When Shift Happens Podcast

E161: Sui Founder Explains Why Ethereum & Solana Will Be Left Behind

11 snips
Mar 5, 2026
Evan Cheng, co-founder and CEO of Mysten Labs and creator of Sui, formerly an engineering lead on Facebook’s Libra/Diem, explains why object-based layer-one design matters. He discusses institutional tokenization, why account-led ledgers fall short, Sui’s technical building blocks, and how better low-level design aims to unlock faster settlement and real-world asset flows.
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INSIGHT

First Principles Beat Ledger Patchwork

  • Building for first principles beats patching past models because current solutions solve yesterday's problems.
  • Evan Cheng explains Sui rejected the account-based ledger mindset and designed an object model to handle complex, evolving assets.
INSIGHT

Single Rail Can't Fit All Confidentiality Needs

  • One rail can't serve both fully public and selectively private workflows without compromises.
  • Evan shows institutions need configurable confidentiality and atomic outcomes, not separate siloed private chains like Canton.
ADVICE

Bet Early And Prove Enterprise Value

  • Make a bet based on anticipated enterprise adoption and build infrastructure to prove it; then educate and onboard partners.
  • Evan compares corporate internet adoption to cloud and says you must push the shift and prove benefits.
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