Citizen Web3 Podcast

This episode of the #citizenweb3 podcast features Vik Sharɱa from Cake Wallet Vik Sharma, believes cryptocurrency must remain permissionless, self-custodial, and truly connected to the blockchain, empowering people rather than surveillance companies. His mission is to make crypto accessible, human, and private for everyone, guided by the idea that the will of the people ultimately wins out. Cake Wallet is a self-custody, privacy-focused crypto wallet that makes using Monero, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies simple and accessible for everyone. Designed to balance ease of use with powerful privacy features, it helps users stay in control while protecting their financial freedom. We spoke to Vik Sharɱa about Cake Wallet and: Permissionless self-custody money A true blockchain wallet to communicate with the blockchain Traceability being practiced by chain analysis companies Will of the people does win out Making cryptocurrencies less intimidating for non-techie people Do what your gut tells you Don't listen to other people We just want to belong as human beings We're to provide privacy for everyone Timestamps 00:00 – 03:01 : Intro 03:01 -- 08:30 : Combining steel and Monero 08:30 -- 14:14 : Importance of privacy 14:14 -- 16:37 : Winning the war on privacy 16:37 -- 18:50 : The paradox 18:50 -- 22:00 : Private and Public, Citizens and Governments 22:00 -- 28:50 : The goal 28:50 -- 36:01 : Regrets and/or challenges 36:01 -- 45:20 : Adoption and infrastructure 45:20 -- 48:17 : Talking about this space to others 48:17 -- 51:30 : Building community 51:30 -- 56:30 : Tribalism 56:30 – 01:00:57 : The Blitz If you like what we do at Citizen Web3: Stake with Citizen Web3 validator Listen to the YouTube version Follow us on Twitter Sign up to the RSS feed Special Guest: Vik Sharɱa.

This episode of the #citizenweb3 podcast features Temujin Louie from Wanchain Temujin Louie, warns that while compromise is inevitable, the industry must not abandon its original cyberpunk values and should focus on solving fundamental problems rather than chasing unsustainable trends. He stresses moving beyond token bridges, avoiding proprietary infrastructure, and aiming for true innovation that delivers lasting, open solutions. Wanchain is a blockchain interoperability project connecting nearly 40 chains, enabling seamless cross-chain transactions and decentralized applications. Its mission is to replace fragmented, proprietary systems with open, sustainable infrastructure that drives real adoption and innovation. We spoke to Temujin Louie about Wanchain and: Fear of technology Shift on power Undoubtedly there will have to be some compromise Solve fundamental problems first or cut ourselves out by the knees Adoption and losing some of these values The original vision Cyberpunk values 99% of the industry is not sustainable The next innovative thing that's going to happen Move away from purely just token bridges Replacing core infrastructure with proprietary product is never a good idea An actual win outcome in solving this problem Timestamps 00:00 – 07:50 : Intro 07:50 -- 09:50 : Shift of power 09:50 -- 11:45 : Social networks 11:45 -- 16:40 : Spectrums 16:40 -- 21:30 : Adoption and values 21:30 -- 26:03 : Growing from the community 26:03 -- 33:25 : Difference between Web2 and Web3 33:25 -- 40:50 : Blockchains bring in real revenue 40:50 -- 46:15 : Bridges and failure point 46:15 -- 52:04 : Cross-chain developer community and tribalism 52:04 -- 53:56 : Biggest myth or misconception about bridges 53:56 -- 58:59 : The Blitz If you like what we do at Citizen Web3: Stake with Citizen Web3 validator Listen to the YouTube version Follow us on Twitter Sign up to the RSS feed Special Guest: Temujin Louie.

This episode of the #citizenweb3 podcast features Seun Lanlege from Hyperbridge In an interview, Seun Lanlege shared bold views on philosophy, science, blockchain, and politics—ranging from calling math “alchemy” to claiming Nigeria has the worst election fraud and that the government is the “biggest criminal.” He criticized Ethereum, praised Solana, warned that states could destroy humanity, and touched on profit, capitalism, and the moral compass of life. Polytope Labs is a blockchain R&D company focused on interoperability, privacy, and scalability, best known for its Hyperbridge protocol. Backed by Web3 Foundation and Polkadot grants, it develops infrastructure to securely connect decentralized networks. We spoke to Seun Lanlege about Hyperbridge and: Philosophy is all about asking questions Science is downstream from philosophy The language of math, is a description of the universe Math is this like alchemy Nigeria has the worst election fraud Doubling down on why Ethereum sucks Solana is where Ethereum it’s at Maximizing profit Market always does capitalism Grifters and all kinds of unsavoury characters Blockchains inevitably will inherit the legal frameworks of countries The right way, the hard way Taxation Biggest criminal, which is the government The state is going to destroy humanity Timestamps 00:00 – 03:36 : Intro 03:36 -- 10:20 : Being a developer and philosophy 10:20 -- 13:19 : Involvement with Polkadot and Ethereum 13:19 -- 15:30 : Mad scientist is born 15:30 -- 19:30 : Seeking truth 19:30 -- 26:19 : There are there only two 26:19 -- 34:30 : Use case for Tron 34:30 -- 36:10 : Getting people to want to make the world better 36:10 -- 42:02 : Government and legislation 42:02 -- 47:41 : Community building 47:41 -- 53:55 : Hacks and bridges 53:55 – 01:00:03 : The Blitz If you like what we do at Citizen Web3: Stake with Citizen Web3 validator Listen to the YouTube version Follow us on Twitter Sign up to the RSS feed Special Guest: Seun Lanlege.

This episode of the #citizenweb3 podcast features Zac Williamson from Aztec Zac Williamson, co‑inventor of the PLONK zero‑knowledge proof system, is a former Oxford particle physicist who calls himself a “physics refugee.” He leads the development of privacy‑focused blockchain tools to make money a form of autonomy and agency, aiming for fairer systems as breakthrough technologies reshape trust and justice. Aztec Labs is a Layer‑2 network on Ethereum that uses zero‑knowledge proofs to enable private, scalable smart contracts. Its goal is to give users more autonomy and fairness in digital finance through privacy‑preserving technology. We spoke to Zac Williamson about Aztec and: Physics refugees Breakthrough technology, it becomes a gold rush. And you get scammers. Trust infrastructure technology I want things to be more fair Software you can run only once Quantum computers Play to your strengths Find people to cover for your weaknesses The arc of history always tends towards justice Money is autonomy, it's agency Timestamps 00:00 – 01:17 : Intro 01:17 -- 06:11 : Physics to Web3 06:11 -- 15:20 : Explaining the values of Web3 15:20 -- 17:05 : P2P 17:05 -- 24:24 : What it looks like in five years 24:24 -- 28:40 : Breaking the system 28:40 -- 34:00 : Cryptography 34:00 -- 41:15 : ADHD 41:15 -- 46:30 : Semantics and privacy 46:30 -- 53:19 : Fear 53:19 -- 57:02 : Filling the gaps 57:02 -- 58:30 : The next generation 58:30 -- 01:03:00 : Increasing decentralization 01:03:00 – 01:05:15 : Data centres 01:05:15 – 01:16:20 : The Blitz If you like what we do at Citizen Web3: Stake with Citizen Web3 validator Listen to the YouTube version Follow us on Twitter Sign up to the RSS feed Special Guest: Zac Williamson.

This episode of the #citizenweb3 podcast features David Pinger from Warden Protocol David Pinger envisions a future where AI and blockchain merge to enable trust-minimized, autonomous systems. Known for saying “blockchain isn’t for humans,” he challenges conventional thinking with a bold, machine-first perspective. Warden Protocol is a Layer-1 blockchain designed for secure, verifiable AI integration with smart contracts and autonomous agents. It enables AI-driven applications to operate across multiple chains in a trust-minimized way. We spoke to David Pinger about Warden Protocol and: Decentralized trust minimized financial system Converging of blockchain and AI The shoes of the founder Majority of startups fail Blockchain as a panacea Blockchain isn't for humans Blockchain and AI can't naturally talk to each other A wave of a new generation of applications Exercise or go crazy Timestamps 00:00 – 05:47 : Intro 05:47 -- 10:00 : Valuable lessons brought to Web3 10:00 -- 11:41 : Web3 vs Web2 founders 11:41 -- 13:40 : Developers vs community 13:40 -- 23:00 : Blockchain change 23:00 -- 27:20 : AI centralization 27:20 -- 33:25 : Hype 33:25 -- 38:33 : Optimism, Hope and technology 38:33 -- 48:00 : Tribalism and building community 48:00 -- 52:25 : To be a validator 52:25 -- 58:12 : The Blitz If you like what we do at Citizen Web3: Stake with Citizen Web3 validator Listen to the YouTube version Follow us on Twitter Sign up to the RSS feed Special Guest: David Pinger.