Simon Baksys I Crypto Needs Interop That Cares I LayerZero I Pragma San Francisco 2024

Thu, Oct 2, 2025, 12:00 AM

Simon Baksys, VP of Business Development at LayerZero Labs, explores why crypto interoperability must prioritize decentralization, permissionlessness, immutability, and censorship resistance. From Bitcoin and Ethereum to LayerZero, Simon discusses the critical principles necessary for blockchain innovation to thrive. Learn about the challenges of fragmented blockchain ecosystems, why interoperability matters, and how LayerZero’s protocol is bridging 90+ chains with true decentralization and security. 00:50 LayerZero Overview & Personal Reflections 01:50 Why Principles Matter in Blockchain Innovation 02:36 Bitcoin's Revolutionary Impact & Adoption Journey 03:59 Ethereum's Decentralized Smart Contract Revolution 05:18 LayerZero: The Internet of Blockchains Explained 05:55 Vitalik's Core Principles for Decentralization 07:03 Importance of Permissionless & Censorship Resistance 07:46 Lessons from Mt. Gox, FTX & Wormhole Failures 09:19 The Reality & Challenges of Multi-chain Ecosystems 10:30 Fragmentation Issues in Today's Blockchain Landscape 11:11 Solving Crypto Fragmentation with True Interoperability 12:19 Why Crypto Needs Strong Opinions on Technology 13:22 Building Interop Standards & User Experience in Crypto 14:00 LayerZero's Customization & Decentralization Vision 14:30 The Need for Unified Blockchain Standards 15:12 Final Call: Prioritize Principles, Care, and Innovation _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 🇺🇸 *Pragma San Francisco* Pragma San Francisco 2024 was a special gathering of founders and builders that took place October 16th and 17th at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, CA. Pragma San Francisco 2024 was an opportunity discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. Watch the full Pragma San Francisco playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXzKMXK2aHh4LcwDpGf_itZrAu7XRNb07&si=3x3y9J3avgNTITUe ETHGlobal's Pragma series takes place in cities around the world, and is designed to be a different kind of event. Pragma is a one-stage conference with founders-only on stage, bringing together a small group of curated attendees and speakers to discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ✅ *Follow Simon Baksys* X: https://x.com/Bakxys ✅ *Follow LayerZero* X: https://x.com/LayerZero_Core ✅ *Follow ETHGlobal* X: https://x.com/ETHGlobal​ Warpcast: https://warpcast.com/ethglobal Website: https://ethglobal.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ETHGlobal _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Are you interested in Ethereum development and entrepreneurship?_ 👉 Sign up for the next ETHGlobal event: https://ethglobal.com/events 🎁 Get exclusive access and perks with ETHGlobal Plus! https://ethglobal.com/plus 📣 Want us to throw an event in your city? Tell us where! https://ethglobal.com/city _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _