Polygon Labs

Rebecca from Jito Labs joins Haseeb, Tom, and Tarun for a regulation deep-dive covering the CLARITY Act's stablecoin yield compromise and presidential ethics sticking points, CME and ICE's lobbying war against Hyperliquid's RWA perps, the prediction market legal battle heading to the Supreme Court, and whether the SEC's tokenized securities innovation exemption will actually matter. Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, joining us is Rebecca Rettig, Chief Legal Officer at Jito Labs, who's here to help the crew make sense of the absolute regulatory tornado tearing through the industry. First up: the CLARITY Act. It just got out of Senate Banking Committee, but the road to passage is anything but smooth. The stablecoin yield fight with banks ended in a "do stuff yield" compromise, but presidential ethics provisions remain the last polarizing hurdle. Rebecca breaks down what actually changes for token founders if it passes — spoiler: not much immediately, since rulemaking alone could take years. Then: CME and ICE have declared war on Hyperliquid, lobbying the Hill to force CFTC registration on the decentralized perps giant. The crew debates who actually wins US regulated perps, whether Hyperliquid's pre-IPO markets represent a genuine threat to investment banking, and Rebecca introduces "on-chain finance" — a distinction the panel immediately roasts her for. Finally: prediction markets are in a legal bloodbath across state courts with a Supreme Court showdown likely by 2027, and the SEC's tokenized securities innovation exemption has Twitter buzzing but Rebecca skeptical. Let's get into it. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights 🔹 CLARITY Act Passes Senate Banking – Landmark crypto bill advances with bipartisan support, but presidential ethics provisions remain the final sticking point before a full Senate floor vote. 🔹 Stablecoin Yield Compromise – Banks screamed bloody murder, but the "do stuff yield" deal means transaction-based rewards are in and bank deposit lookalikes are out. 🔹 CME & ICE vs Hyperliquid – Traditional exchanges lobby Congress to force CFTC registration, KYC/AML, and trade surveillance on the decentralized perps giant. 🔹 Hyperliquid Prices Cerebras Better Than Bankers – Pre-IPO market nails the opening price while investment banks undershoot by over 100%, raising questions about the future of book building. 🔹 Rebecca Rettig Returns – Jito Labs CLO breaks down what CLARITY actually means for token founders (spoiler: not much changes immediately — rulemaking takes years). 🔹 Prediction Markets Head to SCOTUS – Legal bloodbath across state courts likely culminates in a Supreme Court showdown by 2027 over CFTC vs state gaming jurisdiction. 🔹 The Super Bowl Coin Toss Traded at 58/42 – Tarun surfaces the most absurd prediction market of the year, and the CFTC chair basically says it shouldn't exist. 🔹 Who Wins US Regulated Perps? – Haseeb bets on Coinbase and Robinhood, Tarun argues there's an opening for a dark horse, and Rebecca flags HIP 4's unified margin as a game-changer. 🔹 SEC Innovation Exemption Buzz – Twitter is hyped about tokenized securities guidance, but Rebecca is skeptical it drops before CLARITY is resolved. 🔹 OnFi Is Not Going to Happen – Rebecca tries to coin "on-chain finance" as distinct from DeFi. The panel roasts her. Mean Girls memes are inevitable. Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  Guest ⭐️ Rebecca Rettig, Jurisprudential Genius at Jito Labs Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:10 The CLARITY Act: Banks vs Crypto 05:21 The "Do Stuff Yield" Compromise 07:18 The Compromise: Transaction-Based Rewards 10:22 Presidential Ethics: The Last Sticking Point 12:26 What Actually Changes If CLARITY Passes? 16:01 Token Founders: What Do You Have to Do? 18:41 Developer Protection & DeFi Activity 20:15 CME & ICE Lobbying Against Hyperliquid 26:05 On-Chain Finance vs DeFi 29:57 Who Wins US Regulated Perps? 34:39 ETF Options vs Crypto Perps 40:24 What Hyperliquid Means for Investment Banking 44:50 Retail IPO Participation & Dynamic Share Counts 49:25 Prediction Markets: Kalshi & Polymarket vs the States 51:40 Supreme Court Showdown: CFTC vs State Gaming Laws 58:30 Economic Impact Test  01:01:47 Tokenized Securities & the SEC Innovation Exemption 01:06:41 Do Issuers Actually Care About Tokenization? Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

This week, Rebecca Rettig joins the show to discuss the latest happening in Washington and what it means for crypto. We deep dive into the Clarity act, how to regulate prediction markets, who's crypto's enemy now, the state of crypto VC, LayerZero's Zero announcement and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Rebecca: https://x.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Referenced In The Show: https://open.spotify.com/episode/67w8irQ06j6ZH38FsXSShf?si=5633bb7bb6a248b9&nd=1&dlsi=d7d519562e884e70 -- Coinbase crypto-backed loans, powered by Morpho, enable you to take out loans at competitive rates using crypto as collateral. Rates are typically 4% to 8%. Borrow up to $5M using BTC as collateral and up to $1M using ETH as collateral. Manage crypto-backed loans directly in the Coinbase app with ease. Learn more here: https://www.coinbase.com/onchain/borrow/get-started?utm_campaign=0126_defi-borrow_blockworks_empire&marketId=0x9103c3b4e834476c9a62ea009ba2c884ee42e94e6e314a26f04d312434191836&utm_source=empire -- Timestsamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:57) The State of Crypto Policy In DC (27:24) Coinbase Ad (28:08) Das Plug (28:34) Prediction Markets (36:50) Who’s Crypto’s Enemy Now? (52:35) The State of Crypto VC (01:01:15) LayerZero’s Zero Announcement (01:13:01) Content of The Week -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Thank you to our sponsor, Figure! Ethereum scaling network Polygon is charting a new course. Polygon on Jan. 13 announced that it was becoming a “regulated U.S. payments platform” following the acquisition of Web3 services companies Coinme and Sequence. In this Unchained episode, Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron reveals the motivations behind the pivot and what it means for the network and its native token POL. He says that despite the pivot, Polygon is not becoming an application chain. Can Polygon thrive in the stablecoin dominated space? And will POL benefit? Guests: Marc Boiron, Chief Executive Officer at Polygon Labs Links: Flutterwave and Polygon to Launch Africa-Wide Stablecoin Payments Why Wall Street Banks Need to Launch Their Own Stablecoins Stripe and Paradigm Announce New Layer 1 Blockchain ’Tempo’ Circle to Launch Layer 1 Blockchain ‘Arc’ Stablecoin Blockchains Are Coming. Here’s Why These Two Giants Should Be Nervous Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Boiron

Chief Executive Officer

Polygon Labs

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew is joined by special guest Rebecca Rettig, Chief Legal Officer at Jito Labs, to unpack the biggest legislative week in crypto history. The Clarity Act, Genius Act, and Anti-CBDC Act all pass Congress, ushering in what some are calling a regulatory renaissance — or at least, the first real rules of the road. Bitcoin breaks $120K, memecoins rip, and Crypto Week sends shockwaves through Washington. But is the Clarity Act really the win the industry’s been waiting for? Rebecca breaks down the legal nuance, Tarun questions the economic reality, and Haseeb points out Ethereum’s bizarre silence during the biggest policy shift of the decade. Has crypto finally grown up — or just gotten better at playing the game? The gang dissects the laws, the loopholes, and the market’s reaction to it all. Show highlights 🔹 Clarity Act Passes the House – Landmark crypto bill advances with bipartisan support, aiming to limit SEC power and define digital asset classifications. 🔹 Stablecoins Get a Path Forward – The Genius Act passes alongside Clarity, offering long-awaited regulatory rails for U.S. stablecoin issuers. 🔹 Congress Goes Full Crypto – Three major bills pass the House in one week, marking a historic show of political support for the industry. 🔹 Rebecca Rettig Returns – Jito Labs Chief Legal Officer breaks down what the legislation really means — and what still isn’t clear. 🔹 SEC in the Hot Seat – With CFTC gaining ground, the SEC’s regulatory grip is questioned across policy circles and crypto Twitter. 🔹 Bitcoin Breaks $120K – Markets rally on regulatory momentum and renewed optimism, with BTC setting a new local high. 🔹 Altcoins Catch Fire – SOL, PENGU, and meme tokens explode as traders rotate into risk-on narratives post-legislation. 🔹 Ethereum’s Silence Raises Eyebrows – Despite being at the heart of stablecoin infrastructure, Ethereum’s core voices stay unusually quiet. 🔹 DeFi’s Legal Gray Zone Remains – Tarun argues the bills may shift political winds, but don’t resolve the underlying protocol risk or enforcement ambiguity. 🔹 Crypto Week Becomes a Real Thing – What started as a Trump slogan turns into one of the most consequential weeks in U.S. crypto history. ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  Guest ⭐️ Rebecca Rettig, Jurisprudential Genius at Jito Labs Disclosures Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:06 The Genius Act 04:38 Tech Companies & Stablecoins 08:38 Predictions for the Future of Stablecoins 26:25 The Clarity Act Breakdown 32:27 Important Definitions 34:38 New Exemptions for Token Sales 41:12 Mature Blockchain Certification Process 45:27 Defi Activity Exemptions & Regulations 48:03 New Categories for Spot Crypto Registrants 55:52 Solana's Block Assembly Marketplace (BAM) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Gm! This week, Rebecca Rettig and Alexander Grieve join Jason to unpack the successful crypto week and the 3 pieces of legislation that have passed and will now impact the way stablecoins and crypto move forward in the US landscape.  -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Alex: https://x.com/AlexanderGrieve Follow Rebecca: https://x.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- SKALE is the next evolution in Layer 1 blockchains with a gas-free invisible user experience, instant finality, high speed, and robust security. SKALE is built different as it allows for limitless scalability and has already saved its 50 Million users over $11 Billion in gas fees. SKALE is high-performance and cost-effective, making it ideal for compute-intensive applications like AI, gaming, and consumer-facing dApps. Learn more at https://skale.space and stay up to date with the gas-free invisible blockchain on X at @skalenetwork -- Katana is a DeFi-first chain built for deep liquidity and high yield. No empty emissions, just real yield and sequencer fees routed back to DeFi users. Pre-deposit now: Earn high APRs with Turtle Club [https://app.turtle.club/campaigns/katana] or spin the wheel with Katana Krates [https://app.katana.network/krates] -- Mantle is building the financial infrastructure for a tokenised future—bridging traditional finance and on-chain innovation through six integrated product pillars: Mantle Network, mETH Protocol, Function BTC, and the upcoming launches of MantleX, Mantle Banking, and the Mantle Index Four (MI4) Fund. Anchored by one of the largest community-governed treasuries in the industry, valued at over $4 billion, Mantle is delivering institutional-grade products designed for global capital markets.Follow Mantle on X: https://x.com/Mantle_Official -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock’s decentralized custody network.The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC is now live. -- Ledn is the leading platform for Bitcoin-backed loans, offering a secure and transparent way to unlock liquidity without selling your Bitcoin. Ledn has issued over $9 billion in loans since 2018 and has never lost a single satoshi of client assets, earning a reputation as the name you can trust in the crypto space.Visit https://www.ledn.io to learn more. — Chapters: (01:55) Crypto Week Breakdown (06:04) GENIUS Act (26:04) Ads (Skale, Katana) (27:51) CLARITY Act (38:31) CLARITY Act + ICOs (42:42) Ads (Skale, Katana) (44:29) CLARITY Act + DeFi (55:11) Ads (Mantle, Zenrock, ,LEDN) (57:41) ANTI-CBDC Act (01:01:13) Impacts Of These Bills (01:04:21) Biggest Debates On Bills — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Alexander Grieve

VP of Government Affairs

Paradigm

This week, Marc Boiron (CEO, Polygon Labs) and Sandeep Nailwal (CEO, Polygon Foundation) joined Yano to dive into all the happenings at Polygon, their comeback plan, how the industry has shifted since last cycle, the best business models currently for chains and how Katana and the Agglayer will push not only the project, but crypto forward. -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Marc - https://x.com/0xMarcB Follow Sandeep - https://x.com/sandeepnailwal Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- SKALE is the next evolution in Layer 1 blockchains with a gas-free invisible user experience, instant finality, high speed, and robust security. SKALE is built different as it allows for limitless scalability and has already saved its 50 Million users over $11 Billion in gas fees. SKALE is high-performance and cost-effective, making it ideal for compute-intensive applications like AI, gaming, and consumer-facing dApps. Learn more at https://skale.space and stay up to date with the gas-free invisible blockchain on X at @skalenetwork -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks.Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto.Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.- Screen, chart, and analyze 1300+ tokens- Summarize market-moving news instantly- Integrates data from CoinGecko, Kaito, Token Terminal, Tokenomist, The TieGet started today: https://askfocal.com -- Ledn is the leading platform for Bitcoin-backed loans, offering a secure and transparent way to unlock liquidity without selling your Bitcoin. Ledn has issued over $9 billion in loans since 2018 and has never lost a single satoshi of client assets, earning a reputation as the name you can trust in the crypto space.Visit https://www.ledn.io to learn more. -- Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:58 The Industry Today, As A Builder 06:45 Easier/More Difficult Than Last Cycle 15:36 Ads (Skale) 16:28 Sandeep + Polygon Foundation 21:52 2 Business Models For Chains 36:54 Ads (Skale) 37:47 Katana Explored 46:03 Why Katana 55:26 Ads (Falcon x,LEDN) 01:09:53 Polygon’s Future Vision — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Marc Boiron

Chief Executive Officer

Polygon Labs

Sandeep Nailwal

Co-Founder

Polygon

In today's episode Optimism co-founder Ben Jones and growth lead Ryan Wyatt discuss the Superchain vision. They explore how the OP Stack and Superchain are transforming Ethereum scaling through unprecedented collaboration between major players like Base, Coinbase, and Kraken. The conversation covers the strategic importance of interoperability, the role of open source development, and Optimism's innovative approach to building sustainable tokenomics and governance. Featuring candid insights about enterprise adoption, the future of data analytics in crypto, and how AI could change DAO governance. Thanks for tuning in! devcon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tds-Bik7zM - - Help us shape the future of Empire. Fill out our audience survey and give us your thoughts: https://empire-31ed59.beehiiv.com/forms/01a0ba12-61d0-4a12-a6c6-8bbcdb3b0060 Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Ben: https://x.com/ben_chain Follow Ryan: https://x.com/Fwiz Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - GEODNET’s native token, GEOD, can be easily mined with a GEODNET Satellite Miner, presenting a unique opportunity to generate passive income. By setting up a GEODNET base station, you can join this groundbreaking Web3 ecosystem that is powering the future of AI and robotics. Join the revolution today and learn more at https://geodnet.com. - - Unichain is a fast, decentralized L2 that’s built to be the home for DeFi and liquidity across chains. To stay updated on news including the upcoming launch of Unichain, visit www.Unichain.org or follow @Unichain on X. - - Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods. Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit petra.app/earn - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (01:55) What is Optimism Today (14:55)  Retaining L2s & Open Source (20:12)  Kraken vs Coinbase Interop (26:10)  Optimism's Stack in 5 Years (30:23) Interop as a Service (34:56)  Customizability on the SuperChain (40:19) Geodnet Ad (41:17) Uniswap Ad (42:05) Aptos Ad (42:49)  Leaving the SuperChain (46:27)  Ecosystem Model (51:00) OP Mainnet's Place (55:38) Andreessen Horowitz's Impact (01:00:09) Enterprise Crypto (01:05:10) Open Data Investment (01:10:44) Optimism's 2025 - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Ben Jones

Co-Founder

OptimismOptimism FoundationData Literacy

Ryan Wyatt

CEO

OptimismPolygon StudiosPolygon Labs

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest news. In this episode, the squad is joined by Rebecca Rettig, Polygon’s Chief Legal & Policy Officer, to dissect the SEC's impact on the crypto landscape, particularly focusing on OpenSea's Wells notice and impending legal challenges.  They discuss the arrest of Pavel Durov, Telegram's founder, analyzing the political and cybersecurity ramifications. The conversation shifts to the internal frictions within the Ethereum Foundation and Vitalik Buterin's criticism of DeFi, reflecting the community's mixed reactions. The broader implications for the crypto industry, privacy, and regulatory clarity are highlighted with special insights from guest Rebecca Rettig, who adds depth on the legal and historical context. Wrapping up, they anticipate future challenges and emphasize staying informed. Show highlights 🔹 Arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France sparks global free speech and encryption debates. 🔹 Impact of Pavel Durov's charges on Telegram's role in global communication and crypto communities. 🔹 DeFi protocols face challenges with decentralization, privacy, and regulatory pressures. 🔹 OpenSea receives a Wells notice from the SEC, raising concerns about NFT marketplaces and royalty enforcement. 🔹 Ethereum Foundation's spending and Vitalik Buterin's critical comments on DeFi stir community debate. 🔹 Tension between public goods and financial services in Ethereum's future development. 🔹 Real-World Assets (RWAs) and their controversial role in Ethereum's ecosystem. 🔹 Speculation on future Ethereum protocol changes and their impact on network efficiency and user experience. 🔹 Broader implications of the SEC's aggressive stance towards crypto exchanges and NFT platforms. Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly  ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures Special Guest  ⭐️Rebecca Rettig, Chief Legal & Policy Officer at Polygon Labs Disclosures Links Plurality philosophy in an incredibly oversized nutshell by Vitalik: https://vitalik.eth.limo/general/2024/08/21/plurality.html  OpenSea’s response to SEC Wells notice “Taking a stand for a better internet” by Devin Finzer https://opensea.io/blog/articles/taking-a-stand-for-a-better-internet Timestamps 00:00 Intro  01:24 Telegram’s Pavel Durov’s Arrest 05:12 Free Speech/Encryption in the Crypto World 09:26 Policy Implications for Tech Platforms 13:57 France's Role and International Reactions 27:49 SEC Targets OpenSea 36:35 SEC’s Jurisdictional Strategies 40:29 Good vs. Bad Actors 45:16 Ethereum Foundation: Public Good or DeFi? 56:43 Vitalik vs. Crypto Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron and co-founder Brendan Farmer discussed everything about the AggLayer, a decentralized protocol built by Polygon that enables fast, secure cross-chain interactions and allows different chains to use the same native bridge. This allows users to seamlessly move assets across chains in the AggLayer ecosystem.  The AggLayer aims to unify blockspace so that it feels like a single chain, improving user experience. Boiron and Farmer also discussed the potential for Layer 2 solutions to scale Ethereum, the benefits of zero-knowledge technology, and the future of Polygon's proof-of-stake chain. Learn more: What Are Zero-Knowledge Proofs? Show highlights: Background of Brendan and Marc and how they joined Polygon A brief description of what Polygon is overall What the AggLayer is and how it aims to enable the best of monolithic and modular blockchains How Brendan differentiates the AggLayer from its competitors, such as Optimism's Superchain or Cosmos and why he believes that zk-technology is such a game changer How the interoperability experience gets better in such a system, according to Marc and Brendan, and what will become possible that's not now Which chains can use the AggLayer and how it works to improve security across chains The tradeoffs between the various types of zkEVM provers  How projects should decide their architecture and when it would make sense to tap the AggLayer Why projects should build on the AggLayer, including layer 1s, according to Marc How Layer 1s can still join the AggLayer and retain their own consensus and sovereignty  Why Polygon believes that zk-technology is the future of blockchain architecture Why the Polgyon zkEVM suffered an outage on March 30 Whether Layer 3s are needed to scale the Ethereum ecosystem Why Brendan believes that EigenLayer is not a good fit for rollups to use The transition of the Polygon PoS chain to become an Ethereum L2 using the AggLayer When EIP-4844/Dencun will go live on Polygon Thank you to our sponsors! Polkadot Guests: Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs Previous appearances on Unchained: Gary Gensler vs. Crypto: What Will the SEC Attack Next? The Chopping Block: The SEC Is Attacking Crypto – Will Gary Gensler Succeed? Brendan Farmer, co-founder of Polygon and co-lead of Polygon Zero Links AggLayer Polygon: Aggregated Blockchains: A New Thesis More technical Agglayer explainer CoinDesk:  Polygon Lands Astar Network as First User of New 'AggLayer’ Cosmos-Based Canto Blockchain Reverses Course on Polygon Layer-2 Plans, Unveils New Roadmap  Zaki on the comparisons with Cosmos zk-Technology Polygon: Upgrading Every EVM Chain to ZK: Introducing the Type 1 Prover The different types of ZK-EVMs by Vitalik Unchained: Why Zero-Knowledge Proofs Are Critical to Ethereum’s Future Polygon zkEVM Unchained: Polygon zkEVM Chain Goes Down for 10 Hours Blockworks: Polygon unpacks zkEVM outage and ‘emergency’ upgrade Layer 3s Unchained: Layer 3s Only Exist to Take Value Away From Ethereum: Polygon Labs CEO 0xCygaar on L3s and L2s Potuz on the benefit of L3s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Boiron

Chief Executive Officer

Polygon Labs

Brendan Farmer

Co-Founder

Polygon LabsPolygon

Brendan Farmer is the co-founder of Polygon, which is a project that is focused on scaling Ethereum. Brendan's contributions have been instrumental in the research and development of key scaling technologies within Polygon's framework, including Polygon PoS, Polygon zkEVM, and Polygon Miden. Our conversation begins with an exploration of the foundational elements that constitute the Polygon ecosystem. We then delve into the realm of ZK technology, discussing its advantages as a preferred scaling solution, its comparison with optimistic rollups, and the intricacies of Polygon's Aggregation Layer and CDK. We also discuss how the future of blockchain activity can be made more efficient and optimized with Aggregation Layer. Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:13 Polygon's Products 7:55 Zero Knowledge Proofs 11:15 ZKP vs Optimistic Rollup 15:42 Aggregation Layer 38:00 Non-EVM Chains x AggLayer 41:40 Monolithic Chain 47:40 Consumer Apps 50:30 Polygon in 2024 Our sponsors https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast https://matcha.xyz/swap-tokens?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=defiant-24Q1 ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom editorial@thedefiant.io 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships sponsors@thedefiant.io #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

Brendan Farmer

Co-Founder

Polygon LabsPolygon

In today's episode, Santi is joined by Rebecca Rettig and Miller Whitehouse to update us on the latest policy concerns impacting crypto. They cover the origins of the DeFi Education Fund and the realities of educating regulators on the novelty of DeFi. They then shift gears and discuss onchain illicit activity that exists, how to find a compromise between permissionless systems and state control, the role stablecoins like USDC play, and reactions to the SEC’s proposed dealer rule that threatens DeFi participation. Rebecca breaks down her recently published paper “Genuine DeFi as Critical Infrastructure” offering a conceptual framework for regulation that leverages DeFi’s transparency while allowing permissionless systems to thrive. Stay tuned for all of this and much more! - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Miller: https://twitter.com/millercwl Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis. Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire - - Timestamps (0:00) Origin of DeFi Education Fund (6:10) DeFi Regulatory Framework Paper (12:35) Educating Regulators (17:45) Onchain Illicit Activity  (28:59) Chainalysis Ad (30:04) Compromise for States (41:52) How Important is US Policy (51:17) Role of Coinbase & Circle (1:00:42) SEC Proposed Rule - - Resources Paper https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4607332 DeFi Education Fund https://www.defieducationfund.org/ - -  Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Miller Whitehouse-Levine

CEO

DeFi Education Fund

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Trying to regulate DeFi is a huge challenge because in a truly decentralized system, there should be no centralized actors to make and enforce rules for. This could make combating illicit finance challenging since traditionally, regulation has been targeted at centralized intermediaries. Yet Rebecca Rettig, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at Polygon Labs; Michael Mosier, the co-founder of boutique law firm Arktouros; and Katja Gilman, senior lead for public policy at Polygon Labs, published a paper last week that proposes to do just that.  Rebecca and Michael join Unchained to discuss what prompted them to write the paper, what the difference is between "onchain CeFi" and "genuine DeFi," how targeting high-risk wallets can be one part of the solution, how critical communications transmitters (CCTs) are another piece of the puzzle, and what next steps they are pursuing.  Show highlights: The motivations behind their paper and Michael and Rebecca’s legal backgrounds Why Michael views the Bank Secrecy Act as outdated in the context of DeFi How critical KYC and AML compliance is for the integrity of DeFi What Rebecca identifies as the principal risks in the DeFi sector Why their proposal targets the protocol layer for effective DeFi regulation How "onchain CeFi" differs fundamentally from "genuine DeFi" Whether a decentralized protocol can be effectively regulated when controlled by a DAO How if DeFi were to be classified as critical infrastructure by the Cyber and Information Security Agency (CISA), it would impact the sector Whether the critical components of blockchain networks, such as RPCs, can be regulated effectively How categorizing wallets based on risk can be one part of the solution to fighting illicit finance Why Rebecca considers Tornado Cash a prime example of “genuine DeFi” What steps Rebecca and Michael plan to take next following the publication of their paper Thank you to our sponsors! Popcorn Network Polkadot Guest: Rebecca Rettig, Chief Legal and Policy Officer at Polygon Labs Previous appearances on Unchained: Just a Coincidence? Coinbase and Polygon Lawyers See Bad Omens in SEC Crackdown Kik’s Surprising Move in Its Lawsuit With the SEC Michael Mosier, cofounder of Arktouros PLLC Links Previous coverage of Unchained on the topic: Could the Bank Secrecy Act Harm Crypto? Coin Center Thinks So  Full paper: Genuine DeFi as Critical Infrastructure: A Conceptual Framework for Combating Illicit Finance Activity in Decentralized Finance Rebecca’s thread Coin Center: Broad, Ambiguous, or Delegated: Constitutional Infirmities of the Bank Secrecy Act Tornado Cash Unchained: Given the Sanctions on Tornado Cash, Is Ethereum Censorship Resistant? Illicit funds in crypto: Unchained: How Much Money Are Terrorists Actually Raising in Crypto? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Michael Mosier

Co-Founder

ARArktourousArktourosEspresso Systems

Katja Gilman

Senior Lead for Public Policy

Polygon Labs

In the latest episode of the Empire Policy Series, Santi hosts Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky to delve into recent allegations of Hamas leveraging cryptocurrency for terrorism funding, FinCEN's upcoming rules concerning crypto mixers, and the IRS's evolving crypto tax regulations. The trio also dissect the the forthcoming 3-6 months of crypto regulation and discuss recent bipartisan legislative triumphs in the stablecoin domain. To close out both Rebecca and Jake highlight the need for industry-wide collaboration to ensure regulations both foster innovation and effectively mitigate inherent risks. - - Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:31) Is Crypto Financing Terrorism? (11:37) Policy Maker Responses to Crypto Terrorism (18:34) Chainalysis Ad (19:38) Mixer Rule by Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (31:49) Defining the Mixer Use Case (45:22) Tax Provision for Crypto (51:59) Regulatory Outlook - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis. Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire. - - Resources Submit a comment on regulation https://www.protectdefi.org/ DeFi Education Fund https://www.defieducationfund.org/ The Blockchain Association https://theblockchainassociation.org/ https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Jake Chervinsky

Partner

Variant FundBlockchain AssociationCompound FinanceCompoundVariantCompound LabsHCHyperliquid Policy Center

Jason is joined by Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky in today's special Policy Series episode to tackle the monumental implications of Grayscale ETF decision, Uniswap case dismissal and Tornado Cash indictments. They discuss how these decisions could impact the broader industry and what's coming up next for Bitcoin ETF decisions. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:37)The Importance of Grayscale ETF Victory (11:20) “Chainalysis Ad” (12:24) ETF Consequences & What's Next? (28:48) Uniswap Case Dismissal (36:52) Impacts of Decisions (39:39) Creating a New Asset Class (41:27) Cravath Paper & Tornado Cash Indictment - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis. Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire. - - Resources: Grayscale ETF https://twitter.com/jchervinsky/status/1696544309699363201 https://blockworks.co/news/judges-grayscale-sec-ruling https://twitter.com/MTCoppel/status/1696856472762683814 Uniswap Case Dismissal https://blockworks.co/news/uniswap-class-action-dismissed https://twitter.com/haydenzadams/status/1696991910370411003 Cravath Paper & Tornado Cash https://twitter.com/Cravath/status/1697693810363351358?s=20 https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1/status/1697716451358982364 Crypto Use-cases thevaluedrop.io The Blockchain Association https://theblockchainassociation.org/ https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Jake Chervinsky

Partner

Variant FundBlockchain AssociationCompound FinanceCompoundVariantCompound LabsHCHyperliquid Policy Center

Rebecca Rettig serves as the Chief Legal and Policy Officer at Polygon Labs. In this episode, Rettig offers a comprehensive analysis of the SEC's ongoing legal proceedings against Coinbase and Ripple, including instances where the Court seems to be challenging the SEC's authority. Rettig explains, "I think what both the Ripple and the Coinbase motion for judgment on the pleadings is really trying to say is, 'We got to bring it back to the law. This may look like something, but it doesn't look like anything you've seen before.' So we can't import these other ideas where an investment contract means there's some implied contract." Additionally, she touches on the Court's perspective regarding the SEC's prior actions towards Coinbase: "The judge that [the Coinbase case] is in front of expressed a lot of skepticism about the case because she said to the SEC, 'Didn't you guys let this one go through and allow them to IPO?'" During this episode Chaparro and Rettig also discuss: Regulatory frameworks for digital assets outside the U.S. The Value Prop and how blockchain is being used for good Why this has been a "bullish" bear market

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Join Santi and guests Rebeca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky in today's special Policy Series episode as they discuss the landmark Ripple case and its monumental impact. Explore the implications for future legislation, token sales practices, decentralization & governance, and get updates on MiCA & EU regulations.  - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:24) Landmark Ripple Case (14:00) Verdict Impact on Industry Financing (19:08) What's Next for Ripple Case? (24:35) Influence on Future Legislation (28:36) Token Sales in Practice (38:31) Decentralization & Governance (48:57) Digital Asset Market Structure Proposal (56:25) Updates on MiCA & EU (01:01:18) Call Your Representatives (01:09:02) Futures Curve (01:15:07) Recession Risk - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis.  Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases.  For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire. - - Resources   Crypto Usecases thevaluedrop.io  The Blockchain Association https://theblockchainassociation.org/ https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn - -  Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Jake Chervinsky

Partner

Variant FundBlockchain AssociationCompound FinanceCompoundVariantCompound LabsHCHyperliquid Policy Center

Today we are joined by Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky to discuss the SEC's attack on crypto and how the industry needs to respond. Rebecca and Jake explore the SEC lawsuits, the McHenry-Thompson Bill, their expected US regulation timeline, DC's sentiment and more! Regulation and policy are becoming must-know topics for crypto participants, and this is your go-to source for everything you need to know. This is the second episode in an ongoing regulatory and policy series with Jake and Rebecca! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:53) The SEC Lawsuits: What’s Next? (10:53) “Chainalysis Ad” (11:57) The SEC Lawsuits: What’s Next? (16:02) We Need a Use Case to Show Regulators (21:06) The McHenry-Thompson Bill (38:23) Unprecedented Action by the SEC (45:47) MiCA, Global Legislation and the US’s Timeline (54:10) Non-Custodial Tax Reporting (56:18) DC's Sentiment: FTX Still Lingers - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis. Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire. - - Resources: The Blockchain Association https://theblockchainassociation.org/ https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn Polygon https://polygon.technology/ - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Jake Chervinsky

Partner

Variant FundBlockchain AssociationCompound FinanceCompoundVariantCompound LabsHCHyperliquid Policy Center

Today we are joined by Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky to discuss the state of crypto regulation. Rebecca and Jake explain how the US is falling behind, the EU's MiCA regulation, the SEC's attack on Coinbase, Gary's false sense of control and the hottest crypto bills in DC. Regulation and policy are becoming must-know topics for crypto participants, and this is your go-to source for everything you need to know. This is the first episode in an ongoing regulatory and policy series with Jake and Rebecca! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:40) The State of Crypto Regulation (02:36) Europe's MiCA Legislation (11:10) “Chainalysis Ad” (12:14) Coinbase’s Offshore Expansion (14:11) The UK’s Approach and What’s Next for the EU (19:07) Gary Gensler’s April Testimony (22:45) Coinbase’s Fight with the SEC (30:08) Warren Marshall Bill (35:21) The US Policy Outlook - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis. Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire. - - Resources: Coinbase's response to the SEC’s Wells notice https://www.coinbase.com/blog/coinbase-responds-to-the-secs-wells-notice The Blockchain Association https://theblockchainassociation.org/ https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn Polygon https://polygon.technology/ - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Jake Chervinsky

Partner

Variant FundBlockchain AssociationCompound FinanceCompoundVariantCompound LabsHCHyperliquid Policy Center

Two lawyers, Josh Klayman, head of digital assets at Linklaters, and Marc Boiron, chief legal officer at Polygon Labs, offer their takes on the SEC’s recent crypto crackdown. They share what they heard from SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s Congressional testimony, whether this crackdown was inevitable or sparked by FTX, and why a proposed change to the definition of an exchange could be an existential threat for DeFi in the U.S. Show highlights: what Gary Gensler’s approach to crypto was when he took office whether the FTX collapse had any impact at all on the SEC’s recent actions whether the actions against Coinbase are “inappropriate” what the differences between Coinbase and Kraken staking services are why the concept of “exemptive relief” is important for exchanges whether the SEC is looking to go after AMM-based decentralized exchanges why SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce says that complying with a new proposal wouldn’t be possible for much of DeFi why, according to Marc, the industry should be “pushing very hard” against the newly proposed definition of an exchange whether the SEC’s ability to pursue enforcement actions against ETH is diminished by the statements of the previous SEC chair Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Halborn Guests: Josh Klayman, head of blockchain and digital assets at Linklaters,  Marc Boiron, chief legal officer at Polygon Labs. Sufficient Decentralization Previous coverage of Unchained on the SEC’s actions:  ‘Is ETH a Security?’ Why Gary Gensler Couldn’t Give Congress a Straight Answer Rep. Emmer on Why He Believes Gary Gensler Is a ‘Bad-Faith Regulator’ Is the Government Trying to Kill Off Crypto in the US? Coinbase’s Top Lawyer Calls SEC Wells Notice a ‘Massive Overreach’ SEC Chair Gary Gensler Avoids Question: ‘Is Ethereum a Security?’ SEC Sues Bittrex, Names Dash, Algorand and Other Tokens ‘Crypto Asset Securities’ Links CoinDesk: U.S. SEC Moves Toward DeFi Oversight as It Reopens Proposed Regulations Proposed rule: Amendments Regarding the Definition of “Exchange” and Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) Rendering Innovation Kaput: Statement on Amending the Definition of Exchange POLITICO: McHenry clashes with SEC’s Gensler over crypto crackdown Forbes: Crypto Exchange Beaxy Shuts Down Amid SEC Charges Treasury Releases 2023 DeFi Illicit Finance Risk Assessment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Klayman

Head of Digital Assets

Linklaters

Marc Boiron

Chief Executive Officer

Polygon Labs

A settlement with Kraken, a proposed custody rule, and lawsuits against Paxos and Terraform Labs. “This week has been a very long year,” said Polygon Labs Chief Policy Officer Rebecca Rettig. She joins Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal to interpret what’s going on with the SEC. Is it just one big push to cripple the crypto industry? “The fact that we’re all … trying to read tea leaves speaks to a failure in the system that relies upon one-off enforcement actions rather than a public rulemaking process,” said Grewal. Show highlights: how the implosion of FTX sped up regulatory actions  whether the SEC will go after other staking services why the statement that crypto firms should just register with the SEC is “disingenuous” what seems to be behind the decision to target the BUSD stablecoin whether SEC enforcement actions will be detrimental to innovation in the U.S. what features would make stablecoins securities why the SEC is alleging that the UST stablecoin is a security why “expansion of jurisdiction” is at the heart of the SEC’s proposed crypto custody rules why Paul thinks that forcing crypto innovation offshore could become a national security issue for the U.S. Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com FTSE Halborn NYU Guests: Paul Grewal, Chief Legal Officer at Coinbase: Twitter Rebecca Rettig, Chief Policy Officer at Polygon Labs: Twitter Links WIRED: Confusion Spirals in Crypto as the US Cracks Down Unchained:  Circle Told NYDFS That Paxos-Issued BUSD Wasn’t Fully Backed SEC Wants Tougher Rules for Crypto Custody SEC Sues Do Kwon and Terraform Labs WSJ:  Crypto Firm Paxos Faces SEC Lawsuit Over Binance USD Token Regulator Orders Crypto Firm Paxos to Stop Issuing Binance Stablecoin Bloomberg: US Crackdown Seeks to Push Crypto Back to the Fringes of Finance SEC:  Pocketful of Quarters, Inc. Statement on Safeguarding Advisory Client Assets Proposal CoinDesk: SEC Proposal Could Bar Investment Advisers From Keeping Assets at Crypto Firms Jesse Powell’s tweet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Paul Grewal

Chief Legal Officer

Coinbase

In today's episode, we're talking about the state of crypto regulation across the pond. Is it as bad over there as it is here in the United States?  There is a landmark crypto bill over in the EU called MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) and its worth paying attention to! We brought on some EU regulation experts, Rebecca Rettig, Chief Policy Officer @ Polygon Labs, Seth Hertlein, VP, Global Head of Policy @ Ledger, and Patrick Hansen Director of EU Strategy and Policy @ Circle. ------  MetaMask Learn  https://bankless.cc/metamaskshow  ------  JOIN BANKLESS PREMIUM:  https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/subscribe  ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS:  KRAKEN | MOST-TRUSTED CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/kraken  UNISWAP | ON-CHAIN MARKETPLACE https://bankless.cc/uniswap  ️ ARBITRUM | SCALING ETHEREUM https://bankless.cc/Arbitrum   EARNIFI | CLAIM YOUR UNCLAIMED AIRDROPS https://bankless.cc/earnifi   ------ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 4:45 Pond Temperature  9:30 U.S. vs. the EU Regulation 13:30 Is MiCA Passed? 15:50 Should the U.S. Be Jealous? 18:30 MiCA Grading  20:55 DCCA Grading 22:22 MiCA Stablecoins  29:35 EU Restrictions  37:36 MiCA Self-Custody 44:22 Fear Ideology  46:40 U.S. vs. EU Regulation & Innovation 51:40 Closing Thoughts  58:50 Disclaimers ------ Resources: Seth Hertlein https://twitter.com/SethHertlein  Patrick Hansen https://twitter.com/paddi_hansen  Rebecca Rettig https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1  ----- 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. Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Seth Hertlein

VP Global Head of Policy

Ledger

Patrick Hansen

Director of EU Strategy and Policy

Circle

In today’s episode of Empire, we start with a deep regulatory discussion with Kristin Smith and Rebecca Rettig to explore Gary's attack on crypto. We cover the SEC's attack against Kraken and BUSD, tokens as securities, market implications, what to expect next and more! Santi and Jason co-pilot the last 25 minutes to discuss Blur's airdrop, the battle for NFT market share, the L2 wars and Flashbots' new MEV-Share product. This episode covers everything you need to know from this wild week! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:55) An attack on Stablecoins? (06:34) Kraken and staking services (10:22) Why is Gary gunning for crypto? (14:09) The Implications and path forward (27:37) What if tokens were deemed securities? (32:30) Blockworks Research (34:05) How should crypto companies respond? (40:22) Regulation segment recap (51:25) Blur's airdrop, OpenSea losing market share (59:10) L2 Wars, Flashbots MEV-Share, Sushi Studios - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Kristin: https://twitter.com/KMSmithDC Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Blockchain Association https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn Polygon https://twitter.com/0xPolygon Empire podcast with Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky https://spoti.fi/3YTMfoh Flasbots MEV-Share article http://bit.ly/3S7g9TO Categorizing different zk implementations (a Twitter thread) https://twitter.com/pseudotheos/status/1622698514475061252?s=20 - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Kristin Smith

CEO

Blockchain Association

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Robert Leshner, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra chop it up about the latest news. This week, Polygon Chief Legal Officer Marc Boiron joins the show to examine the SEC’s recent enforcement ramp-up. why Marc thinks NYDFS coming after Paxos is the most interesting thing to analyze in the SEC-BUSD spat whether the SEC and NYDFS actions against Paxos were coordinated  whether a stablecoin is a security and why the SEC might be inclined to go after Paxos how a stablecoin could resemble a money market fund whether the SEC action against BUSD consolidates Tether's dominance why Robert is nervous about the ramifications of the Paxos situation for all of crypto the unique characteristics of Kraken's staking services that led to settlement with the SEC the meaning of the settlement for other custodial staking services and staking in general why Robert voted in favor of the Uniswap governance proposal why Haseeb is fine with how a16z voted in the proposal how on-chain governance should be approached  Hosts Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly Capital Robert Leshner, founder of Compound  Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly Capital Guest Marc Boiron, chief legal officer at Polygon Links Disclosures BUSD shutdown WSJ: Crypto Firm Paxos Faces SEC Lawsuit Over Binance USD Token Regulator Orders Crypto Firm Paxos to Stop Issuing Binance Stablecoin The Block: Gensler: SEC has been 'clear' on cryptocurrencies Unchained: Circle Told NYDFS That Paxos-Issued BUSD Wasn’t Fully Backed SEC vs. Staking Ethereum ETH Staking Deposits Kraken to Discontinue Unregistered Offer and Sale of Crypto Asset Staking-As-A-Service Program and Pay $30 Million to Settle SEC Charges Coinbase’s staking services are not securities. And here's why. - Blog Uniswap governance drama Unchained episode on the topic: Chris Blec on Why He Believes a16z’s Uniswap Vote Exposes DeFi as a Farce - Ep. 454  Wormhole vs. LayerZero posts Wormhole  LayerZero Explanation video from Unchained  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Boiron

Chief Executive Officer

Polygon Labs

From Starbucks to Warner Music, large corporations are building on the Polygon blockchain to bring their web3 visions to life. According to Polygon Labs President Ryan Wyatt, it’s not Polygon’s tech that is attracting big brands, but rather Polygon Labs’ unique "white glove" approach to corporate partnerships. “Fortune 500 companies are used to having their hand held along a journey, especially in something like web3 where there’s a lot to navigate,” Wyatt said. In this episode, Wyatt discusses Polygon Labs’s approach to business development, how the upcoming release of Polygon’s zkEVM will help Ethereum scale, and the future of blockchain gaming. This episode is brought to you by our sponsors Circle, Railgun, Flare Network, NordVPN About Circle Circle is a global financial technology company helping money move at internet speed. Our mission is to raise global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of value. Visit Circle.com to learn more. About Railgun RAILGUN is a private DeFi solution on Ethereum, BSC, Arbitrum, and Polygon. Shield any ERC-20 token and any NFT into a Private Balance and let RAILGUN’s Zero-Knowledge cryptography encrypt your address, balance, and transaction history. You can also bring privacy to your project with RAILGUN SDK and be sure to check out RAILGUN with partner project Railway Wallet, also available on iOS and Android. Visit Railgun.org to find out more. About Flare Flare is an EVM-based Layer 1 blockchain designed to allow developers to build applications that can use data from other blockchains and the internet. By providing decentralized access to a wide variety of high-integrity data from other blockchains and the internet, Flare enables new use cases and monetization models. Build better and connect everything at Flare.Network About NordVPN NordVPN is essential for keeping crypto transactions secure, hiding your IP address, and protecting your devices from hackers and data theft. Get premium cyber-security on up to 6 devices for the price of a cup of coffee a month. Get your exclusive NordVPN Deal and try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee: Visit https://nordvpn.com/thescoop

Ryan Wyatt

CEO

Polygon StudiosOptimismPolygon Labs

In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santi are joined by Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky to discuss the state of crypto regulation. We explore what Tornado Cash sanctions mean for crypto, how to define decentralization, if tokens will be considered securities, Ethereum censorship, what to expect from future regulation and more! - - (00:00) Introduction (01:18) Tornado Cash Sanctions (16:09) Defining Decentralization (26:17) What Has Been Most Damaging to Crypto? (31:03) Do Regulators Understand the Nuances of Crypto? (37:35) What Regulations Should Be Prioritized Today? (39:27) A Focus on User Protection (46:17) Getting Congress on Our Side (59:45) The SEC's Attack on Crypto (Coinbase) (1:01:02) Uniswap Fee Switch Implications (1:08:17) ETH Validators & OFAC Compliance (1:19:27) Permissionless vs Permissioned DeFi - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw - - Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire 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. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Rebecca Rettig

Chief Policy Officer

Polygon LabsJito LabsPolygonDeFi Education Fund

Jake Chervinsky

Partner

Variant FundBlockchain AssociationCompound FinanceCompoundVariantCompound LabsHCHyperliquid Policy Center

Ryan Wyatt is the CEO of Polygon Studios and former Head of Gaming at Youtube. Ryan is always on the frontier of gaming, having stewarded a new generation of content creators. He's now shifting his focus to Web3, where the next wave of innovation is set to happen. Ryan presents a number of fascinating takes, including his feelings on Anti-NFT sentiment, the future of games, and the growing influence of gaming content. By building out the Polygon Metaverse, Ryan is colliding games and economies. In this episode, he shares what he's learned — what's real about crypto, and what's not. ------ 📣 NOTIONAL FINANCE | DeFi's Leading Fixed Rate Yield https://bankless.cc/Notional  ------ 🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/  🎙️ SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST: http://podcast.banklesshq.com/  ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 👀 POLYGON | LAYER 2 DEFI https://bankless.cc/Polygon  ❎ ACROSS | BRIDGE TO LAYER 2 https://bankless.cc/Across  🦊 METAMASK | THE CRYPTO WALLET https://bankless.cc/metamask  💳 LEDGER | THE CRYPTO LIFE CARD https://bankless.cc/Ledger  🧙‍♂️ ALCHEMIX | SELF REPAYING LOANS https://bankless.cc/Alchemix  🦄 UNISWAP | DECENTRALIZED FUNDING https://bankless.cc/UniGrants  ------ Topics Covered: 0:00 Intro 5:00 Ryan Wyatt 8:50 Creator Economy Background 12:07 Transitioning to Web3 18:58 Crypto Improves Games 24:51 Whales & Blockchains 31:17 NFT Maxis vs Antti-NFT Maxis 36:08 Why Gamers Hate NFTs 40:05 Will Everything Be Crypto? 49:10 How We Change Minds 54:30 How Web2 Sees Web3 1:01:46 Colliding Games & Economies 1:05:56 What’s Wrong with Gaming 1:09:00 Money, Yield, and Content 1:17:01 In-Game Assets, Real World Value 1:24:45 The Bull Case for Polygon 1:27:48 Closing & Disclaimers ------ Resources: Ryan Wyatt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fwiz?s=20&t=TWOdkCxUzoJ-e3DlN9uT_g  Polygon Studios: https://twitter.com/polygonstudios?s=20&t=TWOdkCxUzoJ-e3DlN9uT_g  Crypto Unicorns: https://www.cryptounicorns.fun/  ------ Related Episodes: The Crypto Gaming Revolution | Arianna Simpson https://shows.banklesshq.com/p/the-crypto-gaming-revolution  Web3 Gaming 101 | Amy Wu https://shows.banklesshq.com/p/-96-web3-gaming-101-amy-wu  Crypto Gaming Panel | Loot Squad, Yield Guild, Illuvium https://shows.banklesshq.com/p/crypto-gaming-panel-loot-squad-yield  The Dawn of Crypto Gaming | Robbie Ferguson https://shows.banklesshq.com/p/-the-dawn-of-crypto-gaming-robbie  The Emergent Metaverse | Sam Englebardt & Richard Kim https://shows.banklesshq.com/p/-102-the-emergent-metaverse-sam-englebardt?utm_source=url  ----- 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. Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/bankless-disclosures

Ryan Wyatt

CEO

Polygon StudiosOptimismPolygon Labs