PLN Updates - July 3
This edition introduces Huddle01's new tool to schedule auto-generated calendar slots, a landmark partnership between a16z Crypto Startup School & Protocol Labs, a recap of Lab Day, and much more!
⚙️ New Tool Alert: Huddle01’s Google Calendar Add-On
Shipped: June 2023
What It Is: Integrating a Web3 tool into Google is big: Huddle01’s new Google calendar add-on creates auto-generated video meeting links directly via the Google calendar. This move makes the Web3 video conferencing platform readily available as an easy Google select.
Why It’s a Big Deal: The team raised a $2.8 million seed round from VC’s including Protocol Labs in April 2023. On the surface, this new tool is a way to simplify scheduling of meetings, but it’s also actively bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3.
The Big Picture: Over 1 million minutes of meetings have taken place on Huddle01 and more than 100 projects have been built on top of the company’s infrastructure. Research shows that the global video conferencing market reached $7.26 billion in 2023 so far at a compound annual growth rate of 9.7 percent – with plenty of room to grow.
—> Check out this step-by-step guide to the new Google calendar add-on from Huddle01
🎥 Watch the Lab Day Replay
We host virtual Lab Days for the Protocol Labs Network on the third Wednesday of every month. This month featured Network Updates from Interplanetary Consensus (IPC), Artizen Fund, Dumme and XONE.
Lightning Talks showcased data transfer tool Lassie and Web3 project builder thirdweb.
Sign up to attend the next virtual Lab Day for more Network Updates and Lightning Talks from PLN teams.
We also host in-person Lab Day events in more than a dozen cities around the world. Reach out to spaceport-admin@protocol.ai to be added to individual calendar invites. We hope to see you at a live event soon!
📢 Announcing: Protocol Labs Partners With a16z Crypto Startup School
Protocol Labs and a16z crypto have joined forces in a new program that provides tailored support for Web3 founders participating in a16z’s Crypto Startup School (CSS), an accelerator program for Web3 startups.
Protocol Labs has supported hundreds of founders in raising more than $1 billion in external capital, while a16z has over $7.6 billion raised across four funds. The new collaboration is a great example of knowledge and resource sharing for participants of CSS, including engineering and talent support, decentralized storage credit and much more. This will have an exciting ripple effect in the Web3 startup community.
—> Read about the partnership in this blog post and spread the word
📈 An Expanding Network
Welcome to the following teams that recently joined the PLN directory!
Gensyn: A machine learning compute protocol that unites all of the world’s compute into a global supercluster, accessible by anyone at any time.
Audit Wizard: A Web3 security company that specializes in concepts such as a state-of-the-art smart contract auditing tool that enables developers to identify and eliminate bugs and vulnerabilities in their smart contracts.
📡 Network Radar
Announcing the launch of the Funding the Commons Match Fund, a collaboration with Artizen Fund. Participants in the Match Fund will have the chance to receive financial support (10 ETH) for projects that innovate in the public goods sphere and gain access to an active community that shares the common goal of prioritizing public goods. Submit your project here.
Filscan.io has a snazzy new dashboard with added features, including the ability to verify smart contracts and look up names in the search function. Check out Filscan.io for more.
The latest research report on zk SNARKs from Testudo focuses on zk SNARKs with a universally trusted setup and very fast verification times. Read the new report here.
Funding the Commons is accepting registrations for the virtual Fund Public Goods Hackathon hosted August 11 to September 11. Register here and use the code IPFS&FILFRNDS for 35% off.
Seal Storage Technology has been selected as a 2023 TechPioneer by the World Economic Forum. Seal joins the ranks of former TechPioneers Twitter and Airbnb as a promising tech company poised to make global change. Read the announcement here.
Mona, designed to showcase art in the metaverse, was a spotlight on app-of-the-month in the Filecoin & IPFS June round up. Catch the video replay here.
There’s a new month-long program for builders in the public goods sphere. Submit your project for the Funding the Commons Builder Residency in Berlin from September 1 to 30. Priority will be given to early submissions. Sign up here.
Web3 accelerator Beacon has partnered with Protocol Labs to support future cohorts. Projects interested in Beacon can apply for the the next accelerator cohort here: 0xbeacon.com/apply.
CryptoEconLab earned third place in a hackathon contest at Initiative for CryptoCurrencies & Contracts (IC3) Blockchain Camp in NYC. The award-winning project was designed to see if it is useful to utilize multi-dimensional gas lanes (EIP-1559) in other crypto protocols outside of Ethereum. Check out the hackathon project deck here.
Network Goods has a new website, new blog and plans to start sending out a monthly newsletter. Sign up to stay up to date on their research.
🔦 Key Event: Mark Your Calendar
Hands up if you’re headed to EthCC in Paris from July 17-20? From Funding the Commons to the Launchpad Summit, there is a lot of PLN fanfare around the big event. If you want to learn from the best researchers and practitioners in cryptoeconomics, be sure to drop by CryptoEconDay with presentations from Barnabé Monnot, Ethereum Foundation; Matheus Venturyne Xavier Ferreira, PhD, Harvard University; Maria Silva, CryptoEconLab; and more.
—> Register to join CryptoEconDay Paris on July 19 from 13:00 - 19:00 at the Filecoin Network Base: https://lu.ma/cedparis
🔦 Spotlight: Juan Leni, CEO of Zondax
The name of the game for Zondax is security. It is focused on blockchain protocol development, integration and software for HSMs and hardware wallets. Zondax has a portfolio of companies with a variety of products that enhance efficiency and security on the blockchain ecosystem, including Izari, a software development kit for writing FVM smart contracts. Get to know Juan Leni, CEO, in this Q&A.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi there! My name is Juan Leni. I was born and raised in Argentina, but I've been living in Europe for the past 15 years, with the last decade spent in Switzerland. I've always been quite passionate about machine learning and distributed systems. While I had some experience with blockchain, it was in early 2017 that I made a significant career shift into this field. Shortly after, I started Zondax to focus on blockchain and cryptography work.
Driven by my curiosity, I have worked in a wide range of industries, including scientific software, special effects, medical devices, and data science. My career has indeed varied a bit, with a background in industrial engineering, an MBA, and a PhD that I ultimately decided to drop. I made the choice to leave the PhD behind in order to concentrate all my efforts on Zondax.
How did you get into Web3?
I started collaborating with different teams in the blockchain and Web3 world. This journey led me to work with the QRL team, where I contributed to building the foundation of their innovative blockchain platform. As Zondax began to grow, I got involved with projects like Cosmos and Polkadot, learning a lot and enjoying the experience along the way.
Having hands-on experience with various teams and projects truly deepened my passion for distributed systems and cryptography. It has been instrumental in the growth and evolution of Zondax, as I continue to navigate the ever-evolving world of blockchain and Web3.
What advice would you give to someone joining Web3?
Be prepared for change because things move quickly in this space! Although most of the activity takes place online, it's important to attend real-life events to network and learn from others. Additionally, it's essential to understand that Web3 is a complex concept and there are many different approaches to explore. So, don't get discouraged if it seems overwhelming at first. Keep pushing, and you'll start to figure things out because you'll learn and adapt as you go.
What challenges or rough edges would you like to see solved in Web3?
Very important question. I consider that scams and fraudulent activities are definitely a major issue within the Web3 community, as they not only damage the ecosystem but also harm users who fall victim to these schemes. To address this issue, education and awareness are key. There is a need for greater emphasis on best practices for security and risk management, as well as for developing better tools and processes for identifying and mitigating fraudulent activity. This will require a collective effort from all stakeholders, including developers, users, and other community members. By working together to improve education and awareness around these issues, we can build a more trustworthy and sustainable Web3 ecosystem.
What are your favorite podcasts or books?
My favorite podcast is the Lex Fridman Podcast. I find the in-depth conversations and high-quality interviews with experts across various fields incredibly engaging and informative.
Regarding books, one of the most recent ones that captivated me was Daniel Kahneman's "Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment." It's fascinating to think about how AI-generated content might contribute to the "noise" in our decision-making.
Tell us something you like to do for fun.
I really enjoy spending time with my 3-year-old son. We often like to play with Lego blocks or similar toys together. It's a great opportunity for us to have some quality time while having fun and getting creative.
📱 PLN Events
🚀 Bookmark the PLN Events Page for the most up to date events in the community. Sign up for these events coming up in the next few months:
Funding the Commons, Paris, France, July 15-16
FIL Paris, Paris, France, July 15-21
Launchpad Summit, Paris, France, July 16-22 (Read the blog post here)
Filecoin Unleashed, Paris, France, July 18
CryptoEconDay, Paris, France, July 19 (Register here)
SBS-Earth, virtual event, August 16 (Apply to speak or sign up to be notified)
Funding the Commons, Berlin, Germany, September 8-9 (Apply to speak here)
💡Learn
DAG House has just created the world’s first JavaScript library for IPNI advertising and encoding. It allows any content provider using JS in their stack to easily advertise their content on IPNI with an accurate, tested library. Check out the latest demo here – and watch this video for wider context:
🍿 Fun Corner
Read a good book or listened to an insightful podcast recently? Let us know.
📕 New Pick: “Hidden Systems” by Dan Nott
Recommended by: Matthew Rothenberg, engineer at PL
What It’s About: This graphic novel by cartoonist Dan Nott illustrates the systems behind the internet, water supply and power grids. Ideal for kids and adults alike.
📝 Tips?
Have a suggestion for the next PLN Updates newsletter? We’d love to hear from you! Contact Sara Hamdan at sara.hamdan@protocol.ai.