The Defiant

The internet of money is being built with blockchain technology and without banks. We call it DeFi, short for Decentralized Finance, and this is where you can hear the builders and users of this cutting edge world tell their stories first hand. Hosted by Camila Russo.

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29 episodes
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April 23 · 56 min
Should Arbitrum Have Frozen North Korea's Funds? Griff Green vs. Gabe Shapiro
The Arbitrum Security Council just made one of the most controversial decisions in DeFi history — freezing $70M in ETH stolen by North Korean hackers from the KelpDAO bridge exploit. But was it the right move? And what does it say about the systems we're building? Griff Green (Giveth Co-Founder and Arbitrum Security Council member) and Gabe Shapiro / Lex_node (crypto lawyer, MetaLex founder, ZK Sync Guardian Council) go head-to-head on the decisions, the precedent it sets, and the hard questions the DeFi ecosystem can no longer avoid. They debate:Was freezing North Korea's funds the right call? Do Stage 1 rollups like Arbitrum have too much centralized power? How does the Arbitrum Security Council compare to PayPal, Bitcoin miners, and Ethereum validators? What would real accountability look like for security councils? What's the path to Stage 2 — and how long will it take?This is one of the most important conversations in DeFi right now. Don't miss it. 🔔 Subscribe to The Defiant for more crypto deep dives, breaking news, and live debates. Big thanks to our sponsor; NEXO Nexo is a premier digital assets wealth platform that helps clients build, manage, and preserve their wealth through advanced interest-generating products, crypto-backed credit, advanced trading tools, and 24/7 client care. Get started at ⁠https://nexo.com/defiant⁠
April 10 · 35 min
Quantum Could Break Bitcoin Sooner Than We Thought | Alex Pruden
Two new research papers just intensified one of crypto’s most serious long-term risks: quantum computing. In this episode of The Defiant Podcast, Camila Russo sits down with Alex Pruden, co-founder and CEO of Project 11, to unpack what the latest quantum breakthroughs actually mean for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the broader crypto ecosystem. Alex explains why the new papers matter, how quantum computers could use Shor’s algorithm to break the cryptography behind blockchain ownership, why exposed public keys are especially vulnerable, and what “Q-Day” could look like if the industry is unprepared. He also breaks down the difference between theoretical progress and live quantum systems, why some chains may be vulnerable in different ways, and what post-quantum migration could realistically involve. The takeaway: this is not just a technical curiosity. It is a foundational challenge for crypto, and one the industry may need to start addressing now. Topics covered: Why the new quantum papers are a big deal How quantum computers could break Bitcoin and Ethereum Why exposed public keys matter What real-time attacks could look like Whether faster blockchains are safer What post-quantum cryptography can and can’t solve Why Ethereum may be the furthest along in preparing What Project 11 is building to help secure crypto before Q-Day
March 30 · 41 min
Omer Goldberg: The DeFi Exploit That Exposed a Bigger Problem
A new DeFi exploit triggered millions in losses, but the deeper story is about risk. In this episode, Omer Goldberg, founder of Chaos Labs, explains how the attack unfolded, why the damage spread across lending markets, what vault curators got wrong, and whether DeFi is truly ready for mainstream adoption. If you want to understand stablecoin risk, oracle design, curator incentives, and the future of safer onchain finance, this is the conversation to watch.Big thanks to our sponsors;NEXONexo is a premier digital assets wealth platform that helps clients build, manage, and preserve their wealth through advanced interest-generating products, crypto-backed credit, advanced trading tools, and 24/7 client care. Get started at nexo.com/defiant MERCURYOYour Web3 product deserves solid payment infrastructure. Global on/off-ramps, custom APIs, and DeFi connectivity trusted by the biggest names in crypto: mercuryo.ioROCKET POOLRocket Pool is Ethereum’s decentralised liquid staking protocol. Node operators can join with just 4 ETH, or liquid stakers can hold rETH and automatically earn staking rewards. rocketpool.net
March 20 · 42 min
How the DTCC is Tokenizing $100 Trillions in Assets | Tom Sullivan
What happens when the institution at the center of U.S. market plumbing starts putting securities onchain? In this episode of The Defiant, Chris Storaker sits down with Tom Sullivan, Managing Director at DTCC Digital Assets, to discuss how DTCC is approaching tokenization, why regulatory clarity changed the game, and what it means for U.S. Treasuries, stocks, ETFs, collateral, and 24/7 markets. Tom explains DTCC’s role as the trusted infrastructure behind much of the U.S. securities market, why blockchain has become a real infrastructure priority, and how tokenized assets could improve collateral mobility, settlement efficiency, and capital efficiency across global markets. They also cover: why SEC clarity was a major unlock what exactly DTCC is tokenizing how tokenized assets will retain full legal and economic rights why collateral is one of the biggest near-term use cases how DTCC sees interoperability, appchains, and a multi-ledger future what success looks like for the Q3 rollout and beyond If tokenization is moving from experiment to market infrastructure, this conversation shows what that looks like from the inside.
March 13 · 52 min
Will Aave’s New Plan Change DeFi Forever? | Stani Kulechov Explains
New Podcast with Aave founder Stani Kulechov just dropped: Aave is at a turning point - will the Aave Will Win proposal lead to innovation or chaos? Aave is navigating a pivotal moment with the recent "Aave will win" proposal. This initiative aims to redirect 100% of protocol revenue back to the Aave DAO, a move that many in the community have embraced. But with any major change comes scrutiny.Critics are questioning the governance structure, suggesting that Aave Labs may have too much influence. Stani Kulechov addresses these concerns, clarifying that no votes from Aave Labs swayed the outcome. Stani also discussed the 'Hub and Spoke' architecture of Aave V4, explaining how it will solve liquidity bootstrapping for developers and pave the way for Real World Assets (RWAs) like solar farms and GPUs. It’s clear that Aave is focused on growth and innovation. But will it be enough to keep Aave competitive in the evolving DeFi landscape? Big thanks to our sponsors;NEXONexo is a premier digital assets wealth platform that helps clients build, manage, and preserve their wealth through advanced interest-generating products, crypto-backed credit, advanced trading tools, and 24/7 client care. Get started at nexo.com/defiant MERCURYOYour Web3 product deserves solid payment infrastructure. Global on/off-ramps, custom APIs, and DeFi connectivity trusted by the biggest names in crypto: mercuryo.ioROCKET POOLRocket Pool is Ethereum’s decentralised liquid staking protocol. Node operators can join with just 4 ETH, or liquid stakers can hold rETH and automatically earn staking rewards. rocketpool.net
March 6 · 36 min
Optimism Is Done With “Ethereum Alignment” — Users Come First
In this episode of The Defiant Podcast, Camila Russo sits down with Jing Wang to discuss how Optimism is evolving and why the debate over what counts as a “real” Ethereum L2 might be missing the point. Jing argues that the most important question isn’t whether a chain is an L1, L2, or sidechain. It’s whether the architecture actually serves users and real-world use cases. “If it looks like an L1, we’ll build that. If it looks like an L2, we’ll build that.” In the conversation we cover: Why Optimism now sees itself as a network of blockchains (the Superchain) The debate around Ethereum L2 decentralization sparked by Vitalik Buterin Why institutions are already using decentralized rails Why ZK proofs are the future And why Jing believes finance inevitably moves on-chain Nexo is a premier digital assets wealth platform that helps clients build, manage, and preserve their wealth through advanced interest-generating products, crypto-backed credit, advanced trading tools, and 24/7 client care. Get started at https://nexo.com/defiant Your Web3 product deserves solid payment infrastructure. Global on/off-ramps, custom APIs, and DeFi connectivity trusted by the biggest names in crypto: https://mercuryo.io/
February 27 · 51 min
Did L2 Fragment Ethereum? - With Yuval Rooz, CEO of Digital Asset, Co-Founder of Canton
Layer 2 was supposed to scale Ethereum. But what if it fragmented it instead? I n this episode, we break down: • Why public chains are “expensive databases” • Why composability is Ethereum’s real value • Why stablecoins don’t need blockchains • Why L2 may be weakening Ethereum’s core Is scaling helping Ethereum — or hollowing it out? Explore The Defiant ✨
February 26 · 20 min
The Bitcoin Renaissance Legacy : Beyond Digital Gold Ep. 2
Bitcoin Renaissance or JPEG Hype?In 2023, Bitcoin had what many called a renaissance.NFTs on Bitcoin.BRC-20 tokens.Runes.10x transaction spikes.Fee revenue surging to levels not seen since 2017.And then — just as quickly — it cooled.So was the Bitcoin renaissance just a flash in the pan?Or did Ordinals, BRC-20s, and Runes permanently change Bitcoin?In Episode 2 of our Beyond Digital Gold docu-series in partnership with StarkWare, we break down:• What Ordinals actually are and how they work• How BRC-20 tokens turned Bitcoin into a memecoin battlefield• Why Runes were introduced — and what they fixed• The fee spike impact on miners• How maximalism fractured• Why the Overton window for building on Bitcoin shifted permanentlyFeaturing:@isabelfoxenduke@0xBinari@rodarmor@domodata@NathanOnCryptoThe hype faded.But the structural shift didn’t.Watch to understand what really changed — and why the next battle for Bitcoin is infrastructure.⸻Chapters:Cold OpenEthereum vs Bitcoin EraTaproot ExplainedWhat Ordinals Actually DidBRC-20 ExplosionThe Cultural WarRunes & The RefinementWas It Just Hype?⸻#Bitcoin #Ordinals #BRC20 #Runes #BitcoinDeFi #Crypto #Taproot
February 20 · 55 min
Why DAO Governance Always Turns Political
"In a decentralized governance system, it's unavoidable to develop politics." Rune Christensen explains why DAO governance becomes a struggle for resources, how the "iron law of bureaucracy" emerges, and why Sky redesigned its architecture to survive it. From USDS growth to the Atlas rulebook and Genesis Capital — this is Sky's long-term vision for sustainable decentralized finance.

Showing 21–29 of 29 episodes