Monero Talk

Monero and Zcash in the Age of Exploits w/ Joel Valenzuela | EPI 385

June 5th, 2026  |  1 hr 26 mins

ai, aidriven, bitcoin, blockchain, crypto, cryptocurrency, exploit, fungible, joelvalenzuela, monero, monerotalk, monerotopia, privacy, privacycoin, xmr, zcash

TODAY'S SHOW: Doug sits down with Joel Valenzuela to discuss the recently disclosed Zcash exploit and what it signals for the future of cryptocurrency security. Joel argues that advances in AI will make vulnerability discovery faster and more effective, forcing all crypto projects—including Monero—to rethink long-held security assumptions.

The conversation examines how the Zcash team handled the exploit, the risks of hidden inflation bugs, and the unique challenges privacy-focused cryptocurrencies face when auditing supply and security. Doug and Joel also compare Monero and Zcash, discuss decentralized exchange infrastructure, privacy coin adoption, and the broader outlook for digital cash in an increasingly regulated and AI-driven world.

What’s Next for Privacy Season? w/ Joel Valenzuela | EPI 370

December 1st, 2025  |  1 hr 26 mins

bitcoin, blockchain, crypto, cryptocurrency, fcmp, fungible, joelvalenzuela, monero, monerotalk, monerotopia, privacy, privacycoin, xmr, zcash

TODAY'S SHOW: In this episode of Monero Talk, Douglas Tuman chats with Joel Valenzuela, a blockchain advocate and business development professional for Dash, about the renewed interest in privacy coins, or what they call "privacy season."

They dive into the roles of Monero and Zcash, noting Zcash’s recent price jump and how it has reignited tribal debates. Joel argues that Zcash is now a stronger hedge for Monero than Bitcoin, given their differing approaches to privacy and governance. The conversation also touches on how holding multiple crypto assets shapes market psychology, contrasts Monero’s strict "private by default" model with Zcash’s more exchange-friendly design, and explores the shifting exchange landscape with platforms relisting privacy coins.

They discuss upcoming technical upgrades, including Zcash’s Tachyon and Monero’s FCMP++, and highlight how Litecoin leads non-Bitcoin payment volume while Monero dominates privacy-by-default transactions. The episode wraps up with price predictions for Monero and Zcash, along with a focus on the importance of real-world adoption, such as using Monero for everyday purchases.

Joel Valenzuela: On living off of Crypto & his take on Monero

December 8th, 2021  |  1 hr 19 mins

bitcoin, blockchain, cakewallet, changenow, crypto, cryptocurrency, decentralized, joelvalenzuela, monero, moneronews, privacy, privacycoin, sweetwaterdigitalconsulting, technology, xmr, xmrnews

TODAY'S 🎙SHOW: Douglas Tuman chats with Joel Valenzuela who has been living off of crypto and unbanked since 2016. Joël, like Doug, is passionate about the digital cash use case of crypto.

The two discuss which cryptos are doing digital cash the best and which services/tools make cryptos like monero more useable for day to day cash purposes. Joel is primarily focused on Dash but had positive things to say about monero too.