Web3 Academy: Exploring Utility In NFTs, DAOs, Crypto & The Metaverse

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Coinbase's Head of Institutional Research, David Duong, explains the  forces controlling Bitcoin's price right now, from options market “gamma” levels to institutional positioning, liquidity conditions, and macro headwinds. Why do rallies keep failing? Why doesn't bullish news move the market? And what could trigger the next explosive move up or down?~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Matt Hougan and Ryan Rasmussen break down why institutions are turning bullish, how stablecoins are reshaping global finance, and why the current bear market could be setting up the next major crypto rally. Despite negative sentiment, outflows, and fears around AI disruption and regulation, adoption continues to accelerate. From BlackRock's push into tokenization to Big Tech exploring stablecoin payments, the gap between crypto fundamentals and price action may be the largest it's ever been. That disconnect, Bitwise argues, is exactly where long-term opportunities are born.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In today's episode of The Milk Road Show, Ran Neuner (Founder of Crypto Banter) joins us to break down the biggest narrative shift in crypto right now, why Bitcoin may have lost its store-of-value story, what that means for the market, and whether this is just a temporary setback… or something much bigger. We dive into the growing decoupling between Bitcoin and gold, why institutions may be hesitating, how energy demand from AI is impacting mining, and why some major players are rotating out of BTC. ~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, John Gillen joins us to unpack the viral “2028 AI crisis” narrative shaking markets and explain why the long-term impact of artificial intelligence could be massively bullish for crypto, especially Ethereum. While fear spreads about job loss, software disruption, and economic upheaval, the fundamentals tell a different story. We explore how AI agents, autonomous economies, and exploding capital investment may actually increase demand for decentralized finance, digital scarcity, and onchain infrastructure. If machines start transacting, coordinating, and hiring each other, they'll need permissionless money, identity systems, and settlement layers, all things crypto already provides.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In today's episode of The Milk Road Show, we sit down with Austin Reid, one of the largest crypto prime brokerages in the world, to unpack what's really happening behind the scenes as Wall Street quietly builds exposure to Bitcoin and digital assets. While retail investors panic, global banks, asset managers, and hedge funds are setting up the infrastructure to deploy capital into crypto through ETFs, regulated derivatives, credit markets, tokenization, and on-chain finance. This conversation reveals where institutional money is flowing, what could trigger the next wave of adoption, and why the current dip may not tell the full story.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, Kyle Reidhead breaks down why today's crypto downturn is not a classic bear market… and why smart money may be allocating right now while retail sits on the sidelines. With institutions waiting for regulation, retail distracted by AI stocks, and massive global capital flowing elsewhere, crypto faces a demand vacuum, not a collapse.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we break down what's really happening in the crypto market as Bitcoin struggles in a clear downtrend and volatility shakes investor confidence. Pro trader Koroush joins the show to explain why price action still points lower, the key Bitcoin levels to watch, and why most retail investors lose money by confusing investing with trading.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, we break down Coinbase's latest earnings report and explain why the market may be completely mispricing the company. While headlines focused on a reported net loss, the deeper story tells something very different. When you strip out unrealized crypto losses from Coinbase's balance sheet, the core business remains profitable and continues to generate hundreds of millions in adjusted earnings.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In today's episode of the Milk Road Show, LG sits down with Jason from Delphi Digital to break down the real forces behind the market downturn, from aggressive Binance spot selling to slowing ETF inflows and early Bitcoin holders quietly taking profits.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, we sit down with Jeff Dorman (CIO of Arca) to break down what's happening in crypto right now, and why obsessing over the Bitcoin price might be causing investors to miss the biggest opportunities in the market. Was the recent crypto selloff actually a crypto problem? Or was it macro funds and TradFi deleveraging spilling into Bitcoin? Jeff explains how CME basis trades, ETF flows, and cross-asset volatility triggered the recent downturn, and why retail investors may have handled it better than institutions.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, John Gillen breaks down what's really happening beneath the surface. Is this simply the four-year cycle playing out, or are broader macro forces driving this selloff? We dive into liquidity conditions, inflation data, capital flows, and the growing disconnect between price and fundamentals. While sentiment is collapsing, institutions are making moves. BlackRock is entering DeFi through Uniswap, Goldman Sachs holds significant crypto exposure, and onchain activity continues to grow.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Jamie Coutts breaks down the warning signals that flashed before the recent Bitcoin top, the capitulation metrics forming now, and what a true bottoming process actually looks like. From bearish momentum divergence to liquidity dynamics and collapsing altcoin breadth, we unpack the data behind the drawdown.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Matt Hougan (Bitwise CIO) breaks down why the bear market may have quietly begun in January 2025, long before the recent Bitcoin selloff. We analyze the real causes behind the February 5th crash, the role of institutional ETF flows, OG Bitcoin selling, the four-year cycle, and why “no bid” markets fall fast.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, Scott Melker (The Wolf of All Streets) breaks down whether Bitcoin has truly bottomed, what the technical indicators are signaling, and why this 55% drawdown could look strikingly similar to the correction that shook out investors in 2021 before the market exploded higher. We dig into the weekly 50 and 200 moving averages, oversold RSI levels, and the historical patterns that have marked major Bitcoin bottoms. The discussion goes beyond charts and into investor psychology, explaining why extreme fear and negative sentiment often form the foundation for the next major rally.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, we sit down with Matt O'Connor, co-founder of Legion, to break down the structural problem facing crypto right now: too many tokens, too little demand. We explore why this cycle looks different from previous ones, how capital flows and leverage are shaping Bitcoin's volatility, and why forced sellers, not just sentiment, can drive violent market moves.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠⁠

In today's episode of the Milk Road Show, we sit down with Bill Barhydt, founder of Abra, to zoom out on one of the most violent crypto drawdowns in years and explain why price action is telling a very different story than fundamentals. Bill has lived through multiple 70%+ Bitcoin drawdowns. In this conversation, he breaks down why this crash looks scary, why it feels worse than it is, and why long-term investors may be focusing on the wrong signals.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Brian Foster explains how Coinbase has become the backbone for banks, asset managers, fintechs, and payment providers moving their operations onchain. We cover why Coinbase now custodies over $500B in assets, how stablecoins are turning into global payment rails, what “Stablecoin as a Service” means for institutions, and how tokenization of stocks, treasuries, and real-world assets is accelerating. Brian also shares why public blockchains are winning and how tokenized assets will eventually connect with DeFi.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, John Gillen explains why crypto is getting crushed right now and why this may actually be the setup for a major bullish reversal later in 2026. The selloff didn't start in crypto; it started in software stocks, private credit fears, and broader market panic around AI disrupting SaaS. Because Bitcoin is currently being priced by the market like a high-beta software asset, that fear has spilled directly into digital assets.~~~~~⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Yuval Rooz explains why the Canton Network is already moving hundreds of billions of dollars onchain, not through DeFi, not through speculation, but through the actual plumbing of the financial system. ~~~~~⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, CryptoQuant analyst Julio Moreno returns to the show to break down why nearly every major Bitcoin indicator has flipped bearish since November, long before price fully rolled over. From ETF outflows, to the Coinbase premium turning negative, to stablecoin liquidity drying up, the data is painting a very clear picture: the structural drivers of a bull market are gone.~~~~~

Most crypto projects look investable on the surface, but dig one layer deeper, and 90% don't survive serious scrutiny. In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we're joined by Ryan Connor, Head of Research at Blockworks, to break down how the crypto market is maturing, why the “buy everything” approach is dead, and where investors should actually be looking as we head toward 2026.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we sit down with Matt Hougan and Ryan Rasmussen from Bitwise to unpack one of the biggest questions in markets right now: is capital actually rotating from gold into Bitcoin,  or is that just a narrative investors want to believe?~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we sit down with Nick Forster, founder of one of the largest onchain options desks, to unpack the one metric serious investors are watching to understand where crypto is headed next. While most traders obsess over charts, narratives, and short-term price action, options markets are pricing something very different and far more informative.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Raoul Pal lays out a thesis that's equal parts uncomfortable and urgent: the global financial system is heading toward an economic singularity, and most people are completely unprepared for it. ~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Hoolie Tejwanie (Head of Coinbase Ventures) breaks down where Coinbase's venture arm is investing right now, what categories they're most bullish on for the next wave, and why the classic “4-year cycle” framework might not work the way it used to.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, we're joined by DJ Hà Trang, Head of Research at Bird Eye, to break down why Solana is winning what she calls Internet Capital Markets. While most investors are focused on short-term charts, this conversation zooms out to examine on-chain revenue, capital efficiency, institutional adoption, and the infrastructure upgrades positioning Solana as a global financial settlement layer.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, Jeff Park explains why that feeling may be exactly the point. Beneath the surface, the Bitcoin thesis is winning while attention, leverage, and volatility are being actively suppressed. Institutional adoption is real, regulatory clarity is advancing, and distribution channels are being built, but none of it looks or feels like past bull markets.~~~~~

In this episode, Scott Melker explains why tiny price moves are triggering massive liquidations, what's breaking in crypto market structure, and why leverage is the real threat hiding beneath the surface. We cover why billions are getting wiped out on 2–3% moves, how traders are abusing leverage, and why this cycle feels different from past Bitcoin drawdowns. Scott also breaks down the macro forces nobody is watching, including Japan's bond market and how uncertainty is keeping crypto trapped in a dangerous regime.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart breaks down what most traders get wrong on red days: price is loud, but ETF flows are the real signal.Because here's the twist, when Bitcoin gets hit, the biggest ETF buyers often don't panic sell… they buy the dip. And the real selling pressure? It might not be coming from ETF investors at all.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we sit down with Rune Christensen (Founder of Sky / MakerDAO) to break down the actual crypto battleground for the next cycle: stablecoins, onchain yield, and the money rails institutions will use once regulation turns the lights on. Because when the “real” money arrives, it won't chase memes. It will chase liquidity, safety, and scalable yield. And if you understand where that money sits first… you'll see the next crypto opportunity before it becomes obvious.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, Coinbase's Head of Institutional Research David Duong breaks down the hidden "backdoor stimulus" that could inject $140 billion into the market, and why the stalling of the Clarity Act might not matter as much as investors fear.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, we're joined by Michael Nadeau, founder of The DeFi Report, to break down what's really happening beneath the surface of this Bitcoin move. We cover liquidity cycles, ETF flows, market structure, real interest rates, and why this rally may not be as strong as it looks.~~~~~⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we sit down with Christopher Keshian, founder of Triton Liquid Fund, to unpack a contrarian and data-driven thesis: Ethereum can become the backbone of global on-chain finance without delivering strong returns to ETH holders.~~~~~⁠⁠

A new draft of the Clarity Act dropped, Polymarket odds whipsawed, and headlines screamed that stablecoin yield was dead. But that's not what actually happened. In this episode, LG Doucet sits down with Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise, to break down what changed, what didn't, and why markets may be completely misreading this moment. ~~~~~⁠

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, Christopher Kuiper joins us to explain why sideways price action doesn't mean nothing is happening… it often means everything is happening. From long-term holders rotating out, to institutions embedding Bitcoin into the financial system, to why this “boring” phase may be the setup for the next regime shift, this conversation reframes how to think about crypto when the charts stop being exciting.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we're joined by Eliezer Ndinga, Global Head of Research at 21Shares, to break down a hard truth most crypto investors don't want to hear: the Layer 2 boom is about to turn into a brutal selection process.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, Joshua Frank, CEO of The Tie, breaks down how institutions actually evaluate crypto when headlines, hype, and retail narratives stop working. We dig into why most altcoins are struggling to attract real buyers, why ETFs don't mean what people think they mean, and why banks are quietly building on Canton Network instead of chasing public blockchains.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we sit down with Jason Badeaux, CEO of Daylight, to unpack how energy has quietly become one of the biggest bottlenecks for AI, data centers, EVs, and economic growth, and why DeFi might be the fastest way to fix it.~~~~~

In this episode, we sit down with Zac Prince, former BlockFi CEO and now Head of Galaxy One, to unpack what's actually happening behind the scenes in crypto, and why 2026 may look nothing like past cycles. We talk about why Bitcoin underperformed in 2025 despite perfect macro conditions, why ETFs and stablecoins matter more than most investors realize, and how institutions are quietly building the next phase of crypto infrastructure while retail attention drifts elsewhere. ~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we stop obsessing over price action and focus on what actually matters: the infrastructure behind crypto. This conversation digs into the behind-the-scenes systems that move capital, settle transactions, and bridge crypto with the real economy. Our guest, Michael Tanenbaum, CEO of Figure Markets, breaks down how on-chain rails for mortgages, private credit, stablecoins, and tokenized real-world assets are quietly reshaping finance, whether the charts reflect it or not.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we sit down with Delphi Digital to break down what actually matters heading into 2026, and it's not the loudest story on your timeline. It's infrastructure: the rails, systems, and distribution layers being built while everyone else argues about price.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, we go straight to the source of institutional thinking. David Duong, Head of Institutional Research at Coinbase, breaks down Coinbase's 2026 Crypto Market Outlook, a deep, data-driven report that explains how real capital (not Twitter narratives) is positioning for what comes next.~~~~~

In this episode of The Milk Road Show, onchain analyst Julio Moreno delivers an uncomfortable but data-driven take: we may already be in a bear market, and the catalysts people are counting on for 2026 aren't as obvious, or as powerful as they think.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan and Head of Research Ryan Rasmussen lay out their Top 10 predictions for 2026, and the message is clear: crypto is leaving its speculative adolescence and entering institutional adulthood.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, Kyle Reidhead breaks down why crypto is no longer one big market, why most altcoins were left behind, and why 2026 won't look anything like past cycles. Institutions did show up… just not where most people expected. Retail disappeared. AI stole attention and capital. And a handful of crypto use cases quietly kept winning under the hood.~~~~~

In this episode, we go deep into Delphi's 2026 Market Report to unpack the one liquidity chart most investors are ignoring, and why it could determine whether crypto breaks down… or breaks out over the next 12–24 months.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, we go past the price charts and hype cycles to look at the real mechanics of how crypto becomes part of global finance, and why it's been slower, messier, and more complicated than most investors expected.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, onchain analyst Matt Crosby breaks down why Bitcoin's price action in 2025 confused almost everyone, and why that confusion is the point. ETFs, long-term holder selling, institutional demand, and shifting macro forces have quietly rewired how Bitcoin moves, flattening volatility while changing what bull and bear markets even look like.~~~~~

In this episode of the Milk Road Show, the team breaks down what actually went wrong in 2025, and why that disappointment may have created the most bullish setup heading into 2026. This isn't price hype or cope. It's a macro-driven look at liquidity, market structure, Ethereum's evolving role, investor psychology, and why fundamentals kept improving while prices stalled.~~~~~

After months of chop, weak price action, and altcoin pain, most investors are asking the same question: why does crypto still feel broken when macro conditions are improving? In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Craig Birchall, Head of Lending & Financing for the Americas at FalconX, to unpack what actually happened under the hood of this market.~~~~~

In this episode, LG sits down with John Gillen for a raw, conviction-testing conversation about why this moment feels unbearable, and why that's exactly what makes it important. They unpack the growing disconnect between price action and fundamentals, why the four-year cycle narrative is misleading, and how Wall Street's sudden “innovation spree” is less confidence and more panic.~~~~~