The podcast on Modular. Exploring a refreshed vision for building in crypto.
Expansion is a podcast exploring the intersection of modular blockchain design and...
The Value of Verification and Rethinking Bitcoin's Block Size War | Mustafa Al-Bassam, Celestia
In this episode, Celestia co-founder Mustafa Al-Bassam dives deep into how lazy bridging and data availability sampling are rethinking crypto's scalability. Starting with the historical context of Bitcoin's block size wars, Mustafa explains how Celestia's architecture finally resolves the tension between bigger blocks and decentralization. The conversation explores the trade-offs between modular and integrated blockchain designs, the role of ZK proofs in scaling, and why light nodes may be more crucial than validators for true decentralization. Thanks for tuning in!
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Follow Mustafa: https://x.com/musalbas
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:46 Modular vs Integrated Tradeoffs
05:33 L1 Bottlenecks
21:25 Time to Finality Constraint
35:11 1 GB Block Roadmap
47:31 Unbundling Consensus & Verification
53:52 Checks and Balances
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Disclaimer
Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.
Nothing said on Expansion 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. Rex, Jon, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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1:00:50
Finding Crypto's Infra Limits and a Builder's Conviction Dilemma | Roundup
In this episode, Mike and Nick explore two critical challenges facing crypto as we enter the bull market: the looming stress test of crypto infrastructure and the psychological challenge of maintaining builder conviction. They dive deep into how Celestia's lazy bridging and Gelato's sovereign rollup are preparing for the scaling challenges ahead, while discussing staying true to your vision when competitors take shortcuts seem to be winning. They also share their biggest insights from DevCon and Ethereum's latest moves to nationalize rollups. Thanks for tuning in!
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Follow Nick: https://x.com/nickwh8te
Follow Mike: https://x.com/MikeIppolito_
Follow Expansion: https://x.com/ExpansionPod_
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@expansionpod
Subscribe on Apple: http://apple.co/4bGKYYM
Subscribe on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3Vaubq1
Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:09) DevCon Takeaways
(08:53) Finality vs Blocktimes
(10:38) Lazy Bridging
(27:09) RaaS Provider Conflict
(31:14) Espresso Mainnet
(44:05) Sequencing Layer on Celestia
(53:41) Market Timing
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Disclaimer
Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.
Nothing said on Expansion 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. Rex, Jon, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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58:46
Why Base Layer Wars are Ending & The Race Against Ossification | Josh Bowen and Jon Charbonneau
In today's episode Josh Bowen, founder of Astria, and Jon Charbonneau join Mike to discuss the recent launch of Astria and its role in the Celestia ecosystem. The conversation explores how different blockchain architectures are converging toward similar designs. They examine the economics of L1 tokens, the challenges of achieving true decentralization, and debate the future of blockchain L1 differentiation. They close out by discussing how technical constraints and market forces will continue to shape the end game of crypto infrastructure.
Resources:
Josh Bowen @ DBA Research Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5809YJpbhFg
Jon Charb
https://dba.mirror.xyz/UTPfxWe65dYrUu_RJX-5VkAJypFRyw3AZh6m0dRXYZk
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Follow Jon: https://x.com/jon_charb
Follow Josh: https://x.com/Jskybowen
Follow Mike: https://x.com/MikeIppolito_
Follow Expansion: https://x.com/ExpansionPod_
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@expansionpod
Subscribe on Apple: http://apple.co/4bGKYYM
Subscribe on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3Vaubq1
Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:36) Extending Minimal Designs
(09:42) Astria's Design
(14:38) Purpose Built Infrastructure
(24:09) POA Designs
(36:22) Aggregation Summit Ad
(37:05) What Makes L1 Tokens Valuable?
(52:47) ZK's Impact on Astria
(57:55) L1 Differentiation
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Disclaimer
Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.
Nothing said on Expansion 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. Rex, Jon, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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1:08:00
Crypto's US Return, Rise of Purpose-Built Infra, and Rethinking Rollups | Nick White & Ezaan "Zon" Mangalji
In this episode, Mike and Nick are joined by special guest Zon from Initia to discuss the implications of Trump's victory on the crypto industry. Shifting gears they explore Polymarket's remarkable accuracy in predicting the election outcome and what it means for decentralized prediction markets. They also dive deep into Eclipse's groundbreaking launch, examining the future of SVM rollups and alternative VMs. The discussion concludes with an analysis of purpose-built chains versus app-specific chains, and what it means for the future of crypto infra. Thanksf or tuning in!
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Follow Nick: https://x.com/nickwh8te
Follow Zon: https://x.com/ItsAlwaysZonny
Follow Mike: https://x.com/MikeIppolito_
Follow Expansion: https://x.com/ExpansionPod_
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@expansionpod
Subscribe on Apple: http://apple.co/4bGKYYM
Subscribe on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3Vaubq1
Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/
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The Aggregation Summit, organized by Polygon Labs, is happening in Bangkok, Thailand, November 10-11, 2024
Learn more and get your early bird tickets now at https://www.agglayer.dev
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:41) Thailand's Crypto Scene
(04:04) Crypto's Post Election Thoughts
(11:11) Crypto Regulatory Clearance
(23:15) Eclipse Launch
(32:45) Will Solana have L2s?
(39:58) AAS
(43:09) Purpose Built Chains
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Disclaimer
Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.
Nothing said on Expansion 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. Rex, Jon, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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56:09
L1 Valuations and the Rise of Apps | Chris Burniske & Ryan Watkins
In this episode, Chris Burniske and Ryan Watkins join us to explore the evolving relationship between applications and infrastructure in crypto's value accrual balance. They dissect the current state of infrastructure premiums, examine how ETFs are reshaping market dynamics, and discuss the emerging opportunities in DeFi and AI integration. Thanks for tuning in!
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Follow Chris: https://x.com/cburniske?lang=en
Follow Ryan: https://x.com/ryanwatkins_
Follow Nick: https://x.com/nickwh8te
Follow Mike: https://x.com/MikeIppolito_
Follow Expansion: https://x.com/ExpansionPod_
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@expansionpod
Subscribe on Apple: http://apple.co/4bGKYYM
Subscribe on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3Vaubq1
Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/
--
The Aggregation Summit, organized by Polygon Labs, is happening in Bangkok, Thailand, November 10-11, 2024
Learn more and get your early bird tickets now at https://www.agglayer.dev
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:27) - Applications vs Blockchains
(28:47) - Value Accrual End Game
(43:32) - Aggregation Summit Ad
(44:16) - Impact of ETFs
(1:03:16) - Crypto's AI Intersection
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Disclaimer
Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.
Nothing said on Expansion 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. Rex, Jon, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
The podcast on Modular. Exploring a refreshed vision for building in crypto.
Expansion is a podcast exploring the intersection of modular blockchain design and abundant blockspace.
We’ll bring on the leading voices from the modular ecosystem to discuss blockchain design, specialization, applications, and the possibilities that cheap, secure blockspace unlocks.