E116: CoFounder of Sonic Labs: Why He Gave Away Billions in Crypto (and now completely regrets it)

In this revealing conversation, DeFi pioneer Andre Cronje discusses building protocols worth billions and his decision to give away 100% of the tokens. After creating Yearn Finance without keeping anything for himself, Andre shares how these experiences dramatically changed his view of human nature. From facing SEC threats to his work on Sonic blockchain, he explains why his approach to crypto has fundamentally changed. Discover why one of the industry's most influential builders now plans to align incentives differently in his upcoming projects.In this episode, we talk about: • Crypto World Fascination• The Truth Behind Solidly• The Struggles of Online Fame• Going All-In on Crypto• Giving Away 100% of Tokens• Why Andre No Longer Trusts Anyone• The Pressure of People's Money& much more!__________________________________PARTNERS💳 Trezor is the safest cold storage wallets for crypto security and financial independence.Buy your Trezor Wallet (use PROMO Code from the video for a 10% discount): https://trezor.io/?transaction_id=1026f18ed46409e495c6db4bff90ab&offer_id=133&affiliate_id=35356🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana.https://jup.ag/🌱 Bitwise Asset Management is the crypto specialist asset manager with more than $10 billion client assets and more than 30 crypto solutions across ETFs, index funds, alpha strategies, staking, and more.https://bitwiseinvestments.com/💧Sui is a first-of-its-kind Layer 1 blockchain and smart contract platform designed to make digital asset ownership fast, private, secure, and accessible.https://sui.io/♾ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com🔘 Mantle Network enhances dApp development with Ethereum's security, low fees, and quick transactions through innovative layer-2 technology. Users can stake ETH for mETH, contributing to a transparent, community-driven ecosystem governed by $MNT token holders, fostering innovation and collaboration.https://www.mantle.xyz__________________________________FOLLOW ANDRE CRONJE• Twitter: https://x.com/andrecronjetech• Twitter: https://x.com/SonicLabs• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-cronje/• Website: https://www.soniclabs.com/FOLLOW KEVIN & WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS👇Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinwshpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/Website: https://www.podpage.com/when-shift-happens/__________________________________DISCLAIMERThe info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome.#Entrepreneurship #Crypto #News__________________________________0:00 Trailer1:35 Please Subscribe2:00 Partnerships 2:46 Solving Problems with Code4:10 Who is Andre Cronje?5:58 Thriving in Self-Paced Environments9:38 Why Law Wasn’t for Me10:46 How I Found Computer Science12:12 Self Custody with Trezor13:05 Crypto World Fascination16:04 Going All-In on Crypto19:41 Fantoms Original Idea21:42 Building Yearn: The Beginning26:55 Money Motivated vs. Long-Term Vision31:00 The Struggles of Online Fame35:52 The Truth Behind Solidly41:49 The Pressure of People's Money44:34 Giving Away 100% of Tokens46:18 The SEC’s Persistent Inquiries49:42 Leaving Twitter50:45 Why I No Longer Trust Anyone53:36 The Return to Twitter54:52 What is Sonic Labs?1:01:53 Sonic Labs vs. Fantom1:02:41 New York vs. Cape Town1:03:16 Concluding Remarks