E121: Arbitrum Creator: Ethereum’s Future is Brighter than Ever episode artwork

EPISODE · May 16, 2025 · 1H 33M

E121: Arbitrum Creator: Ethereum’s Future is Brighter than Ever

from When Shift Happens Podcast · host Kevin Follonier

Steven Goldfeder, creator of Arbitrum and CEO of Off Chain Labs, reveals the unexpected journey from academia to building one of crypto's most successful Layer 2 solutions.Arbitrum has become Ethereum's leading scaling solution with billions in TVL.In this episode:• How early "failures" shaped Steven's career trajectory.• Why Ethereum needs Arbitrum and other layer 2 scaling solutions• How Arbitrum established itself as a leader.• The critical UX challenges the Arbitrum ecosystem must overcome• Why interoperability is 90% a UX problem and how Arbitrum will help solve it by 2025& more! PARTNERS🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/💳 KAST is a global financial platform that enables users to manage and spend stablecoins and cryptocurrencies using a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Available in over 100 countries: https://kastfinance.app.link/SHIFT🔓 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🌱 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/🔘 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.xyzCONNECT WITH STEVEN 👇Twitter: https://x.com/sgoldfedTwitter: https://x.com/OffchainLabsTwitter: https://x.com/arbitrumLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgoldfed/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 #newsupdates #WhenShiftHappens__________________________________0:00 Introduction 1:59 Partnerships 2:48 Staying Locked-In4:08 From Researcher To CEO5:30 How Steven Started In Crypto7:20 The Birth of Arbitrum10:56 Avoiding Founder Conflicts12:19 Cost to Kill Bitcoin12:54 Self Custody with Trezor13:47 Who is Steven Goldfeder?15:15 First Google Internship Story16:10 Failures That Built Me20:38 PhD in Cryptography22:28 What Are MPCs?27:26 How MPC Secures Crypto32:07 Why Write a Book34:53 Discovering Bitcoin36:57 Ethereum Explained for Kids39:33 What Ethereum Success Looks Like43:17 CryptoKitties & ETH Communities44:41 Going All in on Arbitrum48:39 Challenging The Status Quo Of Tech53:49 What is a Layer 2?21:00:48 Solana’s Biggest Problems1:05:11 “Ethereum Doesn’t Work” Debate1:09:06 Fragmentation Across Chains1:11:59 Wallet UX Phantom vs Metamask1:17:37 Arbitrum vs Other L2s1:23:06 Becoming The Layer 2 Leader1:26:11 Getting Robinhood on Arbitrum1:28:03 Best Players in L2 Space1:29:45 Defining Arbitrum’s Success1:31:43 Non-Consensus Beliefs1:32:53 Concluding Remarks

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 16, 2025

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

E121: Arbitrum Creator: Ethereum’s Future is Brighter than Ever

0:00 1:33:25

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of When Shift Happens Podcast?

This episode is 1 hour and 33 minutes long.

When was this When Shift Happens Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on May 16, 2025.

Can I download this When Shift Happens Podcast episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!