Unchained

On Tuesday, a pseudonymous X account claimed that Pump.fun, Solana's breakout memecoin launchpad, would raise $1 billion via an ICO at a $4 billion valuation. The potential deal? Multiple CEX listings, a 10% community airdrop, and maybe even a launch by the end of the month. The community reaction? Not great. In this episode, Syncracy Capital's Ryan Watkins joins to break down the backlash, whether the raise makes sense, and what this kind of fundraising says about the current state of crypto. He discusses: Whether Pump needs $1 billion and what they'd even do with it Why some people are furious, even as Pump prints revenue If this is bullish or bearish for Solana Why an airdrop was not pursued Whether the $4 billion valuation makes sense Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Ledn FalconX Human Rights Foundation Ryan Watkins, Co-founder of Syncracy Capital Unchained: Pump.fun Mulls $1B Token Sale Nextfckingthing's tweet breaking the news  Ansem's tweet on “pump fun raising $1B at $4B after Trumpcoin launch is like the second plane hitting the towers” Ansem's poll Ryan's tweet on “Pump anger”  Solojay tweet on Pump's top 25 wallets Mosi's tweet on why “Pump's ICO seems like an asymmetric bet (skewed to the downside)” Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew tackles a triple-header of crypto's growing pains: the bizarre saga of James Wynn—a memecoin gambler whose billion-dollar positions on Hyperliquid ended in public ruin; the Ethereum Foundation's surprise rebrand into “Protocol” and its sudden embrace of hierarchy; and a bold manifesto from Miles Jennings calling for the end of crypto foundations as we know them. Is radical transparency a feature or a trap? Is Ethereum finally prioritizing execution over vibes? And are foundations just offshore theater—or necessary guardians of decentralization? The gang debates all this and more in a conversation that asks: who's really in control of crypto—and should they be? Show highlights

The Bitcoin Conference in Vegas is getting more political. Crypto treasury companies are exploding across the globe. And macro markets are flashing mixed signals, with geopolitics entering the chat. In this episode of Bits + Bips, the panel dives into: Key takeaways from Bitcoin 2025 The possible bubble forming around Bitcoin treasuries How the SEC is fighting back against staking in ETFs Whether Ethereum is finally catching up How Ukraine just redefined trade risks Why ETFs have seen so much inflows since the market bottom How AI will impact growth and the job market And … why James hates Las Vegas

Jeff Park thinks the most popular investing strategy of the last decades — the 60/40 portfolio — is dead. Jeff has spent his early career inside the traditional system. But now, after two years in finance, he's calling for a full rethink of the modern portfolio: from what counts as “safe” to how inflation actually works to why Bitcoin may be the real anchor asset in a world that's spinning off its axis. In this episode, the first in a two-part series, he and Laura dig into: Why the 60/40 portfolio is quietly failing What the rise of “resistance” assets says about trust in institutions Why STRK and BTC are the distillation of Jeff's radical portfolio How traditional finance may be more correlated to crypto than you think Why “time is liquid energy” and bitcoin is so valuable Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Xapo Bank Bitwise Jeff Park, Head of Alpha Strategies at Bitwise The Radical Portfolio Theory by Jeff Park Unchained: DeFi Leverage on Apollo's $1.3 Billion Credit Fund Timestamps:

Public crypto treasury companies are in the news right now. Just this week, Sharplink Gaming announced a $425 million raise to create an Ethereum treasury vehicle, backed by Consensys. Meanwhile, Trump Media said it will buy $2.5 billion worth of bitcoin. And in a headline grab, GameStop revealed a $500 million Bitcoin purchase. There's even a newly launched XRP treasury company backed by Saudi royal capital. But why are these vehicles suddenly the structure of choice for accessing crypto exposure? What kinds of assets are best suited for them? And are they safe or a ticking time bomb? Pantera Capital's Cosmo Jiang joins Unchained to unpack: The structures and strategies behind these companies Why Solana is appearing more than Ethereum (and what that says) How XRP's brand power could matter more than its adoption The risks these vehicles pose to investors and to markets Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitkey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off Focal by FalconX Guest Cosmo Jiang, General Partner and Portfolio Manager for Liquid Strategies at Pantera Capital Links Previous coverage of Unchained on bitcoin treasury companies: Why Twenty One Capital Is More About Volatility Than Bitcoin Twenty One Aims to Buy as Much Bitcoin as Possible. Can It Succeed? Unchained:  Trump Media Confirms $2.5B Capital Raise to Buy Bitcoin Consensys Leads $425M Raise for SharpLink Gaming's ETH Treasury Plans The Block: GameStop buys 4,710 bitcoin for corporate treasury: filing CoinDesk: VivoPower Raises $121M to Launch XRP Treasury Strategy With Saudi Royal Backing Bloomberg:  Cantor's $2 Billion Bitcoin-Backed Lending Arm Makes First Deals The Stock Market Loves Bitcoin Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the gang reunites to confront a troubling pattern: we're making the same mistakes all over again. From the $223 million Sui hack and validator-led censorship to Coinbase's insider data breach and the Trump token dinner spectacle, this week feels like a remix of the industry's most painful lessons. The crew reflects on how decentralization is being quietly redefined, why newer chains ignore crypto's origin story, and what it means when memecoins are the new access pass to political influence. Also: James Wynn's billion-dollar trades, fading cypherpunk values, and a creeping sense that the crypto future looks a lot like its past. Show highlights

A debate has been heating up on crypto Twitter about Real Economic Value (REV) — a metric meant to measure the value blockchains accrue from user activity. REV includes transaction fees and MEV tips, but excludes issuance — the inflationary rewards paid to validators. Some say it's the clearest window into genuine usage. Others argue it's a flawed and misleading proxy. So we brought the argument to Unchained. Tom Dunleavy, Head of Venture at Varys Capital, says fees are headed to zero, and blockchains shouldn't be valued like companies. Meanwhile, Austin Federa, Co-founder of DoubleZero, believes REV offers a real lens on activity, maturity, and demand. The conversation covers: Whether REV is a meaningful metric (and how to game it) Whether L2 tokens are fundamentally broken What happens to security when fees (and MEV) go to zero If high REV signals product-market fit or just economic noise How to value blockchains, if not with REV Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise Guests: Tom Dunleavy, Head of Venture at Varys Capital Austin Federa, Co-founder of DoubleZero Timestamps:

Yield-bearing stablecoins have had decent growth, now topping $6 billion in supply and paying out nearly $600 million to users, according to data from Stablewatch. But just as these products go mainstream, the U.S. Senate is moving forward with a stablecoin bill that could ban them outright in America. In this episode, NYU professor and Zero Knowledge Consulting founder Austin Campbell joins Laura to break down: Why yield-bearing stablecoins are under fire in Washington Why Dems are pushing for the ban and who stands to benefit How this bill could give foreign issuers an edge over U.S. ones Whether yield-bearing stablecoins are securities under U.S. law And what the future holds for projects like Ethena, Sky, and others Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitkey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off Focal by FalconX Austin Campbell, NYU Stern professor and founder and managing partner of Zero Knowledge Consulting Unchained:  How the Senate Stablecoin Bill Enriches Corporations at the Expense of Consumers Stablecoin Bill Passes Key Hurdle: Dems Join GOP to Deliver a Crypto Win Tether in the Clear? Yes, Under This New Republican-Led Senate Stablecoin Bill Stablecoin Bill Stalls in Senate as GOP Cries Foul Over Dem Resistance Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction

U.S. credit got downgraded. Fed policy expectations are flipping. And Coinbase hit the S&P 500 (while also being extorted). But what does all of this mean for crypto? On this week's Bits + Bips, James Seyffart, Alex Kruger, Ram Ahluwalia, and Noelle Acheson break down: Why the Moody's downgrade doesn't mean much for markets Whether Fed rate cuts are now further off than expected Why Alex says Coinbase is a “horrible product” despite S&P inclusion How stablecoins tie into U.S. geopolitical strategy Whether Circle should sell to Coinbase And what the altcoin ETF delay really tells us Plus: unemployment, yield curve control, the “Consensus vibes,” and Ram's wild anecdote about workers gaming unemployment benefits. Bitwise James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Noelle Acheson, Author of the “Crypto Is Macro Now” Newsletter  Macro Reuters: Moody's downgrade intensifies investor worry about US fiscal path USNews: Trump Tells Walmart to 'Eat the Tariffs' Instead of Raising Prices Coinbase Unchained: How the Attack on Coinbase Shows the Dangers of Centralized Exchanges Fortune: Circle pursues IPO—but talks with Coinbase and Ripple could mean a sale, sources say CNBC: Coinbase joining S&P 500, replacing Discover Financial Stablecoin bill Unchained: Stablecoin Bill Passes Key Hurdle: Dems Join GOP to Deliver a Crypto Win Timestamps:

Legacy social media platforms lock you in, control your audience, and exploit your data. Farcaster aims to fix those problems. But how can it attract developers and users in an already saturated media environment?  Developer Ecosystem Lead Linda Xie joined the show to explain: How Farcaster addresses social media's structural flaws How Farcaster's mini-app ecosystem is helping to grow the user base The most popular apps taking off on the platform How the whole crypto community could benefit from gathering on Farcaster Why she believes crypto communities belong on open, portable networks And why her family's history helped her grasp the significance of Bitcoin in 2011 Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Bitwise Linda Xie, Developer Ecosystem Lead at Farcaster Previous coverage of Unchained on Farcaster and social media: Farcaster Wants to Win Over Crypto. Here's How It's Different From ‘Crypto Twitter' Ethereum Accounts to Post on Social Media More After Criticism How Decentralized Social Network Farcaster Hopes to Eventually Get to One Billion Users What is Warpcast Wallet? Farcaster's Snapchain Farcaster's mini-apps Understanding Farcaster: A Sufficiently Decentralized Social Graph Protocol Timestamps:

Coinbase revealed on Thursday that cybercriminals bribed overseas customer support contractors to steal sensitive customer data as part of a $20 million extortion scheme. While no funds or private keys were compromised, customer names, addresses, and ID documents were exposed for nearly 1% of the company's 8+ million “monthly transacting users,” according to a blog post. The story raises tough questions for the entire industry. Is KYC making users more vulnerable? Can human error ever be fully eliminated? And is crypto's real security problem… people? Security experts Jameson Lopp, James Wester and Alexander Leishman delve into: What went wrong at Coinbase Why human vulnerabilities are still crypto's biggest risk Whether KYC makes the problem worse What companies should do next to protect their users Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Focal by FalconX Bitkey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off Mantle Guests Jameson Lopp, Co-founder and CTO at CASA James Wester, Research Director at Javelin Alexander Leishman, CEO and CTO at River Links Coinbase's blog post: Protecting Our Customers - Standing Up to Extortionists Coinbase's SEC filing Commentary:  Vance Spencer's tweet Armani Ferrante's tweet Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Robert Leshner, and Tarun Chitra break down the biggest stories in crypto. This week, we're joined by one of the most iconic anons on Crypto Twitter: Mosi, aka @vanacharma. Known for calling out sketchy tokenomics and vaporware valuations, Mosi joins the crew for a ruthless teardown of market maker games, OTC dumps, and the “hallucination yield” driving this cycle's worst bets. From the $60M Movement Labs fiasco to OTC pump schemes and the collapse of community trust, the gang goes deep on why crypto's market structure is broken—and what it'll take to fix it. If you've ever wondered how the sausage gets made in crypto token launches, this one's for you. Show highlights

After the U.S. and China announced a 90-day pause on tariffs, signaling a massive de-escalation of the trade wars, markets rallied.  In this week's Bits + Bips, the panel covers the biggest macro and crypto forces in motion right now: Will US-China tariff reset reshape the global economy, or just kick the can down the road? America's ballooning deficit and why politicians are spending like it's wartime. Why some think ETH has a unique lane to outperform. How policymakers ignore the power of the crypto community at their own risk. Plus: Saylor copycats, Solana's risk-reward balance, and whether stagflation or recession is still in the cards. Sponsors: Bitwise Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Steve Ehrlich, Executive editor at Unchained Guests: Peter Tchir, Head of Macro Strategy at Academy Securities Zach Pandl, Head of research at Grayscale POLITICO: Trump: The EU is ‘nastier than China' David Bailey and Bitcoin-Native Holding Company Nakamoto Announce Merger with KindlyMD® to Establish Bitcoin Treasury Unchained: Michael Saylor Copycats Rush to Win the Solana Rat Race. Can Lightning Strike Twice? Reuters: Brokerages Scale Back Recession Odds After U.S.-China Trade Truce White House: Joint Statement on U.S.-China Economic and Trade Meeting in Geneva McKinsey: Chinese Consumption Amid the New Reality CBS: U.S. Could Face Default by August if Congress Doesn't Address Debt Ceiling, Bessent Says Stablecoin bill drama Unchained: Why the Senate Stablecoin Bill Stalled & What It Means for Crypto Tether in the Clear? Yes, Under This New Republican-Led Senate Stablecoin Bill  Stablecoin Bill Stalls in Senate as GOP Cries Foul Over Dem Resistance A House Hearing on Crypto? More Like a Big, Partisan Fight Timestamps:

The Movement Labs scandal exposed more than just one bad deal –  it pulled back the curtain on a widespread problem in crypto: how some market makers, founders, and VCs play games to make money — whether the project succeeds or not. In this episode, Laura speaks with José Macedo of Delphi Labs, Omar Shakeeb of SecondLane, and Taran Sabharwal of STIX to explain: How market makers are supposed to work, and how they operate in crypto Why insider selling is more common than you think How projects like Movement, Mantra, and others exploit launch day hype Whether VCs often enable this behavior with side deals that retail never hears about And what the industry needs to do to fix this broken system Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Bitwise José Macedo, founder at Delphi Labs Omar Shakeeb, cofounder of SecondLane Taran Sabharwal, founder and CEO of STIX. Movement Labs: Unchained: How MOVE's Contracts Put a Pump and Dump Into a Legal Agreement CoinDesk: Inside Movement's Token-Dump Scandal: Secret Contracts, Shadow Advisers and Hidden Middlemen Market making: The Chopping Block: Can Crypto Clean Itself Up? Market Structure, Trust, and Regulation  Mantra Founder Is Burning 150 Million Tokens. Would He Try to Get Them Returned? ZachXBT Ties REEF Founders to OM Token Crash Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Robert Leshner, and special guest Evgeny Gaevoy of Wintermute break down the biggest stories in crypto. This week: the $38M Move token dump exposes the shady side of market making, with shocking incentives that blurred the line between liquidity support and pure exit liquidity. We dig into what really happened, why major VCs looked the other way, and how the entire token launch playbook might be broken. Evgeny joins to give the market maker's perspective — and to answer the question: how many more of these sh*t shows are still lurking beneath the surface? Show highlights

The crypto industry is fixated on the U.S. Senate. On Thursday, lawmakers failed to advance the GENIUS Act, the most significant federal stablecoin bill to date. But the story isn't over.  Behind the process is a drama about potential presidential conflicts, shifting political alliances, and unresolved policy questions. In this episode, Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association and Amanda Tuminelli, executive director and CLO of the DeFi Education Fund, break down: Why the bill stalled but isn't dead yet The role Trump's crypto ties are playing Whether Democrats who once backed crypto are turning away Why advocates are still pushing for a deal this year Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com FalconX Bitkey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off Mantle Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association Amanda Tuminelli, executive director and CLO of the DeFi Education Fund Timestamps:

On Thursday, Coinbase announced its acquisition of Deribit in a $2.9 billion deal, the largest merger in the crypto industry to date. In this episode, Owen Lau, executive director and senior analyst at Oppenheimer, delves into why Deribit was such a coveted prize, what this deal means for the global derivatives landscape, and how Coinbase is using its position as a public company to cement its dominance. Plus: The importance of Coinbase paying mostly in stock and barely touching its cash How the derivatives market dwarfs spot trading, and is only getting bigger What this means for CME and smaller crypto exchanges And how Base, Coinbase's L2, fits into the long game Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! FalconX Bitkey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off Mantle Guest Owen Lau, Executive Director and Senior Analyst at Oppenheimer Timestamps:

Crypto doesn't reward fundamentals. It rewards attention. So what does that say about how investors, like Warren Buffett, would fare today? In this week's Bits + Bips, the crew dissects what's really behind this rally, why Ethereum's sentiment problem may run deeper than roadmap delays, and how the stablecoin bill turned into a political tug of war. Plus: Apple and NFTs: why this matters more than people think Whether tariffs are about politics or actual policy Why Bessent is “the best” in the Trump administration And why Buffett's era may be ending, with Portnoy rising in his place

After years of underperformance, Ethereum is trying to change course, from scaling the layer 1 to potentially dumping the EVM. In this episode, Tarun Chitra and Max Resnick break down each of these new changes, analyzing the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Is this a reset that can save Ethereum's market position and price? Or has the protocol given away too much for too long? They dive into: Whether the gas limit increase changes everything What went wrong with Ethereum's economics and solo staking politics Max's view on “the single most important” change Ethereum needs to make How ETH could claw back value from layer 2s What Max would do if he ran Ethereum Whether this pivot is too little, too late Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Bitwise https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ciomemo Tarun Chitra, CEO and Co-Founder of Gauntlet Max Resnick, Lead economist at Anza Unchained:  Ethereum Ecosystem Shifts Toward User Focus Ethereum Developers Vote EOF Out of Fusaka Hard Fork Vitalik Buterin Proposes Replacing Ethereum Virtual Machine The Block:  Vitalik and new Ethereum Foundation co-executive directors outline updated board structure, mission Vitalik Buterin- and StarkWare-backed Kakarot reveals alternative Ethereum ZK stack, targeting real-time STARK proofs on Layer 1 by end of 2025 CoinDesk: Ethereum Could Supercharge Transaction Speed to 2,000 TPS Thanks to Bold New Proposal Simplifying the L1 by Vitalik Buterin Timestamps:

The MOVE token collapse sparked one of the most damning investigations in the industry this year. In this episode of Unchained, investigative journalist Sam Kessler joins Laura Shin to walk through the contracts, questionable market-making deals, and finger pointing inside Movement Labs. From Binance's ban to a Trump-affiliated crypto deal, this story unearths how the MOVE token collapse was the product of what looks like a pump-and-dump plan written out in legal contracts. Plus: How insiders structured deals to profit from artificial price spikes How this could have happened with a project backed by some of crypto's most reputable VCs What this saga says about token launches, regulation, and market integrity And whether Movement Labs can (or should) be trusted to investigate itself Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com FalconX Bitkey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off Mantle Sam Kessler, Deputy Managing Editor for Tech and Protocols at CoinDesk CoinDesk: Inside Movement's Token-Dump Scandal: Secret Contracts, Shadow Advisers and Hidden Middlemen Trading for MOVE will be suspended on Coinbase Timestamps:

While it's been a calmer week in the markets (thank God!), there's a lot to talk about! This week on Bits + Bips, hosts James Seyffart, Ram Ahluwalia, and Steven Ehrlich, along with guest Charles Edwards of Capriole Investments, dive into: Whether it's time to be bullish on all crypto assets Whether a Trump put actually exists The risks behind bitcoin treasury companies like the new Twenty One Capital Why Solana ETFs might not be the smash success people expect The controversial invite to the White House for $TRUMP holders Why there's a big disconnect in the markets Bitwise James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Steven Ehrlich, Executive Editor at Unchained Guest: Charles Edwards, Founder of Capriole Investments Twenty One: Recent coverage of Unchained on Twenty One:  Why Twenty One Capital Is More About Volatility Than Bitcoin Twenty One Aims to Buy as Much Bitcoin as Possible. Can It Succeed? Press Release: Tether, SoftBank Group, and Jack Mallers Launch Twenty One, a Bitcoin-native Company, Through a Business Combination With Cantor Equity Partners Does The Market Still Control Trump? Donald Trump's chaos has left investors with frayed nerves 4 of the Mag7 Reporting This Week Big Tech's Earnings Problem Is Estimates May Be Way Too High $TRUMP Trump's Meme Coin Dinner Contest Earns Insiders $900,000 in Two Days Other:  ​​Apollo slides Timestamps:

The race for Bitcoin supremacy just got more complicated. Twenty One Capital, backed by Tether, SoftBank, and Cantor Fitzgerald, plans to stack as much BTC as it possibly can.  But is this new venture really about Bitcoin … or about creating a hyper-volatile stock to play market cycles? This week on Unchained, Jeff Park of Bitwise and Mark Palmer of Benchmark join to discuss: Why SoftBank and Tether are a “perfect match”—and why they turned to Bitcoin How volatility, not bitcoin itself, might be the real asset investors are buying What Cantor's involvement says about Wall Street's readiness for crypto Why the launch timing matters Whether Twenty One could repeat MicroStrategy's mistakes Whether these new Bitcoin vehicles are better bets than spot bitcoin or ETFs Plus, is SoftBank getting into crypto a top signal?

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and special guest David Hoffman break down the biggest stories in crypto. This week: MicroStrategy clones are popping up, with Bitcoin-backed SPACs trying to replay Saylor's playbook. Meanwhile, Trump launches a memecoin for dinner invites, Zora kicks off a new era of “content coins,” and Ethereum faces an existential pivot. David Hoffman joins the crew to debate whether crypto's future is real innovation—or just financial theater. Show highlights

A new company called Twenty One is making waves—with a launch strategy that echoes Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), a cap table that includes Tether, SoftBank, and Cantor Fitzgerald, and a plan to acquire more Bitcoin than anyone else. They're starting with 42,000 BTC, worth nearly $4 billion, and they've hinted they'll use convertible debt, equity raises, and other market mechanics to buy more. But is this just a smarter MicroStrategy? Or a recipe for financial reflexivity gone wrong? In this episode, Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at VanEck, digs into: How the strategy works and why it could break What happens if the stock trades below NAV Why timing the market may be a feature, not a bug And whether this signals a new phase in corporate Bitcoin exposure Sigel also shares a bold idea for “BIT Bonds” that could let the U.S. Treasury issue Bitcoin-linked government debt. Could it work? Plus, Unchained regulatory reporter Veronica Irwin talks about her scoop that we might see a crypto market structure bill as early as this week.  Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitkey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off FalconX Mantle Guest Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck Links Unchained:  Press Release: Tether, SoftBank Group, and Jack Mallers Launch Twenty One, a Bitcoin-native Company, Through a Business Combination With Cantor Equity Partners The Block: Strike founder Jack Mallers to lead Tether-backed multi-billion bitcoin buying venture, Twenty One Capital Ryan Watkins' post on X Jeff Park's post on X Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew is joined by special guest Joe Weisenthal, co-host of Bloomberg's Odd Lots podcast, for a wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation. They dive into whether Bitcoin is becoming digital gold, why Ethereum's value might be leaking away, and how stablecoins are quietly reshaping global finance. Joe challenges the panel on NFTs, DePIN, and whether any of crypto's big promises have actually delivered. Plus, they debate the rise of MicroStrategy copycats, the failure of crypto social apps, and why Worldcoin's orb-pilled vision might actually make sense. Show highlights

An independent Federal Reserve has long been the cornerstone of U.S. economic stability, but what happens when that foundation is shaken? In this week's episode of Bits + Bips, the panel digs into one of the most dramatic threats yet to financial markets: Donald Trump's suggestion that he could fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell. It's not just political theater, it's a potential major blow to the credibility of the U.S. dollar and the independence of the world's most important central bank. Joining the panel is Zach Pandl, Head of Research at Grayscale, who explores why a rotation away from U.S. dollar assets might already be happening and what that means for bitcoin. Plus: Why the Fed's independence is so crucial The telltale signs of a structural capital rotation out of the U.S. Whether bitcoin has officially decoupled from equities How young crypto HODLers will react to their first bear market And why this moment may look more like Argentina than America Show highlights: Sponsors: Bitwise Hosts: Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Steven Ehrlich, Executive Editor at Unchained Guest: Zach Pandl, Head of Research at Grayscale Links Trump Threatening Powell New York Times: Risk of Financial Panic Tempers Trump on Firing Powell Barrons: Trump Calls Powell a ‘Major Loser.' 3 Ways He Could Sideline the Fed Chair Inconsistencies in Hard v. Soft Data Wall Street Journal: Trump Is Everywhere Except in the Economic Data Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia: Carefully Balancing Both Hard and Soft Data in Policy Discussions Dropping Dollar CNBC: U.S. Dollar Falls to Three-Year Low as Trump's Powell Threats Further Dent Investor Confidence New York Times: The Dollar Keeps Falling as Its ‘Safe Haven' Status Is Questioned Bitcoin Decoupling CNBC: Bitcoin Retakes $90,000 as Investors See It as Alternative to Diving Dollar and Turbulent Stocks Decrypt: Bitcoin Decoupling? BTC Rises as Equity Markets Swoon Timestamps:

The U.S. is rattled by tariffs, economic uncertainty, and political U-turns on crypto. But across Asia, the response has been … different. In this episode of Unchained, we check in with two of the sharpest observers of Asia's crypto landscape: Emily Parker, China and Japan advisor of the Global Blockchain Business Council, and Yat Siu, chairman of Animoca Brands. They unpack how Asia views the Trump crypto pivot, what's actually happening inside China, why Hong Kong may be the most important jurisdiction in crypto right now, and how Japan and Korea are quietly shaping the future of regulation, stablecoins, and DeFi. Plus: Is crypto really banned in China? Why Korea is lifting its “shadow ban” Why crypto gaming is thriving in Asia And what the West can learn from it all Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise Guests: Emily Parker, China and Japan Advisor at the Global Blockchain Business Council Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands Links WSJ: Crypto Is Illegal in China. Binance Does $90 Billion of Business There Anyway. Timestamps: 

This week on Unchained: two big stories, one episode. First, Jesse Pollak, head of Coinbase's L2 Base, joins to unpack the chaos behind the viral “Coined It” memecoin moment, a tweet-turned-token that hit $17M in an hour, crashed, then rebounded, igniting a firestorm on Crypto Twitter. Was it a media experiment or a botched launch? Was there insider trading? And why does Jesse think coins are the future of creator monetization? Then, we dive into Converge, the recently announced chain backed by Ethena and Securitize, aiming to bridge TradFi and DeFi. Carlos Domingo and Guy Young explain what makes Converge technically novel, why they're building on Arbitrum and Celestia, and how it could reshape the onchain landscape for institutions. Also in this episode: Whether Jesse regrets greenlighting the Base post The future of creator coins and tokenized assets How Converge plans to prevent hacks and improve UX And why Converge isn't just about migrating existing assets, but “expanding the pie” Thank you to our sponsors! Bitkey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off FalconX Mantle Part 1 Jesse Pollak, Head of Base and Coinbase Wallet On Wednesday, Coinbase's layer 2 network Base posted a tweet that read: “Base is for everyone,” followed by a tweet: “Coined it.” That second tweet linked to a page where the post had already been turned into a coin. Within an hour, the coin hit a $17 million market cap, then dropped to under $2 million, then went back up to over $13 million. Crypto Twitter exploded. Some called it a rug. Others accused insiders of sniping the launch. Coinbase later issued a statement saying that Zora auto-tokenizes content, but Jesse Pollak, head of Base, tweeted that he personally greenlit the post. So what really happened? In this episode, Jesse sits down with Laura to discuss: Whether this was a memecoin launch or a media experiment Why he thinks the crypto community overreacted Whether insider trading occurred And why he believes coins, not NFTs, are the future of creator monetization Plus, he explains why he's okay being the “punching bag.” Part 2 A month ago, Converge was announced as the new chain backed by Ethena and Securitize, aiming to become a home for tokenized assets and institutional capital. On Thursday, the teams behind it released the full technical specs. From validator-triggered circuit breakers to 100ms block times and support for yield-generating private credit, Converge is pitching itself as the chain for both TradFi and DeFi. In this episode, Securitize's Carlos Domingo and Ethena's Guy Young join Unchained to explain what's actually novel in this architecture, why they chose Arbitrum and Celestia, and what it will take for institutions to get comfortable onchain. Plus:  What Converge means for Ethereum and other L2s Whether gas tokens like USDe and USDtb solve real UX problems How they plan to prevent bridge-based hacks And why this isn't just about migrating existing assets, but “expanding the pie” Guest Carlos Domingo, co-founder and CEO of Securitize Guy Young, founder of Ethena Labs Links Previous coverage of Unchained on Ethena: After an Incredible 2024 for USDe, Ethena Plans to Supercharge Growth Ethena's USDe Grew to $2 Billion in 7 Weeks. Is It Safe? How Ethena's USDe Challenges Traditional Stablecoin Models Unchained:  Tokenized T-Bills Grow Despite Trump Tariffs Causing U.S. Treasuries Sell-off Tokenized Treasuries Grow 20X Faster Than Stablecoins as Crypto Market Languishes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew dives into the drama surrounding the OM token crash, the murky world of fake market caps, and Binance's role in fueling questionable projects. They unpack Trump's tariff chaos and whether Bitcoin could emerge as the real winner in a broken economic order. Plus, Vitalik stirs the pot by calling out “bad apps” like Pump.fun—igniting a moral war over what crypto should be building. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights

Markets are nervous, liquidity is drying up, and political messaging is inconsistent at best. In this week's Bits + Bips, the crew unpacks the shifting mood across capital markets and what it will take to bring back the risk-on energy. From Trump's high-stakes tariff strategy to whispers of deregulation, tax cuts, and even capital flooding, the stakes are rising. Plus: What would trigger a “Trump put” Will crypto finally benefit from the global chaos? Whether the devaluation of the yuan could be a big moment And how animal spirits might return… if they're properly incentivized Show highlights: Sponsors: Bitwise Hosts: James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Joe McCann, Founder, CEO, and CIO of Asymmetric Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Noelle Acheson, Author of the “Crypto Is Macro Now” Newsletter  Links Newsweek: Steve Bannon's 'Flood the Zone' Strategy Explained Amid Trump Policy Blitz Cointelegraph: Senator Tim Scott is confident market structure bill passed by August CoinDesk: Donald Trump's Memecoin Faces Massive $320M Token Unlock Amid Record Low Price Decrypt: Canada to Launch 'World First' Spot Solana ETFs With Staking This Week: Balchunas YouTube: The Great Tariff Debate with David Sacks, Larry Summers, and Ezra Klein Bloomberg: Investors Fear Another Big Blowup of Basis Trade as Treasuries Lose Haven Status Wall Street Journal: China's March Lending Jumped on Government Stimulus Push CoinTelegraph: Bitcoin Shows Growing Strength During Market Downturn — Wintermute  Timestamps:

The crypto markets are at a crossroads. While macro chaos — tariff whiplash, rising yields, and inflation fears — continues to dominate headlines, bitcoin has barely budged. And some say that's exactly the signal. In this episode, Matt Hougan of Bitwise and Matthew Sheffield of FalconX join Laura to unpack the tension between short-term volatility and long-term conviction. They explore why this cycle may look very different from previous ones, how institutional capital is navigating crypto, and whether we're entering a new era defined by fundamentals, not just narratives. Plus: Why bitcoin might hit $200K, what Ethereum needs to reclaim momentum, and the real potential of DeFi under this new administration. Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise Human Rights Foundation Guest: Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Previous appearances on Unchained: How Small Bitcoin ETF Issuers Will Compete With the Likes of BlackRock Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10 Matthew Sheffield, Senior Trader at FalconX Links Subscribe to our new crypto + macro newsletter! https://bitsandbips.beehiiv.com/subscribe Recent coverage of Unchained on the economy and tariffs:  Why CoinFund Believes There's Still a Strong Bull Case for Bitcoin and Crypto Arthur Hayes on Why Tariffs Will Be Good for Bitcoin and Crypto Bits + Bips: Why a U.S. Recession May Be Coming — And Still Isn't Priced In Bits + Bips: Trump's Tariffs Are Causing Mayhem, But Will They Revive U.S. Manufacturing? Trump Tariffs Sink Crypto, BlackRock Pumps Bitcoin's Bags Why Trump-Induced Stagflation Could Finally Make Bitcoin a Safe Haven In Market Crash, What Should You Buy? Crypto VCs Are Making These Bets Bitcoin Tops $83,000 as Tariff Pause Sends Markets Soaring Crypto Traders See Another $1B Liquidated Amid Tariff Turbulence  Recession incoming? Ray Dalio's remarks on Meet the Press Timestamps:

Tariffs were back on the table, and then they weren't. Last week, the Trump administration stunned markets with an announcement of sweeping new tariffs, including a 10% blanket rate and a 125% tariff on Chinese imports. But within days, most of those tariffs were put on a 90-day pause.  The result? A rollercoaster in equities, credit, and crypto… and plenty of questions about what's really next. Seth Ginns, managing partner at CoinFund, is watching all of this closely. He says the data is flashing stress, but underneath, something else is building. In this episode, Seth breaks down: Why tariffs hit crypto harder than most investors expected The metrics that could signal the next macro moves and their impact on digital assets Why he's still cautiously bullish, even amid volatility Whether an altcoin season is coming Why Bitcoin's safe haven narrative might finally be tested Why the Trump administration's policies, despite the turbulence, boost 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! BitKey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off FalconX  Mantle  Guest Seth Ginns, Managing Partner at CoinFund Links Subscribe to our new crypto + macro newsletter! https://bitsandbips.beehiiv.com/subscribe Recent coverage of Unchained on the economy and tariffs:  Arthur Hayes on Why Tariffs Will Be Good for Bitcoin and Crypto Bits + Bips: Why a U.S. Recession May Be Coming — And Still Isn't Priced In Bits + Bips: Trump's Tariffs Are Causing Mayhem, But Will They Revive U.S. Manufacturing? Trump Tariffs Sink Crypto, BlackRock Pumps Bitcoin's Bags Why Trump-Induced Stagflation Could Finally Make Bitcoin a Safe Haven In Market Crash, What Should You Buy? Crypto VCs Are Making These Bets Bitcoin Tops $83,000 as Tariff Pause Sends Markets Soaring Crypto Traders See Another $1B Liquidated Amid Tariff Turbulence  Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew is joined by Jeff Park, Alpha Liaison at Bitwise, for a deep dive into the chaos gripping global markets and what it all means for crypto. With tariffs ripping through equities and whispers of stagflation on the rise, Jeff breaks down why Bitcoin might still be headed for $200K – and why MicroStrategy might be the new altcoin. They also unpack Circle's delayed IPO, Ripple's $1.25B acquisition, and whether capital markets are finally warming up to crypto. Show highlights

The markets are rattled. Tariffs are rising. Investors are pulling back. In this week's Bits + Bips, the panel digs into what's really driving the selloff, why the Fed may be stuck, and how Trump's tariff logic could trigger deeper economic shocks than anyone expects. Plus: Whether Bitcoin becomes a safe haven What makes this downturn different from 2022 and 2020 Why a potential recession still isn't priced in Whether Congress can take the tariff button away from Trump And yes, Ram coins a new term: FAFO tariffs

TradFi and DeFi markets are in motion, responding to Trump's tariffs, but a giant injection of liquidity could be on the way. Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes provides his expertise on economic policy, macro movements, and political implications, delving into a variety of topics, including: Trump's rationale for tariffs The possibility of a “fiat liquidity bonanza” and what it means for crypto What the Hyperliquid brouhaha reveals about decentralization dreams How Ethena might be an attack on Ethereum The value prop of Circle's IPO Future price expectations for BTC, ETH, and SOL Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise HRF Guest: Arthur Hayes, CIO of Maelstrom Previous appearances on Unchained: How Arthur Hayes Has Prepared His Portfolio for the Elections Links Previous coverage on Unchained: Trump Tariffs Sink Crypto, BlackRock Pumps Bitcoin's Bags Why Trump-Induced Stagflation Could Finally Make Bitcoin a Safe Haven Tariffs, Hyperliquid, and $1 million Bitcoin Arthur Hayes on X: Tariffs = money printer goes brrrr Arthur Hayes on X: Is Trump trying to trigger a mini financial crisis? Arthur Hayes on X: CZ and Star ‘gang up' on HyperLiquid Kevin Zhou on X: Binance and OKX listing $JELLY sets a precedent DL News: Arthur Hayes on the one reason that tariffs can't stop Bitcoin's surge Trump pardon: CFTC.gov: Federal Court Orders BitMEX's Three Co-Founders to Pay a Total of $30 Million for Illegally Operating a Cryptocurrency Derivatives Trading Platform and Anti-Money Laundering Violations | CFTC (May 2022) Justice.gov: Southern District of New York | Global Cryptocurrency Exchange BitMEX Fined $100 Million For Violating Bank Secrecy Act | United States Department of Justice (Jan 2025)  CNBC: Politics Trump pardons three BitMEX crypto exchange co-founders, and ex-employee  Timestamps:

USDC stablecoin issuer Circle has filed for an initial public offering with the SEC, as Trump's tariffs cause turmoil in the markets and stablecoin bills make their way through Congress, promising to upend competition.  The information in its prospectus shows a company that has few aces up its sleeve, a lot of business deals to make and a perhaps lofty valuation. Omar Kanji, Partner at Dragonfly, joined the show to explain: How Circle can get USDC into the hands of users Circle's staggering regulatory compliance costs vs. the likes of Tether Circle's S-1 valuation of $5 billion Forthcoming regulatory clarity and how it changes the stablecoin game The potential impact of tariffs on Circle's success Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! BitKey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off FalconX Mantle Guest Omar Kanji, Partner at Dragonfly Links Previous coverage on Unchained:  Congress Bickers Over Whether to Bail Out Stablecoins How a Radical Proposal in Trump's World Could Hurt Stablecoins, but Boost Bitcoin Coinbase Aims to Jointly Pass Market Structure and Stablecoin Legislation in Congress Stablecoin Bills Could Squeeze Out $140 Billion Tether Circle files an initial public offering SEC: Circle's S-1 Filing Coindesk: Circle is going public Fortune: 5 key takeaways X @dom_kwok: Circle's IPO is historic Bloomberg: Bitcoin Succumbs to Risk Asset Slump as Trump Sets Tariffs Timestamps:

After President Donald Trump's proud announcement of ‘Liberation Day' tariffs, markets worldwide took a tumble.  Shortly after Trump's Rose Garden announcement concluded, James Seyffart, Steven Ehrlich, Ram Ahluwalia, and guest Quinn Thompson discussed: How markets reacted Whether tariffs can bring middle-class jobs back to America Who will end up paying the most Future possibilities of war, recession and stagflation How it all affects crypto Sponsors: Bitwise Hosts: James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Guests: Steven Ehrlich, High Scribe of the Unchained Kingdom Quinn Thompson, Master of Macro at Lekker Capital Links Trump Tariffs Shake Markets New York Times: A Stunned World Reckons With Economic Fallout From Trump's Tariffs Wall Street Journal: U.S. Stock Futures, Dollar Tumble on Trump Tariff Plans New York Times: A Timeline of Trump's On-Again, Off-Again Tariffs US Tariff History CATO Institute: The Problem of the Tariff in American Economic History, 1787–1934 Brookings: Did Trump's tariffs benefit American workers and national security? Impact on Bitcoin and Crypto Unchained: Why Trump-Induced Stagflation Could Finally Make Bitcoin a Safe Haven Unchained: How a Radical Proposal in Trump's World Could Hurt Stablecoins, but Boost Bitcoin The Concerned Consumer and CEO CBS: Consumer confidence slumps to 12-year low as Americans fret over their financial prospects NPR: Why CEOs are calm about tariffs in public — but 'very discouraged' in private

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew is joined by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce—aka “CryptoMom”—for a rare, candid conversation. They unpack the SEC's vibe shift, why airdrops might be doomed, and whether memecoins are just collectibles or cleverly disguised securities. Plus, Hester dishes on Paul Atkins' potential leadership, the SEC's new crypto task force, and what real regulatory clarity might finally look like. Show highlights

As DeFi continues to evolve, the challenge of finding a balance between decentralization and protection from all manner of exploits persists. The founder of Infinex, Kain Warwick, joined the show to talk about: How crypto market makers have at times veered into “all-out crime” What market making looks like today Playing chart games with token allocations What Kain looks at when evaluating tokens Why Binance kicked a MOVE market maker off its platform The $JELLY attack on Hyperliquid and the problem of centralization in DeFi What problems in crypto Kain is attempting to solve with Infinex Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise Guest: Kain Warwick, founder of Infinex App and Synthetix Previous appearances on Unchained: 2025 Will Be a Year of Crypto Competition. Can Ethereum Make a Comeback? Links: Crypto Market Making Kain Warwick: Discussion about market makers Binance: What happened with MOVE on Binance Coindesk: Binance Offboards Market Maker That It Said Made $38M Profit on MOVE Listing Bloomberg: Citadel Securities Plots Jump Into Crypto Trading After Trump's Embrace Hyperliquid Unchained: Hyperliquid Saved Itself a $15 Million Loss, but Sparked Criticism Infinex The Block: Synthetix founder Kain Warwick launches Infinex The Block: Peter Thiel's Founders Fund invests in Infinex's Patron NFT sale as total amount raised hits $67.7 million Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew dives into the Hyperliquid controversy and what it reveals about decentralization theater in DeFi. Then, things get weirder: the Say Foundation wants to buy 23andMe and put your genetic data onchain. We break down the backlash and privacy concerns. Finally, we look at the new Stable Act making its way through Congress and whether stablecoin regulation is headed toward bank-only control. Show highlights

Perpetual swap DEX Hyperliquid suffered a whale attack and was on the brink of losing $15 million. It promptly responded in a way that generated a fair amount of controversy. The founder and CEO of Ambient Finance Doug Colkitt joined the show to explain: How perp swaps work How a whale used the low-liquidity memecoin $JELLY to attack Hyperliquid's vault How Hyperliquid's response broke DeFi taboos around decentralization, oracles, etc. Criticisms of and justifications for the team's decisions What can be done to prevent similar attacks in the future Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! BitKey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off FalconX Mantle Guest Doug Colkitt, Founder and CEO of Ambient Finance Links  Accounts of the $JELLY whale attack on Hyperliquid and its response  X: The story X: Nuking the vault X: How Hyperliquid responded Arguments for and against Hyperliquid's solution: ZachXBT: ZachXBT calls out alleged hypocrisy Jordi Alexander: Shorting on a perp is not robust Jose Maria Macedo: How do they override the oracle price?  Doug: Closing positions at an arbitrary price Gracy Chen: Casting doubts on integrity Steven.hl: In defense of HL Kam: Of course quorum was reached easily What precedent Hyperliquid's actions set Kevin Zhou: Binance and OKX set a precedent Timestamps:

Investors are still licking their wounds from this month's corrections. But just as Trump's tariffs are about to move into full-force, our experts are seeing silver linings and causes for optimism. With conflicting signals coming from all corners of the map, hosts Noelle Acheson, Ram Ahluwalia, Alex Kruger, and Felix Jauvin break down: What to expect from Trump on April 2nd Takeaways from last week's FOMC meeting If the White House and Powell are actually on the same page  Why tech stocks are taking off again Why BlackRock is bullish on bitcoin during bear markets If ether is about to get its groove back Sponsors: Bitwise Hosts: Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Noelle Acheson, Author of the “Crypto Is Macro Now” Newsletter  Felix Jauvin, Director and Host - Forward Guidance Links Incoming Trump Tariffs Bloomberg: Trump Plans His Tariff ‘Liberation Day' With More Targeted Push WSJ: White House Narrows April 2 Tariffs FOMC Meeting Unchained: Bitcoin Drops as Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged, as Expected NYTimes: Citing Tariffs and Uncertainty, Fed Sees Higher Inflation and Lower Growth Animal Spirits Return Barron's: Don't Count Out the Mag 7. They Could Lead a U.S. Stock Comeback. CNBC: ‘Magnificent 7' has a notable up day after struggling for 3 months BlackRock Decrypt: BlackRock Digital Assets Head Criticizes Narrative of Bitcoin as a Risk-On Asset Bloomberg: BlackRock to List Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Product in Europe Fidelity Tokenization CoinDesk: Fidelity Files for Onchain U.S. Treasury Fund, Joining the Asset Tokenization Race Timestamps:

As Ethereum deploys Pectra, it faces stiff competition and community criticism. Ethereum Foundation Research co-leads Alex Stokes and Barnabe Monnot map out the chain's direction. Ethereum is well on its way to some major upgrades, with Pectra and Fusaka introducing a number of performance improvements in the near future. But will it be enough to stay ahead of the competition? Ethereum Foundation Research co-leads Alex Stokes and Barnabe Monnot join the show to discuss: How Pectra and Fusaka will improve Ethereum's performance What it means that its launch on two testnets failed Ethereum's “north star” — decentralization Whether Ethereum can retain its top spot in the smart contract space As Ethereum adopts native rollups and data availability, does it create competition with existing L2s and DA providers? The new direction for the Ethereum Foundation leaders and whether Etherealize can bring Wall Street Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise Guest: Alex Stokes, Co-Lead, Ethereum Foundation Research Barnabe Monnot, Co-Lead, Ethereum Foundation Research Previous appearances on Unchained: 5 Things to Know About Coinbase's 2021 Links Previous coverage on Unchained of: Etherealize advocates for Ethereum Why Ethereum's New Marketing Arm Is Convinced Wall Street Will Adopt ETH Ethereum Foundation contemplates comeback Ethereum Is Lagging. Here's How It Could Finally Shake Off Rival Solana 2025 Will Be a Year of Crypto Competition. Can Ethereum Make a Comeback? What Ethena means for Ethereum Ethena's L1 Shows Fat Apps Are on the Rise. Can They Beat Fat Protocols? The Chopping Block w/ Guy Young: Lessons from USD0, Ethena's Bold Vision, and DeFi's Future The Pectra Upgrade Ethereum.org: Pectra Testnet Announcement | Ethereum Foundation Blog tim.mirror.xyz: AllCoreDevs Update 17 Ethereum.org: EIP-7691: Blob throughput increase Ethereum.org: Holesky and Hoodi Testnet Updates | Ethereum Foundation Blog Coindesk: Hello, Hoodi: Ethereum Welcomes a New Testnet  Fusaka on the horizon Github: EIP-7805 proposed for Fusaka Native rollups versus non-native rollups Youtube: The Future of Ethereum Scaling: Native Rollups Explained Reddit: Native rollup debates L1 and L2 debates Vitalik.eth.limo: Reasons to have higher L1 gas limits even in an L2-heavy Ethereum Vitalik.eth.limo: Scaling Ethereum L1 and L2s in 2025 and beyond Ethereum Foundation Leadership changes X: Barnabe Monnot and Alex Stokes announcement X: New EF titles X: Fixing the Core Dev process Ethena's Converge news  John Wang's tweet Camila Russo's comment Timestamps:

Blockchains were supposed to capture the majority of the value in crypto. But what if that's wrong? For years, the Fat Protocols Thesis argued that blockchains would be the biggest winners. But new data suggests that apps like Uniswap, Ethena, and others are now out-earning many networks. Are we watching the rise of “Fat Apps” instead? On this episode, Ryan Watkins, Co-founder at Syncracy Capital, talks about:  Why the biggest apps are generating more revenue than many layer 1s Why Ethena is launching its own blockchain What this means for Ethereum, Solana & other L1s How blockchains can compete on value capture Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! BitKey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off FalconX Mantle Guest Ryan Watkins, Co-founder at Syncracy Capital Links Unchained: Ethena Labs and Securitize to Launch New EVM Blockchain for DeFi Syncracy Capital: Applications Capture Fees, Blockchains Store Value Hansolar's tweet  Pump.fun launches its own DEX  Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew unpacks Ethereum's existential crisis and whether the rollup-centric roadmap is backfiring. Plus, AI is rapidly changing how crypto is built, traded, and secured—so what happens when blockchain and AI collide? We also dig into Solana's controversial ad, Ethereum Foundation's leadership shake-up, and why macro forces are still running the show. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights

The financial market is getting wrecked, inflation is still a problem, and bitcoin isn't acting like the hedge that it's supposed to be. Is this a real economic shift, or just noise? With tariffs, stagflation fears, and fiscal dominance taking center stage, hosts James Seyffart, Joe McCann, Ram Ahluwalia and Noelle Acheson break down: Why markets are struggling—and whether a recession or stagflation is coming Whether the Fed has become irrelevant How the stablecoin bill could rescue sales of treasuries Why bitcoin isn't following gold's rally The factors that could kickstart the next crypto boom The latest on all the dozens of crypto ETFs in the works Sponsors: Bitwise Hosts: James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Joe McCann, Founder, CEO, and CIO of Asymmetric Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Noelle Acheson, Author of the “Crypto Is Macro Now” Newsletter  Links The stagflation trade Bloomberg: Stagflation Trade Emerges as Rare Winner in US Stock Market Rout Reuters: Fed's Powell gets chance to address trade war, stagflation fears Tweet by Noah Smith Budget bill Wharton: The FY2025 House Budget reconciliation and Trump Administration Tax Proposals: Budgetary, Economic, and Distributional Effects Stablecoin bill: Unchained: Stablecoin Bills Could Squeeze Out $140 Billion Tether CoinDesk: U.S. Senate Takes First Big Step to Advance Stablecoin Bill Solana futures Cointelegraph: Solana futures finish first trading day on CME Solana ad Unchained: Solana Deletes ‘Cringe' Ad After Crypto Community Backlash Timestamps:

The memecoin trade might be over. And Joe McCann says that's just the beginning. The founder of Asymmetric has been at the intersection of crypto, macro, and tech for years. He called the $BONK trade early, made moves before most saw the opportunity, and now? He's shifting his focus. Meanwhile, the crypto markets are a bloodbath, with bitcoin, ether, and solana down 10%, 41%, and 35%, respectively, year-to-date. In this episode, Joe joins Unchained to discuss: Why memecoins won't work the way they used to How institutions are approaching crypto in this cycle Why prices are down so much Why Bitcoin might be so hard to outperform Whether Solana is still the fastest horse Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! FalconX Bitwise Guest: Joe McCann, founder of Asymmetric Links Unchained:  Solana Rejected Inflation Reduction—Here's Why Are Memecoins Collapsing? These 8 Charts May Be Signaling Yes Bitcoin Has Declined 20%. How Soon Could the BTC Price Revive? Timestamps:

The Solana ecosystem just completed a critical governance vote. SIMD-228, a proposal to tie Solana's inflation rate to its staking participation rate, was put forward by Multicoin Capital and Anza, but despite a majority voting in favor, it failed to meet the required supermajority to pass. Tushar Jain, co-founder and managing partner at Multicoin Capital, who co-authored the proposal, joins the show to discuss: Why he believes the proposal was necessary Whether inflation is too high for Solana's long-term health If some validators voted against their own interests The silver lining of the governance process Why a smaller proposal focused fee sharing did pass Whether Multicoin Capital will resubmit a revised proposal Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! BitKey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off Mantle Guest Tushar Jain, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Multicoin Capital Links Unchained: Proposal to Cut SOL Inflation by 80% Fails After ‘Close Call' SIMD Vote Status Kayuza's tweet  Timestamps:

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner break down the biggest stories in crypto. This week, we're joined by special guest Quinn Thompson, Master of Macro at Lekker Capital, to dissect Trump's Bitcoin Reserve. The US government is now officially hodling Bitcoin —Trump's executive order creates a BTC reserve using seized funds. But markets didn't buy the hype. Bitcoin tanked, and traders are still questioning what this means for crypto's future. Meanwhile, the global macro picture is a disaster—stocks are down, trade wars are escalating, and recession fears are mounting.Is this controlled demolition of the economy, or just a side effect of Trump's economic agenda? And most importantly, what does this mean for crypto? Let's dive in. Show highlights

The markets are a bloodbath. If you're feeling lost in the markets right now, you're not alone. Stocks are getting crushed, bonds are sliding, and crypto isn't escaping the carnage. The question is: why is everything selling off—and where does it go from here? One thing is clear: the next market move is extremely hard to predict. Between Trump's economic policies, inflation worries, and DOGE's cuts, there's a storm of conflicting signals. So, is this pain temporary? Or are we looking at a long trend downward? Sponsors: Bitwise Hosts: James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Guest: Travis Kling, CIO of Ikigai Asset Management Links Recession?  Bloomberg: Trump Says US Economy Faces ‘Transition,' Avoids Recession Call Inflation Bloomberg: Inflation-Linked Bonds Rebound on Trump Tariffs: Credit Weekly DXY FX Empire: US Dollar Forecast: DXY Sinks as Weak Jobs Data Fuels Rate Cut Bets, EUR/USD Surges Powell's comments: CNN: Fed Chair Powell says he's not worried about the economy amid Trump's tariff chaos  FT: Federal Reserve chief Jay Powell plays down growth worries after jobs report disappoints Bonds: Bloomberg: The Bond Market's Trump Trade Is Looking Like a Recession Trade CNBC: 10-year Treasury yield rises after weaker-than-expected jobs growth Bond yields in Europe and elsewhere are rising  Tariffs: Bloomberg: Lutnick Says Trump Sticking to US Aluminum-Steel Tariff Timeline  Japan and the carry trade: Japan's 20-Year Government Bond Yield rises to its highest level since 2008.  Jeff Park tweeted “Bitcoin is Japan's game now whether you like it or not” - thoughts? FT: Japan seeks tariff reprieve after Donald Trump questions long-standing defence pact China's deflation:  Bloomberg: China's Inflation Declines Below Zero for First Time in Year Ukraine War talks:  FT: Ukraine seeks to persuade US to resume aid in high-stakes talks Timestamps:

The election of Donald Trump marked a sea change for U.S. crypto policy. The symbolism of that transformation was on full display at the White House's first-ever Crypto Summit, at which President Trump met with several crypto business leaders. But what was actually said behind closed doors? And does this mark the beginning of a truly pro-crypto shift—or just another short-lived political move? In this episode, BitGo CEO Mike Belshe and former CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo break down what really happened at the summit, whether the proposed Bitcoin reserve is a smart idea or a political gimmick, and why some believe the U.S. dollar could one day be backed by BTC. Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise Guests: Mike Belshe, CEO at BitGo Chris Giancarlo, Senior counsel at Willkie Farr & Gallagher and former CFTC chairman Links Recent coverage of Unchained on the Bitcoin Reserve and the White House Crypto Summit : Trump Says He Is Ending Operation Choke Point 2.0 Trump Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile Trump's Surprise Crypto Reserve Announcement Iced Out D.C. Insiders How Did Ripple Sell Trump on XRP in a Crypto Reserve? By Pushing for Solana Why Trump May Have Chosen This Week to Announce a Strategic Crypto Reserve Which Crypto Assets Belong in a Reserve? This VC Says Not XRP and ADA Chris's article: Crypto neo-privateers could be the solution to hacks Nic Carter's tweet on Trump's crypto endeavours Omid Malekan's analogy of the SBR with buying a shirt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices