Unchained Podcast

Laura Shin has reported on crypto scams since the early days and wrote one of the first stories on sim swaps. That did not stop a spear-phishing attempt from getting her to download software and run a terminal command before she caught it. Austin Campbell, Ram Ahluwalia, and Chris Perkins turn her near miss into a practical defense playbook, then debate whether self-custody still makes sense for anyone with a public crypto profile. Hosts: Austin Campbell, Host of Bits + Bips, Founder of Zero Knowledge Group, and Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern Ram Ahluwalia, Co-host of Bits + Bips and CEO of Lumida Chris Perkins, Co-host of Bits + Bips and Head of Franklin Crypto Guest: Laura Shin - Founder and Host of Unchained This clip is from a longer conversation on crypto security and social engineering. Full episode here: https://youtube.com/live/yKHaE6xMZsE  We go live every Monday - subscribe to catch it live. Sponsors: 👉 Cape: Your biggest crypto vulnerability isn't your wallet, it's your phone number. Cape is America's privacy-first mobile carrier that rotates your SIM identity daily and blocks SIM swaps before they happen. Get 33% off your first six months at https://cape.co/unchained   (use code: UNCHAINED). Chapters: 🎣 00:00 The fake podcast invite that nearly caught Laura Shin 💻 00:26 How far it went: a download, then a terminal command 🛡️ 05:02 Austin's hard rules for when someone puts time pressure on you 🏦 06:36 Why Ram says ETFs now beat self-custody for public figures 🥷 07:39 Chris on getting hacked and losing his Snoop Dogg NFT 🤖 10:41 Why the same playbook is coming for banks via AI voice clones 🦅 11:33 Chris on letting the private sector recover stolen crypto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast

Top Ethereum talent is leaving. The Ethereum Foundation is shrinking. And one question now hangs over the entire ecosystem: what happens to ETH if the EF steps back? In this livestream, Camila Russo is joined by Dankrad Feist, Laura Shin, Ajit Tripathi, and William Mougayar to break down the EF departures, leadership turmoil, the cypherpunk mandate, the debate over tokenomics, and whether Ethereum is still positioned to win as competition intensifies. The big tension in this conversation is clear: the EF may be choosing to do less, but the market is demanding more. So if Ethereum is entering a new phase, who organizes, who builds, and who fights for ETH from here? Explore The Defiant ✨

Dankrad Feist

Researcher

Ethereum Foundation

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast

Ajit Tripathi

William Mougayar

Organizer

Token Summit

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, we’re joined by a special guest: Laura Shin, host of Unchained! The crew unpacks Circle’s explosive IPO, Tether’s threat to exit the U.S., and the meme-stock logic powering the rise of “crypto treasury companies.” From Coinbase’s grip on USDC to Wall Street’s sudden enthusiasm for stablecoins, we explore how public markets are reshaping crypto’s power centers. Is Circle overvalued—or the last compliant winner left? And are ICOs really back? We debate whether crypto’s just maturing—or if it’s being hijacked by the suits. Show highlights 🔹 Circle’s IPO Shocks Wall Street – One of the biggest two-day pops in IPO history: Did bankers misprice, or did crypto just break TradFi? 🔹 Stablecoin Season or Meme Stock Mania? – Circle hits 160x earnings, 15x revenue—Tarun calls it “CoreWeave for finance” 🔹 Tether Threatens U.S. Exit – New regulation looms: Will Circle rule America while Tether dominates abroad? 🔹 The Coinbase Cut – Why Coinbase might be the real winner behind USDC—and the hidden economics of stablecoin margins 🔹 Banking Consortium Incoming? – JPMorgan and Wells reportedly plotting their own stablecoin play. Is Circle racing against the banks? 🔹 The Rise of Treasury Tokens – From MicroStrategy to Solana clones: Are “crypto holding companies” the new ETF? 🔹 Copycats or Cult Leaders? – Why everyone wants to be Saylor—and why most won’t survive 🔹 Are These Companies Just Meme Stocks? – Laura and Tarun debate whether tradable crypto firms have real value—or just vibes 🔹 The Return of the ICO – Plasma raises $500M on Sonar, sparking a new wave of pre-token speculation 🔹 Is This Financial Innovation or Regulatory Theater? – Haseeb asks: Are we maturing—or just dressing TradFi in crypto clothes? ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures ⭐️Laura Shin, Journalist, Author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ Founder and CEO of Unchained Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:25 Circle's IPO: A Historic Event 03:16 Market Reactions & Implications 06:49 Stablecoin Legislation & Tether's Response 08:56 Circle's Market Position & Future 23:12 Crypto Treasury Companies: The New Trend 32:09 Understanding Convertible Arbitrage in Crypto 37:02 Potential Risks and Market Dynamics 41:36 The Influence of Michael Saylor 43:57 The Need for Charismatic Leaders in Crypto 50:07 The Rise of ICOs and Market Trends 55:04 Concluding Thoughts on ICOs HostsDisclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast

While the first family engage in their own memecoin ventures, the crypto market is booming. Crypto expert and host of the podcast Unchained, Laura Shin joins Rapid Response to reveal the sector’s emerging economic, political and geopolitical implications. Shin also provides a primer on how to best experiment with crypto today, why Stablecoin is growing so fast, and what Coinbase joining the S&P 500 means for the industry’s future. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner break down the biggest stories in crypto. This week, we’re joined by special guest Laura Shin to dissect Trump’s Strategic Crypto Reserve fiasco. Why did he name-drop XRP and Cardano first? Was this real policy or just a market pump? Meanwhile, Crypto Twitter is melting down over Trump’s crypto summit guest list—who made the cut, and who got snubbed? Plus, another SEC lawsuit bites the dust, and memecoins look deader than ever. Let’s get into it. Show highlights 🔹 Trump’s Crypto Reserve Announcement – Trump proposes a U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve, initially boosting XRP, ADA, SOL, BTC, and ETH—only for markets to fully reverse in 48 hours. 🔹 Who Picked These Coins? – XRP & ADA make the list despite having lower adoption than SOL or ETH. Was this a serious policy move or just pay-to-play politics? 🔹 Trump’s 5D Chess or Just a Meme? – Did the Trump team just pick random coins off CoinMarketCap? Or was this an orchestrated move to pay back donors? 🔹 The Crypto Council Drama – Trump’s Crypto Council implodes before launch due to infighting over seats. First summit features Ripple’s Garlinghouse, Michael Saylor, Chainlink’s Nazarov, Brian Armstrong, and Jesse Powell—but no actual protocol founders. 🔹 Is Crypto Being Used for Politics? – Nic Carter calls the plan a grift, saying the U.S. government should not buy altcoins with taxpayer money. Even Bitcoin maxis are skeptical. 🔹 Trump’s Obsession With Bitcoin Prices – Reports claim Trump personally tracks Bitcoin price movements and wants BTC to hit $150K during his presidency—is he manipulating markets? 🔹 The SEC Softens on Crypto? – Enforcement pivots as the SEC drops cases against Cumberland and Kraken. Will the Coinbase lawsuit be next? 🔹 Market Exhaustion Sets In – Despite the noise, traders are tired. The market isn’t buying into Trump’s crypto plans—was this just another empty promise? Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  ⭐️Laura Shin, Journalist, Author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ Founder and CEO of Unchained Disclosures Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:05 Market Reactions to Trump's Announcement 03:25 Skepticism of the Crypto Reserve 07:02 Strategic Value of Crypto Reserve 11:11 Political and Market Implications 18:52 Security Concerns & Future Speculations 31:30 Government Control of Crypto 39:50 Potential Forks & Government Influence 45:37 Crypto Summit & Council  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast

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, we’re joined by Laura Shin, host of the Unchained Podcast, for a no-holds-barred discussion on the current state of the crypto landscape. We dive into Berachain’s shaky launch, dissecting its tokenomics, insider allocations, and why the hype didn’t hold. Then we uncover the rise of celebrity memecoin scams—how influencers are cashing in while their followers get rugged. Finally, we tackle the Ethereum vs. Solana debate: is Ethereum losing its edge, or is Solana’s growth just a speculative bubble? It’s an episode full of bold takes and sharp insights you won’t want to miss. Show highlights 🔹 Berachain’s Big Faceplant: Launched with $10B hype, now scraping $2.5B FDV. There are too many VCs and not enough vibes to keep it afloat. 🔹 Memecoin Madness: Celebs faking hacks to rug followers? The dark side of crypto grifts gets exposed. 🔹 Is Ethereum Lost? Once the king of culture, it is now weighed down by L2 sprawl and fading relevance. Has Solana stolen the spotlight? 🔹 Solana’s Winning the Youth Vote: Fast, fun, and flooded with memecoins—exactly what Gen Z craves. 🔹 Peak Memecoin Energy: When the scams get this blatant, are we hitting the top—or just getting started? 🔹 Cramer vs. Meme Lords: Who’s worse for your wallet—a clueless TV pundit or a shameless influencer? 🔹 Regulators, Where You At? Chasing good actors while real frauds run wild. Classic crypto chaos. Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures ⭐️Laura Shin, Journalist, Author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ Founder and CEO of Unchained Disclosures Timestamps  00:00 Intro 01:53 Berachain Launch and Community Sentiment 05:23 Market Sentiment and Crypto Cycles 18:03 Kanye West Leaks Scam Playbook 32:17 Cramer’s Curse vs. Portnoy’s Pump 39:23 Ethereum & Solana Drama 49:06 Ethereum's Existential Crisis (Again?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast

In this week’s episode of The Defiant podcast, we speak to Laura Shin, the former senior editor at Forbes and host of the popular podcast Unchained, about her new book ‘The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze.’ In Cryptopians, Laura may have solved Ethereum’s biggest mystery; the identity of the DAO hacker. In this interview, she goes into the backstory of how she came up with the most credible suspect to date. Thanking our podcast sponsors: Zerion is Mission Control for Web3: an intuitive DeFi portfolio manager, multichain tracking & trading and the best place to show off your NFT collection Unstoppable Domains is The #1 provider of NFT domains. Get YourName dot crypto, dot x, dot nft or a range of other endings for as low as $5 Nexo: Invest in crypto, earn interest of up to 20%, paid out daily, and use crypto as collateral to receive a credit line at premium rates. Step Finance's portfolio management dashboard enables Solana users to visualize, analyze, execute and aggregate transactions across all Solana contracts at the click of a button.

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast

We get an in-depth look at DAOs or Decentralized Autonomous Organizations; what they do, how they work and their purpose with crypto journalist and “The Cryptopians” author Laura Shin. Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Laura Shin, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast

Laura Shin host of the Unchained Podcast is on the show to talk about the state of Blockchain technology and gives us an overview of the Decentralized Finance movement. Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Roger Chang and Laura Shin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Shin

Host

UnchainedUnchained Podcast