2024 has been a transformative year for Solana. With a surge in developer activity, bold innovations in DePIN, and its ambitions to become a “decentralized Nasdaq,” the ecosystem is making waves. But are these changes enough to differentiate it from competitors like Ethereum and L2 solutions such as Base?

In this episode, Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation, and Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius, join Unchained to discuss how Solana is carving out its niche. They debate whether Base is a serious contender, why they’re not concerned about the 2025 token unlocks, and how Solana’s unique approach to MEV could shape its future. Plus, they tackle the ecosystem’s broader challenges and why they believe Solana’s vision will endure.

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

Timestamps: 

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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode of Unchained, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev offers a rare glimpse into the company’s strategy. How did memes like Dogecoin become one of Robinhood’s biggest assets, onboarding millions of users? What drove its decision to embrace stablecoins, staking, and a dedicated crypto wallet—and what risks do these moves carry?

As Europe’s MiCA regulations set the stage for a global crypto framework, Vlad discusses how Robinhood is positioning itself for growth, the role of prediction markets, and why blockchain could dramatically lower costs for investors. He also shares personal insights from his own experiences with hyperinflation, revealing how stablecoins might safeguard wealth for millions around the world.

With crypto ETFs, regulatory shifts, and a new administration looming, here’s what he thinks is next for Robinhood—and the crypto industry.

Show highlights:

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

Timestamps 

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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 special end-of-year episode, they recap 2024's key moments and forecast what's ahead in 2025. The team debates Bitcoin's potential to hit $180K, the impact of AI on crypto security, and upcoming U.S. crypto legislation. They also predict the rise of viral blockchain games. Join the crew as they unpack these predictions and more, offering unique insights into what the new year might bring for crypto enthusiasts.

Show highlights

🔹 Bitcoin Hits New Highs: The crew debates Bitcoin's potential to reach $180K, with predictions of a significant rally and subsequent corrections.

🔹 AI Turns Crypto Scammer: A bold prediction that an AI system will become a crypto scammer makes waves, highlighting the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain security concerns.

🔹 Crypto Legislation Breakthroughs: Anticipation grows for groundbreaking crypto-specific legislation in 2025, reflecting a major shift in regulatory landscapes.

🔹 Consolidation in Crypto's Infrastructure: Predictions surface about mergers among AppChains and Layer 2 solutions due to economic pressures, signaling a major consolidation trend.

🔹 Viral Blockchain Games: The panel foresees blockchain-based games going viral, capturing mainstream attention and potentially becoming a cultural phenomenon.

🔹 DeFi's Continued Evolution: Discussions center around DeFi's comeback, its impact on the crypto market, and the evolving challenges it faces as it grows in popularity and complexity.

🔹 Surprising Crypto Predictions for 2025: The episode wraps up with each host sharing their most surprising predictions for the coming year, setting the stage for a dynamic and unpredictable future in crypto.

⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly 

⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly

⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate

⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures

Timestamps - 

00:00 Intro

03:00 Biggest Winner

8:30 Biggest Loser

14:04 Biggest Surprise

20:50 Best New Mechanism

27:03 Best Meme

31:02 Best/Worst Pivot

38:57 Biggest Flop

44:08 Comeback Story of 2024

48:42 Favorite TCB Guest

51:18 Predictions for 2025

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Bitcoin’s 2024 rally has been explosive, but is the next phase just beginning? In this episode of Bits + Bips, hosts Noelle Acheson, Ram Ahluwalia, and Alex Kruger are joined by Ledn’s Mauricio di Bartolomeo to unpack the forces shaping the crypto market as the year comes to a close.

Mauricio explains how Ledn has grown amidst regulatory and economic shifts, and shares insights on why the “Trump put” is creating a new trading setup for crypto. The panel dissects the undercurrents behind Bitcoin’s surge, explores how MicroStrategy’s presence on the NASDAQ creates unique market dynamics, and debates how much higher BTC could climb. But they warn not to expect “buy” ratings on MSTR.

Plus, they dive into why Solana underperformed in recent weeks, how Bitcoin enables capital flight (and how they may be happening from China), and what 2025 could hold for crypto. Packed with data, opinions, and a few book recommendations (well, except from Alex), this episode offers sharp analysis as 2024, a pivotal year for crypto, wraps up.

Timestamps:

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USDe shattered expectations in 2024, emerging as the largest decentralized stablecoin in circulation and a game changer for DeFi. Ethena’s founder, Guy Young, joins the show to reveal how the protocol surpassed long-established giants, generating billions in fees and setting new benchmarks for yield generation.

Guy also breaks down the mechanics behind Ethena’s innovative strategies, including “Aavethena,” a yield-boosting approach that’s changing how users interact with synthetic dollars. Plus, he addresses the risks: what happens when leverage goes too far, and how Ethena mitigates volatility at its core.

Will Ethena bridge DeFi and TradFi, leveraging the disconnect between crypto and traditional interest rates to tap into a $100 trillion fixed-income market?

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

Timestmaps:

52:44 Guy’s target for 2025

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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. This week, the crew explores the resurgence of ICOs through Echo sales, diving into MegaEth’s record-breaking sale and the shifting meta of token launches. They also discuss Google’s quantum computing breakthrough with the Willow chip and its potential implications for cryptographic security in crypto. Tarun doubles down on his critique of Decentralized Science (DeSci), sparking a lively debate on its viability and accountability. Finally, the team unpacks Electric Capital’s developer report, highlighting Solana’s dominance in India and the global trends shaping crypto development.

Show highlights

🔹 ICOs and Echo Sales Resurgence:The crew debates the return of ICOs, now rebranded as Echo sales, and their impact on token launches. Is the shift from airdrops to pre-sales a sustainable new meta for crypto?

🔹 MegaEth’s Record-Breaking Sale on Echo: A detailed analysis of MegaEth's $4.2M Echo sale that sold out in seconds. With a $200M FDV, the sale sparked discussions about community involvement and valuation dynamics.

🔹 Airdrops vs. Echo Sales: The panel dissects the shift in sentiment around airdrops, questioning their fairness and efficiency compared to community presales. Are Echo sales the new paradigm for engaging retail investors?

🔹 Quantum Computing and Crypto’s Future: Google’s breakthrough with the Willow chip sparks a discussion on quantum computing’s implications for cryptocurrencies. Is public key cryptography under threat, or do we have time to adapt?

🔹 The Satoshi Dilemma: Speculations about Satoshi Nakamoto’s coins and what would happen if they were ever moved. Could quantum computing make those coins vulnerable?

🔹 Decentralized Science (DeSci) Debate: Tarun doubles down on his criticism of DeSci projects, arguing they lack accountability and meaningful use cases. The team explores whether DeSci can evolve into something impactful.

🔹 Electric Capital’s Developer Report: Reactions to Electric Capital’s 2024 developer report, highlighting Asia overtaking North America in crypto developer activity, Solana’s dominance in India, and the growing trend of multi-chain developers.

🔹 Developer Efficiency in Crypto: Despite the plateauing number of developers, crypto projects demonstrate incredible efficiency. Fewer hacks, more battle-hardened code, and a shift toward higher-quality deployment signal a maturing space.

⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly 

⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly

⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate

⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures

Timestamps 

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The 2024 Developer Report from Electric Capital reveals many shifting dynamics. For starters, for the first time in eight years, Ethereum was not the top chain for new developers—Solana was. Meanwhile, Asia has emerged as the leading hub for crypto development, taking the top spot from North America, which dropped to third.

In this episode, General Partner Maria Shen explores how Ethereum's Layer 2 solutions are bolstering its position despite fierce competition, why the Bitcoin developer ecosystem remains steadfast, and how emerging projects like EigenLayer are capturing builders’ attention. 

She also delves into the top crypto technologies that are fascinating devs, and how their usage and development activity differ across the globe. 

Show highlights:

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

• Polkadot

• Unchained: A Big 2024 Crypto Trend: Solana Attracts More New Developers Than Ethereum

Timestamps: 

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In this episode of Bits + Bips, hosts James Seyffart, Ram Ahluwalia, and Noelle Acheson are joined by Jamie Coutts to analyze Ethereum’s breakout and its improving fundamentals, how China’s “moderately loose” policy stance is changing the global liquidity landscape, and the pro-market implications of Paul Atkins leading the SEC. 

They also explore Jerome Powell’s and Putin’s takes on Bitcoin, the controversial CBOE withdrawal of the Solana ETF filing, and the role of Bitcoin in geopolitics.

China Rally:

Fed and Powell:

• Decrypt: Fed Chair Jerome Powell Likens Bitcoin to Gold, Says It’s Not Dollar Rival

Timestamps:

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With Paul Atkins as the incoming SEC Chair, David Sacks as the AI & Crypto Czar, and potential CFTC leadership changes, the Trump administration is signaling a major shift for crypto, AI, and financial regulation. 

Guests Mike Selig and Jake Chervinsky break down what this means for token launches, enforcement actions, inter-agency collaboration, and the fate of Operation Chokepoint 2.0. Could this mark the end of the U.S.’s regulatory hostility toward innovation?

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

Operation Chokepoint 2.0

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Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner get together and give the industry insider's perspective on crypto. This week, Laura Shin joins the crew to tackle a whirlwind of major market trends and policy shifts.They dive into Bitcoin’s historic leap to $100K, the unexpected "dino coin renaissance" with legacy tokens like XRP and ADA soaring, and the NFT market’s surprising revival. Ripple’s DeFi ecosystem and its place in the broader crypto landscape spark a spirited debate on "chain biases" and decentralization. On the policy front, the team unpacks Trump’s pro-crypto administration, featuring bold regulatory appointments that could redefine the industry. Plus, a look at the dynamics of memecoins, token launch strategies, and the future of ICOs versus airdrops.

Show highlights

🔹 Bitcoin Hits $100K: The crew celebrates Bitcoin crossing into six-figure territory, discussing market reactions and the volatility surrounding this milestone.

🔹 Dino Coin Renaissance: Legacy tokens like XRP, ADA, and HBAR are skyrocketing, signaling retail’s return and sparking debate about the sustainability of these "boomer coin" rallies.

🔹 Memecoin Mania: Memecoins as "crypto gaming 2.0" are dissected, with insights on their role in market dynamics and their surprising impact on Layer 1 ecosystems.

🔹 Ripple's DeFi Evolution: Robert shares his deep dive into Ripple’s AMM features and emerging DeFi capabilities, addressing "chain biases" and decentralization concerns.

🔹 Trump’s Crypto Revolution: The panel analyzes the implications of Trump’s pro-crypto administration, featuring key appointments like SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Crypto Czar David Sacks.

🔹 NFT Revival: A surprising rebound in NFT markets sees CryptoPunks, Bored Apes, and Pudgy Penguins soaring, with speculation on what's driving the renewed interest.

🔹 Regulatory Shifts Ahead: Predictions on how new SEC leadership might redefine crypto policy and the industry's hopes for a safer, more transparent regulatory environment.

🔹 ICOs vs. Airdrops: Exploring token launch strategies, the conversation evaluates the potential for a new wave of innovative fundraising models.

Hosts

⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly 

⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly 

⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate

⭐️Laura Shin, journalist, author of ‘The Cryptopians,’ founder and CEO of Unchained

Timestamps 

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