#181 – Sergey Nazarov: Chainlink, Smart Contracts, and Oracle Networks

The following is a conversation with Sergey Nazarov, CEO of Chainlink, which is a decentralized oracle network that provides data to smart contracts. He and his team have done seminal research and engineering in the space of smart contracts. Check out the Chainlink 20 white paper that I found to be a great overview of their technology and vision. It's 136 pages but very accessible. Quick mention of our sponsors, wine access, athletic greens, magic spoon indeed and betterhelp check them out in the description to support this podcast. As a side note, let me say that externally connected smart contracts that combine the ocean of data out there with the security of the blockchain are fascinating to me, both technically and philosophically. Data is knowledge and knowledge is power. I think the more reliable data sources we integrate into our decision making, especially when those decisions are executed by programs, the more efficient and productive our decisions become. There are interactions between humans that should not be formalized digitally, like love, for example. But for all the others, there's no reason for smart contracts not to automate away the menial parts of life, making more room for good conversation over brisket and maybe some vodka with old new friends. As usual, I'll do a few minutes of ads now. I try to make these interesting, but I give you timestamps friends, so if you skip, please still check out the sponsors by clicking the links in the description. It really is the best way to support this podcast. I'm very picky with the sponsors with select, so hopefully if you buy their stuff and you should, you'll find value in it just as I have. This podcast is sponsored by wine access online store with expertly selected wine. I love it because it lets me explore wines. My current recommendation is the 2017 Segazio Family Vineyards old vine Sinvendo from Sonoma County. I don't know if I pronounced that correctly, but I do know it's delicious. It comes from smaller grapes that intensify the flavor. And if you know anything about me, I love passion and I love intense flavor. Obviously, I've been really into brisket lately and I actually, for all the barbecue places I've gone to, never had wine at the barbecue place, it's always just focused on the brisket. I wonder how that actually tastes like. But when I eat steak, red wine is perfection. Steak, red wine and a good friend, good conversation. That's heaven for me. Anyway, get 20% off your first order when you go to wineaccess.com lex. The discount will be applied at checkout. That's wineaccess.com lex to see my wine picks and to get the discount. Plus to explore all the amazing wines I have there, I highly recommend it. This show is also sponsored by Athletic greens, the all in one daily drink to support better health and peak performance. It replaced the multivitamin for me and went far beyond that with 75 vitamins and minerals. It's the first thing I drink every day. I actually have been drinking it twice a day. I break the fast with it and I drink it at some point in the afternoon or the evening. I think there's a lot of nutritional benefits, but there's also just like psychological benefits of knowing you got that base covered and you can take on the day with all the crazy things that I'm doing, both in terms of just programming, deep work sessions and athletic endeavors, however limited I am skill wise in any of those. Anyway, they also got fish oil and I think they're giving you one month supply free of wild caught omega three fish oil when you sign up on athleticgreens.com flex. If you're anything like me, I think you're going to really enjoy it, taste wise and nutrition wise. This episode is also sponsored by Magic spoon low carb keto friendly cereal. It has 0 gram of sugar, 13 to 14 grams of protein, only four net grams of carbs, and 140 calories in each serving. I feel like Bruce buffer introducing a fighter here with a record of 13 and 111 coming by knockout, magic Spoon is a cereal that gives you 100% happiness guarantee. So if you don't like it, they refund it. They're actually releasing a new flavor called Birthday Cake. I definitely need to check that out. My favorite flavor still after all this time is cocoa, but I'm sure birthday cake is going to be pretty good too. Somebody on the YouTube comments actually funny enough, commented about all the magic spoon cereal that his wife bought. I feel the love. I really appreciate it. And he was joking about what am I going to do with all that cereal. My suggestion is you eat it because it's delicious. But either way, buying stuff from these sponsors, trying them out, that's genuinely the best way to support this podcast. I enjoy their stuff. I really think you'll enjoy it too. Anyway, go to magicspoon.com lex and use code Lex at checkout to save $5 off your order. That's magicspoon.com lex and use code lex. This episode is brought to you by, indeed a hiring website. I've used them as part of many hiring efforts I've done for the teams I've led. They've actually sent me some read suggestions, which, by the way, for most sponsors I usually ignore about AI versus human and that humans still have something to contribute. And that's why you would use indeed, I like it when sponsors try to insert a little humor. Lord knows I have none. But anyway, it is kind of funny to think that one day we'll be hiring AI systems and human biological systems, because I do think there's a few fundamental questions around what do humans really do best? I think that's a really important question to answer when you're hiring somebody. What is the essence of the task at hand where the particular person can do their best work? That's something you have to answer for yourself when you're hiring. Obviously it's as much of an art as it is a science. But you do want to be using a good platform. Indeed is one such good platform. You should definitely try them out right now. You can get free $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post if you go to indeed Lex. That's indeed Lex. Termsandconditions apply indeed Lex. This episode is also sponsored by Tim Dillon's favorite sponsor, Betterhelp, spelled H-E-L-P. Help. It's easy, private, affordable, available worldwide. They figure out what you need and match you with a licensed professional therapist in under 48 hours. You should definitely check out the Tim Dillon show to observe a man from a sort of psychological case study perspective that is clearly losing his mind and probably should go to betterhelp.com flex. I'm only joking, of course. He's just honestly a fearless, vicious comedian who's holding people's feet to the fire, which is really good for this world. And of course, whenever he makes fun of me, it truly is an honor. Anyway, check out betterhelp@betterhelp.com. Lex. It's easy, private, affordable, available worldwide. They figure out what you need and match you with a licensed professional therapist in under 48 hours. That's betterhelp.com lex, spelled H-E-L-P. Help. This is the Lex Friedman podcast, and here's my conversation with sergey nazarov.