CoinDesk Podcast Network

From Lightning infrastructure to Nostr and Ordinals, here’s what one Bitcoin startup accelerator is excited about.

Kelly Brewster is the CEO of Wolf, a new Lightning and Bitcoin startup accelerator in New York City. In this conversation, he and NLW discuss five big themes they’re seeing among Bitcoin builders, including Bitcoin DeFi, Lightning Network infrastructure, gaming, Nostr/social media and ordinals.

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“The Breakdown” is written, produced and narrated by Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with today's editing by Jonas Huck, research by Scott Hill and additional production assistance by Eleanor Pahl. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsor today is “Foothill Blvd” by Sam Barsh. Image credit: Leontura / Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Join the most important conversation in crypto and Web3 at Consensus 2023, happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Come and immerse yourself in all that Web3, crypto, blockchain and the metaverse have to offer. Use code BREAKDOWN to get 15% off your pass. Visit consensus.coindesk.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The most valuable crypto stories for Thursday, March 16, 2023. 

"The Hash" tackles today's hot topics: Will any potential buyer of Signature Bank be mandated to give up the bank's crypto business? Ethereum's long-awaited Shanghai upgrade now has an official target date. The Federal Reserve sets a launch date for instant payments. Plus, a U.S. bankruptcy judge rejects the government's request to halt Binance.US' buy of Voyager Digital's assets.

See also:

Signature Bank’s Prospective Buyers Must Agree to Give Up All Crypto Business: Report

Voyager-Binance.US Pause Denied by Bankruptcy Judge

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This episode has been edited and produced by Adrian Blust. The senior producer is Michele Musso and the executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Neon Beach.”

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Are you building the next big thing in Web3? Apply to pitch your project live on stage at the CoinDesk Pitchfest Powered by Google Cloud at Consensus, the industry’s most influential event happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Apply by March 31 for a chance to be among the twelve finalists selected to pitch. Visit consensus.coindesk.com/pitchfest for more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Circle Internet Financial’s USDC temporarily depegged last weekend when billions were revealed to be locked up in Silicon Valley Bank.

Stablecoins have long been seen by U.S. policymakers as risky and a potential threat to U.S. financial stability. How ironic, then, that it was the failure of a U.S.-regulated bank in SVB that caused peril to USDC last weekend. NLW explains how USDC fell off and then recovered its peg, while also giving an update on Operation Choke Point 2.0.

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“The Breakdown” is written, produced and narrated by Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with today's editing by Jonas Huck, research by Scott Hill and additional production assistance by Eleanor Pahl. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsor today is “Foothill Blvd” by Sam Barsh. Image credit: erhui1979 / Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Join the most important conversation in crypto and Web3 at Consensus 2023, happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Come and immerse yourself in all that Web3, crypto, blockchain and the metaverse have to offer. Use code BREAKDOWN to get 15% off your pass. Visit consensus.coindesk.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Crypto companies are scrambling to find new banking partners after last weekend’s collapse. Plus: A conversation with photographer Dave Krugman on the “attention economy.”

On “Carpe Consensus,” host Ben Schiller, Danny Nelson and Cam Thompson are joined by photographer and non-fungible token (NFT) artist Dave Krugman to highlight the biggest trends in crypto.

Are you building the next big thing in Web3? Apply to pitch your project live on stage at the CoinDesk Pitchfest Powered by Google Cloud at Consensus, the industry’s most influential event happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Apply by March 31 for a chance to be among the twelve finalists selected to pitch. Visit consensus.coindesk.com/pitchfest for more information.

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“Carpe Consensus” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Swiss bank hit an all-time low in its stock price when its biggest shareholder said it wouldn’t invest more.

Following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature, markets are holding their breath for more trouble in the banking sector. Wednesday morning, comments from one of the biggest investors in Credit Suisse sent that company’s stock tumbling. Numerous European banking stocks followed Credit Suisse lower, leading some to wonder if the U.S. banking crisis was moving overseas.

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“The Breakdown” is written, produced and narrated by Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with today's editing by Jonas Huck, research by Scott Hill and additional production assistance by Eleanor Pahl. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsor today is “Foothill Blvd” by Sam Barsh. Image credit: EThamPhoto / Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Join the most important conversation in crypto and Web3 at Consensus 2023, happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Come and immerse yourself in all that Web3, crypto, blockchain and the metaverse have to offer. Use code BREAKDOWN to get 15% off your pass. Visit consensus.coindesk.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The most valuable crypto stories for Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

"The Hash" tackles today's hot topics: Morgan Stanley says bitcoin is trading as a speculative asset, not as a currency. The U.S. government filed a motion to put a hold on Binance.US' $1 billion bid to buy bankrupt crypto lender Voyager Digital. An Alameda Research-linked wallet sent $100 million of stablecoins to crypto trading firms. Plus, did regulators seize Signature Bank because of its link to crypto?

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This episode has been edited by Ryan Huntington. The senior producer is Michele Musso and the executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Neon Beach.”

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Are you building the next big thing in Web3? Apply to pitch your project live on stage at the CoinDesk Pitchfest Powered by Google Cloud at Consensus, the industry’s most influential event happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Apply by March 31 for a chance to be among the twelve finalists selected to pitch. Visit consensus.coindesk.com/pitchfest for more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s show, Kamz is joined by Hedera leadership, Chief of Staff and Head of Global Policy at Hedera, Nilmini Rubin and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, Betsabe Botaitis. 

Nilmini Rubin is the Chief of Staff and Head of Global Policy for Hedera. Previously, she worked on the global policy team at Meta, and before that, Nilmini headed Tetra Tech’s global team, implementing energy and internet projects that resulted in millions of people gaining access to electricity for the first time. 

For 12 years, she served as a senior aide on both the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she spearheaded the passage of legislation to provide electricity access in Africa, increase global internet access, reduce corruption through transparency, and reform U.S. foreign assistance. 

She is an adviser to the Women's Democracy Network and the Energy Growth Hub, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Academy of the Global Teacher Prize, and the International Mindfulness Teachers Association.

Betsabe Botaitis is the newly appointed treasurer and chief financial officer at Hedera. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. During the Mexican peso crisis in the 1990s. The crisis left many families in financial ruin, and after witnessing her family being negatively impacted, she enrolled in a 6-month course to become a bank teller at 14-years old. 

Betsabe began her career as a bank teller at Citibank at the age of 15 and rose through the ranks, growing more interested in fintech and financial inclusion as her career progressed. She has since held senior positions at companies like Citigroup, and Lending Club. 

Botaitis is a member of Hipower, a network of executive women leaders in Silicon Valley, and she was recently awarded Nasdaq’s top honor at the annual Latina Disruptors Event. Above all, she is a passionate advocate for economic equality, who has been working in blockchain since 2016. 

On this incredible panel, we discuss:

💡What Hedera brings to the web3 ecosystem

👩‍⚖️The evolving regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies and blockchain

🏛️The government's role in shaping the future of blockchain and cryptocurrency

🫰How decentralized finance can make future and existing financial products more accessible

🧘🏽‍♀️We end with a two-minute mindfulness exercise! :) 

Follow me on Twitter @KamalaAlcantara to stay up to date on the show and join our weekly Twitter Space!

Subscribe to my new LinkedIn newsletter Rest & Digest: A rest stop at the busy intersection of mindfulness, tech, women empowerment, UX and diversity, equity and inclusion.

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This episode was produced and edited by Michele Musso with executive producer Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is ‘Twennysomething’ by Daniele Musto. Other music used is ‘Mind and Soul’ by Stefano Vita and ‘Electrolove’ by Lunareh. 

Are you building the next big thing in Web3? Apply to pitch your project live on stage at the CoinDesk Pitchfest Powered by Google Cloud at Consensus, the industry’s most influential event happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Apply by March 31 for a chance to be among the twelve finalists selected to pitch. Visit consensus.coindesk.com/pitchfest for more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After CPI inflation data came in as expected, the market is betting on a 25 basis point rate hike.

At this point, markets are racing to figure out what they believe the recent spate of U.S. bank failures means for monetary policy. Will the Federal Reserve stay the course? Will it be forced to pivot on raising interest rates? NLW brings you the debate as well as how the latest CPI inflation data affects the discussion.

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“The Breakdown” is written, produced and narrated by Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with today's editing by Jonas Huck, research by Scott Hill and additional production assistance by Eleanor Pahl. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsor today is “Foothill Blvd” by Sam Barsh. Image credit: Nuthawut Somsuk / Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Join the most important conversation in crypto and Web3 at Consensus 2023, happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Come and immerse yourself in all that Web3, crypto, blockchain and the metaverse have to offer. Use code BREAKDOWN to get 15% off your pass. Visit consensus.coindesk.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we delve into the underlying mechanisms of terraUSD and how they incentivized experienced investors to drive the stablecoin into a death spiral.

"Crypto Crooks" is sponsored by Chainalysis.

Do Kwon wasn’t creating a new grift. His coin was history, repeated. Financial experts foretold the failure of Do Kwon’s empire from the beginning – because they’d seen it all happen before, at the Bank of England no less. 

In our deep dive into terraUSD, we examine how the death spiral that ate the stablecoin alive was knit into the very fabric of the project. It was no accident, fluke or unexpected occurrence: It was inevitable. 

Next up, our season finale – and then, a bonus episode on the bombshell revelations of an SEC investment suit against Do Kwon, filed this February.

Clip:

• Terraform Labs CEO on US Crypto Regulation: 'It's Not That Interesting' | Video | CoinDesk

Episode transcripts are available at coindesk.com/podcasts/crypto-crooks. 

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Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.chainalysis.com.

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“Crypto Crooks” is a CoinDesk Podcast Production. The executive producer is Jared Schwartz, with additional production by Eleanor Pahl, Nora Battelle, Jonas Huck, and Moon Beast. Fact-checking is by Amber Von Schassen, and sound design and music are by Altus Noumena. This show is written and voiced by David Z. Morris.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The most valuable crypto stories for Monday, March 13, 2023. 

Bitcoin (BTC) is climbing above $24,000, as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said depositors of Silicon Valley Bank will have full access to their money beginning Monday morning, after confirming a successful transfer of deposits to a new bridge bank. This comes as crypto exchange Binance said it will convert $1 billion worth of Binance USD (BUSD) to bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), BNB coin (BNB) and other tokens to support the market.

See also:

Binance Will Convert $1B Worth of BUSD Stablecoin to Bitcoin, Ether, BNB and Other Tokens

USDC Stablecoin Regains Dollar Peg After Silicon Valley Bank-Induced Chaos

Circle Scrambles to Right USDC After Signature Bank Failure

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This episode has been edited by Ryan Huntington. The senior producer is Michele Musso and the executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Neon Beach.”

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Are you building the next big thing in Web3? Apply to pitch your project live on stage at the CoinDesk Pitchfest Powered by Google Cloud at Consensus, the industry’s most influential event happening April 26-28 in Austin, Texas. Apply by March 31 for a chance to be among the twelve finalists selected to pitch. Visit consensus.coindesk.com/pitchfest for more information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.