Markets Outlook

Hyblock Capital co-founder and CEO Shubh Varma joins CoinDesk’s Ray Salmond on Markets Outlook in the aftermath of the largest hack in crypto history. Varma says the order books barely moved because Binance could cover the $6.3 billion loss and refunded users in coin, not dollars. Plus, what the Democrats’ midterm wave means for crypto regulation, why he thinks Bitcoin’s next run will come from capital rotating out of the AI trade, and his contrarian call that 2027 will be bullish despite a Fed that’s raising rates.

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com [grayscale.com].

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Learn more about CoinDesk Data & Indices at coindesk.com/institutions.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Shubh Varma Joins Markets Outlook

01:51 - Why Bitcoin Shrugged Off the Biggest Hack in History

04:12 - The Spot vs. Perps Signal to Watch

06:55 - Is Alt Season Dead for Good?

09:29 - Do Retail Investors Even Need to Trade Crypto Anymore?

12:38 - What the Midterm Blue Wave Means for Crypto

14:29 - Is AI Stealing Bitcoin’s Bull Run?

17:38 - The Contrarian Bull Case for 2027

Alex Gluchowski, CEO and co-founder of Matter Labs, joins CoinDesk’s Jennifer Sanasie on Markets Outlook to unpack Prividium Commander, the company’s new product built to take digital assets from pilots to revenue. Gluchowski explains why operational friction, not technology, keeps institutions from moving digital asset experiments into production, and how Commander gives banks one control plane to run digital asset services under their own rules.

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com.

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Digital asset vaults are growing rapidly, but understanding the risks behind them requires more than on-chain data. S&P Global Ratings' Vault Risk Assessment (VRA) delivers independent, forward-looking insight into vault credit quality, governance, and risk management, helping bring institutional-grade risk transparency to digital asset markets. Learn more at https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/products/vault-risk-assessments.

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Learn more about CoinDesk Data & Indices at coindesk.com/institutions.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Matter Labs’ Alex Gluchowski Joins Markets Outlook

01:40 - What Is Prividium Commander?

02:03 - Why Bank Blockchain Pilots Stall Before Production

04:30 - What Happens When Banks Build Their Own Plumbing

05:34 - How Cari Network Is Bringing 30 Banks to Tokenized Deposits

06:48 - The Path From Commander to ZK

09:06 - What Institutions Want From ZK Privacy

10:52 - Can Blockchains Handle Bank-Level Volume?

12:04 - Matter Labs’ Vision for a Global Digital Asset Economy

Juan Otero, CEO of Travala, joins CoinDesk’s Jennifer Sanasie on Markets Outlook to explain how the company’s new AI travel agent lets you book any of 2.2 million hotels in more than 230 countries just by chatting. Otero walks through how Travala uses BNB Chain’s machine payment protocol for gasless transactions and Binance Pay for settlement. Plus, he lays out the bigger plan: a future where agents anywhere can book hotels, flights, activities and car rentals on crypto rails.

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com.

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Digital asset vaults are growing rapidly, but understanding the risks behind them requires more than on-chain data. S&P Global Ratings' Vault Risk Assessment (VRA) delivers independent, forward-looking insight into vault credit quality, governance, and risk management, helping bring institutional-grade risk transparency to digital asset markets. Learn more at https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/products/vault-risk-assessments.

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Learn more about CoinDesk Data & Indices at coindesk.com/institutions.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Travala’s Juan Otero Joins Markets Outlook

01:51 - Travala’s AI Travel Agent

02:25 - How AI Agents Pay With BNB Chain’s Machine Payment Protocol

03:16 - Why BNB Chain and Binance Pay?

04:17 - Booking a Hotel by Chatting With an Agent

07:05 - Can You Trust an AI Agent With Your Wallet?

08:00 - Crypto Rewards vs. Credit Card Points

09:29 - Who Is Travala’s AI Agent For?

11:12 - The Future of Agentic Travel on Crypto Rails

Acronym Foundation President Tyler Spalding joins CoinDesk's Kate Irwin on Markets Outlook to break down the launch of the Anvil Protocol's SDK and what it means for bringing DeFi into everyday business. Spalding explains how Anvil works as a letter of credit protocol, and how CoinDesk parent company Bullish is among the first companies to integrate the SDK. Plus, why Bitcoin, Ethereum and tokenized real-world assets could reshape on-chain collateral.

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Disclosure: Bullish is the parent company of CoinDesk.

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com.

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Digital markets move fast. Move forward with clarity from S&P Global Ratings' risk analysis spanning stablecoins, tokenized funds, digital bonds, DeFi protocols, and more. Explore digital asset solutions with S&P Global Ratings at https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/products/solutions/digital-assets?utm_campaign=Global-DA-Vaults&utm_source=digital-ads&utm_medium=link&utm_content=CoinDesk1.

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Read more about CoinDesk Research's report on Asia-Pacific's emergence as the proving ground for regulated stablecoin finance and RLUSD's role at: https://www.coindesk.com/research/the-definitive-stablecoin-landscape-series-asia-pacific

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Tyler Spalding Joins Markets Outlook

02:02 - Anvil Launches Its SDK for Builders

03:10 - DeFi's New Playbook: Letters of Credit

04:09 - Founders Fund Leads $5M Anvil Token Round

05:40 - Why a Governance Token Still Makes Sense

09:12 - The First Companies to Integrate

11:42 - What Makes Anvil's On-Chain Collateral Different

14:22 - Collateral in the Age of AI Agents

14:57 - Bitcoin, Ethereum and the Future of Collateral

Chronicle Founder Nik Kunkel joins CoinDesk's Kate Irwin on Markets Outlook to unpack their new report that found over $12 billion in tokenized assets falling short on transparency. Kunkel breaks down the five pillars every tokenized asset needs to meet, why roughly 70% of the assets reviewed don't clear the bar, and what real-time, verifiable proof-of-asset data means for institutions like BlackRock, BNY Mellon and Galaxy racing to bring trillions onchain.

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com.

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Digital markets move fast. Move forward with clarity from S&P Global Ratings’ risk analysis spanning stablecoins, tokenized funds, digital bonds, DeFi protocols, and more. Explore digital asset solutions with S&P Global Ratings at https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/products/solutions/digital-assets?utm_campaign=Global-DA-Vaults&utm_source=digital-ads&utm_medium=link&utm_content=CoinDesk1.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Niklas Kunkel Joins Markets Outlook

02:21 - Chronicle's New Report: Tokenization's Hidden Problem

03:50 - $12.3B Exposed: 70% of Tokenized Assets Fail the Test

06:12 - The Five Pillars Every Tokenized Asset Needs

08:18 - How to Achieve Proof of Asset

10:47 - Why Risk Isn't Priced In

12:57 - BlackRock, BNY Mellon and the Road to Real-Time Regulation

Transform Ventures CEO and author of "Bitcoin Supercycle” Michael Terpin joins CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie on Markets Outlook to explain why he believes the bear market is over and "Bitcoin winter," the long climb back to the top, has officially begun. Terpin lays out his path to $120K by late next year, why 2028-29 could bring a rare collision of presidential and stock market cycles, when he sees million-dollar bitcoin, and why he believes an altcoin supercycle is coming too.

Plus, GSR’s Managing Director of Asset Management Andy Baehr on why fixed income, not equities, will be the real catalyst that takes tokenization mainstream.

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com.

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This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Michael Terpin Joins Markets Outlook

01:02 - Bitcoin Winter Is Here: Why the Bull Market Has Begun

02:40 - The Four Seasons of Bitcoin, Explained

04:45 - The Path to $120K Bitcoin

06:02 - Does the AI Trade Make This Cycle Different?

07:34 - When Bitcoin Breaks From Risk Assets

08:52 - The 2028-29 Cycle Collision

10:39 - Why Million-Dollar Bitcoin Needs a Supercycle

12:58 - Brand New Rails: Why Fixed Income Beats Equities for Tokenization

16:12 - Million-Dollar Bitcoin by 2037?

17:45 - 95% Mined: The Coming Supply Shock

18:38 - 28M Millionaires, 21M Bitcoin: What the Market Is Missing

19:44 - What Happens When the Last Bitcoin Is Mined?

20:52 - The Coming Altcoin Supercycle

22:53 - Memecoins Meet Tokenized Stocks

Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Circle, joins CoinDesk Contributor Kate Irwin on Markets Outlook the day Arc mainnet goes live. Chandhok explains why gas on Arc is USDC and not a native token, how opt-in privacy works, why BlackRock and Visa signed on as validators, and what changes for institutions when GENIUS rules take effect in January.

Plus, Beezie Founder and CEO Andrea Miele on why tokenized luxury goods are the next frontier for provenance and liquidity.

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com.

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This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Nikhil Chandhok Joins Markets Outlook

00:59 - CLARITY Failed. Why GENIUS Is Circle's Guiding Light

02:37 - Circle Announces Arc Mainnet

03:00 - How Opt-In Privacy Works on Arc

04:35 - Why Gas Is USDC and Not a Native Token

06:52 - Will AI Agents Take Over Onchain Activity?

10:10 - Brand New Rails: Tokenized Luxury with Beezie

13:11 - Why BlackRock and Visa Signed On as Validators

15:20 - DeFi on Arc: Aave, Morpho and Uniswap

16:43 - The Biggest Challenge Facing Institutions

18:45 - Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Why Circle Isn't Bearish

Ran Neuner, Founder of Crypto Banter, joins Coindesk’s Jennifer Sanasie on Markets Outlook with charts in hand to explain why Bitcoin's pullback from $82K is textbook post-golden-cross behavior, and why he thinks the real story is what comes next. Neuner breaks down Scott Bessent's Treasury buybacks as the engine of the rally, why ETH just broke a nine-year downtrend against Bitcoin, and why he's rotating out of layer ones and into apps with real users and revenue.

Plus, Energy Substantiation Co-Founder Wil Harris joins Brand New Rails to explain why hard-to-custody assets, like oil, are tokenization's real frontier.

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com.

-

This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Ran Neuner Joins Markets Outlook

00:45 - The Golden Cross and Bitcoin's Pullback

02:31 - Bessent's Buybacks and Why $6B Disappointed the Market

03:56 - Oil, the War, and Trump's $1.4T Stimulus Promise

06:47 - Brand New Rails: Tokenized WTI Crude Oil

09:37 - "Crypto's Biggest Bull Market Ever"

11:33 - ETH Breaks a Nine-Year Downtrend Against Bitcoin

14:03 - Altcoins to 7X Bitcoin? Crypto's Product Market Fit

18:02 - Why AI Agents Are Crypto's Real Use Case

19:54 - What Makes an Altcoin Win: Users, Revenue, Buybacks

Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise Asset Management, joins Jennifer Sanasie for a special edition of Markets Outlook from the New York Stock Exchange to unpack the market's overnight flip from despair to euphoria. Hougan explains why a traditional 60/40 portfolio is "100% fiat currency," why holding 0% Bitcoin has become a misallocation, and where he's allocating now. Plus, why he gives Bitcoin a good chance of reclaiming $100K this year and sees $1.3 million by 2035. 

Stellar Development Foundation CEO Denelle Dixon also joins to unpack Stellar crossing $4 billion in tokenized real-world assets, a 400% jump since January.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Matt Hougan Joins Markets Outlook

00:45 - Despair to Euphoria: What Flipped the Market

03:20 - AI Stocks vs. Bitcoin

05:49 - Brand New Rails: Stellar Crosses $4B in Tokenized RWAs

08:05 - Bitcoin, Zcash, and the Tokenization Trade

14:15 - Matt's Bitcoin Price Prediction This Year and By 2035

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This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com.

-

This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co.

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This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

Pierre Rochard, CEO of The Bitcoin Bond Company, joins Jennifer Sanasie on Markets Outlook to unpack the narratives driving crypto markets heading into Q4. From his 80K year-end price target to his rebuttal of Mark Cuban's "chips are the new crypto" take, Pierre breaks down why Bitcoin's scarcity story remains intact and why miners pivoting to AI could actually be a tailwind for Bitcoin price. Plus, Bullish's new Head of Tokenization joins to unpack what it means to be the first regulated exchange to trade tokenized equity.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Pierre Rochard Joins Markets Outlook

00:56 - Watching the Fed and Treasury

02:14 - Pierre’s Bitcoin Price Target

02:24 - Responding to Mark Cuban: Chips vs. Bitcoin

06:01 - Why Cuban May Have Latched Onto the Wrong Narrative

07:25 - Will Retail Come Back to Bitcoin?

09:24 - Brand New Rails: Bullish Launches Tokenized Equity Trading

12:02 - Self-Custody vs. Exchanges Post-ColdCard

13:42 - The Best Ways to Get Bitcoin Exposure

15:32 - Bitcoin Miners Pivoting to AI

17:21 - Why Miners Leaving Is Actually Bullish for Bitcoin

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This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. RealFi is launching August 2026. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co.

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This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.