Scaling Trust: Alex Gluchowski on Matter Labs, ZKsync, & the Future of Ethereum

Alex Gluchowski, co-founder and CEO of Matter Labs, joins host Dylan Grabowski for a deep dive into ZKsync, the rise of zero-knowledge technology, and the rapid evolution of Ethereum’s scaling landscape. He shares how personal experiences shaped his mission of economic freedom, why privacy must evolve for global adoption, and how the Elastic Network aims to unite consumer, enterprise, and institutional use cases under one ZK-powered ecosystem.

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, Dylan Grabowski speaks with Alex Gluchowski, co-founder and CEO of Matter Labs, the engineering team behind ZKsync and the ZK Stack powering Ethereum’s zero-knowledge ecosystem.

Gluchowski shares his journey from growing up in post-Soviet Ukraine—where financial instability and institutional distrust were the norm—to discovering Bitcoin as a tool for freedom. He explains why zero-knowledge proofs felt “too good to be true,” how early cryptographic constraints slowed adoption, and how recent breakthroughs now make ZK the most scalable and secure path forward for blockchains.

The conversation explores the growth of ZKsync, the introduction of the Elastic Network, and why Gluchowski believes all rollups will eventually migrate to ZK. He discusses the challenges of onboarding institutions, the rising demand for stablecoins and compliant privacy, and the pivotal role ZK infrastructure will play as real-world assets, enterprises, and global finance move on-chain.

Gluchowski also highlights the importance of user incentives, developer experience, and the need for seamless interoperability across chains—sharing how ZK recursion, rapid proving, and institutional-grade privacy are shaping Ethereum’s long-term trajectory.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

How Alex’s early experiences with hyperinflation and institutional distrust shaped his mission for ZKsync
Why ZK technology took years longer than expected to become usable
Why scalable proofs, recursion, and fast settlement can unlock a global blockchain economy
The difference between privacy for individuals vs institutions — and why both matter
How the Elastic Network connects ZK rollups into one cohesive ecosystem
Why Alex believes optimistic rollups will phase out over time
How stablecoins, RWAs, and institutional blockchains are driving the next major wave of on-chain adoption

Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals: https://bit.ly/SEP-guest