Inside Infinex: Kain Warwick on building a 'superapp' to solve crypto's UX problem
In episode 9 of The Big Brain Podcast, Larry and Namik are joined by Infinex founder Kain Warwick. The trio discuss how crypto's complex user experience remains a roadblock for projects to gain broader adoption and find new users, and how Infinex aims to tackle this by being the first true "superapp." The conversation also digs into multi-chain routing, gas abstraction, fundraising, “CT mafia” dynamics, and how Infinex aims to compete with MetaMask, Phantom, and Coinbase Wallet.
OUTLINE
0:00 – Introduction
2:51 – Evolution of Infinex Vision
5:30 – Decentralization vs User Experience
8:29 – Infinex in a Multi-Chain Future
12:30 – User Experience in Super Apps
15:10 – How Infinex Works Behind Scenes
19:25 – Funding Challenges for Super Apps
25:40 – YAP Run Drama Reflections
27:44 – Social Media’s Impact on Founders
29:56 – Navigating Crypto Regulations
31:25 – Token Distribution Strategies
34:09 – Token Launch & Listing Challenges
36:46 – On-Chain Liquidity & Multi-Chain
38:50 – Re-Engaging Users Online
41:28 – TGE Strategy Breakdown
44:40 – Token Utility & Revenue Models
51:53 – Competing in a Crowded Market
Guest links:
Kain Warwick - https://x.com/kaiynne
Infinex on X - https://x.com/infinexInfinex - https://infinex.xyz/
Show links:
Larry - https://x.com/lawmaster
Namik - https://x.com/NamikMuduroglu
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54:35
Lighter CEO on 'Democratizing Finance' with a zero-fee, ZK perp DEX
In episode 8 of The Big Brain Podcast, Lighter founder Vladimir Novakovski explains why he built a zero-fee, ZK-powered perp DEX as an Ethereum L2, how it stacks up against CEXs and rival perp chains, and what they learned from recent market stress ahead of their token launch.
OUTLINE
00:00 – Introduction
04:50 – What Lighter is
06:15 – Why Ethereum L2 and ZK
11:03 – Zero-fee retail model
18:11 – Robinhood relationship & RH Chain
20:30 – L1 vs L2 value capture
27:08 – TGE timing and token value
30:29 – DYDX, Hyperliquid and CEX vs DeFi
35:52 – 10/10 crash and LLP risk
39:50 – Infra upgrades and closing
Guest links:
Vladimir Novakovski - https://x.com/vnovakovski
Lighter - https://x.com/Lighter_xyz
Show links:
Larry - https://x.com/lawmaster
Namik - https://x.com/NamikMuduroglu
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41:19
ZCash Co-Founder: 'The World is Demanding More Privacy'
In this episode of The Big Brain Podcast, Eli Ben-Sasson – co-founder of Zcash and Starknet – joins The Block President Larry Cermak and MegaETH CSO Namik Muduroglu.
The conversation delves into the challenges of ensuring integrity in privacy payments on decentralized public blockchains, highlighting the role of ZK proofs in validating computations without compromising sensitive information.
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
03:48 From Academia to Crypto
08:52 Zcash Privacy Overview
13:06 Monero vs. Zcash
15:05 The Future of Privacy
16:50 Quantum Threats
24:13 Zcash's Evolution
28:23 Starknet & BTCFi
33:13 Bitcoin's Future
41:08 Why Privacy Matters
43:14 The Future of Starknet
Guest links:
Eli Ben-Sasson - https://x.com/EliBenSasson
Starknet BTCFi - https://www.starknet.io/blog/starknet-x-bitcoin-the-next-step-btcfi-on-starknet/
Show links:
Larry - https://x.com/lawmaster
Namik - https://x.com/NamikMuduroglu
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50:47
Breaking down crypto's biggest ever liquidation event with Wintermute founder Evgeny Gaevoy
In this episode of the Big Brain Podcast, Larry and Namik are joined by Wintermute Founder and CEO Evgeny Gaevoy to discuss the recent historic crypto crash, explaining how extreme leverage, exchange failures, and forced ADL liquidations led to market chaos and liquidity breakdowns across the ecosystem.
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
00:45 What Happened?
04:46 Understanding ADL
12:25 Transparency and Privacy on Hyperliquid
16:35 Circuit Breakers
19:16 Occam’s Razor
21:25 Assessing the Damage
25:24 Lessons learned
28:39 Looking Ahead
30:21 A Maturing Market
32:13 Dealing with Extreme Volatility
35:19 Impact on DeFi
37:28 Wintermute as the Crypto Villain
41:47 What else does Wintermute do?
44:11 Conclusion
GUEST LINKS
https://x.com/evgenygaevoy
https://x.com/wintermute_t
This episode of the Big Brain Podcast is brought to you by our sponsor, Canton Network.
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44:54
Venture trends, regulatory wins, and consumer innovation: Tom Schmidt and Alok Vasudev on crypto's new era
In this episode of the Big Brain Podcast, Larry and Namik are joined by Dragonfly's Tom Schmidt Alok Vasudev of Standard Crypto. They dive into current trends in venture capital within the crypto space, touching on how market conditions have evolved since 2021, the role of treasury companies, and the evolving regulatory landscape.
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction 01:06 Alok's Background 04:45 Tom's Background 06:21 Cap Table Competition 07:53 Crypto 'Metas' 13:09 Copycat Crypto Projects 15:26 Brand Positioning 17:45 Web3 Moats 19:29 Crypto Treasury Companies 27:28 Regulatory Tailwinds 30:38 Consumer Adoption
GUEST LINKS
https://x.com/tomhschmidt
https://x.com/AlokVasudev
Are you hiring in crypto?
Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.
Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campus
The Big Brain Podcast features conversations with crypto's most influential thinkers, builders, and traders.
Co-hosted by The Block CEO Larry Cermak and MegaETH CSO Namik Muduroglu, these interviews challenge ideas, dig into mental models, and push guests beyond the headlines.
This show isn't about predicting the future of crypto—it’s about spotlighting the big brains shaping it.
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