The case for a crypto super app in a multi-chain world
Watch on YouTube ↗  |  February 04, 2026 at 15:12 UTC  |  41:43  |  The Block
Speakers
Kain Warwick — Founder of Infinex / Founder of Synthetix
Tim Copeland — Head of Growth at The Block

Summary

  • The "Super App" Thesis: Warwick argues the next phase of crypto adoption (2026–2031) will be driven by "Super Apps" that abstract away chains, gas, and bridging, offering a UX parity with centralized exchanges (CEXs) while remaining non-custodial.
  • Market Context (Feb 2026): The interview takes place in early 2026, following a significant market crash referred to as "10/10" (October 10, 2025). Warwick predicts a 12–24 month recovery period for the market to rebuild open interest and margin lost during that event.
  • CEX vs. On-Chain: While CEXs (Coinbase, Binance) currently dominate due to ease of use, Warwick believes on-chain protocols (Poly Market, Hyperliquid) offer superior products. The "Super App" is the bridge to move users from CEXs to on-chain protocols.
  • Infinex Launch: Infinex (INX) has just launched its token. The platform aggregates DEXs, bridges, and chains (Solana, Ethereum, Monad, MegaETH) into a single interface.
Trade Ideas
Ticker Direction Speaker Thesis Time
LONG Kain Warwick
Founder, Synthetix / Infinex
Warwick states Infinex is built for a "multi-chain world" where Solana is a "real thing," and mentions supporting upcoming chains like MegaETH and Monad. He notes they use "Sunrise" for liquidity provisioning on Solana. The "Super App" removes the tribalism and friction of specific chains. By abstracting gas (paying gas for the user), Infinex increases the velocity of money across *all* integrated L1s. A successful super app is bullish for the underlying infrastructure it sits on top of, as it removes the "bridging barrier" that currently keeps liquidity siloed. Long the L1 infrastructure basket. Commoditization of L1 blockspace; technical exploits in the bridging/aggregation layer. 1:43
INX
LONG Kain Warwick
Founder, Synthetix / Infinex
Warwick confirms Infinex has just launched its token (INX) and is actively conducting buybacks ("All things being equal, buybacks are better"). He states the platform is designed to close the UX gap with centralized exchanges within six months. The "Super App" thesis relies on a winner-take-most interface. If Infinex succeeds in abstracting gas and bridging across chains (Solana, Monad, ETH), it becomes the primary liquidity funnel for retail users, accruing value to the governance token via buybacks and volume. Long as a play on the "UX Abstraction" narrative. Execution risk in a "down only" market (post-10/10 crash); high competition from wallets like MetaMask/Phantom pivoting to similar models. 21:21
LONG Kain Warwick
Founder, Synthetix / Infinex
Warwick explicitly names Poly Market and Hyperliquid as examples of apps where "demand is super high" but "barriers are still high." He notes that once friction is removed, using them becomes a "no-brainer." Infinex is effectively a "frontend aggregator." It does not replace these protocols; it routes volume to them. If the Super App thesis works, the underlying "best-in-class" derivatives and prediction protocols (Backend) will see a surge in volume from users who previously couldn't figure out how to bridge/swap to use them. Long the underlying protocols that Infinex integrates. Regulatory crackdowns on prediction markets or derivatives; failure of the frontend aggregator to gain traction. 10:10
AVOID Kain Warwick
Founder, Synthetix / Infinex
Warwick argues that if the industry cannot get people trading directly on-chain, "the experiment has been a failure." He predicts that in 5-10 years, pure-play on-chain apps will be the dominant form factor, replacing the current dominance of CEXs. This is a disruption thesis. Currently, CEXs win on UX. If Infinex (or similar apps) achieve UX parity (Passkeys, no seed phrases, instant deposit), the competitive moat of CEXs evaporates, forcing them to either hybridize or lose market share to non-custodial interfaces. Avoid CEX tokens as a long-term hold if you subscribe to the UX abstraction thesis. CEXs successfully pivot to become "Super Apps" themselves (Warwick admits they are trying to hybridize).