Validated Solana Foundation

In this episode, Austin chats with Kollan House, cofounder of MetaDAO, the first project to put the concept of futarchy into practice since its conception in the early 2000's. Put simply, futarchy is a system of governance that uses market mechanics to make decisions. MetaDAO provides a platform to create, manage, and participate in futarchies, and is itself governed by a futarchy. Kollan breaks down how market-based governance works, gives real-world examples of futarchic voting proposals, and addresses the viability of futarchy's economics and ethics.

In this episode, Austin chats with Ray Jacobson (Audius) about what decentralization unlocks for the music streaming ecosystem. In contrast with legacy streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, Audius leverages blockchain to increase accounting transparency for artists. The platform allows artists to have more control over monetization methods, helping to build deeper and more direct relationships with fans through tools like remix competitions, pre-release options, and more. The conversation further dives into Audius' partial migration from Ethereum to Solana, the integration of traditional music licensing with decentralized systems, product-market fit, and more.

In this second episode on CBDCs, Austin and Amira return to chat with Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL). Foster recently voted against the CBDC Anti-Surveillance Act. Unlike Congressman Emmer, Foster believes in the importance of controlled privacy, distinguishing between continuous government surveillance and the ability to de-anonymize transactions under specific legal circumstances. He elaborates on his point of view, suggesting that traceable wallets will prove to be a cornerstone of fighting financial crimes. They also discuss the topics of financial inclusion, US dollar dominance, and the trustworthiness of the US government in the context of tighter regulation.

In this episode, Austin and Amira (Head of Policy, Solana Foundation) chat with Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN), a champion of the the recently passed CBDC Anti-Surveillance Act. Congressman Emmer details his concerns about government surveillance through CBDCs, emphasizing his beliefs in individual privacy and financial freedom. They also discuss topics such as the development of CBDCs in other global economies, the importance of stablecoins for the US dollar, and the need for regulatory clarity for crypto in the US.

According to Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), being pro-crypto is being pro-American. In this conversation, Austin and Senator Hagerty discuss the many partisan divides on crypto and the industry's global implications. Hagerty explains his views on regulatory overreach, CBDCs, repatriating American crypto founders, and much more.

In this episode, Austin chats with FP Lee (Sanctum) about the liquid staking landscape on Solana. They discuss the architectural differences between staking on Solana and other blockchains, such as Ethereum, and how seemingly trivial implementation details have profound downstream implications for builders. FP breaks down Sanctum's product suite and the full range of LSTs that the ecosystem currently utilizes - Validator LSTs, Project-based LSTs, Individual LSTs, No-Loss Lottery LSTs, and more. They also reflect on the potential issues of liquidity during market downturns and the extent to which blockchain foundations should play an interventionist role.