xcarlosg Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:59) Institutional Bull Market (5:20) Perps Come to America? (9:05) Why TTF Matters (14:31) Blockworks IR Is Live (19:30) What’s Real at DAS? (28:13) Crypto Apps Become Neobanks (35:50) DePIN Finally Scales (42:26) What’s Crypto’s Next Game? (44:41) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

45 min
31 MAR

The Future of DeFi Trading: Routers, Perps, and MCP | Eugene Chen

Gm! In this episode, Eugene Chen, CEO of Ellipsis Labs, joins us to break down Solana’s evolving market structure and the launch of Phoenix Perps. We explore onchain trading design, routing and sequencing challenges, MCP’s role, and how user behavior and incentives are shaping the future of DeFi. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Ellipsis Labs: https://x.com/ellipsis_labs Follow Eugene: https://x.com/0xShitTrader Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:25) Solana Market Structure Shift (8:07) Why Phoenix Perps Now (21:16) Why Perps Need No Router (29:39) What Solana Must Improve (34:49) The Block Builder Problem (43:24) Will DeFi Mimic TradFi? (52:48) Phoenix Perps Launch Plans (53:38) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

55 min
26 MAR

Designing the Future of Payments Systems | Konstantin Richter & Tom Zschach

Gm! This episode features a panel from DAS New York with Konstantin Richter and Tom Zschach. The discussion covers traditional financial infrastructure, the integration of digital assets, and emerging concepts like agentic payments, along with regulatory gaps, system design challenges, and how SWIFT intersects with evolving crypto-based payment systems.Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Konstantin Richter: https://x.com/konstantin11 Follow Tom Zschach: https://x.com/TomZschach Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (4:08) What Are Agentic Payments? (7:29) Machine Accountability (12:23) Regulation Still Lags (17:16) Do Rails Replace Swift? (20:48) Crypto Needs Systems Design (22:14) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

23 min
24 MAR · BONUS

Investor Relations in the Onchain Era

In this special episode, we introduce Blockworks’ new investor relations platform for onchain businesses. As institutional capital continues to enter crypto markets, expectations around transparency, standardization, and professionalism are rising. But instead of replicating legacy systems, Blockworks IR takes a different approach, leveraging real-time, onchain data to create a more transparent, data-driven, and low-friction investor relations model. The platform combines curated analytics, branded investor portals, and white-glove advisory support into a single solution, helping teams tell a clearer, more credible story while giving investors a more efficient way to evaluate opportunities. Launched at the Digital Asset Summit in New York, Blockworks IR aims to fill a critical gap in the industry. Listen to learn more about the vision behind the product and what it means for the future of investor relations in crypto.

22 min
24 MAR

Making Privacy the Default | Kru & Cal

Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Kru and Cal, co-founders of Umbra, to discuss building privacy infrastructure on Solana using MPC and zero-knowledge technologies. We cover product design, compliance, SDK integrations, and how privacy could drive institutional adoption and improve crypto usability. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow Umbra Privacy: https://x.com/UmbraPrivacy Follow Cal: https://x.com/typi_cal_ Follow Kru: https://x.com/kru_tweets?lang=en Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:12) Founders' Backgrounds (5:53) Why Privacy Matters Now (7:38) What Umbra Is Building (12:01) How Privacy Works (15:57) Expansion and Regulation (22:50) UX, Adoption, and Business Model (26:32) Token and Roadmap (32:07) Future of Privacy (41:57) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

43 min

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Lightspeed is a podcast for those interested in how crypto can solve real problems and create products users love. It's a callback to the garage days of Silicon Valley, where builders pushed the limits of hardware and software to build world-changing products. We interview the projects and founders that will make this same impact today.