José Macedo and Pondering Durian: The Birth of Delphi Intelligence

José Macedo and Pondering Durian: The Birth of Delphi Intelligence

Join Tommy Shaughnessy as he hosts Pondering Durian (Lead at Delphi Intelligence) and José Macedo (Co-Founder at Delphi Labs & Founding Partner at Delphi Ventures) to introduce Delphi Intelligence — Delphi’s new open research initiative focused on artificial intelligence. Learn why Delphi is going deep into frontier models, robotics, reinforcement learning, and the intersection of crypto and AI, and how this initiative aims to uncover transformative opportunities across emerging tech.


Delphi Intelligence: https://www.delphiintelligence.io/



🎯 Key Highlights


▸ Why Delphi pivoted to AI after years in crypto research and investing.

▸ Inside Delphi Intelligence: free, high-quality research on AI, RL, robotics, and more.

▸ How the team blends deep research with deal sourcing — like early crypto days.

▸ The three phases of AI scale: pretraining, inference, and the RL renaissance.

▸ José and PD on decentralizing RL and building “The World’s RL Gym.”

▸ The case for open AI: modular design, public reasoning, and collaboration.

▸ How LLMs are learning to “think longer” — and what it means for training.

▸ Open-source vs. proprietary AI — and China’s growing lead in open models.

▸ Why José believes AGI may already be here with GPT-4o.

▸ Where early AI startups can still win — from robotics to edge hardware.

▸ Why this AI moment feels like crypto in 2017 — and why it’s still early.

▸ The team’s views on AI safety vs. acceleration, including visits to Anthropic.

▸ A geopolitical view: US vs. China in AI, talent flows, and capital differences.

▸ What the next “Mag 7” of AI could be — and why Big Tech might not lead.

▸ How Delphi plans to find early winners in AI, like they did in crypto.



💡 Subscribe for more crypto & AI insights! 🔔



🧠 Follow the Alpha


▸ Delphi Intelligence's Twitter: @delphi_intel

▸ PD's Twitter: @PonderingDurian

▸ José's Twitter: @ZeMariaMacedo



🔗 Connect with Delphi


🌐 Portal: https://delphidigital.io/

🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/delphi_digital

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/delphi-digital/



🎧 Listen on


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/62PR1RigLG2YN5Pelq6UY9?si=18ac7ccf36ab4753&nd=1&dlsi=50105fd66e6c4124

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-delphi-podcast/id1438148082

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43Q



Timestamps


00:00 - Introduction to Delphi Intelligence

01:30 - Why AI Feels Like Crypto in 2017

03:30 - The AI Research Gap Delphi Aims to Fill

06:30 - Robotics Deep Dive: Humanoids vs. Specialization

10:00 - AI’s Impact on Traditional Tech Moats

14:30 - Can the Mag 7 Be Disrupted by AI Labs?

17:00 - Google, Meta, OpenAI, and the Race for Interface

21:00 - Crypto as a Hedge Against AI-Driven Inequality

24:00 - Safety vs. Acceleration: Anthropic vs. OpenAI

28:00 - China’s Open-Source AI Strategy

31:30 - Zero-to-One vs. One-to-X Innovation Models

35:00 - Open-Source Models: Strategic or Suicidal?

38:00 - Early-Stage Edge: Where Startups Can Win

42:00 - Verticalized AI Apps, Context Engineering, and GPTs

46:00 - US vs. China in Robotics: Software vs. Hardware

50:00 - The Role of Simulation, Sensors, and Real-World Feedback

53:00 - Delphi’s Dual Approach: Deep Research + Early Deal Flow

55:00 - The Vision for Delphi Intelligence 10 Years Out



Disclaimer


This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host and members at Delphi Ventures may personally own tokens or art that are mentioned on the podcast. Our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle, and/or the end of the episode. These sponsorships are for informational purposes only and are not a solicitation to use any product, service or token.

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Messari’s Ryan Selkis: Bringing Radical Transparency To Crypto

Messari’s Ryan Selkis: Bringing Radical Transparency To Crypto

Host Tom Shaughnessy of Delphi Digital is joined by Ryan Selkis, the founder of Messari Crypto, which provides research, news, metrics and live data for crypto. This podcast was recorded one week ago, and since then Messari closed a $4M round. We dive into Ryan's past, his time in the space, the state of information and transparency in crypto, how Messari is bringing real transparency and data tools to users and so much more.  Prior to founding Messari, Ryan was an entrepreneur-in-residence at ConsenSys , and on the founding teams of Digital Currency Group, where he managed the firm’s seed investing activity, and CoinDesk, where he led the company’s restructuring & annual Consensus conferences. He has been an investor & prolific writer in the crypto industry since 2013. To help support the show, please hit the subscribe button on iTunes so we can keep bringing you episodes like these!  Follow Tom on Twitter @Shaughnessy119 Follow Ryan on Twitter @twobitidiot  - Resources: Check out eToro to Create Your Perfect Crypto Portfolio Earn, Borrow & Pay on the Blockchain With Celsius Network - Use Promo Code Chain If you are not a U.S. citizen, ​Visit RealT.co to sign up! Browse the marketplace to view the properties that are tokenized on Ethereum. - Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Tom owns tokens in ETH, BTC, XTZ, LEO, STX and SNX. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the Chain Reaction Podcast, and our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle and/or the end of the episode.  - Advertisers: To be a sponsor on this podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io Potential Guests: If you're interested in appearing on the podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io

14 Marras 201944min

Ethereum’s Danny Ryan: The Definitive ETH 2.0 Update

Ethereum’s Danny Ryan: The Definitive ETH 2.0 Update

Host Tom Shaughnessy of Delphi Digital is joined by Ethereum's Danny Ryan, as he answers the community's most pressing questions on ETH 2.0, the technology, recent changes to the roadmap, and so much more. It was a pleasure to have Danny on for a look inside the Ethereum machine. Ethereum is at a pivotal juncture with ETH 2.0 on the horizon and new scaling technologies gaining momentum (optimistic rollups) et al.  To help support the show, please hit the subscribe button on iTunes so we can keep bringing you episodes like these!    Follow Tom on Twitter @Shaughnessy119 Follow Danny on Twitter @dannyryan - Resources: Check out eToro to Create Your Perfect Crypto Portfolio Earn, Borrow & Pay on the Blockchain With Celsius Network - Use Promo Code Chain If you are not a U.S. citizen, ​Visit RealT.co to sign up! Browse the marketplace to view the properties that are tokenized on Ethereum. - Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Tom owns tokens in ETH, BTC, XTZ, LEO, STX and SNX. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the Chain Reaction Podcast, and our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle and/or the end of the episode.  - Advertisers: To be a sponsor on this podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io Potential Guests: If you're interested in appearing on the podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io

11 Marras 201945min

Synthetix’s Kain Warwick: How Ethereum Will Absorb a Trillion Dollar Market

Synthetix’s Kain Warwick: How Ethereum Will Absorb a Trillion Dollar Market

Host Tom Shaughnessy of Delphi Digital is joined by Synthetix's founder Kain Warwick, and this episode it co-hosted by Delphi's Medio Demarco. On this episode we do a deep dive into Synthetix, the protocol that providers exposure to decentralized synthetic assets and is gaining massive momentum in the DeFi space. On this episode we cover the intricate details of the protocol, the synthetx.exchange, Mintr, their dashboard, and what's planned for the future.  Before launching Synthetix, Kain built the largest cryptocurrency payment platform in Australia, with tens of millions in transaction volume. To help support the show, please hit the subscribe button on iTunes so we can keep bringing you episodes like these!  - Follow Tom on Twitter @Shaughnessy119 Follow Kain on Twitter @kaiynne Follow Medio on Twitter @mediodelphi  - Resources: Institutional Clients can access Delphi's deep dive research report on Synthetix here.  Check out eToro to Create Your Perfect Crypto Portfolio Earn, Borrow & Pay on the Blockchain With Celsius Network - Use Promo Code Chain If you are not a U.S. citizen, ​Visit RealT.co to sign up! Browse the marketplace to view the properties that are tokenized on Ethereum. - Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Tom owns tokens in ETH, BTC, XTZ, LEO, DCR, STX and SNX. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the Chain Reaction Podcast, and our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle and/or the end of the episode. Co-Host Medio Demarco also owns tokens in SNX. - Advertisers: To be a sponsor on this podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io Potential Guests: If you're interested in appearing on the podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io

6 Marras 20191h 5min

Amentum’s Steven McKie: Sustainable Crypto Fund Investing

Amentum’s Steven McKie: Sustainable Crypto Fund Investing

Host Tom Shaughnessy of Delphi Digital is joined by Steven McKie, the GP and MD at Amentum. In this episode we go through Steven's career, why he started Amentum, his process for selecting investments, what he looks for in founders and so much more. This episode is a deep dive into the minds of one of the earliest investors in the space, and how he built his fund.  Steven McKie is a crypto veteran of 7 years. Previously Head of Growth and Product Content at Purse, he expanded Purse’s operations with value-added partnerships in multiple regions globally and assisted in building out the bcoin developer team and support team. To help support the show, please hit the subscribe button on iTunes so we can keep bringing you episodes like these!  Follow Tom on Twitter @Shaughnessy119 Follow Steven on Twitter @Steven_McKie  Resources: Amentum Website Check out eToro to Create Your Perfect Crypto Portfolio Earn, Borrow & Pay on the Blockchain With Celsius Network - Use Promo Code Chain If you are not a U.S. citizen, ​Visit RealT.co to sign up! Browse the marketplace to view the properties that are tokenized on Ethereum. Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Tom owns tokens in ETH, BTC, XTZ, LEO, DCR, STX and SNX. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the Chain Reaction Podcast, and our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle and/or the end of the episode.  - Advertisers: To be a sponsor on this podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io Potential Guests: If you're interested in appearing on the podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io

4 Marras 201952min

Anchorage’s Diogo Monica: An Advanced Custodian Engineered to Secure Trillions in Crypto

Anchorage’s Diogo Monica: An Advanced Custodian Engineered to Secure Trillions in Crypto

Host Tom Shaughnessy of Delphi Digital is joined by Diogo Monica to discuss Anchorage, a leading crypto custodian that is built to secure trillions in assets. Anchorage was founded on the belief that technical problems require technical solutions. To help financial institutions invest securely in digital assets, we are building the first crypto-native custodian.  To help support the show, please hit the subscribe button on iTunes so we can keep bringing you episodes like these! Follow Tom on Twitter @Shaughnessy119 Follow Diogo on Twitter @diogomonica   Resources: Check out eToro to Create Your Perfect Crypto Portfolio Earn, Borrow & Pay on the Blockchain With Celsius Network - Use Promo Code Chain Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Tom owns tokens in ETH, BTC, XTZ, LEO, DCR, STX and SNX. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the Chain Reaction Podcast, and our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle and/or the end of the episode.  - Advertisers: To advertise on this podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io Potential Guests: If you're interested in appearing on the podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io

30 Loka 201938min

Luke Gromen and Kevin Kelly: King Dollar and Macro Chaos

Luke Gromen and Kevin Kelly: King Dollar and Macro Chaos

Host Tom Shaughnessy of Delphi Digital is joined by Luke Gromen, the Founder of the unique macroeconomic research firm Forest for the Trees (FFTT) and Kevin Kelly, a co-founder of Delphi Digital.  On this episode we have an all encompassing episode covering the current macro landscape, the global sovereign debt bubble, the state of fiscal & monetary policy and its impact on the U.S. dollar, plus what this all means for Bitcoin. To help support the show, please hit the subscribe button on iTunes so we can keep bringing you episodes like these! Follow Tom on Twitter @Shaughnessy119 Follow Luke on Twitter @LukeGromen  Follow Kevin on Twitter @Kevin_Kelly_II   Resources: Check out eToro to Create Your Perfect Crypto Portfolio Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Tom owns tokens in ETH, BTC, XTZ, LEO, DCR, STX and SNX. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the Chain Reaction Podcast, and our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle and/or the end of the episode.  - Advertisers: To advertise on this podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io Potential Guests: If you're interested in appearing on the podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io

28 Loka 20191h 18min

Vitalik Buterin: ETH 2.0 Driven by Simplified Sharding, Optimistic Rollups and Native Cross Shard Communications

Vitalik Buterin: ETH 2.0 Driven by Simplified Sharding, Optimistic Rollups and Native Cross Shard Communications

Host Tom Shaughnessy of Delphi Digital (DelphiDigital.io) is joined by Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum to discuss his recent post titled: Eth2 shard chain simplification proposal. On this episode we discuss Vitalik's view on how simplified sharding, and optimistic rollups could drive 100k transactions per second in one year. We also discuss the benefits of native cross shard communication that is enabled by this new scheme. This was a very informative episode, and I think Vitalik for hopping on the podcast on such short notice, literally minutes after I read this post. In my personal opinion it's a pivotal time for Ethereum between ETH 2.0 gaining momentum, optimistic rollups and native cross shard communications.  To help support the show, please hit the subscribe button on iTunes so we can keep bringing you episodes like these! To access the insights package of Delphi's leading crypto research, visit DelphiDigital.io on your device and sign up using coupon code CHAINREACTION Follow Tom on Twitter @Shaughnessy119 Follow Vitalik on Twitter @VitalikButerin   Resources: Check out eToro to Create Your Perfect Crypto Portfolio Vitalik's Post: Eth2 shard chain simplification proposal Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Tom owns tokens in ETH, BTC, XTZ, LEO, DCR and STX. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the chain reaction Podcast, and our current show is sponsored by eToro which is a paid show sponsor.   - Advertisers: To advertise on this podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io Potential Guests: If you're interested in appearing on the podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io

24 Loka 201939min

Jake Brukhman: Network Lifecycle Investing

Jake Brukhman: Network Lifecycle Investing

Host Tom Shaughnessy of Delphi Digital (DelphiDigital.io) is joined by Jake Brukhman, the founder of Coinfund a crypto fund launched in 2015. On this episode we discuss Jake's investing thesis, what he's most interested in now, and his entire stance on Network Lifecycle Investing. If you're looking to learn from the best, this is the episode for you.  To help support the show, please hit the subscribe button on iTunes so we can keep bringing you episodes like these! To access the insights package of Delphi's leading crypto research, visit DelphiDigital.io on your device and sign up using coupon code CHAINREACTION Follow Tom on Twitter @Shaughnessy119 Follow Jake on Twitter @jbrukh    Resources: Check out eToro to Create Your Perfect Crypto Portfolio Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Tom owns tokens in ETH, BTC, XTZ, LEO, DCR and STX. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the chain reaction Podcast, and our current show is sponsored by eToro which is a paid show sponsor.   - Advertisers: To advertise on this podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io Potential Guests: If you're interested in appearing on the podcast, email Tom@DelphiDigital.io

22 Loka 201941min