On The Brink with Castle Island

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Coinbase's positioning ahead of the ETF Cantor CEO Howard Lutnick acknowledges their Tether role Where do we stand on cash creation versus in-kind creation for the Bitcoin ETF? Coinbase launches an RWA hub in Abu Dhabi Kucoin settles with the state of New York Do Kwon is staying in Montenegro a bit longer Coinlist settles an OFAC violation FASB adopts (again?) fair value accounting for Bitcoin SBF's lawyer said he was the "worst witness he's ever seen" The status of Warren's anti-ML crypto bill How potent will the crypto lobby be in 2024? Content mentioned in this episode: Charles Rettig, IRS Digital Assets Plan Would Be a Setback for Taxpayer Services Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics State of the Network's Q4 2023 Mining Data Special In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 237, we spotlight crucial developments and data across the mining ecosystem

Itai Turbahn, the co-founder and CEO of Dynamic joins the show. In this episode we discuss: The mission of Dynamic and the how the company is enabling seamless web3 log in experiences. Breakout applications in the web3 category. An overview of Passkeys and the impact that this technology will have on both web2 and web3 log in experiences. Account abstraction and the innovation that is likely to emerge using this technology. Dynamic's new embedded wallet offering. Itai announces Dynamic's Series A round of financing from a16z, Founders Fund, Castle Island Ventures and others. To learn more about Dynamic visit dynamic.xyz

Brian Foster, Global Head of Wholesale at Coinbase, joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Brian's career and the path that led him to joining Coinbase. An overview of the Coinbase business model and how the company is segmented. The evolution of the Coinbase Institutional business. The Wholesale business at Coinbase and how the company is positioned with brokers, banks and ETF issuers. Views on the Bitcoin ETF proposals and how Coinbase is positioned in this market segment. The BlackRock partnership and how Coinbase and BlackRock are collaborating. Views on the evolution of the competitive landscape for Coinbase. BASE, RWAs and stablecoins. Learn more at coinbase.com

In this episode, we sit down with Rowan Stone who leads Business Development at Base – the layer-2 network on Ethereum launched by Coinbase earlier this year. Rowan expands on: The decision to build Base using Optimism's OP stack and the "Superchain" vision The vectors of centralization in L2 networks and the path to decentralization Early use cases on Base across DeFi, loyalty and the creator economy The role of business development in growing an L2 network

Matt and Nic return for deals and news of the week. In this episode: Chainalysis Geography of Crypto adoption Jamie Dimon comes out against crypto – again Our vote for Time Person of the year The AICPA announces their stablecoin attestation framework Do Kwon is being extradited to the US Nubank is getting into crypto Rep McHenry is retiring Content mentioned in this episode: Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index It's all a Game by Colleen Sullivan Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK—State of Stablecoins:Signs of Returning Liquidity In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 236, we look into stablecoin supply, usage, adoption and key trends in market evolution

Kim Grauer, director of research at Chainalysis, joins the show to talk about their 2023 Geography of Crypto Adoption report. In this episode: The difficulty of ascertaining reliable illicit finance data for crypto Why Chainalysis started publishing the Geography of Crypto report Why emerging markets dominate in terms of crypto adoption How Chainalysis devised their methodology What the variables in their index mean Potential sources of error or noise in the data How Chainalysis overlays internet traffic data with blockchain data to determine usage on a country by country basis Top countries on the index and changes from prior years Evidence for cryptodollarization What variables correlate with crypto adoption globally Countries with positive year/year growth in crypto adoption Content mentioned in this episode: Chainalysis, The 2023 Global Crypto Adoption Index

Ruud Smets and Marc de Kloe of Theta Capital join the show. In this episode we discuss: Theta's initial foray into the world of blockchain focused venture funds and hedge funds. The process of educating institutional limited partners on this emerging technology. How the Theta team segments the investable opportunities in the blockchain industry. Views on fund capacity and securing allocations in promising managers. Views on co-investment opportunities and how Theta has approached these opportunities. Promising trends for 2024. The Legends4Legends conference and plans with the event going forward. To learn more about Theta Capital visit thetacapital.com

Nic and Matt return for news and deals. In this episode: CZ must stay in the US until sentencing The SEC is looking into Binance US In kind versus cash creations for ETFs The Major Questions Doctrine FDIC scandal keeps rumbling Is there a world where GBTC doesn't get converted? Elizabeth Warren versus Subway Content mentioned in this episode: Austin Campbell tweet on Treasury letter Coin Center blog on Treasury letter Fortune, Gary Gensler has remade the SEC into a crypto nemesis and climate warrior. Now a backlash is brewing Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK—Dollar-Cost Averaging Portfolio In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 235, we delve into the dollar-cost averaging strategy in the digital asset market, emphasizing the need for informed investment choices

Vivek Ramaswamy is a Republican candidate for President in 2024. In this episode we sit down to dig into his crypto policy proposals: Vivek's keynote in Ft Worth Vivek's crypto platform and how that derives from his convictions Vivek's view on Bitcoin mining Is Choke Point 2.0 real? Is banking a utility? 'Choke Point 6.0' and how it goes beyond just crypto and banking Does the suppression of speech have a technological solution? Can public blockchains actually be supportive of the US Dollar? Further resources: Vivek2024.com Vivek's Speech in Ft. Worth: "Three Freedoms of Crypto Policy"

Matt and Nic return for a Thanksgiving episode. In this edition: Fidelity files for an ETH spot ETF The SEC sues Kraken Javier Milei wins – and prospects for dollarization Stablecoins versus dollar liabilities in emerging markets Prediction markets do well in the Argentine election We digest the OpenAI scandal and reflect on corporate governance Do we need a new McCarthyism directed at effective altruists? CZ settles with the DoJ and the CFTC over BSA and OFAC violations Binance appears to be solvent thanks to their Proof of Reserve Where the Binance settlement leaves the industry Tether supply hits $88b Bhutan is mining bitcoin Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK— Checking On-Chain Indicators for Green Shoots in the Digital Assets Market In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 234 we present a selection of indicators that offer us insights against the backdrop of a recent surge in valuations within the digital assets ecosystem.

We sit down with Mike Cahill, CEO of Douro labs, to talk Pyth's retroactive airdrop and launch. In this episode: A brief history of Pyth What was the problem with legacy oracles before Pyth How is Pyth is technically differentiated from other oracles The importance of introducing confidence intervals into prices How does Pyth achieves cross chain data delivery Disintermediation in the oracle market Major proof points that convinced Mike that Pyth could work Pyth's traction on various chains Which blockchains Pyth does particularly well on Mike addresses the 'collusion FUD'? Why Pyth oracles are not like LIBOR How the Pyth retrospective airdrop works What's happening with Pyth governance on a go forward basis? Further reading: Pyth, How the Retrospective Airdrop works On The Brink ep. 364, Solving The Oracle Problem

Matt and Nic are back with another week of news and deals. In this episode: Tail risks with the Bitcoin ETF Are SBF's parents off the hook? The FDIC is embroiled in scandal Should Marty Gruenberg step down? Tokenized bank deposits versus stablecoins What's wrong with the third party doctrine SAB121 under pressure Content mentioned in this episode: Fidelity Digital Assets, Understanding Proof of Work The WSJ, Strip Clubs, Lewd Photos and a Boozy Hotel: The Toxic Atmosphere at Bank Regulator FDIC Whip Emmer Letter to Treasury regarding Hamas crypto financing Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK—November Rally Reaches New Corners of the Digital Asset Market In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 233, we delve into the primary beneficiaries of the recent market rally and explore diverse avenues channelling this momentum

The boys join forces with Alex Thorn of Galaxy Brains for a special live episode at the Pubkey bar in NYC. In this episode: Galaxy's Beimnet Abebe joins for market color Bloomberg's James Seyffart opinions on Bitcoin ETF prospects The WSJ/Hamas affair Audience Q&A With special thanks to the Galaxy team for organizing and Thomas Pacchia for hosting

Anthony DeMartino, the co-founder and CEO of Trident Digital joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Anthony's background in the banking industry and his path to founding Trident Digital. Digital asset lending markets and how Trident is innovating in this category. Trident's US Treasury product and how he is going to market. The state of the U.S. banking system and the status of the FDIC insurance fund. The potential impact of Commercial Real Estate on the banking sector. Chokepoint 2.0 and the regulatory landscape in the USA. To learn more about Trident Digital visit their website.

Matt and Nic return for another episode of news and deals. In this episode: WSJ bounty updates Will Euro stablecoins take off? SBI and Standard Chartered start a crypto infrastructure fund SEC opens talks with Grayscale over the GBTC conversion Kraken is exploring the creation of an L2 SEC staff can't own crypto FTX 2.0 prospects CME OI flippens Binance Nouriel Roubini is launching a token Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — Ethereum Staking through the Lens of Lido In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 232, we dive into Lido—the largest player within the staking economy—and understand the state of its liquid staking token (stETH), governance token (LDO) and underlying node-operator composition.

Adam Guren, the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Hunting Hill joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Adam's career journey and the path that led him to found Hunting Hill in his late 20s. How he discovered cryptocurrency and the initial digital asset products that he traded. The initial market structure for trading closed end digital asset products and the challenges that it presented. Views on the prospects of a Bitcoin ETF and the impact that it will have on the market when approved. The prospects of a spot ETH ETF. An overview of Hunting Hill today, including a deep dive on Hunting Hill Digital. The opportunities for distressed investors in today's market. Hunting Hill's efforts with Versifi and Base Layer Ventures. To learn more about Hunting Hill visit their website.

Devin Walsh, executive director of the Uniswap Foundation joins the show. In this episode: Proposing and setting up the Uniswap Foundation The Foundation's priorities and role in growing the Uniswap ecosystem Uniswap v4 hooks as a new primitive for developers to unlock efficient innovation Supporting developers and researchers on Uniswap via grants Fostering education and participation in governance

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: What happened to mimblewimble Where Nic's bounty program stands What's the deal with Binance's proof of reserve? The SEC takes down Safemoon Hester Pierce criticizes the SEC's approach to LBRY Did the SEC violate the administrative procedures act by issuing SAB121? The SEC comes from Paypal How will MSTR fare post Bitcoin ETF? Did Do Kwon commit fraud or did he really believe in UST? We would like to buy the FTX tungsten cube Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — Unpacking the Forces Behind the Market Rally In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 231, we focus on both spot and derivatives markets to explore forces driving the recent market rally

Brandon Mulvihill the co-founder and CEO of Crossover Markets joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Brandon's career in the FX industry and the path to founding Crossover Markets ECNs and how this market structure came to evolve in the FX market The opportunity to bring ECNs to the digital asset market The CrossX platform and how this product is impacting the digital asset trading landscape Crossover's partnership with Hidden Road in launching Route 28 The evolution of the digital asset market structure and how non-custodial trading is evolving The regulatory landscape and the jurisdictional decisions that went into establishing Crossover Markets To learn more about Crossover Markets visit their website and follow the company on X.

Hong Fang, President of OKX, joins the show to to announce their twelfth consecutive monthly Proof of Reserve attestation and to discuss how their PoR implementation has changed over time. Covered in this episode: OKX's brand refresh Why OKX chose to launch their monthly PoR attestations a year ago The importance of PoR today and who is asking for it Which PoRs they looked at for inspiration How OKX evolved the procedure from inception to now The move from merkle liabilities to ZK PoL The PoR security model and how many users need to check for it to be valid Handling issues like margin, leverage, and negative balances in their attestation The relationship between Proof of Reserve and conventional audits Future directions in PoR and ways to improve Technical PoR versus audit-enhanced PoR and the role of an auditor Attacks on PoR and mitigations Common criticisms of PoR Why numerous exchanges need to do PoR for it to work overall Content mentioned: Nic Carter on Medium, The Status of Proof of Reserve as of Year End 2022 OKX Proof of Reserve Dashboard

Seth Priebatsch, the founder and CEO of Groma joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Seth's entrepreneurial journey, including the founding story of LevelUp. His ambitions with the founding of Groma, a company building a real-estate backed cryptocurrency. The tokenization of real-world assets, including the steps that Groma is taking to launch a REIT security that will be represented on-chain. The choice to focus on multi-family-residential property as the initial backing of the Groma REIT. The regulatory landscape for digital asset securities in the United States. The prospects of other categories of real-world-assets and their eventual representation on-chain. To learn more about Groma, visit their website or follow Groma on X. Links mentioned: Groma on Republic. For a preview of the Groma whitepaper email [email protected]

Matt and Nic return for a big week of news and deals. In this episode: Has there been a vibe shift? Sen Tillis and Hickenlooper introduce the PROOF Act Is there a lack of crypto-native auditors? Liz Warren's plan to interfere with crypto audits What's going on with the WSJ, Warren's letter, and Hamas' crypto donations? The WSJ is refusing to update their claims ETF momentum is picking up What explains the move in Bitcoin this week? SBF is going to testify Content mentioned: Sen. Tillis' office, The PROOF Act introduced Jeff John Roberts in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal and Liz Warren double down on the Hamas crypto canard Nic's WSJ/Hamas bounty campaign Elliptic, Setting the record straight on crypto crowdfunding by Hamas Elizabeth Warren letter to the White House Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — Navigating the Liquidity Landscape: Insights into Digital Asset Markets In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 230, we examine trends in liquidity and volume across centralized and decentralized exchanges

Mike Higgins of Hidden Road joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Mike's career and the path to joining Hidden Road Overview of Hidden Road and the prime brokerage category The market structure for digital asset trading and settlement The launch of Route28 and the value proposition for institutional customers The regulatory landscape and the path that Hidden Road has pursued for licensing across the world Institutional adoption in 2024 Further reading: Learn more about Hidden Road Learn more about Route28

Amanda Tuminelli of The DeFi Education Fund joins the podcast. In this episode we discuss: Amanda's background and path to joining The DeFi Education Fund The IRS "broker" rulemaking process and its potential impact on DeFi The SEC's "Exchange" rulemaking process DEF's amicus briefs on SEC vs. Coinbase Patent trolls in the DeFi ecosystem Links to content discussed on this episode: protectdefi.org IPR Petition (Patent Case) "Exchange" Rulemaking Comment Letter DEF's Amicus Brief in SEC v. Coinbase To learn more about The DeFi Education Fund visit: defieducationfund.org/

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: The Cointelegraph SNAFU The NYAG sues Gemini, Genesis, and DCG The FTX trial isn't going well for Sam The latest with FTX clawbacks Elon files an amicus brief in a case against SEC Sen Warren's latest anti-crypto letter Chainalysis debunks the WSJ's false narrative about crypto financing for Hamas Larry Fink supports Bitcoin now We profile the Silk Road hacker Content mentioned in this episode: Nic interview with Bermuda Premier David Burt Chainalysis, Correcting the Record: Inaccurate Methodologies for Estimating Cryptocurrency's Role in Terrorism Financing CNBC, The secret life of Jimmy Zhong, who stole – and lost – more than $3 billion Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — Exploring Supply Transparency In this joint report by Coin Metrics & Bitcoin Suisse, we explore token supply and ownership dynamics in digital asset markets

Nic travels to Bermuda to sit down with the Premier, Hon. E. David Burt to discuss digital asset policy and the emerging crypto ecosystem on the island. In this episode: The origins of the Digital Asset Regulation in Bermuda Catalysts that have led crypto firms to take Bermuda seriously as a domicile Premier Burt's evangelization of Bermuda regulation on the crypto circuit Why Bermuda is a good place for a crypto firm to do business The "bermuda triangle" (government, industry, and regulator) How Bermuda straddles the risk of digital assets with the potential for innovation How the Premier aims to incorporate local residents into the tech industry here What the Premier is happy about regarding Bermuda's regulatory strategy for digital assets Which sectors within the crypto space the Premier is focusing on at the moment How Bermuda is situated relative to other financial regulators Premier Burt's view on regulatory passporting Thanks to Penrose Partners.

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Holland versus the Netherlands The end of Pax Americana Ditching the 'stablecoin' term Why synthetic USD is not the next Luna Caroline Ellison testifies SBF wanted to be president How Teneo worked with Singapore to apprehend Su Zhu Will criminal charges ever be leveled against the 3AC principals? Lightning is getting more efficient Content mentioned in the episode: Nic and Martin join the Empire podcast Do we need a TARP 2.0? Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — Q3 2023 Wrap-Up In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 228, we set out to analyze USDC's supply loss and its impact on Circle

Guy Young, the founder and CEO of Ethena, joins the show to talk crypto-backed stablecoins. How Ethena began with an Arthur Hayes blog post The origins of synthetic stablecoins on Bitmex The difference between Hayes' Nakadollar and the Ethena design Why synthetic stablecoins have failed in the past and how Ethena addresses this How staked ETH as the underlying collateral opens up a new design space How Ethena mitigates their exposure to exchanges with off-exchange custody Guy's backstory and entrance into crypto Why the circumstances are favorable for the success of a synthetic stable today Why the short leg of the Ethena position has to rely on CeFi for now Where the yield from ETH positive funding ultimately comes from Limits to scale on Ethena on the short leg of the trade and ETH staking Guy's explanation for where the yield from being long ETH comes from Correlation dynamics between the ETH yield and the funding rate Why it's important that crypto yields are somewhat negatively correlated with tradfi yields What protects the system when funding flips negative? How the system can react to constraints in ETH funding and ETH staking The possibility of adding Bitcoin as a collateral type Why Ethena distinguished the stablecoin and the yield-bearing component Rebasing versus accruing yield tokens How they think about different stETH derivatives Ethena versus stETH-backed overcollat stablecoins Why the supply of stablecoins is shrinking Will major stablecoin issuers become interest bearing? Ethena's regulatory strategy The BUSD security analysis from the SEC and how interest bearing affects that Why end users deserve yield in exchange for taking on the counterparty risk of holding a stable Why Guy is excited by Paypal USD Guy's prediction for stablecoin interest-bearing market cap Further reading: Arthur Hayes, Dust on Crust

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: OTB gets some critical feedback The boys cover Walter Isaacson's Elon Musk biography Is Elon going to turn around the Twitter acquisition? Bourgeous capitalism We review Lewis' Going Infinite SBF was tungsten pilled Su Zhu is jailed for contempt of court in Singapore Is FTX solvent again thanks to Anthropic? Does ETH futs ETFs mean that ETH isn't a security? Bharat Ramamurti, one of the architects of OCP 2.0, leaves the White House The Economist covers the Bitcoin lab leak hypothesis Coinbase gets a license in Singapore Content mentioned in this episode: The Economist, Did bitcoin leak from an American spy lab? Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — Q3 2023 Wrap-Up In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 227, we take a data-driven look at the most important events that impacted the digital assets industry from Q3 2023

Matt Hougan, the Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise Asset Management joins the show. In this episode we discuss: The SEC's approval of Ethereum Futures ETFs Bitwise's launch of AETH, The Bitwise Ethereum Strategy ETF and BTOP, the Bitwise Bitcoin and Ether Equal Weight Strategy ETF. The current state of play as it relates to Bitcoin spot ETF filings. The SEC's approach and posture given the Grayscale court case. The current lay of the land in the institutional market as it relates to digital asset products. To learn more about Bitwise visit bitwiseinvestments.com

David Phelps is the co-founder and CEO of jokerace and a prolific writer. He joins the podcast to discuss: Why tokens are not optimal for effective governance Alternative ways to incentivize users and distribute decision making power How we solve for retaining users versus just attracting them Composability and evolving from user generated content to user generated apps

Matt and Nic return for deals and news. In this episode: Is AI going to cause unemployment for IB associates? Blockchain based sneakers Tungsten business cards What's happening with OTB merch? Nic's Vespa catastrophe Gensler's HSFC hearing How Gensler is the Tonya Harding of crypto Made up airlines What's going on with Huobi? FTX trial starts next week Content mentioned in this episode: Merch: onthebrink.shop Eric Hess, Bridging Policy and Practice: A Pragmatic Approach to Decentralized Finance, Risk, and Regulation Nic's Token 2049 talk

Matt and Nic return for news and deals. In this episode: We recap the conferences Nic's Columbia lecture snafu The Bitcoin security budget debate One theory for what might provide Bitcoin with long term security FTX sues Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried Tether has resumed their lending operations Did SBF's parents make him do it? HK is creating stablecoin legislation USA vs Singapore Content mentioned: David Morris tweetstorm on SBF parents Evanston Capital, Investor Participation Trends in Blockchain VC Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana co-founder: 'To keep the next great American founder in America, Congress must regulate crypto. But first lawmakers should learn how it works' Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — A Glimpse into Coinbase through Coin Metrics' Data In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 225, we highlight pivotal data underscoring Coinbase's current market position

Henri Stern, CEO and co-founder of Privy, joins us to discuss: The contradictory functions that wallets serve Offering in-app non-custodial embedded wallets Balancing the trade offs of security versus convenient recovery How customers are customizing their embedded wallet experience The decision to build third party wallet connectors and embedded wallets

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode. We review Singapore and Token 2049 Singapore food reviews Is crypto pivoting to Asia? Singapore bans the 3ac boys from the Securities industry for 9 years The offshoring of dollar stablecoins Stablecoins are becoming interest bearing Fortress is hacked and acquired by Ripple SEC versus Stoner Cats Sentiment is turning against John Ray III We review Arthur Hayes' party in Singapore How involved was Joe Bankman in FTX? Genesis is ceasing trading operations 19 hour flights Content mentioned in this episode: Nic's Token 2049 Keynote (slides) Bloomberg, How Sam Bankman-Fried's Elite Parents Enabled His Crypto Empire

Peter Johnson, co-head of Venture at Brevan Howard Digital, returns to the show to talk about his latest theses on stablecoins. In this episode: The origins of Peter's interest in stables We review Peter's prior stablecoin predictions USDC versus USDT market share trends Peter's main takeaways from the Relentless Rise paper Stablecoin usage on BSC and TRON Peter's views on PYUSD The emergence of interest-bearing stablecoins How synthetic USD stablecoins might work Stablecoin comparisons to the Eurodollar market We make some predictions Further reading: BH Digital, The Relentless Rise of Stablecoins

Martin Carrica, cofounder of Mountain Protocol, joins us to discuss their launch of their USDM, permissionless interest-bearing stablecoin. In this episode: Martin's story and origins of his desire to create a stablecoin Obtaining a registered digital assets company in Bermuda Martin's review of regulatory options worldwide and how they ended up in Bermuda How Bermuda has distinguished itself from other financial hubs in the Atlantic How reinsurance is like stablecoins What it takes to get licensed as a digital asset business in Bermuda How Mountain Protocol's USDM stablecoin works How rebasing stablecoins work – and how they integrate in DeFi How USDM differs from on-chain T bills and other interest bearing stable products How USDM was able to achieve a permissionless structure How Mountain avoids US clients Why the market for stablecoins is mostly ex-US Stablecoins as a backend for emerging market fintechs Different exchange rates in Argentina How Argentine firms use Argentine ADR stocks to manage their corporate cash How street moneychangers on the street in Argentina work Milei and the prospects for dollarization in Argentina The importance of a stablecoin being issued out of a bankruptcy remote structure Disclaimer: USDM and other Mountain Protocol products and services are not available for U.S. persons as well as other restrictied jurisctions. For more information and disclosures on Mountain Protocol, please refer to the Terms and Conditions.

Matt and Nic are back with another week of news and deals. In this episode: Ryan Salame pleads guilty Our thoughts on the latest turn of the Bitcoin security budget debate What are the prospects for fees to develop on Bitcoin long term? Is blockcspace a race to the bottom? Visa adds merchant settlement tools for USDC on Solana The significance of Visa's move toward merchant settlement with stablecoins CBOE files for spot Ether ETFs We reflect on El Salvador's Bitcoin law The FASB moves to fair value accounting for Bitcoin Greenpeace files a comment letter on the GlobalX Bitcoin trust Are the ESG tides turning for Bitcoin mining? Has El Salvador's Bitcoin project been a failure? Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — Evaluating the Market Quality of DeFi collateral In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 223, we explore predominant collateral types in DeFi lending protocols and evaluate their liquidity & volatility characteristics to determine their desirability as collateral

We sit down with Lee Bratcher, President and Founder of the Texas Blockchain Council. Lee is one of the primary architects of Texas' Proof of Reserve bill, now in effect. In this episode: The origin of the TBC Why Lee is moving their Summit to Ft Worth Notable legislative successes by the TBC in Texas The importance of getting the UCC to recognize digital assets The importance of Bitcoin mining The origins of HB1666 Why PoR legislation benefited from the industry spontaneously adopting the standard How the TX PoR bill emerged as a compromise How Lee expects this to become model legislation in other states Comparing PoR to established financial statement audits The importance of frequency in Proof of Reserve The lack of accounting firms that are willing to supervise PoR How would PoR dealt with issues at Gox, Quadriga, FTX, or Prime Trust? How are companies operating in Texas reacting to the bill? Future legistlative directions The role of stablecoins in upholding the role of the dollar The lost authority of the states in chartering banks Further reading on PoR: Nic in Forbes, The crypto industry is embracing self regulation. It's time Washington gets on board Texas HB1666 TBC, Texas 'Proof of Reserves' Bill

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Tether is actually the most interventionist stablecoin when it comes to freezing Should we be bullish on PYUSD? Why stablecoin data shows meaningful utility for public blockchains Is the idea of a 'crypto generalist' dead? The meaning of the SEC's loss in court to Grayscale Why the SEC was 'arbitrary and capricious' The SEC's blunder over their approval of Futs ETFs The SEC's possible options Our guesses for how the SEC reacts to their loss The SEC delays other pending spot ETFs The SEC wins against Impact Theory Why the case against Impact Theory could implicate a lot of other NFT projects Uniswap wins a class action case What does the SEC's case against Binance being under seal mean? Content mentioned: BH Digital, The Relentless Rise of Stablecoins WSJ, The SEC Strikes Out Again on Crypto With Grayscale Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — Coin Convergence: Piecing Together Common Ownership Patterns Across Major Stablecoins In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 222, we highlight trends in user behavior & common ownership across major stablecoins on Ethereum

Matt and Nic are back for more news and deals. In this episode: The Bitcoin halving is coming up We review the Republican Presidential debate We review the state of New Jersey Coinbase takes a stake in Circle Hidden tensions between Coinbase and Circle BH Digital releases a stablecoin report USDC is challenged due to their inability to pay interest The DoJ charges the founders of Tornado Cash with AML and sanctions violations Did the Tornado Cash token hurt the founders' case? The problem with chat apps creating their own tokens FTX is working with Galaxy to liquidate some crypto SBF isn't happy with his prison meals Prime Trust was up to some shenanigans Content mentioned: BH Digital, The Relentless Rise of Stablecoins Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — From East to West: the Global Pulse of Stablecoin Transactions In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 221, we provide a data-driven overview of halvings and their implications in anticipation for Bitcoin's upcoming 4th halving

Darshan Vaidya, the founder of Credora joins the show. In this episode we discuss: The crypto credit markets, what went wrong in the last cycle and how the market functions today Thoughts on Real-World-Assets on chain Comparisons of risk management approaches in tradfi versus crypto markets How Credora is working with firms to protect customers from idiosyncratic risk The capital raising environment To learn more about Credora visit www.credora.io

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Geographic distribution for USDC v USDT Blockchains have become dollarized What's the deal with Helium's phone plan? SBF heads to jail We inaugurate a new member of the bad boys Dubai regulators fines OPNX What's up with Argentina's Libertarian presidential candidate? We need a new theme song for the SEC The Prometheum saga rumbles on What's going on with Better Markets? Coinbase can now offer Bitcoin and ETH futures FTX and Genesis reach a settlement Content mentioned in this episode: Brooke Masters in the FT, When Tackling Crypto, the SEC Should Be Wary of Overreach Kristin Smith in Coindesk, The FIT Act Is the Most Comprehensive Crypto Regulation Ever Voted on by Congress Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK — From East to West: the Global Pulse of Stablecoin Transactions In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 220, we leverage seasonality analysis to reveal geographical trends in Stablecoin usage and volumes

Matt and Nic are back with more news and deals. In this episode: Matt's op-ed in Coindesk SAB121 is still bad SEC scope creep We investigate PayPal's stablecoin Why would PayPal want to issue a stablecoin? What does PYUSD mean for Operation Choke Point for 2.0? Why PYUSD is being launched on Ethereum Crypto as a flashpoint for state versus federal banking oversight The Fed's new crypto oversight program Banks still can't issue stablecoins in the US Ryan Salame reemerges What will become of Ryan Salame's restaurant empire? SBF will indeed be prosecuted on campaign finance violations SBF's trial will not be televised LK-99 did NOT replicate Content mentioned in this episode: Matt in Coindesk, Congress, Not the SEC, Should Set U.S. Digital Asset Policy Zach Wong, A comprehensive explanation of SAB 121 and how it prevents safe crypto custody Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK: DeFi's Double Edged Sword - Unpacking the Features & Risks of DeFi Lending In our new special insights report, we utilize a balance sheet like methodology to contextualize the health of DeFi lending protocols through the lens of two recent exploits on Aave and Curve Finance

Matt and Nic are back for more deals and news. In this episode: Nic's early Do Kwon experience Reflecting back on Terra/Luna The SEC charges Richard Heart and HEX Is the SEC's case against Richard Heart flimsy? Does the SEC deserve praise for coming after HEX? Kyle Davies thinks he's immune from prosecution because he gave up his US citizenship Who's behind the BALD rugpull? Implications of the Curve hack We look at Tether's asset portfolio Kenya suspends Worldcoin operations in the country Is there an account firm choke point? Ethereum future ETFs are filed Judge Rakoff dissents from the Torres doctrine Content mentioned: CIV white paper on Cryptodollars Sponsor notes: STATE OF THE NETWORK: Decoding the Digital Dollar — Unraveling the Risks of Stablecoins In our new special insights report, CM lays out the key fragilities of stablecoins and how on-chain and market data can help monitor these risks for the future of digital dollars to materialize

Matt and Nic are back with another week of news and deals. In this episode: Nic's issues editing the show Why Washington is attacking PoR Why Big 4 audit firms aren't working on PoR The Financial Innovation and Technology in the 21st Century bill (FIT) passes out of committee in the House Six Democrats defect and support the bill The Stablecoin bill reaches an impasse because the White House Why stablecoins being limited to the banks is a paradox The SEC settles with Quantstamp SBF gets a gag order because he released Caroline Ellison's diaries SBF did actually pay for his legal defense with stolen FTX customer money The UK gets embroiled in a banking scandal due to Nigel Farage We digest the room temperature ambient pressure superconductor news Nic's pickleball injury Content mentioned: Nic in Fortune, The crypto industry is embracing self regulation. It's time Washington gets on board Kathleen Breitman in Fortune, Ben McKenzie needs a hug: The 'OC' star's crypto book is an ill-informed flop Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics STATE OF THE NETWORK - From Orange Groves to Orange Gold In this special edition of State of the Network, we are excited to share a new report that translates the legal language of securities framework for digital assets into objective, measurable criteria from "on-chain" data

In this episode, we hosted Richard Meissner, CTO of Safe, to illuminate the state of adoption of smart contract wallets following the roll out of ERC-4337 (an effort to standardize account abstraction on Ethereum). Our conversation covers: The limitations of smart contract wallets in a multi-chain universe Account recovery and hybrid custody using traditional institutions Combining account abstraction with intents and AI Worldcoin's use of Safes and adoption of smart contract accounts Find additional content by Safe on account abstraction here.

Matt and Nic are back with more deals and news. In this episode: Was XRP discovered or created? The saga of Otter 841 Matt's wildlife trouble More SAB121 chaos Rep Ritchie Torres sends Gensler a tough letter What is the Torres Doctrine? Terraform labs has a new CEO Our theories for why Nasdaq pulled the plug on their crypto custody business The IRS is auditing the crypto rich in PR We bring back our triple threat segment Content mentioned Matt's thread on SAB121 Bloomberg's profile on Customers Bank We enjoyed the Fidelity Digital Assets Q2 Signals Report. BitMEX Research had a thoughtful article about Gary Gensler's CFTC days Kathleen Breitman in Fortune, Ben McKenzie needs a Hug Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics' State of the Network: Currents Shift After SEC v. Ripple Summary Judgment In this issue of State of the Network, we provide a data-driven overview of digital asset markets after a milestone ruling in SEC v. Ripple case

Matt and Nic are back with a huge week in the markets. In this episode: Ripple gets a key win in their summary judgment versus the SEC Implications for XRP holders Implications for exchanges and other tokens Prometheum's denials about their ties to the CCP don't hold water How Prometheum is a Potemkin platform Alex Machinsky has been arrested Arkham's tokensale and doxing snafu The Lummis Gillebrand bill gets a facelift and incorporates PoR The prospects for the Lummis Gillebrand bill Updates on the piping plovers Why Threads isn't going to make it Sponsor notes: Coin Metrics' State of the Network: Spot On - From Trusts to Spot ETFs In this issue of State of the Network, we dive deeper into Grayscale's trusts and discuss the evolution of the digital assets investment landscape with the anticipated arrival of spot ETF's

Amir Haleem, the founder of Nova Labs (formerly named Helium, Inc) joins the show. In this episode we discuss: The origin of Helium and the Helium network Amir's views on L1 blockchains and the path that the company took in evaluating building its own chain versus building on an existing L1. Decentralized Physical Infrastructure (DEPIN) and Decentralized Wireless (DEWI) as emerging categories demonstrating real-world applicability of public blockchains. The various tokens in the Helium ecosystem and how they interact. MVNOs and how Helium Mobile is positioned. The regulatory landscape in the United States and how Helium has navigated these waters. To learn more about Helium visit: helium.com/