Hangout 1: The Ethereum Foundation with Josh Stark and Jason Chaskin
10 Years of Ethereum - Episode 1: Foundation Stories Hosts: Chinmay Patel & Marvyn Paul Guests: Josh Stark (Community Lead, Ethereum Foundation) & Jason Chaskin (Researcher, Ethereum Foundation) Date: May 22, 2025 (Bitcoin Pizza Day!) Welcome to the inaugural episode of our 10-week celebration of Ethereum's 10th anniversary! In this special kickoff episode, we sit down with two key figures from the Ethereum Foundation - Josh Stark, who heads community initiatives, and Jason Chaskin, a researcher leading the new Ecosystem Intelligence Team. This isn't just another crypto podcast - it's a celebration of the builders, dreamers, and community members who've shaped Ethereum from an ambitious whitepaper into the global platform it is today. Josh and Jason share their personal journeys into Ethereum, from Jason's ICO-era skepticism to his banking career pivot, and Josh's transition from law to becoming a cornerstone of the Ethereum ecosystem. We explore the unique challenges of building at the Ethereum Foundation, the delicate balance between decentralization and coordination, and get insider perspectives on exciting developments like the Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, interoperability solutions, and the symbiotic relationship between Layer 1 and Layer 2s. Whether you're a longtime Ethereum builder or just discovering the ecosystem, this conversation offers rare insights into how one of crypto's most important organizations thinks about the future while staying true to its community-first ethos. [02:00] Jason's journey from skeptical college finance major to EF researcher [04:00] Josh's transition from law to Ethereum via the 2015 rabbit hole [11:00] Josh's pre-EF work: Bitcoin ATM operations, ETH Global founding, and L4 (early state channels) [14:00] Jason's ETH Global NYC 2022 experience - finding his tribe in the bear market [17:00] Josh's dual focus: building EF communications & leading Trillion Dollar Security Initiative [20:00] Jason's evolution to leading the new Ecosystem Intelligence Team [22:00] The unique challenge of winning without controlling - EF's delicate balance [24:00] New KPIs: Why stablecoin market share matters for Ethereum's future [27:00] Interoperability as a key coordination function [31:00] The Danny Ryan story - from web developer to Merge architect via open calls [33:00] Forums and channels: ETH Research, Ethereum Magicians, Farcaster [36:00] Developer opportunities: Build Guild, hackathons, and getting paid in ETH [38:00] Scout Game - gamifying open source contributions [41:00] Jason's call for renewed experimentation and big thinking [41:30] Jason's top 3 Farcaster apps: micro-tipping, GeoGuesser, and Paragraph [43:00] Josh's three-bucket framework: Platform strength, application ecosystem, and distribution [46:00] Scaling values through technology, not just philosophy [48:00] The email analogy - how base layer properties keep platforms honest [50:00] EF's symbiotic relationship with Layer 2 teams [52:00] The speed of progress - from $1+ L2 fees to micro-transactions in one year [53:00] Interoperability progress: Succinct's 12-second Ethereum block proofs [55:00] Final advice: Reach out, try new products, support experimentation
Episode 9: Solving Digital Identity & Mobilising Crypto for Good with Noak Lindqvist
Episode Description In this episode, Marvyn Paul chats with Noak Lindqvist, a Swedish-born consultant turned tech entrepreneur now based in Toronto. Noak shares his journey from corporate consulting to becoming a passionate advocate for blockchain technology and regenerative economics. His work focuses on solving critical Web3 friction points, particularly through Cubid - a protocol that addresses the challenge of proving unique human identity online (proof of personhood), which is essential for preventing manipulation in voting systems and enabling fair distribution of resources. Noak also discusses T-Coin (Toronto Coin), a local cryptocurrency designed to fund charities. The conversation covers universal basic income, the challenges of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and how blockchain technology can create positive social impact. This episode is essential for anyone curious about how crypto and blockchain technologies fit into everyday life and their potential to address societal challenges. Noak’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/noak-lindqvist/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@newinternetpod Twitter - https://x.com/newinternetpodY outube - https://www.youtube.com/@newinternetpodcast Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/newinternetpod.bsky.social Rumble - https://rumble.com/user/NewInternetPod Music generated by Mubert https://mubert.com/render Guest: Noak Lindqvist, former Accenture consultant (25+ years of experience), now a tech entrepreneur in the blockchain spaceIntroduction: Noak's focus is on solving proof of personhood challenges through Cubid and creating accessible DAO tools via ChainCrew. He also leads Green Pill Toronto, has an important role in Toronto DAO, and organizes east-side crypto meet-ups Background: Originally from Sweden, moved to Canada in 2008, transitioned from corporate consulting to blockchain entrepreneurship Key Topics Discussed: - The distinction between blockchain and cryptocurrency - What makes a successful DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) - Universal Basic Income (UBI) implementations in crypto - The problem of Sybil attacks (multiple accounts) in online identity - T-Coin - a local cryptocurrency pegged to transit ticket value - Cubid - a multi-dimensional identity solution for proving humanity online - Regenerative economics and crypto for social goodNoak’s Current Initiatives: - Toronto DAO https://x.com/dao_toronto - Chain Crew https://chaincrew.xyz/ (platform for creating DAOs) - Cubid https://linktr.ee/cubidprotocol (proof of personhood protocol) - T-Coin https://www.tcoin.me/ (Toronto Coin) - Green Pill Toronto https://greenpill.to/ - Various regenerative finance projects Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction to Noak Lindqvist 00:07:00 - Background and move from Sweden to Canada 00:12:00 - Life before crypto and first crypto exposure 00:15:00 - What is money? Bitcoin vs. digital currency 00:21:00 - What crypto has proven it can do well 00:25:00 - Introduction to DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) 00:31:00 - What makes a successful DAO 00:34:00 - Toronto DAO and membership verification 00:38:00 - Improving crypto user experience 00:42:00 - Universal Basic Income (UBI) and regenerative economics 00:47:00 - The Sybil attack problem - proving humanity online 00:54:00 - Overcoming crypto's negative baggage 00:58:00 - Measuring success in regenerative initiatives 01:02:00 - Green Pill Network and regen projects 01:07:00 - Introduction to T-Coin (Toronto Coin) 01:14:00 - Communicating T-Coin's value proposition 01:18:00 - Cubid: solving the proof of personhood problem 01:27:00 - Privacy-preserving identity verification 01:31:00 - Cubid development roadmap and team 01:36:00 - Closing thoughts and where to find Noak online Projects Mentioned Green Pill Network Gitcoin MetaFund.We Sacred Protocol GoodDollar Bright ID Circles Idena protocol World Coin Bitcoin Bay
Episode 6: Blockchain-Attached Storage with Dr. Kate Withers of Functionland
In this episode of "Is This the New Internet?", Marv speaks with Dr. Kate Withers, co-founder of Functionland, about their approach to decentralized data storage. Dr. Withers explains how their FX Blocks hardware offers an alternative to centralized cloud services, allowing users to maintain ownership of their files while participating in a networked storage system. The conversation explores how Functionland operates as a DePIN aggregator, enabling users to provide infrastructure to multiple blockchain networks and earn various tokens simultaneously. From local AI models to self-hosted Minecraft servers, this Toronto-based, open-source project demonstrates practical applications of decentralized infrastructure. With insights on their forthcoming FULA token, this discussion illuminates both the technical foundations and real-world utility of blockchain-attached storage. *Websites & Socials* Dr. Kate Withers: https://x.com/FieldAgronomy21 Functionland: https://x.com/functionland Website: fx.land Buy your very own FxBlox: https://shop.fx.land/ Functionland Github: https://github.com/functionland Blockchain-Attached Storage Telegram Invite link: https://t.me/functionlanders Channel: https://t.me/functionland *Detailed Show Notes* Functionland is developing a decentralized approach to file storage through their FX Blocks hardware, which enables users to: - Store and access personal files without dependence on subscription services - Contribute to a network where storage resources are shared reciprocally - Earn FULA tokens by providing infrastructure resources - Support multiple DePIN networks simultaneously as an aggregator, earning various project tokens - Run applications locally, from AI models to gaming servers Dr. Withers provides the example of their partnership with the Streamer network, where FX Blocks owners can earn both Streamer's Data tokens and Functionland's FULA tokens by providing infrastructure through the same hardware. This aggregator model allows users to maximize the utility and earning potential of their hardware investment. Dr. Kate Withers shares her path from agricultural research to blockchain development, explaining how her experience with research data management informed Functionland's design principles. The conversation highlights how their approach differs from other decentralized storage solutions through its emphasis on file retrievability, mobile access, and response speed. Key aspects include: - The technical design of FX Blocks and their storage capabilities - Their token structure that allocates 40% toward open-source development contributions - Integration possibilities with Starlink for remote connectivity - The upcoming FULA token launch - The practical experience of running local AI inference on FX Blocks The discussion also covers the challenges of building hardware and software simultaneously, perspectives on the Canadian startup ecosystem, and considerations for decentralized infrastructure development across market cycles. For those interested in alternatives to corporate cloud storage, this episode presents thoughtful insights on the practical implementation of data sovereignty through accessible technology. *Chapters and Markers* 00:00 - Introduction to Dr. Kate Withers and Functionland 02:00 - Marvyn's introduction and podcast announcements 04:00 - Dr. Withers' background and entry into crypto 07:00 - Early work in AI and contextual agents (2016) 09:00 - Journey from academia to blockchain business leader 12:00 - Functionland 101: Decentralized file storage for consumers 15:00 - Evolution into a DePIN service aggregator 17:00 - Making decentralized technology plug-and-play for non-technical users 19:00 - Open source philosophy and compensating developers 21:00 - Comparing Functionland to other decentralized storage solutions 24:00 - How permanent storage works through IPFS and redundancy 27:00 - FX Blocks hardware design and specifications 30:00 - Comparison to traditional NAS (Network Attached Storage) 32:00 - Community use cases: Minecraft servers and local LLMs 35:00 - Building a global network of decentralized nodes 37:00 - The upcoming FULA token and its utility 40:00 - Token economics and multi-token earning potential 43:00 - Dr. Withers' experience as a female founder in Web3 47:00 - Building in the Canadian startup ecosystem 49:00 - Challenges of developing hardware and software simultaneously 52:00 - Pivoting from Raspberry Pi to more versatile hardware 56:00 - The current bull market versus 2021 59:00 - Projects and sectors Dr. Withers is excited about 01:02:00 - Lessons learned as a founder and team leader 01:04:00 - Skills needed in the Web3 industry 01:08:00 - Closing thoughts and how to connect with Functionland Listen ad-free and collect episodes at https://pods.media/is-this-the-new-internet Sign up to my newsletter at www.marvynpaul.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@newinternetpod Twitter - https://x.com/newinternetpod Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/newinternetpod.bsky.social Rumble - https://rumble.com/user/NewInternetPod Music generated by Mubert https://mubert.com/render
Episode 5: Experimenting & Building at Crypto’s Farthest Frontiers with Chinmay Patel
In this episode, I spoke with Chinmay Patel, a seasoned tech builder and currently CEO at PERCs. Chinmay shares his journey from crypto skeptic to believer, his experiences contributing to Mozilla's open source projects, and his current work building innovative tools for the Farcaster ecosystem. He has spent years “building for builders,” and his insights come from having been there, and done that. This is an essential episode for anyone putting ideas in motion in Web3. Key Topics: - Chinmay's journey from skepticism to conviction in crypto through MakerDAO and Solidity - The importance of experimentation and letting users determine what works - Insights on Frame technology and its implementation on Farcaster - Discussion of social media dynamics and network effects - Thoughts on the current state of crypto markets and taking profits Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Chinmay Patel 05:00 - Early Crypto Journey and Skepticism 13:00 - Building Companies and Product Market Fit 20:00 - Mozilla Contributions and Open Source Experience 28:00 - Transition to Entrepreneurship 35:00 - Current State of Crypto Infrastructure 41:00 - Introduction to Farcaster and Frames 54:00 - Movie Game Development and Lessons Learned 1:07:00 - Frames V2 Discussion 1:18:00 - Social Media Network Effects 1:27:00 - Building Communities and Platform Growth 1:30:00 - Market Outlook and Final Thoughts Chinmay’s Links Farcaster Personal Warpcast - https://warpcast.com/chinmay.eth Baskets - https://warpcast.com/basketdotfarm PERCs - https://warpcast.com/percs PERCs website - https://percs.app/ Chinmay's X - https://x.com/chinmaydoteth
