Validated
by Austin Federa
When it comes to blockchain, the thing people talk about most — the price — is actually the least interesting part. Crypto conversations are too often about who’s up and who’s down, what to buy and what to sell, and today’s drama on Twitter. Most conversations about crypto miss how it’s going to change ... everything.On VALIDATED, we’ll be talking to the people who are rethinking the internet — and our world. No hype cycles. No financial advice. Just conversations on the biggest ideas shaping the future of the internet. Web3 is complicated, but never boring.
Episodes
-
Building the Bitcoin Equivalent for AI Inference Compute with David and Daniil Liberman (Gonka)
In this episode, Austin chats with David and Daniil Liberman of Gonka about the case for using crypto to build a permissionless, meritocratic AI compute network focused on inference rather than decentralized training. They argue that centralized AI infrastructure is rapidly concentrating both...
-
What are Intents Actually Solving? with Declan Hannon (Aurora Labs)
In this episode, Austin chats with Declan from Aurora Labs about building on NEAR’s Intents architecture. Declan explains why intents go beyond “a better bridge UI" and how Aurora Intents actually work, enabling one-click cross-chain journeys. They discuss how the protocol helps create liquidity,...
-
OUT OF SCOPE Ep. 2: Anything But Crypto with David Hoffman
In this episode, Austin and Tori join David Hoffman (Bankless) to talk about "anything but crypto." Their conversation spans longevity and mind-uploading, the challenges of changing opinions in public, and how modern media incentives distort nuanced ideas. They also discuss social media, the…
more -
OUT OF SCOPE, Ep. 1: Hot Takes Roundtable with Tori Pastore (Soup) and Austin Campbell (Zero Knowledge)
And now for something (almost) completely different. Welcome to Out of Scope, a new sub-series where Austin and Tori Pastore (aka Birb Bernake) riff with guests on hot takes from the frontiers of tech, finance, policy, and whatever else is the flavor of the week In this debut episode, they sit…
more -
Why Crypto Fails without Privacy with Mert Mumtaz (Helius)
In this episode, Austin chats with Mert about why privacy is becoming essential for crypto and on-chain finance. They discuss how ZK-based privacy works via shielded pools, commitments, proofs, and nullifiers, contrasting it with Monero’s probabilistic obfuscation. Mert explains Zcash’s renewed...
-
Why Privacy Tech Is Having Its Moment with Seth for Privacy (Cake Wallet)
In this episode, Austin chats with Seth (Cake Wallet) about why privacy is gaining traction after years of being niche, tracing Seth’s entry through Monero and other privacy-preserving products. They compare Zcash’s seemingly influencer-driven pump with Monero’s quieter but rising real-world…
more -
Solana Mobile's Vision Beyond Seeker with Emmett Hollyer (Solana Mobile)
In this episode, Austin chats with Emmett Hollyer about the evolution and future of Solana Mobile. They reflect on how the successes and missteps of the Saga phone informed the more refined Seeker, with a focus on improvements in design, pricing, and usability. Emmett discusses scaling production...
-
Crypto's Market Making Arms Race with Rahul Jain (Ellipsis Labs)
In this episode, Austin chats with Rahul Jain (Head of Trading at Ellipsis Labs) to explore the evolution of market making in crypto. Rahul discusses what gives crypto market makers an edge, why being early matters, and how crypto has created new challenges around MEV, transaction landing, and...
-
The Constellation Debate Part 2, with Brennan Watt (Anza)
In this episode, Austin sits down with Brennan to unpack Constellation, Solana’s latest market structure proposal, and what it could mean for the network’s future. The conversation centers on Brennan’s perspective on why Solana’s current leader-based design creates challenges around transaction...
-
The Constellation Debate, Part 1 with Ben Coverston (Temporal)
In this first part in a series of debates on Constellation (Anza's MCP proposal), Austin chats with Ben from Temporal. The conversation focuses on Ben’s measured critical perspective, highlighting his concerns around the proposal’s trade-offs, including added complexity, potential unintended...
-
MegaETH Mainnet and the Real-Time ZK Endgame w/ Lei Yang
In this episode, we sit down with the team behind MegaETH to discuss the launch of their mainnet and the vision for a new generation of high-performance Layer 2 blockchains. We explore how MegaETH is pushing block times into the millisecond range, what that means for onchain markets, and why...
-
How Shelby Makes Decentralized Storage Faster and Cheaper w/ Pranav Raval
In this episode, Austin chats with Pranav Raval (Aptos Labs) about Shelby, a new decentralized storage protocol designed to address the performance and cost limitations of earlier decentralized storage systems. The conversation dives into Shelby’s architecture and market opportunities. Unlike...
-
How Wyoming Built the First State-Issued Stablecoin w/ Anthony Apollo
In this episode, Austin talks with Anthony, Executive Director of Wyoming’s Stable Token Commission, about how Wyoming became the first U.S. state to issue its own government-backed stablecoin. They discuss the state’s decade-long push into crypto policy, why Wyoming chose to operate digital...
-
Inversion's Vision for Real-World Crypto w/ Santiago Roel Santos
In this episode, Austin chats with Santiago Roel Santos, founder of Inversion, discussing why crypto has struggled to reach mainstream adoption and what it will take to change that. Santiago explains how Inversion applies a private-equity-style model to deploy capital into real-world use cases,...
-
Maple's Model for Institutional Lending w/ Sid Powell
In this episode, Austin chats with Sid Powell, co-founder and CEO of Maple Finance, to explore how institutional credit is moving on-chain. Sid breaks down how Maple has facilitated over $5 billion in loans, how it manages risk and transparency in a post–Celsius world, and what’s next for…
more -
Kevin Bowers on the True Costs of Scaling Crypto
In this episode, Kevin Bowers returns to explain Jump's expansion from trading to core infrastructure, centered on what he calls the "great inversion": the real bottleneck in tech isn't compute, but data and I/O. He introduces Shelby, a new storage network, as a direct challenge to the "Hotel...
-
How Marinade Went from Hackathon OG's to Wall Street w/ Michael Repetny
In this episode, Austin chats with Michael Repetny, a core contributor to Marinade. They discuss the history and technical details of Marinade, its role in the Solana ecosystem, and its approach to staking. Michael covers Marinade's origins in a 2021 hackathon, the development of its custom stake...
-
Prop AMMs, MEV, and the Realities of Solana's Roadmap w/ Connor (Temporal) and Brennan Watt (Anza)
DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, options, futures, or other derivatives related to securities in any jurisdiction, nor should not...
-
Reinventing Onchain Order Books on Solana w/ Tristan Frezza (Bullet)
In this episode, Austin chats with Tristan (Bullet) to discuss the significant evolution of decentralized finance (DeFi), particularly focusing on the re-emergence of Central Limit Order Books (CLOBs) and the innovative development of Bullet on Solana. Tristan dives into the history of order…
more -
An Investor's Evolving Thesis of a Maturing Market w/ Jon Charbonneau (DBA)
DBA co-founder John Charbonneau discusses his journey from TradFi to crypto, detailing his evolution from an Ethereum maximalist to a multi-chain pragmatist. He argues that as the crypto market matures beyond hype cycles, real revenue and cash flow are becoming key valuation metrics. He points to...
-
What Makes Jupiter the Most Web 2 Team in Web3 (in a Good Way) w/ Kash Dhanda
In this episode, Kash Dhanda of Jupiter shares his crypto career journey and his unique role blending content creation with product strategy. He delves into Jupiter's unconventional organizational structure, explaining how it fuels their rapid product development and acquisition strategy. Kash...
-
A Decade on the Frontlines of Crypto Policy w/ Peter Van Valkenburgh
In this episode, Austin and Peter Van Valkenburgh Coin Center's mission and the critical role of educating policymakers. The discussion spans over Coin Center's inception, its efforts in shaping sound crypto regulations, and its battles against adverse policies. Peter sheds light on Coin Center's...
-
Self-Custody. No Seed Phrase. w/ Ouriel Ohayon (Zengo)
In this episode, Austin chats with Ouriel Ohayon (Zengo) about the evolving landscape of crypto wallets and wallet security. The conversation dives into the history and challenges of crypto custody solutions, from the problems with centralized custodians and self-custody methods to the...
-
A Hardware-Accelerated Sidechain for Scaling Solana w/ Chaofan Shou (Solayer)
In this episode of Validated, host Austin talks with Chaofan Shou about building Solayer, high-performance side chain for Solana. Chaofan describes the specifics of Solayer's hybrid model, which sits between a traditional Layer 1 and Layer 2, offering faster execution environments for market…
more -
Engineering Agave for Solana's Next Chapter w/ Brennan Watt (Anza)
In this episode, Austin speaks with Brennan Watt, VP of Core Engineering at Anza, about the evolution of Solana’s validator clients. The conversation centers on Agave, originally developed at Solana Labs and now, by Anza. Brennan offers perspective on the critical role validator clients play in...
-
How MegaETH's Node Specialization Enables Real-Time Applications w/ Lei Yang (MegaLabs)
In this episode, Austin sits down with Lei Yang of MegaLabs to explore the architecture behind MegaETH and its unique approach to enabling real-time blockchain applications. By specializing node roles and optimizing for high-frequency transactions, MegaETH tackles technical challenges like…
more -
The Aptos Roadmap w/ Avery Ching (Aptos Labs)
In this episode, Austin chats with Avery Ching (Aptos Labs) about the latest developments and future vision for Aptos. Avery recounts his early involvement with Libra/Diem at Meta, his journey into the crypto space, and the technical challenges and solutions that Aptos is tackling. The episode...
-
Is Social Trading Crypto's Next Big Thing? w/ Ilja Moisejevs and Richard Wu
In this episode, Austin chats with Ilmoi and Richard Wu about Vector, a social trading app that combines elements of Robinhood and Twitter. They delve into the core functionality of Vector, its community-building strategies, and the sophisticated technical infrastructure underpinning its seamless...
-
Increase Bandwidth, Reduce Latency w/ Mateo Ward and Andrew McConnell (Malbec Labs)
In this episode of Validated, Austin discusses his new venture DoubleZero with co-founders Andrew McConnell and Matteo Ward. They discuss the necessity of creating high-performance networking specifically tailored for blockchains, comparing it to the traditional internet and private networks.…
more -
Will Stablecoins and PayFi Replace Traditional Banking? w/ Anna Yuan (Perena)
In this episode, Austin chats with Anna Yuan about the founding of QuineCo, the company behind Perena, a new protocol designed to support the liquidity, interoperability, and capital efficiency of stablecoins. The conversation covers the comprehensive value chain of stablecoins, the existing...
-
Let's Make Solana Cypherpunk w/ Yannik Schrade (Arcium)
In this episode, Austin chats with Yannik Schrade (Arcium) about the current state of zero knowledge technology. The conversation delves into various aspects of zero knowledge proofs, secure multi-party computation (MPC), and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE). Yannick explains the historical...
-
The Placeholder Playbook w/ Chris Burniske and Joel Monegro
In this episode, Austin chats with Chris Burniske and Joel Monegro from Placeholder, a cryptocurrency venture capital firm. They delve into the firm's unique approach to investments, combining venture capital structures with public market practices. The conversation covers the formation of...
-
WTF RPC? w/ Brian Long (Triton One)
In this episode of Validated, Austin chats with Brian Long (Triton One) about the significance and functionality of RPC (Remote Procedure Call) services in blockchain. They delve into the complex roles RPCs play in enhancing blockchain usability, data retrieval, and transaction processing. Brian...
-
Blinks and Actions w/ Jon Wong (Solana Foundation) and Chris Osborn (Dialect)
In this episode, Austin chats with Jon Wong (Solana Foundation) and Chris Osborn (Dialect) about the development of and use cases for Blinks and Solana Actions. Blinks, short for "blockchain links," allow users to take direct "Actions" on the Solana blockchain such as swapping tokens, donating…
more -
Turning BTC into a Programable Asset on Solana w/ Justin Wang (Zeus Network)
In this episode, Austin chats with Justin Wang (Zeus Network) about bringing Bitcoin onto Solana. Unlike previous BTC x Solana integrations, Zeus has built a new communication layer, termed as "Layer 1.5," to enable programmability for Bitcoin and other non-programmable UTXO chains on Solana....
-
How Zeta Markets’ L2 Makes a DEX Feel Like a CEX w/ Tristan Frizza
In this episode, Austin chats with Tristan Frezza about Zeta Markets, a decentralized perps trading platform on Solana. Tristan shares insights on Zeta's inception in early 2021 and their mission to bring Nasdaq-like derivatives markets on-chain. The conversation delves into the technical...
-
How Gameshift's API Is Simplifying web3 Game Development w/ Davis Hart (Solana Labs)
In this episode, Austin chats with Davis Hard (Solana Labs) to talk about GameShift, a new API designed to streamline blockchain integration for game developers on Solana. GameShift aims to simplify the process of incorporating blockchain elements into games by providing a Rust-based API that...
-
A Blockchain Dev's Guide to Leaving Cities w/ Austin Adams (Anagram)
In this unconventional episode, Austin talks with Austin Adams of Anagram and Metaplex about his decision to leave urban life behind. Unlike most of his peers who work in major tech hubs, Adams has settled in rural Texas, where he spends his free time farming and operating his tractor. Their...
-
What Futarchy Looks Like in Practice w/ Kollan House (MetaDAO)
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…
more -
Bringing Blockchain to Music Streaming w/ Ray Jacobson (Audius)
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…
more -
The CBDC Debate (Part 2) w/ Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL)
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...
-
The CBDC Debate (Part 1) - Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN)
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...
-
The Pro-Crypto 2024 Election w/ Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN)
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...
-
The Infinite-LST Future w/ FP Lee (Sanctum)
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…
more -
A Crypto Native's History of Markets w/ Tarun Chitra (Gauntlet)
In this episode, Austin chats with Tarun Chitra (Gauntlet) about the history of markets and the evolution of the math which underpins them. Over the course of their free-form conversation, they cover everything from the ancient history of futures (literally) to the impact of computers on finance…
more -
Firedancer w/ Kevin Bowers
In this episode, Austin visits Jump Crypto's office in Chicago (The Pit) to talk about Firedancer, Solana's second independent validator client. They discuss its roadmap, its rollout, and the ways in which it will optimize and improve upon the architecture of Solana's existing client. Kevin...
-
How Metaplex Core Moves Beyond NFT Standards w/ Stephen Hess (Metaplex Studios)
In this episode, Austin chats with Stephen Hess about the evolution of the Solana NFT ecosystem from the summer of 2021 to the present. Starting from the initial creation of the Solana NFT standard, Austin and Stephen reflect on recent technological advancements such as compressed NFTs,...
-
Building web3 Login Your Grandma Can Use w/ Itai Turbahn (Dynamic)
In this episode, Austin chats with Itai Turbahn (Dyanmic) about the future of wallet onboarding. Dynamic is building web3 authentication that allows crypto-enabled companies to seamlessly serve web3 natives and crypto novices alike. Over the course of the conversation, they discuss things like…
more -
Parallelizing the EVM on Solana w/ Andrey Falaleyev (Neon)
In this episode, Austin chats with Andrey Falaleyev, CTO of Neon, an EVM that lets devs build and deploy dApps from EVM chains to Solana, all while maintaining compatibility with the EVM opcode set. Andrey discusses Neon's decentralization and security, elucidating technical details around how...
-
Does DEX Liquidity Need a Defense Layer? w/ Nitesh Nath (DFlow)
In this episode, Austin chats with Nitesh Nath of DFlow, a protocol that protects DEX liquidity against toxic order flows on Solana. According to Nitesh, users of DFlow will gain benefits such as tighter spreads, lower volatility, and more efficient price discovery, among others. He explains...
About this show
When it comes to blockchain, the thing people talk about most — the price — is actually the least interesting part. Crypto conversations are too often about who’s up and who’s down, what to buy and what to sell, and today’s drama on Twitter. Most conversations about crypto miss how it’s going to change ... everything.On VALIDATED, we’ll be talking to the people who are rethinking the internet — and our world. No hype cycles. No financial advice. Just conversations on the biggest ideas shaping the future of the internet. Web3 is complicated, but never boring.
Hosted by
Austin Federa
Categories