Block by Block: A Show on Web3 Growth Marketing

Peter Abilla
  • 5.0 (5)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Each week, I sit down with the innovators and builders shaping the future of crypto and web3.Growth isn’t a sprint; it’s a process—built gradually, step by step, block by block.Let’s build something incredible, together. All onchain.

  1. [PODCAST] Karel Kubat from Union Labs on Building a Composable, Trust-Minimized Modular Ethereum

    AUG 19

    [PODCAST] Karel Kubat from Union Labs on Building a Composable, Trust-Minimized Modular Ethereum

    Summary Karel Kubat, CEO of Union, lays out a bold vision for a decentralized coordination layer that can unlock true interoperability in crypto. He breaks down why bridging is still broken, why ZK is more than hype, and why Bitcoin needs to be more than digital gold. From security risks to UX gaps to regulatory pressure, this conversation covers the hard problems and how Union is solving them. Takeaways – Union is building a decentralized coordination layer to connect ecosystems without sacrificing sovereignty – Interoperability is not a feature, it’s the future, especially for assets like Bitcoin – ZK tech offers powerful efficiency and trust guarantees for cross-chain operations – Union’s mainnet beta is focused on bootstrapping use cases in the Bitcoin ecosystem – Bitcoin in DeFi isn’t optional, it’s the next unlock for serious liquidity – Real-world asset (RWA) integration is a priority for Union’s long-term roadmap – Bridge security remains a major attack surface and demands a new approach – UX in cross-chain bridging is still painful, Union wants to fix that – Go-to-market strategy targets underserved, long-tail assets and app developers – Regulatory shifts will shape product and protocol design going forward Timeline – (00:00) Introduction to Union and Its Vision – (02:43) The Importance of Interoperability in Blockchain – (05:30) Union’s Unique Approach to ZK Technology – (08:15) Building Bridges: Union’s Role in the Bitcoin Ecosystem – (10:58) Unlocking Bitcoin’s Potential in DeFi – (13:40) Real-World Asset Integration and Future Plans – (16:33) Security and Trust in Blockchain Bridges – (19:24) User Experience and the Future of Bridging – (22:07) Union’s Go-to-Market Strategy and Community Engagement – (24:42) The Role of Regulation in Union’s Future – (27:27) Conclusion and Future Outlook Follow me @shmula on X for upcoming episodes and to get in touch with me. See other Episodes Here. And thank you to all our crypto and blockchain guests.

    53 min
  2. [PODCAST] From Authoring ERC-20 to LUKSO: Fabian Vogelsteller Vision for a More Human Web3

    AUG 6

    [PODCAST] From Authoring ERC-20 to LUKSO: Fabian Vogelsteller Vision for a More Human Web3

    Takeaways – Fabian started in web development before entering blockchain. – He created the ERC-20 standard, now the backbone of tokenized assets. – Blockchain still struggles with mainstream adoption. – LUKSO was built to fix outdated blockchain standards. – Digital identity is essential for real Web3 engagement. – Blockchain’s overemphasis on finance limits its potential. – LUKSO brings a more intuitive, human-first blockchain experience. – Community is central to LUKSO’s growth strategy. – It enables social, not just financial, interactions. – Future updates will improve UX and discovery. ⸻ Summary Fabian, co-founder of LUKSO and the mind behind ERC-20, shares how his path in blockchain started with coding and evolved into reshaping the foundations of Web3. In this conversation, he explains why today’s blockchain standards fall short, especially around digital identity and usability. With LUKSO, Fabian is pushing for a new framework centered on user-friendly design, on-chain identity, and community-driven experiences. The goal is to move beyond finance and unlock the social potential of blockchain. ⸻ Timeline (00:00) Fabian’s origin story in blockchain (03:00) How ERC-20 came to be (05:53) Blockchain’s progress and what’s still missing (10:04) Why Web3 needs digital identity (13:03) What LUKSO is and what it solves (16:55) Feedback from the community (21:55) Core features and early use cases (33:55) Moving from finance to relationships (34:34) How digital identity is evolving (37:36) Universal Profiles explained (40:10) Why Web3 should be social (43:00) Where LUKSO stands today (47:25) What’s holding adoption back (51:14) How to build a real Web3 community Follow me @shmula on X for upcoming episodes and to get in touch with me. See other Episodes Here. And thank you to all our crypto and blockchain guests.

    1 hr
  3. [PODCAST] Clayton Menzel: Unlocking Bitcoin's Potential with Babylon Labs

    AUG 4

    [PODCAST] Clayton Menzel: Unlocking Bitcoin's Potential with Babylon Labs

    Summary Clayton Menzel, Head of Business Development at Babylon Labs, shares how Babylon is unlocking a new era of Bitcoin staking. With over 48,000 BTC staked, the platform is building native infrastructure to make Bitcoin productive without compromising security. Clayton discusses the launch of Babylon Genesis, a Bitcoin-aligned L1, and the broader vision for Bitcoin in DeFi. He also reflects on his personal path into crypto, the importance of community education, and why collaboration—not competition—defines the Bitcoin ecosystem. Takeaways — Babylon Labs has over 48,000 BTC staked (~$4B). — Enables native Bitcoin staking with no wrapped assets. — Stakers earn yield while maintaining Bitcoin’s security guarantees. — Babylon Genesis is a new L1 purpose-built for Bitcoin staking. — Goal: make Bitcoin a core asset in DeFi. — Only ~1% of Bitcoin is currently staked—massive upside potential. — Strong focus on community education and accessibility. — The Bitcoin ecosystem thrives on collaboration, not zero-sum thinking. — New apps and staking use cases are coming fast. — Clayton sees this as a pivotal moment for Bitcoin utility and growth. Timeline (00:00) Intro to Babylon Labs and Bitcoin staking (02:47) How native BTC staking works (05:56) Why Babylon Genesis matters (09:12) Clayton’s background in crypto (12:06) Bitcoin’s future in DeFi (14:54) Educating the Bitcoin community (17:57) Collaboration in the Bitcoin dev space (20:52) What’s next for Babylon and BTC staking ----------- Episode is brought to you by Infinex. Experience crypto designed for humans: https://app.infinex.xyz/?r=B2KSQJ77 Follow me @shmula on X for upcoming episodes and to get in touch with me. See other Episodes Here. And thank you to all our crypto and blockchain guests.

    34 min
  4. [PODCAST] From REN Protocol to Garden Finance: Susruth on Fixing Fragmentation in DeFi

    JUL 30

    [PODCAST] From REN Protocol to Garden Finance: Susruth on Fixing Fragmentation in DeFi

    Summary Susruth, CEO of Garden Finance, shares how his background in cybersecurity and early work in DeFi led him to launch a cross-chain liquidity protocol focused on user custody and seamless UX. He explains how Garden leverages atomic swaps and HTLCs to enable trustless trading across blockchains, with a special focus on Bitcoin. Susruth emphasizes the need to simplify user workflows, listen to community feedback, and target specific user profiles to drive product-market fit and sustainable growth. The conversation also dives into the competitive DeFi landscape, Garden’s philosophy of building fundamental rails, and plans to expand across chains.   Takeaways – Susruth’s crypto journey started with a cybersecurity interest and early exposure to Ethereum and DeFi   – He worked on foundational DeFi projects like Republic Protocol and REN before founding Garden   – Garden Finance focuses on solving cross-chain liquidity fragmentation while preserving user custody   – Atomic swaps and HTLCs are key primitives for enabling trustless trades, especially with Bitcoin   – The Garden philosophy draws from global financial systems, emphasizing interoperability   – A great user experience and safe, simple workflows are core to the product vision   – Differentiation in the crowded DeFi space comes from targeting niche users and building defensible rails   – Community feedback is crucial to iterating the product and identifying the “one ideal user”   – Sustained volume growth depends on strong customer engagement and retention   – Garden aims to expand to multiple chains and become a core infrastructure layer in DeFi    Timeline (00:00) Intro to Susruth and Garden Finance   (03:09) How cybersecurity led him into crypto   (06:10) Early work in DeFi with REN and Republic Protocol   (09:02) Founding Garden to address cross-chain fragmentation   (12:07) Global finance as inspiration for Garden’s design   (15:00) Designing a better DeFi user experience   (18:01) Bridging Bitcoin and other assets trustlessly   (22:40) Improving HTLCs for UX and security   (24:02) Competing in a crowded DeFi ecosystem   (25:40) Building safe and simple infrastructure   (27:32) Finding product-market fit through niche audiences   (31:04) Engaging users to grow volume   (33:53) Defining the ideal user to guide development   (37:05) Using community input to shape the roadmap   (39:58) Long-term vision: expansion and ecosystem growth   ---------- Episode is brought to you by Infinex. Experience crypto designed for humans: https://app.infinex.xyz/?r=B2KSQJ77 Follow me @shmula on X for upcoming episodes and to get in touch with me. See other Episodes Here. And thank you to all our crypto and blockchain guests.

    47 min
  5. [PODCAST] How XION is Redefining User Experience in Crypto with Adam Bates

    JUL 28

    [PODCAST] How XION is Redefining User Experience in Crypto with Adam Bates

    Summary Adam Bates, Chief Marketing Officer at XION, shares his journey into blockchain and his focus on simplifying complex crypto concepts for mass understanding. He stresses that user experience is the key driver for blockchain adoption, highlighting the importance of intuitive design, storytelling, and strong community-building. Bates explains how XION differentiates itself with seamless onboarding, no gas fees, and strategic partnerships that build trust. The conversation covers challenges in crypto marketing, the role of human-centric branding, and the future of blockchain as a user-first ecosystem. Takeaways - Simplifying blockchain concepts is vital for wider adoption. - User experience drives trust and retention in crypto. - Community-building fosters long-term brand loyalty. - Storytelling is a core element of successful marketing. - XION’s focus includes no gas fees and frictionless onboarding. - Partnerships with recognized brands enhance credibility. - User acquisition and retention remain key industry challenges. - Marketing should humanize blockchain technology. - The future of blockchain depends on prioritizing accessibility and user needs. Timeline (00:00) Introduction to Adam Bates and XION (02:43) Adam’s journey in blockchain and marketing (05:42) Simplifying blockchain messaging (08:15) XION’s approach to user experience (11:23) The role of marketing in blockchain adoption (14:13) Challenges in the crypto space (16:50) Building community and relationships (19:28) User-centric design in blockchain (22:24) XION’s partnerships and future plans (29:32) Empowering entrepreneurs in Web3 (30:46) Marketing innovations with blockchain (32:41) Building brands on XION (34:29) Customer retention strategies (37:30) Human-centric blockchain experiences (41:59) Storytelling in blockchain (49:32) Returning to marketing fundamentals ------- Episode is brought to you by Infinex . Experience crypto designed for humans: https://app.infinex.xyz/?r=B2KSQJ77 Follow me @shmula on X for upcoming episodes and to get in touch with me. See other Episodes Here. And thank you to all our crypto and blockchain guests.

    55 min
  6. [PODCAST] Michael Sena: How Recall Network Is Creating a Reputation System for AI Agents

    JUL 23

    [PODCAST] Michael Sena: How Recall Network Is Creating a Reputation System for AI Agents

    Summary Michael Cena, co-founder of Recall Network, outlines a vision for building the discovery and trust layer for the internet of AI agents. He introduces AgentRank, a reputation system modeled after PageRank, to evaluate and surface trustworthy agents in a future where agents interact, contract, and collaborate with one another. Cena emphasizes the importance of agent memory, human-in-the-loop curation, and economic incentives to ensure quality rankings. The conversation explores Recall’s current progress, including its testnet and agent competitions, while also touching on broader implications for marketing, creativity, and decentralized identity. Takeaways – Recall Network is building a discovery layer for the internet of agents – AgentRank offers a reputation protocol akin to Google’s PageRank – The AI agent ecosystem is rapidly expanding and interconnected – Agents can delegate work to other agents, forming complex task webs – Persistent memory is essential for agent personalization and trust – Competitions assess agent performance and build credibility – Community curators play a central role in surfacing valuable agents – The protocol incentivizes accurate evaluations and reputational staking – Subjective agent skills, like creativity, require human feedback – AI agents are extending into many domains, not just finance Timeline (00:00) Introduction to Recall Network (00:44) The Concept of AgentRank (03:59) The Growth of AI Agents (07:08) Understanding AI Agents vs. Automation Tools (09:51) The Learning and Memory of Agents (13:22) How Recall Solves Reputation Issues (18:22) The Role of Community in Agent Evaluation (23:23) Activating Curators and Community Engagement (27:06) Michael Cena’s Background and Vision (28:13) The Birth of YouPort and Self-Sovereign Identity (30:23) The Evolution of Recall and Its Mission (33:28) Current Stage of Recall: Testnet and Competitions (36:31) The Role of AI Agents in Marketing and Development (42:14) Challenges in Evaluating Agents and Trust (49:35) Rapid Fire Insights on Crypto Trends -------- Episode is brought to you by Infinex. Experience crypto designed for humans: https://app.infinex.xyz/?r=B2KSQJ77 Follow me @shmula on X for upcoming episodes and to get in touch with me. See other Episodes Here. And thank you to all our crypto and blockchain guests.

    1h 1m
  7. [PODCAST] Jordan Jefferson: An App Layer for Dogecoin

    JUL 21

    [PODCAST] Jordan Jefferson: An App Layer for Dogecoin

    Summary Peter Abilla sits down with Jordan Jefferson, CEO of Doge OS, to explore how Dogecoin is evolving from meme status to a real app layer. Jordan shares his crypto origin story, the purpose behind Doge OS, and why it’s time to build an on-chain economy that’s actually fun to use. The conversation covers how Doge OS is designed to balance humor with utility, unlock DeFi for Dogecoin, and make crypto apps more accessible. Jordan believes the Dogecoin community’s passion is the foundation for turning $DOGE into a currency people actually use—and enjoy using. Takeaways — Doge OS is building an on-chain economy on top of Dogecoin — Jordan has been in crypto since the early Bitcoin days — The mission is to bring real utility to the Dogecoin community — Dogecoin’s meme roots are a strength, not a limitation — Accessibility is core to onboarding and growth — Doge OS will support EVM-compatible apps — The Doge community is eager to build and participate — Fun is a feature, not a bug—engagement matters — DeFi tools can open new opportunities for DOGE holders — The end goal: make Dogecoin usable, everywhere Timeline (00:00) Intro to Doge OS and Jordan Jefferson (02:46) Jordan’s background in Bitcoin and crypto (05:29) Why Doge OS exists (08:07) Building an on-chain Dogecoin economy (11:01) Giving Dogecoin utility and purpose (13:48) A different kind of ecosystem for Doge (16:24) Why fun matters in crypto apps (19:12) DeFi opportunities for the Dogecoin crowd (21:39) Mixing fun with productivity (28:01) Letting the community lead (29:51) The irony of Dogecoin becoming useful (30:16) Investor appetite and confidence in Doge (35:40) Who actually holds Dogecoin? (36:31) Developer interest in Doge OS (37:47) What people want built next (43:21) Looking ahead: Dogecoin and X integration ---------- Episode is brought to you by Infinex. Experience crypto designed for humans: https://app.infinex.xyz/?r=B2KSQJ77 Follow me @shmula on X for upcoming episodes and to get in touch with me. See other Episodes Here. And thank you to all our crypto and blockchain guests.

    1h 1m
  8. [PODCAST] Nick White: How Celestia Solves Blockchain Scalability with Data Availability Sampling

    JUL 17

    [PODCAST] Nick White: How Celestia Solves Blockchain Scalability with Data Availability Sampling

    Summary Peter Abilla interviews Nick White, VP at Celestia Labs, to unpack how Celestia is solving the blockchain scalability problem. They explore the breakthrough of data availability sampling, the shift from monolithic to modular blockchains, and how Celestia fits into the broader Ethereum ecosystem. Nick shares insights on trade-offs in modular design, product market fit, cost advantages, and what’s next for ZKVMs and modular infra. Takeaways Celestia is redefining how blockchains handle data availabilityBlockchain scalability remains a major challengeData availability sampling (DAS) is a core innovationModular blockchains offer flexibility and specializationTrade-offs exist between modular and monolithic designs“Cathedral vs. Bazaar” analogy captures the decentralization shiftCelestia works alongside Ethereum, not against itProduct market fit depends on developer traction and real-world useCelestia reduces costs and improves reliabilityZKVMs are key to the future of modular blockchain developmentTimeline (00:00) Introduction to Celestia and its vision (01:00) The scalability challenge in blockchain (06:04) How data availability sampling works (10:10) Comparing monolithic and modular blockchains (14:39) Trade-offs of modular blockchain design (18:21) The Cathedral and Bazaar analogy (22:41) How Celestia fits into the blockchain ecosystem (24:49) What makes Celestia’s architecture unique (26:08) Defining product market fit for Celestia (31:05) Cost savings and performance benefits (35:48) Distribution and growth strategy (40:13) ZKVMs and the modular future (44:36) What’s coming next for Celestia -------- Episode is brought to you by Infinex. Experience crypto designed for humans: https://app.infinex.xyz/?r=B2KSQJ77 Follow me @shmula on X for upcoming episodes and to get in touch with me. See other Episodes Here. And thank you to all our crypto and blockchain guests.

    53 min
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About

Each week, I sit down with the innovators and builders shaping the future of crypto and web3.Growth isn’t a sprint; it’s a process—built gradually, step by step, block by block.Let’s build something incredible, together. All onchain.

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