Crypto derivatives exchange Bybit just became the latest victim of North Korea’s elite hacking unit, the Lazarus Group. They didn’t brute-force their way in. They didn’t exploit some obscure vulnerability. Instead, they tricked a trusted developer, slipped in malicious code, and took off with a fortune.

How did this happen? Why was $1.5 billion sitting in a single wallet? What mistakes did Bybit and Safe make? And, more importantly, what needs to change to stop this from happening again?

This week, Mudit Gupta, chief information security officer at Polygon, joins Unchained to expose the security failures, the sophisticated tactics Lazarus used, and why crypto still hasn’t learned its lesson.

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

• Mantle

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crypto markets are down bad—but is this just a rough patch, or are we looking at something bigger?

After a brutal sell-off in Solana, the $1.5 billion Bybit hack, and macro uncertainty weighing on Bitcoin, investors are searching for answers. Some think the worst is over, while others believe more pain is coming before the market turns around.

In this episode of Bits + Bips, Noelle Acheson, Alex Kruger, and Ram Ahluwalia are joined by Eliézer Ndinga of 21Shares to break it all down. They discuss how institutions are approaching this downturn, why Solana has been hit harder than the rest, and what catalysts could bring crypto back to life.

Is this the start of a new accumulation phase, or are we in for another leg down?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

$1.5 billion gone in an instant. And what’s worse, to fund a nuclear weapons program.

The largest crypto hack in history just hit Bybit, and the culprit is the infamous North Korean hacking group, Lazarus. Known for some of the most sophisticated cyber heists ever, they often use social engineering tactics and start by tricking low level employees. Although they can often wait to launder funds, in the case of Bybit they started right away.

How did this happen? Could it have been prevented? And what does this mean for the security of the entire crypto industry?

Taylor Monahan, security at MetaMask, and Jonty, a senior investigator at zeroShadow, talk all about it.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices