Episodes

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 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...

Step into the future of gaming and cryptocurrency with Jacob C., founder of HyperPlay, on The Index. From pioneering Bitcoin to championing Ethereum, Jacob reflects on his journey and his game-changing role at MetaMask, where he helped grow its user base from 190,000 to over 30 million. Discover how gaming dApps are reshaping financial systems, providing decentralized tools that empower the unbanked, and merging gaming with finance like never before. HyperPlay is redefining what’s possible in...

How is blockchain transforming financial access? In this episode of The Index, we sit down with Rennick Palley, Founding Partner at Stratos, a leading investment firm. We examine the current state of blockchain technology, exploring the psychological barriers and market volatility that shape its future. Rennick provides a firsthand look at the complexities of cross-chain transactions, highlighting how platforms like Solana deliver a smoother, faster alternative to traditional banking. We also d...

What does it take to make financial tools truly accessible worldwide? Jackie Bona, CEO of Valora, joins The Index to share her inspiring journey from aspiring UN diplomat to a leader in the crypto space. In this episode, Jackie reveals how her Filipino-American heritage and time at Google shaped her mission to drive global impact through crypto. Explore how she’s leading Valora to simplify complex technologies for a global audience, especially in emerging markets, and discover the power of stab...

What is the future of Solana Virtual Machines? In this episode of The Index, SOON Co-founder & CEO Joanna Zeng and Head of Developer Relations Nazreen M. share their journey from traditional finance to blockchain innovation. Joanna, a former Wall Street currency trader, offers insights into leading a blockchain startup, describing it as her 'third child'—a testament to the dedication behind SOON’s mission. Nazreen breaks down the OP Stack and Solana VM integration, highlighting how these tools e...

What does it take to build the future of decentralized technologies? In this special episode of Everything SVM on The Index, recorded live at Solana Breakpoint 2024, Alex Kehaya and Omar Zaki dive into the world of building on the Solana ecosystem. Joined by blockchain pioneers Vijay Chetty, CEO of Eclipse Labs, and Joanna Zeng, CEO of Soon, they discuss the transformative role of open-source software in shaping decentralized technologies. This episode explores strategic integrations and innova...

What’s the future of real estate investment? This week on The Index, host Alex Kehaya joins Darren Carvalho, co-CEO of MetaWealth, to explore how blockchain—specifically Solana—is reshaping the industry. With his background at Toronto Dominion Bank and Goldman Sachs, Darren shares how MetaWealth is using Solana’s fast, low-cost, and scalable blockchain to offer everyday investors fractional property ownership. Discover how Solana’s high-performance blockchain enables lightning-fast transactions...

What does it take to build a million-strong community with just a four-person team? In this special episode of The Index, featuring the recent live stream interview on Everything SVM, host Alex Kehaya joins Jack Levin, CEO of XEN, to explore the story behind XEN Crypto—a community-driven project designed to educate others about the power of economic freedom and the potential of the XEN token. Rooted in the first principles laid out by Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin Whitepaper, XEN aims to redefine s...