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As we take some time to record new interviews, we’re releasing content from DappCon which took place in Berlin in August. This week, you’ll hear a panel moderated by Sunny all about blockchain governance.The panelists where Ameen Soleimani of MolochDAO, Stephanie Hurder of Prysm Group, Jorge Izquierdo of Aragon One, and Sebastian Gajek of ditCraf.Topics covered in this episode:Hard Governance vs. Soft GovernanceWhat types of governance we should apply to different systemsDifferent approaches to governance formalizationHow we should govern things like trademarksRepresenting all stakeholders in a governance systemBuilding in exit mechanisms in DAOsConservatism over Liberlism in governance mechanismsHow to account for different value systemsEpisode links: DappConAmeen Soleimani on TwitterStephanie Hurder on TwitterJorge Izquierdo on TwitterSebastian Gajek on TwitterCommunity manager job postingEpicenter Meetup at SF Blockchain WeekThis episode is hosted by Sunny Aggarwal. Show notes and listening options: epicen

As we take some time to record new interviews, we're releasing content from DappCon which took place in Berlin in August. This week, you'll hear a panel moderated by Sebastien on usability and user experience in blockchain-based apps and products.The panelists where Chriss Sugg of AirSwap, Alex Van de Sande of the Ethereum Foundation, Itamar Lesuisse or Argent and Pedro Gomez of Wallet Connect.Topics covered in this episode:The state of usability in the blockchain spaceHow evolving technology inform concepts in user experienceBuilding products in Web2.0 vs. Web 3Creating dialog between engineers and designersWhy crypto product haven't gained adoption from non-crypto savvy peopleAdoption of crypto by the unbankedGathering usage data for the purpose of product developmentEpisode links: Chriss Sugg on TwitterAlex Van de Sande on TwitterPedro Gomez on TwitterItamar Lesuisse on TwitterCommunity manager job postingDAPPCONThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/307

Those who have been in crypto long enough remember the not-so-good-ol’ days when an air-gapped machine was the only way to store private keys securely. Thankfully, the wallet space has come a long way from that era. But we still live in a world where the seed phrase is the single atomic point of failure. Enter threshold signatures schemes (TSS), a multi-party computation (MPC) where different parties generate a key and are all required to create a valid signature. We’re joined by Omer Shlomovits and Ouriel Ohayon, Co-founders of ZenGo. Their product is a ‘keyless’ crypto wallet, which means users never need to generate or store a key which gives them access to their funds. Keys are created with an MPC, where both ZenGo and the user are required to sign a transaction. TTS opens up exciting new possibilities like social recovery, user permissions for teams, and inheritance planning schemes. The important distinction between ZenGo and existing multi-signature wallets is that they achieve this using only cryptogr

We're joined by Sharon Goldberg, CEO of Arwen, a protocol solution for non-custodial trading. From communications engineering to Internet protocol security, to then becoming a Professor at Boston University, she shares her journey into the world of cryptography. Beginning as a whitepaper on eclipse attacks, Arwen has grown into a platform enabling atomic swaps on centralized exchanges. Sharon chats about Arwen's integration with KuCoin, how it compares to ShapeShift, Interledger, and Lightning, and the exciting new release of the Layer-2 atomic swaps from Ethereum into Bitcoin.Topics covered in this episode:- How Sharon became interested in blockchain technology- The meaning of an eclipse attack- Arwen's co-founder Ethan Heilman- The backbone of Arwen- The Arwen protocol and how it uses atomic swaps- How trading takes place on the exchange- Arwen vs Shapeshift and Interledger- Creating multiple orders using the same channel- Arwen vs Lightning and the use of SegWit- How the relationship with KuCoin was formed

We’re pleased to be joined by the legendary cryptographer and computer scientist, David Chaum. From his early beginnings at Berkley, David pioneered many of the cryptographic techniques used in secure systems and cryptocurrencies today. Blind signatures, which are used in zero-knowledge proofs, and mix networks, used in Tor heavily rely on his work. At the dawn of the Internet, David founded DigiCash, what many believe to be a direct ancestor of Bitcoin. Today, David continues to pursue his mission to bring data privacy to all as his most recent project, Elixxir, aims to create a truly private messaging and payment app with a mass-market appeal.Topics covered in this episode:- David’s background as a Ph.D. student at Berkeley and his thesis entitled “Computer Systems Established, Maintained, and Trusted by Mutually Suspicious Groups”- What drove him to work on cryptography and privacy systems- His relationship to the early cypherpunk movement- David’s contribution to cryptography primitives such as blind sign

We're joined by Ayo Akinyele, CEO of Bolt Labs. Bolt is building a new privacy-focused layer-2 payment channel network design. Initially designed by Matt Green and Ian Meyers, Bolt is being commercialized by Ayo and his team. Beginning with a Zcash integration, they have plans to implement on several crypto networks. We chat with Ayo about the technical design of BOLT channels, their privacy guarantees, how they complement designs like Lightning, and their synergies with the Zcash team. Topics covered in this episode: Privacy in Lightning Technical design of Bolt channels Architecture of Bolt channel networks Integrations with existing networks Synergies with Zcash project Regulatory aspect of payment channel hubs Episode links: Bolt Labs website Bolt: Anonymous Payment Channels for Decentralized Currencies (white paper_ Bolt Zcash implementation Bolt: anonymous payment channels for decentralized currencies – Part I Bolt: anonymous payment channels for decentralized currencies – Part II Ayo Akinyele on Twi

We’re joined by Eric Conner and Anthony Sassano, founders of EthHub. Started in January of 2019, EthHub’s goal is to provide a trusted, objective source of information for the Ethereum ecosystem. The platform is made up of an open-source documentation website, a weekly newsletter, and a podcast, “Into the Ether” hosted by Eric and Anthony. Both active and vocal members of the Ethereum community, they are known to embody what some consider to be Ethereum Maximalism. Topics covered in this episode: What is EthHub and why they decided to start the organization Eric and Anthony’s view on the current state of the Ethereum community The different cliques, factions, and sub-groups in Ethereum The role of the Foundation and Vitalik Buterin as they see it A close look into project funding in Ethereum and the emergence of DAOs for funding Reflections on Anthony’s “Why Ether is Valuable” piece The state of Ethereum 2.0 research and the different parties involved Their views on where the crypto space is heading in the n

This week we're joined by Daniel Shin. He is the Co-Founder of Terra Money and previous CEO and Co-Founder of TMON, one of Korea's largest players e-commerce platforms. Today he talks about his success in that area and how that drove him to enter the cryptocurrency and blockchain space with this new project. Daniel was lead to blockchain when looking for a solution to reduce transaction fees paid by online merchants. Not satisfied with just using an existing stable coin, he set about to make his own, which is how Terra was born. Topics covered in this episode: Daniel's background with TMON and his need to explore new transaction cost-cutting ideas How Daniel discovered that cryptocurrencies may help reduce intermediaries in the payment space Terra's impressive partnerships with some of Korea's largest e-commerce players The stability mechanism and the role of the Luna token The role of miners in Terra and the currency's seigniorage model Comparisons to other stablecoins like Maker DAI and Libra The contingen

We’re joined by Erik Voorhees, Founder & CEO of Shapeshift. His third appearance on the podcast is timed nicely as July marked ShapeShift’s fifth anniversary. From its early days as the “Google Translate for cryptocurrencies”, it has grown into an organization of 75 people, and Erik talks about the learning curves he has endured on his journey. Our conversation also coincides with the launch of ShapeShift’s brand new V2 platform, which includes a self-custodial asset management dashboard, hardware wallet support, and many other new features. One notable change is that ShapeShift now requires users to create an account and perform KYC, something which very much pains Erik. We also discuss Bitcoin, Libra, and the future of money, topics which are always fascinating to approach from Erik’s Libertarian viewpoint. Topics covered in this episode: ShapeShift celebrating its 5th anniversary the lessons learned since launch What is ShapeShift 2.0 and the problems addressed by this product ShapeShift's new feature

We're joined by Igor Barinov, the tech lead of the POA Network. The POA Network achieves a reduction in transaction costs by many orders of magnitude by having a set of trusted validators. All validators must be US public notaries, so their identities are known and legal recourse against them can be taken in the offchain world. We also talk about the xDai network, which enables Dai transactions on a POA chain: Dai are transferred into a smart contract on the mainnet and then become available to be transferred at much lower cost on the POA Network. Similarly, they can be transferred out of the xDai network and become available again on the mainchain. We talk about use cases, governance, and limitations. Topics covered in this episode: Igor's background and how he got into blockchain The POA network setup and how to become a validator What informs design decisions and how to find suitable notaries The consensus mechanism on the POA Network The role of the POA token The xDai network and its purpose The role of

We're joined by Rune Christensen, CEO and Co-Founder of MakerDAO. We discuss the rise of Maker DAI as an algorithmically backed stable token and get into the weeds of the new version featuring multi collateral DAI as well as the ability to natively generate interest on DAI. We also cover the current governance model and how this can be attacked. The governance will undergo an overhall for the new version of Maker, introducing an Emergency Shutdown that can be triggered through MKR holders and promises to make the system more resilient. Lastly, we venture into what Rune hopes the future will bring for MakerDAO. Topics covered in this episode: Recap of how single collateral DAI is kept at peg of 1 USD Why was DAI intermittently trading at < 1USD Governance functions exercised by MKR holders Sale of MKR tokens and MKR distribution Is the current governance model satisfactory? New governance mechanisms to be rolled out soon Introduction of multi collateral DAI Interest generating DAI: Implementation and ratio

We’re joined by Ameen Soleimani, Co-founder and CEO of SpankChan. From his humble beginnings at ConsenSys, he went on to create SpankChain in 2017 at the height of the ICO boom. The project aims to create a better and safer environment for sex workers by removing the intermediaries who take significant commissions on their revenues. SpankChain’s initial product, an adult cam platform, allows users to pay performers in crypto with a native asset over sophisticated payment channels. More recently, Ameen headed a project called Moloch DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization with the goal to fund Ethereum 2.0 development. Moloch has but few simple functions: making proposals, voting on proposals, and exiting. This simple design, heavily inspired on “The DAO” of 2016 has attracted funding from Vitalik Buterin, Joe Lubin and other prominent community members. Topics covered in this episode: Ameen’s background as an early ConsenSys employee working on payment channels Why Ameen decided to found SpankChain and

We’re joined by Jerry Brito, Executive Director of Coin Center. Having discovered Bitcoin in 2011, Jerry was among the first lawyers to talk about crypto in the U.S. capital. In 2014, he founded Coin Center, a leading research and advocacy center focussing on cryptocurrencies. In this enlightening conversation, we talk to Jerry about his paper titled “The Case for Electronic Cash,” in which he articulates why private peer-to-peer payments are essential to an open society. We also discuss Libra and the possible regulatory challenges the proposed private cash system may face. Finally, Jerry explains the recent FinCEN guidance on cryptocurrencies, which broadly follows the recommendations of Coin Center. Topics covered in this episode: Jerry’s background as a lawyer and his crypto beginnings in D.C. Coin Center, it’s mission and the primary battles which the organization is fighting “The Case for Electronic Cash” paper and why cash is vital for a free and open society The main dysfunctions of cashless societies

In this episode, we caught up with Robert Leshner, founder of the Compound protocol. Compound is a fascinating smart contract protocol, running atop Ethereum, that allows users to lend and borrow specific ERC-20 tokens with a duration-free interest model. The protocol acts as a central borrower and lender of user tokens and algorithmically prices the interest charged to borrowers and lenders. Compound is one of the first examples of a well-functioning lending market built using smart contracts. Topics covered in this episode: Robert's background and how he came to found Compound The workings of the compound protocol Statistics of usage of the protocol Intended plan for governance of the protocol in the future Business model of the company and the protocol Comparison of compound to other lending protocols on Ethereum Outlook and future plans Episode links: Compound Website Compound Protocol Stats Our plan to create Compound v2 Robert Leshner on Twitter Robert Leshner on Linkedin Compound Finance on Twitter

We're joined by Rob Dawson, Head of Product at PegaSys. PegaSys is the protocol engineering spoke of ConsenSys, and the team building Pantheon, a Java implementation of the Ethereum client. The Pantheon client was built from the ground up as both a mainnet, and consortium chain client. Written in Java with an Apache 2.0 license, it benefits from being easily accessible to enterprises, who predominantly use that language. The PegaSys team has built additional features into the Pantheon client like privacy, permissioning, and the ability to deploy chains on IBFT, a consensus algorithm better suited for consortium networks of up to 40 validators. Working closely with other protocol teams (Geth and Parity), and being a founding member of the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance, PegaSys is also working towards Ethereum 2.0. Topics covered in this episode: Rob’s background as an enterprise Java developer and how he became involved in the blockchain space The role of PegaSys in the broader ConsenSys ecosystem The Pantheon

The complex and evolving regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies has been a topic for many years. After a long period of waiting, the SEC started pursuing fraud causes in the last 1-2 years. But the recent lawsuit against Kik is the first time that the SEC goes after a large, non-fraud case. We were joined by lawyer Stephen Palley to discuss the Kik case, the US regulatory landscape and recent announcement of the Libra cryptocurrency promoted by Facebook. Topics covered in this episode: The SEC lawsuit against Kik The potential path of the process and how it could resolve in the end Why the Kik case is unlikely to provide any regulatory clarity in the next few years What a settlement in the Kik case could look like Whether the Howey test is still a sensible way to regulate securities How US regulators will deal with decentralized exchanges Stephen's thoughts on Libra Episode links: Annotated Guide to the SEC's Complaint against KIK - Katherine Wu Kik and the SEC: What’s Going On and What Does It Mean for

This is part two of a two part bonus series. These sessions were recorded at the first Interchain Conversations conference which took place in Berlin on June 13th and 14th, 2019. The firs part of this bonus episode features the validator panel moderated by Brian Fabian Crain, Co-founder of Chorus One. The panel included Florian Liss of Staking Facilities, Hendrik Hofstadt of Certus One, Aurel Iancu of Dokia Capital, and Jun Soon Kim of stake.fish. The conversation goes into the role of validators beyond staking, ways in which we can avoid too much centralization, and how validators will differentiate in a market which tends towards homogeneity. The second part of this episode is a governance debate moderated by Sunny Aggarwal. The first topic is on plutocracy and features Jae Kwon and Rigel Rozanski. The second is about revokable governance and features Chris Goes and Jack Jampolin. Subscribe to Epicenter for new episodes every week.

This is part one of a two-part bonus series. These sessions were recorded at the first Interchain Conversations conference which took place in Berlin on June 13th and 14th, 2019. The first part of this episode is “Epicenter Live,” a live podcast recorded on stage at the event. It features hosts Meher Roy, Sunny Aggarwal, Brian Fabian Crain, and Sebastien Couture. In this conversation, we discuss the topic of blockchain interoperability. We look at how different projects address interoperability and seek to form a picture of how these projects might interact in a multi-blockchain future. We also discuss how these protocols address application comparability and speculate on how they will remain competitive. The second segment is the opening Q&A between Jae Kwon and Sebastien Couture. Among other things, Sebastien spoke with Jae about the recent Cosmos launch, the Interchain Foundation, and the future of the Tendermint company. Subscribe to Epicenter for new episodes every week.

The concept of a decentralized exchange has been a holy grail in the cryptocurrency space for many years. Many attempts have been made, but most decentralized exchanges suffered from central points of failure, poor user experience and little liquidity. Launched during Ethereum's DevCon 2018, Uniswap is one of the first fully decentralized exchanges and managed to become the leading DEX very fast. We were joined by Uniswap Founder Hayden Adams to discuss Uniswap's unique model, the different participants in the protocol and the importance of decentralized exchanges for the blockchain space. Topics covered in this episode: How Hayden's exploratory project to learn smart contract development took off and became Uniswap How Uniswap works and its different participants The advantage of an automated exchange instead of using order books The role of liquidity providers in Uniswap Feedback loops that can make Uniswap markets popular or collapse The challenging economics of liquidity shares Addressing Arthur Hayes' c

We're joined by Tal Moran, Chief Scientist at Spacemesh. This new consensus protocol is designed to run on home desktop PCs, filling free space on users' hard drives to create a Proof of Space-Time. The goal of this new blockchain protocol is to solve the issues with Proof of Work and Proof of Stake, that is, energy inefficiency on the one hand, and possible centralized plutarchy of rich validators on the other. Topics covered in this episode: Tal's background as an academic and researcher The problems with Proof of Stake and Proof of Work What is Proof of Space-Time and how it works How miners use their hard drive space to establish proofs How randomness is generated in Spacemesh Spacemesh's DAG architecture and how blocks are added to the chain The tortoise and hare protocols proposed by Spacemesh The Spacemesh team and recent funding round The project's business model and roadmap Episode links: Spacemesh Spacemesh white paper Tal's CESC18 talk in San Fransisco Spacemesh on GitHub Spacemesh on Twitter Sp