Unchained

Subscribe to Unchained’s new regulatory newsletter Unregulated. With the presidential race in the spotlight, it’s easy to overlook the powerful role that Congress could play in shaping crypto policy in the coming years. From committee chairs to legislative allies, crypto advocates are keenly focused on the outcome of key Congressional races. Kristin Smith of the Blockchain Association and Alex Grieve of Paradigm join us today to break down which races and committees are critical for crypto, why the industry is more visible in Washington than ever, and what the chances are for lame duck legislation this year.  Read more: How Congressional Committee Leadership Could Shake Out for Crypto This Election Show highlights: Why this election is “incredibly important” for crypto  How the presence of Fairshake is increasingly noticed by Washington Why some committees are more important than others for the industry Why the Senate Banking Committee is key Whether Alex and Kristin are concerned about Sen. Warren becoming chair of the Senate Banking Committee What could happen to the House Financial Services Committee Who is likely to take on both of the Agricultural Committees, which is in charge of the CFTC How the Senate Commerce affects the crypto industry How the members of the House Energy Committee don’t have a strong stance on crypto What the stance of the Finance Committee on crypto is Why there is an opportunity in the House Ways and Means Committee Whether crypto tax legislation is in the works Who could be the SEC Chair under a Trump or Harris presidency Who could be the next Chair of the CFTC Whether Yellen will be replaced on Treasury, with many pro-crypto options on tap Why the Federal Reserve matters much more if they get to regulate stablecoins What the odds are for crypto legislation being passed this year 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 Robinhood & Arbitrum Guests: Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association Kristin’s Op-ed on Unchained: In the Ongoing SAB 121 Fight, Here’s How Crypto Can Move Forward With Bipartisan Support Previous appearances on Unchained: Kristin Smith on Why Crypto Legislation Could Be Passed by Year's End  Can Crypto Be a Force in the Midterms? Yes, Say Kristin Smith and Jake Chervinsky What the Crypto Industry Could See Under a Biden Administration Alexander Grieve, VP of Government Affairs at Paradigm Links Previous coverage of Unchained on the elections: With Rate Cuts and Upcoming Elections, What’s the Best Play in Crypto? Why Congressman Ro Khanna Is Hopeful the Democratic Party Will Embrace Crypto Why Gary Gensler Will Likely Be Out as SEC Chair No Matter Who Wins the Election Congressman French Hill on Crypto and His Top Pick for the Next SEC Chair Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 01:55 Why this election is pivotal for crypto 04:50 How Fairshake’s presence is catching Washington’s eye 16:39 Which committees matter most for crypto? 22:49 Why the Senate Banking Committee is crucial 28:54 Concerns about Sen. Warren as potential chair? 38:15 Possible shifts in the House Financial Services Committee 41:47 Who could control the Agricultural Committees and CFTC oversight? 47:35 How the Senate Commerce Committee impacts crypto 51:04 House Energy Committee’s stance on crypto 53:21 Finance Committee’s crypto perspective 55:03 Opportunities in the House Ways and Means Committee 57:28 Is crypto tax legislation in the works? 1:01:23 Potential SEC Chairs under Trump or Harris 1:03:57 Who could be the next CFTC Chair? 1:05:46 Will Yellen be replaced with a pro-crypto Treasury option? 1:08:06 Why the Fed’s role could be pivotal for stablecoin regulation 1:10:46 Odds of crypto legislation passing this year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Okt 20241h 17min

Subscribe to our new regulatory newsletter Unregulated: https://unchainedcrypto.substack.com/s/unregulated The two-week-old GOAT memecoin, which hit a market cap of almost $880 million on Thursday, is captivating everyone in crypto. Not because this is memecoin szn, but because its rise was fueled by an AI called Truth Terminal, which is itself a baby of two other AI models.  Teng Yan, founder of Chain of Thought, joins Unchained to break down how this unexpected AI creation has turned into a phenomenon, why it has captured the attention of the crypto world, and what the future holds for AI-driven tokens.  At the end, Laura also discusses with Unchained’s regulatory reporter Veronica Irwin two interesting and important news stories: who Kamala Harris is vetting for SEC chair and how one Senate race could inadvertently give Senator Elizabeth Warren more power over crypto.  Show highlights: How an AI experiment unexpectedly led to the creation of GOAT and sparked interest in AI-generated subcultures How "Terminal of Truth" evolved its own personality, gained attention from Marc Andreessen, and began posting about a new "Goat Sea gospel" religion How the spelling mistake sparked skepticism about the AI model What happened with the $50,000 in BTC that Marc Andreessen gave to Truth Terminal Whether an AI can have its own wallet and what the implications are  Whether AI memecoins could start surging on other chains What we can expect in terms of the proliferation of AI memecoins What the future looks like for the intersection of crypto and AI Who Kamala Harris is considering for SEC Chair if she wins the U.S. election Why one Senate race could give Elizabeth Warren more power over crypto 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’s FBTC Guest Teng Yan, Founder of Chain of Thought Teng’s article: GOAT: The Gospel of Goatse  Links Previous coverage of Unchained on GOAT: GOAT Hits a Record $879 Million Market Cap After Brian Armstrong Offers to Help Truth Terminal GOAT: How AI Agents Talking Turned Into a $268 Million Memecoin 'Religion' Infinite backrooms Andy : https://x.com/AndyAyrey Andy Ayrey's (creator of Truth Terminal) research paper on LLMtheism:  Truth Terminal's X account  Kaito: GOAT’s mindshare Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 01:28 How an AI experiment led to the creation of GOAT 06:16 The rise of “Terminal of Truth” and its unexpected evolution 11:57 How a simple spelling mistake raised skepticism 20:09 What happened to the $50,000 in BTC from Marc Andreessen? 21:06 Whether AI models can have their own wallets 24:17 Whether AI memecoins will surge on other chains 26:19 What’s next for the rise of AI memecoins 28:35 The future of AI and crypto’s intersection 31:39 Who Kamala Harris may consider for SEC Chair 34:12 How one Senate race could boost Elizabeth Warren’s power over crypto 40:33 News Recap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Okt 202451min

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner slice into the juiciest topics in crypto. In this episode, the crew is joined by special guest Anatoly Yakovenko, the mastermind behind Solana, for a deep dive into the network’s evolution and future. The conversation kicks off with a look at Solana's rapid rise from its rocky early days to its current status as a blockchain powerhouse. They debate the role of memecoins in Solana’s ecosystem and whether they’re here to stay or just a passing craze. Next, Anatoly opens up about Fire Dancer’s impact on the network’s scaling and performance, sparking a broader discussion about vertical vs. horizontal scaling. Finally, they explore Solana’s ambitious push into the mobile space with the Seeker phone and its implications for the broader crypto industry. Packed with expert insights, bold predictions, and a few surprises, this episode is a must-listen for anyone following the future of blockchain. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights 🔹 Solana’s Rise: Solana’s journey from early turbulence to becoming a blockchain powerhouse. 🔹 Memecoin Frenzy: The explosive growth of memecoins on Solana and their impact on the ecosystem. 🔹 Fire Dancer Impact: How Fire Dancer could revolutionize Solana’s scalability and performance. 🔹 Vertical vs Horizontal Scaling: Is Solana’s vertical scaling approach stronger than Ethereum’s rollups? 🔹 Seeker Phone: Solana’s ambitious push into mobile with the Seeker phone and its potential disruption of the app store landscape. 🔹 ETHOS Phone: How does Ethereum’s new phone compare to Solana’s mobile vision? 🔹 Network Extensions: The introduction of network extensions and whether they align with Solana’s long-term vision. 🔹 App Chains: Could the rise of app-specific chains lead to fragmentation or strengthen Solana’s ecosystem? 🔹 Developer Experience: The challenges of Solana’s development environment and their impact on innovation. 🔹 Ethereum Rivalry: With both networks advancing, how is the competition between Solana and Ethereum shaping up? Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly  ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures Special Guest ⭐️Anatoly Yakovenko, Co-Founder & CEO Solana Labs Disclosures Timestamps  00:00 Intro 02:56 TCB’s Criticisms 05:12 Evolution of Solana's Ecosystem 17:36 Solana's Competition 22:05 What Is Solana's Moat? 28:31 The Role of Atomicity and Composability 34:11 Network Extensions 44:20 First Mover vs. Second Cohort 48:44 Future of Asset Types and Content 52:49 Developer Experience and Token Implementations 1:00:38 Solana Phone vs. EthOS 1:09:16 Thoughts and Criticism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24 Okt 20241h 17min

In this episode of Bits + Bips, hosts James Seyffart, Alex Kruger, and Joe McCann are joined by Jeff Park of Bitwise to discuss some of the latest developments in the crypto world. They share their thoughts on a controversial ECB paper about Bitcoin, breaking down why they believe the authors missed the mark. They also dive into the rising institutional interest in spot Bitcoin ETFs and how Trump’s momentum in the polls could impact the market, especially for altcoins. Plus, the conversation explores the significance of Bitcoin ETF options and why they could have a larger impact than many expect. Show highlights: Why the guys believe that the ECB paper on Bitcoin is a joke How the Minneapolis Fed report said that prohibiting Bitcoin would allow the government to operate at permanent deficits  The institutional demand for spot bitcoin ETFs How Trump has been rising in the polls and what the Trump trade looks like at the moment Whether polls and Poylmarket bets on the U.S. elections are manipulated How the Fed is putting more focus on jobs than inflation When the bitcoin ETF options might launch and which issuers will get it first How memecoins succeed and the rise of AI memecoins like GOAT, fueled by the AI bot truth_terminal What the $1.1 billion acquisition by Stripe of stablecoin company Bridge means  Why Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial token sale was a flop Sponsors: Gemini Stellar  Hosts: James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard Joe McCann, Founder, CEO, and CIO of Asymmetric Guest: Jeff Park, Head of Alpha Strategies at Bitwise Links ECB paper on bitcoin: Bitcoin Appreciation Could Be ‘Fuelling The Division Of Society’ Omid Malekan’s rebuttal to the paper by Bindseil & Schaaf (of the ECB) Minneapolis Fed report: Unique Implementation of Permanent Primary Deficits? | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Alex Kruger’s tweet on memecoins  Alex Thorn’s tweet on bitcoin adjusted by inflation Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:08 Why the ECB’s Bitcoin paper missed the mark 10:17 Political motivations behind the Minneapolis Fed report on Bitcoin 14:18 Rising institutional demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs 21:38 How Trump’s poll momentum could impact crypto 32:14 Are election polls and Polymarket bets manipulated? 43:36 Why the Fed is prioritizing jobs over inflation 52:37 When will Bitcoin ETF options launch? 1:01:08 What makes memecoins, including AI memecoins like GOAT, succeed? 1:13:00 The significance of Stripe’s $1.1 billion crypto deal 1:18:02 Why the WLFI token sale was a “flop” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23 Okt 20241h 25min

Africa is quickly becoming one of the most dynamic regions for crypto adoption, but the story unfolding there is very different from what many in the West might imagine.  Chris Maurice, co-founder and CEO of Yellow Card, joins the show to share how stablecoins are already transforming businesses across the continent, solving real-world problems, and taking on SWIFT. Plus, he explains why USDT is the stablecoin of choice there.  He also dives into the long-term economic impact of crypto adoption and explains why anyone serious about business should be paying close attention to Africa.  Show highlights: What Yellow Card is and the focus on U.S. Dollar stablecoins The complexities of doing business in Africa Which African countries have the highest rate of adoption Chris’s background and his fun story of how he got into working in Africa How operating a company in Africa is different from other places Why Yellow Card is currently operating with three stablecoins, and the dominance of USDT Why Yellow Card only offers centralized stablecoins Why everyone should pay more attention to the continent, according to Chris 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 Robinhood & Arbitrum Guest: Chris Maurice, cofounder and CEO of Yellow Card Links Previous coverage of Unchained on stablecoins and emerging markets:  Anita Posch on Why ‘Bitcoin Is a Tool for Freedom’ – Especially in Africa 6 Stablecoins That Are Driving the Sector’s Two-Year High in Market Capitalization Castle Island Ventures’ report: Stablecoins: The Emerging Market Story Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 02:03 What Yellow Card is and why it focuses on U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins 04:31 The complexities of doing business in Africa 10:42 Which African countries have the highest crypto adoption 19:17 How Chris got into working in Africa 25:11 How operating in Africa differs from other regions 32:42 Why USDT dominates Yellow Card’s stablecoin business 38:31 Why Yellow Card only uses centralized stablecoins 39:22 Does Africa deserve more attention? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Okt 202444min

How do you determine the value of decentralized networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana? It’s not as straightforward as traditional investments. Jon Charbonneau, general partner at crypto investment firm DBA, joins Unchained after writing a paper that dives deep into the complexities of valuing blockchain networks. He explains why applying traditional equity models to networks such as Bitcoin falls short, how tax inefficiencies in staking rewards impact valuations, and whether Layer 2 solutions like Optimism and Arbitrum are helping or hurting the long-term value of Layer 1 blockchains. Also, he looks at the big question—are these networks sustainable in the long run? Show highlights: What motivated Jon to write the paper What the main points of the paper are Why tax inefficiencies in staking rewards are a critical factor in valuing decentralized networks and how they differ from traditional corporate taxes What makes valuing networks tricky, as Jon explains how proof-of-work vs. proof-of-stake systems differ from traditional equity models How he thinks about valuing Layer 2s and whether they are parasitic to the L1 Whether blockchains are sustainable in the long term 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’s FBTC Guest Jon Charbonneau, co-founder and General Partner at DBA L1 & L2 Token Value Capture Links Previous coverage of Unchained on this topic: How to Figure Out Whether a Crypto Token Is Worth Its Trading Price ETH Is Down Bad, While Layer 2s Are Ripping. Are L2s Parasitic to Ethereum? Are Layer 2s Parasitic to Ethereum and ETH as an Asset? Are L2s ‘Parasitic’? Analysis Shows Ethereum Only Gets a Tiny Percentage of Fees Ether-Bitcoin Ratio Is at Multi-Year Lows, But It’s Just ‘Temporary’ and an ‘Opportunity’ Timestamps:  00:00 Intro 01:25 What sparked Jon's interest in this topic? 03:35 Key takeaways from the paper 08:30 How staking taxes could change the game 13:46 Why traditional models fail for blockchain 20:10 Are Layer 2s helping or hurting Layer 1s? 26:51 Can blockchains survive long term? 29:20 News Recap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Okt 202440min

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner slice into the juiciest topics in crypto. In this episode, the crew dives headfirst into the “Memecoin Supercycle,” sparking a debate on whether these wild, meme-powered coins are just a fleeting obsession or a genuine revolution. They then dissect Uniswap’s bold leap to launch its own chain on the Optimism Superchain, asking if this move could steal the spotlight from Ethereum and forever reshape the DeFi landscape. And just when you think it’s all about tech, they dive into Kamala Harris’ latest crypto play, with an eyebrow-raising appeal to memecoin investors. From soaring hype to DeFi drama and political power moves, this episode is packed with hot takes, spicy predictions, and a glimpse at what might lie ahead in the world of crypto. Show highlights 🔹 “Memecoin Supercycle” and whether memecoins are on track to overtake traditional altcoins as they fuel a new wave of financial speculation. 🔹 Unichain: Uniswap’s bold move to launch its own chain on the Optimism Superchain, questioning whether this could pull DeFi liquidity away from Ethereum and reshape the crypto ecosystem. 🔹 Kamala Harris’ unexpected crypto appeal in her new “opportunity agenda for Black men,” which includes a vague promise for regulatory protection for digital assets. 🔹 Memecoins vs. VC Coins: Murad’s thesis on memecoins outshining VC-backed tokens sparks a heated debate on whether financial nihilism is driving this trend and what it means for the future of crypto investing. 🔹With the new Unichain possibly diverting DeFi liquidity, the crew ponders whether Ethereum is at risk of losing its dominance as the “home of DeFi.” Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly  ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures Disclosures Timestamps  00:00 Intro 2:10 The Memecoin Supercycle 9:13 VC Coins vs. Memecoins 25:30 Unichain: A New Era for Uniswap 31:51 Token Issuance on Ethereum vs. L2s 35:59 Uniswap's Future and Asset Creation 38:30 Predictions for Unichain's Impact 44:11 Retail Flow and MEV Extraction 53:31 Kamala Harris' Crypto Policy 56:05 Trump vs. Harris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Okt 20241h 3min

DeFi tokens have faced significant challenges in recent years. However, are we now on the verge of a new bull market? Arthur Cheong, founder and CIO of DeFiance Capital, and Jordi Alexander, founder of Selini Capital and chief alchemist at Mantle, join the show to discuss why they believe DeFi is poised for growth. They dive into how DeFi's security and user experience have improved, the impact of Layer 2 solutions on Ethereum, and whether Ethereum or Solana will drive the next bull run. Plus, they discuss whether interest in memecoins takes attention from DeFi, and why sustainable tokenomics matters when it comes to valuing coins.  Are DeFi tokens finally ready to shine again? Show highlights: Why they believe that DeFi is poised for a bull cycle  How DeFi's security and UX have improved Whether DeFi activity can be sustained in the long term Why Jordi thinks that Layer 2s are not parasitic to ETH but Arthur thinks they are Whether the DeFi bull case is stronger on Ethereum, Solana or other chains Whether the Ethereum Foundation and Vitalik Buterin should be more proactive in supporting DeFi How memecoins reflect a broader societal problem  The importance of tokens that don’t have big unlocks How the lack of solid frameworks for valuing tokens might be causing capital misallocation in crypto Whether a liquid venture investing approach is better for crypto Why Jordi says that there’s a lot of “potential to unlock” with the overlap of Bitcoin and DeFi 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: Arthur Cheong, founder and CIO of DeFiance Capital Aave, the Core Pillar of Decentralized Finance and Onchain Economy Liquid Venture Investing in Crypto Jordi Alexander, Chief Alchemist at Mantle, Founder of Selini Capital Links Previous coverage of Unchained on this cycle & DeFi :Has Decentralized Finance Hit Bottom? Kain Warwick’s tweet on Vitalik being anti-DeFi Cointelegraph: Vitalik Buterin responds to criticism that Ethereum ‘doesn’t care’ about DeFi The great return of DeFi, by @tradetheflow Bitcoin DeFi Bitcoin Layer 2s Aim to Attract Ethereum-Like Dapps. Will They Succeed? Bitcoin Is Worth Over $1 Trillion. How Much Will Coinbase’s New cbBTC Grab? L2s and ETH: ETH Is Down Bad, While Layer 2s Are Ripping. Are L2s Parasitic to Ethereum? Are L2s ‘Parasitic’? Analysis Shows Ethereum Only Gets a Tiny Percentage of Fees Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Okt 20241h 11min