Podcast appearances and mentions of sam ewen

RealFi CEO John O'Connor joins CoinDesk's Sam Ewen to explain how his platform is reimagining the stablecoin model, replacing reflexive DeFi yield with real-world fixed income assets, and giving holders of sUSDr the returns that issuers like Tether and Circle currently keep for themselves. He breaks down the portfolio construction behind USDr, why crypto treasurers are the ideal first customer, and what he learned from testnet ahead of a mainnet launch. - Timecodes:  00:00 - RealFi's John O'Connor Joins CoinDesk 00:56 - What Makes USDr Different From USDC and USDT 05:22 - Cross-Chain Interoperability and the New Risk Surface 06:46 - How RealFi Manages Portfolio Risk and Liquidity 11:39 - Who Is RealFi's Ideal Customer? 12:42 - The Pitch to Crypto Treasurers 14:22 - Yield-Bearing Collateral and Looping Strategies 15:44 - How TradFi Is Adopting DeFi's Best Ideas 18:10 - Testnet Learnings: UX Debates and Community Excitement 19:41 - What Success Looks Like in 18 Months - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. RealFi is launching August 2026. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co.

BitMEX to shut down by the end of September. BitMEX, the exchange that invented the perpetual swap, will shut down on September 23 after an 11-year run. On the same day, it was hit with a proposed class-action suit alleging theft of 622 bitcoin and insider trading. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ledn.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Dan Romero, who leads go-to-market at Tempo, joins Sam Ewen with a 12-year crypto perspective that stretches from the early days at Coinbase to building Farcaster to now focusing entirely on stablecoin payment rails. He breaks down why these three things: regulation, infrastructure, and distribution, have finally aligned to make real world crypto adoption possible, and why Tempo's betting on being the best payments chain rather than a general purpose blockchain. - Timecodes: 0:00 – Intro on stablecoin yield philosophy 1:20 – From Farcaster to Tempo: the through line 2:56 – The market split: speculation vs. stablecoins 5:37 – Regulatory tailwinds from the Genius Act 8:41 – How yield on Tempo works 14:23 – Balancing privacy and transparency 17:38 – What it takes to win in payments infrastructure 21:01 – Why compliance matters 22:25 – Outlook on the Genius Act rulemaking - From our sponsors: Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at ledn.io - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at realfi.co. - Check out CoinDesk Research's report on Zcash's push toward private scale and quantum resilience at: https://www.coindesk.com/research/building-the-zcash-machine-tachyon-and-quantum-readiness - "Spotlight" features host Sam Ewen.

Moonshot AI plans for IPO. Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model outscored every AI rival except Fable 5 and GPT-5.6, triggering a semiconductor selloff. Now the company is preparing for a Hong Kong IPO at a $30 billion-plus valuation. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ledn.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

The AI selloff drags bitcoin down. A deepening selloff in semiconductor stocks pulled bitcoin to $63,000 on Friday as markets questioned whether AI hyperscaler spending will produce the returns to justify chip valuations. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ledn.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Why humans won't shop alone anymore. Raja Rajamannar, Senior Fellow at Mastercard, joins CoinDesk's Sam Ewen for a conversation that is equal parts blockchain brand masterclass and roadmap for what marketing looks like when agents start making the decisions. Raja makes the case that agentic commerce doesn't simplify the marketer's job, it doubles it because now you have to win over the human and their agent, and the criteria for each are completely different. - Timecodes: 0:00 – Rethinking sales: humans vs. AI agents 2:17 – Crypto's branding problem 5:47 – Preserving value and remittances as use cases 7:53 – Cash to credit cards: an early parallel to crypto 14:31 – Money, emotion, and the Mastercard brand journey 17:48 – Experiential marketing over traditional ads 19:00 – Mastercard-flavored macarons and sensory branding 20:17 – The rise of agentic commerce 24:38 – Marketing to both humans and their AI agents 29:20 – Building empathy into AI transactions - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ledn.io⁠⁠ - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠ - "Spotlight" features host Sam Ewen.

Strategy skips BTC? Strategy added $467 million to its cash reserve last week through stock sales — but made zero bitcoin purchases, leaving its holdings unchanged at 843,775 BTC. With BTC trading well below Strategy's average buy price of $75,476, the pressure is on. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ledn.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

The clock is ticking on the Clarity Act. A new version of the CLARITY Act could arrive as soon as next week, but disagreements over ethics provisions leave crypto's biggest market structure bill racing against the congressional clock. Plus, Robinhood Chain processes more than $568 million in a single day, New Hampshire blocks a proposed bitcoin-backed bond, and what it all means for the future of crypto markets. CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ledn.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

The future of Meta with Chief Data Officer Alex Schultz. Alex Schultz, Chief Data Officer at Meta, joins Sam for a wide-ranging conversation covering why Meta believes agentic commerce could become the majority of its business, why stablecoins are a foregone conclusion, and why human taste and creative conviction matter more in an AI world than ever before. - Timecodes: 0:00 - Cold open: Warren Buffett's "man, machine, and dog" quote 0:29 - Show intro & Alex Schultz background (CMO → Chief Data Officer at Meta) 8:52 - Using data to find non-average insights: Asia trends, shoppertainment, conversational commerce 11:33 - Staying ahead of the puck: Stories, Messenger, missing TikTok's rise 13:32 - Creators, shoppertainment, and human vs. AI balance 18:00 - Bad AI work is bad work: Alex's Claude/Antarctic cruise data project 20:16 - Taste and conviction matter more than ever; Buffett quote revisited 23:07 - Fear-mongering vs. job creation (radiologists, software engineers) 24:39 - Agentic commerce, Meta's Libra history, and business agents on WhatsApp 27:21 - Stablecoins as the future of digital payments 35:42 - Agentic economy's impact on marketing and the funnel 38:56 - The metaverse, AR glasses, and Meta Ray-Bans/Oakleys 44:25 - Closing remarks - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠ realfi.co⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠ ⁠⁠ledn.io⁠ - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠ - "Spotlight" features host Sam Ewen.

The CLARITY Act missed the July 4th target deadline. The CLARITY Act is now facing a hard deadline of August 7, the last day the Senate can act before the summer recess. With Trump disclosing $1.4 billion in crypto income last year, Democrats are digging in on an ethics provision. Is the clock running out on the bill? CoinDesk's Sam Ewen hosts "CoinDesk Daily." - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠ ledn.io⁠⁠ JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠ - This episode was hosted by Sam Ewen. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Upbit's next move: from Korea's #1 to global contender. SeonJoo Yoon, Chief Brand & Impact Officer at Upbit, joins CoinDesk's Sam Ewen to break down why Korea is one of the most fascinating crypto markets on the planet and how Upbit, the country's dominant exchange with 13 million KYC'd users and $1.5 trillion in cumulative trading volume, is now setting its sights far beyond its home turf. - Timecodes: 00:00 - Upbit's SJ Yoon Joins CoinDesk's Spotlight 01:50 - SJ's Early Career Path 05:35 - What Led SJ Yoon Into Web3 and Crypto 14:17 - Korean Tech Culture: Adoption, Connectivity, and Retail Trading Appetite 20:19 - Upbit's Stablecoin Project and Why Stablecoins Matter in Korea's Mobile-First Economy 23:58 - AI-Era payments, CBDC vs. Stablecoin Debate, and Upbit's Layer 2 (with Optimism) 26:03 - Bridging Korean Users to Global Institutions 28:51 - GIWA Web3 Infrastructure, AI Agent Wallets, GASOK accelerator 30:29 - Upbit's Global Expansion 32:52 - Korea's Regulatory Landscape and the Digital Asset Act 34:42 - Upbit's Presence at Korea Blockchain Week - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at realfi.co. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at ledn.io - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets: https://x.com/jpegtrading - "Spotlight" features host Sam Ewen.

Strategy's new capital framework clears the way for selling BTC. Michael Saylor's Strategy unveiled a new capital framework that clears the way to sell bitcoin for the first time, authorize up to $2 billion in buybacks, and raise its STRC preferred dividend to 12%. 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's $13B unrealized loss. Strategy is sitting on a $13 billion unrealized loss on its bitcoin holdings, with its STRC preferred stock down 25% from par. The company still has about 10 months of reserves to cover dividends but the bigger question is whether investor confidence holds if bitcoin doesn't bounce back. 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.

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 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.

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.

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.