GRASS (GetGrass.io) is a viral crypto AI project built on Solana that aims to scrape and validate internet data for AI training. The name 'GRASS' was chosen for its memeability and metaphors. The project addresses the scarcity of quality data and the control of web data by a few companies. It also tackles the unfairness of companies scraping data f…

Josh, the co-founder of Astria, discusses the journey from data availability layers to building a shared sequencer network. He explains the concept of shared sequencing and its advantages, such as amortizing the cost of engineering and providing a competitive experience for rollup developers. He also addresses the trade-offs and constraints of usin…

Integral is a financial operations and accounting platform for companies with Web3 assets. It simplifies financial workflows and provides real-time access to financial information. The platform saves businesses time and frustration by automating tasks such as bookkeeping, payroll, and payments. Integral enables companies to manage their crypto asse…

io.net is a distributed training and inference project built on Solana. They aim to solve the problem of the GPU shortage in the AI industry by building a decentralized network that connects underutilized GPUs from multiple sources. Ionet uses clustering technology to combine GPUs from different geographic locations, allowing for more efficient and…

The conversation explores the concept of Layer 3 (L3) blockchains and their potential impact on the crypto industry. L3s offer unlimited customizations with near-zero gas fees, allowing for limitless creativity and experimentation. The discussion focuses on Degen, a community built on the L3 chain, and its journey from a tipping functionality on Fo…

In this conversation, Jeff from Nous Research discusses their work on open source models and the BitTensor subnet. They address the challenges of ranking models on platforms like Hugging Face and the need for a more reliable and commercially viable model ranking system. Nous Research has developed Nous Hermes, an open source model that can be fine-…

Recorded Live at ETH Denver 2024, this conversation explores the intersection of crypto and AI, discussing the need for decentralized AI models and the challenges of achieving this. The participants highlight the importance of keeping AI open and driven by people, rather than organizations. They discuss the potential of blockchain and Web3 technolo…

In this episode, Tommy and Santiago interview Ethan Sun, the co-founder of MyShell, a decentralized platform for creating and staking AI native applications. They discuss the evolution of AI over the past decade, the importance of consumer-facing applications, and the potential for AI to enhance daily life. Ethan explains how MyShell empowers creat…

In this podcast, we dive deep into the world of Bitcoin scalability solutions with Orkun Kilic, the co-founder and CEO of Chainway Labs, the company behind Citrea - Bitcoin's first zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup. Orkun provides a detailed background on the journey that led to the creation of Citrea, explaining how recent upgrades to Bitcoin's protocol …

In this episode, Keith Singery, a prominent validator and thought leader in the Bittensor ecosystem sits down with Tommy and Michael to share his unique perspective on the project's mission to democratize AI and create a decentralized alternative to the centralized models dominating the field. They delve into the intricate dynamics of Bittensor, in…

In this episode, Keone Hon dives deep on Monad, a high-performance Ethereum-compatible layer 1 blockchain focused on delivering high performance and drastically lower transaction costs. We discuss Monad's key technical innovations like MonadBFT consensus, parallel execution, and a custom database enabling 10,000+ TPS. Keone explains how these break…

Simon Harman, founder of decentralized cross-chain swap protocol Chainflip, joins us for an in-depth discussion on the future of trading in crypto. We cover the motivation behind building a decentralized exchange focused on major layer 1 assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, the technical challenges with supporting Bitcoin, and how ChainFlip achieves f…

Logan Jastremski, Co-founder of Frictionless Capital, sits down for an in-person podcast with Tommy to discuss scaling solutions for high throughput blockchains. They dive into integrated chains like Solana versus modular approaches like Celestia, balancing decentralization and performance, Layer 2 rollups, the differences between downtime and reor…

Guy Young joins Delphi Ventures' Yan Liberman to discuss Ethena’s novel approach to creating a stablecoin that is censorship-resistant, scalable, and yield-generating. We explore how Ethena achieves these goals through a crypto-native stablecoin called USDE that generates yield by collateralizing staked ETH and shorting ETH futures. The conversatio…

AI innovation is accelerating rapidly, but centralized control threatens equitable access and distribution. Can decentralized coordination unlock AI's full potential? We explore this question with Upshot CEO Nick Emmons on his mission to decentralize AI models and architect mechanisms for specialized models to work together. We dive into Upshot's n…

Ala Shaabana joins us to discuss the compelling vision behind Bittensor - a decentralized network aiming to democratize access to AI models and development. He provides an inside look at the technical architecture and incentives powering this novel system. We delve into recent events highlighting flaws in centralized AI governance, using OpenAI's b…

Robert Leshner has been at the forefront of DeFi since founding Compound in 2017. Now he's on a mission to bridge traditional finance and crypto with his new venture, SuperState. In this episode, Robert provides an inside look at SuperState's plans to tokenize real-world assets like US Treasuries, allowing crypto protocols to access their yields. H…

How do experienced crypto investors analyze and adapt their strategies over time? Get insights from Chris Burniske, partner at Placeholder VC, on the firm's journey investing in crypto networks. From Bitcoin's early days to Ethereum's rise and now Solana, Chris explains their evolving philosophy. He shares thoughtful perspectives on building founde…

Co-founders of Offchain Labs, Ed Felten and Steven Goldfeder take us back to 2014, when a classroom idea sparked their vision for scaling before Ethereum even launched. Learn why they believe interactive fraud proofs provide unparalleled security guarantees compared to ZK-rollups, and dive into how these fraud proofs technically work. Gain valuable…

Eli Ben-Sasson, Co-founder and President of StarkWare, joins this podcast episode to discuss scaling blockchains like Ethereum with ZK proofs and validity rollups. He provides an in-depth look at how StarkWare is using its Cairo language and ZK-VM to enable scalability, privacy, and computational integrity on Ethereum. Topics covered include: The r…

On this episode of the Delphi Podcast, Tommy and Jose spoke with Antonio Juliano, founder of dYdX, about their goal to build the largest crypto exchange through a focus on decentralization and derivatives trading. They discussed dYdX's ambitious vision and the risks they are taking to achieve it, including building their own Cosmos-based blockchain…

Christopher Goes, co-founder of Anoma and Nomad, joins Tommy and Can to discuss how he envisions intents becoming the primary interface for blockchain applications. They explore how Anoma is building an architecture focused on user intents, rather than transactions, and how this enables greater composability, privacy, and flexibility. Chris provide…

In this episode Tommy is joined by Travis Kling, founder of Ikigai Asset Management, he discusses his investigation into Binance. Travis breaks down the timeline of events at Binance over the past year, including large BTC transfers, executives leaving, and getting banned in multiple countries. He also explains why he believes there could be a liab…

Jose, Yan, Duncan and Ceteris discuss the craze of friend.tech, what it is, how it works and what it might bring to the table, as well as talk about Coinbase's new L2 and their views on ETFs, liquidity and the markets. Subscribe to the Hivemind podcast here Disclosures: Nothing said on The Hivemind is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or t…

In this spirited debate podcast episode, Tommy is joined by Kyle Samani, Co-Founder of Multicoin Capital, and Nick White, COO of Celestia Labs, to discuss the future of blockchain infrastructure. Kyle lays out the case for integrated blockchain platforms like Solana and Aptos that optimize for scalability, while Nick argues for the flexibility of m…

In this episode, Tommy speaks with James Seyffart, Scott Johnsson, and Hal Press about the latest developments in the long-running saga to get Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) approved by the SEC. They discuss the current filings from major players like Grayscale, BlackRock, and ARK Invest, provide analysis on Grayscale's lawsuit a…

In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of blockchain security and the intersection of artificial intelligence with the crypto space. Join us for an insightful conversation with the co-founders of Test Machine, a company dedicated to making smart contracts safer by utilizing advanced AI technology for vulnerability detection. Matt and …

In this thought-provoking podcast episode, we discuss the mysteries surrounding Large Language Models (LLMs) and their implications for the future of artificial intelligence (AI) with Stephen Wolfram, creator of Mathematica, Wolfram | Alpha & Wolfram Language. We dive into the fascinating world of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their surprising c…

Podcast description In this episode we talk to Jesse Pollak, Head of Protocols at Coinbase where he leads the development of Base, Coinbase’s L2 built on the OP Stack. Prior to leading Protocols, he led retail engineering at Coinbase for many years, building Coinbase, Coinbase Pro, and Coinbase Wallet. We explore how Base went from idea to product …

In this episode, we discuss the impact of AI with Andriy Mulyar, co-founder of AtlasAI and creator of GPT4All. We explore how running local private language models can provide competitive benefits over using public models like ChatGPT without confidential data. Additionally, we delve into the importance of embeddings in AI and their potential impac…

In this episode of the Delphi podcast, host Tommy interviews Emad, the CEO of Stability.ai, an open source AI company dedicated to democratizing access to AI tech. Emad explains how his company handles the rapidly evolving field of AI and machine learning, including their curation filtering priority setting process and the importance of building al…

We sit down with Brian Retford, founder of RISC Zero, to discuss the vision and potential of zero-knowledge (ZK) technology and its impact on the world. ZK technology, although currently in its early stages and with high costs, has the potential to fundamentally change trust assumptions and enable privacy and scalability. RISC Zero's thesis is cent…

In this captivating episode of the podcast, we are joined by Jake Brukhman, an expert in OpenAI and large language models (LLMs), to discuss the interplay between AI and crypto. We dive into various thought-provoking topics, starting with the concept of moats in AI and whether they are sustainable in the long term. Jake shares his insights on the l…

Sei is a Layer 1 blockchain built for trading. It was co-founded by Jay, who was inspired to create a decentralized trading platform after working at Robinhood during the GameStop trading fiasco. Sei is designed to offer the best trading experience possible, with fast finality, high throughput, and specialization for its core focus. Sei achieves it…

In this episode, Jose Macedo offers an inside look into the world of Delphi Labs' recently launched Incubator and valuable advice for startups. Episode Overview Insights into project selection process Delphi Labs' multi-decade commitment to lasting legacy Comparison between Delphi Labs Incubator and Y-Combinator model Technical process to guide pro…

Henry de Valence, one of the deepest thinkers of privacy and the founder of Penumbra joins the podcast for a comprehensive discussion on privacy. Can Gurel, a research lead at Delphi Digital, joins as a co-host given his recent in-depth Privacy report. In this episode, we covered: The importance of privacy for humans and in crypto Financial privacy…

Karate Combat is UFC for the next generation and is built on crypto rails. Co-Founder OnlyLarping joins the podcast to discuss the fight league, tailoring the entire sport for short and engaging experiences, catering to online fans of a younger demographic, bucking the trend by not signing exclusive distribution agreements so the sport is available…

Hugh Karp⁠, Founder and CEO of Nexus Mutual, and Robert Forster, executive director of Ease, join to discuss the future of Crypto Insurance. With billions in hacks and new code released every day, insurance will be crucial for the future of Crypto. We talk about why crypto insurance hasn't taken off, how insurance should be priced, the risks of ins…

Sreeram Kannan, Founder of EigenLayer, joins this episode to talk about the innovative power that EigenLayer is bringing to Ethereum. In this episode we discuss EigenLayer’s data availability layer for ETH L2s to roll down to, which saves costs and solves congestion issues and EigenLayer’s re-staking layer which allows ETH stakers to opt in to supp…

Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, is one of the most passionate guests we’ve ever had on the podcast. In this episode we discuss: The regional banking crisis Outlook for the U.S. Dollar The government blocking deposit only banks that don’t lend out assets FDIC insurance only backing 1% of deposits Hyperinflation in Weimer Germany and …

SEC Commissioner Peirce joins for a conversation centered around her views on the SEC’s approach to Crypto. The conversation covers the current regulation by enforcement strategy, other countries having a more conducive regulatory environment, Commissioner Peirce’s dissenting opinions and much more. This episode is co-hosted by Gabriel Shapiro, GC …

In this episode, Delphi Co-Founder and VC Tommy hosts Anatoly Yakovenko, Co-founder of Solana, for an in-depth and energetic episode centered around the core thesis for Solana in the face of other L1 and L2 ecosystems. Social Links Anatoly Yakovenko Tommy Shaughnessy Follow Delphi Digital Website: https://members.delphidigital.io/home Twitter: http…

In this episode, we're joined by Nic Carter, General Partner at Castle Island Ventures for a far reaching discussion around Nic’s thesis on Operation Choke-Point 2.0; the effort of every U.S. financial regulator to deny crypto firms access to banking services. Social Links Nic Carter Tommy Shaughnessy Follow Delphi Digital Website: https://members.…

On this episode Miller Whitenhouse-Levine the CEO of DeFi Education Fund, Marisa T Coppel Policy Counsel at Blockchain Association and Sarah Brennan GC of Delphi Ventures join host Tommy for the definitive episode on crypto regulations. About The Guests Miller Whitenhouse-Levine CEO at DeFi Education Fund The DeFi Education Fund is a nonpartisan re…

Host and Co-founder of Delphi Tom Shaughnessy sits down with Can Gurel and Ceteris of Delphi Digital Research's Infrastructure team to discuss their Year Ahead for Infrastructure Report. Themes covered include Recreating the centralized exchange experience on chain. Modular vs monolithic App-specific vs general purpose Developers choosing which cha…

Tom Shaughnessy, Co-founder of Delphi Digital, brings on Ashwath Balakrishnan, VP of research at Delphi Digital, and Jordan Yeakley, Research Analyst at Delphi Digital, to cover their Year Ahead for DeFi report. Access the report: The State of DeFi and Where It’s Going We cover: Pushing DeFi Forward: Themes for the Future Theme #1: Tailwinds for DE…

Tommy Shaughnessy continues the crypto venture capital series with Santiago Santos and CMS Holdings. We discuss the FTX fallout, the VC world post-FTX, the core tenets of crypto, and more. This episode was originally hosted on Twitter Spaces. Social Links Santiago Santos CMS Holdings Tommy Shaughnessy Follow Delphi Digital Website: https://members.…

Co-Founder of Delphi Digital Tom Shaughnessy hosts Ryan Zurrer the founder of Dialectic and Jake Brukhman the Co-Founder and CEO of Coinfund. Ryan and Jake are experienced VCs who have been in crypto for a combined 21 years, have invested into hundreds of projects worth collectively tens of billions of dollars. The three discuss: AI Global Macro Th…

This week on Full Disclosure, Gabe and Sarah are joined by Stephen Palley, a digital commerce partner at Brown Rudick. We discuss whether crypto and law are inherently political industries and Ooki DAO’s defense against the CFTC. Show Notes: (00:00:00) – Introduction. (00:00:34) – Is crypto inherently political? (00:04:13) – Analysis of CFTC suing …

This week on Full Disclosure, Gabe and Sarah are joined by Stephen Palley, a digital commerce partner at Brown Rudick. We cover Palley’s path to crypto law, the fallout from Gabe leaking the draft Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act (DCCPA) and which regulator is best suited to crypto. Show Notes: (00:00:00) – Introduction. (00:00:51) – Dri…