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In one week, OpenClaw agents have gotten their own social networking platform, launched cryptocurrency tokens and built a site to rent humans.
In this episode of Unchained, DAIS Global Chair Michael Casey and The Exponentialist co-founder David Mattin explore what Moltbook reveals about the direction of the AI trend, how AI could impact jobs and what a post-human economy looks like. Will Bitcoin be the currency of the future?
Don't miss Michael's sovereign AI thesis and how Mattin believes we can navigate the transition to a post-human society.
Hint: “lean into your weirdness.”
Guests:
Michael Casey, Chairman of DAIS Global
David Mattin, Co-founder of The Exponentialist
Links:
How Nansen’s New Trading Agent Makes It Easier to Follow the Smart Money Onchain
How the x402 Standard Is Enabling AI Agents to Pay Each Other
Check out David's newsletter New World Same Humans
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Pokémon cards are no longer just collectibles stuffed in a binder. They’re becoming liquid, tradable assets onchain.
In this episode, Collector Crypt CEO Tuom Holmberg and Bitwise’s Danny Nelson explain how the project is reimagining the $100 billion trading card industry. From slashing eBay’s 13% fees to near-zero, to solving decades-old authentication problems with vaulting and NFTs, to launching a token that surged 700% in weeks, Collector Crypt is pushing trading cards into crypto rails.
We also explore whether this is the start of a “Polymarket moment” for collectibles, how these cards could be used in DeFi, and if mainstream investors might soon allocate to Pokémon decks alongside BTC and ETH.
Thank you to our sponsors!
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Walrus
Guests:
Danny Nelson, Research Analyst at Bitwise Asset Management
Tuom Holmberg, CEO of Collector Crypt
Timestamps:
🎬 0:00 Intro
🛒 2:35 Why eBay’s fees are so high and how Collector Crypt cuts them down
🎴 7:50 How a Pokémon card collector would actually trade onchain
🔒 9:40 What security measures protect vaulted cards
👤 11:13 How Tuom’s background led him to build Collector Crypt
📉 13:14 The highs and lows of launching the app over time
⚖️ 21:24 How the company navigates copyright issues with Pokémon
💰 23:05 Why the $CARDS token surged 700% in weeks
🏦 28:28 How Collector Crypt makes money
⚡ 29:43 Why the team chose to build on Solana
🌍 31:43 How big the trading card market could get onchain
🔮 35:03 What’s next in Collector Crypt’s roadmap
🔥 39:25 Why Danny Nelson calls this a “Polymarket moment”
🖼️ 41:31 What makes digital trading cards different from other tokenized assets
👀 45:06 Why Collector Crypt grabbed so much attention last week
📊 49:22 How traditional funds could start investing in trading cards
🌐 52:04 Whether trading cards are about to go mainstream
🔗 53:40 How Pokémon decks could even be used in DeFi
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The MOVE token collapse sparked one of the most damning investigations in the industry this year.
In this episode of Unchained, investigative journalist Sam Kessler joins Laura Shin to walk through the contracts, questionable market-making deals, and finger pointing inside Movement Labs. From Binance’s ban to a Trump-affiliated crypto deal, this story unearths how the MOVE token collapse was the product of what looks like a pump-and-dump plan written out in legal contracts.
Plus:
How insiders structured deals to profit from artificial price spikes
How this could have happened with a project backed by some of crypto’s most reputable VCs
What this saga says about token launches, regulation, and market integrity
And whether Movement Labs can (or should) be trusted to investigate itself
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
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Mantle
Sam Kessler, Deputy Managing Editor for Tech and Protocols at CoinDesk
CoinDesk: Inside Movement’s Token-Dump Scandal: Secret Contracts, Shadow Advisers and Hidden Middlemen
Trading for MOVE will be suspended on Coinbase
Timestamps:
👋 0:00 Introduction
🕵️♀️ 1:52 Initial details of the scandal
⚖️ 6:20 Conflicts of interest at Movement Labs and who knew what
💥 8:42 Why 5% of tokens = 50% of supply and why that’s wild
🧾 13:14 How a lawyer called the deal “the worst agreement I’ve ever seen”
🚫 18:41 Why Binance banned Web3Port after suspicious trading
🧩 20:38 The web of key players: founders, shadow advisors, and middlemen
🧠 25:51 A theory on treasury selling and token price manipulation
🔍 27:49 Can Movement Labs investigate itself, and will anyone trust the outcome?
📉 29:39 Why Coinbase is suspending MOVE and what that signals
🇺🇸 30:47 How Trump’s crypto arm is tangled up in the MOVE ecosystem
📰34:15 News Recap
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The U.S. is rattled by tariffs, economic uncertainty, and political U-turns on crypto. But across Asia, the response has been … different.
In this episode of Unchained, we check in with two of the sharpest observers of Asia’s crypto landscape: Emily Parker, China and Japan advisor of the Global Blockchain Business Council, and Yat Siu, chairman of Animoca Brands. They unpack how Asia views the Trump crypto pivot, what’s actually happening inside China, why Hong Kong may be the most important jurisdiction in crypto right now, and how Japan and Korea are quietly shaping the future of regulation, stablecoins, and DeFi.
Plus:
Is crypto really banned in China?
Why Korea is lifting its “shadow ban”
Why crypto gaming is thriving in Asia
And what the West can learn from it all
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Bitwise
Guests:
Emily Parker, China and Japan Advisor at the Global Blockchain Business Council
Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands
Links
WSJ: Crypto Is Illegal in China. Binance Does $90 Billion of Business There Anyway.
Timestamps:
🌏 0:00 Introduction
😌 5:43 Why Chinese sentiment around tariffs is calmer than in the U.S.
🗣️ 8:24 What crypto conversations are really about in China right now
🔁 11:28 How Asia reacted to the U.S. crypto U-turn under Trump
🏦 20:13 Are Asian nations quietly building up bitcoin reserves?
📜 23:19 How Asia has more regulatory clarity than the U.S.
📈 25:13 Why crypto adoption in Asia is outpacing that of other regions
🇰🇷 30:22 Why DeFi hasn’t taken off yet in South Korea – Don’t miss this!
🌐 38:05 The potential rise of non-USD stablecoins in Asia
👀 43:52 Is crypto actually banned in China?
💴 55:51 Whether the digital yuan is being adopted
🔓 1:00:28 Korea potentially lifting its “shadow ban” on institutional crypto investment?
📊 1:05:15 Why some Asian companies choose to IPO in the U.S. and whether more are coming
🎮 1:10:21 What’s really happening with Web3 gaming in Asia right now
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What started as another scammy memecoin launch has spiraled into one of Argentina’s biggest political scandals.
The $LIBRA token, promoted by President Javier Milei and tied to Hayden Davis of Kelsier Ventures, is now at the center of multiple investigations—with allegations of bribery, insider trading, and political corruption. Some are calling it “CryptoGate.”
Did Davis really have influence over Milei? Was the president’s sister involved in pay-to-play politics? Could Davis and Milei face legal action?
This week, Danny Nelson, managing editor for data & tokens at CoinDesk, joins to reveal what his reporting uncovered, from secret deals to political fallout—and why this scandal could change how people see memecoins forever.
Show highlights:
1:47 How Hayden Davis was bragging about his connection to the Argentine presidency
9:15 Why Karina Milei holds the keys to her brother
11:31 Whether Milei is trying to protect Davis
16:22 Whether Milei was an ignorant victim or a more knowledgeable participant in $LIBRA
18:46 What charges Davis could face in the U.S.
22:00 Why Danny thinks Jupiter is taking the right step
24:34 Whether a memecoin such as $LIBRA could be considered a security
29:32 What Davis should do with the $100 million in his possession
33:40 Whether memecoins are now dead
38:41 What the future of Pump.fun looks like
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Mantle
Guest
Danny Nelson, Managing Editor for Data & Tokens at CoinDesk
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on the LIBRA scandal:
How the Libra Scandal Exposed Memecoin Insider Trading on the World Stage
Bits + Bips: Could the LIBRA Scandal End the Memecoin Craze?
Unchained:
LIBRA Insider and Argentinian President Holding Secret Calls
Meteora Co-Founder Resigns Amid LIBRA Scandal
Are Memecoins Collapsing? These 8 Charts May Be Signaling Yes
CoinDesk: Libra Token's Hayden Davis Bragged of Influence Over Argentina's Milei
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s post on memecoins
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The crypto community is facing a new kind of threat—North Korean devs are infiltrating crypto companies to steal millions and funnel funds back to the regime in order to bypass sanctions.
In this episode, Sam Kessler, CoinDesk’s deputy managing editor for tech and protocols, and Taylor Monahan, security at MetaMask, explain how North Korea has embedded its operatives into the crypto space, the red flags companies should watch for, and what these hackers are doing once inside crypto firms.
Plus, they share their most interesting stories about how these hackers have gotten hired at crypto companies and the red flags the industry should know about.
Show highlights:
What Sam found in his investigation about North Koreans infiltrating the industry
How Taylor has found that this is a recurring issue
Why Sam and Taylor refer to these infiltrated workers as ‘IT’ workers
The most interesting stories that Sam and Taylor have discovered
The trends in the hiring process that lead to North Koreans being hired and also what the big red flags are
How “easy it is to de-anonymize” addresses and transactions in blockchains
What assets and networks these workers often use to get paid
How, after infiltrating a company, those projects get hacked
How to deal with a situation in which you’ve already hired North Koreans
How to protect a protocol from another type of North Korean hack: by hacking groups
Whether the industry is getting better at security
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Mantle
Guests:
Sam Kessler, CoinDesk's deputy managing editor for tech and protocols
CoinDesk: How North Korea Infiltrated the Crypto Industry
Taylor Monahan, Co-Founder of MyEtherWallet
Previous appearances on Unchained:
The QuadrigaCX Case: Taylor Monahan on What We Know From the Blockchain
MyCrypto's Taylor Monahan on Why She's Not a Fan of ICOs
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on North Korea:
Why North Korea Is Interested in Cryptocurrency
Yeonmi Park on Why Doing Business With North Korea Is Like Buying a Ticket to a Concentration Camp
Others:
DL News: North Korean hackers are infiltrating crypto job boards in a ‘quiet war’ that rakes in $600m
FBI PSA: North Korea Aggressively Targeting Crypto Industry with Well-Disguised Social Engineering Attacks
Chainalysis:
2024 Crypto Crime Mid-year Update Part 1: Cybercrime Climbs as Exchange Thieves and Ransomware Attackers Grow Bolder
Funds Stolen from Crypto Platforms Fall More Than 50% in 2023, but Hacking Remains a Significant Threat as Number of Incidents Rises
Russian and North Korean Cyberattack Infrastructure Converge: New Hacking Data Raises National Security Concerns
ZachXBT: How Lazarus Group laundered $200M from 25+ crypto hacks to fiat from 2020–2023
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:59 Sam's findings on North Korean workers infiltrating crypto projects
04:04 Taylor on the recurring nature of the issue
09:05 Why they’re referred to as ‘IT’ workers
16:17 Most interesting infiltration stories
34:16 Hiring trends and red flags for North Korean operatives
44:02 How easy it is to de-anonymize blockchain transactions
51:05 Assets and networks used for payment
54:06 How infiltrated companies end up getting hacked
58:36 What to do if you've already hired North Korean operatives
1:00:21 How to protect a protocol from being hacked
1:06:22 Is the industry improving in security?
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The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is set to begin on October 3. The 31-year-old is accused of committing wire fraud and conspiracy to commit other types of fraud, in relation to the dramatic collapse of his crypto empire last year, which led to billions in losses. Nik De, CoinDesk's managing editor for global policy and regulation, discusses the importance of jury selection, the potential testimony of key witnesses, and how many years Bankman-Fried may face if he is found guilty.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Show highlights:
Why SBF's lawyers keep requesting the FTX founder be released
Why the jury selection is so important and how long it could take
Why the DOJ opposed the proposed questions for the jury
Why the Judge agreed with the DOJ in blocking some of the witnesses proposed by the defense team
How the defense team may try to discredit some of the proposed witnesses
Whether the argument of SBF receiving “poor legal advice” holds any ground
What role the political donations made by SBF may play in the trial
How many years SBF could face if he were to be found guilty
Thank you to our sponsors!
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Arbitrum Foundation
Hedera
Toku
Guest
Nik De, CoinDesk's managing editor for global policy and regulation
Previous appearances on Unchained:
How SEC Chair Gary Gensler's Views on Crypto Have Changed Since His MIT Days
Why the Ooki DAO Case Could Hurt Participation in DAOs
Links
Previous coverage from Unchained on Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX:
Why FTX Might Try to Claw Back Funds From Retail Customers
The Chopping Block: Was FTX a Scam From the Very Beginning?
How Much Prison Time Is FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Facing?
Why the Legal Process for FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried Could Take Years
The Chopping Block: SBF Wants to Win in the Court of Public Opinion. Will He?
Jesse Powell and Kevin Zhou on How FTX and Alameda Lost $10 Billion
Did the Bahamian Government Direct SBF and Gary Wang to Hack FTX?
The Chopping Block: Why Lenders Didn’t Liquidate Alameda When It Was Underwater
Erik Voorhees and Cobie on Why FTX Loaned Out Customers’ Assets
The Chopping Block: FTX: The Biggest Collapse in the History of Crypto?
Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC
SBF’s defense team motions:
Judge Denies Sam Bankman-Fried’s Request for Temporary Release
U.S. Department of Justice Opposes Sam Bankman-Fried's Latest Move for 'Temporary Release'
Sam Bankman-Fried Can Use an 'Air-Gapped' Laptop in Court, Judge Rules
Judge Blocks Sam Bankman-Fried's Proposed Witnesses From Testifying
Key witnesses:
SBF’s Expert Witnesses Barred From Testifying at Trial
Who is Caroline Ellison, a key witness set to testify against Sam Bankman-Fried?
All of Sam Bankman-Fried's Proposed Expert Witnesses Should Be Barred From Testifying: DOJ
Sam Bankman-Fried is being sent to jail after a judge revoked his bail over alleged witness tampering
Jury selection:
Sam Bankman-Fried Can Ask DOJ Witnesses About Drug Use
Sam Bankman-Fried’s political donations can be surfaced in trial, rules judge
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I didn't know the whole story of Sam Bankman-Fried. This book will do that for you. From our very good friend of the show Brady Dale: SBF: How the FTX Bankruptcy Unwound Crypto's Very Bad Good Guy
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In this episode, veteran crypto journalist Brady Dale unpacks his new book, SBF: How The FTX Bankruptcy Unwound Crypto's Very Bad Good Guy.
The book explores Bankman-Fried's worldview and his quest to make FTX the number one crypto exchange in the world, no matter the cost.
Despite FTX's bankruptcy last year, Dale believes the exchange was not necessarily doomed to fail and that Bankman-Fried's need for absolute control was a critical factor.
This episode is brought to you by our sponsor CleanSpark.
About CleanSpark
CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK) is America’s Bitcoin Miner™. Visit cleanspark.com/theblock to learn more about the CleanSpark way.
Longtime crypto reporter Brady Dale has beat Michael Lewis to market with the first book on the dramatic collapse of FTX. In stores today, “SBF: How the FTX Bankruptcy Unwound Crypto’s Very Bad Good Guy,” tells the tale of the outsized role that Sam Bankman-Fried played in the FTX-Alameda death spiral. Drawing on years of reporting and interviews with SBF himself, the book charts the rise and fall of the one-time crypto wunderkind. “It became clear to me that Sam got really addicted to fame,” said Dale.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Show highlights:
Brady’s background and how he came to cover crypto
how covering the space for a crypto outlet is different from a more mainstream publication
how Brady was able to finalize his book so fast
what Brady’s favorite parts of the book are
who was really responsible for the collapse of the FTX empire
whether Sam Bankman-Fried will plead guilty
whether FTX will make a comeback
how SBF thinks differently from other people, and how it led to his downfall
why Brady thinks the “dot-com bust” for crypto has yet to arrive
whether crypto has betrayed its cypherpunk ideals
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com
Guests:
Brady Dale, writer and reporter at Axios, and author of “SBF: How the FTX Bankruptcy Unwound Crypto’s Very Bad Good Guy”
Previous coverage of Unchained on Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX:
The Chopping Block: Was FTX a Scam From the Very Beginning?
How Much Prison Time Is FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Facing?
Why the Legal Process for FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried Could Take Years
The Chopping Block: SBF Wants to Win in the Court of Public Opinion. Will He?
Jesse Powell and Kevin Zhou on How FTX and Alameda Lost $10 Billion
Is the Collapse of Crypto Lending Over, or Is It Just Starting?
Did the Bahamian Government Direct SBF and Gary Wang to Hack FTX?
The Chopping Block: Why Lenders Didn’t Liquidate Alameda When It Was Underwater
Erik Voorhees and Cobie on Why FTX Loaned Out Customers’ Assets
The Chopping Block: FTX: The Biggest Collapse in the History of Crypto?
Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC
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Emily Parker, CoinDesk’s executive director of global content, joins the show to discuss the Asian crypto markets. From Hong Kong to Tokyo, Parker sees bullish signs in recent developments. Hear why she thinks China and Japan are closely watching as the U.S. clamps down on the crypto industry.
Show highlights:
how Hong Kong is trying to create a regulated environment for crypto
whether Beijing and Chinese officials support Hong Kong’s initiative
what was China’s motivation to make it harder to buy and hold crypto
whether Asian countries will lead the next bull run
what the crypto environment looks like in Japan and how it differs from the U.S.
how Japan responded to major crypto hacks and meltdowns
what Japan is doing in terms of stablecoin regulation and adoption
how Japanese authorities are trying to establish guidelines for DAOs
whether people in Asia have different attitudes and views toward crypto and investing in general
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com
Railgun DAO
Guest
Emily Parker, executive director of global content at CoinDesk.
Twitter
Previous appearance on Unchained: Crypto in China: What It Really Looks Like
Links
CoinDesk:
Japan Embraces Web3 As Global Regulators Grow Wary of Crypto
FTX Japan Customers Can Begin Withdrawing Fiat, Crypto on Feb. 21
WSJ: Some FTX Customers Can Withdraw Their Money—in Japan, at Least
Bloomberg:
Hong Kong’s Crypto Hub Ambitions Win Quiet Backing From Beijing - Bloomberg
Hong Kong Plans to Let Retail Sector Trade Larger Crypto Tokens Like Bitcoin
Crypto Mogul Sun Says Huobi Betting China Will Warm to Digital Assets as Exchange Targets Hong Kong
Hong Kong to Establish Task Force to Help Develop Crypto Hub
US Crypto Crackdown Boosts Appeal of Dubai, Hong Kong, Europe
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On this episode of Layer Zero, David is joined by Eli Tan, NFT reporter, and Casey Craig, Global Head of Comms of Coindesk for an in-person Bankless Studio interview.
Crypto is evolving at mind-boggling rates and traditional media is having a tough time keeping up. Enter Coindesk. Reporters such as Eli and the rest of the Coindesk team are as much on the frontier as those building in crypto.
Hear how Eli and Casey fell down the crypto rabbit hole, how they got their roles at Coindesk, what challenges they face as a crypto journalism organization, and how media is keeping up with crypto.
------ 📣 Galxe | Explore Crypto’s #1 Credential Network https://bankless.cc/Galxe
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⚡️FUEL | THE MODULAR EXECUTION LAYER https://bankless.cc/Fuelpod
----- Topics Covered
0:00 Intro 5:26 Eli’s Background 7:57 Casey’s Role at Coindesk 9:13 How Eli Got Into Crypto 14:42 Challenges of Being a Crypto Journalist 16:55 Deciding What to Cover 17:51 The Crypto Journalism Balance 19:42 Coindesk’s Niche 20:33 Coindesk’s Journey 22:35 Hiring 23:44 Coindesk’s Disclosures 27:46 Due Diligence Process 30:32 Eli’s Proudest Scoop 30:50 Constitution DAO Story 33:00 Younger vs. Older Journalists 38:44 New Media Journalists 40:52 Where to Get Alpha 43:30 Do Kwon’s Coindesk Story 46:13 Anon Leads 47:22 Generational Connections 50:20 Average Future of Crypto Journalists 52:22 Going to Journalism School 53:16 The Future of Crypto Journalism 55:28 Coindesk’s Future 57:22 Poaching From TradMedia 59:33 Hierarchy & Flat Organizations 1:05:26 Closing
------ Resources:
Eli Tan https://twitter.com/elitanjourno
Casey Craig https://twitter.com/caseycraig_
----- Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.
Nikhilesh De, CoinDesk's managing editor for global policy and regulation, comes to talk about the CFTC lawsuit against Ooki DAO and the potential consequences across the crypto industry.
Show highlights:
the enforcement action against Ooki DAO and the CFTC’s arguments behind it
whether bZx’s statements that the DAO would be beyond the reach of regulators made it a target for the CFTC
whether the broader implication of these charges could mean that all DeFi is illegal
whether the hacks of bZx made it a high-profile target
the CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger's dissenting statement and her concerns
who the targets of the CFTC enforcement action are
the consequences of the lawsuit for token holders and how to determine which token holders are liable
why the CFTC chose to post a notice in the Ooki DAO forum and whether that is sufficient notice
what the next steps for DAO members are and whether there will be wide community support
Thank you to our sponsors!
1inch
Crypto.com
Nik
Twitter
Previous Coverage of Unchained on regulation:
Why Senator Pat Toomey Thinks SEC Chair Gary Gensler Is Wrong About Crypto
Congressman Ro Khanna: How to Get More Democrats into Web3
Why the Crypto Industry Believes SEC Regulation by Enforcement Hurts US Consumers
The lawsuit against Ooki DAO
CFTC Filing
$250,000 fine
Nik’s article
CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger’s dissenting statement
Jake Chervinsky’s opinion
Ooki DAO’s options
CFTC serving the members of the Ooki DAO via their forum
Tim Copeland’s article on what’s next for DAOs
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What is a DAO? How do they function? What is the history of this idea? Why have DAO's become so popular all of the sudden, and what are some examples of successful DAOs? The great Brady Dale from @DefiantNews joins Chris and Brian to explain.
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Nik De, managing editor for global policy and regulation at CoinDesk, stops by Unconfirmed to discuss the current state of crypto regulation, including recent comments by SEC Chair Gary Gensler on stablecoins and why Coinbase decided to sideline its Lend product. Highlights:
Nik’s biggest takeaway from Gary Gensler’s interview with the Washington Post
why Nik thinks Gensler has escalated his rhetoric regarding stablecoins and DeFi
how crypto exchanges are currently regulated and how that might change
what it would take to convince crypto exchanges to register with the SEC
whether the SEC has the purview to regulate stablecoins
Nik’s thoughts on Coinbase’s Lend product and the SEC’s stance on lending products
what the overall picture of crypto lending is in the US
whether the SEC will go after DeFi protocols
what to expect from the SEC going forward, especially with the end of its fiscal year coming up next week
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
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Episode Links
Nikhilesh De
CoinDesk articles: https://www.coindesk.com/author/nikde/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nikhileshde
Content
Coinbase blogs regarding Lend
https://blog.coinbase.com/the-sec-has-told-us-it-wants-to-sue-us-over-lend-we-have-no-idea-why-a3a1b6507009
https://blog.coinbase.com/sign-up-to-earn-4-apy-on-usd-coin-with-coinbase-cdad79e5f5eb
SEC Chair Gary Gensler Washington Post Q&A
https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2021/09/21/transcript-path-forward-cryptocurrency-with-gary-gensler/
Brian Armstrong tweet storm
https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/1435439291715358721
BlockFi and Celsius overview
https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2021/09/17/3-states-alabama-securities-commission-also-claims-celsius-violated-securities-laws/
Read my latest Medium post, “The Reason Crypto Regulation Is Turning Out to Be So Difficult,” which takes take a deeper dive into some of the topics addressed in this pod :)
https://medium.com/@laurashin/the-reason-crypto-regulation-is-turning-out-to-be-so-difficult-788cc134958d
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So, as I said, this is one of the clubhouse rooms we did this week. In fact, it’s the one from last night. Chris convinced me to split the two rooms into two episodes, so I’m releasing this one, from Friday first, and tomorrow I’ll post the one we did Monday night. Topics for this episode: Slack getting into social audio, Microsoft buying Discord, what the heck is BitClout! The great Brady Dale @BradyDale from Coindesk helped us out with that. And more explication of my rant concerning the whole Medium situation.
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I don’t think this one requires any in depth intro. The great Brady Dale of Coindesk, walks us though the whole NFT phenomenon. What are NFTs? How do they work? Why are people so crazed about them at the moment?
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I don’t think I’ve made any bones about the fact that I blow hot and cold on crypto. Sometimes I grow frustrated that it always seems to be a lot of sound and fury, ultimately signifying nothing. Or at least, not amounting to much that touches normal people’s lives. I dunno if that’s a fair way to look at crypto or not. But at the same time, there is no single corner of tech that has more activity, that has more passion and energy and, just pure, crazy creativity. Lots of people in crypto have adopted my book about the first half of the Internet Era because they hope it’s a guide for how, just when everyone has written off a movement, that’s when it finally breaks through. And I’ll admit, that’s why I keep my eye on a space. That’s why the activity around DeFi has caught my eye. By some measurements, this is crypto actually being USED, in a tangible real world way, and in volumes of activity we’ve never seen before. Is DeFi actually fulfilling the original economic promise of crypto? What, the heck, is DeFi? What is it doing? It’s hard for a knucklehead like me to get my mind around. So, I sent out the bat signal to Brady Dale of CoinDesk to tell me, what the heck is going on with DeFi?
Brady's rough history of the DeFi movement
Brady's explanation of Yield Farming
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Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the author of numerous books including The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World and most recently, the Square and the Tower: Networks and Power from the Freemasons to Facebook, and Michael Casey, chief content officer at CoinDesk and coauthor of two books on crypto, The Age of Cryptocurrency and The Truth Machine, discuss the history of money and the macro environment for Bitcoin. We cover:
how they became involved in crypto
historically, what has made things money, or how people have decided that something is money
the difficulty of managing fiat currency
modern monetary theory and the role of the state in the financial system
Satoshi’s message in BTC’s genesis block and what that indicates about Satoshi's intentions with Bitcoin
whether a more transparent, blockchain-based financial system could eventually lead to a new financial order
how Bitcoin behaves like an option on digital gold, and when it will behave like digital gold
whether Bitcoin is simply a reversion to previous forms of money that weren’t controlled by the state
how crypto/blockchain and fintech innovation from startups and the Chinese government will affect the USD
how a hypothetical war between the US and China would affect the dollar's dominance
how China's DCEP could disintermediate banks
how Bitcoin fits into all of the different macro conditions facing the global economy
whether Libra is going to be the initial gateway getting people into our digital currency world
how well the recovery from coronavirus will go, and how it will affect the development of the crypto space in the near-term
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Crypto.com: https://crypto.com
Tezos: https://tquorum.com/
Episode links:
Niall Ferguson: http://www.niallferguson.com
The Ascent of Money: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/302900/the-ascent-of-money-by-niall-ferguson/
Michael Casey: https://www.michaeljcasey.com
Money Reimagined: https://www.coindesk.com/tag/money-reimagined
The Age of Cryptocurrency: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250081551
The first episode in the Why Bitcoin Now series: Mike Novogratz and Raoul Pal on 'the Single Greatest Brand' ofo the Last 10 Years: https://unchainedpodcast.com/why-bitcoin-now-mike-novogratz-and-raoul-pal-on-the-single-greatest-brand-of-the-last-10-years/
How Niall got into Bitcoin:
http://www.niallferguson.com/journalism/finance-economics/bitcoin-may-go-pop-but-its-revolution-will-go-on
Niall and Michael at Consensus: https://www.coindesk.com/disruption-money-and-a-world-of-change-feat-niall-ferguson
Unchained interview with Chamath Palihapitiya, who believes Bitcoin is a hedge on everything blowing up: https://unchainedpodcast.com/chamath-palihapitiya-why-bitcoin-will-be-the-category-winner/
Carlota Perez at CoinDesk's Consensus: https://www.coindesk.com/video/carlota-perez-on-blockchains-and-technological-revolutions
Unchained interview about the DCEP: https://unchainedpodcast.com/why-china-aims-to-replace-cash-with-the-digital-yuan/
Unchained interview with Christopher Giancarlo about a digital dollar: https://unchainedpodcast.com/christopher-giancarlo-why-the-us-needs-to-have-a-digital-dollar/
Unconfirmed episode with Michael about Libra: https://unchainedpodcast.com/why-it-would-be-good-if-libra-rivaled-the-us-dollar/
Unchained episode with a co-creator of Libra: https://unchainedpodcast.com/a-libra-co-creator-on-how-facebook-will-make-money-from-calibra/
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For the final weekend bonus episode of the year, I wanted to check in with Crypto. What a year for the space! Seemingly dead at the beginning of the year. But then the Crypto Spring™ happened. And then Libra happened. And so… where are we? No one better than CoinDesk’s Brady Dale to catch us up…
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Emily Parker, cofounder of Longhash, describes what the company, which has an Asia-focused incubator and data media site does, how she ended up launching an Asia-focused company, why she’s seeing US crypto teams and ICOs going to Singapore, why the Chinese government cracked down on crypto, and what misconceptions she sees about crypto in China. She explains how the Chinese still trade Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies despite the ban, why Tether plays a big role, how the China ban has affected crypto entrepreneurship and how the upcoming People's Bank of China digital currency could impact crypto. We also discuss how the attitude toward crypto has changed in Japan over time, why so many crypto teams are settling in Singapore, and whether or not the philosophies of censorship-resistance or decentralization resonate in China.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com: https://crypto.com
Kraken: https://www.kraken.com
CipherTrace: http://ciphertrace.com/unchained
Episode links:
Longhash: LongHash.com
Longhash's Twitter: https://twitter.com/longhashdata
Emily Parker: Emilyparkerwrites.com
Emily Parker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilydparker
Emily Parker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-parker-738034142/
Longhash's incubator: https://incubator.longhash.com
BTC trading by US EST and PST vs. China: https://www.longhash.com/news/american-traders-lead-on-bitcoin-rally-while-asian-traders-not-so-bullish
Bitcoin metrics on Longhash: https://www.longhash.com/livecharts/bitcoin-social-metrics
Emily's interview with SEC commissioner Hester Peirce: https://www.longhash.com/news/in-cryptocurrency-will-asia-surpass-the-us-exclusive-interview-with-sec-commissioner-hester-peirce
Unchained interview with commissioner Peirce: https://unchainedpodcast.com/sec-commissioner-hester-peirce-come-talk-to-the-sec/
Longhash article showing more ICOs in Singapore than in US in Q1 2018: https://www.longhash.com/news/how-singapore-became-asias-ico-hub
Longhash's graphic showing money transmitter laws in the US: https://www.longhash.com/news/is-cryptocurrency-money-depends-on-your-state
Longhash on ICOs fleeing the US: https://www.longhash.com/news/after-years-of-regulatory-uncertainty-icos-are-fleeing-the-united-states
Unchained interview with Primitive Ventures: https://unchainedpodcast.com/asia-edition-mining-a-crypto-yuan-and-the-two-main-reasons-the-chinese-are-interested-in-crypto-ep-102/
Unchained interview with Da Hongfei and Patrick Dai (not Lai!): https://unchainedpodcast.com/from-blockchains-to-mooncakes-two-chinese-crypto-founders-on-the-ico-and-bitcoin-exchanges-ban/
Unchained interview with CZ of Binance: https://unchainedpodcast.com/how-binance-became-the-most-popular-crypto-exchange-in-5-months-ep-84/
Emily's interview with Coincheck's president: https://www.longhash.com/news/lessons-from-the-largest-crypto-hack-in-history-exclusive-interview-with-coincheck-president-toshihiko-katsuya
Longhash deck of cards of crypto players: https://www.longhash.com/news/fiftyfour-players-in-the-blockchain-industry-transformed-into-a-real-deck-of-cards
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Well, given the news of the week, I knew we needed to do a deep dive on Libra, so I called up our friend Brady Dale at CoinDesk and we get into it. What do crypto folk think of Libra? Is he surprised by the governmental backlash? And since by the time you hear this, bitcoin might already be back above $10k dollars? Are we out of the crypto winter and into crypto spring?
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Sometimes the bonus episodes are for getting news in areas that I might have missed or might not have made our show, but I still find interesting. This week I reached out to Brady Dale of Coindesk, because I know he’s a listener and I knew he could give us some more background on Facebook’s recent moves in crypto, but also some other crypto news we haven’t gotten to and just the state of the crypto-space generally.
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Michael Casey, senior advisor at MIT's Media Lab and author of the Age of Cryptocurrency, spent 18 years at the Wall Street Journal -- a good portion of that covering currency markets. But he says it wasn't until he learned about Bitcoin that he really understood what money was. In this episode of Unchained, he explains why, plus discusses why he thinks China will play a key role in moving the world to a cryptocurrency- or blockchain-based trade settlement system, what that could mean for the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency and what he thinks is the most cutting-edge work being done in blockchain.
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Our final segment from the road in the U.K. features two well-known investors and entrepreneurs in the London tech world: Seedcamp co-founder Reshma Sahoni and Shakil Khan (known to all simply as Shak), the founder of CoinDesk and an early investor in Spotify where he also headed up special projects.
Reshma and Shak break down the venture scene in London, and describe the particular way the best companies scale in Europe ... it's not what you are probably thinking. Finally, they brag about some European startups we should all be paying attention to.
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