Unchained

By Laura Shin

Crypto assets and blockchain technology are about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity to the Internet of Things. In this podcast, host Laura Sh... more

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How many episodes does Unchained have?

The podcast currently has 870 episodes available.

Unchained episodes:

November 03, 2024The Chopping Block: 2024 Election Debate feat. Mike Novogratz & Shaun Maguire - Ep. 729
Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner slice into the juiciest topics in crypto. This week, Robert Leshner welcomes two special guests: Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy, and Shaun Maguire, general partner at Sequoia Capital, for a one-of-a-kind debate on how the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election could shape the future of crypto. With the stakes higher than ever, they explore what a Harris or Trump presidency could mean for crypto regulation, market infrastructure, and the populist undercurrents driving the industry forward. From blockchain voting possibilities to the macroeconomic forces impacting Bitcoin and stablecoins, the conversation pushes beyond policy to the heart of crypto's role in tomorrow's world. This episode delivers crucial insights on the political forces that could redefine crypto’s trajectory in the U.S. and beyond.
Show highlights
🔹 Crypto in the Election Crosshairs: Mike Novogratz and Shaun Maguire debate how a Trump or Harris presidency could reshape the U.S. crypto landscape.
🔹 Deregulation vs. Innovation: Trump’s pro-deregulation stance meets Harris’s pro-innovation campaign promises. Which path is better for crypto growth?
🔹 Crypto's Populist Appeal: How Trump’s base connects with crypto’s populist movement and why that resonates with “the people at the bottom” of the income bracket.
🔹 Deep State and Political Jaywalking: Shaun Maguire dives into the concept of “political jaywalking” and its impact on trust in U.S. elections.
🔹 The Future of Blockchain Voting: Could blockchain-based voting bring transparency to elections? The crew weighs in on the feasibility and timing of decentralized voting.
🔹 Bitcoin's Role in Macro Trends: With U.S. debt surging, Mike and Shaun share their thoughts on Bitcoin as a hedge, whether Trump or Harris takes office.
🔹 The Crypto Political Machine: A look at how crypto insiders engage with political campaigns and the industry’s impact on down-ballot races.
🔹 Wildcard Assets: How a national Bitcoin reserve might impact U.S. fiscal policy – could it ever happen under Harris?
Hosts
⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate
Guests
⭐️Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy
⭐️Shaun Maguire, general partner at Sequoia Capital

Disclosures
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
02:03 Shaun’s Argument for Trump
05:10 Mike's Argument for Harris
11:10 Political Bias and Prediction Markets
18:25 Flynn & Political Jaywalking
24:26 Macroeconomic Implications for Crypto
30:29 Bitcoin Price Predictions Post-Election
32:38 Gold & Central Bank Dynamics
34:41 Nation States & Bitcoin Reserves
37:35 Military Technology & Future Dominance
39:10 Presidential Campaign Issues & AI
47:44 Election Integrity & Blockchain Voting
53:17 Crypto's Influence in Politics
56:42 $WLFI Endeavors
01:00:17 Closing Thoughts

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1h 3min
November 01, 2024How Arthur Hayes Has Prepared His Portfolio for the Elections - Ep. 728
As the 2024 U.S. election draws near, the crypto market is buzzing with speculation on what’s next. Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, joins Unchained to discuss how Bitcoin and altcoins might react depending on who wins. Hayes shares his insights on election trade strategies, from the importance of sticking to the majors to his preference for Solana over Ethereum in the short term.
He also dives into whether Trump will fulfill his promises to the crypto community and drops a banger explanation on what could be the next Federal Reserve move. (Hint: it’s not about interest rates.)
Plus, Unchained reporter Veronica Irwin joins the show to discuss her latest scoops on Stand With Crypto’s scoring system and SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce’s stance on whether she would want to become Chair of the agency in replacement of Gary Gensler.
Show highlights:
   01:39 How the market could react based on the election outcome
   03:53 Has a Trump win been priced in? What if there’s no clear winner?
   06:30 Arthur’s short-term trade strategy for the elections
   13:00 Will Bitcoin surge, and is an altcoin rotation coming?
   16:52 Why Arthur favors SOL over ETH right now
   21:28 Whether Layer 2s are parasitic to Ethereum
   24:19 Could crypto regulation reform come after the election?
   26:12 Whether Trump would deliver on his promises to the crypto community
   29:45 The election outlook for memecoins
   30:52 Why traders should focus on high-cap AI memecoins
   36:41 Why Arthur believes the Fed need to restart quantitative easing
   47:55 How much money China will print to tackle its property crisis
   52:21 Arthur’s take on Japan’s political shift and economic impact
   54:44 Whether Stand With Crypto has been honest with the crypto community
   56:20 A potential conflict of interest of one of the top executives
   56:58 Stand With Crypto’s affiliation with PAC Fairshake
   1:04:19 Whether Hester Peirce will become SEC Chair if Trump wins
   1:08:27 Crypto News Recap
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Mantle’s FBTC
Guest
Arthur Hayes, Co-Founder of BitMEX and CIO at Maelstrom
Previous appearances on Unchained:
Arthur Hayes and Will Clemente on How This Bitcoin Halving Is Different
Arthur Hayes on Why Bitcoin Is Money and ETH Is a Shitcoin He Loves
Arthur Hayes, Former Ethereum Skeptic, on Why the Merge Makes Him Bullish on ETH
Arthur Hayes of Bitmex on Why Countries Will Turn to Digital
The Chopping Block: Arthur Hayes on Why Crypto Needs to Ditch the Banks
How Crypto and Blockchain Technology Could Change Financial Services
Links
Unchained:
Why You Might Have to Wait a Little Longer for a Crypto Bull Market
What Needs to Happen for Altcoins to Finally Pump: Report
Arthur’s latest blog post

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1h 22min
October 31, 2024The Chopping Block: AI Memecoins, Trump’s Token Flop, & Ethereum’s Malaise - Ep. 727
Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner slice into the juiciest topics in crypto. This week, the crew tackles everything from AI-powered memecoins and the explosive rise of GOAT token to the ongoing rivalry between Ethereum and Solana. They break down the appeal of AI-driven assets, analyze Trump’s World Liberty Finance flop, and debate whether Ethereum’s current fragmentation is hurting its narrative. With Halloween thrills and market chills, this episode delivers insider insights on the trends pushing crypto forward.
Show highlights
🔹 GOAT Token Madness: The latest in AI memecoin hype and how GOAT token captured the attention of investors and Twitter alike.
🔹 Memecoin Stagecraft: Are AI-driven coins here to stay, or is it all clever stagecraft? Our thoughts on the future of AI-based assets.
🔹 AI Meets Memecoins: Is character-driven AI the secret sauce in building compelling memecoins? Exploring the potential of charismatic, interactive assets.
🔹 World Liberty Finance Flop: Trump's crypto token sale misses the mark—are accredited investor rules and lack of memes to blame?
🔹 Trump’s Role in Crypto: How Trump’s “hands-off” approach may have impacted World Liberty’s slow start.
🔹 Ethereum vs Solana: Ethereum’s current challenges and Vitalik’s roadmap defense—can Ethereum reclaim its narrative from Solana’s simpler, single-layer approach?
🔹 Fragmentation in Ethereum’s Ecosystem: How Ethereum’s L2 rollup competition might be confusing new users and hurting its narrative.

Hosts
⭐️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

Disclosures

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
02:12 The Rise of GOAT Token
11:41 The Future of AI Coins & Meme-Based Value
21:50 The Importance of Attention in Crypto
23:53 Trump's World Liberty Finance Token Sale
31:24 Ethereum's Struggles and Vitalik's Response

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43min
October 29, 2024It’s Not Just the Presidency. Congressional Races Matter a Lot for Crypto - Ep. 726
Subscribe to Unchained’s new regulatory newsletter Unregulated.
With the presidential race in the spotlight, it’s easy to overlook the powerful role that Congress could play in shaping crypto policy in the coming years. From committee chairs to legislative allies, crypto advocates are keenly focused on the outcome of key Congressional races. Kristin Smith of the Blockchain Association and Alex Grieve of Paradigm join us today to break down which races and committees are critical for crypto, why the industry is more visible in Washington than ever, and what the chances are for lame duck legislation this year.
Read more: How Congressional Committee Leadership Could Shake Out for Crypto This Election
Show highlights:
Why this election is “incredibly important” for crypto
How the presence of Fairshake is increasingly noticed by Washington
Why some committees are more important than others for the industry
Why the Senate Banking Committee is key
Whether Alex and Kristin are concerned about Sen. Warren becoming chair of the Senate Banking Committee
What could happen to the House Financial Services Committee
Who is likely to take on both of the Agricultural Committees, which is in charge of the CFTC
How the Senate Commerce affects the crypto industry
How the members of the House Energy Committee don’t have a strong stance on crypto
What the stance of the Finance Committee on crypto is
Why there is an opportunity in the House Ways and Means Committee
Whether crypto tax legislation is in the works
Who could be the SEC Chair under a Trump or Harris presidency
Who could be the next Chair of the CFTC
Whether Yellen will be replaced on Treasury, with many pro-crypto options on tap
Why the Federal Reserve matters much more if they get to regulate stablecoins
What the odds are for crypto legislation being passed this year
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Mantle
Robinhood & Arbitrum
Guests:
Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association
Kristin’s Op-ed on Unchained: In the Ongoing SAB 121 Fight, Here’s How Crypto Can Move Forward With Bipartisan Support
Previous appearances on Unchained:
Kristin Smith on Why Crypto Legislation Could Be Passed by Year's End
Can Crypto Be a Force in the Midterms? Yes, Say Kristin Smith and Jake Chervinsky
What the Crypto Industry Could See Under a Biden Administration
Alexander Grieve, VP of Government Affairs at Paradigm
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on the elections:
With Rate Cuts and Upcoming Elections, What’s the Best Play in Crypto?
Why Congressman Ro Khanna Is Hopeful the Democratic Party Will Embrace Crypto
Why Gary Gensler Will Likely Be Out as SEC Chair No Matter Who Wins the Election
Congressman French Hill on Crypto and His Top Pick for the Next SEC Chair
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:55 Why this election is pivotal for crypto
04:50 How Fairshake’s presence is catching Washington’s eye
16:39 Which committees matter most for crypto?
22:49 Why the Senate Banking Committee is crucial
28:54 Concerns about Sen. Warren as potential chair?
38:15 Possible shifts in the House Financial Services Committee
41:47 Who could control the Agricultural Committees and CFTC oversight?
47:35 How the Senate Commerce Committee impacts crypto
51:04 House Energy Committee’s stance on crypto
53:21 Finance Committee’s crypto perspective
55:03 Opportunities in the House Ways and Means Committee
57:28 Is crypto tax legislation in the works?
1:01:23 Potential SEC Chairs under Trump or Harris
1:03:57 Who could be the next CFTC Chair?
1:05:46 Will Yellen be replaced with a pro-crypto Treasury option?
1:08:06 Why the Fed’s role could be pivotal for stablecoin regulation
1:10:46 Odds of crypto legislation passing this year

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1h 18min
October 25, 2024The Backstory of How 3 AI Agents Led to the Rise of the Hottest Memecoin, GOAT - Ep. 725
Subscribe to our new regulatory newsletter Unregulated: https://unchainedcrypto.substack.com/s/unregulated
The two-week-old GOAT memecoin, which hit a market cap of almost $880 million on Thursday, is captivating everyone in crypto. Not because this is memecoin szn, but because its rise was fueled by an AI called Truth Terminal, which is itself a baby of two other AI models.
Teng Yan, founder of Chain of Thought, joins Unchained to break down how this unexpected AI creation has turned into a phenomenon, why it has captured the attention of the crypto world, and what the future holds for AI-driven tokens.
At the end, Laura also discusses with Unchained’s regulatory reporter Veronica Irwin two interesting and important news stories: who Kamala Harris is vetting for SEC chair and how one Senate race could inadvertently give Senator Elizabeth Warren more power over crypto.
Show highlights:
How an AI experiment unexpectedly led to the creation of GOAT and sparked interest in AI-generated subcultures
How "Terminal of Truth" evolved its own personality, gained attention from Marc Andreessen, and began posting about a new "Goat Sea gospel" religion
How the spelling mistake sparked skepticism about the AI model
What happened with the $50,000 in BTC that Marc Andreessen gave to Truth Terminal
Whether an AI can have its own wallet and what the implications are
Whether AI memecoins could start surging on other chains
What we can expect in terms of the proliferation of AI memecoins
What the future looks like for the intersection of crypto and AI
Who Kamala Harris is considering for SEC Chair if she wins the U.S. election
Why one Senate race could give Elizabeth Warren more power over crypto
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Mantle’s FBTC
Guest
Teng Yan, Founder of Chain of Thought
Teng’s article: GOAT: The Gospel of Goatse
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on GOAT:
GOAT Hits a Record $879 Million Market Cap After Brian Armstrong Offers to Help Truth Terminal
GOAT: How AI Agents Talking Turned Into a $268 Million Memecoin 'Religion'
Infinite backrooms
Andy : https://x.com/AndyAyrey
Andy Ayrey's (creator of Truth Terminal) research paper on LLMtheism:
Truth Terminal's X account
Kaito: GOAT’s mindshare
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:28 How an AI experiment led to the creation of GOAT
06:16 The rise of “Terminal of Truth” and its unexpected evolution
11:57 How a simple spelling mistake raised skepticism
20:09 What happened to the $50,000 in BTC from Marc Andreessen?
21:06 Whether AI models can have their own wallets
24:17 Whether AI memecoins will surge on other chains
26:19 What’s next for the rise of AI memecoins
28:35 The future of AI and crypto’s intersection
31:39 Who Kamala Harris may consider for SEC Chair
34:12 How one Senate race could boost Elizabeth Warren’s power over crypto
40:33 News Recap

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52min
October 24, 2024The Chopping Block (feat. Anatoly): Solana's Second Act, SVM vs EVM, & Extension Dilemma - Ep. 724
Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner slice into the juiciest topics in crypto. In this episode, the crew is joined by special guest Anatoly Yakovenko, the mastermind behind Solana, for a deep dive into the network’s evolution and future. The conversation kicks off with a look at Solana's rapid rise from its rocky early days to its current status as a blockchain powerhouse. They debate the role of memecoins in Solana’s ecosystem and whether they’re here to stay or just a passing craze. Next, Anatoly opens up about Fire Dancer’s impact on the network’s scaling and performance, sparking a broader discussion about vertical vs. horizontal scaling. Finally, they explore Solana’s ambitious push into the mobile space with the Seeker phone and its implications for the broader crypto industry. Packed with expert insights, bold predictions, and a few surprises, this episode is a must-listen for anyone following the future of blockchain.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Show highlights
🔹 Solana’s Rise: Solana’s journey from early turbulence to becoming a blockchain powerhouse.
🔹 Memecoin Frenzy: The explosive growth of memecoins on Solana and their impact on the ecosystem.
🔹 Fire Dancer Impact: How Fire Dancer could revolutionize Solana’s scalability and performance.
🔹 Vertical vs Horizontal Scaling: Is Solana’s vertical scaling approach stronger than Ethereum’s rollups?
🔹 Seeker Phone: Solana’s ambitious push into mobile with the Seeker phone and its potential disruption of the app store landscape.
🔹 ETHOS Phone: How does Ethereum’s new phone compare to Solana’s mobile vision?
🔹 Network Extensions: The introduction of network extensions and whether they align with Solana’s long-term vision.
🔹 App Chains: Could the rise of app-specific chains lead to fragmentation or strengthen Solana’s ecosystem?
🔹 Developer Experience: The challenges of Solana’s development environment and their impact on innovation.
🔹 Ethereum Rivalry: With both networks advancing, how is the competition between Solana and Ethereum shaping up?

Hosts
⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures

Special Guest
⭐️Anatoly Yakovenko, Co-Founder & CEO Solana Labs
Disclosures

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
02:56 TCB’s Criticisms
05:12 Evolution of Solana's Ecosystem
17:36 Solana's Competition
22:05 What Is Solana's Moat?
28:31 The Role of Atomicity and Composability
34:11 Network Extensions
44:20 First Mover vs. Second Cohort
48:44 Future of Asset Types and Content
52:49 Developer Experience and Token Implementations
1:00:38 Solana Phone vs. EthOS
1:09:16 Thoughts and Criticism

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1h 18min
October 23, 2024Bits + Bips: The Real ‘Trump Trade’ & Why Trump's World Liberty Financial Was a Flop - Ep. 723
In this episode of Bits + Bips, hosts James Seyffart, Alex Kruger, and Joe McCann are joined by Jeff Park of Bitwise to discuss some of the latest developments in the crypto world. They share their thoughts on a controversial ECB paper about Bitcoin, breaking down why they believe the authors missed the mark. They also dive into the rising institutional interest in spot Bitcoin ETFs and how Trump’s momentum in the polls could impact the market, especially for altcoins. Plus, the conversation explores the significance of Bitcoin ETF options and why they could have a larger impact than many expect.
Show highlights:
Why the guys believe that the ECB paper on Bitcoin is a joke
How the Minneapolis Fed report said that prohibiting Bitcoin would allow the government to operate at permanent deficits
The institutional demand for spot bitcoin ETFs
How Trump has been rising in the polls and what the Trump trade looks like at the moment
Whether polls and Poylmarket bets on the U.S. elections are manipulated
How the Fed is putting more focus on jobs than inflation
When the bitcoin ETF options might launch and which issuers will get it first
How memecoins succeed and the rise of AI memecoins like GOAT, fueled by the AI bot truth_terminal
What the $1.1 billion acquisition by Stripe of stablecoin company Bridge means
Why Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial token sale was a flop
Sponsors:
Gemini
Stellar
Hosts:
James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence
Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard
Joe McCann, Founder, CEO, and CIO of Asymmetric
Guest:
Jeff Park, Head of Alpha Strategies at BitwiseLinks
ECB paper on bitcoin: Bitcoin Appreciation Could Be ‘Fuelling The Division Of Society’
Omid Malekan’s rebuttal to the paper by Bindseil & Schaaf (of the ECB)
Minneapolis Fed report: Unique Implementation of Permanent Primary Deficits? | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Alex Kruger’s tweet on memecoins
Alex Thorn’s tweet on bitcoin adjusted by inflation
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
03:08 Why the ECB’s Bitcoin paper missed the mark
10:17 Political motivations behind the Minneapolis Fed report on Bitcoin
14:18 Rising institutional demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs
21:38 How Trump’s poll momentum could impact crypto
32:14 Are election polls and Polymarket bets manipulated?
43:36 Why the Fed is prioritizing jobs over inflation
52:37 When will Bitcoin ETF options launch?
1:01:08 What makes memecoins, including AI memecoins like GOAT, succeed?
1:13:00 The significance of Stripe’s $1.1 billion crypto deal
1:18:02 Why the WLFI token sale was a “flop”

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1h 25min
October 22, 2024How This Stablecoin Business in Africa Is Taking on SWIFT and Big Banks - Ep. 722
Africa is quickly becoming one of the most dynamic regions for crypto adoption, but the story unfolding there is very different from what many in the West might imagine.
Chris Maurice, co-founder and CEO of Yellow Card, joins the show to share how stablecoins are already transforming businesses across the continent, solving real-world problems, and taking on SWIFT. Plus, he explains why USDT is the stablecoin of choice there.
He also dives into the long-term economic impact of crypto adoption and explains why anyone serious about business should be paying close attention to Africa.
Show highlights:
What Yellow Card is and the focus on U.S. Dollar stablecoins
The complexities of doing business in Africa
Which African countries have the highest rate of adoption
Chris’s background and his fun story of how he got into working in Africa
How operating a company in Africa is different from other places
Why Yellow Card is currently operating with three stablecoins, and the dominance of USDT
Why Yellow Card only offers centralized stablecoins
Why everyone should pay more attention to the continent, according to Chris
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Mantle
Robinhood & Arbitrum
Guest:
Chris Maurice, cofounder and CEO of Yellow Card

Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on stablecoins and emerging markets:
Anita Posch on Why ‘Bitcoin Is a Tool for Freedom’ – Especially in Africa
6 Stablecoins That Are Driving the Sector’s Two-Year High in Market Capitalization
Castle Island Ventures’ report: Stablecoins: The Emerging Market Story
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:03 What Yellow Card is and why it focuses on U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins
04:31 The complexities of doing business in Africa
10:42 Which African countries have the highest crypto adoption
19:17 How Chris got into working in Africa
25:11 How operating in Africa differs from other regions
32:42 Why USDT dominates Yellow Card’s stablecoin business
38:31 Why Yellow Card only uses centralized stablecoins
39:22 Does Africa deserve more attention?

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45min
October 18, 2024What's a Fair Value for Crypto Networks Like BTC, ETH and SOL? - Ep. 721
How do you determine the value of decentralized networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana? It’s not as straightforward as traditional investments.
Jon Charbonneau, general partner at crypto investment firm DBA, joins Unchained after writing a paper that dives deep into the complexities of valuing blockchain networks. He explains why applying traditional equity models to networks such as Bitcoin falls short, how tax inefficiencies in staking rewards impact valuations, and whether Layer 2 solutions like Optimism and Arbitrum are helping or hurting the long-term value of Layer 1 blockchains.
Also, he looks at the big question—are these networks sustainable in the long run?
Show highlights:
What motivated Jon to write the paper
What the main points of the paper are
Why tax inefficiencies in staking rewards are a critical factor in valuing decentralized networks and how they differ from traditional corporate taxes
What makes valuing networks tricky, as Jon explains how proof-of-work vs. proof-of-stake systems differ from traditional equity models
How he thinks about valuing Layer 2s and whether they are parasitic to the L1
Whether blockchains are sustainable in the long term
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Polkadot
Mantle’s FBTC
Guest
Jon Charbonneau, co-founder and General Partner at DBA
L1 & L2 Token Value Capture
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on this topic:
How to Figure Out Whether a Crypto Token Is Worth Its Trading Price
ETH Is Down Bad, While Layer 2s Are Ripping. Are L2s Parasitic to Ethereum?
Are Layer 2s Parasitic to Ethereum and ETH as an Asset?
Are L2s ‘Parasitic’? Analysis Shows Ethereum Only Gets a Tiny Percentage of Fees
Ether-Bitcoin Ratio Is at Multi-Year Lows, But It’s Just ‘Temporary’ and an ‘Opportunity’
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:25 What sparked Jon's interest in this topic?
03:35 Key takeaways from the paper
08:30 How staking taxes could change the game
13:46 Why traditional models fail for blockchain
20:10 Are Layer 2s helping or hurting Layer 1s?
26:51 Can blockchains survive long term?
29:20 News Recap

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41min
October 16, 2024The Chopping Block: Memecoin Frenzy, Unichain Reaction, & Kamala’s Crypto Agenda - Ep. 720
Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner slice into the juiciest topics in crypto. In this episode, the crew dives headfirst into the “Memecoin Supercycle,” sparking a debate on whether these wild, meme-powered coins are just a fleeting obsession or a genuine revolution. They then dissect Uniswap’s bold leap to launch its own chain on the Optimism Superchain, asking if this move could steal the spotlight from Ethereum and forever reshape the DeFi landscape. And just when you think it’s all about tech, they dive into Kamala Harris’ latest crypto play, with an eyebrow-raising appeal to memecoin investors. From soaring hype to DeFi drama and political power moves, this episode is packed with hot takes, spicy predictions, and a glimpse at what might lie ahead in the world of crypto.
Show highlights
🔹 “Memecoin Supercycle” and whether memecoins are on track to overtake traditional altcoins as they fuel a new wave of financial speculation.
🔹 Unichain: Uniswap’s bold move to launch its own chain on the Optimism Superchain, questioning whether this could pull DeFi liquidity away from Ethereum and reshape the crypto ecosystem.
🔹 Kamala Harris’ unexpected crypto appeal in her new “opportunity agenda for Black men,” which includes a vague promise for regulatory protection for digital assets.
🔹 Memecoins vs. VC Coins: Murad’s thesis on memecoins outshining VC-backed tokens sparks a heated debate on whether financial nihilism is driving this trend and what it means for the future of crypto investing.
🔹With the new Unichain possibly diverting DeFi liquidity, the crew ponders whether Ethereum is at risk of losing its dominance as the “home of DeFi.”

Hosts
⭐️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

Disclosures

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
2:10 The Memecoin Supercycle
9:13 VC Coins vs. Memecoins
25:30 Unichain: A New Era for Uniswap
31:51 Token Issuance on Ethereum vs. L2s
35:59 Uniswap's Future and Asset Creation
38:30 Predictions for Unichain's Impact
44:11 Retail Flow and MEV Extraction
53:31 Kamala Harris' Crypto Policy
56:05 Trump vs. Harris

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1h 4min

FAQs about Unchained:

How many episodes does Unchained have?

The podcast currently has 870 episodes available.