What’s indexing this week in crypto, blockchain, and open-source AI? Find out on The Index, where we feature exclusive conversations that go beyond code. Each w...
Digital Freedom to OpenAI: Reclaiming the Internet with Danny O’Brien, Filecoin Foundation
What if the original vision for the internet—a decentralized, permissionless, and open system—could still be realized?On this episode of The Index, host Alex Kehaya is joined by Danny O’Brien, Senior Fellow at the Filecoin Foundation, to explore how we got here—and how we can build something better.Danny’s career spans decades at the frontlines of digital freedom, from the early days of the free software movement to today’s push for decentralized infrastructure and open AI. He shares stories connecting the dots—from Bash shell's origins as free software (the same Bash running on the Mars helicopter) to the modern struggle against walled gardens and platform lock-in.Together, we unpack why centralized systems pose such a risk to innovation, how the ethos of “just build together” remains vital, and why open-source collaboration is more than a philosophy—it’s the backbone of digital sovereignty.We also dive into the future of “open intelligence”: AI systems built on transparent, community-driven infrastructure. Danny argues this is the continuation of a 60-year project, where the tools we build reflect the freedoms we value.If you're a builder in Web3, an open-source contributor, or working at the intersection of AI and decentralized protocols, this conversation is for you.Let’s dive in and rebuild the internet from first principles.Website: https://fil.org/Follow Danny O'Brien on XShow LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube
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Crypto, Key Management & AI Agents | David Sneider, Co-founder of Lit Protocol
What if smart contracts could manage keys, secure assets, and run AI agents autonomously?This week on The Index podcast —Host Alex Kehaya sits down with David Sneider, co-founder of Lit Protocol, to dive into decentralized key management, threshold cryptography, and the future of AI in Web3.David shares his journey from building in the Bay Area tech scene to launching Lit Protocol, with stops along the way that include the acquisition of his SaaS startup by LinkedIn and working alongside crypto pioneer Chris Cassano. The two get into how threshold cryptography is powering the next wave of secure computation and enabling new use cases for AI and smart contracts.You’ll hear how Lit is rethinking identity recovery and asset security through multi-party computation (MPC)—with real-world examples like the Fuse Wallet, where managing crypto feels more like using a banking app. Alex and David also explore how smart accounts, MPC, and AI agents are coming together to shape the next-gen developer stack.Later in the episode, they look ahead to decentralized AI frameworks, the role of open-source models in avoiding centralized AI control, and why community-owned infrastructure matters.If you’re building at the edge of crypto and AI, this one’s for you.Website: https://www.litprotocol.com/Show LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube
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Build Faster: Web3 Automation & Blockchain Infra with Jin Kwon, Co founder of Saga
What if launching your own Layer 1 blockchain was as fast and seamless as spinning up a cloud server? In this episode of The Index, Jin Kwon, Co-founder of Saga.xyz, shares how Saga is redefining how developers scale in Web3. Rather than relying on rollups or months of coordination, Saga lets you launch your own Layer 1 chain—called a chainlet—in just minutes.Jin explains how his computer architecture and finance background helped shape Saga’s vision and why automation is key to building scalable blockchain infrastructure. He breaks down how Saga’s validator system works, how pricing is dynamically optimized through competition, and how chainlets come pre-integrated with bridges and liquidity—all with minimal developer effort.The conversation also explores the future of application-level sharding, using Uniswap as a real-world example of how splitting liquidity across multiple chainlets could unlock massive throughput without compromising user experience.If you’re a developer looking for faster, cheaper, and more modular ways to build in Web3, this episode is packed with insights into where blockchain infrastructure is headed.Connect with Jin Kwon and the Saga team:Saga: https://www.saga.xyz/Follow on X: https://x.com/sagaxyz__Follow us:The Index (https://www.podpage.com/the-index-podcast/) X Channel (https://x.com/theindexshow) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP-VGLfPNwianYhY-oqq5zg)Show LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube
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ETHDenver Recap: Future of Blockchain and Open AI with Bidhan Roy, Founder at Bagel
How do we unlock the true potential of decentralized AI? In this episode of Everything Bagel, co-hosts Alex Kehaya and Bidhan Roy dive into the powerful intersection of blockchain and AI, fresh from ETHDenver and the OpenAGI Summit.Bidhan, founder of Bagel, shares insights from hosting a Builder’s Breakfast that exceeded all expectations, drawing triple the anticipated attendance. He unpacks how Bagel is tackling one of decentralized AI’s biggest challenges—verifiability—through innovations like ZK LoRa (Zero-Knowledge Low-Rank Adaptation).The conversation explores why structured public data often holds more value than proprietary datasets and how Bagel enables contributors to monetize the process of transforming raw data into usable intelligence. Most importantly, Alex and Bidhan discuss a new paradigm where builders—not extractors—are at the heart of innovation, aligning open-source principles with financial sustainability.Join the open intelligence movement and discover why hundreds of developers are already building on Bagel. Learn more at bagel.net.Show LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube
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Crypto vs. Banks: How Tokenization is Disrupting Wall Street with Eli Cohen, General Counsel at Centrifuge
The Future of Finance: How Blockchain is Bringing Real-World Assets On-ChainThis week on The Index, Alex Kehaya joins Eli Cohen, General Counsel at Centrifuge, to break down how crypto is transforming traditional finance by bringing real-world assets (RWA) on-chain.Eli’s blockchain journey began in 2017 at CME Group, where he helped launch Bitcoin futures, exposing him to the inefficiencies of legacy markets. Municipal bonds take ten days to settle. FX swaps carry days of currency risk. Mortgages still rely on paper. These bottlenecks lock up trillions—tokenization is the solution.Centrifuge started with trade receivables for small businesses and has since scaled into institutional finance, launching a $40M US Treasury pool in 2023. The shift is clear: on-chain assets are going mainstream.Regulation remains a battleground. Eli unpacks the SEC’s aggressive stance, the "chokepoint" banking restrictions, and why the post-election landscape could reshape global policy.With BlackRock entering tokenized treasuries, the crypto-finance crossover is accelerating. This isn’t just digitization—it’s a full-scale reinvention of how assets move and who gets access.Whether you're a crypto investor, builder, or just watching the space, this episode reveals why RWA tokenization is the next big thing.Centrifuge: https://centrifuge.io/Show LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube
What’s indexing this week in crypto, blockchain, and open-source AI? Find out on The Index, where we feature exclusive conversations that go beyond code. Each week, host and entrepreneur Alex Kehaya talks with founders, developers, and investors who are shaping the future of Web3. From startup advice to breakthrough strategies, our guests share their stories and take a deep dive into the decentralized future.
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