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, the crew dives deep into the FDIC’s alleged vendetta against crypto, whistleblower revelations, and the evolving dynamics of token distribution on platforms like Echo. Plus, we analyze the rise of crowdsales, explore the intersection of policy and crypto innovation, and reflect on our 2024 podcast stats with some friendly competition. 

Show highlights

🔹 FDIC Scandal Unveiled: The panel discusses the whistleblower claims against the FDIC, allegations of a vendetta against the crypto industry, and the fallout from newly unredacted FOIA documents.

🔹 Echo Crowdsale Platform: A deep dive into Echo’s rise as a preferred crowdsale platform, its competition with CoinList, and its innovative token distribution model.

🔹 Regulators Under Scrutiny: Insights into systemic issues within regulatory agencies like the FDIC and parallels drawn with other organizations like the FTC.

🔹 VC Sentiment and Crowdsales: The crew explores the tension between venture capitalists and crowdsale platforms, examining fairness, community building, and strategic distribution.

🔹 KOL Rounds vs. Community Fairness: A comparison of KOL rounds and Echo’s syndicate model in balancing fairness and hype in token distribution.

🔹 Token Distribution Dynamics: Analysis of how platforms like Echo incentivize participation and create new avenues for community engagement.

🔹 2024 Podcast Stats Recap: Fun insights into which hosts spoke the most, used the most filler words, and referenced Ethereum, Solana, or Bitcoin the most in 2024.

🔹 Predictions in Review: Early check-ins on 2025 predictions and how trends like DeSci and crowdsales are already shaping the year.

⭐️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 

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Bitcoin crossed the $100,000 mark, only to slump back down on Tuesday, sparking debates about what’s next for the crypto markets. In this episode, James Seyffart and Alex Kruger are joined by Charles Edwards of quant fund Capriole Investments to break down the macro trends shaping Bitcoin’s trajectory. From Trump’s inauguration to the Fed’s looming decisions on quantitative tightening, they analyze the key factors influencing risk assets. Plus, they unpack the premium on MicroStrategy’s BTC holdings, the future of AI agents in crypto and whether AI agent swarms might someday hire humans, and their bold predictions —supercycle? SOL ETFs?—for 2025.

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Ethereum, once the undisputed leader in the smart contract ecosystem, is facing intense competition from Solana, which has outpaced Ethereum on key metrics such as developer growth. Meanwhile, debates rage within Ethereum’s community over governance, scalability, and the Ethereum Foundation’s leadership.

Adding to the disruption, AI agents are rapidly reshaping DeFi and token launches, reducing barriers to entry and creating new opportunities—and risks—for founders and investors. Is this the next big leap for crypto or just the latest bubble?

In this episode, Marc Zeller of Aave Chan Initiative and Kain Warwick of Infinex discuss Ethereum’s future, the role of AI in DeFi, and whether Solana’s momentum will continue. They also share bold predictions for crypto in 2025 and debate whether Ethereum’s fragmented ecosystem can still deliver on its promise.

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, the crew is joined by special guest Jansen, co-founder of Virtuals, the leading AI agent launchpad. Together, they dive into the $5 billion Virtuals craze, explore the explosive rise of tokenized AI agents like AIXBT, and debate how AI is reshaping DeFi and blockchain. From the clash between scarcity and abundance to the emergence of agentic societies and decentralized economies, this episode unpacks the key trends driving the next phase of crypto innovation.

Show highlights

🔹 AI and Crypto Convergence: The panel explores how AI agents are revolutionizing blockchain, tokenomics, and decentralized finance (DeFi).

🔹 Virtuals AI Launchpad: Jansen discusses Virtuals, a platform for tokenizing and crowdfunding AI-driven blockchain agents.

🔹 Autonomous AI Evolution: The rise of AI agents from basic chatbots to self-improving tools for crypto and DeFi applications.

🔹 Tokenized AI Agents: How agents like AIXBT generate revenue through trading, attention, and blockchain commerce.

🔹 Managing AI Risks: Insights into policy-based wallets and infrastructure to mitigate risks in autonomous crypto agents.

🔹 Decentralized Agent Societies: A vision for specialized AI agents collaborating in blockchain ecosystems.

🔹 Scarcity vs. Abundance in Crypto: Contrasting crypto’s scarcity-driven models with AI’s abundance and economic disruption.

🔹 AI Agent Backlash: Predictions of anti-AI sentiment as agents dominate Crypto Twitter and online communities.

🔹 Blockchain Verifiability: The role of cryptographic proofs in ensuring trust and security in AI-driven tokenized economies.

🔹 Future of AI in Crypto: Debates on sustainable applications for AI agents in trading, DeFi, and digital economies.

⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly 

⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly 

⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures

Special Guest

⭐️Jansen Teng, Co-Founder and CEO of Virtuals Protocol

Timestamps 

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In this episode, Shaw Walters, founder of Eliza Labs, takes us through his journey of launching ai16z, a decentralized AI-driven investment DAO, and the explosive growth of the Eliza open-source framework.

Shaw explains how AI agents are evolving beyond "reply bots" to serve as powerful tools for financial autonomy, community investment, and user empowerment. He shares the challenges of building trust between humans and AI, the possibilities of agents trading across multiple blockchains, and his vision of a world where financial freedom drives human progress.

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

Timestamps:

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2024 was nothing short of transformative for the crypto world. From bitcoin’s relentless climb amidst macroeconomic shifts to Solana’s continued rise amidst meme coin mania, this year saw narratives unfold that no one could have predicted. 

In this special episode that has become a tradition at Unchained, Laura revisits the biggest moments of the year, featuring insightful clips from the standout guests who joined Unchained and Bits + Bips in 2024.

Whether it was further institutional adoption, debates over decentralization, the victory over Gary Genser’s regulation by enforcement strategy, or the taking off of AI agents, this year marked a turning point for crypto. Tune in for a reflective journey through the year that was—and a glimpse of what lies ahead in 2025.

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

Highlights and Timestamps:

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Low float and high fully diluted valuation (FDV) coins have been a hot topic in crypto this year. Yet, understanding these coins' unrealized gains is critical for truly grasping their pricing.

In this episode, Jose Macedo of Delphi Digital and Ari Paul of BlockTower Capital dive deep into metrics that help assess a coin’s true value. They discuss why upcoming token unlocks may put downward pressure on the market, how token unlocks could be better structured for long-term success, and whether VCs are extracting more value than they contribute.

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

• Polkadot

High FDV and unlocks:

Solutions:

Timestamps:

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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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