Crypto Options Unplugged

In this episode, James Harris, CEO of Tesseract joins Imran and David  to discuss the current state of the Defi market. James talks of his transition from a TradFi background at banks like Citigroup and Salomon Brothers to building regulated crypto infrastructure since 2017. Harris provides a technical breakdown of a recent DeFi exploit involving Kelp DAO and Aave, explaining how the attacker spoofed a bridge to drain assets and why hard-coded pegs often create systemic vulnerabilities. The conversation explores Tesseract’s role in providing regulated "yield-as-a-service" for major platforms like Robinhood and Bitstamp, alongside the emergence of on-chain "vaults" that offer real-time transparency for institutional asset management. Harris emphasizes that while he values the permissionless nature of DeFi, regulatory frameworks like MiCA are essential for protecting users and facilitating the tokenization of everything.

Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients for derivatives and does not accept US clients and clients from restricted countries.

In this week's episode Imran (Options Insight)and David (FRNT) catch up with a one-to-one conversation. They delve into the recent happenings in crypto and macro that are driving the latest wave of optimism which has taken equity market back to the highs. After months of range trading they question if this is finally the upside break we have been waiting for and Imran explains how he's playing it with short dated calls.

Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients for derivatives and does not accept US clients and clients from restricted countries.

Jasper De Maere, OTC trader at Wintermute, joins Imran and Dave. He moved from traditional sales & trading and equity research at Morgan Stanley into crypto research at Outlier Ventures before joining Wintermute’s OTC desk. He flags options volumes surging 5x year-over-year on the desk, driven mainly by yield-generating strategies such as covered calls and cash-secured puts from long holders, plus targeted catalyst trades. Delta One remains the core business. Points discussed include Bitcoin in an accumulation zone with persistent structural supply pressure, but slow institutional buying continues to provide support. Miners face profitability challenges for the first time in a halving epoch with negative four-year BTC returns on held rewards; energy costs and smart treasury management (including options) are now critical, and some are pivoting toward AI data centers. The market is shifting from isolated projects toward deeper TradFi integration through tokenization, stablecoins, and AI agents, with capital likely concentrating in quality revenue-generating protocols.

Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients for derivatives and does not accept US clients and clients from restricted countries.

Crypto navigating post-Trump honeymoon blues and geopolitical noise (Iran conflict, oil volatility). Stephane Ouellette (CEO, FRNT Financial) returns for a frank discussion on 2025's "disappointing" bull market dynamics. DAT wave sucked capital from real operating businesses into speculative shells (many now trading below MNAV, struggling to deliver). Industry top-heavy: incumbents (Coinbase, Robinhood) and stablecoin plays thrived; smaller/mid-cap crypto firms starved of growth capital. Opportunity ahead: consolidation, tokenized equities/credit, blockchain payments modernization. Lending remains key unresolved need; FRNT focused here + advisory for TradFi entering crypto.

Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients for derivatives and does not accept US clients and clients from restricted countries.

Crypto holding steady amid ongoing Middle East tensions (US-Iran conflict ~3 weeks in, oil volatility high, equities pressured — BTC ~70K range resilient, no major flush). Guest Eamonn Gashier (Founder, Block Scholes) joins Imran & David: ex-TradFi trader (16 years in investment banks/hedge funds) who dove into crypto in 2017, left banking in 2021. Block Scholes evolved from options vol analytics (built for their own trading needs) into a leading Oracle provider — delivering real-world data (commodities, oil, etc.) on-chain for DEX settlement/liquidations. Volumes exploding on DEXs (especially during weekend/geopolitical gaps when TradFi is closed). Hype token example shows real utility winning. Outlook: bullish on capital inflows + adoption (institutional + AI execution bots); selective on alts (focus utility/economics, not memes). Macro: central banks trapped (supply shocks vs. growth risks, financial repression likely) — tailwind for BTC as non-sovereign asset. Great discussion covering a lot of bases. Like and Subscribe for more.

In this episode, Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Asset Management, joins Imran Lakha and David Brickell (FRNT) to map out the institutional landscape of 2026. Hougan breaks down why he believes a $1,000,000 Bitcoin price is a matter of simple math, provided it captures just 17% of an expanding global store-of-value market.We also dive into the "Leapfrog" theory of Digital Asset Treasuries, the psychological impact of "Quantum FUD" on institutional committees, and why AI agents are the secret catalyst for future blockchain volume. Finally, Matt explains the stakes of the Clarity Act and why turning regulatory "sand into cement" is the final step for trillions in sidelined capital.

We also announce the lucky winners of out 100 USDC giveaway. Like and subscribe for more.

Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients for derivatives and does not accept US clients and clients from restricted countries.

Crypto has held up surprisingly well as macro and geopolitical tensions continue to rise. While traditional risk assets have struggled, Bitcoin is still holding around the $70K range and volatility is starting to return to the market. This week, Imran sits down with Maxime Seiler, co-founder of STS Digital, one of the leading market makers in the crypto options space. They talk about why crypto has remained relatively stable despite the macro pressure, how options traders are positioning right now, and what current volatility levels could be signaling for the next move. They also dive into Maxime’s background in traditional volatility trading, the growth of the crypto derivatives market, and how macro headlines are increasingly shaping price action in crypto. Like and subscribe for more.

Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients or US clients, and clients from other restricted countries.

Crypto shows resilience amid escalating Middle East conflict: US strikes on Iran trigger weekend drop, kinetic war fears push oil +20%, stocks were hammered — yet BTC holds ~67K range (no sub-60K flush), ETH stable. Liquidations appear exhausted; no major sellers left? Or head-fake before next leg? Guest Jason Urban (Co-Head Digital Assets, Galaxy Digital) joins Imran & David: background from Goldman index vol → DRW → Galaxy. Views crypto as maturing asset class — still collegial, but tribal narratives fading. BTC medium-term constructive (bottom near/in, back-half rally likely); altcoins bifurcate (winners emerge on real economics/use cases vs. hype). Solana micropayments pivot promising; ETH tokenized RWAs dominant. TradFi convergence + AI complementarity supportive; geopolitics favors BTC (freedom from debasement). Short-term cautious (risk off), but fundamentals scream higher. Like and subscribe for more

Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients or US clients, and clients from other restricted countries.

Episode 100 special! Guest Geoffrey Kendrick (Global Head of Digital Assets Research, Standard Chartered) joins Imran & David for milestone chat: BTC short-term capitulation risk to ~$50K (tech/AI rotation, macro slowdown), but strong rebound to $100K end-2026; long-term $500K by 2030 via portfolio optimization (BTC/gold mix, global access unlocks). ETH $4K end-2026, $40K 2030; Solana $135 end-2026, $2K 2030 (micropayments pivot). Stablecoins → $2T by 2028 (EM savings + corporate efficiency); tokenized RWAs → $2T (overtakes stables). Quantum threat solvable; miners → AI compute factories → marginal BTC mining at near-zero cost. TradFi adoption accelerating (stablecoins safer than banks in extremes, T-bill demand surge flattens curve, dollar dominance extension). Builders optimistic; price lags fundamentals.Takeaway: Extreme fear priced in — respect action, but macro + institutional flows (stablecoins/RWAs) supportive. Like, subscribe and comment to take part in this week's special 100 USDC giveaway to 10 lucky fans.

Like, subscribe and comment on Youtube to take part in this week's special 100 USDC giveaway to 10 lucky fans!

#crypto #trading #cryptocurrencynews #podcast
Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients or US clients, and clients from other restricted countries.

This week Imran and David host guest Sid Powell (Maple Finance co-Founder) to discuss the disconnect between crypto prices and the growth in activity and positive trajectory in the space regarding infrastructure build and regulatory clarity. Topics discussed include: Borrowing demand shifted from basis trade compression to reserve/OTC/yield strategies; inflows post-crash ($150M stablecoins) show yield hunger. TradFi interest surges (tokenized private credit/RWAs); quantum threat dampens retail/RIA adoption but solvable long-term. Outlook: constructive medium-term (Fed dovish shift + AI capex rationalization likely), but short-term chop/de-risk probable. Tokenization + institutional flows key catalysts; ETH benefits from credit/DeFi dominance.

Deribit FZE does not accept UAE retail clients or US clients, and clients from other restricted countries.