[E3] From Medical Student to Building the Largest Gamified Learning Platform for Smart Contract Developers

[E7: MegaETH] Will MegaETH will make Ethereum great again?

Namik [https://x.com/NamikMuduroglu] is a founding and chef at MegaETH, a blockchain that aims to push the performance of Ehereum L2s to hardware limits, bridging the gap between blockchains and traditional cloud computing servers. Timestamps 00:00 Highlight 01:33 Introduction 02:50 Namik’s View on Crypto in Different Countries 04:55 Why MegaETH Was Born for a Better Ethereum Environment 07:23 MegaETH’s Tech Stack 08:28 MegaETH’s Team 09:57 Why Namik Joined MegaETH 14:47 Why MegaETH Is Inevitable 17:56 MegaETH’s Value Proposition 19:46 Builders on MegaETH 29:55 Green Flags in Finding Builders 32:08 How MegaETH Is Different From Other Chains 34:57 MegaETH’s Consumer Apps 36:28 Building a Good Community in MegaETH 40:40 MegaETH’s Tech Stack on Other Chains 42:09 What Does “Mega” Mean in MegaETH? 50:43 Namik’s Thoughts on Crypto Dating Apps 53:53 Namik’s Favorite Apps 59:11 Namik, Are You Well? 1:02:44 Namik’s Next Steps After Mainnet Launch Co-Hosts Brian: @brianjhhong [https://x.com/brianjhhong] Jessie: @0xJESSIE_ [https://x.com/0xJESSIE_] JW: @pillarbear_ [https://x.com/pillarbear_]

[E6: ⁠Aptos⁠] Revolutionizing Global Monetary System

Mo Shaikhs [https://x.com/moshaikhs] is the co-founder and CEO of Aptos [https://x.com/Aptos]. He is also an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in private equity and venture capital, focusing on blockchain, finance, and infrastructure. Previously, he served as the Head of Strategy at ConsenSys, co-founded a company called Meridio, and worked in strategic partnerships at Meta. Now, he is the co-founder and CEO of Aptos. In this conversation, Mo shares his journey as a founder, Aptos's direction, and his meeting with Baek Kim [https://x.com/baekkyoumkim] from HASHED [https://x.com/HASHED_official], as they explore how to move forward in the blockchain market. Timestamps 00:00 Highlight 01:21 Introduction 01:47 Baek’s Crypto Journey 03:11 Baek and Mo’s Meeting 05:23 Mo’s Story Growing Up as a First Generation Immigrant 06:20 Mo’s Entry to Traditional Finance 09:22 How Blockchain Can Fix Financial Problems 10:55 Entrepreneurship of Meridio 12:58 Aptos’ APT Approach 17:37 Mo’s Facebook Journey 19:36 The Birth of Aptos 22:30 What Aptos is Focusing Right Now 27:47 Visions that Aptos has in Korea 29:08 Jessie’s Aptos Hackathon Experience 33:15 Opportunities and Collaborations in Korean Enterprises 35:29 Expansion in Korean Teams 36:21 Green Flags in Finding Builders 40:32 What Aptos Provides to Builders 52:02 Expanding MoveVM Chains 58:29 The Aptos Black Card 1:00:38 What Korea Means to Mo 1:03:22 Mo’s Daughter at KBW 1:04:34 Outro Special Guest Baek: @baekkyoumkim [https://x.com/baekkyoumkim] Co-Hosts Brian: @brianjhhong [https://x.com/brianjhhong] Jessie: @0xJESSIE_ [https://x.com/0xJESSIE_] JW: @pillarbear_ [https://x.com/pillarbear_]

[E5] From Creating the Mascot of Crypto to Building the Blockchain for Consumer Crypto

In April 2022, Luca Netz [https://x.com/LucaNetz] acquired Pudgy Penguins [https://x.com/pudgypenguins], a collection of 8,888 Ethereum-based NFTs, for 750 ETH—approximately $2.5 million at the time. Fast forward 30 months, and Pudgy Penguins has transformed into one of the most recognizable mascots in the crypto space. Now, Igloo [https://x.com/iglooinc], the parent company of Pudgy Penguins, has acquired Frame and is building Abstract [https://x.com/abstractchain]—”the blockchain leading the next generation of consumer crypto.” Today, we explore Luca’s journey in transforming Pudgy Penguins into a global IP and crypto mascot, the rationale behind the Frame acquisition, and how Abstract aims to become the leading blockchain for consumer crypto. Timestamps 00:00 Highlights 02:14 Introduction 03:01 The Acquisition of Pudgy Penguins 05:05 Luca’s Background and Experience 06:59 Was Pudgy Penguins' Success Just Luck? 09:02 Marketing Strategy Behind Pudgy Penguins 12:13 Breaking into Walmart and Target 14:36 Selling 1.5 Million Toys 17:06 Pudgy Toys as Trojan Horses 22:10 Biggest Risks Facing Pudgy Penguins 28:24 The Acquisition of Frame 33:41 Consumer Chains vs. General-Purpose Blockchains 38:14 Seamless 0-to-1 Consumer Journey and Onboarding 38:55 Network Effects and the Moat of a Consumer Chain 41:01 User Types and Experience on Abstract 44:17 Builders Seeking Product-Market Fit (PMF) 45:28 Abstract's Target Users 46:16 From Discretionary to Necessary Spending 48:23 Why Previous Consumer Applications Have Fallen Short 52:38 User Acquisition Strategy 1:00:45 Why Blockchain is Essential 1:04:13 Timeline for Adoption 1:10:24 Abstract’s Vision for the Next 10-15 Years 1:11:18 Outro Co-Hosts Brian: @brianjhhong [https://x.com/brianjhhong] Jessie: @0xJESSIE_ [https://x.com/0xJESSIE_] JW: @pillarbear_ [https://x.com/pillarbear_] Links Twitter: https://x.com/PFPpod [https://x.com/PFPpod] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pfppod [https://www.youtube.com/@pfppod]

[E4] From Terra Intern to Co-Founder of Initia, Rebuilding the Multichain World

Zon Mangalji [https://x.com/ItsAlwaysZonny] began his journey in the Cosmos ecosystem as a smart contract development intern at Terra [https://x.com/terra_money]. While working on a new protocol on top of Luna after leaving Terra, he successfully completed a funding round. However, soon after, Terra collapsed. A few months later, after returning the raised funds to the VCs, Zon and Stan [https://x.com/sinitias] co-founded Initia, a new Layer 1 blockchain. Initia [https://x.com/initiaFDN] aims to address key challenges in blockchain, particularly with interoperability. The project seeks to streamline the process of building app-chains, improve interactions between chains, and create aligned incentives for both developers and users. Today, we explore Zon’s path from his time at Terra to the founding of Initia, including Initia’s vision, its incentive model, and his perspective on the future of the crypto industry. Timestamps 00:00 Highlights 01:46 Introduction 04:06 Issues with Interoperability 05:16 The Biggest Challenge in the Cosmos Ecosystem 06:24 How Initia is Enhancing the Protocol 07:45 Overview of Initia’s VIP Program 09:48 How Initia Stands Out in User Retention 12:01 Zon’s Favorite Apps 14:22 Sectors Initia is Focusing On 16:27 Current Interactions Between Layer 2s (L2s) 18:14 Initia’s Value Proposition as a Layer 1 (L1) 29:02 Why Choose Layer 1? 30:19 Is Initia the “Apple” of Blockchain? 33:38 How Initia Empowers Developers to Create Advanced Apps 37:40 What Sets the Developer Experience on Initia Apart? 40:04 Zon’s Journey to Becoming a Developer at Terra 42:34 Co-Founding Initia with Stan 46:32 Zon’s Transition from Smart Contract Developer to CBDSM 47:45 Can Initia Replicate Terra Luna’s Success? 48:46 Zon’s Thoughts on the Next Crypto Cycle 52:39 The Vision for Initia 54:55 Initia’s Community 58:32 In-House Design Team at Initia 1:00:00 Why We Need a Separate Wallet 1:04:35 How to Hire the Right Talent 01:09:40 Jessie’s Elevator Pitch Co-Hosts Brian: @brianjhhong [https://x.com/brianjhhong] Jessie: @0xJESSIE_ [https://x.com/0xJESSIE_] JW: @pillarbear_ [https://x.com/pillarbear_] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2EjrWcgasA3AQlYkXFFSV8?si=dd4132dcc2ee436f [https://open.spotify.com/show/2EjrWcgasA3AQlYkXFFSV8?si=dd4132dcc2ee436f] Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profile-pictures/id1762620325 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profile-pictures/id1762620325] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pfppod [https://www.youtube.com/@pfppod] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ICeZS4bNOphbfDKuTzygy?si=c9c1815d0b5b423e [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ICeZS4bNOphbfDKuTzygy?si=c9c1815d0b5b423e] Youtube: https://youtu.be/5Nt9SV5dqyA [https://youtu.be/5Nt9SV5dqyA]

[E3] From Medical Student to Building the Largest Gamified Learning Platform for Smart Contract Developers

Before fully transitioning into the world of crypto, Sam began his journey as a medical student. In 2017, he co-founded Journal du Coin, which has since become the leading source of French-language news on crypto. Following this success, Sam went on to co-found Node Guardians, now the largest gamified learning platform for smart contract developers. In this episode, we explore Sam's evolution from co-founding Journal du Coin to launching Node Guardians, his foray into the crypto space and angel investing, the current landscape of the cryptocurrency market, and the critical importance of maintaining a balanced life while working in the fast-paced crypto industry. Timestamps 00:06 Introduction to Sam from Node Guardians 00:48 Sam’s journey to South Korea 03:57 How Node Guardians aligns with the local culture 06:45 Sam's Journey into the crypto 11:52 Building a crypto media platform in 2017 16:18 The importance of networking and relationships 21:01 Criteria in angel investment 25:41 Lack of demand in crypto 30:54 The dark and bright sides of crypto 33:53 Transitioning from medical student to crypto entrepreneur 35:58 The importance of maintaining balance in life 39:14 The vulnerability of people in crypto 41:52 Expectations for verifiable computing and ZK 43:50 Potential applications of blockchain 45:05 Predictions on the consolidation of DeFi 47:40 Current state of the crypto market 49:52 Preferences for credible systems and L2s 51:00 Node Guardians’ user-focused approach 53:14 Next milestones 56:40 Closing thoughts