Unchained

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, the group sits down to discuss why U.S. crypto conferences are quieter than they have been in the past, which DeFi metrics are still useful for measuring a changing market, and advice for NFT founders on how to continue to innovate. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights:  Why Tarun says that the U.S. is “dead as a doorknob” for crypto for crypto conferences Main takeaways from recent crypto conferences such as Token2049 in Singapore and Permissionless in Austin How the metrics in DeFi keep changing, and which ones still have merit What are “chart crimes” and the gang's advice for entrepreneurs pitching to VCs Why Haseeb doesn't think that token economics are as useful as everyone thinks The Stoner Cat settlement with the SEC and how it impacts the broader conversation about whether NFTs are securities  Legal drama between the co-founders of the Milady NFT project Advice for NFT founders on how to achieve success in a changing market 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 NFTs Unchained:  Mila Kunis’ Stoner Cats NFT Project Pays $1 Million to Settle SEC Charges  Milady NFT Founder Says Rogue Developer Embezzled $1 Million from Treasury PFP NFTs: What Are They & Why Are They So Popular? Generative Art NFTs: What Are They & Why Are They So Popular? SEC: Are NFTs Securities? Token2049: Haseeb’s panel on alt L1s DeFi and metrics: Unchained: What Is TVL in DeFi? A Guide to Total Value Locked Can DeFi Allow You To Be Your Own Bank? How to Invest in DeFi: 4 Ways You Can Explore Today Yield Farming: What Is It & How Does It Work? Regulation Unchained: U.S. House Lawmakers Urge SEC's Gensler to Approve Spot Bitcoin ETFs The Block: Gensler takes heat from lawmakers over his approach to regulating crypto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Sep 202343min

The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is set to begin on October 3. The 31-year-old is accused of committing wire fraud and conspiracy to commit other types of fraud, in relation to the dramatic collapse of his crypto empire last year, which led to billions in losses. Nik De, CoinDesk's managing editor for global policy and regulation, discusses the importance of jury selection, the potential testimony of key witnesses, and how many years Bankman-Fried may face if he is found guilty. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: Why SBF's lawyers keep requesting the FTX founder be released  Why the jury selection is so important and how long it could take Why the DOJ opposed the proposed questions for the jury  Why the Judge agreed with the DOJ in blocking some of the witnesses proposed by the defense team How the defense team may try to discredit some of the proposed witnesses Whether the argument of SBF receiving “poor legal advice” holds any ground What role the political donations made by SBF may play in the trial How many years SBF could face if he were to be found guilty Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Arbitrum Foundation Hedera Toku Guest Nik De, CoinDesk's managing editor for global policy and regulation Previous appearances on Unchained: How SEC Chair Gary Gensler's Views on Crypto Have Changed Since His MIT Days Why the Ooki DAO Case Could Hurt Participation in DAOs Links Previous coverage from Unchained on Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX: Why FTX Might Try to Claw Back Funds From Retail Customers The Chopping Block: Was FTX a Scam From the Very Beginning?  How Much Prison Time Is FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Facing?  Why the Legal Process for FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried Could Take Years The Chopping Block: SBF Wants to Win in the Court of Public Opinion. Will He? Jesse Powell and Kevin Zhou on How FTX and Alameda Lost $10 Billion Did the Bahamian Government Direct SBF and Gary Wang to Hack FTX? The Chopping Block: Why Lenders Didn’t Liquidate Alameda When It Was Underwater  Erik Voorhees and Cobie on Why FTX Loaned Out Customers’ Assets The Chopping Block: FTX: The Biggest Collapse in the History of Crypto? Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC SBF’s defense team motions: Judge Denies Sam Bankman-Fried’s Request for Temporary Release U.S. Department of Justice Opposes Sam Bankman-Fried's Latest Move for 'Temporary Release' Sam Bankman-Fried Can Use an 'Air-Gapped' Laptop in Court, Judge Rules Judge Blocks Sam Bankman-Fried's Proposed Witnesses From Testifying Key witnesses: SBF’s Expert Witnesses Barred From Testifying at Trial Who is Caroline Ellison, a key witness set to testify against Sam Bankman-Fried? All of Sam Bankman-Fried's Proposed Expert Witnesses Should Be Barred From Testifying: DOJ Sam Bankman-Fried is being sent to jail after a judge revoked his bail over alleged witness tampering Jury selection: Sam Bankman-Fried Can Ask DOJ Witnesses About Drug Use Sam Bankman-Fried’s political donations can be surfaced in trial, rules judge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Sep 202338min

Bitcoin Ordinals have exploded in popularity since their launch by developer Casey Rodarmor in January, changing the NFT game with millions of inscriptions to date. But what comes next for Bitcoin-based digital artifacts? Danny Yang and Bill Tai, cofounders of Metagood and creators of NFT collection OnChainMonkey, discuss why they will move OnChainMonkey from Ethereum to Bitcoin, Rodarmor’s proposal to change the Ordinals inscription numbering system, and why they believe more creators should consider moving to Bitcoin. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: How the idea for Metagood came up What is give-to-earn and how it is used to reward OnChainMonkey holders The differences between Ethereum versus Bitcoin when it comes to digital assets The creative potential of Bitcoin Ordinals  Why OnChainMonkey will move from Ethereum to Bitcoin Thoughts on Casey Rodarmor’s Bitcoin Ordinals proposal to change the inscription numbering system What are recursive inscriptions How to convince NFT creators to leave other blockchains for Bitcoin Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Arbitrum Foundation LayerZero Toku Guest: Bill Tai, cofounder of Metagood and creator of OnChainMonkey Previous appearances on Unchained: https://unchainedcrypto.com/maitai-globals-bill-tai-on-why-blockchain-is-the-6th-wave-of-technology/  Danny Yang,  cofounder of Metagood and creator of OnChainMonkey Links Unchained:  MaiTai Global’s Bill Tai On Why Blockchain Is The 6th Wave Of Technology  Bitcoin Ordinals Creators Propose Changing Inscriptions Numbering  What Are BRC-20 Tokens? A Brief Introduction Was Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Pro-NFTs? Bitcoin Ordinals Inscriptions Surge Past 2.7 Million  How to Create a Bitcoin Ordinal  Elsewhere:  Bitcoin Ordinals Trading Is Down Bad—But Just How Bad? A New Frontier for Bitcoin? Recursive Inscriptions Explained ‘NFTs will win on Bitcoin’ — OnChainMonkey NFT collection ditches Ethereum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Sep 20231h 6min

As lawsuits continue to pile up in the FTX saga, FTX chief John Ray III is focused on clawing back funds from former affiliates to pay back creditors. But how might that play out in court? Founder of 117 Partners Thomas Braziel, who specializes in the trading of bankruptcy claims, explains the different paths Ray may choose to go down and the potential outcomes of these cases. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: The chances of FTX winning in court against Sam Bankman-Fried’s parents The case against Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman  Whether civil cases could turn into criminal ones Whether bankruptcy proceedings and the criminal case against Sam Bankman-Fried are a coordinated effort  What retail clawbacks are and the likelihood that FTX will pursue them Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Arbitrum Foundation Thales DAO Toku Guest Thomas Braziel, founder of 117 Partners Previous appearances on Unchained: Will FTX Reboot? Here’s John Ray’s Internal Deadline for Making a Decision Will FTX Customers Ever Recover Their Assets? Two Insolvency Experts Weigh In Will Celsius Survive the Bankruptcy Process? How Crypto Bankruptcy Claims Buyers Will Profit From the Collapse of FTX Links Previous coverage of Unchained on Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX: The Chopping Block: Was FTX a Scam From the Very Beginning?  How Much Prison Time Is FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Facing?  Why the Legal Process for FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried Could Take Years The Chopping Block: SBF Wants to Win in the Court of Public Opinion. Will He? Jesse Powell and Kevin Zhou on How FTX and Alameda Lost $10 Billion Is the Collapse of Crypto Lending Over, or Is It Just Starting? Did the Bahamian Government Direct SBF and Gary Wang to Hack FTX? The Chopping Block: Why Lenders Didn’t Liquidate Alameda When It Was Underwater  Erik Voorhees and Cobie on Why FTX Loaned Out Customers’ Assets The Chopping Block: FTX: The Biggest Collapse in the History of Crypto? Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC Unchained:  New Suit Claims That FTX Kept Its Fraud All in the Family Stanford University Will Return $5.5 Million to FTX FTX Sues SBF’s Parents to Claw Back Misappropriated Funds: Report Full text of the FTX lawsuit against Bankman and Fried CoinDesk: Sam Bankman-Fried’s Dad Thought His Son Wasn’t Paying Him Enough, So He Got Mom Involved Bloomberg: How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Elite Parents Enabled His Crypto Empire The Verge: The best stuff Sam Bankman-Fried’s parents bought using FTX money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Sep 202346min

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders chop it up about the latest news. This week, Haseeb Qureshi and Tom Schmidt speak to Will Warren, cofounder of 0x Labs, to discuss why the CFTC issued them a Wells Notice, how they responded to regulatory scrutiny, and how other countries may offer a blueprint for crypto regulation. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights:  why the CFTC issued a Wells Notice to 0x how a decentralized application addresses the issue of geolocalization of users how the team at 0x worked together with the CFTC to avoid violating the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) again what are the implications of the settlement and who's liable for offering services  why it's so hard for crypto projects to follow the rules without clear regulatory guidance why Haseeb says that the SEC wants this industry to “not exist” how lack of regulatory clarity may be stunting US innovation whether there's a conflict of interest between the companies building protocols and the protocols themselves Hosts Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly  Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly  Guest Will Warren, cofounder of 0x Labs  Disclosures Links Unchained:  UniswapX Launches With MEV Protection and Gas Free Swaps CFTC Charges Three DeFi Protocols With Violating AML Rules, Operating Without Licenses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Sep 202357min

Zeke Faux, author of 'Number Go Up,' shares his findings after making a deep dive into the world of crypto. From skepticism to a full-blown investigation, Faux recounts his journey that led him to the heart of crypto, meeting some of the most eccentric characters in the industry. As a Bloomberg investigative reporter, Faux brings a critical eye to the crypto sphere, unearthing the bizarre, the risky, and the downright astonishing facets of what the crypto community calls a financial revolution. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: what the book 'Number Go Up' is about Zeke's background as an investigative reporter for Bloomberg whether Zeke is skeptical about crypto  why Zeke thought it was a big deal to investigate Tether, the issuer of USDT whether he had a conclusion on the fact that he couldn't find anything big about Tether why Zeke says that Sam Bankman-Fried had a sloppy approach to risk management why Zeke believes that SBF did not give so much money to charity even though he's an effective altruist how projects like STEPN and Axie Infinity are 'clearly not the future of finance,' according to Zeke how SBF had such an open relationship with the media that helped him when the FTX collapse happened what Zeke found out investigating pig butchering scams in Cambodia how Zeke’s attempt to buy a Mutant Ape to get into an Ape Fest in New York City taught him about crypto’s bad user experience Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Arbitrum Foundation Toku LayerZero Guest: Zeke Faux, author of ‘Number Go Up’ Bloomberg: 11 Hours With Sam Bankman-Fried: Inside the Bahamian Penthouse After FTX’s Fall Links Tether Unchained:  Is Tether a Fraud? Its Bank Says It's Not  Tether, the Multibillion-Dollar Stablecoin at the Heart of the Crypto Ecosystem Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX Unchained:  Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC SBF Behind Bars: Why Revoked Bail Is a Big Deal for Crypto’s Biggest Trial Pig butchering scams Unchained: How This Prosecutor Is Spearheading the Fight Against Crypto ‘Pig Butchering’ Scams Crypto in developing countries Bitcoin in El Salvador: Why Would Cypherpunks Support Government-Mandated Bitcoin Adoption? Anita Posch on Why ‘Bitcoin Is a Tool for Freedom’ – Especially in Africa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Sep 20231h 14min

In the wake of FTX’s collapse, Binance – already the biggest exchange in the world by a large margin – has continued to grow. But a series of challenges, including billions of dollars worth of customer outflows, the winding down of its stablecoin BUSD and the SEC and CFTC lawsuits related to its U.S. operations have challenged its market dominance. Steven Ehrlich, director of research at Forbes Crypto, joins the show to discuss how Binance has been dealing with a deluge of bad news and how it plans to forge a path forward.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: how the collapse of FTX impacted Binance and its market dominance how Binance has been losing market share over the past few months why Steven believes that Binance.US is in a "very tenuous situation" whether Binance is feeling stronger now that the SEC experienced a partial loss in the Ripple case the consequences of consumers losing trust in Binance, according to Steven the speculation around the recently filed sealed motion filed by the SEC whether the theory that Binance is the next FTX has some merits how Binance.US needs to recuperate some market volume to increase its revenue Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Arbitrum Foundation Thales DAO Toku Guest Steven Ehrlich, director of research at Forbes Crypto Links WSJ:  Binance, the Biggest Player in Crypto, Is Facing Legal Risks Over Russia More Binance Executives Leave, Including Some Overseeing Russia How the Binance CEO Operates: Weigh the Risk, Calculate the Reward What Is Happening With Binance? Binance Lays Off Over 1,000 Employees Some Binance.US Crypto Trading Was a Mirage, the SEC Alleges Binance.US Legal, Risk Executives Leave the Crypto Exchange Reuters:  Crypto exchange Binance hit by executive exodus Paxos receives U.S. SEC notice over Binance's stablecoin 'BUSD' Binance CEO's trading firm received $11 billion via client deposit company, SEC says The Block: Binance.US can't grow until CZ sells stake, fixes regulatory issues: sources Binance to end support for BUSD, encourages conversion to FDUSD Mastercard, Binance end crypto card partnership in four countries Binance withdraws crypto license application in Germany  CoinDesk: SEC's Secret Binance Court Filing Has Observers Bracing for Bad News John Reed Stark’s post on X  CFTC: CFTC Charges Binance and Its Founder, Changpeng Zhao, with Willful Evasion of Federal Law and Operating an Illegal Digital Asset Derivatives Exchange Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Sep 202344min

It’s been a busy year for USDC issuer Circle, with several new product launches and partnerships, a crypto banking crisis to contend with, the entry of PayPal into the stablecoin business, and plenty of new global regulatory developments, including a bill in the U.S. now making its way through Congress. Circle co-founder and CEO Jeremy Allaire joins Unchained for an in-depth discussion on the reasons behind Coinbase’s investment in Circle, how Circle has emerged stronger from the banking crisis, what he thinks of PYUSD, what he likes and doesn’t like about the current U.S. stablecoin bill, and his thoughts on what the final bill will look like.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: why Circle and Coinbase created the Center Consortium and why Coinbase acquired a stake in Circle whether Circle is aiming to be acquired or become a public company, and why Jeremy is pursuing a "multi-decade" strategy why Circle partnered with MercadoLibre and the stablecoin usage in Latin America [may need to cut if embargo does not stick] how the company has been supporting developers to build applications why Circle is launching native USDC on so many new blockchains  what the purpose of cross-chain transfer protocol (CCTP) is and what the big problems with bridges are how Circle responded to Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse and why the world began to feel that "it's not safe to be exposed to the US" Jeremy's thoughts on the launch of PayPal's stablecoin, PYUSD why having stablecoin legislation is a "national priority," according to Jeremy why Jeremy is a proponent of a fully reserved banking system why he thinks the US needs to "aggressively" take action to preserve the global reserve currency status of the US dollar how China’s national digital currency is likely to develop how crypto can provide a better way of providing identity without giving up privacy why blockchain technology is much more than just a financial regulatory matter Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Arbitrum Foundation Toku LayerZero Guest: Jeremy Allaire, cofounder, Chairman and CEO of Circle Previous appearances of Jeremy on Unchained:  Crypto on Every Corner: Driving Adoption With Jeremy Allaire and Meltem Demirors Circle’s Jeremy Allaire and Sean Neville on Why Crypto Will Be Bigger Than the Web Jeremy Allaire on Why the US Government Needs a New Category for Digital Assets Links Unchained:  Coinbase Acquires Equity Stake in Circle Amid USDC Updates and Market Challenges Will PayPal’s PYUSD Steal Market Share From Tether and Circle? The Fall of SVB: What Happened and How It Affects Crypto CoinDesk:  U.S. Stablecoin Bill Takes Big Step Despite Fight From Democrats, White House  Circle Seeks to Make Crypto Payments Easier With New 'Programmable Wallets' Written Statement of Jeremy Allaire Before the United States House Committee on Financial Services, “The Future of Digital Assets: Providing Clarity for the Digital Asset Ecosystem” South China Morning Post: Head of crypto firm Circle accepts ban in mainland China, but sees role for yuan-backed stablecoins  TechCrunch: Solana Pay integrates plug-in with Shopify for USDC payments  Decrypt: News Explorer — Circle Partners With Mercado Libre to Bring USDC to Chile  Jeremy’s comments on the launch of PYUSD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Sep 20231h 17min