Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

• GME and Roaringkitty drama
• The detention of Tigran Gambaryan continues
• OP_CAT prospects
• Biden considers accepting crypto campaign donations
• What’s the deal with Hamster Kombat
• Martin Shkreli vs PleasrDAO
• Terraform labs settles up with the SEC
• Microstrategy is still buying Bitcoin
• Should crypto holders donate coins to Biden?
• New nominee for FDIC chair
• Are democrats pivoting on crypto? 
• We dissect a tweet thread by Rep Sean Casten

Sponsor notes:

• Meme Coin Mania
• In Coin Metrics’ State of the Network issue 263, we delve into the surge of meme coin activity on Ethereum and Solana, highlighting key market trends driven by the meme coin sector.

Content Mentioned:

• Jen Wieczner in NYMAG, Are Democrats Pivoting on Crypto

Check out this episode!

In this episode, Wyatt sits down with Babylon founder David Tse to cover:

• Restaking/shared security and how it works
• Why shared security is a valuable use case for Bitcoin
• Bitcoin’s structural limitations and their impact on Bitcoin innovation
• Bitcoin innovation broadly and Bitcoin L2’s

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

• Kerrisdale versus Bitcoin miners
• Robinhood buys Bitstamp for $200m
• Biden vetoes the SAB121 overturn bill
• Is the Biden admin’s pro crypto tilt over?
• Tucker interviews Bukele
• Coinbase donates to Fairshake
• SEC takes more Ls
• Big inflows into the bitcoin ETFs
• Are ETF inflows more about the basis trade?
• Paxos launches the interest-bearing stablecoin USDL out of the UAE
• Can Bitcoin miners sell into the AI cloud market?
• Kraken is in talks to raise a pre-IPO round
• State Street is reentering crypto
• MiCA and stablecoins
• Matt’s latest crisis
• The barbell approach to AI investing 

Sponsor notes:

• Breaking Down Ethereum Blobs & EIP-4844
• In Coin Metrics’ State of the Network issue 262, we break down Layer-2 blob usage and evaluate the success of Ethereum’s EIP-4844 upgrade.

Check out this episode!

We sit down in Bermuda with Mountain Protocol founder Martin Carrica and XBTO founder Philippe Bekhazi for a talk on stablecoins and doing business on the island. In this episode: 

• Why XBTO is Bermuda-first and why Mountain set up there
• The “Bermuda triangle” for doing business on the island
• The overlap between Bermuda’s reinsurance industry and crypto
• The partnership between Mountain and XBTO
• The rise of interest-bearing stablecoins
• USD stables as extending the reach of the dollar
• The relationship between crypto and big 4 auditors
• The coming race between interest and non-interest bearing stablecoins
• Blackrock’s BUIDL product and tokenized treasurys

Check out this episode!

Wyatt sits down with Julian Duran, product lead of Marathon Digital’s Anduro project. Discussion included:

• Why miners are strategically expanding and exploring new initiatives
• New innovation in Bitcoin broadly
• How Bitcoin today differs from Bitcoin 2+ years ago
• Where Bitcoin L2’s and sidechains are headed

Learn more about Anduro

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

• We recap the Coin Center annual dinner
• Will Biden follow through on his SAB121 veto threat?
• The Biden admin is reportedly reaching out to key industry figures
• Ethereum ETF prospects
• Recap of the fight that didn’t happen
• Prediction market issues
• Gemini Earn recovery

Sponsor notes

• Exploring the Impacts of ETH ETF Approvals
• In Coin Metrics’ State of the Network issue 261, we explore the market reaction and network implications of ETH ETF approvals

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic return for another wild week in crypto. In this episode:

• Whip Emmer returns to OTB
• Matt’s animal problems
• Congress passes the SAB121 overturn
• Gruenberg offers his resignation and what it means for crypto
• In a stunning overturn the SEC approves the ETH ETF
• The significance of the FIT21 act
• The anti-CBDC bill passes the House

Sponsor notes:

• Decoding the Digital Dollar
• In Coin Metrics’ State of the Network issue 260, we assess the growth and usage patterns across Coin Metrics’ suite of stablecoin coverage

Check out this episode!

Minnesota Representative and House Whip Tom Emmer joins the show once again to talk about the policy sea change in Washington and recent legislative successes. In this episode:

• The House passes Emmer’s anti-CBDC bill
• Trump’s embrace of crypto and what that means
• Why some Democrats and the White House have changed their tone on crypto
• Congress votes to repeal SAB121 in defiance of Biden’s veto threat
• Is the influence of the progressives in DC waning with regards to crypto?
• Will Biden follow through on his SAB121 overturn veto threat?
• FDIC chair Marty Gruenberg’s planned resignation and what that means
• Whip Emmer’s thoughts on stablecoin legislation
• The SEC’s reversal on the Ethereum ETF
• The importance of the FIT21 act and its prospects in the Senate
• Whip Emmer’s legislative expectations over the remainder of 2024

Whip Emmer’s prior OTB episodes: 

• Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on FTX, the SEC, and the House Crypto agenda for 2023 (EP.382)
• Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on MMT, CBDCs, and crypto policy for 2022 (EP.276) 

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic are back with another week of news and deals. In this episode:

• The Senate votes to repeal SAB121
• Which Democrats defied Biden on SAB121?
• Chuck Schumer breaks with Warren
• Paul Ryan’s pro-stablecoin comments on Bloomberg
• CME is launching a spot crypto exchange
• The State of Wisconsin owns over $100m of Bitcoin ETFs
• Pump.fun exploited
• MEV exploiters arrested by the DoJ
• What’s up with Roaring Kitty?

Content mentioned in this episode:

• Matt Hougan, Who’s Buying Bitcoin ETFs (According to 13F Filings)
• David Morris, What President Biden’s Crypto Politics Might Really Be About
• Rep Mike Flood and Wiley Nickel, It’s time to overturn SAB 121

Sponsor notes:

• Bitcoin’s Halving Aftermath
• In Coin Metrics’ State of the Network issue 259, we analyze the impact of Runes and miner revenues in Bitcoin’s post-halving landscape

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: 

• The SAB121 repeal bill passes the House with 21 Democrat votes
• Biden threatens to veto SAB121 repeal
• Trump endorses crypto
• Is Gensler a liability for Biden?
• A scandal deepens at the FDIC
• Senator Warren defends the embattled FDIC chair
• Robinhood gets a Wells Notice from the SEC
• Is FTX really offering over 100% recovery to creditors?
• We review the Ohio State commencement speech
• Greyscale withdraws their Ethereum ETF application

Content mentioned in this episode:

• Nic on Medium, Five Perspectives on Stablecoins
• Wyatt on Medium, Monad & Stablecoins

Sponsor notes:

• The Usage & Evolution of Decentralized Exchanges (DEX’s)
• In Coin Metrics’ State of the Network issue 258, we explore activity across Ethereum decentralized exchanges (DEXs)

Check out this episode!

Will Peck, Head of Digital Assets at WisdomTree re-joins the show. In this episode we discuss:

• WisdomTree’s journey in digital assets and the firm’s strategy in the area.
• Views on the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States.
• Will’s views on tokenization and how the firm is approaching this category.
• WisdomTree’s New York Trust Charter and the opportunities that the license opens up.
• The evolving stablecoin landscape.
• Views on evolving regulatory landscape.

To learn more about WisdomTree visit their digital assets page.

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic are back for more news and deals. In this episode: 

• Matt get’s 2nd in Jeopardy at ETH Boston
• We reminisce over Nic’s 2020 holiday quiz
• Ian Cain’s Senate candidacy in MA
• CZ get 4 months in prison
• The significance of ‘4’
• Did CZ deserve his sentence?
• Roger Ver arrested for tax fraud
• Tough week of outflows from the ETFs
• The chilling effects of the DoJ Samourai case
• Coinbase reports earnings

Content mentioned:

• Nic’s 2020 Bitcoin Esoterica Compendium

Sponsor notes:

• Measuring Exchange Quality & ‘Fake Volume’
• Trusted Exchange Framework
• In Coin Metrics’ State of the Network issue 257, we delve into our framework to assess exchange quality in digital asset markets

Check out this episode!

Ian Cain, republican candidate for U.S. Senate in the state of Massachusetts against Elizabeth Warren joins the show. In this episode we discuss:

• Ian’s personal background and path to politics.
• How he became interested in emerging / blockchain technology.
• Qubic Labs and fostering a startup ecosystem in Massachusetts.
• The on-chain municipal bond project in Quincy, MA.
• The key issues that MA voters care about.
• Elizabeth Warren’s posture on crypto and whether the “anti-crypto army” is a real thing or a political stunt.
• Stablecoins
• Digital asset market infrastructure and why it is important to prioritize this effort.
• Ian’s message for Massachusetts voters.

Links:

• To support Ian Cain please visit www.cainforus.com
• To learn more about Qubic Labs visit www.qubiclabs.com
• Qubic’s Impact Report
• More on the Quincy Municipal Bond effort.

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

• CIV’s new stablecoin survey
• What happened with Runes?
• Lawsuit against the SEC’s dealer rule
• New capital gains tax proposal
• How would taxing unrealized gains work?
• Two SEC lawyers leave in connection with the DEBT Box scandal
• The founders of Samourai wallet are arrested and charged by the DoJ
• Morgan Stanley close to permitting Bitcoin ETF to be solicited by their brokers
• Hong Kong Bitcoin ETFs go live
• Block is building Bitcoin mining hardware
• Visa’s stablecoin analytics dashboard
• Bitcoin Sign Guy sells his sign
• TikTok ban reactions
• Choke Point 2.0 moves to fintechs

Content mentioned in this episode:

• Visa’s stablecoin dashboard
• IMF, A Primer on Cross-Border Bitcoin Flows
• FDAS Q1 Signals Report

Sponsor notes:

• Layer-1 Landscape
• In Coin Metrics’ State of the Network issue 256, we explore the diverse landscape of Layer-1 blockchains

Check out this episode!

Chris Harmse, co-founder and VP of Revenue at BVNK joins the show. In this episode we discuss:

• Chris’ career and the path to founding BVNK.
• The origin story of BVNK and how the company has evolved over time.
• The key drivers behind the adoption of stablecoins.
• Segmenting the stablecoin market.
• Interest bearing stablecoins and the impact that this category will have on the overall market.
• Tokenized money funds and the future of securities settlement.
• How stablecoins will refactor the global FX market.
• The regulatory landscape and how stablecoin adoption is evolving in various regions.

To learn more about BVNK visit their website.

Check out this episode!

In this episode we sit down with Alexei Zamyatin, the founder of  Build On Bitcoin (BOB). Topics covered: 

• Why EVM-compatibility is important for Bitcoin and Bitcoin L2s
• Merge mining and fostering adoption of Bitcoin L2’s
• Why now for the Bitcoin Renaissance
• BitVM, use cases, and unlocks for Bitcoin

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: 

• Dubai is underwater
• The Lummis Gillebrand stablecoin bill and its prospects
• Do stablecoins affect the US’ ability to make sanctions?
• Avraham Eisenberg has been found guilty for the Mango markets hack
• Stablecoins as proto CBDCs
• Do stablecoins disintermediate commercial banks? 
• What do the 13F filings tell us about ETF flows? 

Sponsor notes:

• Bitcoin’s 4th Halving
• In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 255, we understand the significance of the Bitcoin halving, its impact on miners and potential effects on BTC’s price as the 4th Bitcoin halving nears.

Content mentioned in this episode:

• Timothy Massad, Stablecoins and national security: Learning the lessons of Eurodollars

Check out this episode!

Cynthia Lo Bessette and Matt Horne of Fidelity Digital Asset Management join the show. In this episode we discuss:

• The history of digital asset innovation at Fidelity.
• The decision to operationalize a digital asset-management capability under Fidelity‘s Asset Management business unit.
• The launch of the Fidelity Bitcoin ETF and the path to getting this product to market.
• How Bitcoin ETFs are currently being consumed and the distribution of these products to various investor types and platforms.
• How Fidelity is approaching the tokenization of real world assets.
• Broader views on the future of public blockchain assets and the types of opportunities for asset managers.

Learn more about Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund

Check out this episode!

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

• Our reactions to the CPI print
• The SEC announces its intention to sue Uniswap
• Sen Warren doesn’t like the stablecoin bill
• Howard Lutnick weighs in on stablecoins again
• Saylor’s core dev funding controversy

Sponsor notes:

• An Introduction to the Solana Network
• In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 254, we provide a data-driven overview of the Solana blockchain, exploring its architecture, ecosystem, network usage and adoption metrics

Check out this episode!

Quinn Thompson, founder and CIO of Lekker Capital, joins the show. In this episode: 

• Launching Lekker Capital
• Quinn’s investment strategy with Lekker
• Using crypto instruments to take a view on macro trends
• The significance of the move in the 10year
• How unusual is it to cut rates when inflation is running hot
• Is inflation the lesser of two evils?
• Why an inflationary reset is the only way out of our fiscal position
• Is Bitcoin more analogous to gold or NASDAQ?
• What are memecoins telling us about the crypto cycle?
• Institutional participation in Bitcoin dampening volatility?
• Quinn’s views on the halving
• Will Microstrategy shares ever converge to the value of their BTC?
• Why it is often mechanically difficult to bring meme stocks back to earth
• Quinn’s views on GBTC selling and the US govt’s seized Silk Road coins

Further reading: 

• Follow Quinn on Twitter
• Fortune on Lekker Capital

Check out this episode!