Scalability, Network Design, & The Blockchain Trilemma | Ep 4 - 6

In this explosive episode of Cypherpunk’d, we sit down with Dr. K, CTO of Quai Network, to uncover a breakthrough that could redefine blockchain, economics, and money itself.

From dismantling Vitalik’s blockchain trilemma to building a system that mirrors a grand unified theory of physics, Dr. K reveals how his team solved scaling in a way no one else dared to attempt. We dig into PoEM (Proof of Entropy Minima), multi-way graphs, causal invariance, and why Chi—Quai’s energy-based currency—is designed not to replace Bitcoin, but the U.S. dollar itself.

Along the way, we dive into macroeconomics, thermoeconomics, and how tying money to physics could create the first truly decentralized, stable, censorship-resistant unit of account. Whether you’re a Bitcoiner, an Ethereum dev, or a skeptic, this is one conversation you can’t afford to miss.

Timestamps:
0:00 — Introduction & context
2:30 — Why the trilemma misses the mark
7:55 — PoEM and instant consensus
13:40 — Scaling without limits
19:20 — Physics and causal invariance
24:50 — Chi: energy-based money
35:10 — Replacing dollars, not Bitcoin
47:20 — Decentralization without compromise
1:05:00 — The vision for global scale

Guests & Mentions:
@DrK @QuaiNetwork @WolframResearch

#Bitcoin #Blockchain #Web3 #DeFi #Crypto #Physics #GrandUnifiedTheory #PoEM #Thermoeconomics #Cypherpunk