Author: CoinDesk

LayerZero’s token ZRO is now live. Founder Bryan Pellegrino delves into all the controversies, challenges and criticisms of its anti-Sybil campaign—and its requirement of a donation to the Protocol Guild.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

LayerZero’s token claims went live on Thursday, and as with every recent airdrop, there was plenty of controversy.

In this episode, Bryan Pellegrino, cofounder and CEO of LayerZero Labs, joined to discuss their ambitious anti-Sybil campaign and the subsequent token distribution. He delved into the challenges of ensuring genuine user participation, the decision to offer a self-report option for Sybil attackers, and the complexities imposed by industrial-grade farmers. Bryan shared what he would have done differently and why a mandatory donation to Protocol Guild was imposed.

Also, are airdrops dead? How can the industry improve this not-so-effective distribution method? 

Show highlights:

• 0:30 Why LayerZero launched an anti-Sybil campaign with its airdrop, and what challenges they faced in ensuring genuine user participation
• 4:00 Why LayerZero offered a self-report option for Sybil attackers, and how this strategy revealed both the complexities and the creativity within the crypto community
• 09:28 How the anti-Sybil campaign uncovered over a million fraudulent accounts
• 12:43 What Bryan would have done differently in their campaign
• 15:33 What alternative methods, such as KYC and proof-of-humanity protocols, LayerZero could have used for their anti-Sybil campaign
• 16:53 How LayerZero navigated the cat-and-mouse game with industrial airdrop farmers
• 21:30 Why they decided to impose a donation to Protocol Guild to claim the ZRO token
• 30:33 What caused the dramatic drop in LayerZero's activity post-announcement of their anti-Sybil campaign, and why the team is optimistic despite the decline
• 33:53 LayerZero's plans for future airdrops 
• 37:11 What Bryan thinks the future holds for airdrops in crypto, and how the current broken system can be improved to achieve better distribution and user engagement

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

Thank you to our sponsors!

• iTrustCapital
• Polkadot

Guest

• Bryan Pellegrino, cofounder and CEO of LayerZero Labs

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Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC.  Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz. 

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Want to mine a meme coin? ElphaPex’s newest unit mines Litecoin and Dogecoin through a process called merge mining!

Follow along on your favorite podcast player of choice by clicking here.

Ben Weng and Payne Cong of Foundation Logic, the team behind the new ElphaPex Dogecoin/Litcoin miner, join The Mining Pod to discuss their new ASIC mining startup, competing with industry giants, and the future of script mining. Learn about hardware startups, profitability comparisons, and the potential for diversifying mining revenue.

Chapters:

00:00 Start

03:20 Ben Weng background

04:29 Payne Cong background

06:32 Litecoin+Dogecoin ASIC

09:40 Why these coins?

14:50 Is Litecoin the main revenue?

18:39 Profitability

21:10 Other revenue sources

24:40 Calculators

25:50 Hardware form factor

28:15 Repairs

33:41 Chips & production

35:56 What foundry

36:50 Chip allocations from Samsung

38:40 Bitmain competition

42:46 Final thoughts

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Published twice weekly, "The Mining Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday! 

👉 Check out Bitcoin Season 2 and The Gwart Show.

👉 Watch our newest documentary, The Big Empty!

Follow our host on Twitter, @wsfoxley.

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Thank you to our sponsor, CleanSpark, America’s Bitcoin miner! And thank you to Foreman Mining, Master Your Mining!

"The Mining Pod" is produced by Sunnyside Honey LLC with Senior Producer, Damien Somerset.  Distributed by CoinDesk with Senior Producer Michele Musso and Executive Producer Jared Schwartz.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CoinDesk Indices presents notable data insights from the week, followed by additional analysis from an industry expert.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

The CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) functions as a benchmark for the performance of the digital asset market, delivering institutional quality information to digital asset investors. Subsets of the CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) are investible CoinDesk Crypto Sectors and the CoinDesk 20 Index, designed to measure the performance of the top digital assets. Today’s takeaways are provided by Tracy Stephens, senior index manager at CoinDesk Indices with additional analysis from Miguel Kudry, CEO at L1.co. For more on CoinDesk Indices, visit: coindeskmarkets.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the news in the crypto industry from MicroStrategy's BTC purchase to SEC ending its investigation into Consensys.

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"CoinDesk Daily" host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the biggest headlines impacting the crypto industry today, including MicroStrategy's purchase of 11,931 BTC. Plus, Binance has been fined approximately $2.2 million by India’s Financial Intelligence Unit; and Consensys received letters from the U.S. SEC saying the regulator had ended its investigation into the technology incubator company.

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This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “First Mover” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and Melissa Montañez and edited by Victor Chen.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The latest price moves and insights with Jennifer Sanasie and TACTIVE Wealth Advisor Eddy Gifford.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

TACTIVE Wealth Advisor Eddy Gifford joins CoinDesk with insights on the current state of the crypto market given macroeconomic uncertainties. Plus, his thoughts on Dogecoin as an investment and the launch of VanEck's spot bitcoin ETF in Australia.

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This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Victor Chen, alongside Senior Booking Producer Melissa Montañez. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump’s former director of communications explains why he believes the industry “has already won,” and why he doesn’t trust Trump’s “impulsivity” when it comes to crypto. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

The political landscape in the US is heating up with the November elections, and the crypto industry is watching closely. 

In this episode, Anthony Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge, doesn’t mince words and explains why he believes Joe Biden is the best choice—even for the crypto voter—in the upcoming election, the significance of the Ethereum ETF approval, and how the industry has overcome significant regulatory hurdles. 

Scaramucci also shares his insights on the future of Bitcoin ETFs, the role of younger generations in driving crypto policy, and why Solana might be the next big thing. 

Show highlights:

• 1:14 Why Anthony believes there’s only one choice in this election: Joe Biden
• 06:15 Why he thinks the crypto industry “has already won”
• 15:49 Whether the crypto industry should trust Trump with his pro-crypto comments
• 17:15 Why Anthony is convinced that the Biden administration has stopped its anti-crypto stance, even with the veto of the SAB 121 repeal
• 20:59 Why Anthony believes crypto is becoming a bipartisan issue, and how younger generations are driving this change in Washington
• 28:43 What three key elements would ideally be included in crypto legislation to ensure clarity and industry involvement in regulation
• 30:35 What happened to SkyBridge after selling a stake to FTX, and how they are riding the industry's “upswing”
• 37:50 What developments in Bitcoin ETFs could signal its recognition as an asset class and drive institutional adoption
• 39:49 What led SkyBridge to abandon its Bitcoin ETF application
• 43:12 What Anthony thinks is the best pitch for a spot Ether ETF to TradFi, and how expected inflows compare to Bitcoin ETFs
• 49:00 Anthony’s praise of Laura’s book
• 51:45 Why Anthony believes a Solana ETF might be the next big thing in crypto, despite SEC scrutiny and the need for a futures market first
• 55:09 Why SkyBridge is actively seeking new acquisitions and partnering with Parcl, a Solana-based decentralized real estate trading app
• 59:41 What Anthony's bullish predictions for Bitcoin and Ethereum are in the current cycle

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

Thank you to our sponsors!       Polkadot

Guest |  Anthony Scaramucci, Founder and Managing Partner at SkyBridge

Links |  

Recent coverage of Unchained on the political scenario in the US:

How the U.S. Government Can Protect the Dollar Through Stablecoins

Why Many Democrats, Including the White House, Have Come Around on Crypto

Senator Cynthia Lummis on Why Crypto Now Has Bipartisan Support in Congress

Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC.  Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the news in the crypto industry from FTX victims' latest filings to bets on whether Biden and Trump will shake hands before the upcoming Presidential debate.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

"CoinDesk Daily" host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the biggest headlines impacting the crypto industry today, as FTX victims asked a New York court to rule that the crypto exchange's forfeited assets belong to its customers, not the bankruptcy estate. Plus, AI-related tokens slide following spikes in AI-related Google search queries. And, will Biden and Trump shake hands before the first Presidential debate next week?

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This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “First Mover” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and Melissa Montañez and edited by Victor Chen.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The latest price moves and insights with Jennifer Sanasie and CoinFund President Chris Perkins.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

CoinFund President Chris Perkins joins CoinDesk with insights on the overall digital assets markets and the potential influence of crypto on the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.

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This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Victor Chen, alongside Senior Booking Producer Melissa Montañez. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it take to mine Bitcoin in Texas? We found out in this episode with Ryan Nuckolls from DIG.

Follow along on your favorite podcast player of choice by clicking here.

Ryan Nuckolls, a 10th-generation Texan and Bitcoin veteran, discusses the intersection of energy and Bitcoin mining in Texas. He shares insights on optimizing mining infrastructure, the benefits of Bitcoin for the Texas grid, and the industry's future. Nuckolls believes Texas is poised for significant growth in Bitcoin mining.

Chapters:

03:12 Ryan's background

04:38 Infrastructure as a service

08:24 Generation vs demand

11:03 When Bitcoin came to ERCOT

13:47 Example deal

16:26 Due diligence beforehand

17:13 Capital intensive ops

19:25 Demand on ERCOT

21:43 Trading energy on ERCOT

25:35 What is energy trading?

30:06   The future of ERCOT & Bitcoin

Published twice weekly, "The Mining Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday! 

👉 Check out Bitcoin Season 2 and The Gwart Show.

👉 Watch our newest documentary, The Big Empty!

Follow our host on Twitter, @wsfoxley.

-

Thank you to our sponsor, CleanSpark, America’s Bitcoin miner! And thank you to Foreman Mining, Master Your Mining!

"The Mining Pod" is produced by Sunnyside Honey LLC with Senior Producer, Damien Somerset.  Distributed by CoinDesk with Senior Producer Michele Musso and Executive Producer Jared Schwartz. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sergey Gorbunov on Axelar's Focus on Security and Programmability.

Follow the show here for more.

This installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk interview Sergey Gorbunov, CEO of Interop Labs and co-founder of Axelar Protocol, who discusses the partnership with Ripple and the exclusive bridge they are building for the XRP Ledger's new EVM side chain. He emphasizes simplifying user experiences and blending blockchain technology with traditional systems and believes that decentralization is a key factor in the success of interoperability protocols.

Chapters | 

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:34 The Importance of Interoperability

06:56 Axelar's Differentiators and Partnership with Ripple

13:04 Simplifying User Experiences and Blending Blockchain with Traditional Systems

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EPISODE LINKS |  

Interop Labs

Axelar 

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The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.