//podcastplus.net/feed/the-index-podcast~baac9b56 Who's on The Index this week? We talk with industry pioneers and developers behind the Web3 revolution. Find out what's new in blockchain technology, DeFi, the metaverse, NFTs, and more. Hosted by Alex Kehaya, CEO of Holaplex and brought to you by the Graph. The Graph, known as the Google of blockchain, is a decentralized indexing protocol for organizing blockchain data. Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:58:54 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17844064-open-source-cross-chain-security-zk-proofs-marc-boiron-ceo-of-polygon-labs.mp3 The blockchain world is undergoing a fundamental shift. What once seemed possible—scaling Web3 to internet size with a single chain—is now recognized as unrealistic. The future belongs to specialized chains that excel at specific tasks while seamlessly communicating with one another. This week on The Index , host Alex Kehaya sits down with Mark Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, to discuss the next chapter in open source development and explore how the Aggregation Layer is unlocking a new era of blockchain interoperability. Unlike traditional bridges that rely on wrapped assets, the Aggregation Layer leverages zero-knowledge proofs to verify chain states and enable secure cross-chain transactions—solving critical issues with settlement control and reorganization risks that have long plagued current solutions. Boiron also unpacks the rapid evolution of zero-knowledge development. What experts once predicted would take 5–10 years has already been achieved in just two, hinting at an even greater wave o... Mon, 15 Sep 2025 05:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17844064-open-source-cross-chain-security-zk-proofs-marc-boiron-ceo-of-polygon-labs.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17510456-ai-deepfakes-open-intelligence-radha-dasari-web3-foundation.mp3 What happens when a computer science PhD specializing in AI pivots to blockchain technology? For Radha Dasari, Lead Technical Advocate at the Web3 Foundation, it was a journey fueled by a mission to combat digital misinformation and bring fairness to the internet. In this eye-opening episode of The Index, host Alex Kehaya sits down with Radha to explore how Polkadot has evolved since its early days of parachain auctions. He breaks down the move to Agile Coretime—a major innovation that dramatically lowers entry barriers for developers while keeping Polkadot’s integrated security model intact. Unlike other multi-chain ecosystems where chain security varies, Polkadot’s validator shuffling ensures uniform security across all parachains—a true differentiator in the blockchain space. The most fascinating part of our discussion emerges at the intersection of AI and blockchain. Drawing from his academic background in artificial intelligence, Radha explains how deepfakes and digital misinformation pushe... Sun, 24 Aug 2025 23:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17510456-ai-deepfakes-open-intelligence-radha-dasari-web3-foundation.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17486615-next-level-ai-web3-game-development-dan-peng-rick-johanson-arbitrum-gaming-ventures.mp3 What happens when you combine addictive gameplay with blockchain technology? According to Rick Johanson and Dan Peng, Founding Partners at Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, the answer isn't simply "add a token and hope for the best." Their refreshing approach prioritizes the core gameplay experience first, with blockchain features thoughtfully layered in only when they truly enhance the player experience. The gaming landscape is undergoing a profound transformation at the intersection of Web3 and artificial intelligence. As Dan Peng explains, "The core loop is ultimately what matters about a game, and then features built on top that offer benefits attached to crypto could make sense." This player-centric philosophy marks an evolution from earlier crypto gaming efforts that often prioritized tokenomics over fun. Where blockchain truly shines is in enabling verifiable user-created content, cross-game asset ownership, and new collaborative models between publishers and players. Meanwhile, AI tools are dra... Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17486615-next-level-ai-web3-game-development-dan-peng-rick-johanson-arbitrum-gaming-ventures.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17495109-ai-transparency-layerlens-the-open-intelligence-stack-archie-chaudhury.mp3 What happens when we can no longer trust the performance claims of AI model creators? That’s the challenge driving LayerLens , an innovative platform bringing transparency and practical evaluation to the rapidly evolving AI landscape. In this episode, host Alex Kehaya sits down with Archie Chaudhury , Co-founder of LayerLens, to explore how blockchain-powered benchmarking can cut through the hype and deliver verifiable, real-world AI performance metrics. Unlike traditional academic benchmarks focused on abstract intelligence scores, LayerLens enables practical evaluations that reflect the real use cases businesses care about. Archie explains how the platform’s integration with EigenLayer makes every step of the evaluation process transparent — every question, every answer, and whether the model got it right or wrong — removing the need to rely on self-reported claims from model creators. We also dig into LayerLens’ vision for democratizing benchmark creation, empowering subject mat... Fri, 08 Aug 2025 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17495109-ai-transparency-layerlens-the-open-intelligence-stack-archie-chaudhury.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17524272-marinade-labs-solana-hackathon-to-billion-dollar-staking-platform-michael-repetny-co-founder.mp3 What if staking could be seamless, secure and DeFi-friendly? In this episode of The Index , host Alex Kehaya talks with Michael Repetny, Co-founder and CEO of Marinade Finance , the largest staking protocol on Solana with over $1.5 billion in crypto assets under management. Michael shares the remarkable journey behind Marinade—from a scrappy Solana hackathon project to a cornerstone of Solana’s infrastructure. Built by a team that turned down VC funding and acquisition offers , Marinade’s community-first ethos helped it scale organically while staying aligned with Solana’s mission of decentralization. To help demystify staking, Michael breaks it down with an easy-to-grasp analogy: Solana is a representative democracy—validators act as political parties processing transactions, while token holders are citizens who delegate their voting power. Marinade leveled up this system with liquid staking, empowering users to earn staking rewards while staying active in DeFi. It’s like earning yiel... Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17524272-marinade-labs-solana-hackathon-to-billion-dollar-staking-platform-michael-repetny-co-founder.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17441824-superform-building-the-future-of-on-chain-wealth-management-vikram-arun-co-founder.mp3 What’s stopping DeFi from going mainstream—and how can better UX, infrastructure, and automation unlock its full potential? In this episode of The Index , host Alex Kehaya talks with Vikram Arun, Co-founder of Superform , about building the future of on-chain wealth management. After managing a $100B DeFi book at BlockTower, Vikram saw a clear problem: if even institutional investors struggled with yield strategies, how could everyday users stand a chance? That insight led to Superform, a cross-chain platform now offering over 1,000 yield opportunities across 60 protocols and 12 chains. Vikram explains why many experienced users now prefer to delegate yield decisions—SuperVaults alone make up 60–70% of SuperForm’s TVL—and how simplifying this process opens DeFi to a wider audience. He also shares the story behind “Piggy,” their AI Telegram assistant that started as a meme and evolved into a real tool for portfolio monitoring and personalized yield recommendations. The conversation di... Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17441824-superform-building-the-future-of-on-chain-wealth-management-vikram-arun-co-founder.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17440383-depins-crypto-rewards-ai-tooling-jesse-adams-co-founder-of-uprock.mp3 How do you build a DePIN network with 2.7M+ devices, zero CAC, and data streams optimized for AI—without draining batteries or compromising user trust? In this episode of The Index , Alex Kehaya sits down with Jesse Adams, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Uprock , to unpack how they’re building the world’s first mobile-first DePIN for AI. Jesse’s journey spans building an adult app store, launching an encrypted browser (Tenta, acquired), and now scaling Uprock—a decentralized physical infrastructure network designed to deliver real-time, geo-distributed data for AI/ML. Instead of relying on always-on proxies, Uprock’s task-based architecture wakes mobile devices only when needed, performs lightweight actions (like scraping or uptime checks), and puts them back to sleep—keeping performance high and energy use low. We explore: Why location-specific data is critical for LLMs and autonomous agents How Uprock scaled to 2.7M devices with zero paid acquisition Their crypto mic... Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17440383-depins-crypto-rewards-ai-tooling-jesse-adams-co-founder-of-uprock.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17250934-web3-domains-tokenizing-digital-assets-with-d3-s-co-founder-michael-ho.mp3 Ever wondered what happens to those domain names gathering digital dust in your GoDaddy account? In this episode of The Index , host Alex Kehaya sits down with Michael Ho, Co-founder of D3 , to explore how blockchain technology is transforming the overlooked world of domain trading and ownership. The domain industry hasn’t changed much since the ’90s. Selling a valuable name still involves clunky escrow services, manual transfers, and broker fees that can eat up 25% or more of your sale. D3 is changing that—by tokenizing domains as programmable digital assets on-chain. What makes D3’s approach unique is its seamless integration. Instead of building a new siloed system, they’re bringing Web3 functionality directly to where domain owners already are—through familiar registrar interfaces. Soon, you’ll be able to tokenize, trade, lease, or fractionalize your domains with just a few clicks. At the heart of it all is Doma, the first DNS-compliant blockchain network. D3’s DomainFi platf... Fri, 27 Jun 2025 21:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17250934-web3-domains-tokenizing-digital-assets-with-d3-s-co-founder-michael-ho.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17201092-future-of-crypto-wireless-solana-helium-mobile-with-frank-mong-coo-of-nova-labs.mp3 What if you could rebuild telecom from the ground up—open, decentralized, and powered by crypto? In this episode of The Index , host Alex Kehaya chats with Frank Mong, COO of Nova Labs, the team behind Helium Mobile—the decentralized wireless network now partnering with AT&T and Telefónica. Helium started with a bold idea: replace legacy cell towers with a community-powered network. The key unlock? Blockchain incentives. After years of experimentation, they figured out how to bootstrap real wireless coverage—starting indoors, where traditional carriers fail. Frank breaks down how modern buildings kill cell signal, and how Helium turns everyday Wi-Fi routers into indoor cell towers using open-source tools and a crypto-powered incentive model. Now users and businesses can earn rewards while improving service—no billion-dollar infrastructure required. Even more interesting? Helium’s data lives on Solana. That transparency gives enterprise partners real-time visibility into network qualit... Fri, 20 Jun 2025 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17201092-future-of-crypto-wireless-solana-helium-mobile-with-frank-mong-coo-of-nova-labs.mp3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17235211-soon-stack-build-on-solana-deploy-everywhere-with-ceo-joanna-zeng.mp3 What if you could bring Solana’s speed to every major blockchain—and onboard millions of new users with zero friction? In this new episode of The Index , host Alex Kehaya welcomes back Joanna Zeng, Co-founder & CEO of S OON, for an exciting update on how her team is breaking down the walls between blockchain ecosystems and building the infrastructure for a more unified Web3. Soon is pioneering a decoupled SVM architecture—separating Solana’s execution layer from its consensus layer—to deliver Solana-level performance on Ethereum, BNB Chain, Base, and beyond. The result? Developers can build once and deploy everywhere, while users get high-speed dApps without switching ecosystems. Joanna also shares how Soon has evolved from pure infra to application builder. Their new platform, Simp for Fun, brings together AI-powered copy trading and livestreaming to create an experience that feels like Twitch for traders—a smart, user-friendly entry point for onboarding the next wave of users int... Sun, 15 Jun 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092514/episodes/17235211-soon-stack-build-on-solana-deploy-everywhere-with-ceo-joanna-zeng.mp3