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26: Cyan Banister - A Fool’s Dérive

Cyan Banister (Website, X, Substack) is an investor, artist, and co-founder and General Partner of Long Journey Ventures. Previously, Cyan spent four years at Founders Fund and has a legendary angel investing track record alongside her husband, Scott, including early rounds in SpaceX, Uber, and DeepMind.Cyan is as original as they come: she grew up on a Navajo reservation and was homeless by 15, with a series of unlikely serendipitous moments combined with optimism, agency, and love of capitalism taking her to a very different life than the one she grew up with. I focused this conversation not on Cyan's work, but her unique approach to living.We begin with Cyan’s “church”: a weekly visit to see Bobby McFerrin and co. do live, jazz acapella in Berkeley, CA. We discuss how this space ties to presence, openness, and play, and then talk about the tension between novelty and consistency as she continues on her own path toward self-love and mindfulness. She also tells me about her radical approach to accountability and the empowering results of assuming that everything is her fault.One of Cyan's favorite words is the French dérive, or an intentional drift, and it embodies her approach to the world. She moves with childlike wonder, seeking to see things and people from new perspectives and challenging others to react beyond their default settings. She daydreams about the outcomes she wants and has remarkable conviction and faith even when others do not believe her.We wrap with a grab bag representative of Cyan's diverse interests, from filmmaking and performance art to the US Constitution to Bill Murray. Cyan manages to combine randomness and intentionality, naiveté and sober-minded awareness, humility and conviction. I hope you are are as inspired as I am to live more playfully, seriously, and courageously.Full transcript is available at https://dialectic.fm/cyan-banisterTimestamps0:01:23: Intro0:03:45: Cyan's "Church"0:16:21: Stillness, Mindfulness, and Introspection0:28:47: Learning to See in Original Ways0:39:38: People: When the "Light is On," "Collecting Minds," and Conjuring Friends0:46:55: Cultivating Childlike Joy and Refusing to be a Victim0:52:30: Radical Accountability0:56:28: Randomness, Faith, and Experimentation1:06:22: Conviction and Peter Thiel1:12:54: Returning to Seed Investing and Long Journey Ventures1:18:23: Thoughts on Art1:23:42: Performance Art1:26:37: Cyan's Creative Projects1:32:51: Boredom1:36:06: Living Around Elderly People1:42:14: Pete Buttigieg1:45:57: Being a Role Model1:48:26: Young People's Future1:52:46: Scott Banister and Lessons for Her Kids1:55:35: "It Just Doesn't Matter" And Who Pulls the StringsKey LinksCyan - by Kevin Gee and Dan Scott - Cloud ValleyCyan Banister — From Homeless and Broke to Top Angel Investor - Tim FerrissInvesting for a Higher Purpose - Invest like the BestBobby McFerrinUniversity of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address - Admiral William H. McRavenExample of Motion and Bobby's performanceThe Magic Glasses - Frank HarrisMy Life and Loves - Frank HarrisLee JacobsBILL MURRAY TALKS ABOUT THE PAINTING THAT SAVED HIS LIFEThe Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer - Neal Stephenson | GoodreadsIt Just Doesn't Matter! - Meatballs (1979)‎The Razor's Edge (1984)Bill Murray gives a surprising and meaningful answer you might not expect. (Charlie Rose)Dialectic with Jackson Dahl is available on all podcast platforms.Join the ⁠telegram channel for Dialectic⁠Follow ⁠Dialectic on Twitter⁠Follow Dialectic on InstagramSubscribe to Dialectic on YouTube

"Ethereum is Power to the People" with Jason Chaskin from the Ethereum Foundation | ZEROPOD S3 E1

Jason Chaskin is the newly minted head of app relations at the Ethereum Foundation, and he joins ZEROPOD as our first guest of season 3!In this conversation, host Toady Hawk chats with Jason about his journey from the halls of high finance to the trenches of ETH hackathons, his new EF role helping apps survive and thrive, and why he believes that Ethereum is uniquely positioned to bring power back to the people. If you enjoy this episode, you can collect an onchain version right here and support our ongoing work. --- Timestamps: 00:00 Why Ethereum? Open networks vs Big Tech servers 02:00 Introducing Jason + his background 02:44 Growing up in Connecticut, sports & early life 03:29 College years at Illinois, studying finance 07:00 First exposure to crypto during the ICO era 08:54 Corporate banking and investment banking disillusionment 11:30 Discovering crypto podcasts & influences 13:01 COVID money-printing → aha moment for Bitcoin & Ethereum 14:13 Entering NFTs and first onchain experiences 15:05 Learning to code + ETH Global hackathons 16:33 How Jason taught himself (CS50, Patrick Collins course) 17:22 Pivot point: job applications & rejection at Privy 18:18 Blogging, Farcaster channels, and breaking into EF 21:59 Landing a role with the Ethereum Foundation 22:42 Announcing his new role: Apps Relations & Research 24:59 What the new EF focus means for apps & use cases 27:03 Why stablecoins on Tron succeeded & lessons for ETH 30:03 Should Ethereum fight for stablecoin market share? 32:11 The bull case for apps on Ethereum 34:43 Vitalik’s vision, decentralization, and values 39:23 Are stablecoins bullish or bearish for Ethereum? 40:29 Favorite Vitalik blog posts + public goods funding 46:01 Why Ethereum is a counterbalance to centralization 49:41 Competition with Solana & L1 debates 53:10 Are L2s parasitic to Ethereum? 57:12 EF’s L1 vs L2 scaling roadmap explained 59:59 What new blockspace should be used for (apps, experiments) 1:01:21 Bull case for Farcaster & community building 1:03:50 Thoughts on Nouns DAO and funding public goods 1:09:37 Ethereum’s biggest challenges ahead 1:12:49 EF restructuring and adapting to regulation 1:16:28 Why EF is leaning into ecosystem support & comms 1:18:54 Reflections on FTX, regulation, and industry reputation 1:19:41 Looking ahead to 2025: apps, stablecoins, institutions 1:21:49 Lightning Round Q&A (food, music, hobbies, books, travel, inspirations) 1:28:06 Closing thoughts --- Podcast produced, edited and hosted by Toady Hawk. Zero Rights Reserved and Open Source (Just like Ethereum)Cover art commissioned from the talented @0xAprilia Funding provided by The Yellow Collective on Base, an onchain culture club for curious creators and artists. Find out more at yellowcollective.xyz.

Better Than CEX: DeFi.App Reimagines A DeFi-Native Robinhood

Dan Greer is the CoFounder at Defi.App. In this episode, we discuss Dan's vision to simplify the user experience in decentralized finance, offering a Robinhood-style onchain platform. He shares his insights on the importance of creating a centralized exchange-like UX while maintaining the benefits of self-sovereignty and decentralization, complete with KYC-less access and next-gen trading tools like Hyperliquid perps. Plus, more on their upcoming mobile app (currently in beta) and their AI integration designed to assist users in perps trading. ------ 🔗 Essential Show Links 🔗 ► Newsletter: https://the-edge.xyz ► Youtube: https://youtube.com/@DeFiDad ► Apple: https://tinyurl.com/edgepod ► Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/edgepodspotify ► Linktree: https://linktr.ee/edge_pod ► Follow DeFi Dad: https://x.com/DeFi_Dad ► Follow Nomatic: https://x.com/Nomaticcap ► Learn DeFi: http://defidad.com/ ------ The Edge Podcast Sponsor Resources ♦️⁠ REDSTONE⁠ | THE LEADING MODULAR BLOCKCHAIN ORACLE https://www.redstone.finance/ ♉︎ TOROS | EXPONENTIAL GAINS WITH LEVERAGED TOKENS https://toros.finance/ 🥞 SYRUPUSDC BY MAPLE | DEFI'S PREMIUM YIELD ASSET https://app.maple.finance/earn?referral=Mig0gHP59IYC 🦅 ⁠FALCON⁠ | OVERCOLLATERIZED SYNTHETIC DOLLAR - POINTS PROGRAM NOW LIVE https://app.falcon.finance?r=0ec4ccafcd94a7756710278ebfd7dd4b ⚡ ⁠SPARK⁠ | THE ONCHAIN CAPITAL ALLOCATOR https://link.spark.fi/Defi_Dad 🏦 MANTLE | INNOVATING THE FUTURE OF ONCHAIN FINANCE https://group.mantle.xyz/ ⚙️ GEARBOX PROTOCOL | ONCHAIN LENDING REIMAGINED https://gearbox.fi/ 🐡⁠ PUFFER INSTITUTIONAL | STAKING SOLUTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONAL SCALE https://institutional.puffer.fi/ 📈⁠ RUMPEL⁠ | TURN POINTS INTO PROFITS https://www.rumpel.xyz/ ------ Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 6:05 - The vision behind Defi.App 10:11 - The benefits of accessing DeFi onchain vs a CEX 16:01 - Competing with wallet providers 20:25 - Target market for Defi.App 24:20 - Balancing curation vs access in the DeFi UX 28:28 - Sponsor break 29:39 - Future development for lending and borrowing 37:53 - Fiat on-ramping UX 40:26 - User journey through Defi.App 45:22 - Sponsor break 46:47 - Hyperliquid perps trading and mobile app for trading 52:29 - HOME buybacks, staking + Season 2 airdrop 54:42 - AI-supercharged trading coming soon 59:43 - Closing ------ 🔗 Guest Links 🔗 ► Defi.App website: https://defi.app/ ► Defi.App on X: https://x.com/defidotapp ► Dan Greer on X: https://x.com/0xuxdesign ------ All opinions expressed by hosts and podcast guests are solely their own opinions. Podcast guests and hosts may have positions in the assets or other matters discussed in this podcast. DeFi Dad and Nomatic are investors in DeFi.App. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Do your own research. This is not a recommendation or endorsement to buy any token(s) related to any platform(s) discussed.

"Building for People, Not Wallets" with Privy cofounder Henri Stern | ZEROPOD S2 E16

What if crypto products weren’t built for wallets, but for people? In this episode of ZEROPOD, Privy.io founder Henri Stern joins host Toady Hawk to talk about building user-first infra, why account abstraction matters, and what it’ll take to onboard the next billion. From his Parisian roots to Protocol Labs and now Privy, Henri shares sharp takes on fragmentation, EIP-7702, and why most crypto apps still miss the point. Come for the insights, stay for the travel tips and Italian bread slander. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Intro: Meet Henri Stern, founder of Privy01:44 - Henri’s backstory: Growing up in Paris, moving to NYC03:55 - Adjusting to life in New York and early education04:32 - Choosing Stanford over the French education system06:00 - Discovering computer science and why it stuck07:54 - Founding Shout: a peer-to-peer marketplace experiment10:01 - What went wrong with hyperlocal marketplaces12:20 - Filecoin and Protocol Labs: Henri’s next chapter13:49 - What Filecoin taught Henri about zk, consensus, and infra19:00 - Falling in love with crypto, then falling out of it for a bit20:06 - The origin of Privy: starting with privacy, landing on onboarding24:00 - What Privy does today: abstracting onboarding, not just accounts26:10 - The nuance of account abstraction vs. 4337/770228:30 - Privy’s internal values: focus, experimentation, ownership33:00 - Wallet sprawl and the identity fragmentation dilemma36:00 - Wallets as identity tools, not just money holders39:00 - Why crypto infra must be built now, not later41:00 - Notable partnerships: Farcaster, Pump.fun, Hyperliquid & more45:10 - Privy's current roadmap: chains, funding UX, identity UX47:02 - EIP-7702: What it is and why it matters50:00 - Speculation vs stability: the real bifurcation in crypto52:40 - Henri’s vision for 2025 and hiring at Privy54:08 - Rapid-fire round: food, music, tech, travel, and more1:04:28 - Where to find out more about Privy and wrap-up--- Podcast recorded by Toady Hawk, edited by Toady Hawk. Hosted by Toady Hawk. Produced by Zero Rights Media. This content is zero rights reserved (cc0), please remix and reuse it in any way you like! #base #onchain #ethereum #privy #crypto #stripe

"Taming the Wild West" with Serpin Taxt, founder of Ethos | ZEROPOD S2 E14

Welcome back to another episode of ZEROPOD, this one featuring Serpin Taxt, the ambitious young founder of a new protocol called Ethos, which aims to help solve the age-old problem of who to trust (and who not to) in the onchain space. Host Toady Hawk talks about his childhood, his career in web 2, and his goals for Ethos, namely, to tame the wild, wild west of the crypto space… just a bit. So without further ado, let’s go learn about the mythos behind the Ethos. —- Timestamps: 00:00 - The $9B Problem: Scams, Trust, and the Wild West of Crypto 02:25 - Welcome to ZEROPOD: Meet Serpin Taxt, Founder of Ethos 05:00 - Inventor Dreams and Web2 Career 08:00 - Escaping B2B SaaS 11:00 - Discovering Ethereum: Interoperability and Smart Contracts 13:30 - When Crypto Finally Clicked 15:00 - Inspiration from Friend.Tech and the Birth of Ethos 17:00 - Reputation is Everything: Why Trust Signals Matter 19:10 - Realizing a Bigger Vision 21:00 - A Wild West Without Accountability 24:00 - Proof-of-Stake for People: Ethos’s Core Mechanism 26:30 - Avoiding Mob Rule: Risk, Reputation, and Social Slashing 29:00 - Open Moderation and Algorithmic Challenges 31:00 - Reviewing ETH Wallets, Twitter Accounts, and Beyond 33:30 - Identity, Anonymity, and the Risk of Sockpuppets 36:00 - Using Ethos in the Wild: Kaito, Bots, and Reputation vs. Attention 39:00 - Why It's Hard to Call Out Scammers (but Why We Must) 42:00 - The Power of Named Reviews vs. Anonymous Drama 44:00 - NFT Ethics, Gotcha Culture, and the Chaos Incentive 46:00 - Social Slashing 101: How It Works in Ethos 49:00 - Toward Financial Slashing: The Next Big Risk Layer 51:00 - Onboarding: Slow Growth 53:00 - Staying Power: What Keeps Users Coming Back Daily 56:00 - Finding People to Vouch For (and How to Ask for Vouches) 58:30 - Using the Chrome Extension for Discovery and Reviews 1:00:00 - Integrations 1:02:00 - Building Influence Onchain: Ratings for Businesses, Not Just People 1:04:00 - Alpha Drop? Business Leaderboards Are Coming 1:06:30 - Why Ethos Launched on Base 1:12:00 - The Token Question: Contributor XP, Incentives, and Future Possibilities 1:14:25 - Wrap-Up --- Podcast recorded by Toady Hawk, edited by Toady Hawk and Santhosh. Hosted by Toady Hawk. Music by Toady Hawk, SuperTightWoody & Suno AI. Produced by Zero Rights Media. This content is zero rights reserved (cc0), please remix and reuse it in any way you like!