Hadley Stern , the Chief Commercial Officer of Marinade joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Hadley's career in the blockchain industry. The early days of researching and building blockchain products at Fidelity. The landscape for banks in the United States as it relates to digital asset product development. The evolving regulatory landscape and the prospects of pro-innovation legislation. The staking landscape and how Marinade is going to market with its products and services. To learn m...
Nov 04, 2024•37 min•Ep. 572
Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: We check in on the presidential odds State races to watch As part of their quarterly earnings release, Microstrategy announced a plan to raise $42 billion in the next 3 years in order to buy more Bitcoin. The raise will be evenly split between equity offerings and sales of fixed-income securities. Coinbase pledged a future donation of $25 million to Fairshake to be used for the 2026 midterm elections. Nishad Singh, the form...
Nov 01, 2024•32 min•Ep. 571
Pat Larsen, the founder and CEO of Zenledger joins the show. In this episode we discuss: The latest developments in the tax and compliance categories within digital assets. How asset managers and large financial institutions are increasingly adopting digital assets. The compliance obligations of financial services firms as it relates to digital asset trading. The venture capital landscape for digital asset startups. The use cases that are currently driving adoption in the blockchain industry. To...
Oct 29, 2024•30 min•Ep. 570
Matt and Nic are back for more news and deals. In this episode: The Polymarket whale is identified BTCUSD predictions for the election Election models versus prediction markets Stripe acquires Bridge for $1.1b Did the Bridge deal make sense for Stripe? Stablecoins as Fintech 3.0 Nigeria frees Tigran Gambaryan Kraken is launching the Ink blockchain Buenos Aires is launching a blockchain-based identity solution Opera launches the minipay wallet A new paper from the Fed gives us new insight into th...
Oct 25, 2024•30 min•Ep. 569
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Nic's Dutch misadventures Federal versus State regulation of Stablecoins TD Bank filed $3b for money laundering Are stake rewards property or income? Italy hikes capital gains taxes on Bitcoin Is Polymarket manipulated? Has the first AI bot millionaire been minted? The World Liberty Financial tokensale flopped Sponsor notes: Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering ac...
Oct 18, 2024•33 min•Ep. 568
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Are shipping regulations making the oceans hotter? Is Satoshi Peter Todd? Is the identity of Satoshi the best mystery of all time? The SEC comes after Cumberland Crypto.com sues the SEC World Liberty Financial is doing a tokensale Uniswap announces Unichain Is Polymarket manipulated? Ryan Salame appears on Tucker Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics, State of the Network's Q3 2024 Mining Data Special : In Coin Metrics' State of th...
Oct 11, 2024•33 min•Ep. 567
Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Monad Madness CZ is released from jail Roman Storm's motion to dismiss is denied Mango settles with the SEC Swift is piloting digital asset transactions Bitwise submits and S-1 for a Ripple ETF Visa announces their Tokenized Assets Platform Franklin moves to Aptos The SEC's Gurbir Grewal steps down Sponsor notes Coin Metrics, State of the Network's Q3 2024 Wrap-Up : A data-driven overview of events shaping crypto markets in...
Oct 04, 2024•35 min•Ep. 566
Stephen Novenstern , the founder of Kintsu joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Stephen's path to the cryptocurrency industry and the vision for Kintsu, a liquid staking project in the Monad ecosystem. The history of DeFi and the LST category. Why Monad and views on the net new primitives that are enabled by this new layer one blockchain. The future of layer one blockchains. Central limit orderbooks in decentralized finance. To learn more about Kintsu visit their website and follow the pr...
Oct 03, 2024•29 min•Ep. 565
Matt and Nic are back with another week of news and deals. In this episode: Gensler denies knowledge of Operation Choke Point 2.0 We recap the Silvergate collapse Why did the MSM ignore the new Silvergate revelations? Trump's fair banking access rule Looking back at the Signature closure Gensler appears in front of the House Caroline Ellison sentenced to 2 years in prison Options approved for Bitcoin ETFs SEC versus TUSD What's going on with the port strike? Nic's panda moon moon situation Spons...
Sep 27, 2024•38 min•Ep. 564
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Nic's Singapore Zyn problem Nic's Token 2049 keynote The Iggy Azalea Eric Wall debate Trump make an appearance at Pubkey in NYC World Liberty Financial continues to be insane SEC versus Flyfish club Are airdrops done for? Is JPM really the "largest user of blockchain"? Bhutan has a ton of Bitcoin Listening to podcasts with AI Interest rates fell The exploding pagers and what it means for crypto Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics...
Sep 20, 2024•39 min•Ep. 563
Alex Leishman , founder and CEO of River , joins us to talk about River's Proof of Reserve initiative. In this episode: River business update Building their own custodian Why Alex decided to do PoR now? River's PoR mechanics Proof of Reserve versus traditional audit What kind of assurances PoR gives users How does River handle privacy for PoR? Responding to various PoR critiques Boxing What's on the horizon for River Content mentioned: Alex's previous appearance on OTB River PoR on Github River ...
Sep 19, 2024•40 min•Ep. 562
Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: We review the Trump-Harris debate Matt's new wildlife problems Nic's birthday party Trump doubles down on World Liberty Financial The Castle Island stablecoins whitepaper is out! Our reactions to the emerging markets stablecoin report TZero gets approval to trade tokenized securities Coinbase's cbBTC North Carolina bans CBDCs Something is happening to Friend Tech Circle is moving their HQ to NYC Content mentioned: Castle Is...
Sep 13, 2024•36 min•Ep. 560
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: SEC fiscal year ending in September How to get accurate transfer volume figures for stablecoins How much volume do stablecoins really settle? Do SEC rules stop registered venture firms from voting in governance or staking? CFTC settles with Uniswap Robinhood settles with the California DoJ Choke Point 2.0 is still happening What's the latest with World Liberty Financial? John Deaton wins his primary in MA What's the deal ...
Sep 06, 2024•38 min
Dan Burke , CEO of Nirvana Labs , joins the show. In the episode we discuss: Dan's background and journey into the crypto space The role of nodes in a blockchain network and the complexities of running one independently Challenges with existing node infrastructure providers as companies in the space scale Nirvana's product offerings including managed nodes and web3 cloud and the benefits of leveraging bare metal servers Dan's long term view on how the node operation landscape evolves...
Sep 04, 2024•22 min•Ep. 558
Mark Eckerle , Partner at Withum joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Mark's journey into the digital asset/blockchain industry. Withum's history in digital assets and how the firm came to prioritize working with clients in this category. The rise of stablecoins and the impact that these assets are having on corporate accounting and operations. How startups should evaluate tax, audit and advisory services in the digital assets context. Where Withum is seeing the most engagement in the dig...
Sep 02, 2024•36 min•Ep. 557
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Has cryptodollarization occured? Tigran Gambaryan is still detained in Nigeria Durov of Telegram was detained in France Should major tech companies leave the EU? The SEC settles with Abra Sony is launching an ETH L2 The mythical Harris reset VCs for Harris support Harris Trump's weird World Liberty Financial DeFi thing is looking ominous Sponsor notes: Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes i...
Aug 30, 2024•35 min•Ep. 556
Scott Fletcher, founder of Intersection Growth Partners joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Scott's professional background and the events that led him to launching Intersection Growth Partners. The Intersection Growth Partners business model and how they also became investors in a number of their clients' businesses. The current state of the Executive Search market for digital asset/blockchain companies. How the best founders run structured recruiting and interview processes. What job c...
Aug 28, 2024•26 min•Ep. 555
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: SALT Wyoming review Nic's next fight How Bitcoin miners have a procyclical effect on the Bitcoin price Hunting Hill is launching a credit fund seeded by Kraken Wyoming is launching a stable token in Q1 of 2025 The SEC rejects CBOE's filings for SOL ETFs Is Gensler actually being slated to run Treasury under Harris? Tether is launching a UAE Dirham stablecoin Our upcoming Emerging Markets Stablecoin Report Our Bozo of the ...
Aug 23, 2024•38 min•Ep. 554
Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Fairshake is getting active in Senate Races What's going on with the Harris pivot? Chuck Schumer promises crypto legislation by end of year What's happening with WBTC? The SEC is subpoenaing VC funds over Uniswap Don Jr is launching a crypto project Will CBDCs destroy the stablecoin sector? Will stablecoins have to KYC all holders? Sponsor notes: Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto...
Aug 16, 2024•34 min•Ep. 553
Michael Bentley, Co-Founder & CEO of Euler joins the show to talk about crypto lending and the launch of Euler v2. In this episode: The evolution of lending/borrowing in crypto/defi Euler's history and the upcoming launch of Euler v2 How crypto allows for market discovery of financial primitives Building programmable finance around blue chip and long tail assets alike
Aug 15, 2024•30 min•Ep. 552
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: What happened with the rate-based turmoil in Japan? VP Harris announces Tim Walz as her VP pick Ripple settles with the SEC for $125m Is Jump quitting crypto? (again) Are Plustoken ETH on the move? Does the Harris reset with crypto have legs? Does Trump's promise to end Choke Point have legs? Adeyemo for treasury secretary? The Fed issues an enforcement action against Customers Bank, one of the most active pro-crypto bank...
Aug 09, 2024•35 min•Ep. 551
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: We react to Trump's speech on Bitcoin in Nashville Is Bitcoin a proxy for Trump's electoral chances? Will there be a "crypto reset" from the Harris campaign? Lummis' Bitcoin Act The US government moves some Bitcoin Should the US government hold on to the coins from the Bitfinex hack? Is the new Bitcoin law civil asset forfeiture? Tether's big Q2 Where are the Tether Truthers? Howard Lutnick's claim about SBF and Tether Bi...
Aug 02, 2024•40 min•Ep. 550
Luke Hoersten , the founder and CEO of Bitnomial joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Luke's background and the path that led him to start Bitnomial. An overview of Bitnomial and the products that the firm has launched to date. Perspectives on the market participants that are engaging in the digital asset derivatives market today. The future of digital asset market structure in the United States. The regulatory landscape and what is potentially ahead for the industry. How Bitnomial's lice...
Jul 29, 2024•36 min•Ep. 549
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Nic recaps his Karate fight The Bitcoin Nashville conference Kamala's crypto posture A new pension fund is buying Bitcoin Did we get a soft landing? Content mentioned: BVNK, The decade of digital dollars Sponsor notes: The Launch of Ether ETFs In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 269, we look into ETH ETF fees, Grayscale funds and demand & supply dynamics heading into Ether ETF Launch...
Jul 26, 2024•38 min•Ep. 548
Representative French Hill (R-AR) join the show. In this episode we discuss: Representative Hill's perspective on the blockchain/digital asset ecosystem and why he initially became interested in this technology. The status of SAB 121 repeal. FIT 21 and the future of market structure clarity in the United States. The prospects of stablecoin legislation and the issues that are being discussed in Congress. Tigran Gambaryan's unlawful detainment in Nigeria. To learn more about Representative Hill's ...
Jul 19, 2024•27 min•Ep. 547
Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Nate Silver joins Polymarket JD Vance is Trump's VP nominee Ethereum ETFs get the final go ahead Should crypto users be single issue voters? JD Vance's crypto platform Does a Trump Vance admin imply a devaluation of the dollar? JD Vance and seed oils State Street is exploring their own stablecoin Possible SAB121 carveouts Germany is done selling their Bitcoin The CSW story is finally over Jamie Dimon for Treasury secretary?...
Jul 18, 2024•49 min•Ep. 546
Chris Duffus , Founder & CEO of Fonbnk joins Wyatt in this episode. We cover: Stablecoin and crypto usage in emerging markets Popular and high-potential platforms in these markets Alternative forms of onramping and moving money Airtime as a form of digital value storage More on Fonbnk
Jul 15, 2024•26 min•Ep. 545
Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Germany is still selling Bitcoin ETHcc chaos in Brussels Trump is speaking at Bitcoin Nashville The SAB121 overturn veto override did not pass The Republican party includes crypto in their official platform Polychain Eclipse drama Uniswap versus the SEC over their exchange act The SEC drops its investigation into Paxos Ro Khanna's crypto summit Euros and Copa America developments Sponsor notes: State of the Network's Q2 2...
Jul 12, 2024•32 min•Ep. 544
Adam Levine, Head of Corporate Development and Partnerships at Fireblocks joins the show. In this episode we discuss: The history of Fireblocks and the evolution of MPC custody. The recent announcement of the Fireblocks Global Custodian Partner Program and the initial partners. The current state of tokenization and how Fireblocks is playing in that market. Stablecoins and how Fireblocks engages in this market segment. Views on the regulatory landscape. To learn more about Fireblocks visit their ...
Jul 11, 2024•27 min•Ep. 543
Leo Zhang , founder of Alkimiya , joins the show to talk about their Bitcoin fee exposure product. In this episode: The evolution of Alkimiya Alkimiya's current product approach Why solving Bitcoin transaction fee volatility matters How blockspace compares to conventional commodities What kind of market participants would want to long or short Bitcoin transaction fees? Avoiding manipulation in blockspace markets The decision to build on Base Reminiscing on the Ethereum gas token Building a fee p...
Jul 08, 2024•47 min•Ep. 542
