Layer One

In episode four of Layer One, The Block's Kelvin Sparks and Hypha Founder Steven Gates were joined by Kite AI's Head of Business Development and Strategy, Lei Lei, to discuss why AI agents need dedicated blockchain infrastructure rather than general purpose blockchains. The trio also touch on the recent hype around Claude Code, why enterprise giants are panicking about AI disruption, and how the X-402 payments protocol did $600M in volume last year.

OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction

01:13 - Claude Code

04:26 - Why Avalanche

09:40 - X-402 Explained

13:01 - General Purpose Chains

19:37 - Swarms Gone Rogue

26:53 - Crypto-Native Enterprises?

30:03 - $600M & Counting

37:04 - Big Name Backers

42:07 - Winners & Losers

47:30 - Outro

Host/Guest links:

Lei Lei - https://x.com/lei_lei0904

⁠KiteAI - ⁠https://x.com/GoKiteAI

Steven Gates - ⁠twitter.com/stvngts⁠

Kelvin Sparks - ⁠twitter.com/imyoungsparks⁠

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Show Notes

In episode four of Layer One, The Block's Kelvin Sparks and Hypha Founder Steven Gates were joined by Kite AI's Head of Business Development and Strategy, Lei Lei, to discuss why AI agents need dedicated blockchain infrastructure rather than general purpose blockchains. The trio also touch on the recent hype around Claude Code, why enterprise giants are panicking about AI disruption, and how the X-402 payments protocol did $600M in volume last year.


OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction

01:13 - Claude Code

04:26 - Why Avalanche

09:40 - X-402 Explained

13:01 - General Purpose Chains

19:37 - Swarms Gone Rogue

26:53 - Crypto-Native Enterprises?

30:03 - $600M & Counting

37:04 - Big Name Backers

42:07 - Winners & Losers

47:30 - Outro


Host/Guest links:

Lei Lei - https://x.com/lei_lei0904

KiteAI - ⁠https://x.com/GoKiteAI

Steven Gates - ⁠twitter.com/stvngts⁠

Kelvin Sparks - ⁠twitter.com/imyoungsparks⁠

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters!

🚨 Breaking News

👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis

📈 Market Insights

Subscribe now 👉 ⁠https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hiring in crypto?

🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!

✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test

⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teamsStart your free trial today

👉 ⁠https://theblock.co/campus

What is Layer One?

The Layer One podcast, created in collaboration with Avalanche, features co-hosts Kelvin Sparks and John Wu as they unpack the real forces driving the crypto market forward.

Through candid conversations with the industry’s true movers and shakers, the show delivers clear, grounded insights that cut through the noise.