In this episode, we Interview Akhil Vajjhala, President of the NYU Blockchain & Fintech Organization, who explains to us how the concepts of decentralized identities (DIDs) and zero knowledge proofs (ZK Proofs) can be combined to create self-sovereign identities, improve the efficiency of KYC and AML regulations, and protect consumer privacy. There is a lot to unpack here so bear with us in this longer than usual episode. 

Email us at Blockchain@wm.edu for inquiries.

Self Sovereign Identity: DIDs and ZK Proofs, w/ Special Guest

As Epicenter hits the 500 episode milestone, our hosts look back on almost 10 years of crypto developments, analysing the good, the bad and the ugly. What projects & narratives have surprised our hosts? Has Bitcoin failed in becoming a reliable store of value? Will ZK proofs provide the much needed solution to AI’s alignment problem? Last but not least, are we still early? Get ready for a fascinating discussion, albeit gloomy for this special occasion.

Thank you for being part of this amazing journey! We wouldn’t have made it so far without your continuous support! Looking forward to the next 500 episodes!

Topics discussed in this episode:
- Brian’s health update
- Looking back on 10 years of Epicenter & crypto development
- Are we still early on Bitcoin or has that ship already sailed?
- Stores of value: Bitcoin vs. Gold vs. Market Indexes
- The need for stablecoins, including algorithmic ones!
- Projects & narratives that took a 180 degree turn
- AI vs. verifiable computation via ZK proofs
- The control & alignment AI problems
- Decentralised identity systems (DID)
- Looking forward to the next 500 episodes

Sponsors: 
- CoinGecko: CoinGecko API provides access to the most comprehensive data aggregator in the market, supporting more than 10,000 crypto assets from over 700 exchanges! Visit https://gcko.io/epicenterCGpromo today and use the promo code "EPICENTER" to unlock an additional 10% OFF!
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This episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture, Brian Fabian Crain, Friederike Ernst, Meher Roy, Sunny Aggarwal & Felix Lutsch. Show notes and listening options: https://epicenter.tv/500

Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed Technologies

#500 Epicenter – Looking Back on 10 Years of Crypto. AI Doom & Gloom? SPECIAL

Zero knowledge proof systems have found tremendous cryptographic utility in scaling blockchains, due to their ability to prove computational integrity, succinctly. However, despite recent advancements in ZKP R&D, their construction still requires special prover circuits. Their complexity is what gatekeeps zero knowledge technology to a select few astute teams. =nil; Foundation aims to challenge this status quo by providing an alternative through their zkLLVM circuit compiler and zk proof marketplace. By commoditising the production of custom proofs, =nil; Foundation unlocks an entire new range of applications employing zero knowledge technology. 

We were joined by Misha Komarov, co-founder of =nil; Foundation, to discuss the use cases and challenges of building the first marketplace for (outsourced) zero knowledge proofs.

Topics discussed in this episode:
- The vision behind =nil; Foundation
- Use cases for zk tech
- zkLLVM circuit compiler
- Homomorphic encryption, ZKPs & privacy solutions
- ZKP marketplace
- Why proof markets (currently) run on DBMS
- Marketplace actors
- Proof generators vs. PoW miners
- Infrastructure challenges
- Future roadmap

Links mentioned in this episode: 
- Mikhail Komarov on Twitter: bit.ly/3Plf3ms
- =nil; Foundation on Twitter: bit.ly/3PrbVWh

This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: https://epicenter.tv/514

#514 Misha Komarov: =nil; Foundation – The Marketplace for ZK Proof Generation

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Entrevista com Thamilla Talarico, lider de Blockchain e Digital Assets Brasil da Ernest Young (EY)

Links desse episódio:

Minutagem:
0:00 inicio
1:59 Thamila e seu primeiro contato com cripto
3:22 ICOs e STOs abrindo a cabeça para o potencial da tecnologia
6:50 Chegando na EY
8:38 Cripto, investimentos e tecnologia
12:15 Entendendo a EY
19:22 Produtos oferecidos pela EY
23:25 Os reguladores do Brasil entendem de Blockchain?
30:52 Starlight e o DREX
39:59 Zero Knowledge (ZKP) já está maduro para ser usado? 
44:27 Como será o mercado financeiro brasileiro em 10 anos? 
50:50 Mensagem final

Outros canais Fintrender:
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►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinTrender
►Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/@finTrender
► Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintrender/

#fintrender #starlight #ey

#218 Thamilla Talarico EY | DREX, Privacidade, STOs, Blockchain, ZKP

As more and more L2s launch promising to scale Ethereum, they end up competing for the same market share, userbase and liquidity. Apart from this harsh reality, crosschain interactions should be as seamless as possible in order to bridge different L2 ecosystems. Polygon envisions a scalable future in which various zero knowledge rollups post their proofs on an aggregation layer before settling on Ethereum, thus lowering latency and transaction costs as crosschain interactions take place expeditiously, without involving the L1 mainnet.

Topics discussed in this episode:
- Polygon’s ZK expansion and the acquisition of Mir Protocol
- Polygon’s aggregation layer
- Block building between different L2s
- Shared sequencing & asynchronous sequencing
- Security guarantees of the aggregation layer
- Sequencer decentralisation & censorship resistance
- Chains using Polygon’s aggregation layer
- Pessimistic proofs
- Can optimistic rollups be included in the aggregation layer?
- Type 1 prover and Plonky3
- The evolution of ZKP systems
- Ensuring ZK rollup integrity
- The future of scalability

Links mentioned in this episode: 
- Sandeep Nailwal on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3VHsIsI
- Brendan Farmer on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3za2mXe
- Polygon on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3VGjZ9T

Sponsors: 
- Chorus1: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at chorus.one - 
- Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at gnosis.io -

This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: https://epicenter.tv/552

#552 Brendan Farmer & Sandeep Nailwal: Why Ethereum Needs Polygon's Aggregation Layer to Scale

In this day and age, privacy and confidentiality are more important than ever. Advancements in the cryptographic research of zero knowledge proofs (ZKPs), fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and multi-party computation (MPC) paved the way for computational integrity and confidential computing. While FHE allows for computation to be performed on encrypted data without the need for prior decryption, it is MPC that enables compliance with regulations (e.g. AML). Arcium aims to build a global super computer for parallelised confidential computing, powered by custom MXEs (multi-party computation execution environments).

Topics discussed in this episode:
- Yannik’s background
- Confidentiality & decentralised compliance
- Confidential computing
- TEEs (trusted execution environments) & side-channel attacks
- ZKP vs. MPC vs. FHE
- Arcium’s global super computer architecture
- How Arcium differentiates itself from other privacy protocols
- Use cases
- Censorship risks
- Ecosystem development

Links mentioned in this episode: 
- Yannik Schrade on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3TkVY6Z
- Arcium on Twitter: https://bit.ly/4gguJUJ

Sponsors: 
- Chorus1: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at chorus.one - 
- Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at gnosis.io -

This episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Felix Lutsch. Show notes and listening options: https://epicenter.tv/564

#564 Yannik Schrade: Arcium – Parallelized Confidential Computing Network

As Ethereum’s roadmap shifted to a rollup-centric approach, a plethora of rollups have been launched, to the point where L3s have been conceptualized. Celestia sits at the forefront of modularity as it aims to replace the monolithic blockchain architecture with specialized layers that are more suited for scalability and customization. As a result, Celestia strictly focuses on data availability to accommodate the recent rollup expansion, as data storage represents the largest portion of fees on L2s. The Lemongrass upgrade lays the foundation for further use cases being enabled through Celestia, mainly revolving around interoperability and zk proof enabled ‘lazy bridging’.

Topics discussed in this episode:
- The vision behind Celestia
- Rollup architecture
- Centralised sequencers and the role of fraud proofs
- Celestia’s market share
- Rollkit & sovereign rollups
- Governance & light clients
- The importance of decentralisation: L1s vs. rollups
- Celestia’s data availability capacity
- Latency & Celestia block times
- Interoperability & ‘lazy bridging’
- The Lemongrass upgrade
- On-chain economics & value accrual
- Interchain accounts on Celestia
- Crypto’s mainstream adoption
- Future roadmap

Links mentioned in this episode: 
- Mustafa Al-Bassam on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3ZKjGxu
- Ismail Khoffi on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3TLSjza
- Celestia on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3TJUzXx

Sponsors: 
- Chorus1: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at chorus.one - 
- Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at gnosis.io -

This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: https://epicenter.tv/567

#567 Celestia – From 1Gb Blocks of Data Availability to Interoperability and 'Lazy Bridging'

Bitcoin’s Taproot update paved the way for a new & exciting era for Bitcoin, as it expanded its use case far beyond that of an immutable ledger. However, Ordinals, BRC-20 tokens and, more recently, Runes, have limited functionality compared to what DeFi is capable of, on other smart contract blockchains. BitcoinOS envisions a revolutionary Bitcoin economy that stems from truly programmable tokens, unlocking staking, governance and many other use cases. Using BitSNARK and Grail, BitcoinOS enables Bitcoin “rollups”, which act as execution environments that use BTC as gas fee and inherit security from the L1. The missing link was always a trustless bridge between Bitcoin L1 and any potential L2. And Grail Bridge achieved just that - using zero knowledge cryptography, BTC could be transferred to other chains without relying on other custodians’ trust assumptions. In that sense, Bitcoin block #853626 is historically meaningful as it contains the first-ever onchain verification of a zero knowledge proof, on Bitcoin. A truly programmable smart contract operating system on Bitcoin was no longer a mere concept…it became a reality through BitcoinOS.

Topics discussed in this episode:
- Yago’s background
- The effect of Trump’s election on the crypto industry
- The goal behind BitcoinOS
- The history of Bitcoin’s programmability
- Verifying ZK proofs on Bitcoin
- Taproot
- Ordinals
- BitSNARK, Grail bridge and Merkle Mesh
- BitcoinOS modularity and sequencing
- An impending (r)evolution of the industry
- Bitcoin vs. Ethereum L2 landscape
- Bringing Bitcoin liquidity to Cardano
- BitcoinOS roadmap

Links mentioned in this episode: 
- Edan Yago on X: https://bit.ly/3OCKIjv
- Bitcoin OS on X: https://bit.ly/3VjHUeI

Sponsors: 
- Chorus1: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at chorus.one - 
- Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at gnosis.io -

This episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture. Show notes and listening options: https://epicenter.tv/576

#576 Edan Yago: Bitcoin OS – Bitcoin Block 853626 Changed Everything!

Entrevista com Nayan Hanashiro, advisor e coordenador de projetos estratégicos da LACCHAIN

#244 Nayam Hanashiro, LACChain | Blockchain, Identidade Digital, AgroWeb3, BID Lab, ZKP

The Web JD Podcast is the official podcast of the Blockchain Legal Society (BCLS) of William & Mary Law School. BCLS is a student run organization focused on the proliferation of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies as well as solving the various legal issues raised by Web3 and cryptocurrencies. 

Some claim these technologies are the solution to the inefficiencies and externalities of capitalism, others claim they are just another way for the rich to get richer at the expense of the consumer. Regardless of what we or you think, these technologies have created an industry worth trillions of dollars, and they are here to stay. As attorneys, regulators, concerned citizens, and humans, we must educate ourselves and those in positions of power on the capabilities, limitations, and legal considerations of this novel technology.  

Now is the time to Act. Now is the time to learn. Come earn your W3b-J.D!

Epicenter is a podcast about the technologies, projects & people driving decentralization and the global blockchain revolution.

Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sebastien Couture and Meher Roy. Every week, we find the most interesting people in the industry for in-depth discussions about their projects, ideas and stories.

Olá.
A tecnologia tem o poder de tornar tudo mais fácil, rápido e global. Mas nem sempre de uma forma linear e universal. É sobre isso e seus impactos na nossa vida, financeira ou não, que trato nesse canal.

Os temas  mais usuais são ligados a essas alterações na nossa vida financeira e no mercado financeiro de modo geral , mas nunca limitado a somente isso, pois em um mundo ávido por mudanças como temos hoje, não temos barreiras entre setores, países, regiões, etc 

Separando por temas, os temas que mais abordo são: Fintechs, Blockchain, digital assets, Investimentos, Economia,  Crowdfunding, Peer to peer lending, DEFI, Stablecoin, CBDC, Libra, DEFI, tokenização, Bitcoin, ethereum, câmbio e por aí vai.

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New tracks tagged #zkp