Episode 11 – Building at the Frontier with Dariya + Brandon of Layer3

Coach Coale talks with Dariya Khojasteh and Brandon Kumar, co-founders of Layer 3, about their origin story, the challenges of building in crypto, and the impact of in-person collaboration. They share the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the role of risk in growth, and why speed and adaptation matter more than perfection. Through personal stories and hard-earned lessons, they offer insights on co-founder dynamics, navigating crypto, and shaping identity through action—and attention. 🔑 Key Takeaways: 🚀 Building a startup is tough—especially in crypto—but offers huge rewards. 🤝 In-person collaboration strengthens teams in ways remote work can’t. 🧩 Co-founder relationships are key—finding complementary strengths matters. 🌍 Crypto’s distribution landscape is unique, requiring new growth strategies. 🎯 Risk-taking is essential, but belief in yourself shapes how you handle it. ⚡ Iteration beats perfection—getting a product out fast is crucial. 🎢 The founder journey is extreme—highs are exhilarating, lows are brutal. 🧠 Perspective is powerful—how you see a challenge changes how you navigate it. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction & Personal Updates 02:57 – Coaching & Team Dynamics 06:01 – The Power of In-Person Collaboration 09:06 – The Challenges of Building in Crypto 12:01 – Layer 3’s Role in Crypto & Distribution 14:57 – The Origin Story of Layer 3 (Dariya’s Perspective) 17:48 – Founders' Journey & Lessons Learned 26:18 – Taking Smart Risks in Entrepreneurship 36:01 – The Power of Perspective in Leadership 40:51 – Iteration, Growth & Startup Success 46:46 – Final Reflections & Takeaways 🎧 Follow Layer3 at layer3.xyz and on Twitter (@layer3xyz).

Back To The Basics: Why VanEck Wants To Invest In Great Products and Founders Who Won’t Rug Us

Pranav Kanade is Portfolio Manager for Digital Assets at VanEck. In this episode, we break down why altcoins have struggled this cycle, what sets the few winners apart, and where real opportunities lie—both in crypto and public markets. We also explore how stablecoin legislation could unlock new value and what’s next for ETFs in the digital asset space. ------ 🔗 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 🔮 ⁠PYTH NETWORK⁠ | SMARTER DATA FOR SMARTER CONTRACTS https://pyth.network/ ⏳ HOURGLASS | LEVERAGED AIRDROP FARMING AND BOOSTED POINTS https://hourglass.com/ 🪄 TANSSI | LAUNCH YOUR SYMBIOTIC RESTAKED NETWORK IN MINUTES https://www.tanssi.network/ 📊 iYIELD | YOUR FINANCIAL PICTURE, SIMPLIFIED https://go.iyield.com/edge 🧪 MANTLE | START YOUR RESTAKING JOURNEY TODAY WITH CMETH https://meth.mantle.xyz/restake 🐡 PUFFER UNIFI | A BASED ROLLUP TO ETHEREUM WITH NATIVE YIELDS https://unifi.puffer.fi/ 🌔 MOONWELL | THE LEADING LENDING AND BORROWING APP ON BASE https://moonwell.fi/ 🐐 ⁠GOAT NETWORK⁠ | A BITCOIN L2 TO EARN WITH BTC & DOGE https://www.goat.network/ ⚙️ GEARBOX PROTOCOL | ONCHAIN LENDING REIMAGINED https://gearbox.fi/ 📈 DEFINITIVE | THE MOST ADVANCED PLATFORM FOR ONCHAIN TRADING https://app.definitive.fi/r/DEFIDAD ------ Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 5:44 - Pranav’s background and VanEck 11:43 - A day in the life as an investor 13:50 - Thoughts on Kaito and InfoFi 17:03 - What’s been different this cycle with altcoins? 19:06 - Mantle mid-roll 19:44 - Oversupply of tokens, plus lessened demand for quality projects 23:29 - Fundamentals investing and the memecoin casino can coexist 26:59 - What can we learn from alts that have done well? 29:16 - Will we have a true alt season ever again? 33:05 - Sponsor mid-roll 34:44 - What’s the lesson from the LIBRA blowup? 39:51 - Stablecoin legislation and how it’s bullish for tokens + equities 46:49 - Identifying publicly traded companies to benefit from stablecoins 48:59 - How will stablecoin growth in Web2 affect what’s built onchain? 51:20 - Do AI agents have staying power? 56:47 - How new ETFs could impact us this year 59:06 - Thoughts on ETH ETFs 1:01:28 - Closing ------ 🔗 Guest Links 🔗 ► VanEck website: https://www.vaneck.com/ ► VanEck on X: https://x.com/vaneck_us ► Pranav on X: https://x.com/vaneckpk ------ If you're a DeFi/Web3 builder, contact our team at: https://fourthrevolution.capital/ All opinions expressed by hosts and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and not necessarily those of Fourth Revolution Capital. Podcast guests and 4RC may have positions in the assets or other matters discussed in this podcast. 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.