Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
In Episode 68 of Colors of Web3 & Entrepreneurship, we dive into the Bitcoin ecosystem with Sebastian Guaqueta, software engineer at Rootstock. Sebastian’s story is inspiring—from mechanical engineer in Colombia to game dev, to Web3 hacker, and now helping bring DeFi to Bitcoin through Rootstock.
We explore how Rootstock brings smart contract functionality to Bitcoin using an EVM-compatible Layer 2, powered by merge mining. Sebastian breaks down how the protocol works, the innovative Hacktivator program for developers, and the unique DAO-powered grants for builders. For those curious about real Bitcoin use cases beyond store of value, this is an episode packed with technical depth and real-world applications.
Whether you’re a Bitcoin OG, an Ethereum dev, or someone curious about where DeFi is headed, this episode is your bridge between the chains.
⏳ Timestamps:
00:00:00 Trailer
00:00:28 Intro & Sebastian’s intro
00:01:24 Sebastian’s background: engineer to Web3
00:02:40 How Sebastian got into freelancing
00:06:18 Big gaming project in Singapore
00:09:23 Why Sebastian loves Hackathons
00:11:21 First hackathon win
00:12:35 Carbon offset project on Celo
00:15:13 ETHGlobal finalist story
00:18:39 Sebastian's Hobbies: FIFA & soccer
00:24:18 Deep dive on Rootstock
00:26:18 Merged mining concept explained
00:27:03 RBTC bridge
00:30:18 Some statistics of Rootstock
00:30:55 Some ideas to build on Rootstock
00:31:59 Dev tools & Hacktivator
00:34:55 Rootstock DAO grants
00:37:39 POWpeg bridge
00:39:05 Potential apps that can be built on Rootstock
00:41:17 Leveraging Bitcoin in DeFi use case
00:43:06 Rootstock Collective - Governance
00:48:39 People and team behind Rootstock
00:50:59 Team communication challenge
00:52:24 ZK integration challenge
00:54:25 Competition in Bitcoin L2s
00:55:53 Future of Bitcoin ecosystem
00:58:53 Limitations due to Bitcoin architecture
00:59:43 Mining reward sustainability
01:02:52 80% of Bitcoin hash rate go into merge mining
01:05:16 Breaking into Web3 advice
01:07:14 The importance of networking
01:09:13 Where to follow Sebastian
01:10:06 Outro & next episode preview
Follow Sebastian Guaqueta and Rootstock:
Rootstock's Website: rootstock.io
Rootstock DAO: https://rootstockcollective.xyz/
Rootstock hacktivator: dev.rootstock.io/resources/contribute/hacktivator
Sebastian's Twitter/X: https://x.com/scguaquetam
Rootstock's Twitter/X: https://x.com/rootstock_io
Rootstock Github: github.com/rsksmart
My social media:
Twitter/X: twitter.com/LamWeb3
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lamweb3/
Website: https://lamtrinh.xyz
My old article about the 2-3 prevailing narratives of 2024-2025: substack.com/home/post/p-143541984
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming episodes with industry experts and innovators in the Web3 and Entrepreneurship spaces. Thank you for listening!
In Episode 68 of Colors of Web3 & Entrepreneurship, we dive into the Bitcoin ecosystem with Sebastian Guaqueta, software engineer at Rootstock. Sebastian’s story is inspiring—from mechanical engineer in Colombia to game dev, to Web3 hacker, and now helping bring DeFi to Bitcoin through Rootstock.
We explore how Rootstock brings smart contract functionality to Bitcoin using an EVM-compatible Layer 2, powered by merge mining. Sebastian breaks down how the protocol works, the innovative Hacktivator program for developers, and the unique DAO-powered grants for builders. For those curious about real Bitcoin use cases beyond store of value, this is an episode packed with technical depth and real-world applications.
Whether you’re a Bitcoin OG, an Ethereum dev, or someone curious about where DeFi is headed, this episode is your bridge between the chains.
⏳ Timestamps:
00:00:00 Trailer
00:00:28 Intro & Sebastian’s intro
00:01:24 Sebastian’s background: engineer to Web3
00:02:40 How Sebastian got into freelancing
00:06:18 Big gaming project in Singapore
00:09:23 Why Sebastian loves Hackathons
00:11:21 First hackathon win
00:12:35 Carbon offset project on Celo
00:15:13 ETHGlobal finalist story
00:18:39 Sebastian's Hobbies: FIFA & soccer
00:24:18 Deep dive on Rootstock
00:26:18 Merged mining concept explained
00:27:03 RBTC bridge
00:30:18 Some statistics of Rootstock
00:30:55 Some ideas to build on Rootstock
00:31:59 Dev tools & Hacktivator
00:34:55 Rootstock DAO grants
00:37:39 POWpeg bridge
00:39:05 Potential apps that can be built on Rootstock
00:41:17 Leveraging Bitcoin in DeFi use case
00:43:06 Rootstock Collective - Governance
00:48:39 People and team behind Rootstock
00:50:59 Team communication challenge
00:52:24 ZK integration challenge
00:54:25 Competition in Bitcoin L2s
00:55:53 Future of Bitcoin ecosystem
00:58:53 Limitations due to Bitcoin architecture
00:59:43 Mining reward sustainability
01:02:52 80% of Bitcoin hash rate go into merge mining
01:05:16 Breaking into Web3 advice
01:07:14 The importance of networking
01:09:13 Where to follow Sebastian
01:10:06 Outro & next episode preview
Follow Sebastian Guaqueta and Rootstock:
Rootstock's Website: rootstock.io
Rootstock DAO: https://rootstockcollective.xyz/
Rootstock hacktivator: dev.rootstock.io/resources/contribute/hacktivator
Sebastian's Twitter/X: https://x.com/scguaquetam
Rootstock's Twitter/X: https://x.com/rootstock_io
Rootstock Github: github.com/rsksmart
My social media:
Twitter/X: twitter.com/LamWeb3
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lamweb3/
Website: https://lamtrinh.xyz
My old article about the 2-3 prevailing narratives of 2024-2025: substack.com/home/post/p-143541984
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming episodes with industry experts and innovators in the Web3 and Entrepreneurship spaces. Thank you for listening!
