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Bankless

The Ultimate Guide to Crypto Finance. DeFi, NFTs, and cryptocurrencies. Level up. Go bankless.
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Episodes

ROLLUP: $3B ETH Whale | Roman Storm Verdict | Trump 401(k) Crypto Order

On this week’s Weekly Rollup, Ryan and David cover Tom Lee’s $3B ETH buying spree at 12x Michael Saylor’s pace, the race to become the top Ethereum treasury, and whether these companies are a buy or not. They also discuss the Roman Storm verdict, Trump’s surprise $8.7T 401(k) crypto order, and Arthur Hayes selling millions in ETH. Plus, Base’s 33-minute outage, the launch of Succinct’s ZK prover network, and the SEC declaring liquid staking tokens are not securities. --- 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FE...

Aug 08, 20251 hr 1 min

The Roman Storm Verdict | Peter Van Valkenburgh & David Morris

Welcome to BanklessTV, featuring Peter Van Valkenburgh from Coin Center and David Morris of The Rage, freshly back from the SDNY courtroom with the inside scoop on the Roman Storm verdict. In this episode we unpack the split decision—how Storm beat the money-laundering and sanctions-evasion counts yet was found guilty on the hot-button “unlicensed money-transmission” charge—and what that single conviction means for every non-custodial developer in crypto. Peter breaks down the legal tightrope be...

Aug 07, 20251 hr 19 min

The World’s Largest ETH Holder - Tom Lee on Treasuries, Ethereum Dominance, and Wall Street

In this episode, we talk with Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine, about the rapid growth of his ETH treasury company and its goal to secure 5% of the total ETH supply. Tom believes Ethereum could surpass Bitcoin in value, forecasting potential prices between $4,000 and $15,000. We discuss market dynamics, risks of excessive leverage, and his insights on valuing Ethereum and NFTs like Pudgy Penguins. Tune in for key insights into Ethereum’s future and Wall Street’s role in crypto. ------ 📣 LISTEN TO T...

Aug 06, 20251 hr 3 min

Should I Buy ETH Treasuries? Early Stage Greed Cycle? | Michael Nadeau’s DeFi Report #4

Public companies are racing to lock ETH onto their balance sheets, but is this the spark for a late-cycle greed run or a setup for a painful reversal? Mike Nadeau from The DeFi Report joins Ryan to unpack the ETH treasury boom, explain how staking yield and convertible debt amplify reflexivity, and show why onchain signals place us around 9 p.m. on the market clock. We examine surging DEX volumes, record stablecoin supply, and the alt-season gauges that could send ETH to new highs. Finally, we o...

Aug 05, 202552 min

Ben Cowen: Ethereum Season Is Here | How Far Can ETH Go?

Ethereum has flipped the switch. After years of underperformance, ETH is showing decisive momentum, not just in USD terms, but against Bitcoin and the broader altcoin market. In this episode, Ben Cowen returns to break down what’s changed, why ETH may be on a path to new all-time highs, and what its dominance means for the rest of the cycle. We explore ETH’s regression bounce, ETHBTC targets, the fading strength of altcoins, and how market narratives tend to follow price, not the other way aroun...

Aug 04, 202552 min

ROLLUP: SEC Announces "Project Crypto." This Changes Everything.

We’re joined by Haseeb Qureshi from Dragonfly Capital to discusses the SEC's Project Crypto and its impact on the crypto landscape. We celebrate Ethereum's 10th birthday, reflect on its growth, and analyze the ongoing trial of Roman Storm linked to Tornado Cash. The episode also covers the launch of Ethereum treasury company ETH Zilla and advancements in crypto ETF regulations. Haseeb: https://x.com/hosseeb —- 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium -...

Aug 01, 20251 hr 4 min

The Dollar Kill-Switch: Edward Fishman on How The U.S. Controls The Global Economy

Can a country wage war without ever firing a bullet? In this episode of Bankless, we uncover the surprising truth: America’s most powerful weapon isn’t its military - it’s the dollar. Joining us is Edward Fishman, a former State Department official and the author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare. He explains how U.S. sanctions work, why they’re so effective, and what happens when countries try to escape them. From Iran and Russia to the rise of stablecoins and China’...

Jul 30, 20251 hr 34 min

LIMITLESS - Dwarkesh Patel: The Scaling Era of AI is Here

Is intelligence just compute plus data? And if so... what happens next? In this episode, Dwarkesh Patel, host of one of the most respected AI podcasts and author of “The Scaling Era”, joins us to break down the exponential rise of artificial intelligence. We explore how scaling laws became the engine behind modern models, why AI still can’t learn on the job, and whether we’re truly on the brink of AGI. From coding to consciousness, from geopolitics to governance, Dwarkesh shares a grounded but u...

Jul 29, 20251 hr 37 min

The Ether Machine: How ETH Becomes the Internet’s Reserve Currency | Andrew Keys & David Merin

Andrew Keys and David Merin join us to unveil the Ether Machine—a bold new strategy to make ETH the internet’s reserve currency. We unpack their ambitious plan to acquire and actively manage hundreds of thousands of ETH, why they believe ETH is more than just a treasury asset, and how institutional capital can finally understand and tap into Ethereum’s full potential. From staking and restaking to DeFi yield generation and Wall Street education, this episode explores why Ether is not just digita...

Jul 28, 20251 hr 2 min

Crypto's Everything App | Base's Creator, Jesse Pollak

The internet is broken for creators, and Base thinks it has the fix. Jesse Pollak joins Bankless to unveil the Base app, a crypto-powered everything app where posts earn, creators own, and mini apps go viral. From meme coins to market-based social media, this might be the start of a new onchain economy. —- 📣BANKLESS TV | BASE DAY https://x.com/BanklessHQ/status/1948769160932327886 —- BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN http...

Jul 26, 202534 min

ROLLUP: $4 Trillion Market Cap | GENIUS Act | ETH ETF Mania

In this episode, we celebrate the crypto market reaching a $4 trillion cap, exploring the impact of the Genius Bill on stablecoins and digital assets. We discuss Polymarket's U.S. acquisition, Ethereum's ETF inflows, and the courtroom drama surrounding the Roman Storm trial. —- 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium --- BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unic...

Jul 25, 20251 hr 13 min

The ETH Treasury Race Has Officially Begun | Sam Tabar, CEO of Bit Digital (2nd Largest)

The race for ETH supremacy among public companies is heating up—and BitDigital is charging hard. CEO Sam Tabar joins us to share why they’re going all-in on Ether, how they're copying Michael Saylor’s playbook (but for ETH), and what sets BitDigital apart from the rest of the pack We talk staking strategies, ETH yields, competitive dynamics, and the explosive rise of ETH treasury companies. This is the next phase of institutional Ethereum adoption—don’t miss it. ------ 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED...

Jul 24, 202542 min

6 Levels of Wealth with Nick Maggiulli | Author of The Wealth Ladder

Everyone wants to climb the wealth ladder - but very few ask if they should. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Nick Maggiulli to explore the six stages of wealth, how your strategy should evolve at each level, and why reaching the top isn’t always the win it seems. From early savings and side hustles to ownership leverage and lifestyle trade-offs, Nick guides us through practical, data-driven ways to build wealth, without losing sight of happiness along the way. If you’re somewhere between $1...

Jul 23, 20251 hr 11 min

How Coinwatch Is Exposing Market Maker Manipulation | Co-Founders Matt Jobbe & Brian Tubergen

Crypto's murky market making practices are finally getting sunlight. We sit down with Coinwatch co-founders Matt Jobbe and Brian Tubergen to uncover how market makers have been quietly influencing token prices, the call-option structures enabling extraction, and how shady tactics have hurt retail. Then, we explore how Coinwatch Track is bringing real-time transparency to the space using trusted execution environments (TEEs), giving projects verifiable insights into what market makers are really ...

Jul 22, 202558 min

Can Worldcoin Fix The Internet's 99% Bot Problem? | Co-Founder Alex Blania

The bots are winning. AI-generated spam, fake profiles, and deepfakes are turning the internet into a digital hall of mirrors. But what if there were a way to prove you're human, without sacrificing privacy? Worldcoin Co-Founder Alex Blania returns to Bankless to share a bold vision for addressing the online identity crisis. From 14 million users already “Orbed” to new integrations with dating apps and DeFi protocols, Worldcoin is evolving rapidly and facing significant questions. What happens w...

Jul 21, 20251 hr 2 min

ROLLUP: ETH Breaks New Records While BTC Hits ANOTHER All Time High

We’re celebrating "Crypto Week" as declared by Trump amid the introduction of key regulatory bills. But perhaps more importantly, Bitcoin's new all-time high, Ethereum's rising institutional interest, and Tom Lee's goal of acquiring 5% of ETH supply. Highlights include Base's new "everything app," the trend of Bitcoin miners viewing ETH as a treasury asset, and updates on macroeconomic factors and the Roman Storm trial. This is the hottest news in crypto. —- 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE...

Jul 18, 202556 min

10 Bullish ETH Charts | Michael Nadeau

Ethereum is gaining steam, but is the real rally just getting started? Mike Nadeau of the DeFi Report joins us to break down Ethereum’s Q2 fundamentals and the 10 most bullish charts from his latest report. We explore why institutional demand may be driving this rally, how ETF flows and treasury holdings are accelerating, and whether ETH remains undervalued despite recent gains. Plus, we dig into the Genius Bill, stablecoin growth, real-world assets, and key onchain metrics that could fuel the n...

Jul 17, 202541 min

Are Tokenized Stocks Real? | Gabriel Otte of Dinari

Tokenized stocks have long been a crypto dream, but are they real yet? Gabriel Otte, founder of Dinari, joins to break down the current landscape. We cover what tokenized stocks actually are, why regulatory hurdles make them complex, how Dinari secured the first broker-dealer license for tokenized public shares, and what this means for on-chain finance. We also explore the limitations of current tokenized stock offerings, Robinhood’s moves, and whether true DeFi composability is possible for equ...

Jul 14, 20251 hr 26 min

ROLLUP: Bitcoin All-Time-High, Is ETH Next?

This week, Ryan and David celebrate Bitcoin's new all-time highs as Ethereum sentiment explodes. ETH treasury firms are racing to stockpile billions, Fidelity is framing ETH as a store-of-value, and mainstream media is finally paying attention. So why isn't the price moving faster? They unpack the $8.6 billion Bitcoin whale awakening, Pump's $4 billion ICO, and crypto's "what color is the dress" moment with Zelensky's suit. Plus, Hyperliquid beats Solana at its own game, Robinhood pushes tokeniz...

Jul 11, 20251 hr 5 min

Ethereum's Strategy to Win Over Wall Street | Joe Lubin & Danny Ryan

Recorded live at the Permissionless IV conference, this conversation dives into Ethereum’s strategy to win over Wall Street. Danny Ryan discusses how Etherealize is advising financial institutions to leverage Ethereum’s decentralization, resilience, and credible neutrality, while Joe Lubin explains why ConsenSys is taking a direct approach by accumulating ETH on Sharplink Gaming’s balance sheet, similar to MicroStrategy with Bitcoin. Together, they unpack Ethereum’s strengths, institutional adop...

Jul 08, 202538 min

Inside Cathie Wood’s Trillion-Dollar Bets: AI, Musk, Robots & Crypto

Cathie Wood is placing some of the boldest bets in investing history, spanning AI, robotaxis, brain chips, crypto, and even space. In this episode of Bankless, the ARK Invest CEO joins Chief Futurist Brett Winton to break down her five highest-conviction technologies - opportunities she believes could unlock over $20 trillion in enterprise value. You’ll hear why Elon Musk’s empire is at the center of it all, how Tesla’s robotaxis could become the biggest AI project on Earth, and why Neuralink, S...

Jul 07, 20251 hr 38 min

ROLLUP: Robinhood's Announcement Sets off Stock Tokens Frenzy

Welcome to the Weekly Rollup, where we cover the latest news in crypto. ——— 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🟠 BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ——— TIMESTAMPS & RESOURCES 0:00 Intro and EthCC 5:30 MARKE...

Jul 04, 20251 hr 3 min

Robinhood vs. Coinbase: Who Wins the Future of Finance? | David Rodriguez & Omar Kanji

David from Blockworks and Omar from Dragonfly join the show to debate Coinbase vs Robinhood, two companies racing to become the dominant financial super app. We break down their business models, growth strategies, tokenized asset plays, and how each is approaching crypto, equities, and infrastructure. Will Robinhood’s slick UX and expanding product suite win the next generation? Or will Coinbase’s onchain infra and stablecoin moat prove unbeatable? Omar & Dragonfly https://x.com/TheOneandOms...

Jul 03, 20251 hr 16 min

Crypto Markets Forever Stuck? Onchain Data Explained | Michael Nadeau’s Defi Report #2

Crypto prices seem stuck. Is that about to change? Michael Nadeau of the DeFi Report returns to unpack what onchain data says about Bitcoin, ETH, and altcoins. We dive into why the market may be coiling beneath the surface, whether altcoins are due for a “hate rally,” and how valuation metrics reveal surprising accumulation trends. Michael also shares his current portfolio moves, including high-beta bets like Pepe and ENA, and lays out the macro triggers that could spark the next leg up. Michael...

Jul 02, 20251 hr 5 min

Robinhood Announces Tokenized Stocks! LIVE with CEO Vlad Tenev, Johann Kerbrat, and AJ Warner

In this series of three interviews from Cannes, we host Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood, Johann Kerbrat, GM of Crypto at Robinhood, and AJ Warner from Arbitrum to explore key announcements from their recent Token Summit. They discuss the introduction of tokenized stock options for private companies like SpaceX and OpenAI, aiming to democratize access for retail investors. Vlad highlights Robinhood’s commitment to addressing investment inequities, while Johann shares insights on the technological ch...

Jul 01, 202556 min

Becoming a Crypto Millionaire with Sam Dogen

Sam Dogen, founder of Financial Samurai and one of the original F.I.R.E. voices, joins Ryan Sean Adams to break down the path to financial independence, whether you're investing in crypto or other asset classes. They unpack 10 milestones to millionaire status, from mindset and momentum to investing, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Sam and Ryan go deep on how to avoid financial landmines, get on the same page with a partner, and define a life where money serves purpose, not the other way aroun...

Jun 30, 20251 hr 13 min

ROLLUP: Bitcoin Dominance Hits 66% | Circle IPO 10x | Robinhood Flips Coin? | Kalshi vs Polymarket

This week, David and guest co-host Tom Schmidt (Dragonfly) unpack a deceptively quiet crypto market with Bitcoin dominance hitting 66% and altcoins eerily still. What meta could flip the trend? They dive into Circle’s explosive 10x IPO, Robinhood’s surprise crypto surge, and why Coinbase is finally catching up. Plus: the Kalshi vs. Polymarket drama, ICOs creeping back, and how meme coins might soon help you get a mortgage. Also: Vitalik’s Layer 1 pivot, prediction markets heating up, and signs o...

Jun 27, 202554 min

The Stablecoin King | Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino on GENIUS Act, Circle IPO, Bitcoin & Tether to Trillions

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino discusses the implications of the Genius Act stablecoin bill, confirming Tether's intent to comply while potentially launching a separate US stablecoin. He reveals staggering profits and explains how Tether's massive US treasury holdings decentralize US debt. Paolo highlights Tether's unique grassroots distribution network in emerging markets as its key moat against new domestic competitors like banks and tech companies. He also touches on Tether Ventures' diverse investments in AI, biotech, tokenized gold, and becoming the largest Bitcoin miner.

Jun 23, 20251 hr 16 min

ROLLUP: The GENIUS Act Passes | JP Morgan Stablecoin | Stablecoin Summer

Welcome to the Weekly Rollup, where we cover this week in Crypto. We unpack the implications of the Genius Act's passage, which positions the U.S. to lead in digital assets and spurs optimism around stablecoins potentially hitting a $3.7 trillion valuation by 2030. Also: JP Morgan’s surprising entry into the stablecoin market and Coinbase’s launch of new products, including a Bitcoin cashback credit card. ——— 🤌 BANKLESS SUMMIT | SEE US AT DEVCONNECT https://lu.ma/0ph1qg6c ------ BANKLESS SPONSO...

Jun 20, 20251 hr

The GENIUS Act Passes the Senate: Lead Sen. Bill Hagerty Discusses The US Stablecoin Bill

Today, we discuss the recently passed Genius Bill with Senator Bill Hagerty, a key architect behind the legislation aimed at stabilizing the U.S. stablecoin market. Following a significant bipartisan Senate vote of 68-30, Sen. Hagerty shares insights on the evolving congressional perception of cryptocurrency, moving from skepticism to support. The bill seeks to foster a regulatory environment that encourages innovation while protecting users and maintaining America’s leadership in financial tech...

Jun 18, 202539 min
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