From Efficient DeFi to Decentralized Esports: A Recap of Visionary Interviews in the Web3 Space

High Rollers:

In a series of enlightening interviews held by our core contributor Tushar we’ve had the privilege of diving deep into the minds of some of the most forward-thinking leaders in the Web3 ecosystem.

Each conversation shed light on the innovative technologies and ambitious projects that are not just pushing the boundaries of blockchain and decentralized networks but are also setting the stage for a more interconnected and user-empowered digital future.

From making airdrops more efficient to redefining brand loyalty, these thought leaders are crafting the tools and platforms that promise to transform how we interact with technology and each other.

Join us as we recap the insights and breakthroughs that are charting the course for a new era of internet connectivity, financial systems, and community-driven growth.

Cheers,

The Rollup

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A Recap of Visionary Interviews in the Web3 Space

1. Vaibhav Tyagi capx cofounder

The interview with Vaibhav Tyagi focused on CapX and its upcoming features. Tyagi explained that CapX aims to make airdrops more efficient using IOU tokens, which are redeemable for actual tokens. CapX ID, a reputation-building tool, will soon be launched, allowing users to build their reputation based on their on-chain activity. This reputation score will be used to determine rewards across various platforms. The interview also touched on the potential for CapX to attract more users to Web3. Vaibhav Tyagi confirmed that CapX ID can be claimed using any EVM-compatible wallet, including Rabby Wallet.

2. Uttam Devrel Flare network

Uttam described Flare as a blockchain for data, providing more data to developers in the Web3 space and being an EVM-compatible layer-1 blockchain with in-built oracles. He also mentioned a new protocol to bridge non-smart contract tokens to the DeFi ecosystem, emphasizing the decentralized nature of the project. Uttam invited listeners to explore the protocol and highlighted ongoing projects and collaborations on the Flare network. He also mentioned the availability of ERC-4337 and participation in hackathons.

3. Samuel biz dev, Powerloom

Samuel described Powerloom as an on-chain data protocol designed to empower developers in extracting and publishing complex on-chain data. He emphasised the decentralised essence of Web3 and highlighted Powerloom’s commitment to delivering transparent and immediate data directly from the blockchain. Powerloom stands as a peer-validated and accurate information source, empowering rich data applications like dashboards, bots, aggregators, and insights trackers. The team is backed by Protocol Labs, Fenbushi Capital, Consensys Mesh, Blockchain Capital, CMS, Longhash Ventures and more.

Samuel shared that Powerloom recently ran an incentivized testnet and is now in preparation for the mainnet launch, anticipating significant advancements to be unveiled by ETH Denver in February. He also brought attention to an upcoming hackathon featuring a $10,000 bounty for developers leveraging the Powerloom protocol. Furthermore, Samuel mentioned the positive reception from developers at a recent in-person event, generating enthusiasm for the future prospects of Powerloom.

4. QEDK Research at Avail project

QEDK described Avail as a data availability-focused blockchain, addressing the inefficiencies of rollups and aiming to make data more efficient, cheaper, and scalable. He mentioned the ongoing incentivized testnet with thousands of light clients and full nodes running, and the plan to launch the mainnet in Q1 2024, focusing on app-specific chains. QEDK emphasized Avail’s efforts to improve scalability and efficiency, particularly through the use of light clients for trustless verification of rollups.

He also mentioned upcoming partnerships and projects. QEDK encouraged users to contribute to the trustlessness of rollups by running a light client, highlighting the simplicity of the process.

5. Jana Betram, the Head of Strategy at RARI Foundation

The RARI Foundation is a non-profit organization serving as the official representative of the RARI DAO. The RARI DAO is governed by $RARI token holders in a decentralised autonomous organisation and entrusts the RARI Foundation with crucial responsibilities.

Jana Bertram, the Head of Strategy at RARI Foundation said that the team is committed to building NFT infrastructure to power innovative NFT use cases. It recently launched the testnet for “RARI Chain”, an EVM equivalent blockchain embedding royalties on the node level, powered by ArbitrumThe foundation. It is designed to deliver a royalty-enforcing, high-speed, low-cost and developer-friendly network for creators, collectors, and builders. RARI Chain embeds royalties seamlessly on the node level, empowering creators with the freedom to create and fueling cross-market interoperability.

Rari Foundation also plays a pivotal role in steering treasury management, facilitating initiatives, and aligning with the community’s vision. RARI Foundation’s objective is to empower the Rarible Protocol’s decentralised evolution by facilitating the seamless transfer of ownership to the DAO.

6. Harsh push protocol cofounder

Harsh discussed the protocol’s focus on enabling notifications for wallet addresses on various platforms, including Metamask and other DApps. He also mentioned the potential for collaboration with Rabby Wallet and emphasized the protocol’s open nature.

Harsh highlighted two upcoming developments. First, Push Protocol is launching a hyper-scalable group chat feature, allowing NFTs and DAOs to form large communities with cryptographic web3 functions. Second, the protocol is decentralizing its push nodes, ensuring the immutability and censorship resistance of notifications. Harsh explained that individuals can run push nodes by staking push tokens and running the software, with rewards for successful operation and potential penalties for inadequate performance.

7. Aarti from Helium Foundation

Helium operates a peer-to-peer network of hotspots that not only provide internet connectivity but also reward users for contributing to the largest decentralized network in the world. The Helium IOT Network is the largest IoT (Intenet of Things) Network that uses the LoRaWAN protocol, enabling a wide range of IoT use cases, such as tracking sensors, temperature control, and air quality monitoring.

Helium’s potential to revolutionize internet connectivity in areas where traditional infrastructure is costly or unavailable was also discussed. The Helium Foundation’s team are the stewards of the Helium Network and help support its global footprint. She also mentioned that the team is looking forward to supporting use cases built for the public and assisting developers interested in building on the Helium Network.

Additionally, she highlighted the potential for businesses to become carriers on the Helium Mobile network, emphasizing the company’s commitment to the public good and support for those interested in building technology in their communities.

It’s clear that Helium is working towards creating a decentralized and accessible internet network. It’s exciting to see the potential impact it could have, especially in regions with limited connectivity and infrastructure.

8. Karan, India and ME lead at DYDX

Karan, the India and Middle East lead at DYDX Foundation, shared several key points during the interview. He emphasized that DYDX is the largest decentralized perpetuals exchange in the world, operating on Ethereum Layer 2 and its own chain on Cosmos. Karan highlighted the recent launch of DYDX chain and the activation of full trading for close to 20 markets. He mentioned the various rewards and incentives available for users, such as trading rewards and a 20 million DYDX incentive program for trading over six months.

Additionally, Karan discussed the staking opportunities for DYDX token holders, with 100% of trading and gas fees being distributed to validators and stakers. He also noted the significant trading volume and fee collection within the DYDX ecosystem, showcasing its rapid growth and impact within the Cosmos ecosystem.

9. Amogh, Sui Foundation project lead

Amogh discussed the innovative features of the Sui Blockchain, emphasizing its object-oriented nature, which grants true ownership to users. He also highlighted recent developments, such as ZKLogin, the first blockchain-based authorization authentication primitive, and ZKSend, which allows sending tokens to an email address, even if the recipient doesn’t have a Sui wallet yet.
Amogh also mentioned two projects being built on Sui from India: KriyaDEX, a DEX and PURPS platform, and Drife, a web3 mobility application. These projects are integrating innovative technologies and are expected to do well in the Web3 ecosystem. The interview provided valuable insights into the advancements in blockchain technology and the potential impact of these projects.

10. Aishwary India lead in Polygon

Aishwary discussed the significance of Polygon’s work with ZK technology, enabling trustless servers and zero-knowledge scalability for Web3. He also mentioned the plan to develop a chain development kit to enable the creation of interconnected, trustless chains. Additionally, He suggested trying out various chains being developed on Polygon, such as the X1 chain by OKX.

11. Showdown gaming

One of Showdown’s core team member described Showdown Gaming as adding value to the epsorts industry by introducing aspects of decentralization, automation, transparency and a payment infrastructure through leveraging blockchain technology to various popular web2 & web3 titles. They emphasised on the value blockchain technology can bring to the gaming industry by offering a trustless experience to gamers. With more than 4000 sign ups in a few days for their closed beta and 1200+ registrations within the 1st week of their open beta, the Showdown team is gearing up for a busy Q1 in 2024. Already partnered with Indigg, Showdown will be partnering with the top gaming guilds and community in Q1, with the launch of their permissionless tournament feature going live in January, with their airdrop around the corner.

12. Relative Finance

One of Relative Finance’s core team members described the Relative’s socialFi ecosystem as one that provides unique value to the retail audience. It enables them to speculate on asset price action in two ways: through asset vs. asset binary wagers and a forthcoming gamified options platform. The concept of relative value has existed in the form of pair trading but has been inaccessible to the general retail audience due to its complexities.

Relative Finance possesses the capability to attract and integrate the latest trends and tokens, offering users complete flexibility in creating their own custom pair wagers within their Peer-To-Peer app. With an exciting Q1 ahead, both of Relative’s products will soon go live with real money, allowing retail users to leverage the platform’s features to the fullest. Additionally, there are hints of an ongoing airdrop!

13. Pranav, Co-founder at StationX

StationX automates complex workflows involving communities pooling money and managing assets together. We have two core offerings on our platform currently:

1. Stations
2. Drops

To make collective investments into token-based or other off-chain assets, creating a station is a faster, easier, and more secure way to receive money in USDC from your investors into a secure multisig wallet, then execute investments and distribute profits to members all on-chain. Our platform is extremely flexible to support investing communities/organizations of any kind.

Distribute any ERC20 tokens from your wallet to users by creating a drop, and then customizing the tokens claim experience for users on our no-code platform. Create your drop and share a custom claim link with users within minutes, in a super simple and fast way.

We’re currently looking for early testers to join our community, share feedback with us, and stay updated on our latest updates.

14. Zhen Yu, CEO and Co-founder of Web3Auth

Web3Auth is the leading Wallet-as-a-Service (WaaS) provider that empowers every user to manage a non-custodial wallet intuitively. It leverages on enterprise-grade Multi-Party Computation and Account Abstraction tooling, alongside social logins, biometrics, OIDC, FIDO for a familiar yet seamless user experience. Moreover, it streamlines the onboarding of both mainstream and crypto native users in under a minute by providing experiences that they’re most comfortable with.

Web3Auth has recently partnered with Safe to create SafeAuth- an elegantly simple development kit that will allow users to set up a Safe smart account for all dApps, under one convenient social login. SafeAuth pioneers a revolutionary approach to account abstraction by making smart accounts portable and not just siloed within an application– providing them access to a whole universe of dApps.

Furthermore, SafeAuth enhances the user experience by simplifying the crypto onboarding process, making it user-friendly even for those unfamiliar with web3. Connecting their social account to the dApp creates them a unique self-custodial address that they fully own, without the complexities of remembering and keeping seed phrases.

Web3Auth works with Fortune 500 brands like NBCUniversal, Fox.com, McDonald’s, SK Planet, Google Cloud and Web3 pioneers like Trust Wallet, Metamask, Keplr, Kukai, SAFE, Skyweaver among others. To date, it is proud to be supporting thousands of Web3 projects with more than 12 million monthly users. The organisation is growing beyond Series A, and backed by Sequoia Capital, Union Square Ventures, Binance and more.


15. Vivek from FireDrops

In 2023, FireDrops (embedded into the Flipkart app) revolutionised brand engagement using blockchain and web3, addressing key challenges in customer and brand interaction. They built Brand Challenges with diverse High-Value Actions, including social media engagement, and Rewards like Mystery Boxes and NFT-based discounts, all minted on Polygon. Simplifying the complex UX of web3, FireDrops provided a user-friendly platform for earning and trading rewards, with an easy fiat-crypto transaction system. Garnering a community of over 2 million users pre launch, and 3.5 million so far – FireDrops is poised to redefine brand loyalty in the Web3 era with expanded programs, diverse rewards, and an enhanced UX that can serve brands and their communities to grow with meaningful experiences.

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