Matt Hougan (Bitwise) on the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs (EP.497)

Matt Hougan, the CIO of Bitwise Asset Management joins the show. In this episode we discuss: 

  • Spot Bitcoin ETFs are approved!
  • The process to get to this point.
  • The competitive landscape for the 11 products that were approved by the SEC on Wednesday. 
  • BITB, the Bitwise spot product which is the low cost option in the market. How it works and when it will trade. 
  • Bitwise’s plan to donate 10% of profits to The Human Rights Foundation, Brink and OpenSats
  • The outlook for an evolving custody and trading market structure. 
  • Ethereum ETFs in the near future?

Learn more about Bitwise’s BITB

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Matthew Le Merle and Mitch Mechigian (Blockchain Coinvestors) on 2024 Predictions (EP.496)

Matthew Le Merle and Mitch Mechigian of Blockchain Coinvestors join the show. In this episode we discuss the Blockchain Coinvestors 2024 Predictions.

To learn more about Blockchain Coinvestors:

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Weekly Roundup 01/05/24 (ETF looming, DoJ drops SBF charges, TNG DDY) (EP.495)

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

  • Matrixport’s bearish ETF take
  • The DoJ drops campaign finance charges against SBF
  • Goldman and JPM are authorized participants for the ETF
  • Where will the fees settle out for the major Bitcoin ETFs
  • Nic’s vanity license plate story
  • Do we still believe in tungsten

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Nitya Subramanian (Capsule) on Leveraging Crypto’s Superpower (EP.494)

In this episode, we host Nitya Subramanian, founder and CEO of Capsule, which is building cross-application embedded wallet infrastructure. We discuss:
  • Outstanding challenges with web3 onboarding
  • How applications are integrating parts of the wallet experience
  • How Capsule helps developers give their end users the key privileges
  • Why interoperability is crypto’s key superpower
  • How Capsule simplifies the transaction signing process
  • How Capsule’s infrastructure is complimentary to smart contract wallets

Learn more about Capsule here. Follow Nitya here.

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Weekly Roundup 12/29/23 (2024 predictions, BSA unconstitutional, ETH ETF prospects) (EP.493)

Matt and Nic return for the last week of 2023. In this episode:

  • South Shore bar pie
  • Our 2024 resolutions
  • Was Barry Silbert the main character
  • Bitcoin miners had a good year
  • ARK is selling their GBTC holdings
  • The Cointucky Derby
  • Will an ETH ETF be a fast follow?
  • Will ETF sponsors sue the SEC over cash create for ETFs?
  • Nic and Matt’s 2024 predictions for stablecoins, Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, NFTs, and adoption
  • Solana versus Ethereum debate
  • ETH L2 gas usage and EIP4844
  • Is the BSA unconstitutional?
  • Is 2024 the year the 3AC boys are finally apprehended?

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Jill Gunter (Espresso) on Helping Rollups Decentralize (EP.492)

In this episode, we sit down with Jill Gunter, co-founder of Espresso, to discuss:
  • Espresso’s original mission and the challenges of building a privacy solution
  • Shifting direction to focus on building infrastructure to help L2 rollups decentralize
  • The role of a sequencer in a rollup and how Espresso intends to decentralize it
  • Trading off centralized sequencer revenue for decentralization and permissionlessness

Visit Espresso for more.

 

 

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Weekly Roundup 12/22/23 (Inscriptions mania, Fairshake PAC) (EP.490)

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

  • Matt’s tree crisis
  • The Jamie Dimon Elizabeth Warren nexus
  • Is there a really a revolving door between crypto and the government?
  • Warren’s latest volley of letters
  • Promethian gets authorization to start trading
  • We recap the inscriptions frenzy
  • A new Super PAC is raised
  • The BVI issues a seizure of the 3AC assets
  • Zooko steps away from Zcash

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Dan Tapiero (1RT Partners) 2023 Market Recap (EP.489)

Dan Tapiero, the founder and Managing Partner of 10T Holdings and 1RoundTable Partners joins this show. In this episode we discuss:

  • The state of the crypto/blockchain markets since the FTX collapse.
  • The impact of the Bitcoin ETF on fund flows in the industry.
  • The market for growth and secondary investing.
  • The LP landscape and how allocators are thinking about the sector.
  • 1RT’s strategy and the categories that Dan is finding compelling.

To learn more about 1RT visit their website and follow Dan on X.

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Andreas Tsamados (Fileverse) on Decentralized File Sharing (EP.488)

Andreas Tsamados, the founder of Fileverse joins the show. In this episode we discuss:

  • Andreas’ academic background and path that led him to starting Fileverse
  • An overview of Fileverse and the ambitions of the project.
  • Why a decentralized file sharing platform is necessary and better than a centralized option for certain customer types.
  • SAFE multi-signs
  • The state of decentralized file storage.
  • Token models and how these could evolve over time.
  • The Fileverse roadmap in the coming year.

To learn more about Fileverse visit fileverse.io

 

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Nick Neuman (Casa) on Adding Support for Stablecoins (EP.487)

In this episode, we host Nick Neuman, CEO of Casa to discuss their recent stablecoin launch and:

  • Casa’s value proposition
  • How customers use Casa
  • The decision to expand beyond Bitcoin to Ethereum
  • The rationale behind supporting stablecoins
  • Building custody tools for security versus convenience
  • Nick’s views on experimentation on Bitcoin

Further reading:

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Itai Turbahn (Dynamic) on Web3 logins and announcing Dynamic’s Series A (EP.485)

Itai Turbahn, the co-founder and CEO of Dynamic joins the show. In this episode we discuss:

  • The mission of Dynamic and the how the company is enabling seamless web3 log in experiences.
  • Breakout applications in the web3 category.
  • An overview of Passkeys and the impact that this technology will have on both web2 and web3 log in experiences.
  • Account abstraction and the innovation that is likely to emerge using this technology.
  • Dynamic’s new embedded wallet offering.
  • Itai announces Dynamic’s Series A round of financing from a16z, Founders Fund, Castle Island Ventures and others.

To learn more about Dynamic visit dynamic.xyz

 

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Weekly Roundup 12/15/23 (Cantor and Tether, cash vs in-kind ETFs) (EP.486)

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

  • Coinbase’s positioning ahead of the ETF
  • Cantor CEO Howard Lutnick acknowledges their Tether role
  • Where do we stand on cash creation versus in-kind creation for the Bitcoin ETF?
  • Coinbase launches an RWA hub in Abu Dhabi
  • Kucoin settles with the state of New York
  • Do Kwon is staying in Montenegro a bit longer
  • Coinlist settles an OFAC violation
  • FASB adopts (again?) fair value accounting for Bitcoin
  • SBF’s lawyer said he was the “worst witness he’s ever seen”
  • The status of Warren’s anti-ML crypto bill
  • How potent will the crypto lobby be in 2024?

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Brian Foster on The Evolution of Coinbase (EP.484)

Brian Foster, Global Head of Wholesale at Coinbase, joins the show. In this episode we discuss:

  • Brian’s career and the path that led him to joining Coinbase.
  • An overview of the Coinbase business model and how the company is segmented.
  • The evolution of the Coinbase Institutional business.
  • The Wholesale business at Coinbase and how the company is positioned with brokers, banks and ETF issuers.
  • Views on the Bitcoin ETF proposals and how Coinbase is positioned in this market segment.
  • The BlackRock partnership and how Coinbase and BlackRock are collaborating.
  • Views on the evolution of the competitive landscape for Coinbase.
  • BASE, RWAs and stablecoins.

Learn more at coinbase.com

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Rowan Stone (Coinbase) on Bringing Offchain Users Onchain (EP.483)

In this episode, we sit down with Rowan Stone who leads Business Development at Base – the layer-2 network on Ethereum launched by Coinbase earlier this year. Rowan expands on:

  • The decision to build Base using Optimism’s OP stack and the “Superchain” vision
  • The vectors of centralization in L2 networks and the path to decentralization
  • Early use cases on Base across DeFi, loyalty and the creator economy
  • The role of business development in growing an L2 network

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Weekly Roundup 12/08/23 (JPM vs crypto, Do Kwon extradited, Nubank) (EP.482)

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

  • Chainalysis Geography of Crypto adoption
  • Jamie Dimon comes out against crypto – again
  • Our vote for Time Person of the year
  • The AICPA announces their stablecoin attestation framework
  • Do Kwon is being extradited to the US
  • Nubank is getting into crypto
  • Rep McHenry is retiring

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Weekly Roundup 12/01/23 (SEC v Binance, Treasury letter to Congress) (EP.479)

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

  • CZ must stay in the US until sentencing
  • The SEC is looking into Binance US
  • In kind versus cash creations for ETFs
  • The Major Questions Doctrine
  • FDIC scandal keeps rumbling
  • Is there a world where GBTC doesn’t get converted?
  • Elizabeth Warren versus Subway

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Kim Grauer (Chainalysis) on the Geography of Crypto Adoption (EP. 481)

Kim Grauer, director of research at Chainalysis, joins the show to talk about their 2023 Geography of Crypto Adoption report. In this episode: 

  • The difficulty of ascertaining reliable illicit finance data for crypto
  • Why Chainalysis started publishing the Geography of Crypto report
  • Why emerging markets dominate in terms of crypto adoption
  • How Chainalysis devised their methodology
  • What the variables in their index mean
  • Potential sources of error or noise in the data
  • How Chainalysis overlays internet traffic data with blockchain data to determine usage on a country by country basis
  • Top countries on the index and changes from prior years
  • Evidence for cryptodollarization
  • What variables correlate with crypto adoption globally
  • Countries with positive year/year growth in crypto adoption

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Ruud Smets and Marc de Kloe (Theta Capital) on Blockchain Fund of Funds (EP.480)

Ruud Smets and Marc de Kloe of Theta Capital join the show. In this episode we discuss:

  • Theta‘s initial foray into the world of blockchain focused venture funds and hedge funds.
  • The process of educating institutional limited partners on this emerging technology.
  • How the Theta team segments the investable opportunities in the blockchain industry.
  • Views on fund capacity and securing allocations in promising managers.
  • Views on co-investment opportunities and how Theta has approached these opportunities.
  • Promising trends for 2024.
  • The Legends4Legends conference and plans with the event going forward.

To learn more about Theta Capital visit thetacapital.com

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Vivek Ramaswamy on his crypto platform, stablecoins, and Choke Point 2.0 (EP.478)

Vivek Ramaswamy is a Republican candidate for President in 2024. In this episode we sit down to dig into his crypto policy proposals: 

  • Vivek’s keynote in Ft Worth
  • Vivek’s crypto platform and how that derives from his convictions
  • Vivek’s view on Bitcoin mining
  • Is Choke Point 2.0 real?
  • Is banking a utility?
  • ‘Choke Point 6.0’ and how it goes beyond just crypto and banking
  • Does the suppression of speech have a technological solution?
  • Can public blockchains actually be supportive of the US Dollar?

Further resources:

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Weekly Roundup 11/23/23 (OpenAI drama, Binance settlement, Milei wins) (EP.477)

Matt and Nic return for a Thanksgiving episode. In this edition: 

  • Fidelity files for an ETH spot ETF
  • The SEC sues Kraken
  • Javier Milei wins – and prospects for dollarization
  • Stablecoins versus dollar liabilities in emerging markets
  • Prediction markets do well in the Argentine election
  • We digest the OpenAI scandal and reflect on corporate governance
  • Do we need a new McCarthyism directed at effective altruists?
  • CZ settles with the DoJ and the CFTC over BSA and OFAC violations
  • Binance appears to be solvent thanks to their Proof of Reserve
  • Where the Binance settlement leaves the industry
  • Tether supply hits $88b
  • Bhutan is mining bitcoin

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