Laura ShinEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Kalshi just brought crypto perps to the US, targeting a $90 trillion offshore market. Its Head of Crypto, John Wang, explains the bet, the risks, and who Kalshi is actually competing with. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsor! ⁠⁠⁠Fidelity⁠⁠⁠: Fidelity has been building in crypto and DeFi since 2014 — now they're hiring. Explore career opportunities at one of the most forward-thinking names in finance here: ⁠⁠⁠crypto.fidelitycareers.com⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠Cape⁠⁠⁠: Your biggest crypto vulnerability isn't your wallet, it's your phone number. Cape is America's privacy-first mobile carrier that rotates your SIM identity daily and blocks SIM swaps before they happen. Get 33...

OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceXand the AI IPO cycle face a structural problem: a cheap, capable open source exit is already drawing enterprise users away before either company goes public. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsor! ⁠Fidelity⁠: Fidelity has been building in crypto and DeFi since 2014 — now they're hiring. Explore career opportunities at one of the most forward-thinking names in finance here: ⁠crypto.fidelitycareers.com⁠. ⁠Cape⁠: Your biggest crypto vulnerability isn't your wallet, it's your phone number. Cape is America's privacy-first mobile carrier that rotates your SIM identity daily and blocks SIM swaps before they happen. G...

Jeff Dorman on why Strategy's four stakeholder classes are all losing, and why Saylor should have sold $2B of Bitcoin at once instead of $2.5M. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsor! Fidelity: Explore opportunities at https://crypto.fidelitycareers.com ======================================================== Strategy’s late-May Bitcoin sale has turned a long-running investor concern into a sharper question: how sustainable is the company’s capital structure if its Bitcoin accumulation strategy now comes with large cash obligations? Jeff Dorman, chief investment officer at Arca, joins Laura Shin to discuss why the sale changed his view of the risks around Strategy. After months of pushing back on fears of forced selling, Dorman says the company’s preferred-share financing has altered the analysis. He points to roughly $15 billion in preferred shares carrying 10% to 12% dividend rates, which he estimates could mean about $1.7 billion in annual cash obligations for a company without operating revenue. Dorman also breaks down the stakeholder groups shaping Strategy’s choices, the tradeoffs each path may create, and the Polymarket dispute over whether Strategy sold Bitcoin in May. Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laura Shin ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Host / Unchained Guests: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Jeff Dorman - Chief Investment Officer at Arca - https://x.com/jdorman81 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CME and ICE want regulators to rein in Hyperliquid, which delivers 24/7 derivatives markets that incumbents can't match. Can it be brought onshore? ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsor! ⁠⁠⁠ Coinbase One ⁠⁠⁠ : Get 20% off the first year of your Coinbase One annual plan at ⁠⁠⁠ coinbase.com/unchained ⁠⁠⁠ . ======================================================== CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange have asked the CFTC to regulate Hyperliquid, the offshore perpetuals exchange that has rapidly become one of the largest derivatives venues in the world. The incumbents argue that price discovery is migrating to unregulated territory. Hyperliquid argues that its onchain transparency makes it less susceptible to manipulation, not more. Walt Lukken, president and CEO of the Futures Industry Association, and Chris Perkins, CEO of 250 Digital Asset Management, sit down with Laura Shin to work through the options: come onshore and get the licenses, stay offshore and keep growing, or further decentralize until there is no entity left to regulate. The answer may reshape how global derivatives markets are built for the next decade. Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laura Shin ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Host / Unchained Guests: Walt Lukken | President & CEO, Futures Industry Association Chris Perkins ⁠ | CEO, 250 Digital Asset Management Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arthur Hayes sees one force driving markets right now: governments printing money to finance AI and war. He explains why that ends with Bitcoin much higher — and what could derail it. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsor! ⁠ Coinbase One ⁠ : Get 20% off the first year of your Coinbase One annual plan at ⁠ coinbase.com/unchained ⁠ . ======================================================== Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes called the Tehran toll booth scenario in writing — and now it's playing out. Sovereign nations are waking up to the fact that dollar assets don't buy oil when the strait is closed. On this episode, Hayes joins Laura Shin to explain why the structural unwinding of petrodollar recycling forces the Fed to print, why an AI deflationary bust could rival 2008 in severity before central banks step in, and why that path ends with Bitcoin substantially higher. He also breaks down his current highest-conviction positions: Hyperliquid, Zcash, and NEAR, and explains why he's deploying into what he calls maximum disillusionment in private crypto equity. Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Laura Shin ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Host / Unchained Guests: Arthur Hayes — CIO, Maelstrom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Seyffart didn't expect Morgan Stanley to do this. Now he's watching to see if BlackRock blinks. Nexo is the premier digital wealth platform. Receive interest on your crypto, borrow against it without selling, and trade a range of assets. Now available in the U.S with 30 days of exclusive privileges. Get started at http://nexo.com/unchained Ether.fi is giving Unchained listeners 15% cashback on food and ride apps — and that's on top of the 3% you get on everything else. Your bank is charging you to use your own money. Laura switched and loves her card! Go to ether.fi/unchained to claim your offer. Bitcoin’s application layer, Citrea, launched its mainnet, expanding Bitcoin’s utility to privacy, lending, BTC yields, and more. Citrea enables: cBTC: The first trust-minimized Bitcoin on a fully programmable platform. ctUSD: A native stablecoin for Bitcoin, allowing for unified liquidity. Bitcoin Capital Markets bringing demand, and utility to the Bitcoin Network. Explore the Citrea Ecosystem . ======================================================== When Morgan Stanley launched MSBT this week, it didn't just become the first major US bank to issue its own spot Bitcoin ETF — it became the cheapest one on the market, undercutting BlackRock's iBIT by 11 basis points. For a firm not known for fee competition, that surprised even close ETF watchers. James Seyffart, senior analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, has spent years tracking how wirehouses have slowly warmed to Bitcoin products. He joins Laura Shin to discuss what MSBT's launch says about where institutional crypto adoption is heading, whether Morgan Stanley's 16,000 advisors and $7 trillion in assets could meaningfully shift flows, and why Seyffart now sees inaction on crypto as the active choice, not the safe one, for portfolio managers. Plus: Strategy's $14.5 billion loss, Saylor keeps buying, and why MSTR’s S&P 500 question is now entirely a Bitcoin price story. Host: ⁠ Laura Shin ⁠ , Host / Unchained Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ James Seyffart , Senior Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, we’re joined by a special guest: Laura Shin, host of Unchained ! The crew unpacks Circle’s explosive IPO, Tether’s threat to exit the U.S., and the meme-stock logic powering the rise of “crypto treasury companies.” From Coinbase’s grip on USDC to Wall Street’s sudden enthusiasm for stablecoins, we explore how public markets are reshaping crypto’s power centers. Is Circle overvalued—or the last compliant winner left? And are ICOs really back? We debate whether crypto’s just maturing—or if it’s being hijacked by the suits. Show highlights 🔹 Circle’s IPO Shocks Wall Street – One of the biggest two-day pops in IPO history: Did bankers misprice, or did crypto just break TradFi? 🔹 Stablecoin Season or Meme Stock Mania? – Circle hits 160x earnings, 15x revenue—Tarun calls it “CoreWeave for finance” 🔹 Tether Threatens U.S. Exit – New regulation looms: Will Circle rule America while Tether dominates abroad? 🔹 The Coinbase Cut – Why Coinbase might be the real winner behind USDC—and the hidden economics of stablecoin margins 🔹 Banking Consortium Incoming? – JPMorgan and Wells reportedly plotting their own stablecoin play. Is Circle racing against the banks? 🔹 The Rise of Treasury Tokens – From MicroStrategy to Solana clones: Are “crypto holding companies” the new ETF? 🔹 Copycats or Cult Leaders? – Why everyone wants to be Saylor—and why most won’t survive 🔹 Are These Companies Just Meme Stocks? – Laura and Tarun debate whether tradable crypto firms have real value—or just vibes 🔹 The Return of the ICO – Plasma raises $500M on Sonar, sparking a new wave of pre-token speculation 🔹 Is This Financial Innovation or Regulatory Theater? – Haseeb asks: Are we maturing—or just dressing TradFi in crypto clothes? ⭐️ Haseeb Qureshi , Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️ Robert Leshner , CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️ Tarun Chitra , Managing Partner at Robot Ventures ⭐️ Laura Shin , Journalist, Author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ Founder and CEO of Unchained Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:25 Circle's IPO: A Historic Event 03:16 Market Reactions & Implications 06:49 Stablecoin Legislation & Tether's Response 08:56 Circle's Market Position & Future 23:12 Crypto Treasury Companies: The New Trend 32:09 Understanding Convertible Arbitrage in Crypto 37:02 Potential Risks and Market Dynamics 41:36 The Influence of Michael Saylor 43:57 The Need for Charismatic Leaders in Crypto 50:07 The Rise of ICOs and Market Trends 55:04 Concluding Thoughts on ICOs Hosts Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, we’re joined by Laura Shin, host of the Unchained Podcast, for a no-holds-barred discussion on the current state of the crypto landscape. We dive into Berachain’s shaky launch, dissecting its tokenomics, insider allocations, and why the hype didn’t hold. Then we uncover the rise of celebrity memecoin scams—how influencers are cashing in while their followers get rugged. Finally, we tackle the Ethereum vs. Solana debate: is Ethereum losing its edge, or is Solana’s growth just a speculative bubble? It’s an episode full of bold takes and sharp insights you won’t want to miss. Show highlights 🔹 Berachain’s Big Faceplant: Launched with $10B hype, now scraping $2.5B FDV. There are too many VCs and not enough vibes to keep it afloat. 🔹 Memecoin Madness: Celebs faking hacks to rug followers? The dark side of crypto grifts gets exposed. 🔹 Is Ethereum Lost? Once the king of culture, it is now weighed down by L2 sprawl and fading relevance. Has Solana stolen the spotlight? 🔹 Solana’s Winning the Youth Vote: Fast, fun, and flooded with memecoins—exactly what Gen Z craves. 🔹 Peak Memecoin Energy: When the scams get this blatant, are we hitting the top—or just getting started? 🔹 Cramer vs. Meme Lords: Who’s worse for your wallet—a clueless TV pundit or a shameless influencer? 🔹 Regulators, Where You At? Chasing good actors while real frauds run wild. Classic crypto chaos. Hosts ⭐️ Haseeb Qureshi , Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️ Robert Leshner , CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️ Tarun Chitra , Managing Partner at Robot Ventures ⭐️ Laura Shin , Journalist, Author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ Founder and CEO of Unchained Disclosures Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:53 Berachain Launch and Community Sentiment 05:23 Market Sentiment and Crypto Cycles 18:03 Kanye West Leaks Scam Playbook 32:17 Cramer’s Curse vs. Portnoy’s Pump 39:23 Ethereum & Solana Drama 49:06 Ethereum's Existential Crisis (Again?) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner get together and give the industry insider's perspective on crypto. This week, Laura Shin joins the crew to tackle a whirlwind of major market trends and policy shifts.They dive into Bitcoin’s historic leap to $100K, the unexpected "dino coin renaissance" with legacy tokens like XRP and ADA soaring, and the NFT market’s surprising revival. Ripple’s DeFi ecosystem and its place in the broader crypto landscape spark a spirited debate on "chain biases" and decentralization. On the policy front, the team unpacks Trump’s pro-crypto administration, featuring bold regulatory appointments that could redefine the industry. Plus, a look at the dynamics of memecoins, token launch strategies, and the future of ICOs versus airdrops. Show highlights 🔹 Bitcoin Hits $100K: The crew celebrates Bitcoin crossing into six-figure territory, discussing market reactions and the volatility surrounding this milestone. 🔹 Dino Coin Renaissance: Legacy tokens like XRP, ADA, and HBAR are skyrocketing, signaling retail’s return and sparking debate about the sustainability of these "boomer coin" rallies. 🔹 Memecoin Mania: Memecoins as "crypto gaming 2.0" are dissected, with insights on their role in market dynamics and their surprising impact on Layer 1 ecosystems. 🔹 Ripple's DeFi Evolution: Robert shares his deep dive into Ripple’s AMM features and emerging DeFi capabilities, addressing "chain biases" and decentralization concerns. 🔹 Trump’s Crypto Revolution: The panel analyzes the implications of Trump’s pro-crypto administration, featuring key appointments like SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Crypto Czar David Sacks. 🔹 NFT Revival: A surprising rebound in NFT markets sees CryptoPunks, Bored Apes, and Pudgy Penguins soaring, with speculation on what's driving the renewed interest. 🔹 Regulatory Shifts Ahead: Predictions on how new SEC leadership might redefine crypto policy and the industry's hopes for a safer, more transparent regulatory environment. 🔹 ICOs vs. Airdrops: Exploring token launch strategies, the conversation evaluates the potential for a new wave of innovative fundraising models. Hosts ⭐️ Haseeb Qureshi , Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️ Tom Schmidt , General Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️ Robert Leshner , CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️ Laura Shin , journalist, author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ founder and CEO of Unchained Disclosures Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:06 100K Bitcoin & Dino Coin Renaissance 04:11 Unit Bias and Retail Investors 12:05 XRP, Ripple & DeFi 24:53 Trump's Pro-Crypto Administration Picks 37:53 Does Laura Own Crypto? 41:18 Regulatory Surprises and Nominations 45:05 NFT Market Revival 51:41 Memecoins and Market Dynamics 56:48 Future of ICOs and Airdrops Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner get together and give the industry insider's perspective on crypto. This week, Laura Shin joins the squad to help break down the aftermath of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and its impact on the crypto landscape. With a new pro-crypto administration on the horizon, they explore what Trump’s stance on blockchain regulation could mean for the industry, from ETFs and stablecoin legislation to the potential of a national Bitcoin reserve. They also dig into the power of prediction markets, which outperformed mainstream media in election coverage, signaling a shift in trust and transparency. From the populist appeal of crypto to the challenges facing a divided Democratic Party, this episode uncovers the political dynamics that could drive innovation or stifle growth in the U.S. crypto market. Expect insights on the forces shaping America’s crypto future and the role of policy in crypto’s place on the global stage. Show highlights 🔹 Prediction markets outpaced mainstream media in calling the 2024 election, marking a shift in how people track election outcomes. 🔹 Trump’s pro-crypto stance signals potential changes for the industry, from new ETFs to a possible federal Bitcoin reserve. 🔹 The Democratic Party’s anti-crypto stance highlights a disconnect between progressive values and blockchain innovation. 🔹 As prediction markets gain popularity, more Americans rely on them over traditional media for real-time election insights. 🔹 One high-stakes bettor’s multi-million-dollar wager on the election paid off, thanks to a unique strategy involving the "neighbor effect." 🔹 The Democratic Party’s focus on "woke" issues may have contributed to a historic loss, raising questions about the future of these policies. 🔹 With pro-crypto Republicans in control, sweeping legislative changes are expected, from stablecoin laws to crypto tax reforms. 🔹 Crypto’s anti-elite appeal is resonating with populist movements, indicating a potential path for mass adoption. 🔹 The idea of Bitcoin on the U.S. national balance sheet is gaining traction as a pro-crypto administration takes office. 🔹 Political choices could propel or stifle America’s standing as a global leader in blockchain innovation and technology. Hosts ⭐️ Haseeb Qureshi , Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️ Tom Schmidt , General Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️ Robert Leshner , CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️ Laura Shin , journalist, author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ founder and CEO of Unchained Disclosures Links Kamala Harris Shouldn’t Just Embrace Crypto. She Must Help It Flourish by Laura Shin: https://time.com/7111315/kamala-harris-crypto-laura-shin-essay/ How the Trump Whale Correctly Called the Election by Alexander Osipovich https://www.wsj.com/finance/how-the-trump-whale-correctly-called-the-election-cb7eef1d Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:17 Election Night Observations 04:32 Polymarket's Role 06:19 French Whale x Neighbor Effect 14:52 Mainstream Media vs. Prediction Markets 25:54 The Future of Prediction Markets 27:26 Crypto and the Democratic Party's Missteps 30:30 Democratic Party's Superiority Complex 31:38 Crypto's Global Impact and Legislation 43:23 Predictions for Crypto's Future in the U.S. 49:47 The Return

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , Podcast Addict , Pocket Casts , Pandora , Castbox , Google Podcasts , TuneIn , Amazon Music , or on your favorite podcast platform. Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra chop it up about the latest news. This week, they are joined by Laura Shin, the host of Unchained, to discuss the latest post from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who argues that crypto needs to get back to its idealistic cypherpunk roots. Is Vitalik the Pope of crypto, as Haseeb argues, and is there even a need for such an exemplary-type figure? And how do other influential crypto folks like Solana’s Anatoly Yakovenko and Tron’s Justin Sun fit into this dynamic? The gang also discusses the likely imminent approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. and what it might mean for Bitcoin’s price and Ordinals Inscriptions. Show highlights: Who won the group’s bet on what the circulating supply of PayPal’s stablecoin, PYUSD, would be at the end of the year The Orbit Bridge hack and how the potential involvement of North Korea could be a problem for the industry How Vitalik’s post urging for a return to the cypherpunk ideals sparked a debate within the community Whether Vitalik is like “the Pope of crypto” and whether there’s even a need for one Why it’s so important to keep the cypherpunk ethos, according to Tarun Why Tom believes, after reading Vitalik’s post, that the wrong lessons are being learned How Vitalik and Solana’s Anatoly Yakovenko could represent the religious leaders of two different approaches Whether Justin Sun is the “inverse of Vitalik” How GBTC holders are the most impacted ones given that the spot Bitcoin ETFs will be created and redeemed in cash Whether the SEC is picking favorites in the Bitcoin ETF landscape What could happen to the price of BTC if the ETF is approved Whether the rise in Bitcoin’s price will increase fees so much that it crowds out Ordinals Inscriptions Hosts Haseeb Qureshi , managing partner at Dragonfly Tom Schmidt , general partner at Dragonfly Tarun Chitra , managing partner at Robot Ventures Guest Laura Shin , journalist, author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ founder and CEO of Unchained Disclosures Links Cypherpunk ideals <a href="https://vitalik.eth.limo/general/2023/12/

If a year in crypto is like a decade in other industries, then Laura Shin has seen a lot. To commemorate the 500th episode of “Unchained” (actually, there’s about 150 more under a different brand name), Laura hops on the other side of the microphone to field questions from Unchained Contributing Editor Zack Seward about standout moments dating back to 2018. From the early rise of Binance to a charged interview with Terra founder Do Kwon, Shin takes you behind the scenes for rare insights into her process, her favorite moments, and how key episodes have aged. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , Podcast Addict , Pocket Casts , Stitcher , Castbox , Google Podcasts , TuneIn , Amazon Music , or on your favorite podcast platform. Highlighted episodes: Sept. 25, 2018: How Binance Became the Most Popular Crypto Exchange in 5 Months March 26, 2019: Vitalik Buterin on Whether or Not Ethereum Is ‘Blowing It’ April 8, 2022: Here’s Why USDN De-Pegged From the Dollar – And Why UST Might Too Dec. 23, 2022: Martin Shkreli Explains Why Sam Bankman-Fried Got Lucky With His Judge Aug. 3, 2021: Can a DeFi Smart Contract Be Regulated? Two CFTC Commissioners Discuss May 23, 2023: Ex-CFTC Commissioner Berkovitz Says ‘DeFi Should Be Regulated’ – But How? March 18, 2022: Punk6529 on the Significance of Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks Oct. 18, 2022: Do Kwon of Terra: ‘It Was Never Really About Money or Fame or Success’ July 31, 2018: Meltem Demirors and Jill Carlson on the Shitcoin Waterfall Aug. 10, 2021: <a href="https://unchainedcrypto.com/is-eth-on-its-way-to-becoming-ultra-sound-money-yes-

Welcome to “The Chopping Block” – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest news. In this episode, they’re joined by Unchained’s Laura Shin to debate FTX revival rumors, what the U.S. Treasury got wrong about DeFi, and whether VCs are antithetical to crypto’s core principles. Show highlights: how much ETH is getting unstaked and deposited after Shapella the market reaction following the successful implementation of the upgrade whether FTX could reopen after its massive collapse why Robert thinks rebooting the exchange is a “terrible” idea whether FTX could do the same thing as Bitfinex and issue a debt token for creditors how the U.S. government misunderstands decentralized finance, in stark contrast with regulators from other parts of the world whether DeFi front-ends should be subject to the Bank Secrecy Act whether VCs go against the principles of crypto the difference between democratizing finance and democratizing fundraising Hosts Haseeb Qureshi , managing partner at Dragonfly Robert Leshner , founder of Compound Tom Schmidt , general partner at Dragonfly Guest Laura Shin , author, and CEO of Unchained Disclosures Links Shapella: Previous coverage of Unchained on the upgrade: Shapella in the Rearview: After Major Upgrade, What’s Next for Ethereum? Ethereum's Shapella Upgrade - What to Expect? How Will ETH React to Ethereum’s Shanghai Upgrade? Unchained : Staked Ethereum Withdrawals Enabled As Shanghai Upgrade Goes Live Ethereum Surges Past $2,000 Post-Shanghai, $2 Billion Staked Withdrawals Pending Nansen: The Shanghai Upgrade Dashboard CoinDesk: What’s Next After the Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade Known as Shapella FTX: Unchained : FTX Could Reopen Crypto Exchange, Recovers $7.3 Billion in Assets Treasury Report: Unchained : Poor DeFi Cybersecurity Presents Risks for National Security, Says U.S. Treasury Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra chop it up about the latest news. In this episode, they are joined by Laura Shin, author, journalist, and host of Unchained, to discuss the drama around the Arbitrum governance’s proposal, the MEV attack on Ethereum, the Shanghai upgrade… and much more! Show highlights: what the intentions behind Arbitrum Foundation's ratification poll were why Tarun says that it was suggested by a crypto lawyer what will happen to Ethereum staking after the Shanghai upgrade how ETH provides 'organic yield,' according to Tarun whether staking makes ETH a security how a validator on Ethereum got slashed after a $25 million MEV attack the drawbacks of how Proof of Stake requires a locked stake, while Proof of Work allows joining and leaving freely whether Tarun should cut his hair (yes, this was actually discussed) Hosts Haseeb Qureshi , managing partner at Dragonfly Tarun Chitra , managing partner at Robot Ventures Tom Schmidt , general partner at Dragonfly Guest Laura Shin , author, and host of Unchained Disclosures Links Arbitrum DAO Unchained: Arbitrum Backtracks on AIP-1 After Community Backlash MEV attack Unchained: Rogue Ethereum Validator Slashed After $25 Million MEV Bot Attack Euler hack Unchained: Euler Hacker Returns All $200 Million Stolen in Exploit Shanghai: Unchained: A Guide to Ethereum’s Shanghai Upgrade Single Secret Leader Election Gauntlet’s View on the Shanghai Upgrade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Chopping Block! Crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Robert Leshner, and Tarun Chitra were joined by Laura Shin to chop it up about the latest news. Show topics: the details of the SEC and CFTC complaints how crypto traders have always speculated about Alameda's preferential treatment whether many people knew about the mismanagement of funds and alleged fraud why Haseeb thinks SBF was a "f*cking psycho" how helpful Tarun believes a testimony from Sam Trabucco, former co-CEO of Alameda, would be why Alameda and FTX lost billions of dollars, and the poor diligence of SBF's venture investments Sam's "ineffective altruism" why a bull market wouldn't have solved the insolvency problems of FTX whether SBF will fight extradition and how long it would take how Sam's consistent use of Facebook and his anti-Maker stand shows he was not a crypto-native why Laura thinks that The Block CEO's undisclosed loans represent a "total betrayal" Robert's take on the ineffectiveness of the government's control of information why Binance is under scrutiny and whether it's the "next FTX" Hosts Haseeb Qureshi , managing partner at Dragonfly Capital Tarun Chitra , managing partner at Robot Ventures Robert Leshner , founder of Compound Guest : Laura Shin , author, host of Unchained Episode Links FTX: Unchained : CFTC and SEC File Damning Complaints Against Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX SBF Denied Bail in The Bahamas, Will Remain in Fox Hill Prison Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Arrested Amid US Indictment Bahamas Asked SBF to Mint Hundreds of Millions of Dollars’ Worth of New Tokens After Collapse, Say FTX Liquidators SBF Directed $8B Alameda Liabilities to an FTX Account He Called ‘Weird Korean,’ Says CFTC Forbes: Despite Boasting Of Big Profits, FTX And Alameda Lost $3.7 Billion Before 2022 Bloomberg : FTX Bankruptcy Standoff Heats Up as Bahamas Challenges US Case Sam Bankman-Fried’s Harsh Bahamas Jail Could Shift His Stance on Extradition Fortune: Sam Bankman-Fried indicted on multiple conspiracy and fraud charges by U.S. officials Previous coverage of Unchained on Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX: <a href="https://unchainedpodcast.com/how-much-prison-time-i

Welcome to The Chopping Block! Crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra were joined by Laura Shin, CEO of the show, to chop it up about the collapse of FTX. Show topics: Haseeb's explanation of the blowup of FTX whether FTX was a Ponzi scheme Sam Bankman-Fried's strategy to become a billionaire the weird sale of Serum, a project backed by SBF the lack of proper accounting practices in FTX and Alameda whether FTX did not have a proper and large enough security team the likelihood that FTX’s volume numbers are fake why Haseeb thinks this is one of the biggest catastrophes in venture history the role of media in building SBF's character and the revindication of journalism whether venture capital firms run propaganda for their portfolio companies whether VC culture enabled this collapse to happen the story of how Sam convinced Tom Brady to invest in FTX the debate about effective altruism and whether SBF's EA caused his mistakes whether FTX's failure will set the crypto industry back Hosts Haseeb Qureshi , managing partner at Dragonfly Capital Tom Schmidt , general partner at Dragonfly Capital Tarun Chitra , managing partner at Robot Ventures Guests Laura Shin , author, host of Unchained Episode Links Previous coverage of Unchained: The Chopping Block: FTX: The Biggest Collapse in the History of Crypto? The Chopping Block: SBF on a Crazy Week of Bitfinex, Wormhole and ENS Drama Erik Voorhees and Cobie on Why FTX Loaned Out Customers’ Assets Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC FTX Collapse: FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection NYT’s “How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto Empire Collapsed” Sam Bankman-Fried built a "backdoor" to his FTX exchange to change financial records and move funds without alerting others. $600 million hack Unchained coverage: Could FTX’s Bankruptcy Trigger a Domino Effect? FTX May File for Bankruptcy After Binance Walks Off the Deal FTX Needs $8B to Meet Investor Withdrawals: Report Tron Founder Just

Welcome to The Chopping Block! Crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra were joined by Laura Shin to chop it up about the latest news in the digital asset industry. Show topics: Whether crypto optimism is different in Asia than in the United States How Sam Bankman-Fried has been doing some work with US regulators How the CFTC lawsuit against Ooki DAO changed people’s perspectives about the regulator Whether the lawsuit could make all DeFi illegal and the role of DAOs to coordinate governance The SEC settlement with Kim Kardashian for $1.26 million, Gensler’s video explaining the case and whether it was a publicity stunt Why Tarun would fire almost everyone at the CFTC and the SEC to hire more technical people How the NFT QQL collection censored a marketplace in its code What the whole purpose of NFTs is, according to Haseeb The debate around NFT royalties and their enforcement How a huge portion of the blocks in Ethereum are generated by Flashbots and whether it represents a centralizing force Whether MEV should be stopped or accelerated Hosts Haseeb Qureshi , managing partner at Dragonfly Capital Tarun Chitra , managing partner at Robot Ventures Tom Schmidt , general partner at Dragonfly Capital Guest Laura Shin , author, and host of Unchained Episode Links The lawsuit against Ooki DAO Previous Coverage of Unchained on Ooki DAO: Why the Ooki DAO Case Could Hurt Participation in DAOs Kristin Smith on Why Crypto Legislation Could Be Passed by Year’s End CFTC Filing $250,000 fine Nik’s article CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger’s dissenting statement CFTC serving the members of the Ooki DAO via their forum Tim Copeland’s article on what’s next for DAOs A feder

Welcome to The Chopping Block! Crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra were joined by Laura Shin to chop it up about the latest news in the digital asset industry. Show topics: Whether crypto optimism is different in Asia than in the United States How Sam Bankman-Fried has been doing some work with US regulators How the CFTC lawsuit against Ooki DAO changed people’s perspectives about the regulator Whether the lawsuit could make all DeFi illegal and the role of DAOs to coordinate governance The SEC settlement with Kim Kardashian for $1.26 million, Gensler’s video explaining the case and whether it was a publicity stunt Why Tarun would fire almost everyone at the CFTC and the SEC to hire more technical people How the NFT QQL collection censored a marketplace in its code What the whole purpose of NFTs is, according to Haseeb The debate around NFT royalties and their enforcement How a huge portion of the blocks in Ethereum are generated by Flashbots and whether it represents a centralizing force Whether MEV should be stopped or accelerated Hosts Haseeb Qureshi , managing partner at Dragonfly Capital Tarun Chitra , managing partner at Robot Ventures Tom Schmidt , general partner at Dragonfly Capital Guest Laura Shin , author, and host of Unchained Episode Links The lawsuit against Ooki DAO Previous Coverage of Unchained on Ooki DAO: Why the Ooki DAO Case Could Hurt Participation in DAOs Kristin Smith on Why Crypto Legislation Could Be Passed by Year’s End CFTC Filing $250,000 fine Nik’s article CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger’s dissenting statement CFTC serving the members of the Ooki DAO via their forum Tim Copeland’s article on what’s next for DAOs A federal court ruled that the CFTC legally served Ooki DAO through a website help bot. The LeXpunK Army filed a motion for amicus status in the SEC case against bZx/Ooki DAO. Crypto group DeFi Education Fund argued that the CFTC should properly serve Ooki DAO’s actual members, not just the DAO at large. NFT Royalties Tyler Hobbs’ QQL $17 million collection QQL blacklist explanation NFT platform <a href="https://www.theblock.co/post/173766/nft-pla

Welcome to The Chopping Block! Crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra chop it up about the latest news in the digital asset industry. Since Robert Leshner couldn’t make it, Laura also decided to hop on the show too! Show topics: how Terra is trying to rebuild what its value proposition is why Laura is surprised at how fast Do Kwon began shitposting again how teams affected by the Terra collapse, like Delphi Digital and Mars Protocol, are responding how its implosion will affect Cosmos why Tarun thinks Osmosis’ purchase of Keplr was the “best” purchase in crypto history whether the collapse of UST could help Cosmos in the long run what the legal implications of UST’s depeg will be whether Terra was a fraud like Theranos why Tarun thinks that investors should be sued for getting clients involved in Terra why Tarun thinks regulators are against 24-hour trading why Tarun thinks Matt Levine is a “boomer” what FTX’s chances are in getting approval from the CFTC to be the engine for 24-hour derivatives trading why NFTs are denominated in ETH/SOL instead of fiat why Tom doesn’t think airdrops matter what went wrong with the OP token drop Hosts Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly Capital https://twitter.com/hosseeb Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly Capital https://twitter.com/tomhschmidt Tarun Chitra, managing partner at Robot Ventures https://twitter.com/tarunchitra Guest Laura Shin, host of Unchained https://twitter.com/laurashin Show Topics Terra revival plan https://www.protocol.com/bulletins/terra-blockchain-restart-approved LUNA 2.0 https://fortune.com/2022/05/30/do-kwon-luna-2-airdrop-plunges/ LUNA airdrop calculation issues: https://twitter.com/terra_money/status/1531410663674888192 https://agora.terra.money/t/terra-ecosystem-revival-plan-2-passed-gov/18498 Delphi Digital https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/147755/delphi-digital-admits-we-were-wrong-on-terra-stablecoin-risks Luna Classic https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/149361/mirror-protocol-suffers-new-exploit-and-could-be-drained-in-hours https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/149342/a-90-million-defi-exploit-on-terra-went-unnoticed-for-seven-months Korean prosecutors are looking to crackdown on Terra https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/149309/terraform-labs-employees-summoned-korea-prosec

Two policy experts, Chris Lehane, chief strategy officer at Haun Ventures, and Niki Christoff, the founder of Christoff and Co., discuss how the crypto industry has performed in Washington and how it can better educate more regulators and politicians about the technology. Show highlights: Niki and Chris’ background how Niki and Chris would grade the performance of crypto companies in Washington what parallels Chris can draw between crypto in the 2020s and FAANG in the mid-90s whether having a plethora of crypto policy groups helps or hurts crypto in Washington whether calling politicians and regulators names and making memes of them helps or hurts the crypto industry an effective way crypto companies can prompt lawmakers and regulators to prioritize crypto policy why it can be strategically smarter to try to convince incumbents to adopt pro-crypto policy over supporting challengers why Chris thinks crypto could be a bipartisan topic what Chris and Niki think about the fact that Democratic candidates received more donations from people working in the crypto industry than Republicans did the three types of crypto users that are valuable to political candidates what Niki and Chris would tell Senator Elizabeth Warren about crypto if they were to meet with her today what effect crypto might have on midterms why the terminology native to crypto may have to change Unchained is hiring! Find out information on the three openings at Unchained and how to apply here: part-time remote social media marketing manager: https://unchainedpodcast.com/seeking-part-time-remote-social-media-and-marketing-manager/ part-time remote editorial assistant: https://unchainedpodcast.com/seeking-remote-editorial-assistant/ part-time remote video/audio producer: https://unchainedpodcast.com/seeking-part-time-remote-video-audio-producer/ Announcing The Cryptopians Book Clubs! On April 26th, I will be selling NFT tickets to five 90-minute virtual book clubs in which 22 people can discuss "The Cryptopians" with me and with each other — without worrying about spoilers! Two of the book clubs will also feature special guests. The sale will go live on Tuesday, April 26, at 1pm ET/10am PT, and tickets will be $100 each. (The sale will be on Bitski, but the NFTs will not be visible until the sale goes live on the 26th): https://www.bitski.com/@laurashin/created Here is the schedule: Monday May 2, at 8pm ET/5pm PT with Laura Shin Tuesday, May 3, at 7pm CET/1pm ET/10am PT with guests Christoph Jentzsch, Lefteris Karapetsas, and Griff Green Thursday, May 5, at 6pm CET/12pm ET/9am PT with Laura Shin Monday, May 9, at 6pm CET/12pm ET/9am PT with guest Andrey Ternovskiy Tuesday, May 10, at 9pm CET/3pm ET/12pm PT with Laura Shin If you'd like to participate, be sure to mark your calendars for the sale time on April 26th. Hope to see you in one of the book clubs! Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021 Beefy Finance: https://beefy.finance Cross River Bank: https://crossriver.com/crypto Galaxis: https://galaxis.xyz/ Episode Links<

Tim Beiko, the Ethereum Foundation coordinator for core developers, discusses his recent estimation that Ethereum’s merge, where the network transitions from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake, will be delayed until the second half of 2022. Show topics: what the Ethereum merge is why an upcoming difficulty bomb could force developers to delay the merge what shadow forks are and how they affect the decision to go forward with the merge how network difficulty is used in Ethereum to keep a balance between the blockchain and miners Tim’s (purposefully vague) timeline for the merge how the merge could increase Ethereum’s throughput by 9% – and thus potentially reduce gas fees slightly how the Ethereum Foundation plans to address gas fees and scaling issues post-merge Announcing The Cryptopians Book Clubs! On April 26th, I will be selling NFT tickets to five 90-minute virtual book clubs in which 22 people can discuss "The Cryptopians" with me and with each other — without worrying about spoilers! Two of the book clubs will also feature special guests. The sale will go live on Tuesday, April 26, at 1pm ET/10am PT, and tickets will be $100 each. (The sale will be on Bitski, but the NFTs will not be visible until the sale goes live on the 26th): https://www.bitski.com/@laurashin/created Here is the schedule: Monday May 2, at 8pm ET/5pm PT with Laura Shin Tuesday, May 3, at a time TBD with guests Christoph Jentzsch, Lefteris Karapetsas, and Griff Green Thursday, May 5, at 6pm CET/12pm ET/9am PT with Laura Shin Monday, May 9, at 6pm CET/12pm ET/9am PT with guest Andrey Ternovskiy Tuesday, May 10, at 9pm CET/3pm ET/12pm PT with Laura Shin If you'd like to participate, be sure to mark your calendars for the sale time on April 26th. Hope to see you in one of the book clubs! Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021 Coinchange: https://coinchange.io OnJuno: https://onjuno.com/ Galaxis: https://galaxis.xyz/ Episode Links Tim Beiko Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimBeiko Related Content Tim’s post on the merge FAQs: https://github.com/timbeiko/eth-roadmap-faq#merge-timelines Tim’s tweets from this week: https://twitter.com/TimBeiko/status/1514423985517203458 https://twitter.com/TimBeiko/status/1514010098145759232 Previous Unchained appearance discussing the merge and EIP 1559: https://unchainedpodcast.com/ethereums-eip-1559-will-solve-some-problems-but-big-ones-will-remain/ Shadow fork threads https://twitter.com/parithosh_j/status/1513129893235769346?s=20&t=w63Iw2RPkldNMnRS4PJdjA <a href="https://twitter.com/v

Stuart Levi, co-head of the Technology Transaction and Intellectual Property Group at Skadden Arps, and Marta Belcher, general counsel and Head of Policy at Protocol Labs, break down the legal issues surrounding NFTs specifically in the context of Yuga Labs’ recent purchase of CryptoPunks and Meebits IP rights. Show highlights: the definitions and differences between copyrights, trademarks, and rights of publicity (name, image, likeness) how NFT projects have evolved in the past 12-18 months and what that means for the rights of NFT holders why NBA Top Shot’s licensing model is the best model for famous brands entering the NFT space how the popularity of PFPs and the open-source ethos of crypto has led to confusion regarding the commercial rights of NFT holders what you are getting when you buy an NFT (hint, it’s not copyright) the misconceptions surrounding Yuga Labs’ acquisition of Crypto Punks and Meebits why Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT holders most likely cannot use the Bored Ape Yacht Club brand or logo what issues web3 projects face in getting NFT holders to accept terms and conditions why web3 projects should protect their trademark what a Creative Commons license is, and how it can be used in the NFT space what sort of licenses exist in the NFT space why secondary sales and transfers of NFTs pose such massive problems for copyright and trademark owners how marketplaces are handling terms and conditions what NFT projects can do to help the transfer of copyrights and trademarks Announcing The Cryptopians Book Clubs! On April 26th, I will be selling NFT tickets to five 90-minute virtual book clubs in which 22 people can discuss "The Cryptopians" with me and with each other — without worrying about spoilers! Two of the book clubs will also feature special guests. The sale will go live on Tuesday, April 26, at 1pm ET/10am PT, and tickets will be $100 each. (The sale will be on Bitski, but the NFTs will not be visible until the sale goes live on the 26th): https://www.bitski.com/@laurashin/created Here is the schedule: Monday May 2, at 8pm ET/5pm PT with Laura Shin Tuesday, May 3, at a time TBD with guests Christoph Jentzsch, Lefteris Karapetsas, and Griff Green Thursday, May 5, at 6pm CET/12pm ET/9am PT with Laura Shin Monday, May 9, at 6pm CET/12pm ET/9am PT with guest Andrey Ternovskiy Tuesday, May 10, at 9pm CET/3pm ET/12pm PT with Laura Shin If you'd like to participate, be sure to mark your calendars for the sale time on April 26th. Hope to see you in one of the book clubs! Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021 Beefy Finance: https://beefy.finance Cross River Bank: https://crossriver.com/crypto Galaxis: https://galaxis.xyz/ Episode Link: Marta Belcher https://www.linkedin.com/in/martabelcher https://twitter.com/MartaBelcher Stuart Levi https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartlevi/ Content on NFT IP/Legal Issues Josh Durham on IP rights and NFTs https://lexdao.substack.com/p/protecting-your-nft-personal-property-rights?s=r <

Dapper Collectives CEO and Friends With Benefits founder Trevor McFedries joins Unchained to discuss social tokens, NFTs, the creator economy, $FWB, VC snacks, DAOs, Cooper Turley, and more. Show highlights: Trevor’s past, which includes a top 10 album, working at Spotify, founding Brud, creating Lil Miquela, and, of course, falling down the crypto rabbit hole what Trevor’s vision for Dapper Collectives is what type of activities DAOs will facilitate in the future why Trevor is so excited to be working with Dapper Labs and Flow what Friends With Benefits is and how the $FWB token works what sort of tokens make up the Friends With Benefits treasury why venture capitalists who want to be involved with Friends With Benefits need to have a good snack game why Trevor is not worried about $FWB becoming a security what plans Friends With Benefits has in store for 2022 Trevor’s response to Friends With Benefits suspending co-founder Cooper Turley regarding 10-year old racist and homophobic tweets what can be done to onboard a more diverse demographic to crypto how Trevor defines the passion/creator economy what Trevor is looking forward to in 2022 regarding NFTs, DAOs, and social tokens Join the Unchained With Laura Shin discussion group on Facebook! Laura is launching a paid Facebook discussion group where you and other listeners of the show can discuss recent episodes, ask questions in advance, get access to special AMAs with myself and show guests and more. Those who join now and for the next two weeks will get a special introductory price of $2.99 a month or $29.99 annually. Those who join from February 15 and on will be charged the regular rate of $4.99 a month or $49.99 annually. We will open up the group on the 15th, one week ahead of my book launch. If you’re interested in subscribing, head to https://laurashin.bulletin.com/subscribe . Check out my new author website! Keep up to date on all things I'm up to at the newly launched laurashin.com . There, you can find out all the latest on my book, all my writing, and press and speaking appearances. Enjoy! Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021 Beefy Finance: https://beefy.finance Bosonic: https://bosonic.digital/ Episode Links Trevor Mcfedries Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatdotcd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-mcfedries-0a5285a8/ Work CEO - Dapper Collectives Decrypt write-up: https://decrypt.co/82517/dapper-labs-nfts-daos-collectives-brud Announcement: https://medium.com/dapperlabs/the-future-of-x-is-decentralized-bb3245faf1b1 Founder → Brud Twitter: https://twitter.com/makebrud Website: https://www.brud.fyi/ Lil Miquela: https://www.instagram.com/lilmiquela/ Acquisition by Dapper Labs: https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/04/nft-startup-dapper-lab

Subscribe now - first episode coming Friday! Weekly Insights and Analysis From the Top Minds in Crypto. Events in crypto take place at warp speed. This weekly crypto podcast reveals how the marquee names in crypto are reacting to the week’s top headlines. With host Laura Shin, the guests also discuss what they’re thinking about these days and reveal what they believe is on the horizon in crypto. Host Laura Shin - Independent journalist covering crypto (crypto assets, Bitcoin, Ethereum, ICOs, tokens), and host of the podcasts Unchained and Unconfirmed.