Unchained
Unchained
Laura Shin
Ethena's L1 Shows Fat Apps Are on the Rise. Can They Beat Fat Protocols? - Ep. 804
45 minutes Posted Mar 21, 2025 at 1:00 pm.
Intro
Why apps are out-earning the blockchains they run on
Ethena’s move: why it’s launching its own chain
The rise of “Fat Apps” and what it means for crypto
How today’s crypto founders think differently from past builders
The blockchain architectures that will dominate
Whether L1s can compete in this new environment
How blockchains accrue value and why MEV isn’t the best metric
News Recap
0:00
45:35
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Show notes
Blockchains were supposed to capture the majority of the value in crypto. But what if that’s wrong?
For years, the Fat Protocols Thesis argued that blockchains would be the biggest winners. But new data suggests that apps like Uniswap, Ethena, and others are now out-earning many networks.
Are we watching the rise of “Fat Apps” instead?
On this episode, Ryan Watkins, Co-founder at Syncracy Capital, talks about: 
Why the biggest apps are generating more revenue than many layer 1s
Why Ethena is launching its own blockchain
What this means for Ethereum, Solana & other L1s
How blockchains can compete on value capture
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
BitKey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off
FalconX
Mantle
Guest
Ryan Watkins, Co-founder at Syncracy Capital
Links
Unchained: Ethena Labs and Securitize to Launch New EVM Blockchain for DeFi
Syncracy Capital: Applications Capture Fees, Blockchains Store Value
Hansolar’s tweet 
Pump.fun launches its own DEX 
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