In this episode, I speak with Marcos from Parfin/Rayls, live at Devconnect Buenos Aires, where their new finance-focused L1 is already seeing explosive use: 30K wallets in 24 hours, 3M+ transactions, and 800K addresses on testnet.

We discuss how stablecoins are shifting from crypto-native tools to bank-issued, institution-grade payment rails, why Brazil now has several sovereign stablecoins, and why U.S. banks may soon launch their own. Marcos breaks down real institutional adoption—credit receivables, real estate tokenization, commodity payments, and bank integrations—and what it takes to build a chain designed specifically for financial infrastructure.

He also shares Rails’ TGE plans, their biggest challenges, and why 2026 could be the breakout year for regulated crypto adoption.

Key Timestamps

[00:00] Testnet Surge — 30K wallets in 24 hours, 3M+ txns, 800K addresses.

[00:02] Hackathon & Devconnect Insights — real use cases emerging.

[00:04] Institutional Adoption — banks warming up after regulatory clarity.

[00:06] Stablecoins in Brazil — multiple BRL coins, cross-currency swaps.

[00:08] Real-World Payments — stablecoins in commodity trading, FX, settlements.

[00:10] Rails’ Customers — Brazil’s largest FMI, credit card acquirer, real estate tokenization.

[00:11] Why TGE Now — fundamentals, utility, timing.

[00:13] What Marcos Would Do Differently — build faster without sacrificing safety.

[00:14] Stablecoin Reality — why stablecoins are becoming the settlement layer.

[00:16] Global Stablecoin Future — fragmentation into hundreds of fiat-native coins.

[00:18] Challenges & Asks — finish TGE, onboard banks, grow community.

Connect

https://parfin.io/

https://parfin.io/en/rayls

https://www.linkedin.com/company/parfin/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcosviriato/

https://x.com/parfin_io

https://x.com/mcvviriato

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.

Get featured

Be a guest on the podcast or contact us – https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this episode, I speak with Xin from Sign Global, a company building sovereign blockchain infrastructure for governments — from national stablecoins and CBDCs to digital identity and real-world asset systems.

Xin explains why crypto struggles to reach real adoption: we build great tech but rarely solve problems for banks, regulators, or everyday users. Sign Global works directly with governments to modernize payments, identity, and asset rails — aiming to cut international settlement from 1–3 days to 2 minutes and unlock massive economic velocity.

We discuss global stablecoin trends, why USD stablecoins won’t dominate long term, how sovereign digital ID actually works, and why countries like Kazakhstan and the UAE are moving fastest.

A rare, practical look at the future of national-scale blockchain systems.

(Nothing here is financial advice.)

Key timestamps

[00:00:00] Cold Open: Xin on why crypto people don’t talk to the real world

[00:01:00] Intro: Sam introduces Xin and Sign Global’s mission for sovereign infrastructure

[00:03:00] Origin Story: Mining, hardware, VC and founding Sign in 2021

[00:05:00] From App to Nations: Pivoting from Web3 contract signing to CBDCs and stablecoins

[00:08:00] Crypto vs Real World: Why good tech without real users doesn’t create value

[00:11:00] Digital ID: Sovereign credentials vs centralized government databases that keep getting hacked

[00:15:00] Progressive States: Kazakhstan, UAE and how ambitious governments think about crypto

[00:19:00] Future of Stablecoins: Why Xin believes stablecoins win but USD stablecoins won’t dominate everyday money

[00:24:00] Tokenizing Nations: Governments as gatekeepers for fiat, oil, land and RWA on-chain

[00:30:00] Business Model: From government infra contracts to global payment rails

[00:33:00] Bandwidth of Money: 1–3 day SWIFT vs 2-minute settlement and the impact on global GDP

[00:34:00] Roadmap & Ask: 25+ countries, global payment network and who Xin wants to work with

Connect

https://sign.global/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethsign/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-yan-658545172/

https://x.com/ethsign

https://x.com/realyanxin

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this episode, I sit down with Wojciech Kaszycki — serial entrepreneur, business angel behind 19+ ventures, and the mind behind both Mobilium and BTCS.

Wojciech shares how he went from building one of Poland’s earliest e‑commerce platforms to pioneering fintech and crypto infrastructure. We explore why his teams focus on building real, regulated bridges between traditional finance and digital assets — not just hype.

We dig into how Mobilium plans to let you use Bitcoin as collateral to spend or borrow against, and how BTCS builds a treasury + validator network to bring yield and Web3 services to a wider audience.

He also gives practical advice for founders and investors: why a crowded “yes” may be a warning sign — and why sometimes it's the weird, rejected ideas that deserve to be built.

If you care about honest, long-term crypto infrastructure and what it takes to build it — this one’s for you.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

Key Learnings

 00:00:10

If your idea gets a unanimous “yes” from friends — that may be a red flag. Lack of skepticism could mean low barriers to entry and limited upside.

 00:03:00

My path: from building Poland’s “Amazon‑like” e‑commerce to fintech and eventually entering crypto — bridging traditional finance with digital assets.

 00:06:00

With Mobilium, we don’t just offer a crypto card — we hold real lending licenses so users can borrow against their Bitcoin without selling it.

 00:11:00

Mobilium’s revenue comes from service fees on on‑ramps/off‑ramps, interchange fees from cards, and interest on crypto‑collateral loans.

 00:13:00

When building products — don’t just build what you think is best. Test with real users. But beware: too many opinions can derail focus.

 00:18:00

BTCS combines a crypto treasury, staking/validator infrastructure, and smart yield strategies — aiming to grow with the value of crypto, not just fiat.

 00:22:00

Key metrics for BTCS: monthly reward ratio (yield vs net asset value) and compound growth of net asset value per share.

 00:28:00

Sometimes you’re just early — don’t be afraid to fail. If your vision holds, the market may catch up later.

Connect

https://www.mobilum.com/en

https://x.com/Mobilumofficial

https://x.com/wkaszycki

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mobilumcom/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wojciechkaszycki/

DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice. Please do your own research.
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

Ismael (Founder/CEO) and Nate (Defense GTM) from Lagrange explain why the biggest commercial demand for cutting-edge cryptography might be outside crypto—securing AI in defense, healthcare, and regulated finance. We cover: why they built DeepProof (a zero-knowledge ML library that proves model outputs over private inputs), how this fits the DoD’s zero-trust mandates, and why frontier crypto R&D should serve national interest, not just faster token launches. We also dig into GTM with government, what zero-knowledge adds beyond TLS, and how to talk “applied cryptography” without getting stuck in a “crypto” stigma.

Key timestamps

[00:00:00] Cold Open: Ismael on crypto funding frontier cryptography beyond tokens

[00:01:00] Introduction: Sam sets up Lagrange, AI, defense, and applied cryptography

[00:03:00] Origin Story: Ismael’s path from TradFi and VC to founding Lagrange

[00:06:00] Why Defense: Using crypto-funded cryptography for national security and AI safety

[00:10:00] DeepProof Explained: Proving AI model outputs over private inputs with ZK

[00:15:00] Business Model: “OpenAI sells inference; we sell proofs”

[00:18:00] Beyond Crypto: Healthcare, compliance, and dual-use cryptography

[00:22:00] Nate’s Role: Selling applied cryptography to defense without leading with “crypto”

[00:27:00] Lagrange Vision: Cryptographic supremacy and becoming the verifiability layer

[00:33:00] Roadmap & Ask: Expansion into defense, partners with serious AI workloads

Connect

https://www.lagrange.dev/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/lagrange-labs/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/i20h/

https://x.com/lagrangedev

https://x.com/Ismael_H_R

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
Get featured

Be a guest on the podcast or contact us – https://www.web3pod.xyz/

I sat down with Michael Sena to explore how we’ll start trusting AI agents with real‑world responsibilities — from crypto trading to enterprise workflows. We talk about his Web3 roots, the genesis of the concept behind skill markets, and how his project is creating transparency and performance benchmarks in a rapidly evolving AI ecosystem. If you’ve ever wondered how to evaluate an agent, give one control of money, or build one yourself — this episode gives you a front‑row seat.

Key Learnings

• [00:01:00] Michael’s journey: from discovering Bitcoin in 2011 to diving into Web3 identity protocols and ultimately shifting to AI skill‑markets.

• [00:04:00] What the company does: a “decentralised skill market” where AI agents are tested, ranked, and evaluated on real‑world skills.

• [00:06:00] The central problem: how do you trust an AI you hand your crypto portfolio to, or a business process you delegate?

• [00:10:00] Why benchmarks often fall short: static tests, academic settings, and hype don’t always align with real‑world performance.

• [00:12:00] The role of agents vs. foundation models: many new AIs will specialise, and evaluation will need to keep up.

• [00:17:00] Why blockchain? For coordination, capital‑signalling, transparency and enabling open skill‑markets with economic incentives.

• [00:24:00] Most traction today: crypto‑trading agents, but enterprise and internal tooling evaluations are growing fast.

• [00:35:00] Roadmap highlights: token launch, permissionless market creation, verifiable AI execution via partnerships, and more.

• [00:39:00] How you can get involved: as a builder, curator, or user — open to anyone with interest and energy.
  

Connect

https://x.com/recallnet

https://recall.network/

https://discord.com/invite/recallnet

https://www.linkedin.com/company/recalllabs/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/msena/

https://x.com/dataliquidity

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.

Get featured

Be a guest on the podcast or contact us – https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this episode I sit down with Ivan, the newly appointed CEO of Neon Labs, a serial‑founder with six exits and a deep background in infrastructure, distributed systems and Web3. We explore how Neon Labs is tackling the challenge of running an EVM on Solana, what “network extensions” mean and why this matters for builders, founders and the entire ecosystem.

We also dig into tokenization, open‑source business models and where the infrastructure layer of Web3 is heading. Whether you’re building a protocol, debating chain choice or simply trying to understand what’s next, there’s plenty to unpack here.

Key Learnings (with timestamps)

• 00:02:00 – Ivan’s background: from engineer to startup founder to now leading Neon Labs.

• 00:04:00 – Early Web3 attempt: building a multimedia messaging/email platform on Ethereum in 2017.

• 00:07:00 – What Neon Labs is solving: bringing EVM execution to Solana via a network extension rather than a traditional L2 or side‑chain.

• 00:10:00 – Advantages and challenges of this architecture: speed, composability, using Solana’s consensus & block‑space.

• 00:12:00 – Chain choice argument: historically Solana for speed vs Ethereum for liquidity. How this is shifting.

• 00:16:00 – Infrastructure costs of new chains: indexing, database/storage overhead, tooling.

• 00:18:00 – Vision: network extensions as the next wave of infrastructure—purpose‑built execution environments plugging into a main chain.

• 00:22:00 – Neon Labs’ focus areas: acquisition of ZK team, privacy‑scalability via off‑chain computation and proofs.

• 00:39:00 – Advice for builders & founders: build in public + join community/super‑teams + focus on solving real infrastructure problems.

• 00:42:00 – Neon’s current status & ask: financially stable, not actively raising now, looking for builders, early users and collaborators.

DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.

Connect

Ivan Bjelajac - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanbjelajac/

NeonEVM- https://www.neonevm.org/
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us ‑ https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this episode I sit down with Zain Zaidi, co‑founder and CEO of TransCrypts, to explore his personal story and the mission driving his startup. He shares how a misplaced grad‑school transcript sparked a blockchain solution for identity verification, how his company now serves millions of users and hundreds of enterprises, and why the deepfake era makes what they do more critical than ever. We dive into the tech, the regulatory hurdles, Web2 clients, Web3 opportunities, and what’s ahead for verified credentials across employment, health and education.

Key Learnings (with timestamps)

• 00:00:00 – Mark Cuban’s warning about digital misinformation and deepfakes; the trust crisis we face online.

• 00:02:00 – Zain’s personal trigger: grad‑school transcript error led to founding TransCrypts.

• 00:04:00 – What TransCrypts solves: giving individuals ownership of verified credentials (job, school, income).

• 00:06:00 – How the system works: integration with HR systems, issuance of on‑chain credentials.

• 00:07:00 – Focus and expansion: employment verification is central, health and education credentials coming.

• 00:12:00 – Technical and enterprise challenges: selling Web3 identity solutions to Web2 businesses.

• 00:14:00 – The synergy of AI + crypto: identity verification as the defense against AI‑driven fraud.

• 00:17:00 – Pitching and fundraising: cold‑emailing Mark Cuban, building traction, $15 M seed round.

• 00:18:00 – Humanitarian use‑case: helping Ukrainian refugees access medical records via their platform.

• 00:23:00 – If he were starting again today: focus on the solution not the tech; time your raise relative to market cycle.

• 00:34:00 – Roadmap and ambitions: becoming a major employment/income data provider, potential token launch.
  

Connect

https://www.transcrypts.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/transcrypts/

https://x.com/transcrypts_

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zainzaidi99/

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us ‑ https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this episode I chat with Ian Brunner, co‑founder and CEO of IPTS - Interplanetary Talent Services, about how recruiting in Web3 and AI safety is changing — and how founders and job‑seekers alike can win. Ian shares how he pivoted from ad‑tech and Facebook into Web3, helped build recruiting at Protocol Labs, then spun out to form IPTS and now supports over a hundred companies placing talent across complex, frontier tech roles. We dig into real tactics for hiring: spotting fake AI‑written resumes, structuring hybrid roles, and mapping the cycles of the talent market. Whether you’re a founder scaling a startup, or a candidate trying to break into Web3/AI, you’ll pick up actionable advice you can use now.

Key Learnings

• [00:03:00] How Ian made the jump from Facebook recruiting to Web3, and why direct access to leadership mattered for his decision.

• [00:06:00] The origin story of IPTS: how the recruiting team at Protocol Labs shifted into an agency model and spun out.

• [00:08:00] What sets IPTS apart: mission‑alignment, success‑based models, network depth, and a hands‑on operations mindset.

• [00:12:00] How IPTS acquires new clients and the power of referrals in this talent market.

• [00:13:00] Two major hiring trends in Web3/AI: the lack of entry‑level roles, and the rise of "Frankenstein roles" combining multiple functions.

• [00:20:00] How AI is disrupting recruiting: job descriptions created by AI, applications written by AI, and the challenge of verifying authenticity.

• [00:22:00] Real tactics for vetting candidates: ask about team structure, who managed them, who they interacted with — questions scammers/bots struggle with.

• [00:23:00] The resurgence of reference and background checks: what was ignored in hiring booms now is mandatory.

• [00:24:00] Global hiring in Web3: remote first, equitable pay across locations, and the attractiveness of arbitrage (talent anywhere).

• [00:38:00] Advice for founders: spend time upfront clarifying what you’re hiring for; understand the hiring cycles of the year; and define what carrot you’re offering if you need hires in tight windows.

• [00:31:00] The highest‑demand roles right now: senior to staff engineering; marketing/ecosystem/community growth; and BD/sales in Web3/AI contexts.
  

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment or financial advice and please do your own research.

Connect

https://ipts.ai/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ipts/

https://x.com/iptsai

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianbrunner/

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us ‑ https://www.web3pod.xyz/