The Block's Gareth Jenson hosts 1inch CEO Sergej Kunz to discuss the launch of 1inch Aqua, a shared liquidity protocol that allows reuse of idle AMM liquidity without custody. The conversation covers how Aqua works, its security audits, AI integration in development, and the future of DeFi. Kunz expresses strong conviction that Ethereum will remain the dominant smart contract platform, benefiting from its own upgrades and Layer 2 solutions. The news briefing covers Morgan Stanley crypto ETFs, Telegram's legal troubles, record DeFi hacks, and Bitcoin miners pivoting to AI infrastructure.
- 1inch Aqua enables liquidity reuse across multiple pairs without moving assets, improving capital efficiency.
- The protocol targets institutions, allowing them to choose which market makers settle on their liquidity.
- 1inch launched incentive programs with $500k USDC and millions of 1INCH tokens to encourage early adoption.
- Sergej Kunz highlights the use of AI in developing Aqua, including automated bug fixes and rapid QA handling.
- Kunz states that Ethereum is the most decentralized and stable blockchain, and only Ethereum can surpass Ethereum through upgrades and L2s.
- He sees Robinhood chain and other Layer 2s as complementary, boosting Ethereum's ecosystem rather than threatening it.
- News headlines: Morgan Stanley undercuts crypto ETF fees, Russia charges Telegram founder, Core Scientific and Galaxy Digital expand into AI data centers, and Ethereum L2 TVL dips.