The Brave Technologist

Pablo Sabbatella, Founder of Opsek and a member of the Security Alliance (SEAL), explains why almost all crypto theft now happens by "breaking" people, not code. He covers the rise of physical "wrench attacks" on crypto holders, why AI is making security worse before it gets better, and how a scam can quietly split one conversation into two. He also reveals how North Korean operatives are passing job interviews, getting hired, and showing up to daily standups inside crypto companies.
Key Takeaways:
Why most stolen crypto is lost through people and processes, not flawed code

How North Korean operatives get hired, and the simple tests that can expose them

What a scam that splits one conversation into two groups looks like, and why so few catch it

Why AI is making security worse before it gets better

How a few browser habits can close doors most people don't know are open

Guest Bio:
Pablo Sabbatella is the founder of Opsek, where he and his team run operational security audits and training for digital asset organizations & high net work individuals (HNWIs). Opsek works with clients like Optimism, Sky, Electric Capital, and Centrifuge, and its research shows that 98% of stolen crypto funds come from operational security failures, rather than smart contract bugs.
Pablo is a member of Security Alliance (SEAL) and sits on the security councils of Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, and ENS. He also hosts the Blockchain Security Series podcast and shares security research with his 83K followers on X.
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About this Show:
The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!
Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.
The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.
Music by: Ari Dvorin
Produced by: Sam Laliberte

Peter Gray, BD Manager at Origin Protocol, shares what it looks like to build and maintain trust in a DeFi protocol that has been running yield-bearing products since before most of the space understood what that meant. He explains how the Automated Redemption Manager creates yield opportunities; why the Origin Protocol simplified its stablecoin architecture; and why idle liquidity is the problem Origin aims to solve.
Key Takeaways: 
What the Automated Redemption Manager does

Why the Origin Dollar simplified from three backing stablecoins to one

What yield forwarding unlocks, including new market structures

How the Origin Protocol thinks about due diligence when integrating with other protocols

A prediction on how idle liquidity will effectively cease to exist within five years

Guest Bio:
Peter Gray is BD Manager at Origin Protocol, a decentralized finance protocol founded in 2017. Over his four-plus years with Origin, he has focused on integrating Origin's products across platforms and finding ways for users to maximize the yield they earn. He has also authored over 100 DAO proposals during his time at Origin, making him one of the more prolific governance contributors in the space. Outside of work, he's a musician, hockey player, and avid skier based in Nashville, TN.
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About this Show:
The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!
Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.
The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.
Music by: Ari Dvorin
Produced by: Sam Laliberte

Cisco Aguilar, Nevada's Secretary of State, shares what it's like to run a government office with the discipline of a technology company, and discusses how that mindset led Nevada to overhaul both its statewide voter registration system and its business filing infrastructure at the same time. He explains how the state survived one of the largest cyberattacks in US history without its systems being touched, and why he refused to hand over Nevada voters' personal data to the federal government.
Key Takeaways: 
How Nevada survived a major cyberattack by turning to the private sector rather than waiting for federal support

Why Cisco refused a federal request for Nevada voters' Social Security numbers, birthdays, and driver's license numbers

How Nevada consolidated 17 separate county voter systems into one statewide platform in just 14 months

What happened when Nevada's old business filing system went down for an entire month and what the Orion system is designed to prevent

Why centralized systems can actually protect privacy (rather than threaten it)

Guest Bio:
Cisco Aguilar serves as Nevada's Secretary of State. As Secretary, he is focused on three major principles: modernization, innovation, and transparency. With an understanding of the office as a technology company, he has spearheaded two major projects to overhaul the state's business licensing and elections systems.
As an entrepreneur, he understands that time spent navigating red tape and complicated systems means less time invested in your business. Leveraging emerging technologies, he seeks to make Nevada the best place in the country to do business.
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About this Show:
The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!
Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.
The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.
Music by: Ari Dvorin

Margi Sheth, Head of AI Governance & Enablement at Novo Nordisk, shares what it takes to build AI governance inside one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world. She explains how pharma's long history of bioethics gives organizations a strong compass for navigating AI decisions; why governance that feels like a checkbox will always get bypassed; and why the field of AI ethics needs people from every background.
Key Takeaways: 
How pharmaceutical companies balance the ethical obligation to accelerate medicine with the obligation not to compromise patient safety

What other industries can learn from pharma's method of adopting AI across multiple global jurisdictions with different regulatory requirements

Why the stakes of AI governance in healthcare go beyond fines, and how that shapes the way Novo Nordisk approaches regulatory preparedness

Why having people from diverse backgrounds (not just technical expertise) in the room is essential when AI governance decisions get made

Guest Bio:
Margi Sheth is the Head of AI Governance & Enablement at Novo Nordisk. She's an AI ethics champion within the pharmaceutical industry, previously serving as Senior Director of Data Policy and AI Governance at AstraZeneca. She specializes in building operational governance frameworks for large global organizations, navigating the practical and ethical complexities of AI adoption.
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About this Show:
The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!
Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.
The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.
Music by: Ari Dvorin
Produced by: Sam Laliberte

Cody Carbone, CEO of The Digital Chamber, shares what the digital asset industry has been fighting for in Washington, and explains why clear, durable legislation is the only thing that can give builders, developers, and investors the confidence to operate in the United States long-term. He breaks down what the CLARITY Act does for builders who have been operating without legal certainty; how the stablecoin market responded when the GENIUS Act passed; and why the current regulatory environment is insufficient.
Key Takeaways: 
What the CLARITY Act does for developers and token issuers

How personnel changes at the SEC and CFTC shifted the regulatory environment for digital assets

What the passage of the GENIUS Act demonstrated about the relationship between regulatory clarity and market growth

Why durable progress in digital assets requires legislation that can withstand changes in administration, not just favorable appointments

Guest Bio:
Cody Carbone is the CEO of The Digital Chamber, the world's largest digital asset and blockchain trade association, representing the industry in Washington with the White House, Regulators, and Capitol Hill.
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About this Show:
The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!
Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.
The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.
Music by: Ari Dvorin
Produced by: Sam Laliberte