Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner break down the biggest stories in crypto. This week: Bybit’s $1.5B hack, likely by North Korea’s Lazarus Group, and the Libra scandal, where Hayden Davis exposes the memecoin playbook. Meanwhile, Dave Portnoy rugs Greed and Greed 2, Kanye’s YZY token leaks, and the LA Vape Cabal collapses. But crypto markets hold strong, and the SEC just dropped its lawsuit against Coinbase. Is this the end of the memecoin era? We break it all down.

Show highlights

🔹 Bybit’s $1.5B Hack – Largest crypto hack in history, linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. CEO Ben Zhou handled it masterfully, securing a bridge loan to cover outflows.

🔹 Hayden Davis & the Memecoin Playbook – Argentina’s Libra token scandal exposed the insider trading behind celeb-backed coins. Hayden Davis spills the playbook on Coffeezilla.

🔹 Portnoy’s Pump & Dump – Barstool’s Dave Portnoy rugs his own followers with Greed and Greed 2, then mocks them.

🔹 The Memecoin Bubble is Popping – Sentiment shift: retail realizes the game is rigged. Memecoins may finally be out of steam.

🔹 Kanye’s YZY Coin? – West’s team accidentally leaks a memecoin plan. Will it even launch, or is it DOA after the Libra scandal?

🔹 The LA Vape Cabal Collapses – Once a driving force in memecoins, this underground group falls apart after links to Kelsier Ventures are exposed.

🔹 Regulatory Winds Shift – SEC drops its lawsuit against Coinbase. Crypto enforcement pivots from good actors to actual fraud.

🔹 Crypto Holds Up – Despite chaos, the market remains resilient. Infrastructure tokens are seeing renewed interest.

⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly

⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate

⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures

⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly 

Timestamps 

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What started as another scammy memecoin launch has spiraled into one of Argentina’s biggest political scandals.

The $LIBRA token, promoted by President Javier Milei and tied to Hayden Davis of Kelsier Ventures, is now at the center of multiple investigations—with allegations of bribery, insider trading, and political corruption. Some are calling it “CryptoGate.”

Did Davis really have influence over Milei? Was the president’s sister involved in pay-to-play politics? Could Davis and Milei face legal action?

This week, Danny Nelson, managing editor for data & tokens at CoinDesk, joins to reveal what his reporting uncovered, from secret deals to political fallout—and why this scandal could change how people see memecoins forever.

Show highlights:

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

• Mantle

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The $LIBRA token launch was a disaster—insider trading, price manipulation, and yet another memecoin scandal. But does this mean the memecoin era is over?

This week, James Seyffart, Joe McCann, Ram Ahluwalia, and Noelle Acheson break down the fallout from the $LIBRA launch, what it means for Solana and the broader market, and whether the crypto community is finally waking up to the risks of insider-driven tokens.

They also dig into macro trends impacting crypto—including whether institutions are secretly loading up on bitcoin, the role of DOGE in the broader market, and why some traders are starting to position for a bounce.

Plus, what’s next for SOL after weeks of bleeding?

• Bitwise

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Was Argentina’s president used to pump a memecoin? The launch of $LIBRA has turned into a political and financial scandal, with accusations of insider trading, bribes, price manipulation, and government ties to crypto influencers.

In this episode, Diogenes Casares, a crypto trader with deep connections in both memecoins and Argentina’s crypto scene, exposes what really happened behind the scenes. He details how a network of market makers, influencers, and political insiders orchestrated the launch, how the price was manipulated from the start, and why he believes the entire operation was illegal.

Casares also explains the potential legal consequences for those involved, the impact on President Javier Milei’s administration, and what all this means for the future of Solana memecoins.

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

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Crypto sentiment is extremely low, but is the market completely wrong? While X is flooded with doomsday takes, Jeff Dorman, CIO of Arca, argues that the real fundamentals of crypto are stronger than ever.

In this episode, Jeff breaks down why investors are overlooking key signals—like growing regulatory clarity, the tokenization of real-world assets, and institutional interest—and how memecoins have hijacked the broader market narrative. He pushes back on claims that there are no fresh narratives and explains why the current climate reminds him of previous market mispricings that turned into massive opportunities.

He also dives into the potential of tokenized assets, why crypto adoption is way ahead of where people think, and why he believes the industry keeps making the same mistakes when it comes to marketing its breakthroughs.

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

• Somnia Network

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Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, we’re joined by Laura Shin, host of the Unchained Podcast, for a no-holds-barred discussion on the current state of the crypto landscape. We dive into Berachain’s shaky launch, dissecting its tokenomics, insider allocations, and why the hype didn’t hold. Then we uncover the rise of celebrity memecoin scams—how influencers are cashing in while their followers get rugged. Finally, we tackle the Ethereum vs. Solana debate: is Ethereum losing its edge, or is Solana’s growth just a speculative bubble? It’s an episode full of bold takes and sharp insights you won’t want to miss.

Show highlights

🔹 Berachain’s Big Faceplant: Launched with $10B hype, now scraping $2.5B FDV. There are too many VCs and not enough vibes to keep it afloat.

🔹 Memecoin Madness: Celebs faking hacks to rug followers? The dark side of crypto grifts gets exposed.

🔹 Is Ethereum Lost? Once the king of culture, it is now weighed down by L2 sprawl and fading relevance. Has Solana stolen the spotlight?

🔹 Solana’s Winning the Youth Vote: Fast, fun, and flooded with memecoins—exactly what Gen Z craves.

🔹 Peak Memecoin Energy: When the scams get this blatant, are we hitting the top—or just getting started?

🔹 Cramer vs. Meme Lords: Who’s worse for your wallet—a clueless TV pundit or a shameless influencer?

🔹 Regulators, Where You At? Chasing good actors while real frauds run wild. Classic crypto chaos.

⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly

⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate

⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures

⭐️Laura Shin, Journalist, Author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ Founder and CEO of Unchained

Timestamps 

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Crypto markets are at a crossroads. Is Ethereum primed for a short squeeze, or is its dominance fading? Are the SOL unlocks a real risk, or is the panic overblown? And did we already have an alt season without realizing it?

In this episode, hosts James Seyffart, Alex Kruger and Ram Ahluwalia sit down with Sal Ternullo, managing partner at A100x Ventures, to break down the biggest questions facing traders today. They discuss whether Trump’s tariffs are impacting ETH, why the market might be misreading SOL’s unlocks, and how traders keep falling into the same traps—losing money despite crypto’s explosive gains.

They also debate the real reason altcoins haven’t performed as expected, why memecoins might finally be dying off, and what the Growth Value Ratio reveals about the market’s future. Plus: the implications of Elon Musk’s bid for OpenAI, and whether Arweave’s AO can seriously challenge ICP.

Sponsor:

Guest:

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Despite the ups and downs of the Ethereum ecosystem, two of its most influential builders—Aave’s Stani Kulechov and Sky’s Rune Christensen—remain bullish.

In this episode, they discuss whether we’re witnessing a DeFi renaissance, the challenges of building on Ethereum vs. Solana, and why DeFi adoption isn’t growing as fast as some expected. They debate stablecoins, whether Solana is truly innovating, and how AI could transform DeFi by automating governance and risk management.

They also respond to some hot takes—including whether Aave is falling behind Solana-based Kamino, and why Sky deployed its USDS stablecoin on Solana despite Rune’s long-standing Ethereum advocacy.

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

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Silvergate Bank was once crypto’s most important banking partner, handling billions in deposits from the biggest players in the industry. Then, FTX collapsed—and everything changed.

In this episode of Unchained, Mike Lempres, former chairman of Silvergate, talks about how Silvergate grew into a banking giant for crypto, why Washington suddenly turned against them—even after they survived the FTX crisis, and whether Operation Choke Point 2.0 was real.

Plus, did short sellers and politicians work together to tank Silvergate’s stock? And what does the future look like for banks that want to serve crypto?

This is part of the inside story of one of the biggest banking collapses in crypto history.

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

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Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, we dissect the chaos triggered by Trump’s trade war, which sent Ethereum and alts into freefall while Bitcoin held strong. Why are alts struggling, and is this just a flight to quality—or something deeper? We also dive into the LA Vape Cabal phenomenon and its bizarre influence on memecoin culture, debate whether the SEC’s new leadership is truly a game-changer for crypto, and analyze Binance’s latest scandal. Plus, is the memecoin cycle really over, or is this just another phase in crypto’s endless casino?

Show highlights

🔹 Trump’s Trade War Wrecks Crypto – Ethereum and alts nosedive as Trump’s surprise tariffs shake markets. Is this just macro panic or a deeper shift in investor sentiment?

🔹 Biggest Liquidation Day Ever? – Crypto saw its largest mass liquidation in history, with Bybit’s CEO estimating real losses closer to $8-10 billion—more than the FTX collapse.

🔹 LA Vape Cabal & Memecoin Mania – A bizarre Twitch-fueled trading cult is shaping the memecoin meta. Is this the future of crypto speculation, or just another fleeting grift?

🔹 The Great Altcoin Capitulation – Alts are bleeding while Bitcoin holds strong. Has the market finally given up on everything that isn't BTC?

🔹 Hester Peirce’s Crypto Reset – The SEC’s new approach could rewrite the rules for token issuers. Will the industry finally get the regulatory clarity it’s been begging for?

🔹 Binance Under Fire (Again) – CZ’s former empire faces backlash over insider listings, alleged bribes, and a wave of vaporware projects that tanked after launch.

🔹 Pump.fun = The New NFT Casino? – Memecoin speculation is bigger than 2021’s NFT boom. But is it sustainable, or is the exit liquidity running dry?

🔹 The Memecoin Endgame? – Some claim the bubble has burst, but if history tells us anything, a new wave of degens will always find a way to keep the casino open.

🔹 Bitcoin’s Macro Dominance – BTC’s macro story is unstoppable, with talk of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund investing in Bitcoin. Will the market ever rotate back to alts?

⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly

⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate

⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures

⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly 

Hester Peirce’s Blog Post – “The Journey Begins”: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-journey-begins-020425 

David Sacks' Plan for Digital Assets Press Conference:

https://youtu.be/LqTsyTuLSSI 

Timestamps 

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