Crypto Currents

The Monad Episode! With Pareen Lathia

Jacq Vaca sits down with Pareen Lathia, Head of Founders' Community at Monad, to discuss the evolution of community building in the tech space, particularly within the Web3 ecosystem. They explore the origins of Founders House at Eth India 2023, the importance of listening to users for product-market fit, and the unique challenges faced by founders and how their own community can support them. Pareen shares insights on how to navigate early startup life and the critical role of aligning values to build strong, supportive networks that empower founders to thrive. Follow our guest: https://x.com/PareenL [https://x.com/PareenL] https://x.com/monad [https://x.com/monad] Chapters 01:04 The Founders House Experience 03:56 The Evolution of Community Support for Founders 06:13 Learning from Past Experiences 08:36 The Importance of Product-Market Fit 11:26 The Role of Community in Startup Success 14:20 Challenges in Building Effective Communities 18:47 The Dangers of Early Funding 21:54 The Illusion of Validation 24:51 The Importance of Focus in Startups 27:32 Building Communities in Ecosystems 33:43 Values DAO: Connecting Through Shared Values 41:07 Tough Love in Founder Communities 46:19 The Role of Founders in Startups 48:29 Understanding User Needs 50:30 Learning from Past Mistakes 52:30 Building a Strong Community 55:47 The Culture of Monad Community 01:00:10 Getting Involved in Monad

The Wormhole Episode! With Katya Ternopolska

Hosts Jacq Vaca and Brett Lindstrom from Fish and Chips are back as they sit down with Katya Ternopolska, Head of Growth at Wormhole, for a lively and insightful conversation about the human side of crypto and DeFi. Discover Katya's entry into crypto, the importance of real-world connections at conferences, and why bringing more humanity into the crypto space matters. The trio dives into what “DeFi for All” really means—highlighting stories from Latin America, Ukraine, and beyond—and explores how decentralized finance is breaking down barriers for underbanked communities, enabling anyone to earn, save, and build wealth. Whether you’re new to crypto or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with laughs, personal stories, and a fresh perspective on what makes the industry so exciting and ripe for disruption. Follow Katya: https://x.com/0xKATYA [https://x.com/0xKATYA] https://x.com/wormhole [https://x.com/wormhole] https://www.linkedin.com/in/katya-ternopolska/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katya-ternopolska/]

The Coinstack Episode! with Mike Gavella

In this episode of Crypto Currents, hosts Brett Lindstrom and Jacq Vaca dive deep with special guest Mike Gavella, founder of Coinstack, a leading media outlet for institutional investors. From spicy takes to hilarious banter, this episode covers everything from institutional adoption to meme coins and controversial personalities in crypto. 👉 Subscribe to the Crypto Currents podcast for more engaging discussions about crypto culture, industry insights, and beyond! https://x.com/coinstackcrypto [https://x.com/coinstackcrypto] https://x.com/fishandchipsyay [https://x.com/fishandchipsyay] **Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the hosts and guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Crypto Currents or its affiliates. This content is for entertainment and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

The Polygon Episode! with Justice Conder

In this episode of Cryptocurrents, hosts Brett Lindstrom and Jacq Vaca sit down with Justice Conder from Polygon Labs. The convo explores governance mechanisms, the balance between community input and visionary leadership, and the innovative q/acc (quadratic accelerationism) project that rethinks ecosystem funding through protocol-sponsored tokenization. Justice also touches on the importance of returning to cypherpunk principles, the potential of ZK technology for privacy, and how account abstraction and natural language interfaces are making crypto more accessible. The episode concludes with Justice's spicy take that Ethereum needs to return to its crypto-anarchist roots to remain relevant in the evolving landscape.

The Graph Episode! with Kevin Jones

Join Jacq & Brett as they sit down with Kevin Jones, Developer Relations Engineer at The Graph. The hosts dive into Kevin's journey from photography and music to becoming a key figure for The Graph's community. We explore The Graph's innovative approach to decentralized data solutions and discuss how it's revolutionizing the way developers build on blockchain. From its ethos of "builders for builders" to the importance of subgraphs and community participation, this episode is packed with insights into how this industry leader is thinking of infrastructure, governance, and data. Find Kevin: https://x.com/cryptomastery_ [https://x.com/cryptomastery_]