Blockleaders Podcast

CEO and founder of coinweb.io, Toby Gilbert speaks about his new project PACT SWAP

Wesley Ellul, President and Head of Strategy of Technotainment talks about the intersection of entertainment and technology - blockchain technology

Dominick Schmidt, Polygon Miden - Scaling Privacy with Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Polygon Miden’s Approach Dominik Schmidt, co-founder of Polygon Miden, believes that privacy is both a human right and a practical necessity for scaling blockchain technology. Speaking at the DCC Shielding Summit, Schmidt outlined how zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) allow users to execute transactions privately while improving scalability. "With ZKPs, transaction data remains private, and the blockchain tracks only a commitment," Schmidt explained. This approach not only enhances privacy but also enables parallel transaction execution, significantly increasing throughput. Schmidt acknowledged the challenges of usability, particularly as users must now manage their own data. To address this, Polygon Miden is developing decentralized storage solutions and refining developer tools, such as a Rust compiler for easier smart contract creation. Citing regulatory interest, Schmidt noted that privacy-preserving technologies are increasingly viewed as essential for large-scale applications, including central bank digital currencies. "Current solutions are not sufficient, privacy-wise or scalability-wise," he said. Polygon Miden’s focus on privacy, scalability, and user-friendly tools positions it as a leader in next-generation blockchain innovation.

Lasha Antadze, founder of Rarimo - Verifiable Anonymity for Everyday Use: Rarimo’s Identity Innovation Lasha Antadze, founder of Rarimo, showcased how zero-knowledge identity systems can transform privacy during his talk at the DCC Shielding Summit. "We focus on verifiable anonymity—proving who you are without revealing more than necessary," he explained. Rarimo’s technology allows users to tap their passport on a phone to securely verify attributes like age, citizenship, or uniqueness without exposing personal data. This approach has already been implemented in real-world use cases, including a voting application with 60,000 participants, many of whom were non-crypto users. Antadze highlighted the importance of intuitive user experiences in driving adoption. Rarimo abstracts blockchain complexity, making it simple for users to interact with privacy-focused applications. "The goal is to make privacy effortless for everyone," he said. Looking ahead, Rarimo aims to expand its work into governance and decentralized social applications, ensuring privacy remains central as digital systems evolve.

Mark Bungard, head of Product Partisia - Privacy and Transparency in Action: Partisia’s Real-World Use Cases Mark Bungard, Head of Product at Partisia, highlighted the transformative potential of combining privacy and transparency during his talk at the DCC Shielding Summit. "For privacy to be real, you also need transparency," he explained, emphasizing the balance between protecting sensitive data and enabling auditability. Partisia’s solutions are already making an impact in healthcare and identity management. In Denmark, the company’s multi-party computation (MPC) technology allows encrypted healthcare data to be analyzed securely, unlocking valuable insights without exposing sensitive information. Bungard also discussed the potential of blockchain-based identity systems. These enable individuals to prove key attributes, like citizenship or student status, without revealing unnecessary personal details. "Selective disclosure allows users to share only what’s needed, protecting their privacy while ensuring trust," he noted. Through practical applications and privacy-first innovation, Partisia is setting a strong precedent for the future of secure data management.

Yannik Schrade, CEO of Arcium - Unlocking Confidential Computing: Arcium’s Push for Privacy and Usability Schrade described decentralized confidential computing as the "missing link for distributed systems" during his talk at the DCC Shielding Summit. Schrade emphasized that confidentiality is essential for unlocking advanced use cases, including confidential AI and DeFi, while ensuring sensitive data remains protected. Arcium focuses on eliminating usability barriers, ensuring that both developers and end users can access privacy technologies effortlessly. "The end user should never notice they are using confidential computing technology," Schrade noted, emphasizing low latency and seamless integration as key goals. Schrade also highlighted a recent milestone: Arcium’s acquisition of a leading Web2 confidential computing company. By integrating its technology and open-sourcing previously proprietary patents, Arcium is bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3. With its focus on usability, scalability, and innovation, Arcium is setting a new standard for privacy-enhanced applications across industries.

Martin Leclerc Dev Rel for iEXEC - Simplifying Privacy Through Confidential Computing: iExec’s Mission Martin Leclerc, Developer Relations at iEXEC, emphasized the importance of making privacy-enhancing technologies both accessible and secure during his talk at the DCC Shielding Summit. "Privacy must be built by design and be user-friendly to ensure trust," he noted. iEXEC focuses on confidential computing, enabling users and developers to retain full control of their data. Leclerc highlighted how hardware advancements, such as Intel’s upcoming TDX chips, are improving the usability of privacy-preserving solutions. These advancements reduce complexity, making it easier for developers to integrate privacy technologies seamlessly. Leclerc also called for collaboration between privacy tech providers and regulators, noting that "working with compliance entities like GDPR and MiCA is essential for mass adoption." He advocated for hybrid approaches that combine secure enclaves, multi-party computation, and zero-knowledge proofs for enhanced security and usability. By simplifying complex systems and fostering cooperation, iEXEC is driving the evolution of privacy technologies toward broader adoption.

Jovonni Martinez, Agoric - Bridging Security and Accessibility: Agoric’s Developer-Focused Approach Jovonni Martinez, Developer Relations Engineer at Agoric, views the balance between security and usability as key to blockchain adoption. Martinez highlighted Agoric’s unique approach: leveraging JavaScript-based smart contracts to make privacy-preserving technologies more accessible to developers. "Developers shouldn’t need to become cryptography experts to build secure applications," Martinez explained. Agoric’s system allows for asynchronous execution and integration of AI capabilities, simplifying the development process while ensuring robust security. Martinez emphasized the importance of collaboration with regulatory bodies, noting that compliance must be a priority for the industry to achieve mass adoption. "We love the Cypherpunk ideology, but to be taken seriously, we have to work with nation-states and regulators," he said. Through innovative tools and a focus on developer empowerment, Agoric is advancing privacy-first solutions without sacrificing usability, paving the way for broader blockchain integration.

Adrianne Youngman, CEO of Partisia Blockchain - Unlocking Privacy with Better User Experience: Partisia's Vision Adrienne Youngman, CEO of Partisia Blockchain, believes that privacy and usability can coexist to drive innovation. Youngman highlighted how self-custody of data can enhance user experiences while ensuring security. Using multi-party computation (MPC), Partisia enables users to perform complex tasks, like credit scoring or anti-money laundering checks, with minimal friction. "Users can complete processes with a single click, reducing churn while meeting regulatory demands," she explained. Youngman emphasized that privacy isn’t just about protection—it’s also a regulatory necessity. She cited Partisia’s work with the Danish government, where encrypted health data allows insights without exposing sensitive information. As AI accelerates data collection and usage, Youngman sees privacy-preserving technologies as crucial. She warned that unchecked AI could compromise trust in digital systems, making self-custody and privacy-by-design vital safeguards. By combining cutting-edge cryptography with user-friendly solutions, Partisia is demonstrating how privacy-focused technologies can unlock new possibilities across industries while protecting individual freedoms.

Shahaf Bar-Gellen, CEO of COTI - Privacy by Design: COTI's Approach to Balancing Security and Usability Shahaf Bar-Geffen, CEO of COTI, believes that privacy should be the default in blockchain technology—intuitive, seamless, and non-intrusive for users. Bar-Geffen emphasized the importance of "selective disclosure," a framework that allows users to share only the information they choose while maintaining control over their data. COTI's privacy-centric Ethereum layer 2 enables developers and users to decide what aspects of their transactions remain private. This approach abstracts the complexity of privacy-preserving technologies, making them as user-friendly as mainstream applications like WhatsApp. "People should assume privacy is there by default," Bar-Geffen explained, highlighting COTI’s commitment to simplifying advanced cryptographic solutions for everyday use. Bar-Geffen is also excited about recent advancements like "garbled circuits," a multi-party computation technique that significantly enhances performance and scalability. This innovation runs 3,000 times faster than other solutions, ensuring that privacy-preserving technologies don’t hinder user experience. AI, Bar-Geffen noted, plays a critical role in this landscape. With growing reliance on data for AI model training, privacy-preserving techniques like federated learning are essential. These methods allow organizations to collaborate on AI development without exposing sensitive data, bridging the gap between innovation and security. For Bar-Geffen, the goal is clear: to create an "HTTPS moment" for blockchain, where encryption becomes the standard, enabling mass adoption and safeguarding user trust. By focusing on privacy as a foundational element, COTI is paving the way for a future where users no longer see privacy as a trade-off but as a given. "It’s about enabling innovation," he said, "while protecting individual and institutional secrets." With its focus on usability, compliance, and cutting-edge technology, COTI is shaping a privacy-first approach to blockchain that resonates across industries.

Henry De Valence, CEO of Penumbra - Bridging Privacy and Usability: Penumbra's Vision for the Future of Blockchain In an era where privacy and usability often seem at odds, Henry de Valence, founder of Penumbra Labs, offers a compelling approach to balancing both. Speaking at the DeCC x Shielding Summit, de Valence highlighted the importance of aligning cryptographic systems with user expectations. "For a blockchain, the cryptography is the product," he explained, emphasizing that when users encounter unexpected security gaps, risks like hacks and financial losses emerge. Penumbra Labs’ private blockchain addresses these challenges by enabling private trading, staking, and transfers on a proof-of-stake network. This ensures that users can maintain control over their financial data without compromising security. De Valence noted that privacy isn’t just an abstract concept but a practical necessity for scalable blockchain systems. "We’ve designed Penumbra to meet the real-world expectations of users, ensuring their strategies and financial histories remain secure," he said. Drawing parallels to Signal, the secure messaging app, de Valence stressed that effective cryptography should be invisible to the user. Similarly, Penumbra aims to make privacy effortless, allowing users to interact seamlessly without needing a technical background. As AI becomes more prevalent, de Valence underscored the importance of privacy-first infrastructure. AI’s ability to analyze and exploit data only heightens the need for private systems that align with user behavior and protect sensitive information. Penumbra’s work, he noted, extends beyond blockchain, offering lessons that could be applied across industries to safeguard interactions in an increasingly digital world. With its focus on usability and security, Penumbra Labs is setting the standard for privacy-first systems, ensuring that blockchain technology evolves to meet the demands of both individual users and broader technological trends.

Jakob Kronbichler is the CEO and Co-founder of Clearpool ($CPOOL), the leading DeFi credit marketplace for institutions backed by leading investors, including Sequoia Capital and Wintermute. Since launching in 2022, Clearpool has originated over $590M in loans to some of the largest institutions in both TradFi and DeFi, including Wall Street giant Jane Street and listed firm Flow Traders.

It’s not often that a CEO gets voted in by his peers, but this is the starting ground for Nik Christodoulakis, CEO Enosys, a position he holds carefully. Three years ago he was CTO for Enosys (then called FLR Finance) leading the technical development of the company. The previous CEO left in unexpected circumstances and the remaining team voted him into the position. “They persuaded me that I was ready for the position and, fast forward to now, I am pretty glad that I did.” Tune in to list more - Your host is Jillian Godsil

Roy Hui, LightLink and Nathan Lenga, Elektrik LightLink is a brand new Layer 2 Solution building on Ethereum and Elektrik is the very first decentralised application building on its blockchain. Elektrik is an innovative decentralised exchange focusing on providing an unrivalled trading experience with minimal fees, advanced tools and improved capital efficiency via a unique AI-driven machine learning model. The teams are remarkably aligned, to the extent where team members are shared.   It doesn’t get much more interesting than when two companies decide to cooperate together over their ideas, combine team players and share ambitions. Especially when there is a relationship built on trust, ambition and respect. This is the LightLink / Elektrik journey and it’s signposted for success. Your Host is Jillian Godsil

When faced with the question, how to protect crypto, OG Brock Pierce is circumspect. He points out that not everyone is in the same place. “Early noobs looking to begin their journey might go to Coinbase and purchase their first $20 or $50 worth of crypto and it’s not an investment in crypto, but an investment in yourself. However, the moment you have a material investment – and that is a different amount for everybody – then it’s important to understand the basics.   “It’s always better to walk before you can run, to walk in baby steps and don’t let FOMO (fear of missing out) cloud your judgement. This is a marathon, a long game, so take you time and be informed.” Pierce repeats the mantra of not your coins, not your keys, not your keys, not your coins. He points out that people advanced in sophistication can look at investigating yield farming or decentralized finance. He emphasizes the importance of investing in your own education. “If you are participating in those markets, then you by necessity take on the counterparty risk associated with those platforms and how you mitigate those risks is through diversification, but not having all your eggs in one basket. If any one asset fell it won’t wreck (rek) your entire portfolio.” Tune in and listen to the rest of the interview. Your host is Jillian Godsil Protect your crypto -

Dmitry (Dima) Buterin, avid supporter of Ukraine, serial entrepreneur and father to Vitalik Dmitry Buterin has always been outspoken and prone to using humour to make his point. He has lived through great change in his native Soviet Union before relocating to Canada in the 90s. There he has openly criticized the brain washing of the old Soviet era and increasingly the dictatorship of Valdmir Putin. It has not earned him many friends back in Russia where even high school peers condemn his views as traitorous. In fact, what is interesting when speaking with Buterin is that he is not nationalist or even jingoistic at all. At one stage I ask him who is his tribe and his answer is: “Humanity is my tribe.”   This thread of uniqueness runs through our conversation. At the end, I suddenly realise this is the gift or the legacy Buterin has given his son, an ability to view things in new and innovative ways. There are no set nations, cultures or even people in Buterin’s worldview but a series of individuals all rubbing along in their own little bubble. Perhaps the birth of Ethereum hinges on everyone and everything being unique. To find out more, tune into the postcast. Your host is Jillian Godsil

Matej Zrimšek – Co-founder and CTO of Akshun (The Unseen Agency) Called one of the tech-hottest CTOs in Web3 by his co-founders, Matej Zrimšek, certainly has the receipts. Holding a Bachelors in Computer Science, he went on to earn a double Masters in Computer Science and Mathematics. “I also love algorithms and cryptography, so while my early career was in Life Sciences and included robotics programming and dabbling with 3D games and AI, it was no surprise that I soon migrated over to crypto and blockchain, first working with an arbitrage platform trading between different crypto exchanges and leveraging AI.” Next stop was Bitstamp Cryptocurrency Exchange, which is the longest standing crypto exchange in existence. Zrimšek believes it also to be the most regulated exchange. As a Banking Technical Lead he worked with departments from across many aspects of the exchange from payments, to accounting, to treasury and even support. At this stage, while Zrimšek knew he was working in the right sector, he also knew he wanted to be a founder and not just an employee. He wanted to put his drive and enthusiasm into a project of his own making and enjoy the full rewards of his efforts. To find out more, tune into the podcast. Your host is Jillian Godsil

Bumper your crypto and defend against price drops Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from bear cycles and market crashes and simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs. Set the price you want to protect and if the market crashes, your asset will never fall below that price. Importantly, if your asset price pumps, you’re still capturing that value rise Co founder of Bumper Gareth Ward talks about how Bumper was developed. In conversation with Jillian Godsil

Ben Appleby, co founder and chief product officer with The Unseen Agency As a freelancer all this life, Ben Appleby knows good people when he meets them. And so it was with his co-founder Richard Kieswich. As soon as they met, Appleby knew this man was smart and he wanted to work with him, so relying on the adage that it pays to employ (or co-found with) people that are smarter than you, he did. This learning was circuitous enough and came over time. Appleby did not enjoy school and only found one teacher that ‘got’ him; and he got her back by overperforming in that subject, but largely he was a fish out of water as he struggled to conform under fluorescent lights. “As soon as I could escape, I did.” To find out more, tune into the podcast. Your host is Jillian Godsil  

Marieke Flament almost passed up on the chance to move into Web3 in 2015 because in her mind bitcoin was connected with illicit substances. She was approached by a headhunter who wanted to pitch her to a bitcoin startup. “And I thought they’d got the wrong number. I did not want to work for drug dealers.” However, curiosity got the better of her and she decided to investigate further – to ignore the screaming news headlines of the day – with the result she ended up working with blue chip Circle headed up by Jeremy Allaire. “That was a great privilege to enter this space and work with someone who was incredibly visionary.” To hear more, tune into the podcast. Your host is Jillian Godsil