Relay Chain

Plasm: Scalable, Interoperable DApps on Polkadot

May 12th, 2021  |  40 mins 36 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

This week Jorrin Bruns (Support Engineer, Parity Technologies) speaks with Sota Watanabe, CEO of Stake Technologies and founder of Plasm, a platform designed to help developers deploy fast and secure decentralized applications (DApps) on Polkadot.

They discuss advancing Web3 via cross-chain collaboration, supporting DApp development, and decentralizing the Plasm network. Watanabe walks us through being the first parachain on Rococo, completing the first cross-chain message (together with Acala), bringing Ethereum compatibility and ZK-Rollups to Polkadot, staking and trading DApps, securing a parachain slot, and much more.

Tether - Stablecoin Innovation, Regulation, and Mainstream Potential with Paolo Ardoino

April 22nd, 2021  |  39 mins 42 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

This week we dive into Tether, a stablecoin playing an important role in disrupting the legacy financial system, recently announced to be launching on Polkadot.

Joe Petrowski, (Technical Integrations Lead, Web3 Foundation) speaks with Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Bitfinex and Tether. They discuss stablecoin trends, regulation and compliance with central banks, CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies), the likelihood of central banks running on public blockchains such as Polkadot and Ethereum, achieving blockchain interoperability through common goods, and the upcoming launch of Tether on Polkadot.

Joe Petrowski on Imagining a Brighter Future with Polkadot and Web3

April 8th, 2021  |  41 mins 15 secs

blockchain, polkadot, substrate, web3

After a short hiatus, we’re back this week with a new co-host joining the podcast, Jorrin Bruns (Support Engineer, Parity Technologies). In this episode, Jorrin turns the tables and interviews Joe Petrowski (Technical Integrations Lead, Web3 Foundation, and Relay Chain co-host) about the future of the podcast, Joe’s journey from the aerospace industry to professional cycling to Web3, and how blockchain innovation brings together diverse interest groups. They discuss the potential for Polkadot and Web3 to realize a propian future, breaking down surveillance capitalism through decentralized governance, infinitely scalable parachains (so-called hierarchical or nested relay chains), and building a decentralized economy of robots powered by Polkadot.

Equilibrium and the Global Impact of Blockchain, DeFi, and Web3

December 2nd, 2020  |  37 mins 40 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

In this wide-ranging and eye-opening discussion, Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity Technologies) speaks with Lesley Czuma, Head of Business Development at Equilibrium, a cross-chain money market combining pooled lending with synthetic asset generation and trading. They discuss the massive potential of Web3 and DeFi to radically impact global systems of organization and power, to disrupt monopolies, and bring benefits to those marginalized by the current economic paradigm. They also dive into what Equilibrium is building and the role played by Polkadot and Substrate, the blockchain-building framework from Parity Technologies.

Web3 Community-Building and Advocacy Through the Polkadot Ambassador Program

November 19th, 2020  |  38 mins 54 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

Polkadot and Web3 take center stage in this week's episode. Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity Technologies) speaks with Zoé Meckbach, a senior Polkadot ambassador and blockchain technology and cybersecurity advocate. They discuss the Polkadot and Web3 communities, the Polkadot ambassador program and what it’s like to be an ambassador, and some of the exciting things happening in the space.

Freedom of the Press in the Age of Digital Surveillance

October 29th, 2020  |  37 mins 57 secs

blockchain, web3

This week we look at the intersection between journalism, freedom of the press, and technology. Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity Technologies) speaks with Harlo Holmes, Director of Digital Security at the Freedom of the Press Foundation. They discuss the role of journalism in a free society, the contemporary media landscape, the Snowden revelations, surveillance, the role of technology and privacy, and best practices for whistleblowers.

Running Node Infrastructure Easier with Bison Trails

October 8th, 2020  |  33 mins 34 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

This week we look at proof-of-stake blockchain node infrastructure with the space’s leading solutions provider, Bison Trails. Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity Technologies) speaks with Aaron Henshaw, CTO and cofounder of Bison Trails, which pioneers blockchain node infrastructure and lowers the barrier to entry across multiple networks, including Polkadot, Cosmos, Eth 2.0, Near, Celo, and more. They discuss how and why Bison Trails was founded, the current state of node infrastructure, risk management, and possibilities for future development.

Polkadot-Ethereum Compatibility with Moonbeam

September 23rd, 2020  |  37 mins 17 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, substrate, web3

This week we dive into cross-network compatibility and interoperability between Polkadot and Ethereum. Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity Technologies) speaks with Derek Yoo of Moonbeam, an Ethereum-compatible smart contract parachain built on Substrate for Polkadot. They discuss Moonbeam and how it works, the role of smart contracts on Polkadot, the difference between Moonbeam and Ethereum layer-2 solutions, and the future of cross-network interoperability.

The Challenges of Disrupting the System with Blockchain

July 13th, 2020  |  1 hr 1 min

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

This week we talk to the Parity's head of security Kirill Pimenov about the shortcomings and potential of blockchain, open-source software and DLT.

DeFi on Polkadot with Acala and Laminar: Part 2

June 22nd, 2020  |  30 mins 7 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

This week we talk to the Acala Network team and learn about the Acala Network and their Sovereign Wealth Fund.

DeFi on Polkadot with Acala and Laminar: Part 1

June 8th, 2020  |  31 mins 42 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

This week we talk to the Acala Network team and learn about their ventures in DeFi on Polkadot and Ethereum.

The Economics of Next-Generation Blockchain Tokens

May 21st, 2020  |  40 mins 52 secs

blockchain, economics, ethereum, polkadot, web3

This week we dive deep into the economics of cryptocurrencies, proof of stake scenarios, and Polkadot's application of security, interoperability and token economics.

Deploying Dapps Quickly on Layer-2 at SKALE

May 7th, 2020  |  25 mins 29 secs

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

This week we talk about layer-2 scaling and quick and easy deployment of Dapps. Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity Technologies) speaks with Christine Perry of SKALE labs, a layer-2 solution that augments applications and transactions built on public blockchains such as Ethereum. They discuss the developer experience on Ethereum and SKALE, interesting blockchain use cases, and why layer-2 is the solution for creating usable and powerful Dapps.

Blockchain for Climate Action and Smart Cities

April 23rd, 2020  |  38 mins 4 secs

blockchain, polkadot, substrate, web3

This week we meet at the intersection of blockchain, climate action, smart cities, finance, and IoT. Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity Technologies) speaks with Anita Mujumdar of Evercity, a blockchain-based platform to aid in financing sustainability projects to meet the UN’s 2030 climate action goals. They discuss climate finance, decentralized robot economies, using measurement and data to build the sustainable smart cities of tomorrow, and how Substrate and Polkadot are helping make Evercity’s mission a reality.

Web3 vs. Web2: How to Avoid Repeating the Same Mistakes

April 9th, 2020  |  49 mins

blockchain, ethereum, polkadot, web3

What can we learn from the failures of Web2 idealism? How do we build systems that continue to reflect Web3 ideals as business models scale into the future?

In this episode, Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity) talks with Shira Frank, co-founder of Maiden, the first global user research lab dedicated to forging a path to mainstream blockchain adoption. They explore the importance of building Web3 systems with proper research into possible downstream risks so as to create true change and offset imbalances of wealth, power, information, and agency.

Investing in the Future of Web 3.0

March 26th, 2020  |  38 mins 13 secs

blockchain, polkadot, substrate, web3

How do you place a value on a more open, transparent, and representative web? What will be the true impact of blockchain technology and what motivates VC investments in the space?

In this episode, Joe Petrowski (Research Analyst, Parity) talks with Jasmine Zhang of IOSG Ventures, an early-stage venture fund investing in the blockchain space. They discuss the future of web 3.0, the impact that open finance and prediction markets will have on society, the potential impact of Polkadot and Substrate, and the broader blockchain investment scenario.