Ethereum: podcast episodes, research and news
Overview
Ethereum is the largest smart contract platform, the network where most of DeFi, stablecoins and tokenized assets first took shape. Its native token, ETH, pays for transactions and secures the network through staking. Ethereum's roadmap moved most activity to layer 2 networks, or L2s, which process transactions cheaply and settle back to Ethereum. That made Ethereum cheaper to use. It also split users, liquidity and apps across many chains, which is now one of the ecosystem's biggest debates.
Ethereum is also where institutions are paying the closest attention. Tokenized funds, stablecoin issuers and banks have mostly started here. That puts privacy, compliance and security at the center of the conversation rather than at its edges.
Much of our Ethereum coverage was recorded at EthCC in Cannes, Europe's largest Ethereum conference:
- Mercuryo. Arthur and Ashna explain how to scale fiat on-ramps while staying compliant.
- Lotus Protocol. David describes a middle ground for on-chain lending.
- Hacken. Dyma Budorin talks about securing Web3 beyond audits.
- Session. Chris McCabe talks about private messaging on a decentralized network.
- Cake Wallet. SethForPrivacy explains why Ethereum users still have few good privacy options.
The L2 question comes up across the archive. Luke Youngblood built Moonwell into one of the leading lending apps on Base, Coinbase's L2. James Fry explains how Across moves assets between chains and how UMA's optimistic oracle settles disputes. Gideon Greaves leads investments at Lisk, which now runs as an Ethereum L2, and argues that real adoption is starting in emerging markets. Pep the Ghost of Alephium pushes back on the idea that crypto no longer needs new layer 1s at all.
This hub collects those episodes, plus our Ethereum research and news. The Layer 1s & Layer 2s hub goes deeper on the scaling debate, and the EthCC hub groups everything we recorded in Cannes.
Episodes11 episodes
How Hacken is Securing Web3 Beyond Audits
Security is number one when it comes to crypto, and it should be treated as such. The past few months just proved that.
The DeFi Model Institutions Actually Want
Our industry has survived plenty of challenges, and we are used to overcoming them. We sat down with David from Lotus to discuss how they plan to change DeFi for the better.
The Modular Hardware Wallet
Crypto has always had a sense of freedom about it. The freedom to transact whenever you want, on whatever chain you want, however you want. Keycard is taking this freedom to the next level - bringing modular hardware wallets to ordinary users.
Session and the Fight for Real Private Messaging
Privacy was never a trend. Privacy is a basic right that every human should have. Chris knows that. With Session, they are making privacy a priority for over 1.7 million users.
Open-source self-custody in the AI era
In the fifth episode from our EthCC run, we sat down with Jan Šetina from Trezor to talk about hardware wallets, open-source security, better backups, and the fact that self-custody still needs a human checkpoint.
Building Crypto For Institutions
Institutions are coming onchain - and that's not necessarily a bad thing since institutions = capital. The real question is: do we have the infrastructure to welcome them? We sat down with Sylvan Martin from SCRYPT and discussed everything they’ve built… and why.
Privacy Comes First, Always
As institutions are coming in, crypto is moving further away from Satoshi’s ideals… is that a good thing?
Is 2026 the year of the DOGE?
DogeOS is the app layer for Dogecoin, built to give Doge users more to do than just hold DOGE or leave it sitting on exchanges. Stablecoins, DeFi, games, AI tools, consumer apps, all of that becomes important once Dogecoin has rails around it.
Onramps, stablecoins & regulations
This market is crowded, and trust is starting to separate serious players from the rest, especially with onboarding solutions. We talked about MiCA as part of that shift, a cleaner rulebook for companies trying to build real infrastructure, at a time when fraud is getting smarter across both TradFi and crypto.
Crypto Communities Are Officially Dead
CT is on the decline, finally cracking the echo chamber that once played a major role in Web3. Are crypto communities finally dead? What's next?
The Issue of Ethereum L2s
We sat down with Luis from Gear Technology and discussed how Vara is fixing the Ethereum L2 issue.
Research and guides7 articles
News2 stories
See all 2 stories in the news archiveGuests who discussed it12 guests
Dyma BudorinCo-founder at Hacken Club1 episodeSecurity
David ReisingFounder at Lotus Protocol1 episodeDeFiGuy-Louis GrauProduct Lead at Keycard1 episodeCustodySecurity
Chris McCabeCo-founder at Session1 episodePrivacySecurity
Jan ŠetinaFirmware Product at Trezor1 episodeCustodySecurity
Sylvan MartinCo-founder at SCRYPT1 episodeInfraMarket structure
Seth for PrivacyCEO at Cake Wallet1 episodePrivacyCustody
Jordan JeffersonFounder & CEO at DogeOS1 episodeDeFiInfra
Arthur FirstovCBO at Mercuryo1 episodePaymentsStablecoinsAshna VaghelaCCO at Mercuryo1 episodePaymentsStablecoins
James FryHead of Marketing at UMA & Across Protocol1 episodePrediction marketsEthereum
Luis Alberto Ramírez AlbinoChief of Growth at VARA & Gear Technology1 episodeL2sL1sFrequently asked questions
What is an Ethereum layer 2?
A separate network that executes transactions off Ethereum's main chain and settles them back to it, which lowers fees. Base, Arbitrum and Optimism are well-known examples.
Why are Ethereum L2s controversial?
They made Ethereum cheaper to use but split users and liquidity across many networks. Critics also argue they capture value that would otherwise go to Ethereum itself. Bridges such as Across exist to move assets between them.
What is EthCC?
The Ethereum Community Conference, Europe's largest annual Ethereum event, held in Cannes. The EthCC hub lists the episodes we recorded there.
What is Base?
Coinbase's Ethereum layer 2. Moonwell, a lending app, is one of its leading DeFi protocols. Luke Youngblood explains how Moonwell approaches safety and user experience.