Crypto Hipster

What happens when the promise of decentralized finance meets the realities of the global banking system?

In this episode of Crypto Hipster, Jamil Hasan sits down with Tom Borgers, co-founder and CEO of Walapay, to explore a journey that began with an international childhood, an early fascination with Bitcoin, and firsthand experience building within the Ethereum ecosystem at ConsenSys.

Alongside his brother Dimitri, Tom is working to bridge blockchain-based financial infrastructure with traditional banking systems. But this conversation goes far beyond payments.

Together, they explore the responsibility of moving other people's money, the challenges of establishing institutional trust, the growing risks of AI-enabled financial fraud, and the tension between crypto's original ideals and the practical realities of global finance.

Tom also reflects on building a company with his brother, the lessons of Ethereum's formative years, and why meaningful financial transformation may require a commitment measured in decades rather than market cycles.

Because moving money faster means very little if people cannot trust the system moving it.

Crypto Hipster is about the people behind the technology, the experiences that shape their convictions, and the responsibility that comes with building something intended to last.

#CryptoHipster #TomBorgers #Walapay #Blockchain #Stablecoins #FinancialInfrastructure

Bitcoin price predictions are everywhere. But what happens when the deadline passes and the prediction turns out to be wrong?

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Prediction Ledger, a new Wednesday series from The X-Factor with the Crypto Hipster.

In this episode, Jamil Hasan examines three major Bitcoin forecasts:

• Arthur Hayes: Bitcoin at $250,000 by the end of 2025.

• Standard Chartered: A $200,000 year-end target, subsequently revised to $100,000.

• Grayscale: A new Bitcoin all-time high during the first half of 2026.

Using four dimensions—Trust, Protection, Consensus, and Stewardship—Jamil explores how financial predictions acquire credibility, how uncertainty is communicated, and what accountability looks like when forecasts fail.

This isn't about embarrassing people for being wrong. It's about examining the systems that give financial predictions authority in the first place.

Original research and contemporaneous reporting are distinguished throughout the discussion.

They made the prediction. We kept the receipt.

The X-Factor with the Crypto Hipster:
Monday — Weekend Roundup
Wednesday — The Prediction Ledger
Friday — Through the Lens

For commentary and educational purposes only. Not financial advice.

What happens when technological innovation expands our capabilities but leaves fundamental questions of responsibility unresolved?

In this week's Weekend Roundup, the Crypto Hipster examines five developments through the principles of Trust, Protection, Consensus, and Stewardship.

We begin with Binance's response to a reported multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency theft, including its asset-replenishment efforts, significant customer withdrawals, and the difference between replacing money and restoring confidence.

Next, we examine a cybersecurity incident at Chainalysis and what institutional accountability means when a blockchain intelligence company experiences a breach of its own systems.

We then turn to the sentencing of two Texas brothers involved in the armed kidnapping of a Minnesota family, exploring the limits of technological security when digital wealth becomes a target for physical violence.

Our fourth story revisits the Zcash community funding controversy, where a proposed $124 million compromise raises questions about the stewardship of decentralized resources.

Finally, we examine DeepSeek and the development of increasingly autonomous AI agents, asking who remains accountable when machines make decisions with less direct human involvement.

Along the way, the Crypto Hipster shares personal reflections on meeting Binance founder CZ in 2018, the promise of financial sovereignty, and the responsibilities that accompany technological progress.

Five stories. One enduring question: Who is responsible?

The X-Factor is presented by CHP Media.

This Halloween, The X-Factor with the Crypto Hipster returns with ten stories examining the changing architecture of cryptocurrency, finance, technology, and institutional governance.

Rather than simply reporting headlines, we explore each development through four principles: Trust, Protection, Consensus, and Stewardship.

From wallet authentication failures and political transparency to stablecoin regulation, autonomous AI agents, prediction-market jurisdiction, Zcash community funding, and the future of institutional leadership, this week's episode asks a central question:

Who takes responsibility when the systems we depend upon begin to change?

The Halloween monsters may be fictional. The institutional challenges are not.

An independent CHP Media production.

Happy Halloween from CHP Media.

#TheXFactor #CryptoHipster #CHPMedia #Blockchain #Governance

What does it take to build financial infrastructure that others can trust—and what happens when the industry around it keeps changing?

In this episode of Crypto Hipster, Jamil Hasan welcomes Richard Meng, co-founder of Cregis and CEO of Cregis Custody FZE, for a conversation about building cryptocurrency infrastructure, navigating global markets, and the responsibility that comes with protecting customers' digital assets.

Richard shares his journey from entering cryptocurrency in 2017 to helping exchanges build their technical infrastructure, expanding internationally, and responding to the growing demand for stablecoin payments, custody solutions, and institutional financial services.

Together, Jamil and Richard explore the consequences of industry failures, the changing relationship between cryptocurrency and traditional finance, the importance of security over convenience, and why institutional trust cannot be established overnight.

The conversation also examines artificial intelligence, the difference between conviction and stubbornness, and why continuous learning may be a founder's most valuable discipline.

Trust takes years to build. Losing it takes one second.

Crypto Hipster goes beyond market prices and headlines to explore the founders, decisions, and responsibilities shaping the future of technology and finance.

Hosted by Jamil Hasan | Crypto Hipster | CHP Media

#CryptoHipster #RichardMeng #Cregis #CryptoCustody #Stablecoins #Blockchain #FinancialInfrastructure #Trust #Fintech

Episode Description:

Five stories. Six articles. One fundamental question: Who controls the financial systems of tomorrow?

In this Monday Morning Weekend Wrap-Up, Jamil Hasan connects five major financial and cryptocurrency developments through his Emotional Assets and STEWARD governance frameworks.

From Wall Street's tokenization ambitions and Pentagon restrictions on prediction markets to Argentina's LIBRA controversy, Israel's exploration of blockchain, and Europe's proposed digital euro, this episode examines how technological innovation challenges institutional responsibility.

The discussion explores the relationship between trust, accountability, resilience, financial sovereignty, and the evolving architecture of global finance.

Rather than treating these developments as isolated headlines, The X Factor reveals the deeper connections between them.

Technology changes what institutions can do. Stewardship determines what they should do.

The X Factor is presented by CHP Media.

The X-Factor with Jamil Hasan returns with ten global cryptocurrency stories examined through four principles of governance: Trust, Protection, Consensus, and Stewardship.

In this revival episode, Jamil examines the digital euro, World ID's human verification technology, DeepSeek restrictions, Bitget's expansion, cryptocurrency project shutdowns, prediction-market regulation, tokenized bonds in Malaysia, and the evolving regulatory approaches to decentralized finance in Europe and the United Kingdom.

The episode concludes with a provocative examination of Bitcoin ETF flows and institutional herd behavior.

Are Wall Street investors leading the cryptocurrency market, or simply following price movements like everyone else?

Drawing on decades of institutional experience, hundreds of founder conversations, and the governance philosophy developed in The Lambs Lie Down, Jamil looks beyond the headlines to examine authority, accountability, and the human decisions shaping technological transformation.

Ten stories. Four governance principles. One X-Factor.

New episodes every Friday, with short-form commentary throughout the week.

Produced by CHP Media.

Who decides what information we can trust in an increasingly AI-driven world?

In this episode of Crypto Hipster, host Jamil Hasan welcomes back Billy Luedtke, founder of Intuition, for a thought-provoking conversation about decentralized identity, information ownership, reputation, accountability, and the future of the internet.

Billy's journey began in distributed seismic networks at Caltech before taking him into financial technology consulting, early cryptocurrency adoption, Ethereum, and Consensys. His experiences ultimately led him to establish Intuition, a project dedicated to rethinking how people discover information and determine whom to trust.

Together, Jamil and Billy explore why today's internet prioritizes attention over truth, how centralized algorithms influence what people see, and whether decentralized networks can restore individual control over information.

Their conversation moves beyond technology into fundamental questions about human behavior, economic incentives, and responsibility.

Can information be popular without being true? Can financial incentives improve trustworthiness? And can decentralized accountability help solve some of the greatest challenges facing artificial intelligence?

Billy also speaks candidly about the difficulties of entrepreneurship, the importance of building sustainable applications, and the moment a founder transitions from creator to steward.

The episode concludes with a look twenty years into the future, when today's attention-driven relationship with technology may seem almost unimaginable.

Topics include:

• Billy's journey from Caltech to Intuition

• Self-sovereign identity and ownership of personal information

• Centralized algorithms and information discovery

• Popularity versus truth versus trustworthiness

• Financial incentives and information quality

• Decentralized accountability

• AI agents, identity, reputation, and alignment

• Building a sustainable business around an ambitious vision

• Founder resilience and the transition to stewardship

• Rethinking humanity's relationship with technology

Learn more about Intuition: https://intuition.systems

#CryptoHipster #BillyLuedtke #Intuition #DecentralizedIdentity #Blockchain #ArtificialIntelligence #DigitalTrust #Web3

What separates believing in a revolutionary technology from knowing whether it's a good investment?

In this episode of Crypto Hipster, host Jamil Hasan welcomes Courtney Olujobi, Principal of Portfolio and Investment Strategy at Moon Pursuit Capital, for a conversation about investment discipline, market cycles, institutional adoption, and the evolving digital asset landscape.

Courtney's journey into cryptocurrency began in enterprise technology and data center infrastructure. An encounter with Bitcoin mining in 2016 sparked his curiosity, leading him into digital assets in 2017 and eventually into institutional portfolio management and venture investing.

Together, Jamil and Courtney explore the difference between conviction and stubbornness, why successful investing requires more than identifying promising technologies, and how institutional capital is reshaping the cryptocurrency industry.

The conversation moves through market-neutral strategies, artificial intelligence, quantum security, investment psychology, and the importance of recognizing opportunities before they become mainstream narratives.

One question sits at the center of the discussion:

Is patience itself a form of investment alpha?

Courtney explains why understanding technological cycles, maintaining discipline, and allowing time for adoption can matter as much as identifying the right opportunity.

The conversation ultimately moves beyond financial markets to a larger question: Will technological progress help humanity become more connected, equitable, and resilient?

Topics include:

• From enterprise infrastructure to digital asset investing

• Technology adoption versus investment opportunity

• Conviction, stubbornness, and investment psychology

• Market-neutral strategies and institutional capital

• Finding investment edge in an information-rich world

• Patience as alpha

• Quantum security and AI

• The future of crypto culture

• Technology's responsibility to humanity

A conversation about capital, judgment, uncertainty, and the discipline to think beyond the next market cycle.

#CryptoHipster #CourtneyOlujobi #MoonPursuitCapital #DigitalAssets #Blockchain #InvestmentStrategy #Crypto

What does it take to build infrastructure that no longer depends on its creator?

In this episode of Crypto Hipster, host Jamil Hasan welcomes Yassir Haouati, Co-Founder and COO of Brickken, for a conversation about real-world asset tokenization, institutional adoption, governance, and the evolution of a founder's responsibilities.

Yassir's entrepreneurial journey began in Morocco, where he started learning programming at seven years old and landed his first paying client at ten. Years later, that curiosity led him through engineering, entrepreneurship, and ultimately the founding of Brickken in 2020.

But this conversation goes well beyond putting assets on a blockchain.

Jamil and Yassir explore why tokenization is about more than liquidity, how institutions are changing the requirements for blockchain infrastructure, and why compliance and risk management must be designed into systems from the beginning.

The conversation ultimately arrives at a deeper question: When does a founder stop being an owner and become a steward?

For Yassir, the strongest ecosystems are those capable of surviving their founders. And the ultimate success of infrastructure may be the moment it becomes invisible.

Topics include:

• From childhood programmer to blockchain entrepreneur

• The evolution of real-world asset tokenization

• Institutional adoption and operational infrastructure

• Governance, compliance, and trust

• Building organizations that survive their founders

• Ownership versus stewardship

• Why invisible infrastructure may represent the greatest success

A conversation about building technology—and knowing when to let the system stand on its own.

Crypto Hipster — Conversations with the builders shaping the decentralized future.

#CryptoHipster #Brickken #Tokenization #RWA #Blockchain #Governance #Entrepreneurship