Summary

Alon Morch, founder and CEO of SSV Labs, talks about how his time in the Israeli military shaped how he thinks about risk, leadership, and building companies. He explains what SSV Labs actually does: an engineering team behind SSV Network that works on Ethereum’s staking and validator infrastructure so validators can be safer, more flexible, and earn more. The conversation moves through the evolution of crypto, why Ethereum still has the tech edge, and how Layer 2s are really businesses that need to grow, not just “ecosystem projects.” Alon shares his view of “Ethereum at war,” why decentralization still matters but needs real-world execution, and how based applications and extended validator functionality open new revenue paths. He closes with where SSV Labs is headed and how builders, validators, and the community can get involved.

Takeaways

— Military service shaped Alon’s mindset around discipline, risk, and ownership in startups.

— SSV Labs builds core Ethereum staking and validator infrastructure as the team behind SSV Network.

— Ethereum still has tech supremacy for serious builders, but it needs to compete harder.

— Decentralization matters, but it has to be paired with clear incentives and strong execution.

— Layer 2s are real businesses, and their incentives need to align with Ethereum’s long-term health.

— Cultural shifts are pushing Ethereum from pure ideals toward “Ethereum at war” competitiveness.

— Validators can earn more by extending their functionality through based applications and new roles.

— A marketplace for validator services changes validators from passive operators into entrepreneurs.

— The future of Ethereum involves tighter interaction between validators, L2s, and based applications.

— SSV Labs wants to open up advanced staking and validator setups to more builders and the wider community.

Chapters

00:00 Military service, discipline, and founding a startup

02:30 What SSV Labs is building on Ethereum

05:18 How crypto, staking, and validators have evolved

08:02 Inside SSV Network and distributed validator tech

10:38 Why decentralization and validator design actually matter

13:15 ETH’s value, tech lead, and market realities

15:51 L2s as businesses and their relationship with Ethereum

18:43 Based rollups, based applications, and “Ethereum at war”

21:28 Cultural shifts the Ethereum community needs to stay competitive

23:55 Roadmap and goals for SSV Labs

26:37 How builders, validators, and the community can plug into SSV Labs

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With support from Infinex

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