In this episode of FIAT LUX, we talk to Eric Tung, the founder of Mel, Geph & Earendil. MEL aims to build a clean-slate L1 to expand the Web3 vision of a decentralized, secure, and private internet beyond blockchains. Earendil is the first anonymous communication and transaction network designed to be decentralized, incentive-compatible, and ban-resistant. It is a foundational off-chain protocol in the Mel ecosystem. Eric emphasizes the importance of decentralization, trustless interactions, and explores the vulnerabilities of centralized systems. The conversation delves into the resilience of the internet, the impact of shutdowns, and the demand for privacy in oppressive regimes, particularly in the Chinese underground VPN market. We also explore the unique perspective of living in China and the role of decentralized incentives in serving unserved populations. OUTLINE: 00:00 - Introduction 03:11 - Overview of Mel 07:24 - Discussion on Web3 and Post-Blockchain 11:41 - Motivation and Goals of Mel 18:03 - Expanding the Vision of Crypto and Web3 23:20 - Decentralization and the Post-Blockchain Idea 25:06 - Use Cases of Mel 37:05 - Traffic Obfuscation in Earendil 42:30 - Designing for Future Freedom and Censorship Resistance 46:42 - The Vulnerability of Centralized Systems 47:11 - The Resilience of the Internet 48:21 - Earendil and Internet Shutdowns 49:30 - The Economic Vacuum and Capitalism 52:20 - The Chinese Underground Market 54:08 - The Unique Perspective of Living in China 57:42 - The Importance of Privacy and Freedom 59:49 - The Cultural Mismatch in Perspectives 01:05:49 - The Need for Privacy in Oppressive Regimes 01:06:07 - The Demand for VPNs and Internet Freedom 01:10:09 - The Potential of Decentralized Incentives 01:13:55 - Using Market Forces to Serve Unserved People 01:16:12 - Helium and Mesh Networks 01:16:12 - Final Thoughts and Outro MEL & EARENDIL LINKS: Mel Website: https://melproject.org Mel Twitter: https://twitter.com/melproject_org Mel GitHub: https://github.com/mel-project Earendil Website: https://earendil.network/en/ Earendil GitHub: https://github.com/mel-project/earendil GUEST LINKS: Eric Tung Twitter: https://twitter.com/nullchinchilla PARTNERS: LunarDAO: https://lunardao.net/ LunarDAO Telegram: https://t.me/LunarDAO_Official PODCAST INFO: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10hiM3LIysUAWEDBzagUTH Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2283500 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fiat-lux/id1676853919 Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFZTFRb6hYfPS7epYpm4H_mXLEN3PijBB SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/yvesedwards Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/yvesedwards/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yvesedwards Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FiatLuxPodcast/ Discord: https://discord.gg/U2drBtpPrK Nostr: npub1t0e5s08h0eqh04clru0ft076gvcq0w3pac7mga4le486s2qqakqq3yydux SUPPORT THE SHOW: Lightning: https://sendsats.to/sloppydollar54@walletofsatoshi.com On-Chain: 34rpHJAnnie47BhujsWAyjYbPEaVuzgdjM Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FiatLuxPodcast GEAR: Mic (SAMSON Q2U): https://amzn.to/3GMxzQu Camera (Logitech StreamCam): https://amzn.to/3iImvfk Headphones (Sony WH-CH700N): https://amzn.to/3H7chyi #Crypto #Privacy #Mel #Anon