Episodes

What if the original vision for the internet—a decentralized, permissionless, and open system—could still be realized? On this episode of The Index, host Alex Kehaya is joined by Danny O’Brien, Senior Fellow at the Filecoin Foundation, to explore how we got here—and how we can build something better. Danny’s career spans decades at the frontlines of digital freedom, from the early days of the free software movement to today’s push for decentralized infrastructure and open AI. He shares stories ...

What if smart contracts could manage keys, secure assets, and run AI agents autonomously? This week on The Index podcast —Host Alex Kehaya sits down with David Sneider, co-founder of Lit Protocol, to dive into decentralized key management, threshold cryptography, and the future of AI in Web3. David shares his journey from building in the Bay Area tech scene to launching Lit Protocol, with stops along the way that include the acquisition of his SaaS startup by LinkedIn and working alongside cry...

What if launching your own Layer 1 blockchain was as fast and seamless as spinning up a cloud server? In this episode of The Index, Jin Kwon, Co-founder of Saga.xyz, shares how Saga is redefining how developers scale in Web3. Rather than relying on rollups or months of coordination, Saga lets you launch your own Layer 1 chain—called a chainlet—in just minutes. Jin explains how his computer architecture and finance background helped shape Saga’s vision and why automation is key to building scala...

How do we unlock the true potential of decentralized AI? In this episode of Everything Bagel, co-hosts Alex Kehaya and Bidhan Roy dive into the powerful intersection of blockchain and AI, fresh from ETHDenver and the OpenAGI Summit. Bidhan, founder of Bagel, shares insights from hosting a Builder’s Breakfast that exceeded all expectations, drawing triple the anticipated attendance. He unpacks how Bagel is tackling one of decentralized AI’s biggest challenges—verifiability—through innovations ...

The Future of Finance: How Blockchain is Bringing Real-World Assets On-Chain This week on The Index, Alex Kehaya joins Eli Cohen, General Counsel at Centrifuge, to break down how crypto is transforming traditional finance by bringing real-world assets (RWA) on-chain. Eli’s blockchain journey began in 2017 at CME Group, where he helped launch Bitcoin futures, exposing him to the inefficiencies of legacy markets. Municipal bonds take ten days to settle. FX swaps carry days of currency risk. Mort...

Can small, agile teams outpace massive, well-funded engineering orgs in AI and open-source innovation? Co-hosts Alex Kehaya & Bidhan Roy, Founder of Bagel Network joins Greg Osuri, Founder of Akash Network, for a deep dive into the open-source AI stack, decentralization, and the engineering principles behind lean, high-impact teams. Greg shares how Akash is revolutionizing cloud computing with decentralized infrastructure, the power of Zero Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) for AI model validation, and w...

What if internet memes were the new crypto luxury brand, driving financial speculation with the same fervor as high-end fashion? This week on The Index, we take a deep dive into everything crypto with Ben Huh, the co-founder of Orange DAO. Ben offers a unique perspective on how meme coins like Bonk are not just digital jokes but significant players in the evolving participatory financial system. He discusses the speculative nature of these coins, which operate more on sentiment than tangible ut...

How can developers monetize open-source AI while preserving ownership and privacy? In this episode of Everything Bagel, co-hosts Alex Kehaya and Bidhan Roy, Founder of Bagel Network, dive into the revolutionary role of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) in open-source AI monetization. Bidhan shares how Bagel Network is transforming the AI landscape by enabling developers to earn from their contributions while maintaining full control and privacy. They discuss the game-changing breakthrough of ZK LoRa...

What if building a blockchain was as easy as deploying a smart contract? On this episode of Everything SVM on The Index, co-hosts Alex Kehaya and Omar Zaki, CEO of Mantis, sit down with Nick White, Vice President of Celestia Labs, to explore how modular blockchain architectures revolutionize scalability and innovation. Nick breaks down Celestia’s groundbreaking approach, which separates execution from consensus and data availability, providing developers with unprecedented flexibility. This para...

What if AI could break free from centralized silos and operate as a decentralized, collaborative network? In this episode of Everything Bagel on The Index, we sit down with Nick Emmons, CEO of Allora Labs, to explore how decentralized AI is reshaping market dynamics and redefining the way machine intelligence evolves. Nick walks us through the core architecture of Allora, an AI-powered coordination layer optimized for digital assets. We discuss how Allora leverages decentralized learning mechan...

Crypto has the potential to revolutionize finance—but how do we make it truly accessible? In this episode of The Index, we sit down with Ryne Saxe, CEO of Eco, to explore the future of payments, stablecoins, and the evolving role of blockchain in everyday transactions. Ryne shares his journey from the traditional banking world to the fast-paced San Francisco crypto scene, where he saw an opportunity to build a better financial system. We dive into how Eco is tackling the complexities of crypto ...

What if artificial superintelligence (ASI) could be the ultimate equalizer, leveling the playing field for all? We're diving headfirst into this provocative territory by examining the transformative potential of open-source AI. Inspired by Mark Zuckerberg's recent conversation with Joe Rogan, we unravel the complexities of democratizing AI access and the role it plays in safeguarding against monopolistic control. The insights from Sam Altman about the imminent rise of artificial general intellig...

Can decentralization truly revolutionize how we store data? In this episode of The Index, Alex Kehaya talks with Dmitriy Ryajov, Founder and Architect of the Codex Durability Engine at codex.storage, a leader in decentralized storage. Dmitry shares his inspiring journey from traditional software developer to trailblazer in the decentralized tech community. Discover how his early work with Ethereum and IPFS ignited his passion for peer-to-peer systems and open-source contributions. We dive int...

What does the future of finance look like built on Bitcoin? In this episode of The Index, Alex Kehaya talks with Jacob Phillips, co-founder of Lombard, a leading player in the liquid staking space. Jacob shares his unique journey from aspiring political debater to crypto entrepreneur, and how that unconventional path led him to the forefront of Bitcoin innovation. We dive deep into the world of non-custodial protocols, focusing on Lombard's Squads protocol, which empowers businesses to operat...

What does the future of agentic AI look like, and how close are we to building systems that truly mimic and enhance human reasoning? In this episode of Everything Bagel, Alex Kehaya joins Bidhan Roy, founder of Bagel, to explore the cutting edge of open-source AI and its transformative potential. The conversation unpacks the concept of agentic AI—systems capable of reasoning, planning, and executing tasks with minimal human intervention—and the revolutionary infrastructure Bagel is building to ...

Can Blockchain Truly Revolutionize Telecommunications? In this episode of The Index, Alex Kehaya chats with Coco Tang, General Manager of Helium Mobile, about how blockchain is transforming the telecom industry. From Helium’s origins as an IoT network to its ambitious leap into mobile, Coco dives into the challenges, milestones, and practical blockchain applications. Helium Mobile stands out as the world’s first crypto carrier built on Solana, a high-performance blockchain. After migrating to S...

Have you ever considered how many frontier models could exist if open source AI was monetizable? This is the core problem that Bagel solves, and co-founder Bidhan Roy is creating a way to make open source AI monetizable. In this episode of Everything Bagel, Alex Kehaya, and Bidhan dive into this groundbreaking vision and discuss a recent blog article highlighting innovative research from the Bagel team. Founders and developers will gain insight into a significant breakthrough in verifiable in...

What is the Future of Open Source? In this episode of The Index, host Alex Kehya sits down with his business partner, Brian Fox, Co-founder of ABK Labs and the original author of the GNU Bash Shell. Brian, a pioneering figure in the open-source movement, offers valuable insights into its evolution from academic roots to its profound impact on modern technology, including the crypto and blockchain space. Brian discusses the critical role of community and collaboration, exploring how open-sourc...

What if open-source AI Could Be Both Powerful and Profitable? In the first episode of Everything Bagel, Alex Kehaya sits down with Bidhan Roy, Founder & CEO of Bagel, a groundbreaking AI & Cryptography Research Lab that's making open-source AI monetizable. Bidhan discusses how Bagel's innovative AI model architecture empowers anyone to contribute to open-source AI development while ensuring fair compensation for their work. Utilizing novel cryptographic techniques, Bagel's fine-tuning technol...

What if you could move assets seamlessly across multiple chains while prioritizing security and decentralization? This week on The Index, we join Omar Zaki, CEO of Mantis, for a deep dive into how trust-minimized transactions are reshaping blockchain interactions. This conversation explores how Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) and zero-knowledge (zk) technology are driving the future of interoperable, secure, and efficient blockchain ecosystems. Omar walks us through the collaborative ethos...

What if your watch could predict your next illness before you even felt sick? This week on The Index, we welcome Jeffrey Schneider, former Program Manager at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), to discuss the future of wearable technology in defense and healthcare. Discover how a project originally designed to detect chemical threats evolved into a critical health monitoring tool, capable of predicting illnesses days before symptoms appear. Powered by AI and machine learning, this innovation und...

What is the future of open-source development and AI Superintelligence? This week on The Index, we sit down with Dr. Steven Waterhouse, Founder & CEO of Nazare Ventures, to explore the challenges and opportunities within decentralized AI frameworks. Join us as we venture into the world of AI infrastructure that’s pushing beyond traditional applications. Dr. Waterhouse will discuss the essential shift towards innovative models that move away from the typical AI tech stack, emphasizing decentra...

What if you could access the power of Ethereum without the hassle of high fees, slow transactions, or rewriting your applications—all while leveraging Solana's blazing speed and efficiency? On this episode of The Index, we’re joined by Andrey Falaleev, CTO of Neon Labs, to explore how the Neon EVM and Solana Signature SDK are reshaping blockchain interoperability. Andrey takes us behind the scenes of Neon Labs’ revolutionary work, enabling Ethereum dApps to integrate with the Solana ecosystem. ...

What if the future of computing power wasn’t centralized but distributed across a global network? This week on The Index, we dive into the cutting-edge world of decentralized infrastructure with Kyle Okamoto, CTO of Aethir. Discover how Aethir’s revolutionary GPU cloud platform is reshaping both the AI and gaming landscapes, making enterprise-grade computing power secure, cost-effective, and accessible to innovators worldwide. Kyle’s passion for tackling big-picture challenges shines as he unpa...