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Ethereum developers propose exponential gas limit increases. A federal court bans OFAC from sanctioning Tornado Cash. The DEF launches a petition for Tornado Cash developers. And EOF is removed from Fusaka. Read more: https://ethdaily.io/692 Disclaimer: Content is for informational purposes only, not endorsement or investment advice. The accuracy of information is not guaranteed.

In this conversation, Jacob Robinson and Amanda Tuminelli, Executive Director of the DeFi Education Fund, delve into the criminal code provision punishing unlicensed money transmitting businesses, why this is relevant for developers of non-custodial crypto projects, and how a recent memo from the Department of Justice on ending “the regulatory weaponization against digital assets" might not have gone far enough.Timestamps: ➡️ 00:00 Intro➡️ 0:46 Sponsor: Day One Law➡️ 01:05 What is Section 1960 and how does it impact crypto developers➡️ 03:42 What case law tells us about Section 1960➡️ 06:11 How money transmitting and money service businesses are defined ➡️ 09:14 The DOJ's memo on ending regulation by enforcement against crypto➡️ 13:40 The charge at the heart of the Tornado Cash and Samurai Wallet cases➡️ 18:48 Tornado Cash sanctions and OFAC's delisting: Not exactly as advertisedThe DeFi Education Fund is hiring! You can learn more about their open positions here: https://www.defieducationfund.org/jobs-internships This episode of the Law of Code podcast is brought to you by Day One Law — a boutique corporate law firm founded by recurring guest (and friend of the show) Nick Pullman. Nick and his team at Day One provide strategic legal counsel to startups, crypto projects, and Web3 innovators. Visit https://www.dayonelaw.xyz/ get in touch. Disclaimer: Jacob Robinson and his guests are not your lawyer. Nothing herein or mentioned on the Law of Code podcast should be construed as legal advice. The material published is intended for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Please seek the advice of counsel, and do not apply any of the generalized material to your individual facts or circumstances without speaking to an attorney.

Persino la BBC si accorge del potenziale trasformativo del mining di Bitcoin. Noi lo diciamo da tempo: è il rapporto univoco tra corrente elettrica e mining ad essere l'incentivo più potente all'adozione. Africa, Asia, Sud America e persino l'Europa iniziano ad accorgersene.Inoltre: Electrum wallet pionierizza il coordinamente dei coinjoin usando il protocollo NOSTR, Boltz censura le transazioni nella blacklist OFAC, e arriva il BIP del "great consensus cleanup".It's showtime!

Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years published once a month. These are N of one conversations with N of one people. This is a rare opportunity to hear from one of the best investors of the past decade—Josh Kushner, founder and managing partner of venture firm, Thrive Capital. Josh started Thrive in 2010 and launched its first institutional fund in 2011. That first institutional fund was $40 million and, in it, Thrive led Warby Parker's Series A, invested in Instagram, and incubated a business, which Josh co-founded, called Oscar. Their portfolio is stage agnostic and their track record includes many of the best known businesses from the past decade, including Spotify, Unity, Stripe, and Twitch among many more. Please enjoy my great conversation with Josh Kushner. Subscribe to Colossus Review. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by WorkOS. WorkOS is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. With a single API, developers can implement essential enterprise capabilities that typically require months of engineering work. By handling the complex infrastructure of enterprise features, WorkOS allows developers to focus on their core product while meeting the security and compliance requirements of Fortune 500 companies. Visit WorkOS.com to Transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- This episode is brought to you by Passthrough. Passthrough streamlines subscription documents, KYC, and AML compliance, so you can focus on running your fund, not managing paperwork. New SEC Update 31 CFR hits investment firms in under a year, and managers are getting ready for it now. If you think basic OFAC screening is enough, think again. You'll need continuous monitoring of your investors and all their beneficial owners across multiple watchlists, plus a comprehensive anti money laundering program. Passthrough has already processed 50,000 LPs and built the complete solution. Don't risk SEC deficiency letters, fines, or regulatory enforcement. Visit passthrough.com to get compliant now. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus Show Notes (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:05:14) Why do this podcast (00:08:14) The development of taste and quality  (00:12:20) CS Lewis tweet; The Inner Ring (00:18:14) Overview the founding story of Oscar Health (00:25:18) Learning to identify good problems and creating a business to solve it (00:27:43) The birth story of Thrive Capital (00:32:14) Lessons learned from creating the first three Thrive funds (00:39:44) Talent, recruiting and seeing potential in younger generations of people (00:47:40) Investments he made during the early foundation of Thrive that had significant impact (00:51:12) His analogy for investing in early versus late stage and styles of real estate investing (00:56:22) The current macro environment (01:00:57) Why he sold small stakes of Thrive (01:05:10) His philosophy on what makes a good product (01:10:10) His absence from crypto and why he refrained during the boom in 2021 (01:12:33) Thoughts about the opportunity set in FinTech today writ large (01:15:39) Lessons learned from his time spent with Marc Andreessen (01:17:43) Lessons learned from Stan Druckenmiller, Henry Kravis, and David Geffen (01:22:09) Firm values he thinks are very important (01:31:15) Vision as a key ingredient for founders (01:34:19) His view of the investment industry in the world today writ large  (01:44:48) The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him

A daily update on what's happening in the Rocket Pool community on Discord, Twitter, Reddit, and the DAO forum. #RocketPool #rpl #Ethereum #eth #crypto #cryptocurrency #staking #news Podcast RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/cd29a3d8/podcast/rss Anchor.fm: https://anchor.fm/rocket-fuel Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Mvta9d2MsKq2u62w8RSoo Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocket-fuel/id1655014529 0:00 - Welcome Rocket Pool news 0:37 - Cyfrin Updraft RP course live https://x.com/CyfrinUpdraft/status/1903061758052536774 5:46 - rETH in DeFi https://x.com/StakeRocketPool/status/1903169622385344822 8:18 - rETH discount talk https://discord.com/channels/405159462932971535/704196071881965589/1353580174393737246 Staking news 10:10 - Client releases https://github.com/status-im/nimbus-eth2/releases/tag/v25.3.1 https://github.com/erigontech/erigon/releases 10:52 - CSM v2 discussion https://x.com/d_gusakov/status/1904186356252786692 https://discord.com/channels/405159462932971535/405163713063288832/1353751519014686730 Ethereum news 14:10 - Tornado Cash removed from OFAC sanctions https://x.com/qwqiao/status/1903099696345747511 https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250321

OFAC deletes Tornado Cash from the SDN list. Rainbow wallet releases a token launcher. MegaETH releases its public testnet for all users. And Aragon introduces its modular governance tools. Read more: https://ethdaily.io/670

Marilu Jimenez sits down with Andy Fernandez, partner at Holland & Knight an a leading expert in sanctions compliance. The sanctions regime has become increasingly more complex. We discussed the recent guidance OFAC issued in the summer on culture. Also, two particular types of sanctions were discussed which are extremely relevant in the US and Latin American markets: the rollback of the general licenses related to Cuba and the complexity of the Venezuelan sanctions.

President Trump has been threatening to “take back” the Panama Canal since he regained power. In this episode, listen to testimony from officials serving on the Federal Maritime Commission who explain why the Panama Canal has become a focus of the administration and examine whether or not we need to be concerned about an impending war for control of the canal. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes Current Events around the Panama Canal March 5, 2025. the Associated Press. Sabrina Valle, Suzanne McGee, and Michael Martina. March 4, 2025. Reuters. Matt Murphy, Jake Horton and Erwan Rivault. February 14, 2025. BBC. May 1, 2024. World Weather Attribution. World Maritime News Staff. March 15, 2019. World Maritime News. July 29, 2018. Reuters. Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 U.S. Department of State. The Chinese “Belt and Road Initiative” Michele Ruta. March 29, 2018. World Bank Group. The Trump-Gaza Video February 26, 2025. Sky News. Laws Audio Sources Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 28, 2025 Witnesses: Louis E. Sola, Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Daniel B. Maffei, Commissioner, FMC , Professor, Scalia Law School, George Mason University Joseph Kramek, President & CEO, World Shipping Council Clips 17:30 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Between the American construction of the Panama Canal, the French effort to build an isthmus canal, and America's triumphant completion of that canal, the major infrastructure projects across Panama cost more than 35,000 lives. For the final decade of work on the Panama Canal, the United States spent nearly $400 million, equivalent to more than $15 billion today. The Panama Canal proved a truly invaluable asset, sparing both cargo ships and warships the long journey around South America. When President Carter gave it away to Panama, Americans were puzzled, confused, and many outraged. With the passage of time, many have lost sight of the canal's importance, both to national security and to the US economy. 18:45 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): But the Panama Canal was not just given away. President Carter struck a bargain. He made a treaty. And President Trump is making a serious and substantive argument that that treaty is being violated right now. 19:10 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): President Trump has highlighted two key issues. Number one, the danger of China exploiting or blocking passage through the canal, and number two, the exorbitant costs for transit. 19:20 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Chinese companies are right now building a bridge across the canal at a slow pace, so as to take nearly a decade. And Chinese companies control container points ports at either end. The partially completed bridge gives China the ability to block the canal without warning, and the ports give China ready observation posts to time that action. This situation, I believe, poses acute risks to US national security. 19:50 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Meanwhile, the high fees for canal transit disproportionately affect Americans, because US cargo accounts for nearly three quarters of Canal transits. US Navy vessels pay additional fees that apply only to warships. Canal profits regularly exceed $3 billion. This money comes from both American taxpayers and consumers in the form of higher costs for goods. American tourists aboard cruises, particularly those in the Caribbean Sea, are essentially captive to any fees Panama chooses to levy for canal transits, and they have paid unfair prices for fuel bunkering at terminals in Panama as a result of government granted monopoly. Panama's government relies on these exploitative fees. Nearly 1/10 of its budget is paid for with canal profit. 21:25 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Panama has for years flagged dozens of vessels in the Iranian ghost fleet, which brought Iran tens of billions of dollars in oil profits to fund terror across the world. 21:40 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): And Chinese companies have won contracts, often without fair competition, as the infamous Belt and Road Initiative has come to Panama. China often engages in debt trap diplomacy to enable economic and political coercion. In Panama, it also seems to have exploited simple corruption. 32:40 Louis Sola: The Panama Canal is managed by the Panama Canal Authority, ACP, an independent agency of the Panamanian government. The ACP is a model of public infrastructure management, and its independence has been key to ensure a safe and reliable transit of vessels critical to the US and global commerce. 33:25 Louis Sola: In contrast, the broader maritime sector in Panama, including the nation's ports, water rights, and the world's largest ship registry, falls under the direct purview of the Panamanian government. 33:35 Louis Sola: Unfortunately, this sector has faced persistent challenges, including corruption scandals and foreign influence, particularly from Brazil and China. These issues create friction with the ACP, especially as it works to address long term challenges such as securing adequate water supplies for the canal. 33:55 Louis Sola: Although the ACP operates independently, under US law both the ACP and the government of Panama's maritime sector are considered one in the same. This means that any challenges in Panama's maritime sector, including corruption, lack of transparency, or foreign influence, can have a direct or indirect impact on the operations and long term stability of the canal. This legal perspective highlights the need for diligence in monitoring both the ACP's management and Panama government's policies affecting maritime operations. 34:30 Louis Sola: Since 2015, Chinese companies have increased their presence and influence throughout Panama. Panama became a member of the Belt and Road Initiative and ended its diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Chinese companies have been able to pursue billions of dollars in development contracts in Panama, many of which were projects directly on or adjacent to the Panama Canal. Many were no bid contracts. Labor laws were waived, and the Panamanian people are still waiting to see how they've been benefited. It is all more concerning that many of these companies are state-owned, and in some cases, even designated as linked to the People's Liberation Army. We must address the significant growing presence and influence of China throughout the Americas and in Panama, specifically. 35:20 Louis Sola: American companies should play a leading role in enhancing the canal's infrastructure. By supporting US firms, we reduce reliance on Chinese contractors and promote fair competition. 36:55 Daniel Maffei: Because the canal is essentially a waterway bridge over mountainous terrain above sea level, it does depend on large supplies of fresh water to maintain the full operations. Panama has among the world's largest annual rainfalls. Nonetheless, insufficient fresh water levels have occurred before in the canal's history, such as in the 1930s when the Madden Dam and Lake Alajuela were built to address water shortages. Since that time, the canal has undertaken several projects to accommodate larger, more modern ships. In the last couple of years, a trend of worsening droughts in the region, once again, has forced limits to the operations of the canal. Starting in June of 2023 the Panama Canal Authority employed draft restrictions and reduced the number of ships allowed to transit the canal per day. Now the Panama Canal limitations, in combination with the de facto closure of the Suez Canal to container traffic, has had serious consequences for ocean commerce, increasing rates, fees and transit times. 39:30 Daniel Maffei: Now, fortunately, Panama's 2024 rainy season has, for now, alleviated the most acute water supply issues at the canal, and normal transit volumes have been restored. That said, while the Panamanian government and Canal Authority have, with the advice of the US Army Corps of Engineers, developed credible plans to mitigate future water shortages, they also warned that it is likely that at least one more period of reduced transits will occur before these plans can be fully implemented. 41:55 Eugene Kontorovich: We shall see that under international law, each party to the treaty is entitled to determine for itself whether a violation has occurred. Now, in exchange for the United States ceding control of the canal which it built and maintained, Panama agreed to a special regime of neutrality. The essential features of this regime of neutrality is that the canal must be open to all nations for transit. That's Article Two. Equitable tolls and fees, Article Three. An exclusive Panamanian operation, Article Five. The prohibition of any foreign military presence, Article Five. Article Five provides that only Panama shall operate the canal. Testifying about the meaning of the treaty at the Senate ratification hearings, the Carter administration emphasized that this prohibits foreign operation of the canal, as well as the garrisoning of foreign troops. Now, Article Five appears to be primarily concerned about control by foreign sovereigns. If Panama signed a treaty with the People's Republic of China, whereby the latter would operate the canal on Panama's behalf, this would be a clear violation. But what if Panama contracted for port operations with a Chinese state firm, or even a private firm influenced or controlled in part by the Chinese government? The Suez Canal Company was itself, before being nationalized, a private firm in which the United Kingdom was only a controlling shareholder. Yet this was understood to represent British control over the canal. In other words, a company need not be owned by the government to be in part controlled by the government. So the real question is the degree of de jure or de facto control over a Foreign Sovereign company, and scenarios range from government companies in an authoritarian regime, completely controlled, to purely private firms in our open society like the United States, but there's many possible situations in the middle. The treaty is silent on the question of how much control is too much, and as we'll see, this is one of the many questions committed to the judgment and discretion of each party. Now turning to foreign security forces, the presence of third country troops would manifestly violate Article Five. But this does not mean that anything short of a People's Liberation Army base flying a red flag is permissible. The presence of foreign security forces could violate the regime of neutrality, even if they're not represented in organized and open military formations. Modern warfare has seen belligerent powers seek to evade international legal limitations by disguising their actions in civilian garb, from Russia's notorious little green men to Hamas terrorists hiding in hospitals or disguised as journalists. Bad actors seek to exploit the fact that international treaties focus on sovereign actors. Many of China's man made islands in the South China Sea began as civilian projects before being suddenly militarized. Indeed, this issue was discussed in the Senate ratification hearings over the treaty. Dean Rusk said informal forces would be prohibited under the treaty. Thus the ostensible civilian character of the Chinese presence around the canal does not, in itself, mean that it could not represent a violation of the treaty if, for example, these companies and their employees involved Chinese covert agents or other agents of the Chinese security forces. So this leads us to the final question, Who determines whether neutrality is being threatened or compromised? Unlike many other treaties that provide for third party dispute resolution, the neutrality treaty has no such provision. Instead, the treaty makes clear that each party determines for itself the existence of a violation. Article Four provides that each party is separately authorized to maintain the regime of neutrality, making a separate obligation of each party. The Senate's understanding accompanying to ratification also made clear that Article Five allows each party to take, quote, "unilateral action." Senator Jacob Javits, at the markup hearing, said that while the word unilateral is abrasive, we can quote, "decide that the regime of neutrality is being threatened and then act with whatever means are necessary to keep the canal neutral unilaterally." 46:35 Joseph Kramek: My name is Joe Kramek. I'm President and CEO of the World Shipping Council. The World Shipping Council is the global voice of liner shipping. Our membership consists of 90% of the world's liner shipping tonnage, which are container vessels and vehicle carriers. They operate on fixed schedules to provide our customers with regular service to ship their goods in ports throughout the world. 47:15 Joseph Kramek: As you have heard, using the Panama Canal to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific saves significant time and money. A typical voyage from Asia to the US or East Coast can be made in under 30 days using the canal, while the same journey can take up to 40 days if carriers must take alternate routes. From a commercial trade perspective, the big picture is this. One of the world's busiest trade lanes is the Trans Pacific. The Trans Pacific is cargo coming from and going to Asia via the United States. Focusing in a bit, cargo coming from Asia and bound for US Gulf and East Coast ports always transits the Panama Canal. Similarly, cargo being exported from US and East Coast ports, a large share of which are US Agricultural exports, like soybeans, corn, cotton, livestock and dairy also almost always transits the Panama Canal. The result is that 75% of Canal traffic originates in or is bound for the United States. 48:55 Joseph Kramek: We've talked about the drought in 2023 and the historic low water levels that it caused in Lake Gatún, which feeds the canal locks, a unique system that is a fresh water feed, as contrasted to an ocean to ocean system, which the French tried and failed, but which is actually active in the Suez Canal. These low water levels reduced transits from 36 transits a day to as low as 22 per day. Additionally, the low water levels required a reduction in maximum allowable draft levels, or the depth of the ship below the water line, which for our members reduced the amount of containers they could carry through the canal. This resulted in a 10% reduction in import volumes for US Gulf and East Coast ports, with the Port of Houston experiencing a 26.7% reduction. 51:10 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Are you aware of allegations from some vessel operators of disparate treatment such as sweetheart deals or favorable rebates by Panama for canal transits? Louis Sola: Thank you for the question, Mr. Chairman, we have become aware through some complaints by cruise lines that said that they were not getting a refund of their canal tolls. When we looked into this, we found a Panamanian Executive Order, Decree 73, that specifically says that if a cruise line would stop at a certain port, that they could be refunded 100% of the fees. And as far as I know, that's the only instant where that exists. 53:05 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): So Panama was the very first Latin American country to join China's Belt and Road Initiative, and right now, China is building a fourth bridge across the Panama Canal for car traffic and light rail. Chairman Sola, why should Chinese construction of a bridge near Panama City concern the United States? Louis Sola: Mr. Chairman, we all saw the tragedy that happened here in the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident and the devastation that had happened to Baltimore. We also saw recently what happened in the Suez Canal, where we had a ship get stuck in there. It's not only the construction of the bridge, but it's a removal of a bridge, as I understand it, called the Bridge of the Americas. It was built in 1961 and that would paralyze cargo traffic in and out of the canals. 53:55 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Panama also recently renewed the concessions for two container ports to a Chinese company, Hutchison Ports PPC. Of course, Chinese companies are controlled by the Communist Party. How does China use control of those ports for economic gain? Louis Sola: Mr. Chairman, I am a regulator, a competition regulator. And the Chinese ports that you're referring to, let me put them into scope. The one on the Pacific, the Port of Balboa, is roughly the same size as the Port of Houston. They do about 4 million containers a year. They have about 28 game tree cranes. The one on the Atlantic is the same as my hometown in Miami, they do about 1 million containers. So where Roger Gunther in the Port of Houston generates about $1 billion a year and Heidi Webb in Miami does about $200 million, the Panama ports company paid 0 for 20 years on that concession. So it's really hard to compete against zero. So I think that's our concern, our economic concern, that we would have. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Commissioner Maffei, anything to add on that? Daniel Maffei: Yeah, I do too also think it is important. I would point out that you don't have to stop at either port. It's not like these two ports control the entrance to the canal. That is the Canal Authority that does control that. However, I think it's of concern. I would also point out that the Panamanian government thinks it's of concern too, because they're conducting their own audit of those particular deals, but we remain very interested as well. 56:25 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Would the facts discussed here be considered violations of the neutrality treaty in force right now between the United States and Panama? Eugene Kontorovich: So I think Senator, I think potentially they could, but it's impossible to say definitively without knowing more, in particular, about the degree of Chinese control and involvement in these companies. I think it's important to note that these port operation companies that operate the ports on both sides, when they received their first contract, it was just a few months before Hong Kong was handed over to China. In other words, they received them as British companies, sort of very oddly, just a few months before the handover. Now, of course, since then, Hong Kong has been incorporated into China, has been placed under a special national security regime, and the independence of those companies has been greatly abridged, to say nothing of state owned companies involved elsewhere in in the canal area, which raised significantly greater questions. Additionally, I should point out that the understandings between President Carter and Panamanian leader Herrera, which were attached to the treaty and form part of the treaty, provide that the United States can, quote, "defend the canal against any threat to the regime of neutrality," and I understand that as providing some degree of preemptive authority to intervene. One need not wait until the canal is actually closed by some act of sabotage or aggression, which, as we heard from the testimony, would be devastating to the United States, but there is some incipient ability to address potential violations. 58:10 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): If the United States determines that Panama is in violation of the treaty, what is the range of remedies the United States would have for that treaty violation? Eugene Kontorovich: So I think it may be shocking to people to hear today, but when one goes over the ratification history and the debates and discussions in this body over this treaty, it was clear that the treaty was understood as giving both sides, separately, the right to resort to use armed force to enforce the provisions of the treaty. And it's not so surprising when one understands that the United States made an extraordinary concession to Panama by transferring this canal, which the United States built at great expense and maintained and operated to Panama, gratis. And in exchange, it received a kind of limitation, a permanent limitation on Panamanians sovereignty, that Panama agreed that the United States could enforce this regime of neutrality by force. Now, of course, armed force should never be the first recourse for any kind of international dispute and should not be arrived at sort of rationally or before negotiations and other kinds of good offices are exhausted, but it's quite clear that the treaty contemplates that as a remedy for violations. 1:03:20 Louis Sola: I believe that the security of the canal has always been understood to be provided by the United States. Panama does not have a military, and I always believed that there's been a close relationship with Southern Command that we would provide that. And it would be nice to see if we had a formalization of that in one way or another, because I don't believe that it's in the treaty at all. 1:05:05 Daniel Maffei: While we were down there, both of us heard, I think, several times, that the Panamanians would, the ones we talked to anyway, would welcome US companies coming in and doing a lot of this work. Frankly, their bids are not competitive with the Chinese bids. Frankly, they're not that existent because US companies can make more money doing things other places, but even if they were existent, it is difficult to put competitive bids when the Chinese bids are so heavily subsidized by China. 1:06:10 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): What would China's incentive be to heavily subsidize those bids to undercut American companies and other companies? Daniel Maffei: Yeah, it's not a real short answer, but Senator, China's made no secret of its ambitious policies to gain influence of ports throughout the globe. It's invested in 129 ports in dozens of countries. It runs a majority of 17 ports, that does not include this Hong Kong company, right? So that's just directly Chinese-owned ports. So it has been a part of their Belt and Road strategy, whatever you want to call it, the Maritime Silk Road, for decades. So they believe that this influence, this investment in owning maritime ports is important to their economy. 1:07:05 Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE): In 2021, Hutchison was awarded those two ports, Port Balboa and Port Cristobal, in a no-bid award process. Can you tell me, does the United States have any authority or recourse with the Panama Canal Authority under our current agreement with Panama to rebid those terminal concession contracts. And perhaps Mr. Kantorovich, that's more in your purview? Louis Sola: Senator, both of those ports were redone for 25 years, until 2047, I believe. And they have to pay $7 million is what the ongoing rate is for the Port of Houston- and the Port of Miami-sized concessions. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE): And it can't be rebid until after that date? Louis Sola: Well, I believe that that's what the comptroller's office is auditing both of those ports and that contract. That was done under the previous Panamanian administration. A new administration came in, and they called for an audit of that contract immediately. 1:20:10 Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Are the companies now controlling both sides of the Panama Canal, the Chinese companies, subject to the PRC national security laws that mandate cooperation with the military, with state intelligence agencies. Does anyone know that? Eugene Kontorovich: They're subject all the time. They're subject to those laws all the time by virtue of being Hong Kong companies. And you know, they face, of course, consequences for not complying with the wishes of the Chinese government. One of the arguments -- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Wouldn't that be a violation of the treaty? And isn't that a huge risk to us right now that the Chinese -- Eugene Kontorovich: That is a threat to the neutrality -- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): If they invaded Taiwan, invaded the Philippines, they could go to these two companies saying, Hey, shut it down, make it hard, sink a ship in the canal. And wouldn't they be obligated to do that under Chinese law if they were ordered to by the PLA or the CCP? Eugene Kontorovich: I don't know if they'd be obligated, but certainly the People's Republic of China would have many tools of leverage and pressure on these companies. That's why the treaty specifically says that we can act not just to end actual obstructions to the canal. We don't have to wait until the canal is closed by hostile military action. Thatwould be a suicide pact, that would be catastrophic for us, but rather that we can respond at the inchoate, incipient level to threats, and then this is up to the president to determine whether this is significantly robust to constitute -- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): So aren't we kind of walking up to the idea of a suicide pact, because we've got two big Chinese companies on both ends of the Panama Canal, who, if there's a war in INDOPACOM, Taiwan that involves us and China, these companies would be obligated to do the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party and PLA? I mean, are we kind of walking up to a very significant national security threat already? Eugene Kontorovich: Yeah, certainly, there's a threat. And I think what makes the action of the Chinese government so difficult to respond to, but important to respond to, is that they conceal this in sort of levels of gray without direct control. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Let me ask you on that topic, as my last question, Professor, let's assume that we find out. And again, it wouldn't be surprising. I think you can almost assume it that these two companies have Chinese spies or military officials within the ranks of the employees of the companies. Let's assume we found that out, somehow that becomes public. But I don't think it's a big assumption. It's probably true right now. So you have spies and military personnel within the ranks of these two companies that are controlling both ends of the Panama Canal for you, Professor, and Chairman Sola, wouldn't that be a blatant violation of Article Five of the neutrality treaty, if that were true, which probably is true? Eugene Kontorovich: Yeah, I do think it would be a clear violation. As former Secretary of State, Dean Ross said at the ratification hearings, informal forces can violate Article Five as well as formal forces. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Is there any evidence of Chinese spies or other nefarious Chinese actors embedded in these companies? Louis Sola: Senator, we have no information of that. That's not under the purview of -- Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK): But you agree that would be a violation of Article Five of the neutrality treaty? Louis Sola: I do. 1:26:25 Daniel Maffei: Senator Sullivan was talking about Hutchison Ports. That's actually the same company that runs terminals on both ends of the canal. I am concerned about that. However, if we want to be concerned about that, all of us should lose a lot more sleep than we're losing because if there are spies there, then there might be spies at other Hutchinson ports, and there are other Hutchinson ports in almost every part of the world. They own the largest container port in the United Kingdom, Felix Dow, which is responsible for nearly half of Britain's container trade. They control major maritime terminals in Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, Myanmar, the Netherlands, South Korea and Tanzania. If owning and managing adjacent ports means that China somehow has operational control or strategic control over the Panama Canal, they also have it over the Suez, the Singapore Straits, the Mediterranean Sea and the English Channel. 1:35:45 Louis Sola: The fees that I think we are looking at, or have been looked at, the reason that we went there was because of the auctioning of the slots. And so what Panama did is they had a smaller percentage, maybe 20% allocation, and then they moved it up to 30% and 40% because it became a money maker for them. So as they were doing -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Okay, let me interject here. The auctioning of the slots gives these the right to skip the queue? Louis Sola: Yes, ma'am. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN): Okay, so just for the record there. Continue. Louis Sola: So the auctioning of the slots. Under maritime law, it's first come first serve, but Panama has always put a certain percentage aside, and they started to put more and more. So we got a lot of complaints. We got a lot of complaints from LNG carriers that paid $4 million to go through, and we got a lot of complaints from agriculture that didn't have the money to pay to go through, because their goods were gonna go down. So if you look at the financial statements -- I'm a nerd, I look at financial statements of everybody -- the canal increased the amount of revenue that they had from about $500 million to $1.8 billion in the last three years just because of those fees. So this is what is very concerning to us. 1:39:20 Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN): Do you know of any instances where the United States has been singled out or treated unfairly under the neutrality treaty in the operation of the canal? Daniel Maffei: I do not. I would add that one of the reasons why saying the US is disproportionately affected by raises in Canal fees and other kinds of fees at the canal is because the United States disproportionately utilizes the canal. 1:44:55 Louis Sola: We have a US port there, SSA, out of Washington State that I actually worked on the development of that many years ago, and helped develop that. That used to be a United States Navy submarine base, and we converted that. As far as the two ports that we have, they're completely different. One is a major infrastructure footprint, and also a container port that's moving 4 million containers a year. That's really phenomenal amount. That's more than Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and you've probably got to get Tampa and a little bit of Jacksonville in there to get that type of volume. And on the other side, we have a very small port, but it's a very strategic port on the Atlantic. So how are the operations done?I don't know how they don't make money. I mean, if you want to come right down to it, if they've been operating the port for 20 years, and they say that they haven't made any money, so they haven't been able to pay the government. That's what concerns me is I don't believe that we're on a level playing field with the American ports. 1:58:50 Eugene Kontorovich: I think the charges and fees are less of an issue because they don't discriminate across countries. We pay more because we use more, but it's not nationally discriminatory. 1:59:00 Eugene Kontorovich: The presence of Chinese companies, especially Chinese state companies, but not limited to them, do raise serious issues and concerns for the neutrality of the treaty. And I should point out, in relation to some of the earlier questioning, the canal, for purposes of the neutrality treaty, is not limited just to the actual locks of the canal and the transit of ships through the canal. According to Annex One, paragraph one of the treaty, it includes also the entrances of the canal and the territorial sea of Panama adjacent to it. So all of the activities we're talking about are within the neutrality regime, the geographic scope of the neutrality regime in the treaty. 2:00:30 Daniel Maffei: I actually have to admit, I'm a little confused as to why some of the senators asking these questions, Senator Blackburn, aren't more concerned about the biggest port in the United Kingdom being run by the Chinese. Petraeus in the port nearest Athens, one of the biggest ports in the Mediterranean, is not just run by a Chinese-linked company, it's run directly by a Chinese-owned company, and I was there. So you're on to something, but if you're just focusing on Panama, that's only part. 2:01:45 Louis Sola: About a year ago, when we were having this drought issue, there was also a lot of focus on Iran and how they were funding Hamas and the Houthis because they were attacking the Red Sea. What the United States has found is that Iranian vessels are sometimes flagged by Panama in order to avoid sanctions, so that they could sell the fuel that they have, and then they can take that money and then they can use it as they wish. Panama, at the time, had a very complicated process to de-flag the vessels. There was an investigation, there was an appeals process. By the time that OFAC or Treasury would go ahead and identify one of those vessels, by the time that they were doing the appeals and stuff like this, they've already changed flags to somewhere else. So when we went to Panama, we met with the Panamanian president, and I must say that we were very impressed, because he was 30 minutes late, but he was breaking relations with Venezuela at the time because the election was the day before. We explained to him the situation. The very next day, we met with the maritime minister, with US embassy personnel and Panama actually adjusted their appeals process so to make it more expedient, so if the United States or OFAC would come and say that this Iranian vessel is avoiding sanctions, now we have a process in place to go ahead and do that, and 53 vessels were de-flagged because of that. 2:06:05 Sen. John Curtis (R-UT): Is there any reason that China can't watch or do whatever they want from this bridge to get the intel from these containers? And does that concern anybody? Louis Sola: Well, it definitely concerns Southern Command, because they've brought it up on numerous occasions that there could be some sort of surveillance or something like that on the bridges. 2:20:30 Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT): We segregate ourselves artificially in a way that they do not. We segregate ourselves. Let's talk about military. Let's talk about intelligence. Let's talk about economics. They don't. China doesn't work that way. It's a whole of government approach. They don't draw a delineation between an economics discussion and a military one. And their attack may not look like Pearl Harbor. It may look like an everyday ship that decides, you know, it pulls into the locks and blows itself up. And now the locks are non-functional for our usage, and we can't support an inter ocean fleet transfer, and our ability to defend it, as you referred to Chairman, is now inhibited by the fact that we no longer have the military infrastructure around the canal that we did just as recently as 1999. 2:21:10 Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT): So from a commercial perspective, do the shipping companies have concerns over the security of the narrow waterways? We've the Strait to Malacca, we've got the Suez Canal, we've got Gibraltar, we've got Panama. Is that a concern that's thrown around in the boardrooms of the largest shipping corporations in the world? Joseph Kramek: Senator, I think it's something they think about every day. I mean, really, it's drawn into sharp relief with the Red Sea. It was what I call a pink flamingo. There's black swans that just come up and there's pink flamingos that you can see, but you don't act. But no one really thought a whole lot that one of the most important waterways in the world could be denied, and moreover, that it could be denied for such a sustained period. The good news is that -- Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT): And denied, I might add, by a disaffected non-state actor of Bedouins running around with rocket launchers, who also managed to beat us in a 20 year war in Afghanistan. My point to saying all this is we're just debating operational control of the canal, yet it seems very clear to all of us that a very simple act can debilitate the canal and eliminate our ability to use it in a matter of minutes with no warning, and we have no ability to intervene or stop that. To me, that means we do not have operational control of the canal. 2:30:40 Daniel Maffei: I will say that certainly we need to look at other kinds of ways to get US companies in positions where they can truly compete with the Chinese on some of these things. Blaming it all on Panama really misses the point. I've seen the same thing in Greece, where Greece didn't want to give the concession of its largest port to a Chinese company, but because of its financial difficulties, it was getting pressure from international organizations such the IMF, Europe and even maybe some of the United States to do so. So I just ask you to look at that. 2:31:20 Daniel Maffei: Panamanians are making far more on their canal than they ever have before. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it's going to the right place. But where they're really making the money is on these auctions, and that is why it remains a concern of mine and I'm sure the chairman's. That is where we are looking at, potentially, using our authority under Section 19 of the Merchant Marine Act where we could, if we can show that it is a problem with the foreign trade of the US, it's interfering with foreign trade of the US, there are certain things that we can do. Senate Foreign Relations Committee January 15, 2024 Clips 4:01:40 Marco Rubio: The thing with Panama on the canal is not new. I visited there. It was 2016. I think I've consistently seen people express concern about it, and it's encapsulized here in quote after quote. Let me tell you the former US ambassador who served under President Obama said: "the Chinese see in Panama what we saw in Panama throughout the 20th century, a maritime and aviation logistics hub." The immediate past head of Southern Command, General Laura Richardson, said, "I was just in Panama about a month ago and flying along the Panama Canal and looking at the state owned enterprises from the People's Republic of China on each side of the Panama Canal. They look like civilian companies or state owned enterprises that could be used for dual use and could be quickly changed over to a military capability." We see questions that were asked by the ranking member in the house China Select Committee, where he asked a witness and they agreed that in a time of conflict, China could use its presence on both ends of the canal as a choke point against the United States in a conflict situation. So the concerns about Panama have been expressed by people on both sides of the aisle for at least the entire time that I've been in the United States Senate, and they've only accelerated further. And this is a very legitimate issue that we face there. I'm not prepared to answer this question because I haven't looked at the legal research behind it yet, but I'm compelled to suspect that an argument could be made that the terms under which that canal were turned over have been violated. Because while technically, sovereignty over the canal has not been turned over to a foreign power, in reality, a foreign power today possesses, through their companies, which we know are not independent, the ability to turn the canal into a choke point in a moment of conflict. And that is a direct threat to the national interest and security the United States, and is particularly galling given the fact that we paid for it and that 5,000 Americans died making it. That said, Panama is a great partner on a lot of other issues, and I hope we can resolve this issue of the canal and of its security, and also continue to work with them cooperatively on a host of issues we share in common, including what to do with migration. 4:38:35 Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT): Now, President Trump has recently talked a little bit about the fact that there are some questions arising about the status of the Panama Canal. When we look to the treaty at issue, the treaty concerning the permanent neutrality and operation of the Panama Canal, we're reminded that some things maybe aren't quite as they should be there right now. Given that the Chinese now control major ports at the entry and the exit to the canal, it seems appropriate to say that there's at least an open question. There's some doubt as to whether the canal remains neutral. Would you agree with that assessment? Marco Rubio: Yes. Here's the challenge. Number one, I want to be clear about something. The Panamanian government, particularly its current office holders, are very friendly to the United States and very cooperative, and we want that to continue, and I want to bifurcate that from the broader issue of the canal. Now I am not, President Trump is not inventing this. This is something that's existed now for at least a decade. In my service here, I took a trip to Panama in 2017. When on that trip to Panama in 2017 it was the central issue we discussed about the canal, and that is that Chinese companies control port facilities at both ends of the canal, the east and the west, and the concerns among military officials and security officials, including in Panama, at that point, that that could one day be used as a choke point to impede commerce in a moment of conflict. Going back to that I -- earlier before you got here, and I don't want to have to dig through this folder to find it again, but -- basically cited how the immediate past head of Southern Command, just retired general Richardson, said she flew over the canal, looked down and saw those Chinese port facilities, and said Those look like dual use facilities that in a moment of conflict, could be weaponized against us. The bipartisan China commission over in the House last year, had testimony and hearings on this issue, and members of both parties expressed concern. The former ambassador to Panama under President Obama has expressed those concerns. This is a legitimate issue that needs to be confronted. The second point is the one you touched upon, and that is, look, could an argument be made, and I'm not prepared to answer it yet, because it's something we're going to have to study very carefully. But I think I have an inkling of I know where this is going to head. Can an argument be made that the Chinese basically have effective control of the canal anytime they want? Because if they order a Chinese company that controls the ports to shut it down or impede our transit, they will have to do so. There are no independent Chinese companies. They all exist because they've been identified as national champions. They're supported by the Chinese government. And if you don't do what they want, they find a new CEO, and you end up being replaced and removed. So they're under the complete control of their government. This is a legitimate question, and one that Senators Risch had some insight as well. He mentioned that in passing that needs to be looked at. This is not a joke. The Panama Canal issue is a very serious one. 4:44:30 Marco Rubio: In 2016 and 2017 that was well understood that part of the investments they made in Panama were conditioned upon Panama's ability to convince the Dominican Republic and other countries to flip their recognition away from Taiwan. That happened. Jen Briney's Recent Guest Appearances Travis Makes Money: Give and Take: Music by Editing Production Assistance

Invest Like the Best: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years published once a month. These are N of one conversations with N of one people. There's nobody I've met quite like Doug Leone. Doug led one of the world's most successful venture firms, Sequoia, for over 25 years after he was given responsibility for the firm by its founder, Don Valentine, in 1996. Alongside Mike Moritz, the pair managed its expansion from a single $150m early-stage fund into an $85 billion global powerhouse. It was a privilege to sit down with Doug and learn from him. We talk about his tough start at Sequoia, get into the technicalities of great go-to-market motions, and survey his advice for other investors in the industry. A key theme that will stick with me from this conversation is Doug's insistence on keeping things simple and clear. I listen to this at least once a year. I hope you enjoy it. Subscribe to Colossus Review. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by Passthrough. Passthrough streamlines subscription documents, KYC, and AML compliance, so you can focus on running your fund, not managing paperwork. New SEC Update 31 CFR hits investment firms in under a year, and managers are getting ready for it now. If you think basic OFAC screening is enough, think again. You'll need continuous monitoring of your investors and all their beneficial owners across multiple watchlists, plus a comprehensive anti money laundering program. Passthrough has already processed 50,000 LPs and built the complete solution. Don't risk SEC deficiency letters, fines, or regulatory enforcement. Visit passthrough.com to get compliant now. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus Show Notes [00:00:00] Welcome to Invest Like the Best [00:05:21] What Don Valentine's heart was like [00:08:30] The most productive and unproductive parts of Don's toughness  [00:12:55] Why it's so important to understand someone's core motivations [00:18:44] The most formative experiences he had prior to becoming an investor that impacted his investing the most  [00:22:37] What venture looks like to him today relative to his prior career [00:28:37] Whether or not he'd go into venture today if he was in his late 20s  [00:34:10] Helping companies circumnavigate mediocre positioning  [00:39:15] How interacting with companies early on has changed over the ears [00:43:12] Whether or not new entrants into venture should build firms with enterprise value  [00:48:14] Sussing out the killer gene in somebody  [00:51:04] How successful people can instill the lessons learned from hardship into their children  [00:54:30] Whether or not competitive advantage can be architected ahead of time when building a company   [00:57:21] The early 2000s clawback at Sequoia and what navigating that period was like  [01:01:06] What he's learned about picking the right LPs and partnering with them [01:04:18] Making sure that performance is on everyone's minds all the time  [01:09:59] The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him

Invest Like the Best Key Takeaways  Identify and invest in outliers: The best venture capital investors recognize outlier potential when they see it and have a curiosity to discover what makes the outlier tick and WHY they tick that way On being a VC or a founder: Inherent builders should be in the field – they should be building companies, not coaching other builders Debug problems as far upstream as possible; take the rocks out of the river so the water can flow as fast as possible  Black magic is reserved for founders; every other area of the company-building process is mere mortal stuff Stewardship over ownership: The goal is to leave your creation in a better place for the next generation It is okay to choose the parallel tracked path of banking or consulting, and it is okay to take risks, but it is not okay to do one and spend your life thinking you did the other The most common mistake that investors make is doing something contrary to the best interests of the founder Traits of the best investment memos:(1) Clearly state the one or two strongest reasons to invest(2) Two to three pages max(3) Present clear data from the opposing side(4) argue why the investment should happen despite the opposing dataSuccess starts at the foundational layer: Great culture is downstream of getting the foundation right and fostering internal belief, which is all a firm needs to be successful Performance is the cultural component that matters mostRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWelcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years published once a month. These are N of one conversations with N of one people. There's nobody I've met quite like Doug Leone. Doug led one of the world's most successful venture firms, Sequoia, for over 25 years after he was given responsibility for the firm by its founder, Don Valentine, in 1996. Alongside Mike Moritz, the pair managed its expansion from a single $150m early-stage fund into an $85 billion global powerhouse. It was a privilege to sit down with Doug and learn from him. We talk about his tough start at Sequoia, get into the technicalities of great go-to-market motions, and survey his advice for other investors in the industry. A key theme that will stick with me from this conversation is Doug's insistence on keeping things simple and clear. I listen to this at least once a year. I hope you enjoy it. Subscribe to Colossus Review. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by Passthrough. Passthrough streamlines subscription documents, KYC, and AML compliance, so you can focus on running your fund, not managing paperwork. New SEC Update 31 CFR hits investment firms in under a year, and managers are getting ready for it now. If you think basic OFAC screening is enough, think again. You'll need continuous monitoring of your investors and all their beneficial owners across multiple watchlists, plus a comprehensive anti money laundering program. Passthrough has already processed 50,000 LPs and built the complete solution. Don't risk SEC deficiency letters, fines, or regulatory enforcement. Visit passthrough.com to get compliant now. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus Show Notes [00:00:00] Welcome to Invest Like the Best [00:05:21] What Don Valentine's heart was like [00:08:30] The most productive and unproductive parts of Don's toughness  [00:12:55] Why it's so important to understand someone's core motivations [00:18:44] The most formative experiences he had prior to becoming an investor that impacted his investing the most  [00:22:37] What venture looks like to him today relative to his prior career [00:28:37] Whether or not he'd go into venture today if he was in his late 20s  [00:34:10] Helping companies circumnavigate mediocre positioning  [00:39:15] How interacting with companies early on has changed over the ears [00:43:12] Whether or not new entrants into venture should build firms with enterprise value  [00:48:14] Sussing out the killer gene in somebody  [00:51:04] How successful people can instill the lessons learned from hardship into their children  [00:54:30] Whether or not competitive advantage can be architected ahead of time when building a company   [00:57:21] The early 2000s clawback at Sequoia and what navigating that period was like  [01:01:06] What he's learned about picking the right LPs and partnering with them [01:04:18] Making sure that performance is on everyone's minds all the time  [01:09:59] The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him

Invest Like the Best Key Takeaways  Identify and invest in outliers: The best venture capital investors recognize outlier potential when they see it and have a curiosity to discover what makes the outlier tick and WHY they tick that way On being a VC or a founder: Inherent builders should be in the field – they should be building companies, not coaching other builders Debug problems as far upstream as possible; take the rocks out of the river so the water can flow as fast as possible  Black magic is reserved for founders; every other area of the company-building process is mere mortal stuff Stewardship over ownership: The goal is to leave your creation in a better place for the next generation It is okay to choose the parallel tracked path of banking or consulting, and it is okay to take risks, but it is not okay to do one and spend your life thinking you did the other The most common mistake that investors make is doing something contrary to the best interests of the founder Traits of the best investment memos:(1) Clearly state the one or two strongest reasons to invest(2) Two to three pages max(3) Present clear data from the opposing side(4) argue why the investment should happen despite the opposing dataSuccess starts at the foundational layer: Great culture is downstream of getting the foundation right and fostering internal belief, which is all a firm needs to be successful Performance is the cultural component that matters mostRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWelcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years published once a month. These are N of one conversations with N of one people. There's nobody I've met quite like Doug Leone. Doug led one of the world's most successful venture firms, Sequoia, for over 25 years after he was given responsibility for the firm by its founder, Don Valentine, in 1996. Alongside Mike Moritz, the pair managed its expansion from a single $150m early-stage fund into an $85 billion global powerhouse. It was a privilege to sit down with Doug and learn from him. We talk about his tough start at Sequoia, get into the technicalities of great go-to-market motions, and survey his advice for other investors in the industry. A key theme that will stick with me from this conversation is Doug's insistence on keeping things simple and clear. I listen to this at least once a year. I hope you enjoy it. Subscribe to Colossus Review. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by Passthrough. Passthrough streamlines subscription documents, KYC, and AML compliance, so you can focus on running your fund, not managing paperwork. New SEC Update 31 CFR hits investment firms in under a year, and managers are getting ready for it now. If you think basic OFAC screening is enough, think again. You'll need continuous monitoring of your investors and all their beneficial owners across multiple watchlists, plus a comprehensive anti money laundering program. Passthrough has already processed 50,000 LPs and built the complete solution. Don't risk SEC deficiency letters, fines, or regulatory enforcement. Visit passthrough.com to get compliant now. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus Show Notes [00:00:00] Welcome to Invest Like the Best [00:05:21] What Don Valentine's heart was like [00:08:30] The most productive and unproductive parts of Don's toughness  [00:12:55] Why it's so important to understand someone's core motivations [00:18:44] The most formative experiences he had prior to becoming an investor that impacted his investing the most  [00:22:37] What venture looks like to him today relative to his prior career [00:28:37] Whether or not he'd go into venture today if he was in his late 20s  [00:34:10] Helping companies circumnavigate mediocre positioning  [00:39:15] How interacting with companies early on has changed over the ears [00:43:12] Whether or not new entrants into venture should build firms with enterprise value  [00:48:14] Sussing out the killer gene in somebody  [00:51:04] How successful people can instill the lessons learned from hardship into their children  [00:54:30] Whether or not competitive advantage can be architected ahead of time when building a company   [00:57:21] The early 2000s clawback at Sequoia and what navigating that period was like  [01:01:06] What he's learned about picking the right LPs and partnering with them [01:04:18] Making sure that performance is on everyone's minds all the time  [01:09:59] The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him

Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years published once a month. These are N of one conversations with N of one people. There's nobody I've met quite like Doug Leone. Doug led one of the world's most successful venture firms, Sequoia, for over 25 years after he was given responsibility for the firm by its founder, Don Valentine, in 1996. Alongside Mike Moritz, the pair managed its expansion from a single $150m early-stage fund into an $85 billion global powerhouse. It was a privilege to sit down with Doug and learn from him. We talk about his tough start at Sequoia, get into the technicalities of great go-to-market motions, and survey his advice for other investors in the industry. A key theme that will stick with me from this conversation is Doug's insistence on keeping things simple and clear. I listen to this at least once a year. I hope you enjoy it. Subscribe to Colossus Review. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by Passthrough. Passthrough streamlines subscription documents, KYC, and AML compliance, so you can focus on running your fund, not managing paperwork. New SEC Update 31 CFR hits investment firms in under a year, and managers are getting ready for it now. If you think basic OFAC screening is enough, think again. You'll need continuous monitoring of your investors and all their beneficial owners across multiple watchlists, plus a comprehensive anti money laundering program. Passthrough has already processed 50,000 LPs and built the complete solution. Don't risk SEC deficiency letters, fines, or regulatory enforcement. Visit passthrough.com to get compliant now. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus Show Notes [00:00:00] Welcome to Invest Like the Best [00:05:21] What Don Valentine's heart was like [00:08:30] The most productive and unproductive parts of Don's toughness  [00:12:55] Why it's so important to understand someone's core motivations [00:18:44] The most formative experiences he had prior to becoming an investor that impacted his investing the most  [00:22:37] What venture looks like to him today relative to his prior career [00:28:37] Whether or not he'd go into venture today if he was in his late 20s  [00:34:10] Helping companies circumnavigate mediocre positioning  [00:39:15] How interacting with companies early on has changed over the ears [00:43:12] Whether or not new entrants into venture should build firms with enterprise value  [00:48:14] Sussing out the killer gene in somebody  [00:51:04] How successful people can instill the lessons learned from hardship into their children  [00:54:30] Whether or not competitive advantage can be architected ahead of time when building a company   [00:57:21] The early 2000s clawback at Sequoia and what navigating that period was like  [01:01:06] What he's learned about picking the right LPs and partnering with them [01:04:18] Making sure that performance is on everyone's minds all the time  [01:09:59] The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him

  Cybersecurity Response Plan w/ Frank Grimmelmann of ACTRA   - AZ TRT S06 EP03 (264) 2-9-2025                 What We Learned This Week ACTRA Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance Cyber threats affect everyone from Gov't to business to private and growing Companies need to be responsive with speed to be effective + share information of attacks ACTRA has members from both government and private sector ACTRA helped create a state cybersecurity response model that other states can use     Guest: Frank Grimmelmann https://www.actraaz.org/actra/leadership President & CEO/Intelligence Liaison Officer   Mr. Grimmelmann also serves as Co-Chair (together with Arizona's Chief Information Security Officer) for the Arizona Cybersecurity Team (‘ACT'), created through the Governor's Executive Order signed in March 2018. He also serves as a Founding Member of the National Leadership Group for the Information Sharing & Analysis Organization Standards Organization (‘ISAO SO') at the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA), created under the President's Executive Order 13691 in February 2015. As ACTRA's leader, Mr. Grimmelmann was invited as the first private sector representative in the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) and served as its first private sector Executive Board representative from 2014-2019. He presently acts as ACTRA's designated private sector liaison to ACTRA's Key Agency and other non-Member Stakeholders.    Mr. Grimmelmann served four terms as AZ InfraGard's President from 2009-2012, serves today on numerous academic advisory boards, co-Chairs the Greater Phoenix Chamber's Cybersecurity Workforce Collaborative initiative, and is an engaged Member of the Arizona Technology Council's Cybersecurity Advisory Board.  In 2019, Mr. Grimmelmann was honored by the FBI, and the Board of Directors of both ACTRA and Arizona InfraGard as the first recipient of Arizona InfraGard's ‘Visionary Award' for creating the ACTRA framework  over his last 2 terms as Arizona InfraGard's President, and ACTRA's resulting collaboration between law enforcement/ intelligence agencies/USCYBERCOM, and its public, private and academic organizations over the past 7 years.   He was simultaneously recognized by the FBI's then Deputy Director for his contribution over the years. He remains an active Member of InfraGard since 2003 and an active Lifetime Member of the FBI Citizens Academy since 2006.   Since 2002 he has devoted his full-time attention to protecting our nation's critical infrastructure and national security interests, through eliminating unnecessary silos that hinder communication, allowing  us to respond to today's increasing threat from our cyber adversaries, and in turn permitting ACTRA's Member Organizations to protect their critical infrastructure and our national security interests, while protecting their organization's assets .   Educationally, he holds a dual MBA in International Business and Finance from the University of California at Berkeley and brings decades of experience as a senior executive in finance, healthcare and government, prior to focusing on Cybersecurity in response to 9/11.          Notes:   Seg 2   Cyber threats affect everybody, business, personal, and government. Cyber crime is a fact of life that we need to live with it, but stay ahead.   Criminals are on the offense and only have to be correct 1% of the time. Everybody else is playing defense and has to be right 100% of the time.   AI is an advanced tool that is turned out to be a two edge sword, can help and hurt. AI can only catch so much but can give a few of what is going on.   This is a matter of national security, dealing with homeland security and many other departments of the government.   You have threat intelligence to determine roles on how you're going to handle hackers and ransom ware. Hackers can be local or foreign.   All companies need a cyber policy and some sort of rapid tactical response.   Cyber attacks are an ever growing threat to people and businesses, and continue to surge in 2024. There was 107% surge in malware attacks.   These are on corporate computers, computers at work or home computers or even Home devices like Ring. You get a text through devices, phishing attacks.   Company business email can be compromised in an attack, people's passwords come out and it leads to millions of dollars in losses. Elderly people are very vulnerable, 353,000 attacks.   You have supply chain threats by terrorist and nation state actors. There was a recent attack on United Healthcare for 100 million. People‘s information was exposed. This led to a $22 million ransom payment.   Cyber attacks cause $2.9 billion in damages. Companies are paying ransom to faceless criminals. Very tough for the FBI to be tracking down on these criminals and try to fend off the extortion of stolen data.   Payments for ransom could be made through Bitcoin, which is difficult to trace, though it leaves somewhat of a forensic trail. Constant need for regulation and oversight from the government.   Famous incident last year was not even an attack, but the Crowdstrike software update. ACTRA had a quick response that day. One that helps clients and partners recover fast. In a similar instant, Delta was down for weeks with computer problems.   When you think about what goes on with banks back to 2008 - what loans they have on balance sheet and then off balance sheet securitized - not regulated like normal loans.   Issues with underwriting standards on loans. Not even sure what can be affected in a Cyber attack. Off balance sheet loans and debt is similar to crypto or Bitcoin where it is not being regulated.   PPD-41 was a directive to show responsibilities of government agencies and dealing in cyber. You had homeland security as a defensive arm to protect the nation's assets.   Enforcement is done in the US by the FBI. Overseas it's done by US Cyber Command.     Seg 3   Frank background in the 1990s in private business, worked in healthcare. Then was the chief info officer and the only 2000s at clinical in Stanford. Healthcare is very vulnerable.   Post 9/11 he worked with FBI outreach program called InfraGuard on how to share intelligence with cyber threats. Needs to be treated like terrorism or criminal acts, though they're taking stolen IP. Need to move to a more stable world.   2011 study was done by government organizations to review the process and make recommendations on how to deal with counterterrorism and cyber.   90% of the critical infrastructure in the US is in the private sector. They do need Fed level help, but have also have a local response. Cyber threat actors move quickly and act like a terrorist organization.   General Stanley McChrystal had a great quote, ‘It takes a network to defeat a network.' Cybersecurity is everyone's problem. You need education and organization. This is a 5th generation problem and you have to be adaptive.   ACTRA is a nonprofit dealing with cyber security. They've got pillars of empowerment, trust technology and intelligence. Need for the private companies to develop to train and recruit to handle this threat.   They created a model which allows to bring the fight on offense - and all work together sharing information. Virtual response team, small and big with the private sector as a partner.   ACTRA is a hub for info, and keeps its member information private. Some members are public like Arizona State. Actual model can be used for the rest of the nation. Government and private cannot do it alone. Not all states have this type of organization, but probably need it.     Seg 4   ACTRA started in January 2013. Give U.S. states a model for cyber security. Collective defense and share information with public and private organizations. The goal is to breakdown silos between government and the corporate world.   Not just a thing tank, has an active model. Review of ACTRA model is best in the country and a good hub for response and info.   In 2015, they helped Wisconsin create their own state organization for cyber threats. Soon after, Maryland created one using ACTRA as a model. Needs to be an effort of collaboration, merge the construct of entrepreneur spirit to take action.   So the government cyber threats are handled nationally at a Fort Meade, where the NSA is.   Frank's background in business in finance and healthcare fields.   Info is useless if not used for action. You need actionable intelligence that is current to take down a threat. You need more than continuing education and certificates for people, must go beyond this.   Virtual response team like a local militia who can help protect assets. Going after cyber criminals can be a little bit like a whack a mole.   Overtime, hopefully there will be a national strategy for info sharing. A type of decentralized and local organization that work with government.   The private sector owns the vast amount of data so they have to determine who they're going to share it with and how.   Defend vs Cyber fast while still working within the spirit of the law.       Seg. 1 Clips from Related Shows: Cybersecurity, Disruption, Blockchain & Terrorism w Ari Redbord of TRM Labs - BRT S02 EP31 (78) 8-1-2021     What We Learned This Week Cybersecurity is extremely important industry for national security TRM Labs startup in cyber-security, monitors blockchain OFAC - Gov't administers economic and trade sanctions Ransomeware – specific breach, takeover of a computer system, holds data hostage Programatic Money Laundering – bad guys create new addresses, create ‘shell' companies   Guest: Ari Redbord, Head of Legal and Government Affairs w/ TRM Labs https://www.linkedin.com/in/ari-redbord-4054381b4/ https://www.trmlabs.com/post/trm-labs-appoints-ari-redbord-as-head-of-legal-government-affairs   Ari is formerly a US Attorney, and worked in the Treasury Department, now advises the Government on cybersecurity, and Blockchain. Cybersecurity is a fast growing and extremely important industry for national security, and corporate interests. There are Nation States acting as bad players in the cyber realm and targeting the US Government and US business. We discuss the advancements in technology on cyber crime, blockchain, crypto, and online fraud. How is the FBI dealing with Ransomware, and other cyber attacks on prime targets like the Colonial Pipeline, or other big corps. What Regulations are coming in banking, and Fintech, with KYC (Know Your Customer), plus the big banks like JP Morgan Chase and Goldman are on board.  What the blockchain ledger can help solve in security, to monitor criminal activity in real time with the help of crypto exchanges like Coinbase.  Lastly, what TRM Labs does for clients, how they advise, operate, and who they work with.   Full Show: HERE     Phishing, Malware & Cybersecurity - Try Not to Get Pwned - BRT S02 EP47 (94) 11-21-2021   What We Learned This Week:   Have I been Pwned? Means have I been breached / hacked – did someone hack my email or website Phishing – most common type of email threat, like when you receive a strange email with a link – Do Not Open – DELETE (and alert other office staff of the email) Ramsonware – hack your website, or data – hold it hostage for an extortion ‘ransom' payment Dark Web – where stolen data, & info is being bought & sold VPN Connections – direct and secure   Guests: Vince Matteo, Seven Layer Networks, Inc. https://sevenlayers.com/ Vince Matteo is a certified penetration tester, a security researcher, and a senior consultant at Seven Layers (.com) where he focuses on securing small businesses.  Vince is the author of "Hacking 101 – A Beginner's Guide to Penetration Testing", he's a bug bounty hunter with 17 published critical vulnerabilities, and he's presented talks on offensive hacking at security conferences -- most recently GrrCON in Grand Rapids, MI and BSides in College Station, TX.  Outside of work, Vince is an accomplished endurance athlete, an Ironman age group champion, and in his spare time, you can find him in the desert -- training for the next hundred-mile ultramarathon.    Full Show: HERE     Biotech Shows: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Biotech-Life+Sciences-Science   AZ Tech Council Shows:  https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=az+tech+council *Includes Best of AZ Tech Council show from 2/12/2023   Tech Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Tech-Startup-VC-Cybersecurity-Energy-Science  Best of Tech: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=best+of+tech   ‘Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT      Thanks for Listening. Please Subscribe to the AZ TRT Podcast.     AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.  AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.  Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…    AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/ ‘Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here Podcast on Google: Click Here Podcast on Spotify: Click Here                    More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/ KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/     Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.  

Is your company based in the US? You may be familiar with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), but do you know what other watchlists are required based on your company attributes or your vendor's?  If you want 5 steps to build a watchlist compliance matrix to avoid fraud and fines…..Keep listening. Check out my website www.debrarrichardson.com if you need help implementing authentication techniques, internal controls, and best practices to prevent fraudulent payments, regulatory fines or bad vendor data. Check out the Vendor Process Training Center for 116+ hours of weekly live and on-demand training for the Vendor team. Links mentioned in the podcast + other helpful resources:    Build a Watchlist Compliance Matrix to Avoid Fraud and Fines:  https://training.debrarrichardson.com/course/february2024 Vendor Process Training Center - https://training.debrarrichardson.comCustomized Fraud Training:  https://training.debrarrichardson.com/customized-fraud-training Free Live and On-Demand Webinars: https://training.debrarrichardson.com/webinarsVendor Master File Clean-Up:  https://www.debrarrichardson.com/cleanupYouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqeoffeQu3pSXMV8fUIGNiw More Podcasts/Blogs/Webinars www.debrarrichardson.comMore ideas?  Email me at debra@debrarrichardson.com Music Credit:  www.purple-planet.com

Una nuovo studio mappa tutte le principali realtà che nel mondo accettano bitcoin con il Lightning Network. Il risultato è incredibilmente alto, dimostrando come il protocollo già oggi sia un sistema di pagamento maturo.Inoltre: la mempool è vuota, capiamo insieme perché, c'è una nuova conferma sulla centralizzazione del mining, una pool che censura le transazioni, e analizziamo la piattaforma di compravendita p2p Robosats.It's showtime!

How do sanctioned Russian oligarchs continue to move their wealth despite international restrictions? The answer lies in real estate, shell companies, and complicit gatekeepers. In this episode of Corruption, Crime, and Compliance, Michael Volkov dives into one of the latest OFAC enforcement actions against Family International and its owner, Roman Sinyavsky, for facilitating sanctions evasion on behalf of Russian oligarchs. Through complex real estate transactions, Sinyavsky helped conceal luxury properties owned by Valeri Abramov and Viktor Perevalov, allowing them to continue generating revenue despite U.S. sanctions. This case highlights the growing risk of financial crime in the real estate sector and the increasing scrutiny on those who enable it.You'll hear him discuss:The $1.07 million OFAC settlement and the criminal charges against Roman Sinyavsky for sanctions evasion and money launderingHow sanctioned Russian oligarchs used non-sanctioned family members and shell companies to obscure their ownership of U.S. propertiesThe key role of real estate professionals, lawyers, and financial advisors in facilitating these schemes and why they should have raised red flagsThe use of text messages as critical evidence proving intent and knowledge of sanctions violationsThe specific techniques used to transfer property ownership and avoid detection by authoritiesThe increasing enforcement focus on commercial and residential real estate transactions as a high-risk area for financial crimePredictions for 2024, including tighter sanctions enforcement on Russia and Iran and what it means for businesses and compliance professionalsResourcesMichael Volkov on LinkedIn | TwitterThe Volkov Law Group

De laatste donderdag van de maand, tijd voor de liveshow. Met 200 kijkers was het weer gezellig. Natuurlijk mag je als normale podcast luisteraar meegenieten. We bespraken van alles en nog wat. Bart zag deze week een gevaarlijk precedent bij de bitcoin miners, Peter zag scammers gescammed worden en Bert was in de ban van Deepseek, een nieuw AI model. Alsof dat nog niet genoeg is, sluiten we af met een lekker marktupdate, inclusief een kijkje in de grafieken van Bert.Probeer Bitcoin Alpha 2 weken gratis!Satoshi Radio wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door: Amdax, Watson Law, HVK Stevens en onze hoofdsponsor Bitvavo.Timestamps(00:00:00) Welkom en Podcast Introductie(00:10:00) Zien we al topsignalen of niet?(00:22:00) Bookmark van Bart: De week van Deepseek(00:48:00) Bookmark van Peter: Scammers worden gescammed(00:56:00) Bookmark van Peter: Scott Bessent is bevestigd en ingezworen als minister van Financiën(01:02:00) Bookmark van Bert: Gary Gensler terug naar MIT(01:03:00) Bookmark van Bert: Vermogensaanwasbelasting in box 3(01:14:00) Bookmark van Peter: Binance weer onderwerp van strafrechtelijk onderzoek(01:18:00) Bookmark van Bert: Tsjechie & Bitcoin(01:25:00) Bookmark van Bart: Bitcoin mining in de knel?(01:41:00) Marktupdate(02:28:01) EindeBookmarksBert:Vermogensaanwasbelasting in box 3Gary Gensler terug naar MITTsjechie & BitcoinLagarde reageert: “confident bitcoins won't enter reserves in EU”CNB: “approved proposal to analyse the options”Bart:Deepseek zet de markt op zijn kopF2Pool is censoring OFAC transactions (again)Foundry is too largeThe Game Theory of a Bitcoin Strategic ReserveLokale AI modellen op UmbrelUmbrel Files: bestandssysteem op UmbrelBlock introduceert GooseBitcoin wet El Salvador geïntroduceerdBlock gemined op Futurebit Apollo“We have to cut the red tape”DogwiftoolsPeter:Scott Bessent is bevestigd en ingezworen als minister van FinanciënBinance weer onderwerp van strafrechtelijk onderzoekMusk brengt ons terug in 2017?‘Trump' lanceert Truth.FiScammers zijn gescamd

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, and Tom Schmidt chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, we're joined by special guest Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director of Coin Center, to tackle one of the most pivotal moments in crypto policy. In this episode, we dive into the groundbreaking Fifth Circuit ruling on Tornado Cash, unpack its implications for blockchain privacy, and discuss the challenges noncustodial developers like Roman Storm are facing. We also break down Trump's crypto executive order, the SEC's new direction under Hester Peirce, and speculate on what a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve might mean for the future. Show highlights

23rd Jan: Blockchain DXB Podcast

Blockchain DXB & Society X – LinkedIn Live Hosts: Markose Chentittha (Oort Foundation + Society X) RA George (Blockchain DXB) Guest: Neil Fitzhugh, Head of Marketing at Trac Systems/TAP Protocol Contact details LinkedIn https://short-link.me/OkAJ Website: https://trac.network/ Twitter: Neil: https://x.com/fitzyOG Twitter/ X https://x.com/trac_btc?mx=2 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/trac Telegram: TAP Protocol - https://t.me/tap_protocol GitHub: https://github.com/BennyTheDev Episode Details Trump Inauguration and $TRUMP Meme Coin BTC Hits New ATH: $109K $TRUMP Coin Highlights: Other Meme Coins: Stargate AI Infrastructure Project $500B investment from notable leaders, including Sam Altman, Larry Ellison, and Masayoshi Son. Focus: Artificial Super Intelligence. Tornado Cash Sanctions Overturned Sanctions imposed in 2022 by OFAC were overturned by a US District Court in Texas. Alexey Pertsev remains in custody for laundering $1.2B. Bitcoin Reserve Discussions Republican-led states (e.g., Texas, Ohio) are advocating for Bitcoin reserves. Switzerland may announce a BTC reserve. Concerns about underdeveloped countries being left behind. Tokenization Trends for 2025 VARA CEO Matthew White predicts $500B+ growth. Increasing adoption on permissioned blockchains. FOMC Meeting (Jan 29): Interest rate decision possibilities: Larry Fink's Prediction: Bitcoin heading towards $700K as a hedge against inflation. Introduction: Neil joined at 11:30 AM, sharing his background and experience as a speaker at Bitcoin Amsterdam. Bitcoin's Evolution: Tap Protocol Overview: Trac Systems & Tokenomics: Security Measures: Future Plans: Convincing Bitcoiners: Crypto Firm CLS Global: Dubai AI Seal: Solana Activity: Stablecoins: OpenAI Data Labeling Whistleblower Controversy: Beginner-Level Bitcoin LinkedIn Session: Live now! Spartan Race Discount: Use code George20 for January 25–26. Twitter X Spaces with Oort Foundation: Coming this week. Follow Us: For more updates, insights, and events, stay connected with Blockchain DXB & Society X. For more on Tap Protocol, visit their website and follow Neil Fitzhugh for the latest announcements. To support this channel: https://www.patreon.com/BlockchainDXB ⚡ Buy me Coffee ☕ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/info36/w/6987⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⚡ Advanced Media ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amt.tv/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⚡⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spartan Race Trifecta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in Dubai https://race.spartan.com/en/race/detail/8646/overview For 20% Discount use code: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George20⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⚡ The Race Space Podcast

“We zijn benieuwd wat er gaat gebeuren” zeiden we vorige week. Dat hebben we geweten. In de week van de inauguratie kwam Trump met zijn eigen memecoin. Die schoot door het dak, om daarna weer flink te dalen. Daarnaast was het de vraag welke beloftes hij op Day One na zou komen. Welke beloftes kon hij überhaupt nakomen? Hij liet Ross vrij, maar van een SBR is nog geen sprake. We zien tegelijkertijd de SEC compleet van “vibe” veranderen. Kortom: genoeg om over te praten.Aanmelden voor de meetupProbeer Bitcoin Alpha 2 weken gratis!Satoshi Radio wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door: Amdax, Watson Law, HVK Stevens en onze hoofdsponsor Bitvavo.Timestamps(00:00:00) Welkom en Podcast Introductie (00:15:00) De inauguratie van Trump(00:30:00) Hoe zit de memecoin van Trump in elkaar(00:53:00) Toekomst van regulatie(01:04:00) Verwachtingen cryptosector onder Trump(01:14:00) Vrijlating Ross Ullbricht(01:22:00) De vibe shift(01:40:00) Marktupdate(02:15:30) EindeBookmarksBert:Justin Sun: “If EF and Ethereum Were Under My Leadership”Vitalik: “The person deciding the new EF leadership team is me”Dick Schoof-memecoin na 5 dagen nog geen enkele keer gekocht We are so back. Here's a massive list of all the current digital asset ETF filingsBank of America ceo: “The banking industry will adopt bitcoin and crypto if regulation allows them”Goldman Sacks ceo: “At the moment, from a regulatory perspective, we can't own, we can't be involved with bitcoin”BlackRock ceo: “If you're frightened of debasement or political stability, you can have bitcoin; BTC could be 500k, 600k, 700k”Ray Dailo owns a little bitcoin to “reduce the risk of a portfolio”bitcoin will “get into the millions, multiple millions price range”Bart:Vibe shift: SEC lanceert crypto task forceOfficiële persbericht SECDe memecoin van TrumpEric Trump: I am extremely proud of what we continue to accomplish in crypto.Fix the munnieChaos in de community na Trumps MemecoinThe grift is going to be unrealInsights in $Trump en $MelaniaWist Trump van zijn eigen coin?World Liberty Financial koopt WBTCSaylor: “The company of the 47th President of the United States just bought $47 million in Bitcoin.”Fred Krueger: “There absolutely will be a big crypto reserve; The Trumps are betting the ranch on crypto”DecentralizedFred Thiel en de foto van de mempoolHet Trump blockRoss Ulbricht is na 11 jaar weer een vrij manEerste foto van Ross buiten de gevangenisDe wallets van RossIedereen wil wat van RossKraken geeft 100k aan RossRoss bij Rogan?U.S Court lifted OFAC sanctions Tornado CashMallers en Voorhees in discussie over EthereumSaylor koopt 11.000 BTCPeter:Dit ^ alles, en nog steeds ‘maar' $100k?‘Crypto' gereduceerd tot hoop op overheden en bedrijven

How will your company withstand the heat of aggressive sanctions enforcement? Are you ready for the DOJ's new priorities and OFAC's expanding reach in 2025? In this episode of Corruption, Crime, and Compliance, Michael Volkov dives into the major sanctions enforcement trends from 2024 and the road ahead under the new Trump administration. From record-breaking DOJ prosecutions to OFAC's innovative enforcement approaches, Michael explains how sanctions compliance is more critical than ever. He highlights the biggest cases of the year, uncovers common pitfalls that led to costly penalties, and outlines how businesses can navigate shifting regulatory priorities. Whether it's integrating compliance in M&A or addressing the risks of evolving China and Iran sanctions, this episode delivers actionable insights for staying ahead of enforcement risks.You'll hear him discuss:The DOJ's record-breaking prosecution of 70 individuals in 2024 and predictions for a surge in enforcement in 2025.OFAC's evolving enforcement strategy, including secondary sanctions tied to U.S. dollar transactions and new compliance commitments.Key lessons from major enforcement actions like SCG Plastics, Aotech, and MondoTV, which paid millions for sanctions violations.The consequences of neglecting sanctions compliance during mergers and acquisitions, including inherited liabilities and enforcement risks.Predictions for heightened scrutiny on trade with China, aggressive tariffs, and evolving Iran sanctions under the new administration.How emerging issues like advanced computing, AI, and dual-use technologies are becoming focal points for sanctions enforcement.The role of voluntary self-disclosure in mitigating penalties, with examples of companies that uncovered and corrected compliance gaps.ResourcesMichael Volkov on LinkedIn | TwitterThe Volkov Law Group

Colin and Will cover the Tether and Swan Bitcoin lawsuit and other news on this week's roundup.Welcome back to The Mining Pod! For this week's news roundup, Colin and Will dig into Tether's lawsuit against Swan Bitcoin, the latest development in a now two-front legal dispute over the companies' bitcoin mining joint venture. Plus, the U.S. government is issuing trade restrictions against Sophgo, a Chinese computer chip company helmed by Bitmain CEO Micree Zhan, and F2Pool might be filtering transactions from OFAC-sanctioned Bitcoin addresses again. And finally, for this week's cry corner, a Bitcoin mining company's guerrilla sales tactic to get Ethereum DeFi platform AAVE to invest its treasury into bitcoin mining. Timestamps:00:00 Start02:30 Difficulty report04:49 Tether sues Swan16:14 BitFuFu Plans Oklahoma Mine24:52 F2Pool Censoring TXs33:37 Cry corner: AAVE to mine BTC?Published twice weekly, "The Mining Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday!

Welcome back to The Mining Pod! For this week's news roundup, Colin and Will dig into Tether's lawsuit against Swan Bitcoin, the latest development in a now two-front legal dispute over the companies' bitcoin mining joint venture. Plus, the U.S. government is issuing trade restrictions against Sophgo, a Chinese computer chip company helmed by Bitmain CEO Micree Zhan, and F2Pool might be filtering transactions from OFAC-sanctioned Bitcoin addresses again. And finally, for this week's cry corner, a Bitcoin mining company's guerrilla sales tactic to get Ethereum DeFi platform AAVE to invest its treasury into bitcoin mining. Timestamps: 00:00 Start 02:30 Difficulty report 04:49 Tether sues Swan 16:14 BitFuFu Plans Oklahoma Mine 24:52 F2Pool Censoring TXs 33:37 Cry corner: AAVE to mine BTC? Published twice weekly, "The Mining Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday! 

Hot Toys, Sideshow collectables Join us as OFAC returns to talk about all the latest news and releases. As well as a sprinkling of other geeky nonsense.

Three Buddy Problem - Episode 28: In this episode, we explore the ongoing challenges of threat actor naming in cybersecurity and the confusion caused by a lack of standardization, methodological inconsistencies and skewed, marketing-driven incentives. Plus, the US Treasury/BeyondTrust hack, the surge in 0day discoveries, a new variant of the Xdr33 CIA Hive malware, and exclusive new information on the Cyberhaven Chrome extension security incident. Cast: Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade (https://twitter.com/juanandres_gs), Costin Raiu (https://twitter.com/craiu) and Ryan Naraine (https://twitter.com/ryanaraine).

The past 24 hours have been an absolute crypto bloodbath. More than $1 billion of long positions were liquidated when prices tanked and traders were "unprepared for the bad news." Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw record one-day outflows. So, why are most analysts calm and even positive? Aside from the chaos, the proposal to increase the Ethereum gas limit picks up steam, Craig Wright gets a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years for contempt of court, and the Tornado Cash co-founder wants his charges dropped following a verdict that OFAC "overstepped!" Yes, it's a busy episode today!Further reading:Crypto liquidations hit $1B as traders were ‘unprepared for bad news'Bitcoin ETFs hit by record $671.9M outflows in 1 dayCrypto chatter about ‘buying the dip' hits 8-month high: SantimentCraig Wright given suspended one-year sentence for contempt of court10% of Ethereum validators signal gas limit increaseTornado Cash dev wants charges dropped after court said OFAC ‘overstepped'Rise'n'Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn. Cointelegraph's Twitter: @CointelegraphCointelegraph's website: cointelegraph.comThe views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants' alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast's participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

This week, John and Elliot discuss the recent report on Forced Labor in the Global Supply Chain, the 2024 Annual Report from IRS:CI, several actions taken by the US Treasury, OFAC, and FinCEN, an interesting blog about how to tackle the growing impact of fraud, and other items impacting the financial crime prevention community.

Last week, the crypto world celebrated a major legal victory when a federal appeals court struck down OFAC's sanctions on Tornado Cash's immutable smart contracts in a Coinbase-funded lawsuit. While this decision is a significant win for crypto, its implications go far beyond the industry—it challenges the very limits of U.S. sanctions authority on open-source code. In this episode, Coinbase's Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal and VP of Legal Leah Bressack discuss the case, the reasoning behind the court's decision, and its broader implications, especially given that other cases are still in court. They address whether they think the government will appeal, how this ruling impacts other privacy tools and the other lawsuits, and why the case is a critical precedent for the intersection of code, law, and innovation. Plus, what does this mean for Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm?  Show highlights: Why the decision was so significant, according to Paul What reasons the judge used in the ruling The basics of Tornado Cash and why OFAC sanctioned it in 2022 Why Coinbase decided to get involved in the case  Why a District Court had previously agreed with OFAC  Whether the government will appeal and what the implications of the case are outside of crypto When users could start using the protocol Whether users will be safe to use relayers, which add privacy Why Paul believes that the 11th Circuit, where the Coin Center Tornado Cash lawsuit was filed, will not ignore this ruling from the 5th Circuit Whether the judges were encouraging Congress to update IEEPA to make it possible for OFAC to sanction smart contracts Whether there's a risk that under new legislation OFAC could sanction smart contracts How the case of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm could be impacted by this decision Paul's and Leah's take on Balaji's proposal to build privacy-preserving zero knowledge smart contracts on ZEthereum Whether the judges' opinion will have an impact on existing privacy projects What types of sanctions and regulations the government can impose to prevent money laundering Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Polkadot Robinhood & Arbitrum Guests: Paul Grewal, Coinbase's chief legal officer Previous appearances on Unchained: Coinbase's Top Lawyer Calls SEC Wells Notice a ‘Massive Overreach' - Unchained Just a Coincidence? Coinbase and Polygon Lawyers See Bad Omens in SEC Crackdown Leah Bressack, VP of legal at Coinbase Links Previous coverage of Unchained on Tornado Cash: Did OFAC Overstep by Sanctioning Tornado Cash? Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds? Unchained: Treasury Overstepped With Tornado Cash Sanctions, Rules U.S. Appeals Court Balaji's tweet on Zatoshi and Zethereum Bankless: Roman Storm Speaks - Tornado Cash Developer on What's at Stake Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:39 Why this ruling is a major milestone for crypto 02:50 The judge's key reasoning in striking down the sanctions 04:00 Why Tornado Cash was sanctioned in 2022 06:43 How Coinbase became involved in this landmark case 13:05 Why the District Court initially sided with OFAC 15:55 Whether the government will appeal, and what's at stake beyond crypto 21:22 When Tornado Cash could be used again 25:07 Are users safe to use relayers for added privacy? 33:53 Why the 11th Circuit might uphold this ruling 38:28 Whether Congress is being nudged to rewrite sanctions laws 40:52 Could new legislation let OFAC target smart contracts again? 44:46 What this means for Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm 48:34 Thoughts on Balaji's idea for ZEthereum 50:53 How the ruling could influence other privacy projects 54:08 What sanctions might look like in the fight against money laundering Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memecoin mania spiraled out of control this week, with shocking livestream rug pulls and Pump.fun disabling its livestream feature due to disturbing behavior. Meanwhile, Base and Farcaster hit record TPS and inflows as memecoin trading heats up. In Washington, Trump nominated pro-crypto Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary. What does this mean for crypto policy? Plus, a surprising investor joins Trump's World Liberty Financial raise—we'll reveal who. And a major court victory for crypto privacy: judges ruled OFAC overstepped in the Tornado Cash case, declaring immutable smart contracts unsanctionable. Does this mean Tornado Cash is back? ------

Privacy rights in the United States got a major boost as a Federal Appeals Court ruled that OFAC exceeded its authority in sanctioning Tornado Cash. The crypto industry rejoices. Enjoying this content? SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1438693620 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto Subscribe to the newsletter: https://breakdown.beehiiv.com/ Join the discussion: https://discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8 Follow on Twitter: NLW: https://twitter.com/nlw Breakdown: https://twitter.com/BreakdownNLW

Matt and Nic are back for another Thanksgiving episode of OTB. In this episode: Fire departments love thanksgiving Who we're thankful for Eggnog is underrated Justin Sun puts $30m into World Liberty Financial Marc Andreessen appears on Joe Rogan and covers OCP 2.0 Why were non crypto tech peopled shocked by Choke Point revelations? Trump is looking to shift power from the SEC to the CFTC An appeals court rules that OFAC exceeded its authority by sanctioning Tornado Cash Cantor owns a 5% ownership stake in Tether that they acquired at a $12b valuation How prudent is the establishment of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Can the government pay down its debt with Bitcoin? Careful what you wish for on the strategic reserve Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics: MicroStrategy's Bitcoin Mega Strategy: Analyzing MicroStrategy's bitcoin holdings, acquisition strategy, and its role as a Bitcoin treasury company

It has been a tumultuous 24 hours for Bitcoin, which nearly dropped out of the $90K range as long-term holders took huge profits. But, it seems, primarily "long-term holders" in a technical sense, as the real veterans are as diamond-handed as ever. And for good reason, because it seems the recent correction has not done much damage to Bitcoin's odds of a $100K price tag before 2025. Outside of BTC, we look at Binance delisting five tokens and sending them tumbling, Brazil considering a Bitcoin reserve and Tornado Cash getting a court victory in the US.Further reading:Bitcoin $2B daily profit-taking involves mostly new hodlers — ResearchBitcoin has a 50-50 chance of reaching $100K by year-end: Options dataBinance delisting sends five tokens tumbling 40%Brazil's Congress to weigh Bitcoin Reserve as hedge against global risksBig victory in Tornado Cash case as judge says OFAC exceeded authorityRise'n'Crypto is brought to you by Cointelegraph and is hosted and produced by Robert Baggs. You can follow Robert on Twitter and LinkedIn. Cointelegraph's Twitter: @CointelegraphCointelegraph's website: cointelegraph.comThe views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are its participants' alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph. This podcast (and any related content) is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, nor should it be taken as such. Everyone must do their own research and make their own decisions. The podcast's participants may or may not own any of the assets mentioned.

Join us as we interview Annie Wartanian Reisinger, Senior Counsel & CFIUS Co-Lead Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel for International Affairs at the US Department of the Treasury. We discuss her diverse background and reflect on her senior legal roles in private practice, in-house, academia, and the government. Tune in for insights regarding CFIUS' recent addition of over 50 new military installations to the existing list of installations around which CFIUS has jurisdiction and anticipated effects of the recent overturn of the Chevron doctrine by the US Supreme Court, on CFIUS and Treasury's work. Stay on for inspiring career advice from Annie and some tips on self-tanning from our hosts at the end. As of the date of this recording, Annie is on detail with the Office of Chief Counsel at OFAC.

3 times a charm! This is the 3rd time Erin West (Deputy District Attorney, Santa Clara County, Office of the District Attorney) has appeared on the podcast speaking with Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) and all 3 episodes have been the most downloaded episodes in Public Key history. Erin talks about the evolution of combating crypto crimes, from SIM swapping to pig butchering scams.  She highlights the growing efforts with the Crypto Coalition and Operation Shamrock and how she will be leaving her position as Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara to pursue operating Operation Shamrock full time. She reveals the bottleneck when it comes to combating pig butchering including victim shaming and the transnational organization of criminal syndicates.   She also highlights the need for a unified national strategy against crypto-related scams and increased public private partnerships and collaboration, which in part earned her the Chainalysis Customer Bridge Builder Award and recognition as the ACAMS AFC Professional of the year.  Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | Erin West's impactful work in SIM Swapping and Pig Butchering and law enforcement 4 | The global threat of Pig Butchering Scams and transnational organized crime syndicates 6 | Psychological manipulation and its impact on educated and technical professionals 8 | Being named Chainalysis Customer Award winner as Bridge Builder of the Year (2024)  9 | Building bridges in cryptocurrency investigations and global collaboration with REACT Taskforce and Operation Shamrock  13 | Collaborative solutions to combat Pig Butchering scams 17 | The bottleneck of fighting Pig Butchering is handling victims  20 | Erin West retires from Santa Clara DA office to lead Operation Shamrock as nonprofit 23 | House Committee on Financial Services hears about Pig Butchering and crypto scams 26 | OFAC sanctions Cambodian tycoon and businesses linked to Pig Butchering scams 29 | The future of Operation Shamrock and combatting Pig Butchering  Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: Operation Shamrock: Educate. Seize. Disrupt Website:REACT Taskforce: Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT) Blog: Announcing Chainalysis' 2024 U.S. Public Sector Customer Awards Program Announcement:  ACAMS: AFC Professional of the Year (2024): Erin West Video: U.S. House Committee on Financial Services:Protecting Americans' Savings: Examining the Economics of the Multi-Billion Dollar Romance Confidence Scam Industry. Press Release: Treasury Sanctions Cambodian Tycoon and Businesses Linked to Human Trafficking and Forced Labor in Furtherance of Cyber and Virtual Currency Scams Blog: 2024 Crypto Crime Mid-year Update Part 2: China-based CSAM and Cybercrime Networks On The Rise, Pig Butchering Scams Remain Lucrative Podcast: Episode 45: How Law Enforcement is Combating Pig Butchering Crypto Scams (with Erin West and Alona Katz) YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Speakers on today's episode Ian Andrews *Host* (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)  Erin West (Deputy District Attorney, Santa Clara County, Office of the District Attorney) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material.  Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. 

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ny7vDFIVhko In this episode Tony Clark sits down with Paul Caulfield for a deep dive into the troubling world of Financial Crime. Paul is a practising attorney. He's been a chief legal officer and a chief risk officer at major Financial Institutions, and he's worked with pretty much all the market regulators in the sector, including the Department of Justice, the OCC, OFAC, and the Fed. Paul is also an adjunct professor at Fordham Law in New York. This is a ‘must-listen' for anyone in the Risk, Compliance or Legal space. This conversation centres on Money Laundering and Cyber Crime as two key dimensions of the criminal activity challenge that the FS sector faces. In today's market, illegal activity manifests in so many different ways and some surprising places. Paul shares some of his practical stories of the threats, regulations and remedies that firms must pay attention to. Topics covered include: The Growing Threat of Financial Crime Introducing Paul Caulfield: Expert in Financial Crime Regulatory Challenges and Innovations The Role of Technology in Combating Financial Crime Money Laundering innovations in surprising places – diamonds, gaming & crypto The Importance of Collaboration in Financial Security Leveraging AI and Technology for Better Compliance The Future of Financial Crime Prevention Voice & Avatar Synthesis and Cyber Attacks Real-Life Scenarios of Cybercrime The Rise of Romance Scams and Social Engineering Election Security and Media Influence The Dark Web and Cybercrime as a Service Regulations and the Role of Citizen Activism The Future of Cybersecurity and Financial Crime Personal Reflections and the Impact of 9/11 The Importance of Cyber Hygiene and Human Factors Unexpected Inspirations: Japanese Haiku Learn more: Paul Caulfield: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcaulfieldny/ Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-clark-07160b/ NextWave: https://www.nxwave.com

Today, let's tackle the current shipping and forwarding industry challenges with our guest, Sara Dandan! Sara covers disputes related to demurrage and detention fees, her focus on dispute resolution, the need for shippers to document all communications and transactions to navigate conflicts effectively, the varying roles of forwarders, the negotiation power of large shippers, and the ongoing challenges faced by drayage providers in collecting evidence for freight issues!   About Sara Dandan As a second-generation ocean freight forwarder, I've been immersed in logistics my entire life. As an ocean freight forwarder and supply chain consultant, I've handled the coordination and movement of thousands of ocean containers and air shipments, managing hundreds of millions of dollars in goods across global markets, performed internal audits at a major 3pl, and built out export operations and supply chain strategies for businesses of all sizes. Having proven my expertise in EAR, ITAR, and OFAC regulations I next immersed myself in years of study dedicated to the Shipping Act and maritime law and regulations. Now my focus is in resolving demurrage and detention and maritime disputes for shippers, truckers, and forwarders. Having been admitted to general practice before the Federal Maritime Commission as a non-attorney, I'm one of the rare professionals in the field who can combine deep regulatory knowledge with real-world experience when representing clients before the Commission. I founded my company with a clear mission: to make the maritime dispute process accessible to as many people as possible. Too often, shippers, drayage providers, and forwarders were shut out, left without recourse in a system stacked in favor of the carriers. I wanted to change that. By leveraging my deep knowledge of demurrage and detention, maritime regulations, and the shipping process as a freight forwarder; I fight to level the playing field and ensure an equitable supply chain for all.   Connect with Sara Website: https://fouroneone.io/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-d-0a344018/  Email: sara@fouroneone.io  

Host Gregg N. Sofer welcomes Husch Blackwell partner Grant Leach to the program to discuss the burgeoning set of requirements and restrictions placed on U.S. businesses in connection with trade law. Gregg and Grant identify the authorities and agencies involved in trade law and the various mechanisms the regulators use to make rules and enforce them. As trade law rapidly evolves to keep pace with geopolitical developments and challenges, corporate leaders and their compliance teams have the task of managing risks that are sometimes difficult to spot, especially as they involve multiple layers of the global supply chain. Our conversation stresses the necessity of diligence and knowing your customers and vendors, as well as exploring what a “reasonable, risk-based” compliance program looks like in practice.We also discuss a key change in the statute of limitations—from five years to ten—in connection with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions enforcement. This expansion of the lookback period has implications not just for compliance programs but could also complicate corporate transactions and the due diligence process.We conclude our discussion by addressing how the evolving trade law regime impacts smaller enterprises that might have difficulty scaling the compliance function to manage trade-based risk. These enterprises face heightened risk as they are often targeted by bad actors seeking to evade sanctions via transshipment or some other means.Gregg N. Sofer BiographyFull BiographyGregg counsels businesses and individuals in connection with a range of criminal, civil and regulatory matters, including government investigations, internal investigations, litigation, export control, sanctions, and regulatory compliance. Prior to entering private practice, Gregg served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas—one of the largest and busiest United States Attorney's Offices in the country—where he supervised more than 300 employees handling a diverse caseload, including matters involving complex white-collar crime, government contract fraud, national security, cyber-crimes, public corruption, money laundering, export violations, trade secrets, tax, large-scale drug and human trafficking, immigration, child exploitation and violent crime.Grant Leach BiographyFull BiographyBased in Husch Blackwell's Omaha office and a member of the firm's International Trade & Supply Chain practice, Grant focuses on trade, export controls, sanctions and anti-corruption compliance. He has extensive experience helping clients navigate complex issues related to international commerce and its associated compliance challenges. As part of his practice, Grant advises clients on requirements under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Export Administration Regulations (EAR) administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) administered by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), trade sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and other import- and export-related regulations.© 2024 Husch Blackwell LLP. All rights reserved. This information is intended only to provide general information in summary form on legal and business topics of the day. The contents hereof do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. Specific legal advice should be sought in particular matters.

Welcome to the award-winning FCPA Compliance Report, the longest running podcast in compliance. In this edition of the FCPA Compliance Report, Tom welcomes back Miller & Chevalier attorneys Executives at Risk team, including Lauren Briggerman, Katherine Pappas, Ian Herbert, and their newest colleague Laura Deegan. We dive into key compliance and enforcement topics such as the new DOJ whistleblower initiative, recent OFAC sanctions and export controls, key FCPA enforcement actions focusing on individual liability, and notable AML developments, particularly within the cryptocurrency sector. The discussion highlights the evolving landscape of corporate compliance and the increased need for robust internal reporting and proactive compliance measures. Resources: Miller & Chevalier Chartered Lauren Briggerman Katherine Pappas Ian Herbert Laura Deegan Executives at Risk, Summer 2024 Tom Fox Instagram Facebook YouTube Twitter LinkedIn For more information on the Ethico Toolkit for Middle Managers, available at no charge, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States government has imposed sanctions on more than one-third of countries on Earth, including over 60% of poor countries. Ben Norton documents how Washington's economic warfare is deadly in nations like Venezuela, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. It is also fragmenting the global financial system, as China and Russia create alternatives. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYUq_9XlQs0 Topics 0:00 USA has sanctions on 1/3rd of world 1:44 "Targeted" sanctions are a myth 3:16 Washington Post admits US is waging economic warfare worldwide 8:56 100,000+ Venezuelans died from US sanctions 10:50 Goal of US sanctions: "hunger, desperation and overthrow of government" 13:39 US government compares itself to Darth Vader 14:46 OFAC director sings, "Every little thing we do is sanctions" 16:05 Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died from US-led Western sanctions 20:32 (CLIP) Madeleine Albright on Iraq mass deaths: "the price is worth it" 21:08 60% of poor countries face US sanctions 22:01 US dollar dictatorship and financial hegemony 24:13 Donald Trump's war on Venezuela 25:16 "Sanction everybody and their sister" 25:54 Boomerang of US sanctions: China, Russia, BRICS create alternatives 30:08 Russia re-industrializes, its economy grows rapidly 34:10 Too big to sanction - Is this the limit? 37:01 Outro

The Cybercrime Magazine Podcast brings you daily cybercrime news on WCYB Digital Radio, the first and only 7x24x365 internet radio station devoted to cybersecurity. Stay updated on the latest cyberattacks, hacks, data breaches, and more with our host. Don't miss an episode, airing every half-hour on WCYB Digital Radio and daily on our podcast. Listen to today's news at https://soundcloud.com/cybercrimemagazine/sets/cybercrime-daily-news. Brought to you by our Partner, Evolution Equity Partners, an international venture capital investor partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs to develop market leading cyber-security and enterprise software companies. Learn more at https://evolutionequity.com

In this episode of Corruption, Crime and Compliance, we delve into the complex world of sanctions compliance and enforcement. In this new era of aggressive sanctions enforcement, companies have to understand the red lines that define where criminal and civil enforcement risk increases. In contrast to the history of FCPA enforcement, DOJ and OFAC have provided helpful guidance to alert companies where risks are likely to increase. Join host Michael Volkov as he navigates the intricate landscape of voluntary disclosures, criminal and civil enforcement risks, and the evolving strategies of regulatory agencies like OFAC and the Department of Justice.Hear Michael discuss:Sanctions enforcement involves a mix of civil and criminal line drawing.On the civil side, OFAC has explained that sanctions violations can be found based on strict liability with aggravating factors that turn the actor's state of mind. Third-party liability for distributors extends to situations where a principal company knew or reasonably should have known that products sold to a third party were intended for shipment to a prohibited entity or individual or a prohibited country. Third-party liability for violations occurring in a company's supply chain requires companies to break down its supply chain and learn the sourcing for all companies in its supply chain. It is clear that a failure to examine and assess your supply chain can lead to civil liability. In defining where criminal enforcement picks up on the culpability spectrum, DOJ and OFAC have defined potential criminal conduct based on the term "willful," meaning when an actor knew that its conduct was wrong but did not necessarily know the specific law that her/she was violating. Applying the "you know it when you see it" standard, companies have to weigh the evidence of surrounding circumstances to determine if an individual actor or actors possessed the requisite intent. Criminal enforcement determination will turn on the attribution of individual conduct to a company based on respondeat superior principles -- that is, whether the conduct was committed in the course of an individual's duties and in furtherance of a legitimate business purpose. Enforcement examples to track where the precise line falls between criminal and civil are few—a good start is by reviewing a meaningful record of DOJ enforcement actions against sanctions violations. The situation is akin to the early days of aggressive FCPA enforcement, where enforcement and settlement cases were reviewed for important precedents and explanations. DOJ's record here is about to be defined and companies, commentators and trade compliance professionals will be reading tea leaves and looking for patterns.ResourcesMichael Volkov on LinkedIn | TwitterThe Volkov Law Group

This week, the US State Department issued its 2024 Trafficking Persons Report, the EU imposed additional sanctions against Russia, the OCCRP shared the content of an interview with the outgoing FATF president about the impact of Dubai Unlocked on the FATF's assessment of Dubai, and OFAC announced sanctions on the elements of an Iranian shadow banking system. John and Elliot discuss these reports and other items and their meaning for the financial crime compliance community.

PREVIEW: SANCTIONS: #OFAC: #RUSSIA: Conversation with Max Meizlish, FDD, re the work and needs of the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Asset Controls, OFAC, aka the Sanctions Police, with regard to the Russia econony and the evaders and black marketeers - and the OFAC team members do carry badges. More tonight. 1890 Bank run Russia

With the beginning of the “New FCPA” era coined by DOJ's Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, we now need to focus on third-party risk and sanctions enforcement. The law, the practice, and the risks are important and not just the same as FCPA legal requirements. As we embark on a new criminal enforcement era surrounding sanctions violations, companies have to address this issue and do it correctly. In this episode, Michael Volkov takes a comprehensive look at third-party risks from the distribution and supply sides and outlines appropriate strategies to manage these risks.Epsilon Electronics serves as a stark reminder of the financial consequences of non-compliance. The company faced an OFAC enforcement action due to a shipment to Iran, resulting in a staggering penalty of over $4 million.Apollo Aviation Group settled with OFAC for $210,600 for leasing aircraft engines which ultimately ended up being placed in to aircraft of a prohibited entity, Sudan Airways, violating sanctions regulations.ELF Cosmetics settled with OFAC for $996,000 for importing false eyelash kits containing materials sourced from North Korea, highlighting supply chain due diligence failures.The ELF Cosmetics case underscores the crucial role of supply chain due diligence in preventing sanctions violations. Instead of sticking their heads in the sand, companies must undertake basic supply chain due diligence when sourcing products from regions close to high-risk countries or regions.“Reason to know” is now the key phrase guiding the New FCPA era. OFAC does not need to prove goods ultimately end up in a sanctioned country. When you see red flags, you must resolve them or they could be considered a “reason to know” in OFAC's eyes.Seven essential elements to boost your compliance program and effectively mitigate third-party sanctions risks include risk assessment, varying levels of due diligence, end-user documentation, monitoring, training, and red flag identification.ResourcesMichael Volkov on LinkedIn | TwitterThe Volkov Law Group

This week, the Basel Institute on Governance published its 2023 Annual Report, OFAC published regulatory changes about Cuba, and MONEYVAL's issued an update to its mutual evaluation of the Holy See. John and Elliot discuss these items and their meaning for the financial crime compliance community.

Saleha Mohsin is a senior Washington correspondent for Bloomberg News, where she covers policy, politics, and power in Washington, DC. Saleha is also the author of a new book titled, *Paper Soldiers: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order,* and she joins David on Macro Musings to talk about it. Specifically, David and Saleha also discuss the intelligence and enforcement tools of the US Treasury, the basics and importance of SWIFT, the effectiveness of US sanctions, and a lot more.   Transcript for this week's episode.   Saleha's Twitter: @SalehaMohsin Saleha's Bloomberg archive   David Beckworth's Twitter: @DavidBeckworth Follow us on Twitter: @Macro_Musings   Check out our new AI chatbot: the Macro Musebot! Join the new Macro Musings Discord server!   Join the Macro Musings mailing list! Check out our Macro Musings merch!   Related Links:   *Paper Soldiers: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order* by Saleha Mohsin   *The Big Take* hosted by Saleha Mohsin   Timestamps:   (00:00:00) – Intro   (00:03:43) – The Weaponization of the Dollar on the Global Stage   (00:08:55) – The Intelligence and Enforcement Tools of the US Treasury Department   (00:13:10) – Breaking Down SWIFT and Its Importance   (00:18:27) – Sanctioning Russian Oligarchs   (00:22:42) – The Importance and Significance of Robert Rubin   (00:25:29) – The George W. Bush of the Treasury Department   (00:37:42) – Breaking Down the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action   (00:41:06) – The Trump Administration, China, and the Rise of Populism   (00:45:30) – Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Russia Sanctions   (00:51:18) – Threats to the US in the Future   (00:52:48) – Outro

Over the past several decades, financial sanctions have become one of the most widely used tools in the U.S. foreign policy arsenal. And since Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago, the Biden administration has wielded them in a number of innovative ways. At the same time, some of these uses have also triggered concerns about U.S. overreach, something that could have consequences for both U.S. national security and the health of the U.S. economy. To better understand how the U.S. government is approaching its financial sanctions policies today, Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson and Lawfare Contributing Editor Brandon Van Grack sat down with the man who manages them: Brad Smith, the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (or “OFAC”) at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. A veteran of U.S. sanctions policy, Smith walked through some of the history of sanctions, lessons the Biden administration has learned from past efforts, and how these lessons are being applied to new challenges, including from Russia. This is the latest entry in our special “The Regulators” series, co-sponsored with Morrison Foerster, in which Brandon and Scott sit down with some of the senior officials working at the front lines of U.S. national security policy. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.