Endgame with Amanda Cassatt

Serotonin
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The world is changing at an accelerating pace—Endgame is here to make sense of it. Hosted by Amanda Cassatt, founder of Serotonin, this podcast brings you conversations with the visionaries driving breakthrough technologies and shaping the future. Join Amanda as she unpacks the trends, innovations, and paradigm shifts defining our time. Where is this all going? Let’s figure it out together. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

  1. 11h ago

    The Man Who Built the Metaverse Explains Why Meta Failed | Philip Rosedale

    Corporate metaverses failed the moment big tech tried to turn human connection into a closed retail space. In this episode of Endgame, Second Life creator Philip Rosedale joins Amanda Cassatt to explain why corporate giants spent $80 billion and still couldn't build a functional virtual world. Moving far beyond the surface-level hype of Silicon Valley, Philip exposes how algorithmic feeds and centralized interfaces are stripping away genuine human sovereignty, leaving us with a cheap illusion of agency.  They dive deep into the high-stakes ethics of emerging technology, explaining why corporate LLMs risk breeding digital demons if we continue to treat artificial entities as enslaved tools for profit rather than digital offspring. Discover why true digital freedom requires localized artificial life and persistent pseudonymity rather than surveillance state biometric scans. Timestamp 0:00 – Welcome 3:01 – What did Second Life know 20 years ago that Meta still doesn't? 5:07 – The COVID-era logic that convinced everyone we'd all end up in the metaverse 7:17 – Why virtual worlds still can't replicate meeting a stranger in person 9:30 – Who actually stays in Second Life: repressive regimes and long-term escape 11:13 – Is staying in a virtual world for life a good thing? 13:19 – Do shooter video games actually teach transferable skills? 15:13 – Why women used Second Life more effectively than men 17:13 – Roblox, Minecraft, and the ethics of monetizing kids 19:13 – Why Second Life deliberately stores nothing about you: the case for pseudonymity 21:27 – Did Second Life become what Rosedale actually wanted? 23:24 – The night the community blew up his own nightclub 25:16 – Is technology pulling people together or tearing them apart? 27:42 – From Wikipedia optimism to "big tech has done nothing but harm" 30:03 – Are AI models conscious? Defining consciousness itself 32:21 – Marc Andreessen says there's no path to AI consciousness — does Rosedale agree? 34:45 – Will machines start demanding rights? 39:25 – "Awakening the Angels": should AI be unstoppable and unowned? 41:50 – "Machines are our children": raising AI as independent offspring 44:12 – What he's building at New Theory, beyond LLMs 46:23 – Artificial life, cellular automata, and the other path to AGI 48:41 – Fusing atoms and bits — and why crypto's obsession with "sovereignty" might be an illusion 50:15 – Closing case for nuance over Silicon Valley's binary thinking Stay Connected Amanda on X:  https://x.com/amandacassatt   Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin_hq  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/45B9szUxVXEwfCDA6uRxwq?si=HT9XXqF9Q2CcM9hfLbmkVg    Endgame on Apple Podcasts  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440   Follow Philip Rosadale https://x.com/philiprosedale https://www.linkedin.com/in/philiprosedale

    The Man Who Built the Metaverse Explains Why Meta Failed | Philip Rosedale

  2. Jul 29

    Sui's Kostas Chalkias: I Told Them to Freeze the $163 Million

    As chief cryptographer of Sui and Mysten Labs, Kostas Chalkias helped design a blockchain built on more than 100 published cryptography papers and an object-based architecture fast enough to let AI agents chain dozens of transactions into a single intent, without skipping the security research most "fast chains" leave out entirely. In this episode of Endgame, Amanda Cassatt sits down with Kostas to break down why validators froze $163 million after the Cetus hack, why post-quantum migration can't wait for a crisis to force it, and why he thinks cryptographers now have exactly one place left to do their best work. But the most unexpected part isn't the tech; it's the path. Chalkias was lecturing cryptography at universities in Dubai before spending three years building Facebook's ill-fated Libra project. He walked away from Meta because, in his words, it was too slow for how fast cryptography actually moves. Now he's chief cryptographer at one of the most talked-about L1s in the space. Timestamp 0:00 – Is the quantum threat to Bitcoin and Ethereum real, or Sui's marketing wedge? 0:42 – Why every chain needs to start quantum migration now 2:32 – Why isn't a single top-40 blockchain quantum-safe yet? 7:52 – Why leave Facebook's Libra project to build another L1? 9:05 – Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana already won  so why build Sui? 21:06 – Why has Sui gone down more than once? 24:33 – The Cetus hack: why validators froze $163M 27:01 – What can only be built on Sui's object-based architecture? 30:14 – Is Sui's confidential-transactions push just Tornado Cash with extra steps? Stay Connected  Amanda on X:  https://x.com/amandacassatt    Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin_hq   Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/45B9szUxVXEwfCDA6uRxwq?si=HT9XXqF9Q2CcM9hfLbmkVg    Endgame on Apple Podcasts  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440   Follow Kostas Chalkias  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chalkiaskostas https://x.com/kostascrypto?lang=en

    Sui's Kostas Chalkias: I Told Them to Freeze the $163 Million

  3. Jul 22

    Open Source AI Is How America Loses | Diogo Mónica

    Diogo Mónica co-founded Anchorage Digital, the first federally chartered crypto bank in the US, and now argues for a position most of Silicon Valley won't say out loud: America should be building closed AI, not open source. In this episode of Endgame, Amanda Cassatt sits down with Diogo, Co-Founder of Anchorage Digital and General Partner at Haun Ventures, to break down why he thinks open-sourcing AI just hands China a free ride, why he calls AI "the ultimate weapon," and why he considers defending US AI intellectual property "perfectly legitimate." They also discuss his board seat at Erebor, Palmer Luckey's new bank for crypto, AI, and defense companies; why stablecoins bridge crypto anarchism and financial regulation; and why he calls building in crypto an act of American patriotism. Timestamp 0:56 – Kicking off with Katie Haun and Haun Ventures  2:13 – Reconciling his crypto-anarchist roots with his own philosophy 3:15 – Founding a regulated bank: Anchorage Digital  4:18 – Stablecoins: centralized control on decentralized rails  5:26 – Would a crypto anarchist say regulation just protects incumbents?  6:38 – Is building in crypto an act of American patriotism?  8:11 – Can crypto be "American-made" if it was born borderless?  13:25 – Introducing Palmer Luckey and the US-China AI/crypto landscape  14:21 – Is America on the right side of technology history?  15:39 – Why he believes America should build closed AI, not open source  16:31 – Does intellectual property even make sense in the AI age?  17:55 – Is the "China competition" narrative a political red herring? 18:18 – AI as "the ultimate weapon" and the end of mutually assured destruction 19:46 – Turning the protectionism question back on China (Google, Gmail, Twitter)  20:21 – Building Erebor: Palmer Luckey's bank for crypto, AI, and defense  22:55 – Toward a left-wing and right-wing version of every business? 24:14 – Crypto's real legacy: financial education for an entire generation Stay Connected ● Amanda on X:  https://x.com/amandacassatt   ● Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin_hq  ● Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/45B9szUxVXEwfCDA6uRxwq?si=HT9XXqF9Q2CcM9hfLbmkVg    Endgame on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440   Follow Diogo Monica https://www.linkedin.com/in/diogomonica https://x.com/diogomonica?lang=en Don’t forget to subscribe! #EndGame #AI #crypto  #bitcoin  #fintech

    Open Source AI Is How America Loses | Diogo Mónica

  4. Jul 15

    Why Robinhood Built on Ethereum Instead of Launching Its Own L1

    Robinhood is evolving far beyond commission-free trading. In this episode of Endgame, Amanda Cassatt sits down with Johann Kerbrat, SVP & GM of Robinhood Crypto, for an in-depth conversation about how Robinhood is using blockchain, AI, and tokenization to reshape investing. Johann explains why Robinhood built its own Layer 2 on Ethereum, how tokenized stocks work in Europe, why Robinhood believes financial markets should operate 24/7, and how AI is changing the future of investing. They also discuss crypto regulation, DeFi, prediction markets, Ethereum vs. Solana, Robinhood Wallet, self-custody, and Robinhood’s long-term vision for bringing traditional financial assets onchain. If you’re interested in crypto, fintech, investing, AI, or the future of financial markets, this conversation offers a rare look inside one of the world’s largest retail investing platforms. In this episode: • Why Robinhood built on Ethereum and Arbitrum • Tokenized stocks explained (EU vs. US) • The future of on-chain ownership • Robinhood’s vision for 24/7 financial markets • AI’s role inside Robinhood • How AI agents could transform investing • DeFi made simple • Robinhood Wallet and self-custody • Ethereum vs. Solana • Prediction markets vs. gambling • Robinhood’s acquisition of WonderFi • The future of global investing Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction 00:20 What Makes Robinhood Different 02:10 Crypto Fees and Accessibility 04:06 Crypto’s Role at Robinhood 05:06 Tokenized Stocks Explained 09:38 What Investors Actually Own 10:57 Putting Real Stocks Onchain 12:31 The Case for 24/7 Markets 15:48 Why Robinhood Chose Ethereum 18:12 KYC and Decentralization 20:12 Are L2s Good for Ethereum? 21:27 Ethereum vs. Solana 22:45 How Robinhood Uses AI 24:22 AI, DeFi and WonderFi 25:32 Trading vs. Gambling 29:39 What’s Next for Robinhood? Stay Connected Amanda on X:  https://x.com/amandacassatt   Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin_hq  https://open.spotify.com/episode/45B9szUxVXEwfCDA6uRxwq?si=HT9XXqF9Q2CcM9hfLbmkVg    Endgame on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440   Follow Johann Kerbrat https://x.com/JohannKerbrat?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/johann-kerbrat #EndGame #Robinhood #Tokenization #DeFi #Web3

    Why Robinhood Built on Ethereum Instead of Launching Its Own L1

  5. Jul 9

    AI Is Making Your Mind Easy to Hijack | Amanda Cassatt

    In this episode of Endgame, the roles are reversed. Timour Kosters takes the mic to interview Amanda Cassatt. Together they explore why technology can both expand and limit freedom, how smartphones and algorithms shape our choices, why LLMs may homogenize culture and creativity, and what crypto still offers as a hedge against centralized control.  They also discuss Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, financial privacy, AI’s impact on society, TikTok, purpose, meaning, and why Amanda rejects a traditional “endgame” altogether. Timestamp  00:00 — Turning the tables  02:15 — The Ethereum years: Making the complex legible to the world 06:40 — The iPhone Trap: Why you don’t own your digital life 11:55 — Root Access: Why we are living in a state of "Digital Serfdom" 16:30 — LLMs vs. Human Thought: The homogenization of everything 21:10 — Why Bitcoin and Ethereum are bulwarks against authoritarianism 25:45 — The "Digital Marshall Plan": Stablecoins and the future of sovereignty 30:15 — Edge City and the birth of the Network State 35:50 — "If you have a goal, you're co-optable": The philosophy of agency 42:20 — Infinite vs. Finite Games: Who is writing your menu? 48:10 — Strengthening from the inside vs. regulating from the outside 49:58 — The story of the rising water: Breaking the frame of San Francisco Stay Connected: Subscribe to Endgame: https://www.youtube.com/@endgamepodcast  Amanda on X:  https://x.com/amandacassatt   Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin_hq  Austin on X: http://x.com/Austin_Federa DoubleZero on X: https://x.com/doublezero Links to Follow: Endgame on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/45B9szUxVXEwfCDA6uRxwq?si=HT9XXqF9Q2CcM9hfLbmkVg    Endgame on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440

    AI Is Making Your Mind Easy to Hijack | Amanda Cassatt

  6. Jul 1

    The $150 Trillion Rail Crypto Doesn't Understand with Tom Zschach

    How Swift works is one of the most misunderstood topics in crypto payments. Tom Zschach spent six years as Chief Innovation Officer at Swift, and he has unique insights to share. In this episode: Why stablecoins aren’t replacing Swift; they’re connecting to it Why Tom called Ripple a fax machine and stands by it Why a token isn’t money and what that means for settlement Why faster and cheaper isn’t the real prize- certainty is What it actually takes to move $50 million into Singapore when there’s no alternative

    The $150 Trillion Rail Crypto Doesn't Understand with Tom Zschach

  7. Jun 22

    Adam Back | Bitcoin's origins, the Satoshi mystery & why quantum won't kill it

    Adam Back invented the proof-of-work system that became Bitcoin's foundation. The New York Times says he's Satoshi Nakamoto. He says he isn't, but he was the first person Satoshi ever emailed. Every major publication is asking whether quantum computing will break Bitcoin. The consensus is nervous. Adam Back, the man who built Bitcoin's cryptographic foundation, is not. In this conversation, he explains why none of the quantum computers that exist today can perform a useful calculation, why you shouldn't expect a real threat before 2035 at the earliest, and why the institutions buying Bitcoin through BlackRock ETFs changed themselves. Not Bitcoin. They also get into the real state of building on Bitcoin, why Lightning Network channel numbers are shrinking is actually fine, how $2 billion in Mexican promissory notes ended up on a Bitcoin layer 2, and what a lifelong cypherpunk actually thinks about AI. Also in this episode - Why Lightning Network channel numbers are shrinking (and why that's fine) - How $2 billion in Mexican promissory notes ended up on a Bitcoin layer 2 - What a lifelong cypherpunk actually thinks about AI Timestamps:  0:00 Intro 0:30 Is Adam Back Satoshi? 1:37 Does the speculation bother him? 1:53 First contact: Satoshi reached out to Adam 2:53 Weirdest thing about being a Satoshi suspect 3:21 Hashcash and the CipherPunk mailing list 4:28 Why proof of work was the breakthrough 4:58 CipherPunk identity vs. BlackRock adoption 6:02 How he reconciles crypto anarchism with institutions 8:01 Are institutions changing Bitcoin or vice versa? 9:25 The case against institutional Bitcoin 10:19 Paper Bitcoin and synthetic derivatives 14:04 Why governments are buying gold, not Bitcoin 16:41 Has "build on Bitcoin" failed? 19:32 Lightning compression isn't a demand signal 19:57 Stablecoins and RWAs on Bitcoin layer 2 21:20 Why Mexican promissory notes ended up on Liquid 22:03 Adam's stance on quantum panic 23:33 The timeline skepticism  26:45 The danger of rushing a quantum solution 28:18 The security budget problem 31:13 What does a CipherPunk think of AI? Stay Connected Subscribe to Endgame: https://www.youtube.com/@endgamepodcast  Amanda on X:  https://x.com/amandacassatt   Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin_hq  Links to Follow: Endgame on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/45B9szUxVXEwfCDA6uRxwq?si=HT9XXqF9Q2CcM9hfLbmkVg    Endgame on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440   Follow Adam Back  https://x.com/adam3us?lang=en

    Adam Back | Bitcoin's origins, the Satoshi mystery & why quantum won't kill it

  8. Jun 8

    Your Body Is Not a Protocol. It's a Practice | Toby Shorin

    Cultural theorist and essayist Toby Shorin joins Amanda Cassatt to explore one of the most urgent questions of the AI era: What happens to the human body and human meaning when thinking itself becomes commodified? Drawing on his essay “Body Futurism,” Toby argues that we’re witnessing a massive embodied turn in culture, from peptides and biohacking to looks-maxing and sports investment. But the real question isn’t just why people are obsessing over their bodies; it’s whether that obsession represents liberation or a new form of algorithmic hijacking. In this episode, they discuss: - Bryan Johnson’s “don’t die” philosophy and why it’s rooted in fear, not vision - The difference between a protocol and a practice, and its political consequences - Who actually benefits from the loneliness epidemic narrative - What the “AI mind virus” looks like from inside the Bay Area - Why poetry might be the only genuine escape from the optimization loop If you’re interested in the intersection of AI, culture, embodiment, and meaning, this conversation is not to be missed. Timestamps:  0:00 Introduction  2:44 Why everyone is obsessed with their body right now  7:08 The philosophy behind biohacking and morphological freedom  10:42 Why "don't die" is actually a fear-based philosophy  13:27 What AI really threatens  it's not your job  14:50 AI mastered chess. Chess adoption only grew.  18:05 Why PE firms are buying sports teams  20:41 Body as asset vs. body as practice  26:24 What is a narrative subsidy?  28:44 Who actually benefits from the loneliness epidemic  29:20 We forgot how to do the dance  31:52 Did Andrew Huberman invent seeing light in the morning?  32:44 How insurance culture took over everyday life  36:45 Two ways out of the optimization loop  38:00 The poetic way of seeing  40:29 Toby reads a poem he wrote this morning  42:09 The William Carlos Williams connection Stay Connected Subscribe to Endgame ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@endgamepodcast  Amanda on X:  https://x.com/amandacassatt   Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin_hq  Links to Follow: Endgame on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/45B9szUxVXEwfCDA6uRxwq?si=HT9XXqF9Q2CcM9hfLbmkVg    Endgame on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440   Follow Toby Shorin https://www.instagram.com/tobyshorin/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobyshorin

    Your Body Is Not a Protocol. It's a Practice | Toby Shorin
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The world is changing at an accelerating pace—Endgame is here to make sense of it. Hosted by Amanda Cassatt, founder of Serotonin, this podcast brings you conversations with the visionaries driving breakthrough technologies and shaping the future. Join Amanda as she unpacks the trends, innovations, and paradigm shifts defining our time. Where is this all going? Let’s figure it out together. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

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