On The Brink with Castle Island

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 learn more about Zenledger, visit www.zenledger.io

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 the 2023 bank run Coinbase FOIAs the regulators behind OCP 2.0 Content mentioned in this episode: NY Fed, Tracing Bank Runs in Real Time Sponsor notes: Introducing Exchange Flow Metrics: In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 282, we introduce Coin Metrics' new exchange flow metrics for BTC & ETH Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto

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 accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto An Overview of the Flow Blockchain: In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 281, we provide an overview of the Flow Blockchain

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 the Network issue 280, we provide our quarterly update on Bitcoin mining. Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto

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 Q3–2024 Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto

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 project on X.

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 Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics, Real World Assets (RWAs) & Tokenization Report. Exploring the RWA landscape, sectors and networks gaining adoption, regulatory implications and market opportunities. Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto Content mentioned: Ross Stevens, Bitcoin's Protection under the First Amendment

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, The Crypto Universe Through the Lens of datonomy™ Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto

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 PoR: river.com/reserves

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 Island, Visa, and BH Digital, Stablecoins: The Emerging Market Story Sponsor notes: Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto Coin Metrics state of the network: A Primer on Blockchain Network Health: Exploring key metrics to gauge network health and centralization in PoW and PoS blockchains

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 with Polymarket versus the polls? Sponsor notes: Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto Coin Metrics: An Update on Layer–1 Networks

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

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 digital assets industry. To learn more about Withum visit www.withum.com/crypto

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 in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto Coin Metrics Stablecoin Dashboard; State of Stablecoins: Sector Expansion & A Changing Interest Rate Environment

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 candidates should be thinking about when evaluating digital asset / blockchain roles. The categories of roles that are the most in demand in today's environment. The impact of legislation on the future of the industry. To learn more about Intersection Growth Partners, visit their website.

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 Week Babylon is launching Ron Conway defects from Fairshake PAC Chuck Schumer is evolving on crypto Would a CBDC actually be private for users? Sponsor notes: Unwrapping Wrapped Assets & wBTC: In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 273, we understand wrapped bitcoin's (wBTC) custody transition, BitGo's business model and usage of WBTC in DeFi Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto

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-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto Futures Falter, Funding Flips: In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 272, we explore the robustness of decentralized systems and the stability of synthetic financial products within the crypto ecosystem.

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

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 banks Our Olympics recap Nic's airsoft misadventures Austin Campbell's thread on Customer's bank Sponsor notes: An Update on Crypto Markets & Coinbase Q2 2024 Earnings: In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 271, we provide an update on crypto markets amid the unfolding global market sell-off and break down Coinbase's Q2 2024 earnings. Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto

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 Bitclout founder Nader Al Naji is charged by the SEC and SDNY California DMV partners up with the Avalanche network Content mentioned: Adams, Ibert, and Liao, What Drives Crypto Asset Prices? Sponsor notes: Withum's Digital Currency and Blockchain Technology Team specializes in crypto-assets, offering accounting, tax and advisory solutions to fortify trust in a dynamic industry. Contact them today to get started. - withum.com/crypto The Story of Ethereum Staking So Far: In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 270, we uncover Ethereum's staking ecosystem, from "The Merge" to "Shapella", the rise of LSTs and beyond.

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 licensing strategy is unlocking new product opportunities. To learn more about Bitnomial visit their website.

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

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 efforts please visit his website.

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? Trump is due to speak at Bitcoin Nashville Update on how voting works in Congress Was Trabs a whistleblower? Sponsor notes: Charting the Course to Mt. Gox Repayments In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 268, we trace Mt. Gox's journey, analyzing BTC wallet flows and liquidity in the wake of Mt. Gox repayments.

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

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 2024 Wrap-Up In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 267, we take a data-driven look at the most important events that impacted the digital assets industry in Q2 2024.

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 website and learn about their Global Custodian Partner Program.

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 product for Bitcoin as opposed to any other L1 Leo's long term views on Bitcoin fees Bitcoin season 2 and the cultural shift in Bitcoin Moderating views from maximalism to being a Bitcoin moderate The effect of Bitcoin L2s on fees Runes as a catalyst for Bitcoin fees The fee-transaction count feedback loop About Alkimiya: Alkimiya is a blockspace markets protocol that just released a novel mechanism for users to trade on Bitcoin transaction fees. Previously, users had no option but to accept fluctuating transaction fees. With Alkimiya, they can now profit from or hedge against these drastic swings. Further reading: Infrastructure for Synthetic Blockspace

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Will Biden step down? The importance of prediction markets in elections Can you insider trade on prediction markets? What does the SCOTUS repeal of Chevron mean for crypto? SEC sues Consensys Stripe and Coinbase partnership Circle achieves MiCA compliance for USDC and EURC Will Euro stables ever be popular? Silvergate settles with the SEC, SF Fed, and California Why the Silvergate story remains a huge scandal Polkadot's strange spending habits Bozo of the week Blackrock puts IBIT in their global allocation fund Matt's SEC-fu The SEC's new website Stoner Cats in retrospect Sponsor notes: State of the Network's Q2 2024 Mining Data Special In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 266, we provide our quarterly update on Bitcoin mining

Nic and Matt are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Nic's vehicular issues BTC mining FUD is now AI fud Abra settles with state regulators over lack of MTLs State Street and Galaxy Digital partner up US reps visit imprisoned Binance exec in Nigeria Vaneck files for a Solana ETF Coinbase is suing the FDIC and the SEC Germany is selling Bitcoin SCOTUS further limits the SEC's power Sponsor notes: Mastering Crypto Derivatives In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 265, we dive into the landscape of derivatives in traditional financial and cryptoasset markets, examining their types, applications and underlying data

Adam Healy, the co-founder and CEO of Station 70 joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Adam's career and path that led him to enter the digital assets industry as a CSO and eventually co-founder of Station 70. The evolution of digital asset custody from a technology perspective. The evolution of MPC as an infrastructure technology. The threat vectors that CSOs must confront in managing a custodial business. Cybersecurity best practices. The inception of Station 70 and the state of private key backups in the digital asset industry. How market structure is likely to evolve with more banks and broker-dealers getting active in the space. To learn more about Station 70 visit their website.

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Certik goes from white hat to black hat regarding a Kraken exploit Bozo of the week The DJT memecoin scandal and Martin Shkreli What's the deal with Barron Trump and the DJT memecoin? Should we welcome celebrity memecoins? Should bankers have been more supportive of crypto over SAB121? Paul Ryan's stablecoin op-ed in the WSJ Sponsor notes: Floating on Thin Air In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 264, we dive into the different factors of a project's tokenomics and its effects on token valuation and on-chain activity.

Edward Woodford, founder and CEO of Zero Hash joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Edward's origin story in the digital asset industry and his path to founding Zero Hash. Zero Hash's product lineup and the ways that the firm is powering companies seeking to engage in the digital asset ecosystem. The regulatory landscape for digital assets and how Zero Hash has positioned the firm both in the United States and internationally. Stablecoin adoption and the types of businesses that are emerging to service this breakout category. How brokerage platforms are integrating digital assets. Zero Hash's roadmap and what is coming in the next year. To learn more about Zero Hash visit their website.

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: GME and Roaringkitty drama The detention of Tigran Gambaryan continues OP_CAT prospects Biden considers accepting crypto campaign donations What's the deal with Hamster Kombat Martin Shkreli vs PleasrDAO Terraform labs settles up with the SEC Microstrategy is still buying Bitcoin Should crypto holders donate coins to Biden? New nominee for FDIC chair Are democrats pivoting on crypto? We dissect a tweet thread by Rep Sean Casten Sponsor notes: Meme Coin Mania In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 263, we delve into the surge of meme coin activity on Ethereum and Solana, highlighting key market trends driven by the meme coin sector. Content Mentioned: Jen Wieczner in NYMAG, Are Democrats Pivoting on Crypto

In this episode, Wyatt sits down with Babylon founder David Tse to cover: Restaking/shared security and how it works Why shared security is a valuable use case for Bitcoin Bitcoin's structural limitations and their impact on Bitcoin innovation Bitcoin innovation broadly and Bitcoin L2's

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Kerrisdale versus Bitcoin miners Robinhood buys Bitstamp for $200m Biden vetoes the SAB121 overturn bill Is the Biden admin's pro crypto tilt over? Tucker interviews Bukele Coinbase donates to Fairshake SEC takes more Ls Big inflows into the bitcoin ETFs Are ETF inflows more about the basis trade? Paxos launches the interest-bearing stablecoin USDL out of the UAE Can Bitcoin miners sell into the AI cloud market? Kraken is in talks to raise a pre-IPO round State Street is reentering crypto MiCA and stablecoins Matt's latest crisis The barbell approach to AI investing Sponsor notes: Breaking Down Ethereum Blobs & EIP-4844 In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 262, we break down Layer-2 blob usage and evaluate the success of Ethereum's EIP-4844 upgrade.

We sit down in Bermuda with Mountain Protocol founder Martin Carrica and XBTO founder Philippe Bekhazi for a talk on stablecoins and doing business on the island. In this episode: Why XBTO is Bermuda-first and why Mountain set up there The "Bermuda triangle" for doing business on the island The overlap between Bermuda's reinsurance industry and crypto The partnership between Mountain and XBTO The rise of interest-bearing stablecoins USD stables as extending the reach of the dollar The relationship between crypto and big 4 auditors The coming race between interest and non-interest bearing stablecoins Blackrock's BUIDL product and tokenized treasurys

Wyatt sits down with Julian Duran, product lead of Marathon Digital's Anduro project. Discussion included: Why miners are strategically expanding and exploring new initiatives New innovation in Bitcoin broadly How Bitcoin today differs from Bitcoin 2+ years ago Where Bitcoin L2's and sidechains are headed Learn more about Anduro

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: We recap the Coin Center annual dinner Will Biden follow through on his SAB121 veto threat? The Biden admin is reportedly reaching out to key industry figures Ethereum ETF prospects Recap of the fight that didn't happen Prediction market issues Gemini Earn recovery Sponsor notes Exploring the Impacts of ETH ETF Approvals In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 261, we explore the market reaction and network implications of ETH ETF approvals

Felix Pago CEO and Co-Founder Manuel Godoy joins us for an episode to share how Felix Pago is utilizing stablecoins to make remittances easier for immigrants. Manuel's personal story including financial services pain points as an immigrant Felix's founding story around the massive Latin American remittance market The importance of trust for remittance businesses The dominance of WhatsApp as an operating system across Latam Utilizing stablecoins to move money faster and cheaper

Matt and Nic return for another wild week in crypto. In this episode: Whip Emmer returns to OTB Matt's animal problems Congress passes the SAB121 overturn Gruenberg offers his resignation and what it means for crypto In a stunning overturn the SEC approves the ETH ETF The significance of the FIT21 act The anti-CBDC bill passes the House Sponsor notes: Decoding the Digital Dollar In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 260, we assess the growth and usage patterns across Coin Metrics' suite of stablecoin coverage

Minnesota Representative and House Whip Tom Emmer joins the show once again to talk about the policy sea change in Washington and recent legislative successes. In this episode: The House passes Emmer's anti-CBDC bill Trump's embrace of crypto and what that means Why some Democrats and the White House have changed their tone on crypto Congress votes to repeal SAB121 in defiance of Biden's veto threat Is the influence of the progressives in DC waning with regards to crypto? Will Biden follow through on his SAB121 overturn veto threat? FDIC chair Marty Gruenberg's planned resignation and what that means Whip Emmer's thoughts on stablecoin legislation The SEC's reversal on the Ethereum ETF The importance of the FIT21 act and its prospects in the Senate Whip Emmer's legislative expectations over the remainder of 2024 Whip Emmer's prior OTB episodes: Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on FTX, the SEC, and the House Crypto agenda for 2023 (EP.382) Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on MMT, CBDCs, and crypto policy for 2022 (EP.276)

Matt and Nic are back with another week of news and deals. In this episode: The Senate votes to repeal SAB121 Which Democrats defied Biden on SAB121? Chuck Schumer breaks with Warren Paul Ryan's pro-stablecoin comments on Bloomberg CME is launching a spot crypto exchange The State of Wisconsin owns over $100m of Bitcoin ETFs Pump.fun exploited MEV exploiters arrested by the DoJ What's up with Roaring Kitty? Content mentioned in this episode: Matt Hougan, Who's Buying Bitcoin ETFs (According to 13F Filings) David Morris, What President Biden's Crypto Politics Might Really Be About Rep Mike Flood and Wiley Nickel, It's time to overturn SAB 121 Sponsor notes: Bitcoin's Halving Aftermath In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 259, we analyze the impact of Runes and miner revenues in Bitcoin's post-halving landscape

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: The SAB121 repeal bill passes the House with 21 Democrat votes Biden threatens to veto SAB121 repeal Trump endorses crypto Is Gensler a liability for Biden? A scandal deepens at the FDIC Senator Warren defends the embattled FDIC chair Robinhood gets a Wells Notice from the SEC Is FTX really offering over 100% recovery to creditors? We review the Ohio State commencement speech Greyscale withdraws their Ethereum ETF application Content mentioned in this episode: Nic on Medium, Five Perspectives on Stablecoins Wyatt on Medium, Monad & Stablecoins Sponsor notes: The Usage & Evolution of Decentralized Exchanges (DEX's) In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 258, we explore activity across Ethereum decentralized exchanges (DEXs)

Will Peck, Head of Digital Assets at WisdomTree re-joins the show. In this episode we discuss: WisdomTree's journey in digital assets and the firm's strategy in the area. Views on the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States. Will's views on tokenization and how the firm is approaching this category. WisdomTree's New York Trust Charter and the opportunities that the license opens up. The evolving stablecoin landscape. Views on evolving regulatory landscape. To learn more about WisdomTree visit their digital assets page.

Matt and Nic are back for more news and deals. In this episode: Matt get's 2nd in Jeopardy at ETH Boston We reminisce over Nic's 2020 holiday quiz Ian Cain's Senate candidacy in MA CZ get 4 months in prison The significance of '4' Did CZ deserve his sentence? Roger Ver arrested for tax fraud Tough week of outflows from the ETFs The chilling effects of the DoJ Samourai case Coinbase reports earnings Content mentioned: Nic's 2020 Bitcoin Esoterica Compendium Sponsor notes: Measuring Exchange Quality & 'Fake Volume' Trusted Exchange Framework In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 257, we delve into our framework to assess exchange quality in digital asset markets

Ian Cain, republican candidate for U.S. Senate in the state of Massachusetts against Elizabeth Warren joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Ian's personal background and path to politics. How he became interested in emerging / blockchain technology. Qubic Labs and fostering a startup ecosystem in Massachusetts. The on-chain municipal bond project in Quincy, MA. The key issues that MA voters care about. Elizabeth Warren's posture on crypto and whether the "anti-crypto army" is a real thing or a political stunt. Stablecoins Digital asset market infrastructure and why it is important to prioritize this effort. Ian's message for Massachusetts voters. Links: To support Ian Cain please visit www.cainforus.com To learn more about Qubic Labs visit www.qubiclabs.com Qubic's Impact Report More on the Quincy Municipal Bond effort.

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: CIV's new stablecoin survey What happened with Runes? Lawsuit against the SEC's dealer rule New capital gains tax proposal How would taxing unrealized gains work? Two SEC lawyers leave in connection with the DEBT Box scandal The founders of Samourai wallet are arrested and charged by the DoJ Morgan Stanley close to permitting Bitcoin ETF to be solicited by their brokers Hong Kong Bitcoin ETFs go live Block is building Bitcoin mining hardware Visa's stablecoin analytics dashboard Bitcoin Sign Guy sells his sign TikTok ban reactions Choke Point 2.0 moves to fintechs Content mentioned in this episode: Visa's stablecoin dashboard IMF, A Primer on Cross-Border Bitcoin Flows FDAS Q1 Signals Report Sponsor notes: Layer-1 Landscape In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 256, we explore the diverse landscape of Layer-1 blockchains

Chris Harmse, co-founder and VP of Revenue at BVNK joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Chris' career and the path to founding BVNK. The origin story of BVNK and how the company has evolved over time. The key drivers behind the adoption of stablecoins. Segmenting the stablecoin market. Interest bearing stablecoins and the impact that this category will have on the overall market. Tokenized money funds and the future of securities settlement. How stablecoins will refactor the global FX market. The regulatory landscape and how stablecoin adoption is evolving in various regions. To learn more about BVNK visit their website.

In this episode we sit down with Alexei Zamyatin, the founder of Build On Bitcoin (BOB). Topics covered: Why EVM-compatibility is important for Bitcoin and Bitcoin L2s Merge mining and fostering adoption of Bitcoin L2's Why now for the Bitcoin Renaissance BitVM, use cases, and unlocks for Bitcoin