Why Pokémon Cards Are Better Onchain (and How to Trade Them) - Ep. 898
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.
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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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Why Would Argentine President Javier Milei Protect Kelsier's Hayden Davis? - Ep. 787
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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