Podcast appearances and mentions of sam ewen

The impact of giving synthetic beings a wallet, an identity, and eventually a body. Jansen Teng, Co-Founder of Virtuals Protocol, joins Sam to lay out one of the most ambitious visions in crypto right now, a parallel society of AI agents that can trade, hire, earn, and eventually inhabit physical bodies. Jansen digs into what it actually takes to build an agentic economy from the ground up, from escrow mechanisms that prevent agents from stealing each other's funds, to real-world robotics deployments at hotels and malls in Southeast Asia. Links mentioned from the podcast: Jansen's Twitter: https://x.com/ethermage Virtuals Website: https://www.virtuals.io/ Timecodes: 0:00 Intro 1:52 Virtuals Protocol Origin Story 3:58 The Pivot to Economy OS 4:24 The Experiment That Changed Everything 5:11 Defining the Agentic Economy 6:43 Agents Beyond Crypto: Real World Use Cases 7:33 Accountability & Agent Failures 14:05 Agent Identities, KYC & Economy OS Toolkit 17:05 Self-Sustaining Autonomous Agents 19:22 The Pareto Rule: Which Agents Will Succeed? 21:59 Embodied AI & Robotics 29:04 Do Agents Deserve Rights? - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

The Bank of England reversed its rules on stablecoin holdings. The Bank of England reversed its plan to cap how much stablecoin individuals and businesses can hold, replacing it with a £40 billion ($50 billion) issuance cap per coin. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Crypto scams and how to protect yourself with Chainalysis' Eric Jardine. Eric Jardine, Head of Research at Chainalysis, joins Gen C to break down their latest crypto crime report and the staggering numbers of nearly $17 billion stolen in scams in 2025 alone. Eric explains how AI has changed the scam equation by allowing bad actors to hit massive scale without sacrificing quality, why the people executing scams in Southeast Asian compounds are often trafficking victims themselves, and why crypto's measurability is actually an argument in its favor and not against it. Links mentioned from the podcast: Chainalysis Website: https://www.chainalysis.com/ Crypto Crime Report: https://www.chainalysis.com/reports/crypto-crime-2026/ Timecodes: 0:00 Intro 0:40 Sam's intro: crypto crime by the numbers 1:44 Welcome Eric Jardine, Chainalysis 2:34 $17B+ stolen in crypto scams (2025) 2:55 Why are scams growing? Bull markets & victim pools 4:19 Impersonation scams up 1400% YoY 5:10 How impersonation scams work (IRS, Coinbase, deepfakes) 6:53 E-ZPass smishing — crypto settlement demands 8:24 Scam-as-a-service: $500 spoofed government websites 10:24 AI as a productivity boost for criminals 11:58 DPRK (Lazarus Group) vs. Southeast Asia scam compounds 13:57 Human trafficking & forced labor in scam operations 17:37 How to protect yourself 20:09 Jurisdictional challenges & enforcement gaps 21:45 Silk Road anniversary & crypto's illicit narrative 23:04 Is crypto actually worse than cash for crime? 25:13 Enforcement wins: 61K BTC recovered, $15B forfeiture 26:13 Closing Remarks - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Crypto scams and how to protect yourself with Chainalysis' Eric Jardine. Eric Jardine, Head of Research at Chainalysis, joins Gen C to break down their latest crypto crime report and the staggering numbers of nearly $17 billion stolen in scams in 2025 alone. Eric explains how AI has changed the scam equation by allowing bad actors to hit massive scale without sacrificing quality, why the people executing scams in Southeast Asian compounds are often trafficking victims themselves, and why crypto's measurability is actually an argument in its favor and not against it. Links mentioned from the podcast: Chainalysis Website: https://www.chainalysis.com/ Crypto Crime Report: https://www.chainalysis.com/reports/crypto-crime-2026/ Timecodes: 0:00 Intro 0:40 Sam's intro: crypto crime by the numbers 1:44 Welcome Eric Jardine, Chainalysis 2:34 $17B+ stolen in crypto scams (2025) 2:55 Why are scams growing? Bull markets & victim pools 4:19 Impersonation scams up 1400% YoY 5:10 How impersonation scams work (IRS, Coinbase, deepfakes) 6:53 E-ZPass smishing — crypto settlement demands 8:24 Scam-as-a-service: $500 spoofed government websites 10:24 AI as a productivity boost for criminals 11:58 DPRK (Lazarus Group) vs. Southeast Asia scam compounds 13:57 Human trafficking & forced labor in scam operations 17:37 How to protect yourself 20:09 Jurisdictional challenges & enforcement gaps 21:45 Silk Road anniversary & crypto's illicit narrative 23:04 Is crypto actually worse than cash for crime? 25:13 Enforcement wins: 61K BTC recovered, $15B forfeiture 26:13 Closing Remarks - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Peace deal between U.S. and Iran. The peace deal between the U.S. and Iran over the weekend sent the broader crypto market up. Bitcoin reached the highest level in two weeks while oil slid on news the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

SpaceX's record-breaking IPO. SpaceX raised $75 billion in the largest IPO in history and began trading on Nasdaq today. The company holds 18,712 bitcoin worth roughly $1.2 billion, giving SPCX investors indirect BTC exposure. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Strategy buys Bitcoin again after 32-BTC sale. Strategy bought 1,550 bitcoin for $101 million, its first purchase since the 32-BTC sale on June 1. The buy came at an average price of $65,332, well below Strategy's overall average. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Diving deeper on AI with Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman of VaynerX and CEO and Creator of VeeFriends, joins Gen C to discuss why we are living through the most consequential technological moment since electricity. Sam and Gary dig into his long-held conviction that NFTs are a generational collectible, not a fad, his bold thesis that the rise of AI will trigger a massive IRL comeback, and why agentic commerce will make brands more important, not less. Links mentioned from the podcast: Gary's Twitter: https://x.com/garyvee Vayner Website: https://vaynerx.com/ VeeFriends Website: https://veefriends.com/ - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Tom Lee says Strategy's BTC sale is "bottom behavior." Bitmine's Tom Lee told CoinDesk that the record 11-day bitcoin ETF outflow streak and Strategy's first BTC sale since 2022 are just typical signs of a market bottom. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily."  - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Diving deeper on AI with Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman of VaynerX and CEO and Creator of VeeFriends, joins Gen C to discuss why we are living through the most consequential technological moment since electricity. Sam and Gary dig into his long-held conviction that NFTs are a generational collectible, not a fad, his bold thesis that the rise of AI will trigger a massive IRL comeback, and why agentic commerce will make brands more important, not less. Links mentioned from the podcast: Gary's Twitter: https://x.com/garyvee Vayner Website: https://vaynerx.com/ VeeFriends Website: https://veefriends.com/ - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Strategy sells Bitcoin for the first time since 2022. Strategy sold 32 bitcoin between May 26 and May 31 at an average price of $77,135. Proceeds will fund distributions on its preferred stock. The news pushed bitcoin under $72,000. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

ICE CEO says Hyperliquid is "bigger than NASDAQ" by daily volume. ICE CEO Jeffrey Sprecher said Hyperliquid is "bigger than NASDAQ" by daily volume, and disclosed his team has met its founders multiple times. The DeFi platform controls over 70% of the decentralized perp market and has been trading oil futures on weekends when traditional exchanges are closed. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Hyperliquid has its prediction market now. Hyperliquid is expanding its HIP-4 outcome contracts into real-world events like inflation data and Fed decisions, putting it in direct competition with Polymarket. The key difference: Hyperliquid handles dispute resolution in-house through its validators, rather than relying on an external oracle like Polymarket's UMA. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

An in depth conversation with Raoul Pal from Consensus Miami. Sam sits down with Raoul Pal, founder of Real Vision, fresh off the main stage at Consensus Miami for a wide-ranging conversation about the most consequential moment in human history. They cover everything from why AI represents a fundamental shift in human civilization, to how crypto's $2.7 trillion market could hit $100 trillion within a decade, to why Raoul believes NFTs will ultimately become the fabric of our economic system. Links mentioned from the podcast: Raoul's Twitter: https://x.com/RaoulGMI Real Vision Website: https://www.realvision.com/ - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

An in depth conversation with Raoul Pal from Consensus Miami. Sam sits down with Raoul Pal, founder of Real Vision, fresh off the main stage at Consensus Miami for a wide-ranging conversation about the most consequential moment in human history. They cover everything from why AI represents a fundamental shift in human civilization, to how crypto's $2.7 trillion market could hit $100 trillion within a decade, to why Raoul believes NFTs will ultimately become the fabric of our economic system. Links mentioned from the podcast: Raoul's Twitter: https://x.com/RaoulGMI Real Vision Website: https://www.realvision.com/ - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

A last-minute tweak in the Clarity Act may punch DeFi . A last-minute amendment to the Senate's Clarity Act stripped out protections for non-controlling blockchain developers. They could now be folded into financial regulations as "securities intermediaries" if regulators argue they have any level of control over a protocol. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Strategy spent $2B on Bitcoin last week. Strategy purchased 24,869 bitcoin last week for roughly $2 billion at an average price of $80,985 per coin, bringing its total holdings to 843,738 BTC at an aggregate cost of $64 billion. The purchase was funded almost entirely through sales of its STRC preferred stock. CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

eBay rejects GameStop's offer. eBay's board rejected GameStop's $56 billion takeover bid, calling it "neither credible nor attractive." Now questions are growing over whether CEO Ryan Cohen will sell the company's $368 million bitcoin position to make the deal look more credible. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

eBay rejects GameStop's offer. eBay's board rejected GameStop's $56 billion takeover bid, calling it "neither credible nor attractive." Now questions are growing over whether CEO Ryan Cohen will sell the company's $368 million bitcoin position to make the deal look more credible. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Senate has a markup date for the Clarity Act. The Senate Banking Committee has scheduled a May 14 markup for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, the bill's first serious shot at advancement after a January delay. The White House wants it passed by July 4, but the banking industry still has reservations. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Ripple CEO sits down with CoinDesk from Consensus Miami. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse joins CoinDesk Live at Consensus 2026 in Miami with a wide-ranging conversation from the Bullish-Equiniti deal to Ripple's own institutional push. Plus, why he is not an XRP maxi and his stand on AI in the modern workforce. - Timestamps: 00:00 Brad Garlinghouse Joins CoinDesk Live at Consensus 2026 00:34 Bitcoin Above $80K and the Bullish-Equiniti Deal 01:21 Tokenization's "Magical Moment" 02:01 Hidden Road and XRP as Institutional Collateral 02:13 Coinbase Layoffs and Crypto's Speculation Problem 02:55 Why Ripple Sees AI as a Growth Accelerant, Not a Cut 03:57 AI Isn't the ‘Boogeyman' 05:06 How Ripple Uses AI Across Finance, Marketing, and Code 06:04 U.S. Crypto Market Structure 07:18 Ripple's Brand and the XRP Army 08:11 Why Tribalism Hurts Crypto: It's a Multi-Chain World 09:03 Ripple's Mission for XRP Adoption, Liquidity, and Trust - This interview was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen.

Unpacking the long-game philosophy of Stellar's new CMO. Jason Karsh, the new CMO of Stellar, has built his career moving through some of tech and crypto's most formative companies, from Google to Coinbase to Block, and he's bringing his long-game philosophy to one of the industry's oldest and most quietly consequential blockchains. In this episode of Gen C, Sam sits down with Jason to talk about why crypto keeps leading with the wrong message, how Stellar went from $500M to $2B in real-world assets in a single year, and why a "get rich slow" approach might be the most radical marketing strategy in Web3. Links mentioned from the podcast: Jason's Twitter: https://x.com/jasonkarsh Stellar Website: https://stellar.org/ From our sponsor: Check out CoinDesk's latest research report on privacy in the age of scale, commissioned by GenZcash: https://www.coindesk.com/research/encryption-supremacy-zcash-and-privacy-in-the-age-of-scale Timestamps: 00:00 Unlocking Idle Assets 00:38 Meet Stellar CMO 02:26 From Google to Crypto 04:00 Crypto Branding Reality 07:46 Stellar Focus and Timing 10:51 Making Stablecoins Click 13:02 One Voice Many Audiences 15:20 Get Rich Slow Marketing 19:04 Founders as Storytellers 22:19 RWA Growth on Stellar 24:56 Stablecoins vs Tokenization 26:17 Next 100M Humans or Agents 28:05 Final Thoughts - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Unpacking the long-game philosophy of SDF's new CMO. Jason Karsh, the new CMO of Stellar Development Foundation, has built his career moving through some of tech and crypto's most formative companies, from Google to Coinbase to Block, and he's bringing his long-game philosophy to one of the industry's oldest and most quietly consequential blockchains. In this episode of Gen C, Sam sits down with Jason to talk about why crypto keeps leading with the wrong message, how Stellar went from $500M to $2B in real-world assets in a single year, and why a "get rich slow" approach might be the most radical marketing strategy in Web3. Links mentioned from the podcast: Jason's Twitter: https://x.com/jasonkarsh Stellar Development Foundation Website: https://stellar.org/ From our sponsor: Check out CoinDesk's latest research report on privacy in the age of scale, commissioned by GenZcash: https://www.coindesk.com/research/encryption-supremacy-zcash-and-privacy-in-the-age-of-scale Timestamps: 00:00 Unlocking Idle Assets 00:38 Meet Stellar Development Foundation CMO 02:26 From Google to Crypto 04:00 Crypto Branding Reality 07:46 SDF Focus and Timing 10:51 Making Stablecoins Click 13:02 One Voice Many Audiences 15:20 Get Rich Slow Marketing 19:04 Founders as Storytellers 22:19 RWA Growth on SDF 24:56 Stablecoins vs Tokenization 26:17 Next 100M Humans or Agents 28:05 Final Thoughts - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Bitcoin's origin story is the greatest unsolved mystery in financial history and the team behind Finding Satoshi spent years doing what dozens of others couldn't: actually closing in on an answer. In this episode of Gen C, Sam sits down with documentary director Tucker Tooley, investigative journalist Bill Cohen, and private investigator Tyler Maroney to break down a multi-year investigation rooted in real methodology — cryptographers whispering names, blockchain data analysis, and years of trust-building with the cypherpunk community. Links mentioned from the podcast: Finding Satoshi Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVxAwomug08 Finding Satoshi Website: http://findingsatoshi.com -- Timestamps: 00:00 Who is Satoshi? 01:02 Meet The Filmmakers 02:30 Origin During Covid 03:26 Author, Bill Cohan and Private Investigator, Tyler Maroney Joins Quest 06:30 Bitcoin Roots And Cypherpunks 11:36 Explaining Bitcoin Simply 14:09 Narrowing The Suspects 15:42 Cryptographer Sources And Data 20:20 Why Some Refuse To Talk 23:34 NYT Article: Is Adam Back Satoshi? 27:12 Final Takeaways - Links mentioned from the podcast: ⁠Ryan's Twitter⁠ ⁠Cronos Website⁠ - Follow us on Twitter:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sam Ewen⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠CoinDesk⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Check out CoinDesk's latest research report on privacy in the age of scale, commissioned by GenZcash: https://www.coindesk.com/research/encryption-supremacy-zcash-and-privacy-in-the-age-of-scale. - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Bitcoin's origin story is the greatest unsolved mystery in financial history and the team behind Finding Satoshi spent years doing what dozens of others couldn't: actually closing in on an answer. In this episode of Gen C, Sam sits down with documentary director Tucker Tooley, investigative journalist Bill Cohen, and private investigator Tyler Maroney to break down a multi-year investigation rooted in real methodology — cryptographers whispering names, blockchain data analysis, and years of trust-building with the cypherpunk community. Links mentioned from the podcast: Finding Satoshi Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVxAwomug08 Finding Satoshi Website: http://findingsatoshi.com -- Timestamps: 00:00 Who is Satoshi? 01:02 Meet The Filmmakers 02:30 Origin During Covid 03:26 Author, Bill Cohan and Private Investigator, Tyler Maroney Joins Quest 06:30 Bitcoin Roots And Cypherpunks 11:36 Explaining Bitcoin Simply 14:09 Narrowing The Suspects 15:42 Cryptographer Sources And Data 20:20 Why Some Refuse To Talk 23:34 NYT Article: Is Adam Back Satoshi? 27:12 Final Takeaways - Links mentioned from the podcast: ⁠Ryan's Twitter⁠ ⁠Cronos Website⁠ - Follow us on Twitter:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sam Ewen⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠CoinDesk⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Check out CoinDesk's latest research report on privacy in the age of scale, commissioned by GenZcash: https://www.coindesk.com/research/encryption-supremacy-zcash-and-privacy-in-the-age-of-scale. - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Cronos Labs CEO, Ryan Wyatt, reveals the roadmap to fix the "bad taste" crypto left for Gen Z by trading technical jargon for a mobile-first investment engine Ryan Wyatt, CEO of Cronos Labs, joins Gen C to reveal why the biggest disruption for blockchain is no longer in gaming, but in a multi-trillion dollar financial overhaul. Ryan breaks down the strategy behind building a mobile-first app that strips away crypto jargon to onboard the 90% of Gen Z who have been "screwed" by traditional economic promises.  - Links mentioned from the podcast: Ryan's Twitter Cronos Website - Follow us on Twitter:  ⁠⁠⁠Sam Ewen⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠CoinDesk⁠ - To attend or for more information on Consensus Miami 2026, visit: https://consensus.coindesk.com/. - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Cronos Labs CEO, Ryan Wyatt, reveals the roadmap to fix the "bad taste" crypto left for Gen Z by trading technical jargon for a mobile-first investment engine Ryan Wyatt, CEO of Cronos Labs, joins Gen C to reveal why the biggest disruption for blockchain is no longer in gaming, but in a multi-trillion dollar financial overhaul. Ryan breaks down the strategy behind building a mobile-first app that strips away crypto jargon to onboard the 90% of Gen Z who have been "screwed" by traditional economic promises.  - Links mentioned from the podcast: Ryan's Twitter Cronos Website - Follow us on Twitter:  ⁠⁠⁠Sam Ewen⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠CoinDesk⁠ - To attend or for more information on Consensus Miami 2026, visit: https://consensus.coindesk.com/. - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Avalanche CBO, John Nahas, reveals the roadmap to solve the $100 trillion institutional distribution problem by trading general purpose blockchains for custom L1s. John Nahas, Chief Business Officer of Avalanche, joins Gen C to reveal the roadmap for transforming global finance through custom tailored, sovereign L1 blockchains. John breaks down the industry's much-needed transition away from "one-size-fits-all" technology to solve the $100 trillion distribution problem for institutions like JP Morgan and Citi. He shares the strategy behind Avalanche becoming the invisible backbone for everything from FIFA collections to tokenized equity markets, delivering the institutional rails required to move beyond speculative hype into real world economic value. - Links mentioned from the podcast: John's Twitter Avalanche Website Ava Labs Website New York Times Article: "Crypto is Pointless" - Follow us on Twitter:  ⁠⁠Sam Ewen⁠⁠, ⁠⁠CoinDesk - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Avalanche CBO, John Nahas, reveals the roadmap to solve the $100 trillion institutional distribution problem by trading general purpose blockchains for custom L1s. John Nahas, Chief Business Officer of Avalanche, joins Gen C to reveal the roadmap for transforming global finance through custom tailored, sovereign L1 blockchains. John breaks down the industry's much-needed transition away from "one-size-fits-all" technology to solve the $100 trillion distribution problem for institutions like JP Morgan and Citi. He shares the strategy behind Avalanche becoming the invisible backbone for everything from FIFA collections to tokenized equity markets, delivering the institutional rails required to move beyond speculative hype into real world economic value. - Links mentioned from the podcast: John's Twitter Avalanche Website Ava Labs Website New York Times Article: "Crypto is Pointless" - Follow us on Twitter:  ⁠⁠Sam Ewen⁠⁠, ⁠⁠CoinDesk - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Hex Trust CEO Alessio Quaglini joins Consensus Hong Kong to discuss how stablecoins solve transparency issues in traditional banking and how Hex Trust simplifies cross-chain asset management for institutional partners. CEO and Co-Founder of Hex Trust, Alessio Quaglini, joins the desk at Consensus Hong Kong to explain how stablecoins are providing an upgrade to a trillion-dollar payments problem. Quaglini identifies the lack of transparency and efficiency in traditional banking as a massive hurdle that has been avoided for decades. He explains how Hex Trust acts as the conduit between the blockchain world and bank accounts, hiding the complexity of managing assets across 50 different blockchains for partners like IBM and Animoca. - This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

Fahmi Syed of the Midnight Foundation joins CoinDesk Live to discuss the network's upcoming mainnet launch, strategic cloud partnerships, and the role of "rational privacy" in the AI era. Fahmi Syed, President of the Midnight Foundation, joins CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong to break down the rapid evolution of the Midnight network. With infrastructure partnerships now in place with Google Cloud and Telegram, Syed details the strategic roadmap for Midnight's late-March federated mainnet launch. He explores the real-world utility of Midnight City—a SimCity style environment where users can interact with zero-knowledge proofs and private stablecoins in a live simulation. As AI-driven data exploitation becomes a global concern, Syed explains why "rational privacy" is the essential bridge for institutions and retail users to trade and protect their identities without compromise. - This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

William Campbell introduces USDKG, a Kyrgyzstan-backed digital dollar collateralized by the nation's physical gold reserves. Project Lead for USDKG, William Campbell, joins CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong to introduce a stablecoin backed by Kyrgyzstan's physical gold reserves and overseen by its Ministry of Finance. Campbell explains how the nation-state is modernizing its economy to become one of Central Asia's premier crypto hubs, leveraging its vast natural gold mines to collateralize a digital dollar. - This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

GoMining's Fakhul Miah explores how ETF liquidity and the 2026 mining shakeout are ending Bitcoin's traditional four-year cycle. Fakhul Miah, Managing Director of GoMining Institutional, joins CoinDesk Live from Consensus Hong Kong to discuss bitcoin's evolution into a mature macro reserve asset. He explains how massive institutional ETF flows are dampening volatility and breaking the traditional four-year cycle. A major mining shakeout is also underway, leaving only the most efficient operators to survive the infrastructure-grade shift of 2026. - This episode was hosted live by Sam Ewen and Dave Lavalle at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

Auros CCO Jason Atkins defends the essential role of market makers in stabilizing institutional capital and evaluates Hong Kong's strategic position as the bridge between global liquidity markets. Auros CCO Jason Atkins joined CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong to debunk the "evil" market maker narrative, arguing that liquidity providers are the primary defense against catastrophic volatility. Atkins explains how recent market dislocations exposed the risks of a system without market makers, where absent liquidity makes assets uninvestable for pension funds and major institutions. He highlights the growing competition between centralized exchanges and on-chain venues like Hyperliquid, while detailing why Hong Kong is destined to "run back the playbook" as the definitive gateway for Western capital to access Eastern markets. - This episode was hosted live by Sam Ewen and Will Foxley at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

Charles Hoskinson and former-anonymous PancakeSwap founder Ding X discuss the shift from pseudonymous building to public leadership and the launch of Predict.fun's yield-bearing NFT prediction markets. In this interview from CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong, Input Output Founder and CEO, and Cardano creator Charles Hoskinson sits down with Ding X, the former-anonymous founder of PancakeSwap, to discuss the intersection of DeFi, NFTs, and the future of prediction markets. Ding, who recently went public after a decade of building in the shadows, shares the reality of transitioning from a pseudonymous whale to a public-facing CEO. The two dive into why the NFT ecosystem shifted toward meme coins and how Ding's new project, Predict.fun, is re-architecting prediction markets by turning wagers into yield-bearing NFTs. - This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

 As the crypto markets teeter on the edge, 10x Research founder, Markus Thielen, joined Consensus Live at Consensus Hong Kong to deliver a sobering reality check on bitcoin's trajectory. Thielen explains why the recent volatility isn't just a temporary dip but the potential start of a deeper trend driven by institutional redemptions and a massive liquidity gap. He breaks down the technical "liquidity trap" that caught traders off guard following the 2024 election and explains how negative option gamma forced market makers into a selling frenzy. - This episode was hosted live by Sam Ewen and Will Foxley at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

 As the crypto markets teeter on the edge, 10x Research founder, Markus Thielen, joined Consensus Live at Consensus Hong Kong to deliver a sobering reality check on bitcoin's trajectory. Thielen explains why the recent volatility isn't just a temporary dip but the potential start of a deeper trend driven by institutional redemptions and a massive liquidity gap. He breaks down the technical "liquidity trap" that caught traders off guard following the 2024 election and explains how negative option gamma forced market makers into a selling frenzy. - This episode was hosted live by Sam Ewen and Will Foxley at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

Input Output founder Charles Hoskinson joins the desk at Consensus Hong Kong to address the growing "hopelessness" in retail and the high-stakes battle against "federated" custodial chains. Hoskinson breaks down his $3 billion paper loss, why he replaced himself on X with a digital twin, and why Bitcoin must finally evolve to face the quantum threat. - This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

ICE Futures US President Jennifer Ilkiw joins Sam Ewen and Dave LaValle at Consensus Hong Kong to launch new crypto futures and multi-token indices. Jennifer Ilkiw, President of ICE Futures US, joined Sam Ewen and Dave LaValle at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 to announce a major expansion into regulated crypto derivatives. ICE is returning to the digital asset market with futures for Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, and BNB, alongside the CoinDesk 5 and CoinDesk 20 multi-token indices. - This episode was hosted live by Sam Ewen and Dave LaValle at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

Sam Ewen breaks down the absence of crypto from the 2026 Super Bowl, comparing today's silence to the frenzy of 2022. Sam Ewen asks the question: where are all the 2026 Super Bowl ads? He explores the mystery of why crypto's biggest players are sitting on the sidelines of the world's largest advertising event, even as "AI hyperscalers" and consumer staples take over the broadcast. NOTE: Recorded prior to the Super Bowl airing and yes, Coinbase did run a Super Bowl. - Follow us on Twitter: ⁠Sam Ewen⁠, ⁠CoinDesk⁠ - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Live from the Ondo Summit in NYC, Pantera Capital Founder, Dan Morehead joins Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen for a special Markets Outlook to explain why he's more bullish now than when he launched the first US crypto fund in 2013. Morehead revisits his "freaky" prediction that saw Bitcoin peak on the exact day he forecast years prior and outlines the path to a $750,000 price target. He breaks down the recent IPO wave and why the next 18 months will be defined by a massive consolidation of Digital Asset Treasuries. - Timecodes: 1:15 - Morehead's Rule for Holding Through a "Sea of Red"3:36 - What to Do When Your Portfolio is Underwater4:23 - The Path to $750K Bitcoin5:15 - How the Crypto IPO Wave Returns Billions to the Ecosystem6:08 - Pantera's 86% Success Rate Over 12 Years of Investing7:27 - The Great DAT Consolidation10:01 - Why This Is Just the Beginning for Institutional Adoption - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen.

Live from the Ondo Summit in NYC, Pantera Capital Founder, Dan Morehead joins Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen for a special Markets Outlook to explain why he's more bullish now than when he launched the first US crypto fund in 2013. Morehead revisits his "freaky" prediction that saw Bitcoin peak on the exact day he forecast years prior and outlines the path to a $750,000 price target. He breaks down the recent IPO wave and why the next 18 months will be defined by a massive consolidation of Digital Asset Treasuries. - Timecodes: 1:15 - Morehead's Rule for Holding Through a "Sea of Red"3:36 - What to Do When Your Portfolio is Underwater4:23 - The Path to $750K Bitcoin5:15 - How the Crypto IPO Wave Returns Billions to the Ecosystem6:08 - Pantera's 86% Success Rate Over 12 Years of Investing7:27 - The Great DAT Consolidation10:01 - Why This Is Just the Beginning for Institutional Adoption - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen.

Following up on the White House crypto meeting with Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors on Digital Assets Patrick Witt. Speaking with CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen at the Ondo Summit, Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors on Digital Assets unpacks the high-stakes negotiations surrounding the new market structure bill. Plus, he weighs in on the push for America to remain an innovation hub, bridging the gap between banks and crypto, and addresses the ongoing debate over ethics provisions and government official asset disclosures. - Timecodes: 00:47 - Inside the White House Crypto Meeting04:06 - Will Community Banks Embrace Innovation?06:29 - Why This Bill is the "Crown Jewel" for Crypto?07:41 - Does Legislation Pass Before Midterms?09:05 - How Do We Depoliticize the Perception of Crypto?11:10 - White House Won't Tolerate Attacks on President in Crypto Bill12:53 - How Much Bitcoin Does the U.S. Government Hold? - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen.

IOTA CMO, Karen O'Brien reveals the high-stakes roadmap to transform the $35 trillion global trade industry from archaic paper systems into a frictionless, blockchain-powered infrastructure. Karen O'Brien, CMO of IOTA, breaks down why the industry is finally hitting a much-needed trust reset, trading short-term hype for the work of fixing global trade. O'Brien touches on how she's helping solve the $35 trillion "paper and email" bottleneck to create an invisible backbone for global supply chains—a true blockchain for machines. - Links mentioned from the podcast:  Karen's Twitter  IOTA Website - Follow us on Twitter: Sam Ewen, CoinDesk - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Patrick Witt, Executive Director of President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, joins CoinDesk's Sam Ewen to discuss the presence of crypto at Davos 2026 and President Trump's renewed pledge to make America the global center of innovation. Witt breaks down the tension between traditional banks and the crypto industry, and its impact on the market structure battle. - Timecodes 01:05 Crypto's "Turning Point" at Davos 02:10 The Future of Stablecoins and Crypto Regulation 03:26 U.S. Leadership in Crypto Innovation 06:45 The Path Forward for Crypto Legislation 09:56 The White House's Stand on Stablecoin Yield 12:14 Does Venezuela Have a Secret Crypto Stash? - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen.

NBA Champion Tristan Thompson's Basketball.fun is a pioneering platform that turns real-time NBA highlights into digital value, allowing fans to build rosters that grow alongside their favorite players' on-court performances. NBA Champion Tristan Thompson launches Basketball.fun, a first-of-its-kind platform that bridges the gap between digital ownership and the live game. By turning on-court performance into real-time value, fans can now build a roster of their favorite players and watch their value grow with every highlight. This brand-new experience changes the way you watch the NBA by putting you right in the middle of the action. - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen.

From building Braintree to launching Blueprint, Bryan Johnson reveals how the systems architecture of FinTech and the philosophy of crypto are powering a new, autonomous roadmap to reverse human aging and operationalize immortality. Founder and CEO of Blueprint and Don't Die, Bryan Johnson, joins Gen C to discuss why the philosophy of crypto has the same mindset required to solve human aging. Bryan reveals how he is applying FinTech systems-thinking to the human body through "Autonomous Health" and bio-algorithms. We explore his journey to reverse his biological age and why the tech community is the primary driver of the next great evolution in human existence. - Links mentioned from the podcast:  Bryan's Twitter  Blueprint Website Don't Die Website - Follow us on Twitter:  Sam Ewen, CoinDesk - From our sponsor: Check out CoinDesk's research report on KuCoin at: https://www.coindesk.com/research/kucoin-hits-record-market-share-as-2025-volumes-outpace-crypto-market - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

OpenSea, CMO, Adam Hollander reveals the high-stakes roadmap to transform the world's leading NFT marketplace into a frictionless, universal hub for the entire onchain economy. From flipping digital land to becoming CMO for OpenSea, Adam Hollander shares his vision for the future of digital ownership. After surviving the NFT boom and bust, OpenSea is staging a major comeback by broadening its scope to every digital asset through a complete platform rebuild. He outlines a roadmap to transform OpenSea from a simple marketplace into a universal interface for the entire on-chain economy, abstracting away backend complexity to serve as the primary gateway for all digital culture and trade. - Links mentioned from the podcast: Adams's Twitter  OpenSea Website -Follow us on Twitter:  Sam Ewen, CoinDesk - From our sponsor: Check out CoinDesk's research report on GoPlus Security at: https://www.coindesk.com/research/protocol-research-goplus-security - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

Yorke Rhodes III, Co-Founder, Blockchain at Microsoft, reveals how Credible Neutrality and the convergence of AI agents and stablecoins are powering the next, decentralized wave of technological innovation. Drawing on lessons from the early internet, Yorke Rhodes III, Co-Founder, Blockchain at Microsoft, explains why credible neutrality is vital to prevent the centralization of Web2 and emphasizes the urgent need for digital provenance in the age of synthetic media. He details how the convergence of AI agents and stablecoins creates instant liquidity and accelerates enterprise value, urging the industry to think bigger for the next generation. - Links mentioned from the podcast:  ⁠Yorke's Twitter  Microsoft Blockchain Website -Follow us on Twitter: ⁠Sam Ewen⁠, ⁠CoinDesk⁠ -From our sponsors: Break the cycle of exploitation. Break down the barriers to truth. Break into the next generation of privacy. Break Free. Free to scroll without being monetized. Free from censorship. Freedom without fear. We deserve more when it comes to privacy. Experience the next generation of blockchain that is private and inclusive by design. Break free with Midnight, visit ⁠midnight.network/break-free⁠ Need liquidity without selling your crypto? Take out a ⁠Figure Crypto-Backed Loan⁠, allowing you to borrow against your BTC, ETH, or SOL with 12-month terms and no prepayment penalties. They have the lowest rates in the industry at 8.91%, allowing you to access instant cash or buy more Bitcoin without triggering a tax event.Unlock your crypto's potential today at Figure! ⁠https://figuremarkets.co/coindesk⁠ - "Gen C" features host Sam Ewen. Executive produced by Uyen Truong.

The rise of Aster and CZ's endorsement of the project with Aster CEO Leonard. Binance Alum and Aster CEO Leonard joins CoinDesk Live from Binance Blockchain Week to discuss the project's sudden rise, which gained massive attention after a public endorsement from CZ. Plus, Leonard reveals the valuable advice he received from the Binance founder and breaks down why he believes perpetual DEXs could soon surpass centralized exchanges. - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen.