Weekly Roundup 12/25/20 (FinCEN’s proposed rules, the SEC takes aim at Ripple, predictions for 2021) (EP.161)
Nic and Matt return for a special Christmas episode of OTB. In this episode: Jay Clayton steps down and Elad Roisman takes over as interim SEC Chair We analyse the Treasury’s proposed rule on VASPs and crypto transactions Why the FinCEN rule imposes greater demands on crypto transactions than cash as far as surveillance is […]
Brian Venturo (CoreWeave) on the journey from mining crypto to the cloud (EP.163)
Brian Venturo is the CTO of CoreWeave, the largest North American GPU miner, which also doubles as a cloud infrastructure firm for general computation. In this episode: How Brian went from hobbyist Ethereum mining to wielding a fleet of 50,000 GPUs How Core Weave was able to cheaply acquire GPUs from insolvent mining farms The […]
Craig Warmke (N. Illinois University) on what Bitcoin is, and other philosophical questions (EP.162)
Craig Warmke is an assistant professor of philosophy at Northern Illinois University. He has written several papers on the subject of Bitcoin, both pertaining to the question of what Bitcoin actually is. We cover Craig’s papers (linked below) and explore the role for philosophers in Bitcoin. How Craig realized there was an opportunity for philosophy in […]
Weekly Roundup 01/01/21 (XRP delistings, OFAC fines BitGo, 2021 ETF prospects) (EP.164)
Matt and Nic return for the first roundup of 2021. In this episode: Why some funds might be buying Bitcoin at year end Are Ripple fans buying Bitcoin? Are fair launches obsolete? Vaneck files for a new Bitcoin ETF CME futures are officially the most liquid futures market BitGo pays a fine to OFAC Exchanges […]
Travis Schwab (Eventus) on trade surveillance, Bitcoin ETFs and 2021 predictions (EP.165)
Travis Schwab, the founder and CEO of Eventus Systems, a company specializing in trade surveillance, joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Travis’ entrepreneurial journey and path to starting Eventus Systems How he came to see cryptoassets as a market opportunity Thoughts on current market structure, the role of exchanges, and the institutional readiness […]
Weekly Roundup 01/08/21 (Banks can use blockchains, best FinCEN comment letters) (EP.166)
Nic and Matt return for another week of ATHs. In this episode: Coindesk acquires Tradeblock The OCC says that banks can use public blockchains and stablecoins We digest the OCC letter Potential drawbacks to the new OCC guidance Has Brian Brooks had the most successful regulatory term in recent memory? The Treasury’s comment period expires […]
Weekly Roundup 01/15/21 (Gensler in at SEC, the Spakkt, a new OCC charter) (EP.168)
Nic and Matt return for another explosive week. In this episode: The bike saga enters its final chapter Sci Hub tries Handshake Is Choke Point returning? We break down the Bakkt SPAC FinCEN extends the comment period for its notice of proposed rulemaking Gemini announces a credit card with crypto rewards What Gary Gensler as […]
Iain Murray (Competitive Enterprise Institute) on the history of Operation Choke Point (EP.169)
Iain Murray, VP of Strategy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, joins the show to discuss the history of Operation Choke Point, a 2011-2015 program used to exclude legal businesses from banking led by the DoJ and FDIC. In this episode: How Iain Murray came to be one of the main historians of Operation Choke Point […]
Weekly Roundup 01/22/21 (Bitcoin’s ‘double spend’, our Tether perspective, Bitcoin as an escape valve) (EP.170)
Nic and Matt cover an insane week of deals and market turmoil. In this episode: The Biden admin freezes the Treasury guidance on unhosted wallets Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expresses her concern about cryptocurrency for terrorist financing Bitcoin as a monetary escape valve The real reasons behind Treasury’s concern about Bitcoin The prospects for monetary […]
Prof. Ladislav Krištoufek (Charles University) on the market effects of stablecoin issuance (EP.171)
Economics professor at Charles University Ladislav Krištoufek joins us for a discussion centered on his new paper, On the Role of Stablecoins in Cryptoasset Pricing Dynamics. In this episode: How Ladislav began covering crypto markets in 2013 Ladislav’s research agenda as it pertains to the crypto markets Why the quality of so much Bitcoin academia […]