The evolution of Bitcoin Finance (BTCFi) from BRC-20 to BRC-420

Episode 50 of Cointelegraph’s Hashing It Out podcast is here! In this episode, host Elisha Owusu Akyaw speaks to Sonali Giovino, global head of ecosystems at De.Fi, about the decentralized finance ecosystem. As the crypto space sees the signs of a potential bull run, Giovino breaks down the power of DeFi, the problems associated with the sector, and how they could impact mass adoption in the coming years. 

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Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
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The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

In episode 49 of Cointelegraph’s Hashing It Out podcast, host Elisha Owusu Akyaw and guest Antoni Zolciak, co-founder of Aleph Zero, delve into the complex world of privacy in the Web3 ecosystem, with a particular focus on privacy-centric projects. Zolciak, who is deeply entrenched in the evolution of privacy protocols, highlights the challenges and advancements in maintaining privacy in an increasingly digital age. The episode also spotlights privacy’s philosophical and technical underpinnings and discusses its implications for individuals and institutions.

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
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The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

In episode 48 of Cointelegraph’s Hashing It Out podcast, Polygon co-founder Brendan Farmer joins Elisha Owusu Akyaw to discuss the state of layer-2 networks, Polygon’s multiple releases in the last six months, including its aggregation layer, or AggLayer, and its newly introduced “Type 1 prover.”

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

Bitcoin finance, a new movement that seeks to bring decentralized finance (DeFi) to the Bitcoin network, is taking off with the popularity of Ordinals and BRC-20. In Episode 47, Jeff, founder of Merlin Chain — a native Bitcoin layer-2 network — explains how the BTCFi movement is evolving from BRC-20 to BRC-420, the issues layer-2 networks and Bitcoin face, and why the rise of building utility on the network is bullish for the entire ecosystem.

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

From being a degen buying blue-chip NFTs to co-founding a SocialFi ecosystem, Ray Chan has an interesting story to tell. In Episode 46, the CEO of Memeland — a Web3 venture studio created by 9Gag, a popular Hong Kong-based, meme-centric entertainment website launched in 2008 — explains why the Web2 company is building for Web3, the importance of decentralized social media and how SocialFi may be the leading catalyst for Web3 development. Chan also shares his experience buying big-name NFTs at the peak of the bull run and joining some of the most exclusive crypto communities. 

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

With 2024 now here, Hashing It Out is focusing on narratives tipped to be at the heart of the cryptocurrency conversation this year. In Episode 45, Rich Rines, an initial contributor to Core DAO —  a layer-1 blockchain network that can accommodate EVM-compatible DApps on top of Bitcoin’s governance —  explains how BRC-20 and the movement to build utility and financial applications on top of the Bitcoin network (BTCFi) could take off in 2024. Rines explains why there is a place for BRC-20 in the Bitcoin ecosystem despite ideological debates and technical criticisms. He also breaks down how BRC-20/BTCFi can build a sustainable economic environment on Bitcoin with lessons from DeFi implementations on Ethereum and other layer-1 networks. 

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

With 2024 now here, Hashing It Out is focusing on narratives tipped to be at the heart of the cryptocurrency conversation this year. In Episode 44, Larisa Barbu, COO of Exchange Art — a fine art marketplace on Solana that recently integrated with Ethereum — breaks down Solana’s exponential growth in late 2023 despite a slow start and the potential for that to continue in 2024. Barbu explains how resilient the Solana ecosystem is and outlines the increase in activity on the layer-1 network beyond price action and speculation. 

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

With 2024 now here, Hashing It Out is focusing on narratives tipped to be at the heart of the cryptocurrency conversation this year. In Episode 43, Kena Amoah, CEO of MITA  — a project building applications that combine metaverse, gaming, and Web3 technology in Africa  —  explains how GameFi has evolved in the last few years and why it may lead the next wave of Web3 adoption. Amoah walks through the biggest GameFi trends of 2023 and highlights trends that will continue in 2024, as well as problems that need to be fixed in the sector. 

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

In the rapidly evolving world of cryptocurrencies, wallet security has become essential to the average user’s journey. From major hacks that use lookalike websites to hacks that have taken advantage of wallet connect software for DeFi apps, the risks associated with actively being involved in the cryptocurrency space continue to increase. In Episode 42,  Kevin Larson, chief technology officer of WalletChat, explains how users and platforms can ensure better wallet security. Larson has 10 years of software developer experience and 10 years as a penetration tester probing traditional Web2 security. He has also worked on understanding how Web2 security crosses over to Web3. 

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

As 2024 draws near, Hashing It Out is focusing on narratives tipped to be at the heart of the cryptocurrency conversation in the new year. In Episode 41,  Mark Smargon, CEO of Fuse  — a public blockchain ecosystem for Web3 payments — explains how layer-2 networks have become the center of attention in the cryptocurrency space. Smargon highlights how far layer 2s have come and the role they play in adoption and the increase in general activity while forecasting trends in the sector, such as a bigger focus on ZK technology.

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Follow the host on X (Twitter): @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
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The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

Follow Cointelegraph on Twitter: @Cointelegraph
Follow the host on Twitter: @ghcryptoguy, or connect with him on LinkedIn: Elisha (GhCryptoGuy)
Cointelegraph’s website: cointelegraph.com

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants’ alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast’s participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.