Can Proof of Liquidity Solve the Blockchain Trilemma? | Smokey the Bera

In this episode, Santi interviews Smokey, the co-founder of Berachain, a new layer 1 blockchain built on the concept of "proof of liquidity". They dive deep into Berachain's origin story, starting from its conception as a series of NFTs to its current state of development. Smokey explains the core ideas behind proof of liquidity, how it aligns incentives between network security and liquidity, and how it compares to other blockchain consensus mechanisms. They also discuss Berachain's roadmap, the types of applications being built on it, and the biggest challenges and risks Smokey foresees as they approach mainnet launch. - - Follow Smokey: https://twitter.com/SmokeyTheBera Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Arbitrum is a game-changer for daily Ethereum's users and developers, offering top applications and lower fees. As the leading scaling solution with 600+ apps, explore Arbitrum’s Portal to find your perfect fit. Interact with the home of DeFi, a flourishing NFT and creator ecosystem, and a rapidly growing Web3 gaming hub – Arbitrum has it all. Get started at: portal.arbitrum.io - - Harpie is the most advanced on-chain security solution for monitoring and protecting your crypto wallet from theft in real time. Harpie detects, blocks, and recovers compromised assets from malicious transactions before they execute, and is the only security tool to also protect users from off-chain signature attacks like the recent Ledger Connect Kit exploit. Secure your wallet for free at harpie.io. - - Get the freshest price feeds free for 12 months. Join Supra’s early integration program for zero-cost access to the fastest oracles and dVRF across 50+ blockchains: supra.com/blockworks Earn $1,500 by referring Web3 projects to use Supra services. The projects get the fastest services for free, and you earn $1,500 for every referral. Learn more at the link above. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (03:06) Berachain Origin Story (11:08) Proof of Liquidity (22:46) Journey of Berachain & Roadmap (29:34) Why Build on Berachain (43:54) Arbitrum Ad (44:40) Harpie Ad (45:53) Supra Ad (46:50) Value Accrual (57:30) MEV & Block Ordering (01:01:21) Scaling Berachain (01:07:55) Building in Crypto - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.