DRONE ON

Bryce Bladon

DRONE ON explores how drones are reshaping the world. Hosted by Bryce Bladon, the podcast documents the tech, economics and people piloting the world's largest standardized drone imagery network.

Episodes

  1. How LayerDrone Became the World's Largest Standardized Drone Network

    8 DEC

    How LayerDrone Became the World's Largest Standardized Drone Network

    Alec Wilson, COO of Spexi, explains how LayerDrone became the world’s largest standardized drone imagery network, and why Spexi made the decision to spin LayerDrone out into a public-good, crypto-economic protocol. He goes on to share: his journey from helicopter pilot to building one of the most ambitious aerial data networks in the world, the regulatory evolution of drones in Canadian airspace, how LayerDrone standardizes imagery from thousands of pilots, and why spatial AI, world models, and next-gen robotics companies are hungry for ultra-high-resolution, frequently updated aerial data.Discussed How to go from flying helicopters to co-founding a drone training company that certified 10,000+ pilotsThe founding vision behind LayerDrone as an open-source, crypto-economic protocol for standardized drone imageryWhy Spexi spun out LayerDrone and their role as the founding core contributorHow the network balances pilot agency with safety requirements and regulatory complianceThe relationship between Spexi (demand) and LayerDrone (supply)Timecodes (00:00) - LayerDrone: the World’s Largest Standardized Drone (00:20) - Alec Wilson: Helicopter Pilot to Drone COO (01:51) - Alec co-founds Coastal Drone (04:17) - LayerDrone's founding vision (06:37) - Spexi's relationship with LayerDrone (07:47) - LayerDrone standardizes and coordinates thousands of drones (09:57) - Why take the risk of creating LayerDrone? (16:32) - Innovation or Idiotic? Hosted by Bryce Bladon | Edited by AJ Fillari | Sponsored by Spexi.com & LayerDrone.org

    20 min
  2. How Crypto Can Enable the Future of Drone Services

    17 NOV

    How Crypto Can Enable the Future of Drone Services

    What if Uber paid their drivers with tokens? This episode explores how tokenization and decentralization are creating new economic models for drone-based businesses and the pilots who power them. Matt Chwierut brings over a decade of experience to break down complex concepts like tokens, token-powered networks, and how they differ from traditional platform models. He explains why LayerDrone chose to build on blockchain, what it means for drone pilots to be paid in tokens rather than cash, and how this approach creates a fundamentally different relationship between contributors and the networks they help build. From the evolution of open-source protocols to the limitations of platform-based models like Uber, Matt explains how tokens offer a third path—one that combines the openness of protocols with aligned financial incentives for all participants. Guest: Matt Chwierut, Head of Crypto, Spexi Geospatial, Inc. Discussed: What is a token? Understanding provably scarce digital assets and how they differ from traditional digital currenciesToken-powered networks: The third way between open-source protocols and centralized platformsWhy LayerDrone chose blockchain: Moving beyond the "Uber for drones" model to give pilots a stake in the networkDePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks): How physical infrastructure meets blockchain incentivesPilot empowerment: Why paying pilots in tokens creates fundamentally different economics than cash-based platformsThe future of decentralized work: Coordinating skilled human contributors in non-fungible work through tokenizationTimestamps: [00:00] Introduction to DRONE ON[01:00] Guest introduction: Matt Chwierut's decade in Web3[03:00] What is a token? Breaking down the basics[05:00] Token-powered networks: A third path for digital infrastructure[08:00] The problems with traditional platform models[11:00] What is DePIN and why it matters for drones[15:00] Why LayerDrone chose to build on blockchain[18:00] How paying pilots in tokens is different from paying in cash[23:00] Where to learn more about LayerDrone[23:30] "Bryce is Wrong" segment: Blockchain stories from 2018 Hosted by Bryce Bladon (brycebladon.com) | Edited by AJ Fillari (ajfillari.online) | Sponsored by Spexi.com & LayerDrone.org

    26 min

About

DRONE ON explores how drones are reshaping the world. Hosted by Bryce Bladon, the podcast documents the tech, economics and people piloting the world's largest standardized drone imagery network.