About this episode
Looking for clarity on regulation? Zen Dragon feels you. *Not Financial Advice sat down with the Balancer Partner Manager in Denver just weeks after the protocol had deployed its much awaited v3: a revamp of the platform designed to make custom liquidity solutions easy, compliant, and flexible.
Specifically, the launch introduced a powerful new vault architecture, support for yield-bearing tokens, and Boosted Pools built with Aave to unlock extra returns for LPs. Fast forward to June 2025, and the protocol has surpassed $781M in TVL. You know you want to find out how.
Timestamps
00:00 – Sneak peek
00:15 – Zen’s origin story (yes, the name too)
01:08 – What makes Balancer V3 different from V2
02:56 – The inspiration behind V3: Boosted pools, hooks, and more
05:46 – Real example: How csUSDL | csUSDC boosted pool works
10:06 – Key ecosystem partners: Coinshift, Gyroscope, AAVE & more
11:56 – Chain strategy: Why Balancer chose Base, Arbitrum, Gnosis
14:05 – Hooks 101: Making AMMs dynamic & customizable
18:06 – Solving MEV & LVR: CoW AMMs, fees, and circuit breakers
19:49 – Rapid fire: Bear or bull? Hardest, and best part of the job?