Unchained

Take the Unchained 2023 survey! Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. In 2023, the crypto industry began with post-FTX fallout such as Operation Chokepoint 2.0, the failures of banks serving the crypto industry and the SEC's Wells Notice against Coinbase. Meanwhile, Bitcoin Ordinals brought innovation to the Bitcoin network, while Ethereum's Shanghai upgrade introduced new functionalities.  The criminal trial of Sam Bankman-Fried was the dramatic climax of the year, as lawmakers’ concerns about crypto being used for terrorist financing brought crypto into the mainstream conversation. The year ended with Binance's substantial settlement with the U.S. government and spot Bitcoin ETFs in the horizon, ushering in what looks like the beginnings of another bull market.  Thank you to our sponsors! Arbitrum Foundation Uniswap Popcorn Network Links DCG Unchained: Gemini vs. DCG Is Heating Up. Could Gemini Force Genesis Into Bankruptcy? Reuters: Crypto lending unit of Genesis files for U.S. bankruptcy CELSIUS Unchained:  7 Revelations From Celsius’ Examiner Report Why the Celsius Examiner Report Shows 'a Complete Disaster in Almost Every Way' Operation Chokepoint 2.0 WSJ: Regulator Orders Crypto Firm Paxos to Stop Issuing Binance Stablecoin The Verge: Kraken pays a $30 million fine and shuts down crypto staking in the US Unchained:  Coinbase’s Top Lawyer Calls SEC Wells Notice a ‘Massive Overreach’ Just a Coincidence? Coinbase and Polygon Lawyers See Bad Omens in SEC Crackdown Bitcoin Ordinals Unchained:  Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs Are Hot and Getting Hotter. What's the Hype About? Bitcoin’s Daily Transaction Fees Surpass Ethereum’s for First Time Since 2020 Signature, Silvergate, SVB, USDC depeg Investopedia: What Happened to Silicon Valley Bank? CNBC: Stablecoin USDC breaks dollar peg after firm reveals it has $3.3 billion in SVB exposure Unchained:  The Chopping Block: Was Crypto Just Debanked? Why Caitlin Long and Meltem Demirors Are Worried About Crypto’s Future in the US - Cryptocurrency SEC Issues Coinbase a Wells Notice Rep. Emmer on Why He Believes Gary Gensler Is a ‘Bad-Faith Regulator’ Reuters: Signature Bank failure due to 'poor management,' US FDIC report says The Verge: Silvergate has collapsed Ethereum’s Shanghai upgrade Unchained:   Shapella in the Rearview: After Major Upgrade, What’s Next for Ethereum?  Staked Ethereum Withdrawals Enabled As Shanghai Upgrade Goes Live CoinDesk: What’s Next After the Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade Known as Shapella PROMETHEUM Unchained:  Prometheum and Paradigm in Debate: Can the Status Quo Work for Crypto These 2 Crypto Trading Platforms Agree With SEC Chair Gary Gensler Crypto Community Unearths Questionable History of SEC-Aligned Prometheum - Cryptocurrency Regulation SEC vs. Binance and Coinbase Unchained:  SEC Files 13 Charges Against Binance Including the Mishandling of Funds, Sale of Unregistered Securities SEC Sues Coinbase for Breaking Securities Laws SEC Sues Binance, Coinbase: ‘This Is Not the End of Crypto in the United States’ RIPPLE Unchained:  New Order in SEC vs. Ripple Over XRP Is a Win for Crypto: What Happens Now? The Chopping Block: Jake Chervinsky on How the SEC Has Lost Credibility CoinDesk: Ripple, Crypto Industry Score Partial Win in SEC Court Fight Over XRP Visit our site to see more details and links! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Des 202349min

Take the Unchained 2023 survey! Over the past year, the crypto industry has seen the rise of a new trend: the adoption of points systems.  Li Jin, cofounder of Variant Fund, says that while points systems have long been a staple in the Web2 domain, their integration into the crypto ecosystem could have pitfalls.  She covers how these points are currently being leveraged within crypto applications in the hopes of driving user engagement and retention, why they’re taking off now, and why they’re off-chain. She also points out that, if implemented poorly, they could engender disloyalty instead of leading to sustainable communities, and urges founders to be thoughtful about the design of these systems, especially about how points translate to economic value. Show highlights: What points are in crypto and their role in rewarding user behavior​​ Examples of popular projects that have successfully implemented points systems​​ Why points mechanisms are gaining traction in crypto, offering benefits of tokens without the downsides​​ Whether points, which are currently off-chain, will eventually move on-chain, and the implications for users and founders​​ How points can incentivize inorganic behavior, drawing from Li Jin's experience in the Web2 sector​​ The potential pitfalls of points systems and how they can sometimes create more disloyalty than loyalty​​ Identifying which crypto projects are best suited for using points, and the importance of product-market fit​​ Why keeping the economic value of points ambiguous can enhance user engagement and loyalty​​ Whether points are being used by projects to navigate around regulatory challenges​​ Future developments in points systems, including the potential of bringing points on-chain for a universal loyalty system​​ Thank you to our sponsors! Arbitrum Foundation Uniswap Popcorn Network Phemex Guest Li Jin, cofounder and General Partner at Variant Fund Previous appearances on Unchained:  Will Every Piece of Media Enter the Internet as an NFT? Variant Fund Says Yes The Chopping Block: Two on Two Debate: NFT Royalty Throwdown! Links Points Li’s Newsletter: Lessons on Points Programs for Crypto Apps Li’s comments on the topic:  Tweet 1 on points entering “the crypto app zeitgeist” Tweet 2 on points discounting the cost of the product Tweet 3 on points and product-market-fit Tweet 4 on how points can “distort activity” CoinDesk:  Crypto Points: Off-Chain Derivatives That Everyone is Talking About  Web3 Loyalty Programs Are a Trojan Horse for Good Crypto Policy DL News: Why DeFi protocols love to offer ‘points’ before airdrops  Projects using points Rainbow wallet Friend.tech Blast Blackbirds Marginfi Parcl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Des 202343min

Take the Unchained 2023 survey! Swan founder and CEO Cory Klippsten is all-in on Bitcoin. Not only does he believe that Bitcoin is poised to reach $1 million by 2030, he also thinks most alt-coins add little to no value and will eventually all go to zero. Accordingly, his company is a massive bet on the future of Bitcoin, from educating people about the world’s first crypto and convincing them to eventually self-custody, to making private equity investments in the Bitcoin ecosystem, to eventually planning to launch the first US Bitcoin-only trust company to create a safer environment for investors.  Here he talks to Unchained about his crypto journey, the likely impact of spot Bitcoin ETFs on crypto adoption and prices, his extreme skepticism about Bitcoin Ordinals, when he first knew Sam Bankman-Fried was a fraud and why he thinks that crypto VCs have done a “massive disservice” to the world. Show highlights: What Swan Bitcoin is, its origin story and the future trajectory envisioned by Cory Cory's journey into crypto, his journalism background and the shift to a Bitcoin-centric focus How Cory is navigating discussions with hedge funds, family offices, and insurance companies in anticipation of a Bitcoin spot ETF Swan’s Bitcoin-only investment strategies How lending and borrowing with Bitcoin is evolving Cory's private equity investments within the Bitcoin ecosystem The rationale behind Swan launching the first US Bitcoin-only trust company Swan's stance on financial privacy, especially after warning customers that banks might close their accounts if they used mixers Cory's reasoning for advising against "trading" the Bitcoin spot ETF launch Predictions on when BTC might reach new all-time highs Cory's perspective on Bitcoin Ordinals and their impact on the Bitcoin mempool The concerns about decreasing block rewards and the future security of Bitcoin Why Cory was convinced of FTX's fraudulent nature after reviewing the balance sheet that led to SBF's downfall Why he thinks that VCs have done a "massive disservice” to the world Thank you to our sponsors! Uniswap Popcorn Network Arbitrum Foundation Guest: Cory Klippsten, CEO of Swan Bitcoin Links: Swan Bitcoin: Fortune: Swan deployed more than $200 million in 2023 building out institutional offerings such as Bitcoin-backed lending Protos: Some Swan Bitcoin customers lose banking access CoinDesk: BitGo, Swan to Form Bitcoin-Only Trust Company WSJ: Crypto Custodian Prime Trust Files for Bankruptcy Protection Decrypt: Swan, Coinbits Disclose Prime Trust Ties as Fallout Continues Cointelegraph: Swan Bitcoin to terminate customer accounts that use crypto-mixing services Bitcoin ETFs: Previous coverage on spot Bitcoin ETFs: How Much Money Will Flow Into Bitcoin ETFs? Here’s One Projection Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10 Why It Looks Like BlackRock Could Win America’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF The Chopping Block: Are We Back? The ‘Low IQ’ Response to the Potential Spot Bitcoin ETF Unchained:  Why the SEC May Want Cash Creation of Spot Bitcoin ETFs Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work? BlackRock Updates Bitcoin ETF Filing to Make Access Easier for Wall Street Banks  FTX CoinDesk: Divisions in Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto Empire Blur on His Trading Titan Alameda’s Balance Sheet Ordinals: Cory’s tweet on Ordinals  Unchained: Bitcoin Ordinals-Related Token ORDI Passes $1 Billion in Market Value Bitcoin Mempool Reaches Record Levels of Congestion Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs Are Hot and Getting Hotter. What’s the Hype About? Bitcoin’s BRC-20 Mania: Is It Sustainable? Why All 10,000 OnChainMonkey NFTs Will Move From Ethereum to Bitcoin Learn more: What Are BRC-20 Tokens?  What Are ORC-20 Tokens?  How to Create a Bitcoin Ordinal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Des 20231h 23min

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest news. This week, after an incredibly eventful year for crypto, The Chopping Block crew makes its picks for the best and worst of 2023, including its biggest winners and losers, biggest surprises, best memes, best or worst pivots, biggest flops, best comeback stories, favorite podcast guests and predictions for 2024. Hear why some in the gang consider Solana to be the year’s biggest winner, Circle the biggest loser, MicroStrategy the best and worst pivot, Coinbase the best comeback and a renewed boom in crypto lending one of the top predictions for 2024.  Hosts Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly  Robert Leshner, founder of Compound Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly  Tarun Chitra, managing partner at Robot Ventures Disclosures Links Surprises:  The Chopping Block: Was Crypto Just Debanked? What Is Depegging in Crypto and Why Does It Occur? Flops: The Chopping Block: Why the Azuki Elementals Drop Was a Big Flop The Chopping Block: Michael Lewis Swindled, SBF’s Effective Altruism Ruse, Ethereum Protocol Enshrinement The Block: Worldcoin unveils integrations with Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram and Shopify CoinDesk: Future of Solana's Hyped Saga Phone Is 'Under Internal Discussion' as Sales Figures Fail to Wow ApeCoin DAO Governance Winners: Unchained:  SEC vs Ripple: Judge Rules XRP Sold on Exchanges Is Not a Security Anatoly Yakovenko on Solana’s Astounding Recovery and Its Future Plans  Bitcoin’s Daily Transaction Fees Surpass Ethereum’s for First Time Since 2020 What Are BRC-20 Tokens? A Brief Introduction The Chopping Block: Wizards vs. Laser Eyes for the Future of Bitcoin Memes: Dexerto: What is TikTok’s viral NPC fetish? New streaming kink explained David Beckham’s memes Favorite guests: The Chopping Block: Top White Hat Hacker Samczsun Discusses the State of Crypto Security The Chopping Block: How This DeFi Hack Negotiator Gets Hackers to Return Stolen Money The Chopping Block: Why Vivek Ramaswamy Wants Less Crypto Regulation The Chopping Block: Coinbase’s Paul Grewal on Why the SEC Is Going After Crypto So Aggressively Others Unchained:  Ledger Library Compromised, Causing Confusion and Panic in Crypto Community Vitalik Buterin Supports Integrating Zero-Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines Into Main Ethereum Chain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Des 20231h 20min

Take the Unchained 2023 survey! Unchained is doing its annual survey. Let us know what we’re doing well, how we can improve, what you’d like to see more of, and generally, how we can serve you better. The survey also helps us find sponsors whose products and services would appeal to you. Plus, participating gives you an opportunity to win Unchained merch! Five randomly selected respondents will receive one free Unchained t-shirt or mug — your choice. Click here to participate. Thanks so much! The long-awaited approval of a spot bitcoin ETF looks to be mere weeks away, and Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart joins Unchained to discuss the final issues and considerations, especially the battle over whether the new funds will feature in-kind vs. cash creation and redemptions, which appears to be one of the last main sticking points in negotiations between the SEC and fund companies. He also discusses the specific impact of an ETF approval on Grayscale, which runs the $26.6 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, and why he thinks the SEC has thrown in the towel on trying to classify Ethereum as a security.  Show highlights: Why James views the multitude of potential issuers meeting with the SEC as a positive sign for the future of ETFs When James anticipates the ETFs will actually be listed on exchanges, which differs from their approval dates The crucial differences between in-kind versus cash creation and redemptions in ETFs and their impact on market dynamics How the choice of in-kind or cash creation and redemptions influences the overall cost structure of these financial products Whether the current actions of ETF issuers suggest a "bending the knee" approach to the SEC's preference for cash creations and redemptions How the selected ETF model will specifically impact Grayscale and the future of its GBTC offering The potential strategies behind BlackRock's private trust, especially in terms of integrating its Bitcoin holdings into its prospective ETF Why James holds a more cautious outlook for the approval of an Ethereum spot ETF compared to his confidence in Bitcoin ETFs Thank you to our sponsors! Arbitrum Foundation Popcorn Network Uniswap Guest James Seyffart, Research analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Previous appearances on Unchained: Why It Looks Like BlackRock Could Win America’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10 Links Previous coverage on spot Bitcoin ETFs: How Much Money Will Flow Into Bitcoin ETFs? Here’s One Projection Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10 Why It Looks Like BlackRock Could Win America’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF The Chopping Block: Are We Back? The ‘Low IQ’ Response to the Potential Spot Bitcoin ETF Unchained:  Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work? BlackRock Updates Bitcoin ETF Filing to Make Access Easier for Wall Street Banks  Understanding the ETF creation and redemption mechanism Nate Geraci’s tweet on in-kind/cash James comments “the people want in-kind” James: “I think everyone is gonna have to bend the knee to cash creates and redeems.” Eric Balchunas suggests the SEC is only letting cash-create ETFs launch initially Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Des 202344min

Unchained is running its annual survey to better serve you. Please answer our annual survey here. The record $4.3 billion settlement reached between Binance and the U.S. government over charges of money laundering and sanctions violations calls for the world's largest crypto exchange to maintain an independent compliance monitor for the next five years. Michael Dawson, a partner at WilmerHale, and Dorothy DeWitt, founder and CEO of Tolt Strategies, a former director at the CFTC and former general counsel at Coinbase, dissect the intricacies of this arrangement, delving into the roles and responsibilities of the compliance monitor, the potential impact on Binance's operations and the broader implications for the crypto industry. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: what exactly is a compliance monitor, and why it's essential in the Binance settlement  which regulatory agencies the monitors report to and their significance why the DOJ insisted on including a compliance monitor in its settlement with Binance how Binance’s compliance monitor is expected to create a “ripple effect across the industry,” according to Michael why Binance, despite being a non-U.S. entity, is subject to a U.S.-appointed monitor Dorothy's perspective on why more monitorships might be appointed in the crypto industry going forward how much the monitorship will cost Binance and the factors influencing their choice of monitor whether the government will be able to discover other crimes with all this new information, which will be used by other agencies such as the IRS and the FBI who might be appointed as the compliance monitor for Binance and why Michael favors Patrick McHenry what constitutes the SAR lookback and AML program consultancy what could happen when the government gets to look at all past transactions what happens if the monitor discovers any wrongdoing within Binance whether the monitorship is likely to impact Binance's business operations advice from Dorothy and Michael for Binance's new CEO on navigating these challenges why predicting the future of Changpeng Zhao, Binance's ex-CEO, is complex, according to Dorothy Thank you to our sponsors! LayerZero Popcorn Network Arbitrum Foundation Guests: Michael Dawson, partner, Financial Institutions Group at WilmerHale Dorothy DeWitt, founder and CEO of Tolt Strategies and former Director of the Division of Market Oversight at the CFTC Links Settlement DOJ Settlement Text FINCEN Settlement Text CFTC Settlement Text OFAC Settlement Text WSJ: Binance Penalties Include a Number of Crypto Industry Firsts: The Treasury Department’s FinCEN is imposing its first-ever monitorship on the cryptocurrency exchange CoinDesk: Binance's Future and Other Questions Post-Settlement  Unchained: Binance to Pay $4.3B Penalty to Resolve U.S. DOJ Criminal Investigation; Changpeng Zhao Resigns, Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charges Law360: Binance's Compliance Chief Is Optimistic About Monitorship The CFTC’s guidance on monitorships CFTC Releases Enforcement Advisory on Penalties, Monitors and Admissions Other monitors at crypto companies  Coinbase (independent monitor): Press Release- January 3, 2023: Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris Announces $100 Million Settlement with Coinbase, Inc. after DFS Investigation Finds Significant Failings in the Company’s Compliance Program | Department of Financial Services Robinhood Crypto (independent compliance consultant): Press Release- August 2, 2022: DFS Superintendent Harris Announces $30 Million Penalty on Robinhood Crypto for Significant Anti-Money Laundering, Cybersecurity & Consumer Protection Violations | Department of Financial Services (ny.gov) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Des 20231h 11min

Unchained is running its annual survey to better serve you. Please answer our annual survey here. The likely impending approval of spot bitcoin ETFs has already sparked a major rally in the price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but will the bull run continue once the funds are up and running? On this episode of Unchained, the founder and CEO of Global Macro Investor, Raoul Pal, describes why a spot bitcoin ETF is such a significant development, likening it to a free trade agreement with the traditional financial world. He also discusses what effect a spot Ether ETF is likely to have on Ether prices, the relative merits of Ether vs. Solana, the usefulness of BRC-20 tokens and why 2024 is likely to be a very good year for crypto and the economy as a whole.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: How Pal sees crypto as creating a new parallel financial system that a spot Bitcoin ETF will soon offer entrée to  what he believes will be the key catalysts for the upcoming bull market in crypto why Raoul is predicting a "very strong 2024" for the crypto market, including his outlook for the price of Bitcoin how he thinks investors and institutions will respond to the potential launch of an ETH spot ETF why Raoul is bullish on both Ethereum and Solana what developments in the Solana ecosystem are making Raoul particularly optimistic which network Raoul expects to emerge as the winner in the blockchain space why he views BRC-20s and Ordinals inscriptions as positive developments for Bitcoin Thank you to our sponsors! Arbitrum Foundation Phemex Popcorn Network Guest Raoul Pal, cofounder and CEO of Real Vision Links Bitcoin ETF and markets: Unchained:  Bitcoin Surges Past $40,000 for First Time Since April 2022 Signs Increasingly Point to January Approval of Spot Bitcoin ETF Applications 77% of Financial Advisors Are Waiting for a Spot Bitcoin ETF to Offer Their Clients How Much Money Will Flow Into Bitcoin ETFs? Here’s One Projection Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10 Why It Looks Like BlackRock Could Win America’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF The Chopping Block: Are We Back? The ‘Low IQ’ Response to the Potential Spot Bitcoin ETF Learn more: Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work? Ordinals and BRC-20s Unchained:  Bitcoin Ordinals-Related Token ORDI Passes $1 Billion in Market Value Bitcoin Mempool Reaches Record Levels of Congestion Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs Are Hot and Getting Hotter. What's the Hype About? Bitcoin’s BRC-20 Mania: Is It Sustainable? Why All 10,000 OnChainMonkey NFTs Will Move From Ethereum to Bitcoin Learn more:  What Are BRC-20 Tokens?  What Are ORC-20 Tokens?  How to Create a Bitcoin Ordinal Solana vs. ETH Unchained: Anatoly Yakovenko on Solana’s Astounding Recovery and Its Future Plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Des 202341min

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest news. This week, they are joined by Samczsun, an anonymous security researcher at Paradigm, who delves into the intricacies of crypto security, ethical hacking and the shifting landscape of smart contract vulnerabilities. He also discusses his strong feelings about the “Code Is Law” philosophy and gives tips on how people in crypto can best protect their online security.  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:  what led Sam to a career in crypto security and his current role at Paradigm how Sam uncovered one of crypto's most legendary vulnerabilities why security experts like Sam choose the path of white hat hackers over black hats The craziness of the KyberSwap hacker's proposal parallels that Robert draws between this case and Avi Eisenberg's Mango Markets exploit what advice Sam has for the KyberSwap hacker  whether Sam, as a security expert, trusts storing his money on-chain how the Platypus hack ruling by a French judge challenges the 'Code Is Law' philosophy what the Security Alliance aims to achieve and its impact on the industry how Sam suggests individuals should practice personal crypto security, including the importance of using password managers and hardware wallets, and avoiding SMS two-factor authentication Hosts Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly  Robert Leshner, founder of Compound and Superstate Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly  Disclosures Guest:  Samczsun, security researcher at Paradigm Links Hacks Episode with Ogle: The Chopping Block: How This DeFi Hack Negotiator Gets Hackers to Return Stolen Money Unchained: $48 Million Drained from KyberSwap in Hack  Kyberswap hacker's latest message Cointelegraph:  KyberSwap hacker offers $4.6M bounty for return of $46M loot Platypus exploiters walk free after claiming to be ‘ethical hackers’ Code is law: The Chopping Block: ‘Code Is Law’ Is ‘Obviously Not How Anything Works Ever’ Unchained: The Mango Markets Attacker on Whether His 'Trade' Was Ethical or Not Thread by Gabriel Shapiro on the topic and Vy Le’s response Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 Des 202359min