Lightspeed

Hosted by Blockworks

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Episodes

295

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Lightspeed is a podcast for those interested in how crypto can solve real problems and create products users love. It's a callback to the garage days of Silicon Valley, where builders pushed the limits of hardware and software to build world-changing products. We interview the projects and founders that will make this same impact today.

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60 recent

June 16, 202653 min

Flash Trade Is Reinventing Perps on Solana | Anas Khader

Gm! In this episode, we’re joined by Anas Khader, Founder of Flash Trade, to discuss the protocol’s journey from building alongside Mango Markets to launching a Solana-native perpetuals exchange. We cover Flash Trade’s pool-to-peer liquidity model, expansion into equities, commodities, and forex perps, its new Magic Block-powered execution engine, security and oracle design, the future of 24/7 markets, and how Solana’s evolving infrastructure is shaping the next generation of onchain trading. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Flash Trade: https://x.com/FlashTrade Follow Anas: https://x.com/allinbitcoin_ Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:18) Flash Trade Origin Story (6:23) Pool-To-Peer Perps (11:22) New Asset Markets (16:46) Magic Block Design (26:08) Competing In Perps (32:08) Oracle And Security Risks (39:15) Next Perps Frontier (42:49) Solana's Growth Path (48:04) Solana UX Improvements (51:07) Try Flash V2 (52:13) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

June 12, 202628 min

Blockworks Acquires Messari

In this special episode, Blockworks announces its acquisition of Messari and unpacks what it means for crypto’s next phase. Michael and Jason explore why Messari’s breadth of data, APIs, and research complement Blockworks’ deep on-chain analytics, investor relations, and disclosure products. They also address crypto’s trust problem, the need for standardized data and disclosures, and how Blockworks aims to become the trusted data layer connecting issuers, investors, exchanges, regulators, and AI agents in on-chain markets. Learn more: https://blockworks.com/insights/blockworks-acquires-messari Follow Blockworks on X: https://x.com/Blockworks Follow Messari on X: https://x.com/MessariCrypto Follow Michael on X: https://x.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Jason on X: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

June 11, 202657 min

Solving Sol Value Accrual

Gm! In today’s episode, we discuss Solana’s value accrual challenges, including proposed tokenomics changes, fee burn mechanisms, inflation reduction, and network upgrade timelines. We also examine the release of Anthropic’s Claude Fable model and its implications for software development, cybersecurity, and crypto, before exploring DeFi security risks, protocol valuations, and Michael Saylor’s influence on Bitcoin markets.Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Ian: https://x.com/Ian_Unsworth Follow Toma: https://x.com/toma_adv⁠ Follow Carlos: https://x.com/0xcarlosg Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (4:19) Claude Fable Hits Crypto (12:38) Is DeFi Still Safe? (18:59) Valuing Hackable Protocols (22:19) Saylor Shakes Bitcoin (30:06) Bitcoin vs Fundamentals (34:14) Solana Value Accrual (40:21) Can Solana Charge Rent? (46:13) Burn vs Issuance (51:32) Solana’s Upgrade Bottleneck (55:57) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

June 9, 202650 min

The Era of Tokenized Yield Strategies | Ben Nadareski

Gm! In this episode we’re joined by Ben Nadareski, Co-Founder and CEO of Solstice, to discuss his background in traditional finance and crypto, the development of Solstice’s tokenized yield infrastructure on Solana, and the roles of its USX, eUSX, and SLX assets. We also cover institutional and retail adoption, delta-neutral and private credit strategies, planned AI-focused products, token utility, regulatory considerations, and the broader goal of making yield-generating financial products accessible onchain.Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Solstice: https://x.com/solsticefi Follow Ben: https://x.com/ben_solstice Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:41) Ben’s Crypto Origin (7:30) What Solstice Builds (12:02) How Solstice’s Yield Engine Works (16:09) Solstice vs Ethena (19:09) New Yield Strategies (26:04) Tokenized Yield Versus Vaults (29:27) Who Uses Solstice? (37:25) Regulatory Roadblocks (42:38) SLX Token Utility (47:29) Solstice In 2027 (49:36) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

June 4, 20261 hr 4 min

US Crypto Perps Arrive, Solana Rethinks Fees

Gm! In today’s episode we discuss recent developments in U.S. cryptocurrency perpetual futures regulation, including CFTC approval of Bitcoin perpetual contracts and implications for centralized and decentralized trading platforms. We also cover a proposed Solana fee mechanism aimed at increasing token burn, before examining the surge in Pokémon card speculation and the growth, economics, and risks of onchain trading card platform Collector Crypt. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Kunal: https://x.com/Kunallegendd Follow Carlos: https://x.com/0xcarlosg Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:34) US Perps Go Legit (17:20) Solana’s Fee Debate (26:00) Tradeoffs for Users (41:13) Pokémon Cards Go Parabolic (44:04) Collector Crypt’s Gacha Boom (59:19) Valuing the $CARDS Token (1:03:02) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

June 2, 202651 min

Building the Onchain Brokerage: Glider's Vision for Investing | Brian Huang

Gm! In this episode, we're joined by Brian Huang, Co-Founder of Glider, to discuss his journey from institutional trading and crypto custody to building an onchain investing platform. We explore the rise of tokenized assets, portfolio automation, chain abstraction, DeFi yield opportunities, risk management, institutional adoption, and the future of personalized investing. Brian also shares Glider's vision for automated investment workflows and the next generation of onchain financial products. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Glider: https://x.com/glider__ Follow Brian: https://x.com/BrianInCrypto Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:28) Brian’s Crypto Origin (3:52) Why Glider Exists (8:47) Wallets Need Better UX (13:38) Personalized Investing Arrives (17:38) Automated Strategies (24:18) Tokenized Stocks Reality Check (28:31) Abstracting DeFi Complexity (33:04) Curating Onchain Risk (36:39) Insurance Tradeoffs (43:34) Glider’s Roadmap (50:28) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

May 28, 202649 min

Why Crypto Needs Interest Rate Swaps | Thomas Lefort

Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Thomas Lefort, Co-Founder of Exponent, to discuss the evolution of onchain interest rate markets, the limitations of Exponent’s first product iteration, and the launch of Exponent V2. We cover fixed-rate DeFi infrastructure, RWAs, strategy vaults, risk management, institutional adoption, and the growing demand for more sophisticated yield products on Solana. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Exponent: https://x.com/exponentfinance Follow Thomas: https://x.com/ttrofel Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) introduction (1:18) Thomas Enters Crypto (2:48) Why Exponent Exists (5:05) V1 Fixed-Rate Markets (9:36) RWAs Drive Yield Demand (14:06) Exponent V2 Rebuild (18:06) Strategy Vault Launch Partners (22:11) V2 Launch Timeline (25:41) Why Crypto Rates Lag (30:03) Managing DeFi Risk (37:07) Winning Issuer Distribution (43:59) What Assets Come Next (48:28) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

May 26, 202651 min

Raiku’s Vision for Solana Markets | Robin

Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Robin, CEO and Founder of Raiku, to discuss his background in crypto and the development of Raiku’s Solana infrastructure products focused on faster, more predictable transaction execution. We cover validator economics, stake dynamics, enterprise trading infrastructure, institutional adoption challenges, upcoming Solana network upgrades, and the evolving role of market structure across the ecosystem.Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Raiku: https://x.com/raikucom Follow Robin: https://x.com/degenroot Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:56) Robin’s Crypto Origin (6:59) Raiku’s Differentiation (10:24) Alpenglow’s Impact (13:01) Why Determinism Matters (17:47) Raiku’s Target Customers (20:13) Why Stake Coverage Matters (26:44) New Enterprise Products (33:18) Solana’s Demand Problem (36:43) TradFi’s Onchain Risks (42:11) Sol Revenue Streams (49:22) Raiku’s Product Roadmap (50:56) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

May 22, 202647 min

The Institutional Era of Crypto Has Arrived | Christopher Perkins

Gm! In this episode, we’re joined by Christopher Perkins, CEO of 250 Digital Asset Management, to discuss Franklin Templeton’s acquisition of 250 Digital Asset Management, the institutional adoption of crypto, tokenization, regulatory developments, DeFi infrastructure, derivatives markets, and prediction markets. We also explore the convergence of AI and crypto, public market access, operational risk, and the evolving relationship between traditional finance and blockchain-based systems. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Franklin Templeton: https://x.com/FTI_US?lang=en Follow Christopher Perkins: https://x.com/perkinscr97 Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:51) Franklin Templeton Acquisition (5:24) Regulation Unlocks Institutions (10:01) Tokenization’s Next Wave (17:08) Onchain Versus Wall Street (23:06) Risks Holding Institutions Back (28:08) Law Still Applies Onchain (35:55) Crypto’s Strongest Theses (40:43) Democratizing Financial Access (44:14) Franklin Templeton’s Crypto Roadmap (46:42) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

May 20, 202655 min

Jupiter’s Push Beyond Crypto Trading | Kash Dhanda

Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Kash Dhanda, COO of Jupiter, to discuss Jupiter’s expanding DeFi strategy, including USDE integration, yield-generating assets, lending models, tokenized stocks, and perpetuals. We also cover stablecoin infrastructure, JLP and Jupnet development, Solana’s positioning in the broader crypto ecosystem, and Jupiter’s efforts to simplify DeFi products for mainstream users. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Jupiter: https://x.com/jupiterexchange Follow Kash: https://x.com/kashdhanda?lang=en Follow Joe: https://x.com/j0e_cooks Follow Carlos: https://x.com/0xcarlosg Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:30) Jupiter’s USDE Push (6:15) Bitwise Enters DeFi (8:14) Yield Assets on Jupiter (10:30) Lending Without Liquidations (12:11) Tokenized Stocks Onchain (20:21) Jupiter’s Super App Strategy (26:14) DIY DeFi Is Over (32:13) JUPUSD Stablecoin Strategy (35:53) Perps Beyond Crypto Natives (38:49) JLP, Jupnet, Solana (45:41) Winning Real Users (54:36) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.