The Chopping Block: The Clarity Act, Stablecoins, and a $120K Bitcoin Boom - Ep. 874

Don't forget to take the Unchained podcast survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/unchained Developers of new cryptocurrencies are raising gobs of money with little more than a white paper. Though real advances are likely to emerge from the trend, the bubble could get worse before it gets better. William Mougayar, organizer of the upcoming Token Summit, and Nick Tomaino, cohost, discuss where ICOs are going wrong now, what best practices would help the space mature, and how to separate ICO wheat and chaff.   Show notes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/05/16/icos-why-people-are-investing-in-this-380-million-phenomenon/   Links: Token Summit: http://tokensummit.com/ The Business Blockchain: http://thebusinessblockchain.com/ Startup Mangement: http://startupmanagement.org/ The Control: https://thecontrol.co/ Runa Capital: http://www.runacap.com/ Episodes referenced: Brock Pierce of Blockchain Capital and Stan Miroshnik of The Argon Group: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/04/18/this-vc-is-sure-venture-capital-is-about-to-be-disrupted/ Olaf Carlson-Wee of Polychain Capital: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/03/07/why-this-hedge-fund-ceo-once-put-most-of-my-meager-life-savings-into-bitcoin/#6c20ccd14e15 Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh of Coin Center: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/10/18/how-coin-center-is-helping-define-the-big-fuzzy-gray-area-of-blockchain-and-cryptocurrency-law/#11112aa960e6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Maj 201759min

Thanks to all the listeners who've let me know what you want to hear more of, what you like about the show, and who you want to see as guests. If you haven't yet, have a say in the direction of the show -- tell me what you like, what the podcast could do better, and who you are: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/unchained Jerry Cuomo has been at IBM his whole career and says that the emergence of blockchain technology is the second time in his career he has seen a breakthrough that will affect the lives of everyday people. IBM's VP of blockchain technologies talks about the company's work in areas as diverse as food safety in its project with Walmart, how blockchains will interact with Internet of Things devices and how it's approaching its identity work. Plus, he dives into what security for a permissioned blockchain looks like, whether IBM will lock its clients into its software, and what exactly its role is with the Hyperledger Foundation. Show notes are available here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/05/02/ibms-jerry-cuomo-on-everything-from-blockchain-security-to-hyperledger-to-the-internet-of-things/ IBM blockchain: https://www.ibm.com/blockchain/ We also reference my interview with Kathryn Haun of the Department of Justice: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/11/01/federal-prosecutor-kathryn-haun-on-how-criminals-use-bitcoin-and-how-she-catches-them/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Maj 201756min

Don't forget to take the Unchained Podcast survey! http://surveymonkey.com/r/unchained  Blockchain Capital's recent BCAP token offering is a harbinger of things to come in venture capital and private equity, says the firm's managing director Brock Pierce. And Stan Misohnik, the CEO and cofounder of a new investment bank focused on cryptocurrency called The Argon Group, seconds that. Pierce talks about how his career in cryptocurrency started with video games, how Blockchain Capital's three funds have evolved over time, why he is taking the step to disrupt himself, and why his phone number is being handled by the office of T-Mobile's president. And Miroshnik explains how his background in capital markets helped him see the business opportunity and why the BCAP token issuer was based in Singapore. Show notes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/04/18/this-vc-is-sure-venture-capital-is-about-to-be-disrupted/ Blockchain Capital: http://blockchain.capital/ The Argon Group: https://argongroup.com/ Blockchain Capital III Digital Liquid Venture Fund: https://blockchaincapital.tokenhub.com/ The phone hijacking article Brock and I reference: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/12/20/hackers-have-stolen-millions-of-dollars-in-bitcoin-using-only-phone-numbers/ The episode with Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh of Coin Center: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/10/18/how-coin-center-is-helping-define-the-big-fuzzy-gray-area-of-blockchain-and-cryptocurrency-law/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Apr 201759min

Please take the Unchained podcast survey! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/unchained The bitcoin community is mired in a civil war. In this episode of the Unchained podcast, supporters of opposing sides -- former Bitcoin Core developer Jeff Garzik and Litecoin creator Charlie Lee -- explain why nuclear options are on the table. The discussion touches on whether high transaction fees are bad for the network or a necessary evil, which would be considered the "true" bitcoin if the currency split in two, and whether the cryptocurrency is already centralized, or controlled by a few. We also discuss why bitcoin can't just look at the playbook of other open source projects to get past this stalemate. And they give advice to current bitcoin owners wondering whether to sell or hold through this bitcoin game of chicken. Show notes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/04/04/why-bitcoin-may-split-in-two-and-how-to-prevent-it/   Other links: Bloq: http://bloq.com/ Coinbase: https://www.coinbase.com/ Litecoin: https://litecoin.org/ This episode was sponsored by OnRamp: http://www.thinkonramp.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Apr 20171h

Bobby Lee, CEO of BTCC, one of the world's longest-running cryptocurrency exchanges, talks about whether Chinese people are using bitcoin to evade capital controls, how bitcoin trading in China has changed since a government crackdown in early January, and how he came up with the idea for no-fee trading in the early days of bitcoin. Read the show notes. Other links: BTCC Mobi Bitcoin Foundation This episode was sponsored by OnRamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Mars 201755min

Olaf Carlson-Wee is the founder of Polychain Capital, a hedge fund that has invested $15 million into digital assets and has gotten backing from storied venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures. In this episode, Carlson-Wee recounts war stories from the early days of bitcoin, including how he learned about bitcoin before his computer science professors, bought bitcoins with cash and created “the Bitcoin SAT” to make hires at Coinbase. He also describes how to separate cryptocurrency scams from legitimate ventures, how he plays blackjack against a smart contract and why launching a digital asset hedge fund means he can no longer earn and spend mostly in bitcoin. Read the show notes.  Other links: Polychain Capital Coinbase Golem Tezos This episode was sponsored by Onramp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 Mars 201757min

Fredrik Voss, Nasdaq's head of blockchain initiatives, discusses what the company has accomplished with the technology and how his firm evaluates whether potential projects could benefit from a blockchain solution. He also reveals what is likely to really slow adoption of distributed ledgers (hint: not the tech itself) and gives advice to other companies looking to incorporate it. Read the show notes and my magazine story on Chain and its work with Nasdaq.  This episode was sponsored by Onramp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Feb 201750min

The SEC will make a decision on a proposed bitcoin ETF by March 11. Will it approve? An optimist and pessimist weigh in, touching upon bitcoin’s liquidity, the impact recent events in China have had on its trading, as well as proposals for bitcoin ETFs by other companies. Plus, they reveal what impact an ETF could have on the bitcoin market. Read the show notes. Other links:  Needham & Company Global Advisors Gemini This episode was sponsored by Onramp.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7 Feb 201757min