278: Scaling Trust in Web3 — Bruno Maia on Cartesi’s Verifiable Rollup Infrastructure

In this episode of Web3 with Sam Kamani, Bruno Maia, Head of Growth at Cartesi, shares his journey from telecom to Web3, his early ICO days, and how he joined Cartesi to help expand Ethereum’s design space with verifiable computation.Cartesi is building a Stage 2 optimistic rollup infrastructure with a fully verifiable Linux-based VM, enabling developers to write dApps in any language using familiar tools — without sacrificing decentralization or Ethereum security guarantees.Whether you're building in Web3, exploring zero-trust infrastructure, or just curious about the future of Ethereum scaling, this is a must-listen episode. Key Timestamps[00:00:00] Introduction: Sam introduces the episode with Bruno Maia from Cartesi.[00:01:00] Bruno’s Background: From telecom and Qualcomm to ICOs and joining Web3 full-time in 2018.[00:03:00] Joining Cartesi: How Bruno became Head of Growth at Cartesi, co-founded by a longtime friend.[00:04:00] The Origin of Cartesi: Started as a verifiable AI marketplace, evolved into general-purpose rollup infra.[00:06:00] Cartesi's Infrastructure: RISC-V-based Linux VM, app-specific optimistic rollups, and Ethereum security.[00:07:00] Stage 2 Rollup Compliance: Importance of full trust minimization and Cartesi’s dispute resolution mechanisms.[00:08:00] Use Cases: Advanced DeFi, verifiable AI, carbon credits, and decentralized gaming (e.g. PlayRise.io).[00:10:00] Developer Onboarding: Lowering the barrier for Web2 devs with full Linux support and rich dev tools.[00:12:00] Developer Strategy: Why targeting quality builders and full-funnel engagement matters more than hackathons.[00:14:00] Key KPI: Bruno explains why external funding for Cartesi-based projects is a core growth metric.[00:17:00] Monetization: Validator marketplace, token utility, attention economy, and long-term sustainability.[00:20:00] Biggest Objections: Why being a non-EVM, Linux-based rollup was initially misunderstood — but is now an advantage.[00:24:00] BD in Web3 vs Web2: Bruno explains how Web3 BD is closer to startup building — not sales.[00:29:00] Lessons Learned: Aligning GTM with product maturity and choosing the right users for the right stage.[00:30:00] The Future: Bruno and Sam discuss stablecoins, RWAs, Bitcoin, and the killer app potential of on-chain cash flows.[00:36:00] On RWAs: The real unlock is when real-world cash flows (e.g. rent, yield) hit the chain natively.[00:39:00] The Tech Stack Is Ready: Modular infra, rollups, DA, ZK, privacy, and liquidity coordination are all converging.[00:41:00] Final Ask: Bruno invites developers, white-hat hackers, and collaborators to engage with Cartesi’s honeypot challenge and infra.Connecthttps://cartesi.io/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmaia/https://www.linkedin.com/company/cartesi/https://x.com/bmaia_expathttps://x.com/cartesiprojectDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/