Chain Reactions Ep.48 Ben from Rootstock
Tue Jan 27 2026
In Episode 48 of Chain Reactions, we sit down with Ben Sanders, Chief Growth Officer at [Rootstock Labs](https://rootstock.io/), to unpack what it takes to grow the oldest Bitcoin sidechain in an industry obsessed with short-term wins.Ben came into crypto with zero degen credentials. His background spans management consulting at Bain, go-to-market at WorldPay ahead of their IPO, and executive roles at fintech startups like Chipper Cash. He joined Rootstock for an interim role and ended up staying to lead growth for a chain that's been quietly building Bitcoin programmability for nearly a decade.**We cover:**- How Ben learned Bitcoin, crypto, and Rootstock all at once (with no prior Web3 experience)- The origin of Rootstock: Argentinian Bitcoiners building EVM compatibility on Bitcoin before it was cool- Why Rootstock is the "next best thing to Bitcoin" with 90% of Bitcoin's hash rate- The 3 A's framework for growth: Awareness, Attractiveness, Accessibility- Market entry strategies for Korea (retail, CEX listings) vs Japan (institutional, relationship-driven)- Rootstock Institutional and the $260B opportunity in dormant Bitcoin- Why long-term brand building is the most underrated tactic in Web3We also get into TradFi-DeFi convergence, why airdrops are overrated, and what it means to "run your own race" when every project around you is chasing flavor-of-the-month narratives.---**Timestamps**00:00 – Intro and getting started02:00 – Ben's path: Bain, WorldPay, fintech startups, zero crypto background05:30 – Learning Bitcoin, crypto, and Rootstock all at once07:30 – The shift back to utility and self-sovereignty of money09:30 – What is Rootstock: Argentinian Bitcoiners and programmable Bitcoin11:30 – Rootstock vs Rootstock Labs vs RIF token explained14:00 – First priority as CGO: interoperability and on-ramps17:00 – Why Rootstock over other Bitcoin L2s (safety, security, hash rate)20:00 – Bitcoin holders vs retail degens: different audiences, different approaches24:00 – The 3 A's framework: Awareness, Attractiveness, Accessibility26:00 – Market entry into Korea and Japan with Myosin28:30 – Korea Blockchain Week and the Korbit listing31:00 – 2026 focus: consolidation over expansion32:30 – Rootstock Institutional and unlocking $260B in dormant Bitcoin40:00 – TradFi and DeFi convergence: the industry is finally catching up44:00 – Where Rootstock fits as the space matures47:00 – Alpha for Bitcoin holders: what's coming in the next 6-9 months51:00 – Rapid fire: most underrated marketing tactic (long-term brand building)53:30 – Rapid fire: most overrated tactic (airdrops, renting TVL)55:30 – Projects doing it right: Morpho, Midas, Wheeler57:30 – Biggest learning: stay focused, run your own race---**Show Notes & Mentions**- 🔗 [Rootstock](https://rootstock.io/) – The longest-running Bitcoin sidechain with EVM compatibility- 🧵 [Rootstock on X](https://x.com/rootaboratory)- 🪙 [RIF Token](https://rif.technology/) – Governance and utility token for the Rootstock ecosystem- 🏦 [Rootstock Institutional](https://www.rootstocklabs.com/institutional/) – Institutional Bitcoin deployment solutions- 🇰🇷 [Korbit](https://korbit.co.kr/) – Korean centralized exchange where RIF is now listed- 🌉 [LayerZero](https://layerzero.network/) – Cross-chain interoperability protocol- 💵 [USDT Zero](https://tether.to/) – Stablecoin integration for Rootstock- 🏛️ [Morpho](https://morpho.org/) – Lending protocol- 🪙 [Midas](https://midas.app/) – Real world assets protocol- 📊 [Wheeler](https://wheeler.fi/) – Lending protocol- 🥩 [Steakhouse Finance](https://steakhouse.financial/) – DeFi analytics and strategy
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In Episode 48 of Chain Reactions, we sit down with Ben Sanders, Chief Growth Officer at [Rootstock Labs](https://rootstock.io/), to unpack what it takes to grow the oldest Bitcoin sidechain in an industry obsessed with short-term wins.Ben came into crypto with zero degen credentials. His background spans management consulting at Bain, go-to-market at WorldPay ahead of their IPO, and executive roles at fintech startups like Chipper Cash. He joined Rootstock for an interim role and ended up staying to lead growth for a chain that's been quietly building Bitcoin programmability for nearly a decade.**We cover:**- How Ben learned Bitcoin, crypto, and Rootstock all at once (with no prior Web3 experience)- The origin of Rootstock: Argentinian Bitcoiners building EVM compatibility on Bitcoin before it was cool- Why Rootstock is the "next best thing to Bitcoin" with 90% of Bitcoin's hash rate- The 3 A's framework for growth: Awareness, Attractiveness, Accessibility- Market entry strategies for Korea (retail, CEX listings) vs Japan (institutional, relationship-driven)- Rootstock Institutional and the $260B opportunity in dormant Bitcoin- Why long-term brand building is the most underrated tactic in Web3We also get into TradFi-DeFi convergence, why airdrops are overrated, and what it means to "run your own race" when every project around you is chasing flavor-of-the-month narratives.---**Timestamps**00:00 – Intro and getting started02:00 – Ben's path: Bain, WorldPay, fintech startups, zero crypto background05:30 – Learning Bitcoin, crypto, and Rootstock all at once07:30 – The shift back to utility and self-sovereignty of money09:30 – What is Rootstock: Argentinian Bitcoiners and programmable Bitcoin11:30 – Rootstock vs Rootstock Labs vs RIF token explained14:00 – First priority as CGO: interoperability and on-ramps17:00 – Why Rootstock over other Bitcoin L2s (safety, security, hash rate)20:00 – Bitcoin holders vs retail degens: different audiences, different approaches24:00 – The 3 A's framework: Awareness, Attractiveness, Accessibility26:00 – Market entry into Korea and Japan with Myosin28:30 – Korea Blockchain Week and the Korbit listing31:00 – 2026 focus: consolidation over expansion32:30 – Rootstock Institutional and unlocking $260B in dormant Bitcoin40:00 – TradFi and DeFi convergence: the industry is finally catching up44:00 – Where Rootstock fits as the space matures47:00 – Alpha for Bitcoin holders: what's coming in the next 6-9 months51:00 – Rapid fire: most underrated marketing tactic (long-term brand building)53:30 – Rapid fire: most overrated tactic (airdrops, renting TVL)55:30 – Projects doing it right: Morpho, Midas, Wheeler57:30 – Biggest learning: stay focused, run your own race---**Show Notes & Mentions**- 🔗 [Rootstock](https://rootstock.io/) – The longest-running Bitcoin sidechain with EVM compatibility- 🧵 [Rootstock on X](https://x.com/rootaboratory)- 🪙 [RIF Token](https://rif.technology/) – Governance and utility token for the Rootstock ecosystem- 🏦 [Rootstock Institutional](https://www.rootstocklabs.com/institutional/) – Institutional Bitcoin deployment solutions- 🇰🇷 [Korbit](https://korbit.co.kr/) – Korean centralized exchange where RIF is now listed- 🌉 [LayerZero](https://layerzero.network/) – Cross-chain interoperability protocol- 💵 [USDT Zero](https://tether.to/) – Stablecoin integration for Rootstock- 🏛️ [Morpho](https://morpho.org/) – Lending protocol- 🪙 [Midas](https://midas.app/) – Real world assets protocol- 📊 [Wheeler](https://wheeler.fi/) – Lending protocol- 🥩 [Steakhouse Finance](https://steakhouse.financial/) – DeFi analytics and strategy