Harmonic Fires Back in Solana’s Block Building Wars | Ben Coverston

Gm! In today’s episode we are joined by Harmonic CEO Ben Coverston to discuss his background in quantitative trading and transition to crypto, the evolution of DeFi on Solana, and Harmonic’s approach to block building and transaction scheduling. We also cover market structure debates, decentralization concerns, competition among block builders, and potential protocol changes like MCP and Alpenglow. Enjoy! -- Follow Lightspeed: ⁠https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq⁠ Follow Harmonic: https://x.com/harmonic_gg Follow Temporal: https://x.com/temporal_xyz Follow Ben Coverston: https://x.com/HypoNyms Follow Carlos: https://x.com/0xcarlosg Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Join the Lightspeed Telegram: ⁠https://t.me/+QHlbNTNS4gc1ZTVh -- Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in New York City this March!  Use the link below to learn more, and use code LIGHTSPEED200  to get $200 off your ticket! See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-nyc-2026 -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:14) Ben's Background (9:34) The Temporal Ecosystem (13:14) Inside Harmonic: Solana's New Block Builder (22:37) Block Builder Wars & Criticism from Competitors (29:26) Solana's Future Architecture (50:07) The Future of DeFi Market Structure (1:00:13) Closing Comments -- Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Danny, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.