
The dYdX Appchain Vision: One of Crypto's Boldest Bets | Antonio Juliano
Antonio Juliano, the founder of dYdX, joins us to discuss why dYdX is launching an appchain. dYdX has over $1T in exchange volume, 50%+ market share of onchain perps market, and is one of the few crypto products that's found a semblance of product-market fit. Despite this, dYdX is moving from Starkware (an Ethereum L2) to a Cosmos-based appchain, officially launching this month! In this episode, we cover why dYdX is launching an appchain, finding product-market fit, decentralization vs immutability, branding and distribution, why Antonio is now against horizontal integration and more!
- - Timestamps (00:00) introduction (00:57) dYdX: Crypto’s Leading Perpetuals Exchange (04:50) Why dYdX is Launching an Appchain (17:07) Choosing the Right Tech Stack (20:59) The L2 Landscape (24:52) Jito Midroll (25:57) Does Cosmos Have to Succeed for dYdX to Succeed? (28:51) Decentralization and Immutability (33:24) Why Should People Care About DeFi? (39:10) The User-Generated Value Thesis (43:55) What Antonio Has Learned as a Crypto Founder (49:29) Committees Can't Make Big Bold Decisions (55:30) Discovery and Branding (57:09) Horizontal vs Vertical Integration (01:01:13) Rapid Fire
- - This episode is brought to you by Jito.
Jito is the easiest way to earn MEV rewards on Solana with liquid staking. Stake your SOL with Jito to start earning high yield powered by MEV and access instant liquidity through Jito’s liquid staking token JitoSOL so that you can use your staked assets across Solana DeFi. Visit jito.network to get started today! - - Follow Antonio: https://twitter.com/AntonioMJuliano Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq
Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD
Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/
- - Resources
Jito jito.network
dYdX https://twitter.com/dYdX https://dydx.exchange/
- - Disclaimers:
Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.
Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
The dYdX Appchain Vision: One of Crypto's Boldest Bets | Antonio Juliano
Subscribe & Listen
More from Lightspeed

The Future of Onchain Collateral | Misha Putiatin
Gm! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Misha Putiatin, Co-Founder of Symbiotic, to discuss the evolution of shared collateral infrastructure, the launch of Core V2, and the future of bringing real-world assets onchain. We also cover liquidity, composability, risk management, compliance challenges, institutional adoption, and Symbiotic’s roadmap for expanding collateral markets and DeFi integrations. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Symbiotic: https://x.com/Symbioticfi Follow Misha: https://x.com/Psalom Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:14) Misha’s Crypto Origin (6:38) Beyond Shared Security (9:32) Permissionless Collateral Markets (13:02) Core V2 Explained (16:15) Unlocking RWA Liquidity (22:04) Making RWAs Composable (31:09) Managing Collateral Risk (40:30) Symbiotic’s Next Milestones (48:10) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

The Next Battle for Crypto Trading
Gm! In today's episode, we discuss Strategy's Bitcoin treasury approach, whether crypto markets can decouple from Bitcoin, slowing momentum in tokenized stocks, listing strategies for onchain equities, the battle between Solana, Hyperliquid, and centralized exchanges, and whether renewed meme coin activity signals a broader revival in Solana trading. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Toma: https://x.com/toma_adv Follow Joe: https://x.com/j0e_cooks Follow Sam: https://x.com/minnus Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:43) Strategy’s Bitcoin Dilemma (6:51) Can Crypto Decouple From Bitcoin? (10:54) Tokenized Stocks Cool Off (18:03) Solana Spot vs Hyperliquid Perps (24:26) Coinbase, Binance, and Onchain Rails (34:49) Meme Coins Return? (43:09) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

The Future of Finance Starts Onchain | Armani Ferrante
Gm! In today's episode, we're joined by Armani Ferrante, founder and CEO of Backpack, to discuss the evolution of Backpack, tokenized equities, regulatory strategy, and building a crypto-native financial institution. We also explore Solana's growth, market structure, token design, 24/7 stock trading, global financial infrastructure, and the long-term role of tokenized assets and decentralized networks. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: https://x.com/Lightspeedpodhq Follow Backpack: https://x.com/Backpack Follow Armani Ferrante: https://x.com/armaniferrante Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:44) Armani’s Solana Journey (13:28) Why Backpack Chose Regulation (23:34) Building Crypto’s Financial Stack (35:38) Tokenized Stocks at Scale (45:42) Tokens, Equity, and Incentives (59:03) The Future of Tokenized Assets (1:09:28) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects