Crypto infrastructure future with Eridian Alpha (Episode 49)
In this episode, I sit down with Eridian Alpha, product strategy lead at ETHgas.
Guests
Show notes
In this episode, I sit down with Eridian Alpha, product strategy lead at ETHgas.
Eridian is the product strategy lead at ETHGas and an Ethereum builder focused on blockspace infrastructure, validator economics and the development of a real-time Ethereum network. At ETHGas, Eridian works on technology designed to transform Ethereum blockspace into a predictable and tradable commodity, supporting instant transaction settlement and applications that can shield users from volatile gas costs.
A long-standing participant in the Ethereum staking ecosystem, Eridian has operated solo validators and contributed educational resources for node operators, developers and community stakers. Eridian co-created the EthStaker Knowledge Base and maintains an extensive collection of open-source documentation covering Ethereum infrastructure, Solidity development, smart-contract security, MEV and decentralised finance.
Eridian has also built projects including High Signal, an engagement and reputation platform for Ethereum communities, and Pool Playground, an interactive tool for understanding decentralised exchange mechanics. Through technical development, education and ecosystem participation, Eridian works to make Ethereum faster, more accessible and easier to operate.
With him, we will talk about the current infrastructure behind many popular crypto projects, but about the future of the industry and the main trend in blockchain today.
In this episode
Eridian, product strategy lead at ETHGas, explains how difficult international payments drew him from Web2 product work into Ethereum staking infrastructure. He describes ETHGas's marketplace that lets validators sell Ethereum blocks up to 12 minutes ahead, making block building more open and enabling "real-time" blocks split into 50-millisecond slots for faster, cheaper trading. He also discusses quantum risk, stablecoins as payment rails and why institutions adopt new technology slowly.
Chapters
- 0:00Introduction and background
- 2:00Stablecoins and Ethereum as a settlement layer
- 5:01Is quantum computing a threat?
- 7:24What ETHGas does
- 10:43Who will use a block space market
- 14:07Transparency in block building
- 16:55Real-time blocks
- 21:40Automated and high-frequency trading
- 23:50Adoption so far
- 28:19Guaranteed inclusion for institutions
- 30:00The state of crypto adoption
- 32:47Stablecoins as invisible rails
- 41:51Advice for crypto builders
Key facts
Eridian worked in Web2 product consulting and development before moving into Ethereum staking infrastructure, working with Lido, ether.fi, Obol and SSV.
Through the Alliance DAO accelerator, Eridian founded an AI tool, HiSignal, and a Swiss stablecoin project, Neutral Finance.
ETHGas runs a block space marketplace where validators can sell their Ethereum blocks up to 12 minutes in advance to traders and builders.
ETHGas's real-time blocks split each 12-second Ethereum block into sub-slots of about 50 milliseconds, letting traders act many times per block.
ETHGas has 4–5% of the Ethereum network and is onboarding a further 20–40% through investors and validator partners.
Validators join ETHGas by pointing their fee recipient to its contract and commit for only 12 minutes, without putting capital at risk.
On ETHGas, block buyers so far earn slightly more on average than validators would through MEV-Boost.
ETHGas is launching a governance token, and runs other initiatives including OpenGas.
A block marketplace lets institutions buy a block ahead of time to guarantee when their transaction will be included.
Today a handful of builders build most Ethereum blocks through private order flow, and an open marketplace brings visibility.
Shorter slots reduce harmful MEV and improve prices for users while raising earnings for liquidity providers.
Institutions will take years, even decades, to adopt blockchain fully, but stablecoins are already far better for international payments.
Stablecoins will become invisible rails under apps people already use, like Wise.
Questions and answers
What is a block space market?
A marketplace where validators sell the right to build their upcoming blocks, like a futures market for Ethereum blocks.
Why do real-time blocks help users?
Smaller slots cut the gap between real-world events and on-chain prices, so trades get fairer prices and faster confirmations.
What is Eridian's advice to crypto builders?
You're never too late: pick the right idea for the time and just start.