Growing up, Liz Kleinrock never felt like she fit into her Jewish community in Washington, D.C. Born in Korea and adopted into an Ashkenazi family, she constantly felt pressure to justify her Judaism—whether at Hebrew school, summer camp or synagogue. Years later, after becoming a professional antibias and antiracist educator, she met author Caroli…

Gm! This week, Andrej Radonjic joins the show to discuss the recent Grass airdrop, how crypto can help fix the internet, the intersection of AI & crypto & much more. Enjoy! – Follow Andrej: https://x.com/0xdrej Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed Newsletter: https:/…

Gm! This week, Joe McCann joins the show to deep dive into his Solana thesis. We discuss whether Solana is still positioned to outperform even after the huge run up in 2024, the election impact on crypto markets, the bullish macro backdrop for risk assets, crypto venture, memes & more. Enjoy! – Follow Joe: https://x.com/joemccann Follow Jack: https…

Gm! This week, we're back with another roundup. We discuss Solana's on chain boom, why economic value reached a new all time high, Stripe's recent acquisition of Bridge & much more. Enjoy! – Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe to the Lightspeed News…

Gm! This week, we’re joined by Daniel Lev from Coinflow! We discussed Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge, challenges faced by crypto payments businesses, and TradFi’s adoption of stablecoins. Additionally, we unpacked the impact of US regulations on the stablecoin sector, and the fees associated with on and off-ramps in crypto. Finally, we covered inte…

Gm! this week, Emmett Hollyer joins the show to discuss the next chapter of Solana Mobile ahead of their latest phone release in 2025. We reflect on why the Solana Saga was successful, how to create a great product, crypto UX & how crypto can break the mobile duopoly. Enjoy! -- Follow Emmett: https://x.com/m_it Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave …

Gm! this week, we're live at Permissionless with a discussion on crypto's creator economy. We deep dive into capturing attention in crypto, building DRiP, why build on Solana, NFTs, meme coins & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Vibhu: https://x.com/vibhu Follow Steve: https://x.com/solanasteve_ Follow Jake: https://x.com/SolJakey Follow Jack: https://x.com/w…

Gm! this week, we're live from Permissionless with Tristan Frizza & Jayant Krishnamurthy. We discuss the current & future state of DeFi on Solana, the rise of alt L1s, the next evolution of DeFi & what Solana can improve on in the future. Enjoy! -- Follow Tristan: https://x.com/Tristan0x Follow Jayant: https://x.com/jayantkrish Follow Jack: https:/…

Gm! this week, Leah Wald joins the show to discuss what led Cypherpunk Holdings to go all in on Solana. We deep dive into the Solana ETF outlook, investing in the ecosystem, the role of staking, TradFi demand for Solana & much more! -- Follow Leah: https://x.com/LeahWald Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Li…

Gm! this week, we begin by discussing Snowden's recent comments that Solana is centralized. We then deep dive into Mert's biggest takeaways from recent conferences, the impact of Firedancer, reasons to be bullish DePin & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMert_ Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Li…

Gm! This week Arnold Lee joins the show to discuss how Sphere is accelerating global payments for fintech companies by leveraging Spherenet built on the SVM. We deep dive into what is Spherenet, the problem with global payments, permissioned vs permissionless systems & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Arnold: https://x.com/0xdirichlet Follow Jack: https://x.…

Gad Saad, the Canadian professor and social media icon with well over a million followers online, grew up in Lebanon as one of a rapidly decreasing number of Jews in the 1970s and '80s. He routinely faced genuine, unabashed Jew hatred, hearing "Death to the Jews" chants in the streets—and witnessing his own school friends talk about killing Jews. F…

Gm! In this episode, Sean Carey, Partner at Borderless Capital, joined us to discuss all things DePIN! We dove into DePIN selling points, the sustainability of DePIN projects, and what infrastructure makes the most sense for DePIN. Additionally, we spoke about why crypto and DePIN work so well together. Finally, we closed the episode by discussing …

Gm! In this episode, we’re joined by Andrea Fortunio, Co-founder of MagicBlock! We discussed the current state of the Solana gaming industry, AAA vs Mobile gaming, and the benefits of Ephemeral Rollups. Additionally, we dove into the security implications of utilizing optimistic rollups in onchain gaming. We ended the episode with coverage of Magic…

Gm! In this episode, Jack and Ian Unsworth from Kairos Research discuss Solana Mobile’s latest device, Seeker, and its potential impact on Solana’s growth. Additionally, they dive into the value proposition for Non-Bitcoin ETFs, and Trump’s upcoming DeFi project. They close out by asking - will Solana restaking be successful? Enjoy! Resources Heliu…

Gm! In this episode, MacBrennan, Co-founder of MarginFi, joined us to discuss the state of Solana DeFi, crypto founder exhaustion, and crypto’s image problem. We also asked ourselves, where are the new users? Finally, told us how MarginFi has navigated 2024, and what he is optimistic about in crypto today. Enjoy! Resources MacBrennan’s Take on Foun…

Gm! In this episode, Jack and Mert discuss the state of SocialFi, the lack of bold bets in crypto, and what it means for crypto to succeed. They also dove into how Proof of Stake systems should work, and how sandwich attacks can be reduced onchain. Finally, they covered new DePIN projects coming to market. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://x.com/0xMer…

Gm! In this episode, Dan Smith from Blockworks Research joined us to discuss L2 MEV extraction, Blockworks Research’s Solana Dashboard, and Total Economic Value on Solana! Additionally, we discussed how validators earn revenue from MEV, and supporting small validators. Finally, we unpacked Sanctum's recent LST partnerships, and speculated on whethe…

Gm! In this episode, we’re joined by Emon Motamedi, the Head of Solana Incubator! We discussed Solana Incubator’s selection process, the first cohort of projects, and synergies with Solana Mobile. We also dove into the stories behind Sanctum and Meme Royale! Finally, Emon gave his thoughts on evaluating startups on Solana. Enjoy! Grow your company …

Gm! In this episode, Jack and Mert discuss the recent arrest of Pavel Durov, and its repercussions. They also ask themselves, who does the responsibility of content moderation fall on? Additionally, they unpack the internal debate heating up within the Ethereum Community. Finally, they talk about how they view narratives, and what Solana’s next nar…

Gm! In this episode, Kyle, the CEO of Hedgehog Markets, and Nigel, the CEO of BetHog, joined us to discuss a burning question: will prediction markets survive? We covered the UI improvements prediction markets have made, how these markets are useful for surveying public opinion, and solutions for resolving gray area outcomes. Additionally, we talke…

Adiel Cohen remembers Oct. 7 like it was yesterday. He was at his sister's house in Northern Israel when he woke up to hear his phone buzzing with rocket alerts and notifications. His first-ever panic attack washed over him as he realized he would quickly be called back into the army—which happened immediately after Shabbat. That night, Cohen fille…

Gm! In this episode, Ben Mills, the Co-founder of Meso, joined us to discuss peer-to-peer payments! We looked back on the early days of P2P payment apps, how crypto can improve upon these web2 systems, and building trust with users. Additionally, we discussed his journey from Venmo to Solana, and how Venmo was able to stand out amongst its peers. F…

Gm! In this episode, Jack and Mert discuss how betting rebranded to prediction markets, and potential SocialFi and prediction market crossovers! They also dove into the EigenLayer airdrop controversy, and the conflicts of interest associated with it. Additionally, they asked - do we need fewer tokens? Are current crypto incentive models broken? Fin…

Gm! In this episode, Matthew Sigel from VanEck joined us to discuss VanEck’s Solana ETF filing, gauging customer demand for spot crypto ETFs, and an ETFs impact on the Solana network. We also dive into what Solana needs to improve on, determining the value of L1s, and bringing the NASDAQ onchain. Enjoy! Resources Recent Developments With Solana ETF…

Gm! In this episode, Hardhat Chad from Ore joined us to discuss their mission to improve Proof of Work! We discuss Ore’s origin story, differences between Ore v1 vs Ore v2, and how Ore fits into the Store of Value narrative. Additionally, we dive into how Proof of Work concepts can solve the fair launch problem. Finally, Hardhat Chad gives us insig…

Gm! In this episode, 0xInfra joined us to discuss all things Raydium! We dove into Raydium’s volume boom, how they deter pool deployment spam, and what led to their rise to the top of the Solana DEX space. Additionally, we looked back on the early days of Raydium, where they are today, and where they are heading next! Finally, discussed Pumpfun’s i…

Gm! In this episode, Jack and Mert discuss the recent Solana patch, and how security issues are handled. Additionally, they dive into the decentralization of Solana’s validator set, why client diversity matters, and separating market movements from underlying fundamentals. Finally, they discuss Ore v2 and Proof of Work on Solana, and provide their …

We're so back! This week we invite Chris Osborn & Jon Wong to the show to discuss one of the most exciting announcements in recent weeks within crypto... Blinks. We deep dive into what are Blinks, why they're needed for the internet, attracting developers, and the roadmap for the rest of 2024 & beyond. Enjoy! -- Follow Chris: https://x.com/aliquotc…

When the University of Windsor recently conceded to the demands of its pro-Palestinian encampment protesters, officials signed an agreement that stated, among other anti-Israel sentiments, the post-secondary institution would affirm "its commitment towards principles of decolonization... in the context of the occupation of Palestine." The narrative…

Gm! In this episode, we explore Infinex’s mission to unlock DeFi by massively improving the onchain user experience. We discuss Kain’s crypto journey to date, the impact fees have on UX, and Infinex’s decision to integrate Solana. Finally, we cover the Craterun yield farming campaign, and how the current token meta could be broken. Enjoy! -- Follow…

Gm! This week we're joined by Swen Schäferjohann for a discussion on Solana's latest scaling unlock... ZK compression. We deep dive into Light protocols origin story, how does ZK compression work, L1 composability & account construct & the future of Solana's scalability. Enjoy! -- Follow Swen: https://x.com/swen_sjn Follow Mert: https://twitter.com…

Gm! This week we're joined by Mike Dudas & Carl Vogel of 6th Man Ventures for a discussion on the investing landscape in crypto. We deep dive into the Solana ETF application, why crypto needs more applications, the promise of AI & DePin, crypto's airdrop dilemma & much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mike: https://x.com/mdudas Follow Carl: https://x.com/car…

Gm! This week we invite Tristan Frizza to the show to discuss the future of onchain trading as he builds out Zeta markets. We deep dive into Zeta's token launch, why they built an L2, the path ahead for Zeta & much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Tristan: https://x.com/Tristan0x Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyygu…

Gm! This week we're joined by Zano Sherwani for a discussion on the future of Solana & Jito in 2024 & beyond. We deep dive into the Jito origin story, why users are being sandwiched, Firedancer's unlock & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Zano: https://x.com/segfaultdoctor Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow…

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. We discuss users getting sandwiched, what's next for Solana, Airdrops & how socialFi could be one of crypto's largest opportunities. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Access is the …

Gm! This week we invite Kyle Samani to the show for a wide ranging discussion on his current crypto thesis. We deep dive into the L1 vs L2 debate, Stablecoins & DePin as crypto's killer use cases, why Solana will ultimately flip Ethereum & so much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Kyle: https://x.com/KyleSamani Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow …

Gm! This week we invite Garrett Harper & Stepan Simkin from Squads to the show after they raised a $10 million Series A round. We deep dive into the Squads origin story, why wallet security matters & how they want to help power Solana's on chain economy. Enjoy! -- Follow Stepan: https://x.com/SimkinStepan Follow Garrett: https://x.com/GarrettHarper…

There's a fact Zilka Joseph likes to toss out to prove how old the Bene Israel culture is: the community, native to the Indian subcontinent, spent centuries unaware of what Hanukkah was. That's because the first Bene Israel people arrived on the shores of modern-day India in 175 BCE, according to some estimates—almost a full decade before the Macca…

Gm! This week we invite Austin Federa to the show for a discussion on the current state of Solana & the most exciting developments happening in crypto. We deep dive into the current state of Firedancer, how to build community within crypto & attracting developers to Solana. We then debate is economic security a meme & of course the latest meta... s…

In this episode, Keone from Monad and Zon from Initia to discuss the spectrum between modular and integrated blockchain designs. They explore the tradeoffs in decentralization, performance and scalability between the two approaches. They explore AppChains, rollups, composability challenges in modular systems, EVM compatibility, and when to scale bl…

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. We discuss Mert's big takeaways from Consensus 2024, who's building on Solana, crypto payments & why is the latest meta celebrity coins & social tokens? Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpod…

Gm! This week we welcome Tzvi Wiesel Founder & CEO of Baxus to discuss why they're building on Solana, growing a global marketplace for spirits & of course... how Baxus are bringing whiskey onchain. Enjoy! -- Follow Tzvi Wiesel: https://x.com/web4O Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Use…

Gm! This week we welcome Brandon Millman & Donnie Dinch for a discussion on Phantom's recent acquisition & how they grew to be the largest wallet within the Solana ecosystem! Enjoy! -- Follow Brandon: https://x.com/BChillman Follow Donnie: https://x.com/donnie Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeed…

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. We discuss the potential Ethereum ETF approval, crypto's low float problem, L1 vs L2 scaling & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Try 3 months FREE of Helium Mobile with the co…

Gm! This week we welcome Amir Haleem CEO of Nova Labs for a discussion on how Helium is building out DePin infrastructure to capture one of crypto's biggest opportunities. Enjoy! -- Follow Amir: https://twitter.com/amirhaleem Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Subscribe on YouTube: http…

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. We discuss will Solana flip Ethereum, L1 vs L2 value accrual, Van Eck's meme coin index & the SocialFi hype. Enjoy! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq -- Try 3 months FREE of Helium Mobile wit…

Gm! This week we welcome FP Lee to the show for a discussion on the growth of liquid staking on Solana. We deep dive into launching LSTs, value accrual, solving liquidity issues & some of the products sanctum is building. Enjoy! -- Follow FP: https://twitter.com/soleconomist Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter…

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. After a crazy couple of weeks for Solana & crypto more broadly, we deep dive into Stripe's crypto announcement, Solana MEV, EigenLayer's token launch, Kamino + Drift Airdrops & more! -- Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Lightspeed: https://tw…

Gm! This episode Alex Smirnov joins the show for a discussion on how deBridge is working to power the crypto economy with cross chain bridging & interoperability. Enjoy! -- Follow Alex: https://twitter.com/AlexSmirnov__ Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy -- Use Code LIGHTSPEED10 for 10% off your ticket to Permissionless III: https://blockworks…