The Summit Series Episode 2 of The Latest Development (presented by EXO, hosted by Dirt)! Filmed in the Jeep en route to Snowbird for mtnDAO week two in Salt Lake City — raw, real-time builder conversation with mountain views.

Dirt talks with Jerk (@hydex_io), co-founder/CEO of Hydex: a 12+ year crypto veteran sharing his journey from Bitcoin mining in Saskatchewan to ICO wins, NFT projects, DAO governance lessons, and why privacy is now critical for Solana.

Condensed timestamps (minutes:seconds format):

• 0:07 – Intro & cruising up to mtnDAO week two
• 0:24 – Why mtnDAO feels different: high-signal building, integrations, feedback > standard conferences
• 1:05 – Previous guest Beard (mtnDAO co-founder); ideal spot for shipping products, finding users, getting real feedback
• 1:40 – Jerk’s background: 10–12 years in crypto, started with mining to deeply understand Bitcoin
• 2:27 – Lifelong tech tinkerer (hardware/software since childhood)
• 3:13 – 2017 Saskatoon mining farm (400 rigs, custom -40°C overclock cooling)
• 4:18 – ICO successes (ETH, Zilliqa private seed), Tron trading simulator
• 5:23 – Full-time crypto life through bears & bulls
• 6:08 – Psychedelics-themed NFT project (Sideye) originally planned for Solana, built on Polygon
• 7:46 – NFT hype tail-end lessons; utility vs. scams
• 9:45 – NFTs evolving to RWAs; power of bespoke communities & DAO governance challenges (Verbs DAO experience)
• 12:59 – AI tooling to fix DAO decision-making (async, consensus without endless chats)
• 14:28 – Privacy excitement: essential layer as AI profiling rises; right to private transactions
• 15:38 – Privacy isn’t just for dark markets — normal people deserve financial discretion
• 16:42 – Building software (not centralized products) reduces regulatory pressure; true on-chain privacy
• 18:19 – Hydex origin: team bonded through hardship; Cypherpunk hackathon win with Zcash → Solana privacy bridge
• 19:48 – Bridge keeps Zcash shielded privacy intact after landing on Solana
• 20:36 – Roadmap: validator, LST with Zcash rewards, Layer 33 collab, privacy-focused RPC exploration
• 22:55 – Hydentity: encrypted .sol domains via vault (hides full on-chain history) + custom privacy router
• 25:01 – User-first UX: simple app + SDK for seamless wallet integration (Backpack, Solflare, etc.)
• 26:39 – Simulations validate strong privacy; protocol protects users from mistakes
• 27:32 – AI in dev workflows: must-have but needs structure to avoid refactoring chaos
• 29:18 – Arrival at the mountain; Hydex socials & website
• 29:41 – Outro: thanks, Super Team Canada plug, “best time to be building”

Hydex focuses on effortless Solana privacy: encrypted .sol domains (Hydentity), Zcash bridge, shielded tools, and protocol-level routing so users stay private without complexity.

Connect with Jerk / Hydex

• X/Twitter: @hydex_io
• Website: https://hydex.io

On-location mountain-road energy straight from the Solana builder scene at mtnDAO.

Subscribe for more Summit Series and builder conversations on The Latest Development — hosted by Dirt, presented by EXO.

#Solana #mtnDAO #Privacy #Hydex #Crypto #Web3 #SolanaPrivacy #Snowbird #SummitSeries #SaltLakeCity

The Summit Series kicks off with host Dirt chauffeuring Barrett (co-founder of Ranger Finance & mtnDAO) through Salt Lake City for a candid, on-the-go conversation about building in crypto, the power of co-working spaces, AI adoption, and the future of decentralized finance on Solana.

Recorded while driving out of the mtnDAO office, Barrett shares insights into mtnDAO's evolution into a premier builder hub for Solana and beyond, Ranger Finance's roadmap as a unified trading superapp (from perps aggregation to upcoming prediction markets, vaults, mobile, and more), and why now is the perfect time to build amid market dips.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro & welcome to the Summit Series; Barrett joins from Ranger Finance & mtnDAO (driving out of the office).
• 00:30 – What is mtnDAO? Co-working for Solana/crypto builders, recent expansion to 14,500 sq ft in downtown SLC, attracting AI folks and diverse builders.
• 01:15 – Office upgrades, culture, dream setup for remote workers, provided lunches, networking, and fast user growth/testing.
• 02:20 – Secret teams, workshops, mobile dev handouts; excitement around AI agents as an unlock, not distraction.
• 02:35 – AI as productivity multiplier; advice for founders/teams: just start playing/experimenting with LLMs, like early Google search mastery.
• 03:40 – Optimizing agents like managing humans; iterative learning from one to many agents.
• 04:45 – Diving into Ranger: excitement over pipeline (prediction markets soon, mobile app in progress despite Apple delays, Earn/vaults priority, growing TVL).
• 05:50 – Current ~$24M TVL in vaults; goal to hit nine figures in Q1; need better marketing of products.
• 06:40 – Vision: end-to-end financial management platform (perps, spot, prediction markets, yield optimization).
• 07:30 – Prediction markets details: aqua-hire of Four Markets team, own DEX (auditing), plus aggregation for liquidity/arbitrage.
• 08:20 – Aggregation roots (started with perps due to no aggregators then); belief in app-layer monetization and abstraction for mainstream users.
• 09:20 – Moving beyond chain tribalism; integrating top venues like Hyperliquid; new Solana perps (Bulk Trade, Phoenix, Bullet).
• 10:30 – Importance of perps for DeFi velocity and capital attraction; app layer as the sticky user touchpoint.
• 11:40 – Full future vision: seamless on/off ramps, one app for banking, equities, crypto trading (consumer + prosumer bifurcated experiences).
• 13:20 – Dual front-ends for cohorts; treating them almost as separate apps while sharing backend engine.
• 14:15 – Balancing running Ranger + mtnDAO; mtnDAO now largely self-running with strong culture and ops team.
• 15:00 – mtnDAO as a builder machine; future case study potential; people > place; Solana shipping ethos elevated.
• 16:50 – Talent wins from mtnDAO (e.g., Voltar → vaults/Earn, Forum Markets team).
• 17:50 – Personal story: how attending mtnDAO years ago changed everything from casual listener to deep in the space.
• 19:00 – Shoutouts & closing: Ranger updates coming (more tweets, app overhaul); build through bears, noise is gone—prime time; touch snow, enjoy life, stick around.

Tune in for real talk on crypto building, AI acceleration, and why Ranger is positioning itself as Solana's go-to trading superapp. Peace! 🚗🏔️

The Latest Development – EXO Tech Podcast Hosted by Mike | Guest: Samiar from Gamma (@_gammafi)

In this episode, Mike sits down with Samiar, founder of Gamma to dive deep into the future of accessible DeFi yield on Solana and beyond.

Discover how Gamma uses advanced ML models and proprietary data pipelines to automate delta-neutral stablecoin strategies, delivering hands-off, high-yield portfolios via tokenized agents—no manual rebalancing, no liquidation worries. From building robust data infra for protocols like MarginFi, Jito, and Bonk, to creating "wealth management for the future," Samiar shares the journey, real performance (e.g., ~30% APR in closed beta), and upcoming expansions: SOL agents, RWA strategies, precious metals, and an autonomous hedge fund-style manager that dynamically allocates across agents.

They discuss stablecoin dominance (USDC/USDT vs. native yield-bearing options), why building your own data beats relying on others, token utility plans (revenue sharing, staking perks like priority deposits via cash queue), and why slow, steady DeFi compounding beats chasing pumps—especially in volatile markets.

Perfect for anyone tired of micromanaging positions and ready to let ML-optimized agents make your money work 24/7.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro & Guest Welcome

00:44 Samiar's Journey: Fibonacci to Gamma

03:21 Building Reliable Data Pipelines

07:45 Stablecoin Revenue & Ecosystem Thoughts

12:57 Gamma's Delta-Neutral Agent Explained

15:36 Future Agents: SOL, RWA, Hedge Fund Manager

22:19 GM Token Utility & Revenue Flow

35:04 Customizable Agents & Onboarding Vision

43:14 Final Thoughts & Beta Access

Follow Gamma: @_gammafi

Follow Samiar: @RealSamiar

Subscribe for more cutting-edge DeFi, Solana, and crypto insights!

#DeFi #Solana #YieldFarming #Gamma #CryptoPodcast #DeltaNeutral #MLinDeFi #EXOTech #EXO #Crypto #StableCoins #TheLatestDevelopment #TLD #TLDR #Hype #FYP