Crypto Critics' Corner

By Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin

What's Crypto Critics' Corner about?

Bennett and Cas discuss historical moments in the cryptocurrency and finance industries, focusing on frauds, hacks, exit scams, and other malfeasance.

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Crypto Critics' Corner episodes:

05.08.2024
CZ vs SBF
Bennett and Cas discuss the sentencing of Changpeng Zhao and what it means for the cryptocurrency industry, along with comparing it to the outcome for cryptocurrency exchange fraud Sam Bankman-Fried. This video was recorded on May 6th, 2024.
04.10.2024
Regional Banking: It's Over, Bro
Bennett and Cas discuss the ongoing struggles of regional banking in the United States, and why these issues with the system persist. This video was recorded on March 6th, 2024.
04.01.2024
Two giant river boys and their missing $1,000,000,000: the Winklevoss Twins (Feat. Ed Zitron)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Ed Zitron to discuss how Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss portray themselves as the regulated alternative, but frequently flout the rules. Additional resources: Ed's newsletter about Gemini Earn Better Offline HTX is probably insolvent This episode was recorded on...
03.16.2024
YUM YUM MONEY TIME: Deltec Bank moved customer funds from FTX to Alameda Research
Bennett and Cas discuss a class action lawsuit against Deltec Bank and Trust in the Bahamas that alleges that it was instrumental in moving customer funds from FTX to Alameda Research. Coverage of the lawsuit the lawsuit Farmington State response Coindesk coverage of Alameda...
02.26.2024
Binanace and Changpeng Zhao Indicted: End of an Era
Bennett and Cas discuss the indictment of Changpeng Zhao and the Deferred Prosecution Agreement for Binance. Read coverage of charges here. This episode was recorded on February 10th, 2024.
02.21.2024
Read, Write, Owned: Broken Web3 Promises (Feat. Molly White)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Molly White to discuss Andreessen Horowitz GP Chris Dixon's new book: Read, Write, Own. Read Molly's review of Dixon's book here and check out her archival cryptocurrency news site here. Read Protos' article about...
02.08.2024
Tether: The $100,000,000,000 Problem in Crypto
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the history and present of Tether, the most important firm in all of cryptocurrency. This video was recorded on February 4th, 2024.
11.15.2023
Why Crypto Will Never Fix Payments (Feat. Patrick McKenzie)
Bennett and Cas are joined by Patrick McKenzie of Bits About Money to discuss why cryptocurrency is not a solution for the problems of payments. Bits About Money Patrick McKenzie Twitter Protos coverage of Moonstone Cease and Desist Federal Reserve Cease and Desist for...
11.10.2023
Sam Bankman-Fried Sent Himself to Prison (Feat. Elizabeth Lopatto)
Bennett and Cas are joined by Elizabeth Lopatto of the Verge to discuss Sam Bankman-Fried's conviction. Sam Bankman-Fried gambled on a trial and his parents lost Elizabeth Lopatto's Coverage at The Verge Cas' review of Going Infinite Protos coverage of the trial This video was...
11.07.2023
Wyre: Another crypto payment processor involved in fraud
Bennett and Cas discuss Wyre, another cryptocurrency payments processor involved with fraud. Protos coverage of Ryan Breslow's many disasters Protos coverage of Wyre problems This episode was recorded on October 20th, 2023.
11.03.2023
Sam Bankman-Fried's Trial is Going Great (feat. Molly White)
Bennett and Cas are joined by Molly White (@molly0xfff) to discuss the ongoing testimony of Sam Bankman-Fried. Molly's newsletter Web3 is Going Great Protos Coverage of the Trial This video was recorded on November 1st, 2023.
10.30.2023
It's so over: Sam Bankman-Fried testifies (feat. Sam Kessler)
Bennett and Cas are joined by Sam Kessler from CoinDesk to discuss the witnesses that the defense has been calling to the stand, including Sam Bankman-Fried. CoinDesk trial coverage: https://www.coindesk.com/sam-bankman-fried-trial-live-coverage-news/ Protos trial coverage: https://protos.com/sbftrial/ SBF's Kamikaze Defense: https://protos.com/sam-bankman-frieds-kamikaze-defense/ The Jury Finally Hears from SBF by Liz Lopatto: https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/27/23935683/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-fraud-direct-testimony-jury This...
10.26.2023
Tweets, Trolls, and Superstars in the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial (Feat. Katie Baker)
Bennett and Cas are joined by Katie Baker, a journalist at The Ringer, to discuss her time spent at the trial, how social media and sh*tposting are playing a role, and her most recent article, which encapsulates the story unfolding...
10.23.2023
Sam Bankman-Fried asked FTX's lawyer to explain away stolen funds (feat. Danny Nelson)
Bennett and Cas are joined by Danny Nelson of CoinDesk to discuss the ongoing trial of Sam Bankman-Fried and the testimony of Nishad Singh and Can Sun. CoinDesk coverage of the trial https://www.coindesk.com/sam-bankman-fried-trial-live-coverage-news/ Danny Nelson's newsletter about accounting Santa Clause https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/10/19/judge-kaplans-ire-hits-all-lawyers-in-the-sam-bankman-fried-case/ Danny article about Nishad...
10.20.2023
Moonstone Bank: FTX, Deltec, and the Mission to Move Millions
Bennett and Cas discuss Farmington State Bank/Moonstone Bank, the Washington State bank that Alameda Research invested in - valuing at an unbelievable $150 million. Additional resources: Initial Protos coverage of Moonstone https://protos.com/the-curious-case-of-ftx-and-farmington-state-bank-aka-moonstone/ Moonstone Bank executives explain relationship with Alameda Research https://protos.com/exclusive-moonstone-bank-explains-ties-with-alameda-research/ Federal Reserve explains Moonstone Bank...
10.17.2023
Caroline Ellison Takes the Stand: the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial Week 2 (Feat. Nikhilesh De)
Bennett and Cas are joined by Nikhilesh De of CoinDesk to discuss the ongoing trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, and specifically the testimony of Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison. Additional resources: CoinDesk coverage of the trial https://www.coindesk.com/tag/sbf-trial/ Nik's newsletter about the trial https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/10/13/things-sbfs-defense-lawyers-should-be-freaking-out-about/ Bennett's newsletter about the...
10.13.2023
Can crypto companies get bank accounts?
Bennett and Cas discuss the evolving banking situation in the cryptocurrency industry, and how hard it is for companies to maintain banking relationships. Read more: https://cryptocriticscorner.com/2023/10/13/episode-134-can-crypto-companies-get-bank-accounts/ Additional resources: CoinDesk article about Bitstamp https://www.coindesk.com/business/2023/10/09/bitstamp-courts-european-banks-as-regions-incoming-crypto-rules-boost-confidence/ Protos article about Prager Metis https://protos.com/accounting-apocalypse-ftx-auditor-prager-metis-sued-by-the-sec/ Protos coverage of Moonstone https://protos.com/tag/moonstone/ This episode was recorded...
10.09.2023
Did Sam Bankman-Fried's Defense Blow It? (Feat. David Z. Morris)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by David Z. Morris to discuss the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, and the testimony against him so far. This includes longtime friend Adam Yedidia, FTX leader Gary Wang, and investor Matt Huang. Additional resources: Protos coverage...
10.04.2023
Are NFTs securities?
Today Bennett and Cas discuss the SEC's settlement with the creators of an NFT called Stoner Cats and whether or not it means any NFTs offering royalties to creators could be considered securities.
09.29.2023
Elon Musk's ESG Con (Feat. Eric Roesch)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Eric Roesch to discuss Elon Musk, ESG (environmental, social, governance), and the Golden Age of Fraud. Roesch, an environmental policy expert, tells us about the history of ESG, why it doesn't effectively combat the...
09.22.2023
Were SBF's parents in on it? Follow the Money
Today Bennett and Cas talk about Sam Bankman-Fried's parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, who are alleged to be holding onto property and money that the FTX and Alameda Research estates are looking to claw back. Read more about it here. This...
09.20.2023
Circle is losing the stablecoin war to Tether (Feat. Leo Schwartz)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Leo Schwartz from Fortune to discuss his feature article about Circle, USDC, and why the stablecoin can't seem to overtake Tether in marketcap or volume. Read the article here.
09.15.2023
SBF Deserves Human Rights
Today Bennett and Cas discuss SBF's legal team suggesting that their client is unable to get his medications on time or food he finds acceptable. Read our articles about it here or here.
09.12.2023
Let's Talk About Number Go Up with Zeke Faux
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by special guest Zeke Faux, journalist and author of the new book Number Go Up. Faux was able to gain access to SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried), Deltec executives, and the head of Tether while writing his...
09.08.2023
All-In? We're Out: Why the All-In Podcast is Bad for America
Today Bennett and Cas discuss one of the most popular financial podcasts in the world, the All-In podcast, and why it's bad for America. All-In features Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya, and David Friedberg, mostly talking their books, but lately...
08.29.2023
How to Steal Almost $100 Million: Prime Trust goes Bust
Today Bennett and Cas discuss Prime Trust (again) after the Nevada-based trust company admitted that previous C-suite executives had made numerous mistakes and mishandled over $80 million in cash and cryptocurrencies.
08.16.2023
Effective Altruism: Morally Buy An Island Nation
Bennett and Cas discuss the philosophy of Effective Altruism, how it influenced Sam Bankman-Fried, and how it contributed to the collapse of FTX and Alameda Research. This episode was recorded on July 27th, 2023.
08.02.2023
All Hail The Orb: Worldcoin
Bennett and Cas discuss Sam Altman and his new project, Worldcoin, which promises to provide 'proof of humanity' if you let them scan your eyeball. This episode was recorded on Thursday July 27th, 2023.
07.28.2023
Justin Sun and TrueUSD... Again
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are discussing the weird shenanigans ongoing with the stablecoin TrueUSD (TUSD) and the numerous platforms and exchanges that Justin Sun has purchased over the years. This episode was recorded on Wednesday, July 26th, 2023.
07.01.2023
Prime Trust, TrueUSD, and Offshore Finance (Feat. Jonathan Reiter and Patrick Tan)
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Jonathan Reiter and Patrick Tan of ChainArgos to discuss Prime Trust, TrueUSD, stablecoins, and offshore finance. This episode was recorded on Tuesday, June 27th, 2023
06.16.2023
How to attack Bitcoin (Feat. Micah Warren)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Dr. Micah Warren, a professor of mathematics, to discuss the game theory of Bitcoin and what it means for the security of Bitcoin. This episode was recorded on June 8th, 2023.
06.12.2023
Bennett and Cas at Consensus 2023: How to Spot a Scam
Today we present the panel that we were featured on at Consensus, entitled "How to Spot a Scam." The panel was hosted by David Z. Morris of CoinDesk and features former Terraform Labs employee Hyungsuk Kang.
06.09.2023
Binance, Coinbase, and the SEC (Featuring Mike Burgersburg of Dirty Bubble Media)
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined - yet again! - by Mike Burgersburg of Dirty Bubble Media to discuss the recent lawsuits brought against Binance and Coinbase by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
05.04.2023
Crypto Critics Cope at Consensus Conference
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin discuss their takeaways from Consensus 2023, the recent cryptocurrency conference put on by CoinDesk. This video was recorded on April 30th, 2023.
04.12.2023
The FDIC, Infinite Insurance, and Moral Hazards (Feat. Rohan Grey)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Rohan Grey to discuss how the government could provide unlimited deposit insurance against banks collapsing. This episode was recorded on March 15th, 2023.
04.07.2023
The Whistleblower Who Exposed WorldCom (feat. Cynthia Cooper & Daren Firestone)
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin are joined by Cynthia Cooper and Daren Firestone to discuss the history of one of the largest corporate frauds ever, Worldcom, and what it means to be a whistleblower. This video was recorded on October 13th,...
04.04.2023
Binance in Trouble (streamed live on March 27th, 2023)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the lawsuit filed against Binance and Changpeng Zhao by the CFTC. This video was streamed live on March 27th, 2023. Additional resources: Complaint https://www.cftc.gov/media/8351/%20en... Coverage of the complaint https://protos.com/cftc-lawsuit-again...
04.03.2023
SEC sues Justin Sun, Coinbase, Celebrities; also Do Kwon arrested (recorded on March 23rd)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the lawsuit filed against Justin Sun alleging that Tron and BitTorrent token were illegal securities and that he engaged in market manipulation. We also discuss the celebrities implicated in the promotion of these tokens including: -...
03.16.2023
Toilet Apes and other NFT Exploitation (Feat. Ed Zitron)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Ed Zitron to discuss NFTs and why they became popular and why they are so empty. This episode was recorded on February 1st, 2022.
03.09.2023
Silvergategate: The Collapse of Silvergate and the Future of Cryptocurrency Banking
Bennett and Cas go live to discuss the collapse of Silvergate, the bank of choice for cryptocurrency companies and exchanges in the US. Recorded on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023.
03.04.2023
Tether Falsified Bank Records
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the recent Wall Street Journal report that reveals that Tether and Bitfinex falsified bank records in order to try to maintain access to banking. WSJ article discussed on the show. This video was recorded on March...
03.01.2023
Satire in Cryptocurrency: West Ham (feat. Josh Cincinnati and Laurence [Insert Last Name Here])
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin are joined by Laurence and Josh Cincinnati to dis1cuss the value of satire in cryptocurrency, ordinals, Justin Sun and more. This was recorded on January 30th, 2023.
02.06.2023
The El Salvador Volcano Token (feat. Domingo Flores)
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin are joined by Domingo Flores to discuss the Salvadoran Bitcoin Token being developed in partnership with Bitfinex. Domingo's Website, Patreon, YouTube, and Twitter. This video was recorded on January 20th, 2022.
01.29.2023
Harmony Horizon Exploit, Lazarus Group, and Cryptocurrency Bridges
Bennett and Cas revisit the Harmony Horizon bridge exploit from last year, discuss why the Lazarus Group is targeting cryptocurrency so much, and go over the billion plus lost on cryptocurrency bridges over the past year. Special thanks to ZachXBT, who...
01.17.2023
Nexo Raided, SBF Lies, and Genesis and Gemini Charged
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the raid executed against Nexo, SBF's lies in his Substack, and the unregistered security charges brought against Genesis and Gemini. Kentucky Cease and desist against Nexo Protos On SBF's Lies This video was streamed live on January...
01.17.2023
Cryptocurrency Banks Give Up
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin discuss Silvergate, Signature, Metropolitan, and other cryptocurrency banks in light of their massive deposit outflows and increasing regulatory issues. American Banker Post about Silvergate using Home Loan bank advances: https://www.americanbanker.com/news/silvergate-bank-loaded-up-on-4-3-billion-in-fhlb-advances OCC, Federal Reserve, and FDIC statement on...
01.02.2023
Did Satoshi run a drug cartel? The Paul Le Roux Story (Feat. Evan Ratliff)
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin are joined by Evan Ratliff to discuss Paul Le Roux, an international criminal who some believe may have been Satoshi Nakamoto. We also discuss Evan's new podcast Persona, and the similarities between the crimes of...
12.21.2022
Auditors, Binance, and Global Regulation
Today Bennett and Cas are recording an IN-PERSON(!!!) episode of CCC together! We discuss auditors exiting the cryptocurrency industry en masse, what's next for Binance, and how regulators will or won't take on the new global financial industries. Recorded on Tuesday, December...
11.21.2022
The Skeptic's Guide to Skepticism
Today Bennett and Cas discuss walking the fine line between beneficial and frank skepticism and full-blown conspiracy theorist, and how sometimes the line can get a little blurry. This episode was recorded on November 4th, before everything spiraled into an utter...
11.09.2022
FTX and Alameda are dead, long live cryptocurrency
Today Bennett and Cas are talking about the collapse of FTX, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, and its sister trading firm, Alameda Research.

What's Crypto Critics' Corner about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Crypto Critics' Corner episodes:

CZ vs SBF

Regional Banking: It's Over, Bro

Two giant river boys and their missing $1,000,000,000: the Winklevoss Twins (Feat. Ed Zitron)

YUM YUM MONEY TIME: Deltec Bank moved customer funds from FTX to Alameda Research

Binanace and Changpeng Zhao Indicted: End of an Era

Read, Write, Owned: Broken Web3 Promises (Feat. Molly White)

Tether: The $100,000,000,000 Problem in Crypto

Why Crypto Will Never Fix Payments (Feat. Patrick McKenzie)

Sam Bankman-Fried Sent Himself to Prison (Feat. Elizabeth Lopatto)

Wyre: Another crypto payment processor involved in fraud

Sam Bankman-Fried's Trial is Going Great (feat. Molly White)

It's so over: Sam Bankman-Fried testifies (feat. Sam Kessler)

Tweets, Trolls, and Superstars in the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial (Feat. Katie Baker)

Sam Bankman-Fried asked FTX's lawyer to explain away stolen funds (feat. Danny Nelson)

Moonstone Bank: FTX, Deltec, and the Mission to Move Millions

Caroline Ellison Takes the Stand: the Sam Bankman-Fried Trial Week 2 (Feat. Nikhilesh De)

Can crypto companies get bank accounts?

Did Sam Bankman-Fried's Defense Blow It? (Feat. David Z. Morris)

Are NFTs securities?

Elon Musk's ESG Con (Feat. Eric Roesch)

Were SBF's parents in on it? Follow the Money

Circle is losing the stablecoin war to Tether (Feat. Leo Schwartz)

SBF Deserves Human Rights

Let's Talk About Number Go Up with Zeke Faux

All-In? We're Out: Why the All-In Podcast is Bad for America

How to Steal Almost $100 Million: Prime Trust goes Bust

Effective Altruism: Morally Buy An Island Nation

All Hail The Orb: Worldcoin

Justin Sun and TrueUSD... Again

Prime Trust, TrueUSD, and Offshore Finance (Feat. Jonathan Reiter and Patrick Tan)

How to attack Bitcoin (Feat. Micah Warren)

Bennett and Cas at Consensus 2023: How to Spot a Scam

Binance, Coinbase, and the SEC (Featuring Mike Burgersburg of Dirty Bubble Media)

Crypto Critics Cope at Consensus Conference

The FDIC, Infinite Insurance, and Moral Hazards (Feat. Rohan Grey)

The Whistleblower Who Exposed WorldCom (feat. Cynthia Cooper & Daren Firestone)

Binance in Trouble (streamed live on March 27th, 2023)

SEC sues Justin Sun, Coinbase, Celebrities; also Do Kwon arrested (recorded on March 23rd)

Toilet Apes and other NFT Exploitation (Feat. Ed Zitron)

Silvergategate: The Collapse of Silvergate and the Future of Cryptocurrency Banking

Tether Falsified Bank Records

Satire in Cryptocurrency: West Ham (feat. Josh Cincinnati and Laurence [Insert Last Name Here])

The El Salvador Volcano Token (feat. Domingo Flores)

Harmony Horizon Exploit, Lazarus Group, and Cryptocurrency Bridges

Nexo Raided, SBF Lies, and Genesis and Gemini Charged

Cryptocurrency Banks Give Up

Did Satoshi run a drug cartel? The Paul Le Roux Story (Feat. Evan Ratliff)

Auditors, Binance, and Global Regulation

The Skeptic's Guide to Skepticism

FTX and Alameda are dead, long live cryptocurrency

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