RS Rezo Shmertz
Podcast episode

Robinhood’s Gated DeFi, Ethereum Rails & Nation-State Bitcoin

Robinhood's distribution, Ethereum's settlement role and the different ways Bitcoin is adopted by a country.

BR LabsEpisode 04

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Episode overview based on BR Labs' published description. Watch the original recording for the full discussion.

Episode topics

Rezo Shmertz discusses open and permissioned DeFi through Robinhood's distribution and Ethereum-based infrastructure. The episode then turns to El Salvador, distinguishing Bitcoin's use in payments from its role in national reserves.

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DeFi distribution and Bitcoin adoption

This episode connects access to financial products with the infrastructure underneath them. Robinhood's distribution raises questions about who can use a DeFi service and under what conditions. The discussion of Ethereum and El Salvador considers settlement, payments and reserves as distinct uses of a financial network.

For a related comparison, read Rezo Shmertz's essay on Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. Episode 5 continues the discussion of access and composability in tokenized assets. Browse Media for the full BR Labs podcast series.