Weekly Podcast Picks｜Discussing Fully On-Chain Games and Why Solana Could Surpass Ethereum
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Weekly Podcast Picks｜Discussing Fully On-Chain Games and Why Solana Could Surpass Ethereum
Dark Forest's influence and innovation extend far beyond its unique gameplay experience, pointing toward "a new vision for the metaverse."
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsCompilation: TechFlow
1. Web3 101: Discussing the Fully On-Chain Game "Dark Forest" and the Startup Ecosystem It Spawned
Dark Forest (hereinafter referred to as "Dark Forest"), a fully on-chain game, has created a huge sensation within the Web3 community.
This sci-fi game applies Web3 technologies such as ZK-SNARKs (zero-knowledge cryptography) in ways never seen before. An article from MIT Technology Review points out that Dark Forest's impact and innovation go far beyond its unique gameplay experience, pointing toward a "new vision of the metaverse," where these technological innovations can cultivate transparent blockchains and host autonomous decentralized digital worlds.
Why has this one game received such high praise, and what is its appeal?
For this interview, we invited Erica as our guest, a player ranked among the top ten in the game’s official competitive leaderboard. In this conversation, Erica dives deep into the essence of the game and its sci-fi extensions, the Web3 technologies it explores and advances, the current state of the core team, and the startup ecosystem and technical community that have emerged around it.
But what exactly is Dark Forest? How does it attract and retain a loyal player base? Why are players willing to spend their own money—without expecting any financial return—to support the game's development? How does this decentralized MMORTS space conquest game built on zero-knowledge proof technology expand the application boundaries of Web3? And how did its founding team later build a startup ecosystem based on it? This podcast will give you the answers.
Listen here: Web3 101: Discussing the Fully On-Chain Game "Dark Forest" and the Startup Ecosystem It Spawned
2. Bankless: Are Crypto Games Making a Comeback?
In this episode of Bankless, hosts Ryan and David sit down with Vance Spencer and Michael Anderson, co-founders of Framework Ventures, to discuss the resurgence of crypto gaming. They reflect on past discussions about crypto games during the previous hype cycle, noting that those explorations were premature. However, now with cheaper blockspace, better wallets, and more engaging games emerging, crypto gaming may be poised for a comeback.
Vance and Michael examine the state of crypto gaming in 2022 and explain why now might be the ideal time for it to take off. They also explore which blockchain could become the primary platform for crypto gaming activity, including Solana, Avalanche, and Ethereum Layer 2 solutions. Additionally, they discuss a simple method to bypass the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, which currently serve as the main gateways to the crypto gaming market.
The show also touches on the potential impact of crypto gaming on assets such as Ethereum, DeFi tokens, and Layer 2 blockspace. Vance and Michael argue that if their predictions come true, crypto gaming could significantly influence the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem. They believe a revival would draw in more players and drive industry-wide growth.
Listen here: Are Crypto Games Making a Comeback?
3. Bankless: Is RUNE Undervalued?
In this episode, David explores THORChain, a liquidity protocol that enables users to swap between various cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum without intermediaries. The discussion features Chad Barraford, a core developer of THORChain, and Erik Voorhees, a veteran figure in the crypto space.
Chad and Erik dive deep into how THORChain works and how its native token RUNE captures value. They also discuss how THORChain could reshape the crypto landscape and contribute to building a bankless future. Notably, Erik shares how he discovered THORChain and views it as the spiritual successor to ShapeShift, the centralized exchange he previously founded.
Listen here: Is THORChain (RUNE) Undervalued?
4. Empire: Why the Founder of Polychain Capital Never Sells His Cryptocurrency
In this episode of Empire, Olaf Carlson, founder of Polychain and Coinbase’s first employee, shares his views on cryptocurrency becoming the largest wealth redistribution mechanism of modern times. He discusses the impact of leverage cycles, the feasibility of restaking, and the importance of privacy. They also delve into theories around Layer 2 and appchains, embedding financial markets into social platforms, and the potential of wearable devices.
Olaf explains why cryptocurrency is a one-way street and why he believes it will outlast fiat currency. He sees crypto as the biggest wealth redistribution event of our era.
Listen here: Why Polychain Capital Founder Never Sells His Crypto?
5. Bankless: Addressing the BanklessDAO Drama
In this episode of Bankless, hosts David and Ryan respond to the backlash and criticism they faced after becoming central figures in a heated debate across the crypto community over the weekend. They discuss what happened, whether they deserved the treatment, and how they ended up in this situation.
They reference a controversial proposal by Bankless DAO to request 1.82 million ARB tokens (worth approximately $1.82 million) from Arbitrum DAO, which sparked widespread discussion and division. David and Ryan clarify the distinction between Bankless DAO and Bankless Media, emphasizing that they do not directly control the DAO and attempt to clear up confusion about their relationship. They also talk about the personal impact of online attacks and criticism, and how they’re navigating the situation.
Listen here: Addressing BanklessDAO Drama
Recommended Reading: With Only 9 Views on a Tweet, Requesting $1.8M Donation Sparks Controversy Over Bankless DAO Proposal
6. Conversation with eGirl Capital Partner: Treating Crypto Trading as a Game
In this installment of the Crypto Market Wizards series, the host interviews CL207, a mysterious partner at eGirl Capital and an anonymous trader who uses a cat avatar. CL207 shares his journey in crypto, including how he became known as a feline persona and some of his best memories from the last trading cycle. He also talks about his pursuit of becoming a "happy geek" and shares his perspectives and trading strategies on the crypto market.
CL207 discusses his trading style, including how he leverages market momentum and sentiment to make decisions. He reflects on his experiences in the crypto market, interactions with other traders and community members, and shares his outlook on the future of crypto and the key traits he believes are essential for successful trading.
Listen here: Conversation with eGirl Capital Partner: Treating Crypto Trading as a Game
TechFlow has transcribed this episode: Podcast Notes | Conversation with eGirl Capital Partner: Treating Crypto Trading as a Game
7. Unchained Crypto: How Do DeFi Hack Negotiators Get the Job Done?
In this episode of Unchained Crypto, industry insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner sit down with Ogle Crypto, an experienced negotiator in crypto hack incidents. Ogle shares how he entered this role, recounting his first case tracking a group of hackers who fled from Hong Kong to the UK after stealing $24 million. He reveals his negotiation tactics, typical profiles of hackers he encounters, and his empathetic attitude toward these often young and economically disadvantaged individuals.
They also discuss the recent KyberSwap exploit, which resulted in nearly $50 million in losses across multiple chains. Ogle notes that he typically negotiates with hackers in an effort to recover stolen funds. He emphasizes that most hackers are young people who seize opportunities when they arise, but his goal isn't to ruin their lives—it's to guide them toward a better path.
Listen here: How DeFi Hack Negotiators Get the Job Done: The Chopping Block
8. Why Could Solana Flip Ethereum?
In this episode of Empire, Santi and Jason dive into some of the biggest debates in the crypto space, including integrated versus modular blockchains and whether Solana could surpass Ethereum. They also examine how factors such as hardware requirements, blockchain execution environments, parallel processing, and network consensus affect network development and adoption. To lighten the mood, the hosts also chat about Spotify Wrapped, NFT collecting psychology, and their favorite personal songs.
Additionally, the episode introduces Northstake, a platform offering compliant Web3 equity investment products for institutional investors. Northstake ensures institutions can participate in the growing crypto market while adhering to necessary legal and regulatory standards.
Listen here: Why Solana Could Flip Ethereum?
9. Bankless: How They Solved Ethereum's Critical Flaw
In this episode of Bankless, hosts David and Ryan engage in an in-depth discussion with Phil Daian and Andrew Miller, researchers in cryptoeconomics. Phil is the co-founder of Flashbots and lead author of the seminal paper "Flash Boys 2.0," which four years ago first identified and defined the MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) issue in the Ethereum ecosystem. Andrew Miller is an associate professor at the University of Illinois, an Oxford SGX researcher, and a visiting researcher at Flashbots, deeply committed to advancing cypherpunk values through cryptoeconomic mechanisms.
They explore the concept and goals of Suave, a research and development initiative aimed at mitigating the negative externalities of MEV. Phil and Andrew discuss how Suave functions as a platform and toolkit offering solutions to the MEV problem. Suave aims to provide a private, programmable, MEV-aware environment that acts as a pre-blockchain "mempool" layer, allowing transactions and intents to be matched and optimized before entering blockchains like Ethereum.
They also cover how Suave operates as a decentralized block builder, generating high-value blocks for chains like Ethereum. Suave’s privacy features are critical for protecting user data and transactions, achieved using trusted execution environments like Intel SGX. The discussion also highlights Suave’s potential benefits for various stakeholders, including Ethereum, other chains, Layer 2 networks, and end users.
Listen here: How They Solved Ethereum's Critical Flaw
10. Blockstream: Expanding Bitcoin's Global Reach Using Lightning with Rusty Russell
Rusty, the lead developer of the open-source Core Lightning project, discusses several topics, including real-world applications of the Lightning Network in San Salvador, El Salvador, and recent integration updates enabling Greenlight and Blockstream Green wallets to support Lightning.
Listen here: Expanding Bitcoin's Global Reach Using Lightning with Rusty Russell
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