The Scoop

Mike Dudas is the Managing Partner of 6MV and former CEO of The Block. The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined live by Mike Dudas for Frank's final episode of the program. Frank and Mike discuss The Block's history, the evolution of the crypto space over the years, and how payments and stablecoins have emerged as one of crypto's killer use cases. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 02:11 – Early Days of The Block 03:24 – The Tether Revelation 05:24 – Stablecoin Success 07:44 – Adoption Curve in Payments 11:33 – Global Stablecoin Impact 14:47 – Investment Opportunities 19:48 – Crypto vs. Fintech 25:27 – Meme Coins Debate 31:52 – Bonk and Pump Strategies 35:27 – Breaking Into the Mainstream 40:54 – Conviction in Solana 44:18 – Crypto Culture and Sentiment 47:51 – Conclusion GUEST LINKS Mike Dudas on X: https://x.com/mdudashttps://x.com/mdudas ⁠ Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus⁠⁠⁠⁠

David Bailey is the CEO of Bitcoin Inc. The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined live by David Bailey to discuss the growing adoption of Bitcoin by nation-states and institutions, with Bitcoin heading towards becoming a reserve asset and political force. They also discuss Michael Saylor's Microstrategy, and Bitcoin's separation from the broader crypto market. OUTLINE 00:00 - President Trump prelude 04:00 - Sponsor break 05:01 - Bitcoin losing its identity? 10:26 - International adoption 15:17 - Bitcoin as a matter of national security 18:39 - Market trends 21:33 - Risks of Microstrategy 26:28 - Microstrategy’s appeal 30:47 - Bitcoin’s maturity and seeking yield 31:51 - Crypto market troubles 34:25 - Conclusion GUEST LINKS David Bailey on X: ⁠https://x.com/DavidFBailey BTC Inc: https://b.tc/ Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus⁠⁠⁠ This episode is brought to your by our sponsors: Fidelity Explore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to ⁠⁠⁠crypto.FidelityCareers.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

Barry Silbert is the Founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group and Yuma. The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined live by Barry Silbert to discuss his journey through the evolution of the crypto market, how his experience with the 2008 financial crisis shaped his approach to investing, and why he thinks Bittensor may be the next Bitcoin. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:00 - Sponsor Break 02:00 - Barry Silbert’s Crypto Journey 06:43 - Bitcoin’s Evolving Narrative 09:25 - Crypto’s Credit Crisis 15:24 - Bitcoin’s Dampening Volatility 18:56 - How Bittensor Mirrors Bitcoin’s Early Days 20:56 - Yuma’s Vision and Playbook 26:10 - Barry’s Priorities at Yuma 30:14 - What’s Overrated in Crypto & Memes 33:50 - Final Thoughts GUEST LINKS Barry Silbert on X: https://x.com/barrysilbert Yuma Group on X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/YumaGroup⁠ Digital Currency Group on X: ⁠https://x.com/DCGco⁠ Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠theblock.co/campus⁠⁠ This episode is brought to your by our sponsors: Fidelity Explore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to ⁠⁠crypto.FidelityCareers.com⁠⁠ to learn more.

Sebastian Bea is the President of Coinbase Asset Management. The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Bea to discuss how Bitcoin's recent market behavior is driving increased institutional interest and portfolio integration, signaling a potential shift in Bitcoin's role from a high-volatility tech proxy to a store of value like gold. Bea and Chaparro also touched on a potential move by the US government to revalue gold vs the US Dollar, and its potential impact on Bitcoin. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:00 - Big Changes for Bitcoin 06:45 - Frameworks for Institutional Portfolios 09:48 - Bitcoins as Digital Gold 13:54 - Getting On Board With Bitcoin 22:04 - Regulatory Designation’s Market Impact 25:20 - Bitcoin’s Shift From NASDAQ to Gold 27:30 - US Government’s Revaluation of Gold? 34:22 - Leaving Bitcoin Dominance Behind 36:33 - Bitcoin Graduating As An Asset Class 38:59 - Capitalizing on Bitcoin’s momentum 41:49 - Bitcoin as a Savings Instrument 44:31 - Conclusion GUEST LINKS Sebastian Bea on X: https://x.com/sebastianbea Coinbase Asset Management on X: ⁠https://x.com/CoinbaseAM Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠theblock.co/campus⁠ This episode is brought to your by our sponsors: Fidelity Explore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to ⁠crypto.FidelityCareers.com⁠ to learn more.

Austin Federa is a co-founder of DoubleZero.The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Federa to discuss how the current public internet infrastructure bottlenecks blockchain performance, and how DoubleZero looks to address this by leveraging underutilized fiber optic cables to create a dedicated global network to support higher performance.OUTLINE00:00 - Introduction01:02 - Sponsor break02:03 - DoubleZero’s core thesis05:42 - The problem with the public internet infrastructure10:13 - Understanding the current infrastructure16:36 - DoubleZero’s impact19:59 - Speed is the name of the game24:18 - Timeframes for rebuilding infrastructure31:11 - How DoubleZero finds and utilizes infrastructure35:35 - Tokenization36:55 - Technical difficulties37:20 - This isn’t your grandfather’s internet39:20 - Hiring talent and being a founder40:21 - Hiring Talent for a New Layer of the Internet44:37 - ConclusionGUEST LINKSAustin Federa on X: https://x.com/Austin_FederaDoubleZero on X: https://x.com/doublezeroAre you hiring in crypto?Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.

John Wu is the President of Ava Labs.The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Wu to discuss Avalanche’s growing institutional appeal, the rise of blockchain gaming, and how his background in traditional finance shaped his approach to building in crypto.OUTLINE00:00 - Introduction00:51 - Sponsor break02:11 - John Wu’s tradfi background06:36 - Taking crypto seriously09:27 - Ava Labs’ focus11:11 - The gaming landscape18:38 - Ava Labs x financial markets24:30 - Challenges in building in Tradfi26:11 - How enterprises select blockchains29:03 - Project Guardian31:52 - Looking aheadGUEST LINKSJohn Wu on X: https://x.com/John1wuAva Labs on X: https://x.com/AvaLabsAva Labs: https://www.avalabs.org/Are you hiring in crypto?Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.

Guilhem Chaumont is the Co-Founder and CEO of Flowdesk.The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, joined Chaumont at the Flowdesk office in Paris to discuss market volatility driven by tariffs, crypto’s convergence with traditional finance, and the evolving role of digital assets in institutional portfolios.OUTLINE00:00 – Introduction00:43 – Sponsor break01:43 – Flowdesk03:14 – Tariffs and Market Turbulence04:58 – Market Uncertainty and Institutional Hesitation08:20 – Volatility and Weekend Selloffs12:02 – Amplified Declines in Altcoins16:28 – Why This Crash Is Different from FTX21:12 – Bridging Traditional Finance and Tokenization26:07 – The Effect of AI30:05 – Looking ahead and ConclusionGUEST LINKSGuilhem Chaumont: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guilhem-chaumont-215091a5/Flowdesk on X: https://x.com/flowdesk_coAre you hiring in crypto?Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.

Nick Matthew is an investor with Standard Crypto.In this episode, Matthew joins The Scoop to discuss the current state of the crypto market, noting that investment opportunities still exist despite macro downturns. Matthew also contrasts the rise of stablecoins with memecoins, and the potential for crypto to consolidate and shift its evolution towards building 'Fintech 2.0' rather than web3.OUTLINE00:00 – Introduction01:12 – Sponsor break03:04 – Coping with market downturnsl03:25 – The Fundraising Freeze05:02 – Macro in the driver seat09:36 – Memecoin extinction or ressurection15:59 – Who’s making money in crypto17:45 – Fintech 2.0 or Web322:04 – Investing in stablecoins25:26 – Investing in teams28:30 – The next billion users31:40 – Looking ahead and conclusionGUEST LINKSNick Matthew on X: https://x.com/nickjmattStandard Crypto on X: https://x.com/standardcryptoAre you hiring in crypto?Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

Arthur Breitman is the Co-Founder of Tezos.In this episode, Breitman joins The Scoop to discuss the launch of uranium.io, a new marketplace for trading uranium powered by blockchain technology that looks to make investing in uranium more accessible to retail investors. The conversation also touched on geopolitical and technological tailwinds that could drive greater demand for nuclear energy.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction00:49 Sponsor break02:41 How uranium markets work today05:36 The limitations of uranium ETFs and futures07:10 Tokenization and RWA evolution15:56 Why start with uranium18:33 Why uranium is red hot right now23:30 Lessons from entering the uranium market28:01 Beyond commodities31:13 ConclusionGUEST LINKSArthur Breitman on X: https://x.com/ArthurBUranium.io on X: https://x.com/uranium_ioAre you hiring in crypto?Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

Kyle Samani is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Multicoin Capital.In this episode, Samani discusses the current state of the crypto market and venture capital funding in the industry. Samani highlights areas which he believes are key investment opportunities, and lays out why he sees a brighter future for Solana in on-chain finance over Ethereum.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction00:32 Sponsor Break02:24 VC Funding Downtrend08:04 Clarifying Crypto's Usecases13:46 New Era of Crypto Regulation17:06 Regulatory Clarity = Increased Investment?22:49 Samani's Revised Solana Thesis25:28 Solana vs. Ethereum32:17 Closing Thoughts & PredictionsGUEST LINKSKyle Samani on X: https://x.com/KyleSamaniMulticoin capital on X: https://x.com/multicoincapAre you hiring in crypto?Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

Michael Rihani is the director of products at Coinbase and one of the chief architects behind Coinbase's new bitcoin-backed loan product for everyday consumers.In this episode, Rihani explains how Coinbase's new loan product is designed to make DeFi feel 'magical,' and how this fits into Coinbase's broader strategy of bringing the power of blockchain technology to a global audience.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction00:57 Sponsor Shoutouts03:11 Coinbase's New Loan Product07:50 The "DeFi Mullet"09:21 Morpho Integration11:52 CeFi+DeFi Synergy17:00 Coinbase's Product Roadmap21:00 Making DeFi "Magical"23:12 DeFi Adoption Roadblocks25:54 The Future of DeFi Lending GUEST LINKSMichael Rihani on X: https://www.x.com/MichaelRihaniCoinbase's crypto-backed loans: https://www.coinbase.com/loansAre you hiring in crypto?Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

In this episode, host Frank Chaparro is joined by M13 General Partner Latif Peracha and M13 Principal Mark Grace.The conversation explores the risks and opportunities presented by crypto's volatile liquid tokens, as well as the need for crypto founders to balance short-term liquidity with long-term potential when it comes to bootstrapping.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction01:17 Sponsor Shoutouts03:40 Overview of M1308:07 Generalist Crypto VCs10:35 IPOs vs. ICOs12:42 Token Volatility18:32 Taking Profit22:30 Opportunities in CeFi vs. DeFi28:20 Regulatory Clarity & Innovation31:17 Predictions & Closing ThoughtsGUEST LINKSM13 - https://www.m13.co/M13 on X - https://x.com/M13CompanyLatif Peracha on X: https://x.com/latifperachaMark Grace on X: https://x.com/markwgraceAre you hiring in crypto?Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by The Digital Chamber President Cody Carbone.In this episode, Chaparro and Carbone discussed the current U.S. policy landscape for the crypto industry under the new Trump administration. With growing bipartisan support and regulatory clarity, the conversation highlights how crypto is becoming a mainstream political issue with significant economic and electoral implications.OUTLINE00:00 Intro01:12 Sponsor break03:05 The tone has shifted05:37 IRS DeFi rule nullified09:25 Stablecoin legislation12:35 Fine-tuning crypto policy15:31 Crypto’s growing political influence18:01 How Trump changed the crypto debate24:14 The next six months28:56 ConclusionGUEST LINKSCody Carbone - https://www.linkedin.com/in/codycarbone/Cody Carbone on X - https://x.com/CodyCarboneDCThe Digital Chamber - https://digitalchamber.org/The Digital Chamber on X - https://x.com/DigitalChamberThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Paris Blockchain Week Chairman Michael Amar.In this episode, Chaparro and Amar discussed the origin and development of Paris Blockchain Week. Amar shared anecdotes of the various challenges and milestones reached over the years, and gave tips on curating a top-tier crypto conference.OUTLINE00:00 - Introduction00:56 - Sponsor break02:49 - Michael Amar’s journey into crypto06:55 - The development of Paris Blockchain Week08:57 - Capturing the Zeitgeist each year11:11 - Crypto conference oversaturation13:40 - The Biggest Challenges in Running a Crypto Event18:28 - The European crypto landscape20:35 - Expectations for 202522:20 - Emerging sectors and trends25:33 - Advice for founders entering the crypto space30:38 - ConclusionGUEST LINKSMichael Amar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amarmic/Michael Amar on X - https://x.com/amarmicParis Blockchain Week - https://www.parisblockchainweek.com/Paris Blockchain Week on X - https://x.com/ParisblockweekThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Yellow Card Financial CTO and Co-Founder Justin Poiroux.In this episode, Chaparro and Poiroux discussed the rapid adoption of stablecoins in emerging markets, particularly in Africa. They explore how stablecoins are solving cross-border payment issues, and how Yellow Card is looking to bridging the gap between the developing world and the global financial system.OUTLINE00:00 - Introduction00:58 - Sponsor break03:44 - Understanding Yellow Card05:56 - Challenges of building in Africa08:04 - How Yellow Card addresses cross-border payments15:53 - Yellow Card’s origins20:02 - Early challenges25:03 - Educating users & building trust in emerging markets28:26 - Looking ahead34:40 - ConclusionGUEST LINKSJustin Poiroux - https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinpoiroux/Yellow Card Financial - https://yellowcard.io/Yellow Card Financial on X - https://x.com/yellowcard_appThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Ryze Labs Founder and Managing Partner Matthew Graham.In this episode, Chaparro and Graham discussed the intersection of the crypto market, AI, and robotics, with Graham highlighting several key technological advancements that could have a profound impact on how the markets function and alter humanity's role in them.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction and market overview1:30 AI x Crypto: current trends08:16 The Turing test 12:19 The future of AI companions18:33 The human edge in an AI world19:54 The AI economy24:46 Robotics30:33 Investigating and investing in hardware39:36 Looking ahead and conclusionGUEST LINKSMatthew Graham - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattysino/Matthew Graham on X - https://x.com/mattyryzeRyze Labs - https://x.com/RyzeLabsRyze Labs on X - https://www.ryzelabs.io/en/homeThis episode is brought to your by our sponsors:FidelityExplore Fidelity crypto careers today. Go to crypto.FidelityCareers.com to learn more.Uranium.ioInvesting in uranium is now widely accessible. Visit uranium.io to learn more.

The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Arca CIO Jeff Dorman.In this episode, Chaparro and Dorman discussed the disconnect between market sentiment and the developments in the crypto space. Dorman goes over the actual use cases of the crypto ecosystem and how they are being drowned out by memecoins and scandals, highlighting that big outside players are beginning to get on board. OUTLINE00:00 Introduction01:11 Sponsor break02:04 Memes taking the spotlight06:40 Crypto’s adolescent stage11:29 Common misconceptions about crypto18:50 Assessing value in the crypto space23:00 Are we still early?29:37 The future of crypto 34:50 Where are the liquid funds?41:30 Tradfi will eventually come45:04 ConclusionGUEST LINKSJeff Dorman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-dorman-cfa-61063129Jeff Dorman on X - https://x.com/jdorman81Arca - https://x.com/arcaArca on X - https://www.ar.ca/

The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by August Co-Founder and CEO Aya Kantorovich.In this episode, Chaparro and Kantorovich went over the state of crypto capital markets, the resilience of DeFi during market downturns, and how banks are looking to get started in DeFi.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction 01:08 From banking to crypto 02:30 Why institutions avoid DeFi 05:33 How institutions impact volatility 10:50 Crypto as the weekend market 17:00 Bitcoin as a reserve asset 20:01 Cambrian explosion of memecoins 26:28 Coinbase earnings 31:42 The resiliency of deFi 37:49 AI Agents 42:00 ConclusionGUEST LINKSAya Kantorovich - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayakantorovich/Aya Kantorovich on X - https://x.com/aya_kantorAugust - https://www.augustdigital.io/August on X - https://x.com/august_digital

The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by Lightspark Co-Founder and CEO David Marcus.In this episode, Chaparro and Marcus discuss the vision and technology behind scaling Bitcoin as a global payment network. Marcus explained how new developments, including stablecoins on Bitcoin, could transform worldwide financial systems and directly lead to an increase of GDP.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction01:52 Lightspark's mission and Bitcoin's Role04:39 Challenges in scaling Bitcoin09:44 Lightspark's evolution16:10 Stablecoins x Bitcoin21:27 Stablecoin improvements over traditional payments27:20 Past regulatory challenges30:23 Changing regulatory climate35:19 Future outlook41:37 ConclusionGUEST LINKSDavid Marcus - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmarcus/David Marcus on X - https://x.com/davidmarcusLightspark - https://www.lightspark.com/Lightspark on X - https://x.com/Lightspark

The Scoop's host, Frank Chaparro, was joined by SonarX Founder Patrick Kim, SonarX Global Head of BD Jesse Bornstein, and Senior Web 3 Specialist at AWS, Everton Fraga.In this episode, Chaparro, Bornstein, Fraga and Kim discussed the challenges of managing and consuming the exponential growth of blockchain data across multiple chains. Patrick, Jesse, and Everton explained how the proliferation of blockchains has led to a big data problem with petabytes of data that is difficult for enterprises to fully utilize, and what solutions there are to these issues.OUTLINE00:00 Introduction 03:02 The Challenge of Blockchain Data Management08:47 Multi-Chain Data Complexity and Solutions14:13 Standardizing and Simplifying Blockchain Data19:57 Institutional Challenges 23:13 Stablecoins, RWAs, and Data Demands28:25 Public Blockchain Data and Practical Use Cases32:23 Supporting Multiple Blockchains 35:11 AI's Role in Blockchain Data Integration38:16 Advice for Developers and Businesses43:23 ConclusionGUEST LINKSJesse Bornstein - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-bornstein-10a774a/Everton Fraga - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evertonfraga/Patrick Kim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickkim/SonarX - https://www.sonarx.com/SonarX on X - https://x.com/SonarX_HQAWS - https://aws.amazon.com/