Do We Need Another L1? - Inside Monad’s Parallel EVM with Co-Founder Keone Hon
Monad just launched Mainnet!
That’s why Ryan sits down with Monad co-founder Keone Hon today.
We ask the blunt question: do we really need another general-purpose L1?
Why not just build this as an Ethereum L2 instead?
Keone explains how Monad’s parallel, pipelined EVM works under tight consumer-hardware constraints (32GB RAM, 2TB SSD, 100 Mbps), delivering ~500M gas/sec, 400ms blocks, and fast finality while preserving decentralization.
Enjoy the episode!
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Another L1?
1:36 Why L1 vs L2?
2:46 Decentralization
10:19 Run at Home vs Datacenter Chains
12:09 The Purpose of a Blockchain
14:06 The Purpose of Monad
16:00 Why EVM?
28:33 Solana for the EVM?
29:47 Monad vs Ethereum
34:23 Monad Scaling
36:40 Ethereum Roadmap
39:43 How Monad Benefits Ethereum
42:51 Keone’s Background
50:49 How Fast is Too Fast?
59:12 MEV
1:04:07 Monad Layer2s?
1:05:14 Monad Launch Decentralization
1:06:00 Launch Ecosystem
1:08:22 Monad Token
1:16:55 L1 Token Valuations
1:19:18 Monad vs MegaETH
1:23:59 Monad’s Success Case
1:25:57 Mainnet
1:27:11 Closing & Disclaimers
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RESOURCES
Keone Hon
https://x.com/keoneHD
Monad
https://x.com/monad
Monad Website
https://www.monad.xyz/
Monad Links
https://linktr.ee/monad_xyz
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Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:
https://www.bankless.com/disclosures
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The Real Crypto Cycle: What Happens When Global Liquidity Peaks | Michael Howell
Global liquidity veteran Michael Howell joins to map out the “master variable” driving asset prices: a 65-month global liquidity and debt refinancing cycle that underpins booms, busts, and the recent “everything bubble.”
He breaks down the coming debt maturity wall, rising repo stress, the shift from Fed QE to “Treasury QE,” and a new capital war between a US dollar stablecoin system and China’s gold-backed strategy.
Plus, what all of this means for Bitcoin, gold, equities, and how to position as the current cycle rolls over.
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💠BIT DIGITAL ($BTBT) | ETH TREASURY
https://bankless.cc/bit-digital
We’re being compensated by Bit Digital (NASDAQ BTBT) for this segment promoting their company and BTBT. The compensation is paid in cash as a one time payment. You can find additional information about Bit Digital and BTBT on their Investor page at https://bit-digital.com/investors
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:45 Global Liquidity: Theory of Everything?
14:49 Will it Go Up Forever?
24:50 Where Are We in The Cycle?
34:23 Asset Allocation
47:14 Can The Monetary Regime Break?
58:55 China Gold vs US Tech
1:04:29 Crypto & Gold
1:08:03 4-Year Cycles
1:12:40 AI Bubble
1:15:14 Global Liquidity Limitations
1:18:39 Next 3-6 Months
1:20:24 Assets to Hold
1:21:25 Closing & Disclaimers
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RESOURCES
CrossBorder Capital
https://x.com/crossbordercap
CrossBorder Capital Website
https://crossbordercapital.com
Capital Wars Substack
https://capitalwars.substack.com/
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Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:
https://www.bankless.com/disclosures
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Is It All Over? What The Markets Are Saying For 2026
We analyze the crypto market's turbulence as Bitcoin falls below $90k, signaling potential bear market conditions. Also, it’s DevConnect! We discuss investor sentiment, and examine key updates like Vitalik Buterin's roadmap for Ethereum and Aave's new app. Tune in for essential market updates!
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🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN
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🛞MANTLE | MODULAR L2 NETWORK
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💤EIGHT SLEEP | IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
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💠BIT DIGITAL ($BTBT) | ETH TREASURY
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
5:09 Markets
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/global-markets-trading-day-graphic-2025-11-13/
https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html
https://polymarket.com/event/fed-decision-in-december
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/peter-thiel-sells-entire-nvidia-stake-amid-ai-bubble-fears/articleshow/125379608.cms
https://x.com/amitisinvesting/status/1991263435493974047?s=20
https://coinmarketcap.com/charts/fear-and-greed-index/
https://x.com/intocryptoverse/status/1989965484150628639?s=20
https://x.com/tomcrown/status/1990179433282683287?s=46&t=2ZINVXJQKx6xO_6Wiiu_2g
https://x.com/BitcoinArchive/status/1989337109878964499?s=20
https://cryptohayes.substack.com/p/snow-forecast
https://thedefireport.io/research/btc-market-structure-is-broken#broken-momentum
https://x.com/nic__carter/status/1989713072970178899?s=46&t=2ZINVXJQKx6xO_6Wiiu_2g
25:37 Devconnect
https://x.com/RyanSAdams/status/1991172751302832498?s=20
https://x.com/adietrichs/status/1991203626358899081?s=20
https://x.com/kocikowski/status/1991202772289745101?s=20
https://x.com/wildbambii/status/1991144720605532336?s=20
https://x.com/richardchen39/status/1990941231937896513?s=20
https://x.com/TrustlessState/status/1990741519301570859?s=20
42:21 Aave App Launch
https://x.com/aave/status/1990421343175672159?s=20
https://x.com/alpha_pls/status/1990453904899706971?s=20
https://x.com/0xMari0/status/1990829156712530307?s=20
46:04 Aztec's Decentralized L2
https://x.com/aztecnetwork/status/1991214517594759652?s=20
https://x.com/lisacuesta/status/1991233718271332597?s=20
48:50 Coinbase's New Features
https://www.theblock.co/post/379516/coinbase-app-code-include-early-prediction-market-stock-trading-modules
https://x.com/RyanSAdams/status/1990453391252935157
59:35 Bitcoin Purchases by Harvard
https://www.theblock.co/post/378967/harvard-triples-down-on-bitcoin-bet-with-spot-etf-buys-from-worlds-largest-academic-endowment
1:01:21 El Salvador's Bold Bitcoin Moves
https://www.theblock.co/post/378967/harvard-triples-down-on-bitcoin-bet-with-spot-etf-buys-from-worlds-largest-academic-endowment
1:02:26 BlackRock's Ethereum Trust
https://x.com/EricBalchunas/status/1991257411483537813?s=20
1:03:24 Institutional Interest in ETH
https://x.com/RyanSAdams/status/1990460127510695940?s=20
1:05:09 Closing
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Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:
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Defensive Investing for an AI Bubble | Ruchir Sharma's Hedge Rules
America isn’t just leading the AI race; it’s increasingly built on it. Investor–author Ruchir Sharma joins Bankless to unpack why U.S. growth, stock gains, and even debt complacency are now tethered to a single story, and what a sensible hedge looks like. We trace how U.S. dominance happened, what could puncture the current euphoria, and where the real diversification lives: quality stocks that have lagged, broad ex-US exposure with currency tailwinds, and selective bets in India, China, and reform winners like Greece and Poland. We also tackle the “gold + stocks up together” puzzle, why that correlation can bite in a tightening cycle, and Ruchir’s “two cheers” case for Bitcoin as a portfolio asset whose utility still has room to grow.
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💠BIT DIGITAL ($BTBT) | ETH TREASURY
https://bankless.cc/bit-digital
We’re being compensated by Bit Digital (NASDAQ BTBT) for this segment promoting their company and BTBT. The compensation is paid in cash as a one time payment. You can find additional information about Bit Digital and BTBT on their Investor page at https://bit-digital.com/investors
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 The Contrarian Take: American Exceptionalism Peaks
4:06 Theme of the 2020s
6:42 “America Is One Big Bet on AI”
13:07 The Counterfactual
19:01 Is This an AI Bubble?
22:59 The Catalyst That Pops Bubbles
29:05 How U.S. Dominance Happened
34:41 Moral Hazard & Household Risk
37:24 Green Shoots Abroad
39:37 Practical Rebalance for U.S.-Heavy Investors
50:17 How to Start Outside the U.S.
1:00:58 Gold & Stocks: Partying Together
1:05:47 Real Hedges Now
1:09:39 Bitcoin: Two Cheers
1:13:08 Closing Thoughts
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RESOURCES
Ruchir Sharma
https://ruchirsharma.com
Ruchir’s FT Articles
https://www.ft.com/ruchir-sharma
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Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:
https://www.bankless.com/disclosures
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Bryan Johnson: Don’t Die, Beating Entropy, AI Alignment & The Two-Species Future
Bryan Johnson lays out “Don’t Die,” a moral framework that puts existence first and turns longevity into a shared fight against entropy.
We pressure-test the hard stuff: selfishness, inequality, stagnation, and the so-called two-species future. Bryan argues these are solvable with smart societal engineering if “don’t die” is for everyone. He breaks down Blueprint as a practical on-ramp with evidence-based health, behavior, and social habits.
We finish on crypto, from his Braintree days with Coinbase to how web3 could power a broad “don’t die” commons.
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💤EIGHT SLEEP | IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
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💠BIT DIGITAL ($BTBT) | ETH TREASURY
https://bankless.cc/bit-digital
We’re being compensated by Bit Digital (NASDAQ BTBT) for this segment promoting their company and BTBT. The compensation is paid in cash as a one time payment. You can find additional information about Bit Digital and BTBT on their Investor page at https://bit-digital.com/investors
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TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Don’t Die
8:18 Beating Entropy
18:35 Existence as The Highest Virtue
21:01 Isn’t Don’t Die Selfish?
27:12 AI Alignment
31:36 Collective Don’t Die
33:34 Don’t Die & AI
37:36 Longevity Escape Velocity
40:57 The Two-Species Future
47:07 A Path Without Creative Destruction?
52:40 Bryan’s 500-Year Lifespan
59:19 Blueprint
1:04:52 Crypto
1:06:23 Closing Thoughts
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RESOURCES
Bryan johnson
https://x.com/bryan_johnson
Bryan Johnson Links
https://bryanjohnson.komi.io/
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Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:
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