Unchained

By Laura ShinNews Business News Tech News

Unchained episodes

October 11, 2024FTX's Ryan Salame Is Going to Prison. Here’s What He Has to Say - Ep. 718
Ryan Salame, the former CEO of FTX Digital Markets, is headed to prison, but not before sharing his side of the story. Ryan talks candidly about the decisions he made at FTX, why he withdrew millions of dollars worth of assets in the days leading up to its bankruptcy, and the backstory behind the Thai prostitute trading scheme to unfreeze Alameda’s funds in China. He also disputes the claims about his campaign finance violations, while explaining why he thinks Caroline Ellison is “at least as guilty as SBF” and that Nishad Singh lied.
Show highlights:
Ryan’s life pre-FTX and how he got into crypto
His three attempts to quit working at FTX
How Ryan committed campaign finance violations
Why Ryan disputes claims that FTX misled banks and misused customer funds
How Ryan was involved in setting up trading accounts with the identities of Thai prostitutes to unfreeze Alameda’s funds
Whether Ryan was involved in bribing a Chinese official
Why he withdrew millions of dollars worth of assets from his FTX accounts right before its bankruptcy
Why Ryan claims he was cooperative with prosecutors, despite common belief
How he refuses to comment on his wife Michelle Bond's case, but denies wrongdoing
Why Ryan pleaded the Fifth Amendment
His allegations that prosecutors lied to his lawyers about whether they would pursue charges against Michelle
Why he thinks that SBF could have never coerced Caroline Ellison and whether Ellison is “equally guilty” as SBF
Why Ryan believes Nishad Singh lied to save himself and his take on Gary Wang
How, if he didn’t know about the fraud, he could be so certain that Caroline or Nishad lied
Whether the legal advice from FTX’s and Alameda’s lawyers should have been considered in Bankman-Fried's trial
Whether testimony from more employees could have created reasonable doubt in SBF's trial
Why Ryan is going to law school
His plans post-prison
What Ryan learned from the FTX debacle
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
Guest:
Ryan Salame, former CEO of FTX Digital Markets

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1 hr 46 min
October 10, 2024The Chopping Block w/ Stani Kulechov: Operation Chokepoint 2.0, Ethereum Innovation Push, & Polymarket Whales - Ep. 717
Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and special guest Stani Kulechov chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, the crew dives into the latest speculation about Satoshi Nakamoto, spurred by the just-released HBO documentary. They also discuss Ethereum’s big debate over block times and blob storage expansion, exploring whether these changes can keep Ethereum competitive. The conversation gets heated with talk of a Trump whale on PolyMarket, Operation Chokepoint 2.0, and TikTok’s role in onboarding memecoin buyers. Don’t miss this episode packed with crypto conspiracies, performance debates, and insider gossip!

Show highlights
🔹 Who is Satoshi? Speculation about the HBO documentary “Money Electric” possibly revealing Satoshi Nakamoto’s identity.
🔹 Trump Betting Whale on PolyMarket: Discussion about a large whale accumulating Trump shares in Polymarket and addresses conspiracy theories.
🔹 MEV Reduction Through Shorter Block Times: Reducing Ethereum’s block times from 12 seconds to 8 seconds could decrease MEV by making arbitrage harder, with potential UX and cost improvements for Ethereum.
🔹 Blob Space Expansion: Increasing Ethereum’s blob storage for rollups might prevent alternative data availability layers like Celestia from gaining ground, raising whether more blob space is necessary.
🔹 Operation Chokepoint 2.0: New revelations suggest that regulators, possibly spurred by Elizabeth Warren, pressured banks to unbank crypto firms without formal rulemaking, with Tom calling it “shocking” how accurate initial speculations were.
🔹 Ethereum’s Future Performance Debate: Stani suggests Ethereum should continue to innovate and improve Layer 1 performance, advocating for faster block times and more radical changes to maintain its competitive edge.
🔹 DeFi Market Dynamics: The panel dives into how competitive decentralized finance platforms like Aave and Compound maintain resilience in an ever-evolving landscape, with Stani commending Robert’s contributions to the space.
Hosts
⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures
Guest:
⭐️ Stani Kulechov, Founder & CEO Avara
Disclosures
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:09 Mainnet Conference Recap
05:39 HBO & Satoshi Nakamoto
12:55 Election Betting
21:24 World Liberty Financial
31:54 Operation Chokepoint 2.0 Exposed
39:44 Challenges in Crypto Disclosures
50:18 Ethereum's Potential Upgrades
1:03:59 Future of Avara

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1 hr 8 min
October 09, 2024Bits + Bips: Why ‘All Assets Will Go Up’ in the Near Future - Ep. 716
As the PBOC and Fed shift their stances on rates and liquidity flows, the macro landscape is evolving rapidly. In this episode of Bits + Bips, we unpack how these policy changes could spark a massive surge across all asset classes—from equities and bonds to Bitcoin and crude oil.
The hosts, joined by Nikos Kargadouris, a seasoned trader, discuss why liquidity is about to flood the markets, why fears of a U.S. recession may be overblown, and how even memecoins could benefit.
Plus, are central banks close to buying bitcoin ETFs?
Show highlights:
How the PBOC's shift in policies impacted the markets and when we’ll see a “bazooka”
How market complacency and short positions on oil amid geopolitical tensions could lead to mispricing and unexpected volatility
How rising crude oil prices could slow the U.S. economy, despite the country being a net oil exporter
How strong payrolls data reduced market expectations of U.S. rate cuts
Why predictions of a U.S. recession might be off
Whether it matters for crypto who wins the elections
The chances of central banks adopting Bitcoin
What the outlook for memecoins looks like in the next months
Whether the HBO documentary about the identify of Satoshi Nakamoto will be a disappointment
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:
Nikos Kargadouris, Chief Investment Officer of a private investment office specializing in cross-asset thematic macro and digital asset strategies.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:09 Impact of the PBOC’s policy shift and timing of the “bazooka”
15:01 Oil mispricing and volatility due to geopolitical tensions
27:30 Rising oil prices and potential U.S. economic slowdown
35:51 Strong payrolls reducing expectations for U.S. rate cuts
44:11 Why U.S. recession predictions might be wrong
50:10 Can prediction markets reflect U.S. election outcomes?
56:05 Does the election winner matter for crypto?
1:04:43 Memecoin outlook for the next months
1:15:34 Will the HBO documentary disappoint?

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1 hr 21 min
October 08, 2024How North Koreans Infiltrated the Crypto Industry to Fund the Regime - Ep. 715
The crypto community is facing a new kind of threat—North Korean devs are infiltrating crypto companies to steal millions and funnel funds back to the regime in order to bypass sanctions.
In this episode, Sam Kessler, CoinDesk’s deputy managing editor for tech and protocols, and Taylor Monahan, security at MetaMask, explain how North Korea has embedded its operatives into the crypto space, the red flags companies should watch for, and what these hackers are doing once inside crypto firms.
Plus, they share their most interesting stories about how these hackers have gotten hired at crypto companies and the red flags the industry should know about.
Show highlights:
What Sam found in his investigation about North Koreans infiltrating the industry
How Taylor has found that this is a recurring issue
Why Sam and Taylor refer to these infiltrated workers as ‘IT’ workers
The most interesting stories that Sam and Taylor have discovered
The trends in the hiring process that lead to North Koreans being hired and also what the big red flags are
How “easy it is to de-anonymize” addresses and transactions in blockchains
What assets and networks these workers often use to get paid
How, after infiltrating a company, those projects get hacked
How to deal with a situation in which you’ve already hired North Koreans
How to protect a protocol from another type of North Korean hack: by hacking groups
Whether the industry is getting better at security
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
Guests:
Sam Kessler, CoinDesk's deputy managing editor for tech and protocols
CoinDesk: How North Korea Infiltrated the Crypto Industry
Taylor Monahan, Co-Founder of MyEtherWallet
Previous appearances on Unchained:
The QuadrigaCX Case: Taylor Monahan on What We Know From the Blockchain
MyCrypto's Taylor Monahan on Why She's Not a Fan of ICOs
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on North Korea:
Why North Korea Is Interested in Cryptocurrency
Yeonmi Park on Why Doing Business With North Korea Is Like Buying a Ticket to a Concentration Camp
Others:
DL News: North Korean hackers are infiltrating crypto job boards in a ‘quiet war’ that rakes in $600m
FBI PSA: North Korea Aggressively Targeting Crypto Industry with Well-Disguised Social Engineering Attacks
Chainalysis:
2024 Crypto Crime Mid-year Update Part 1: Cybercrime Climbs as Exchange Thieves and Ransomware Attackers Grow Bolder
Funds Stolen from Crypto Platforms Fall More Than 50% in 2023, but Hacking Remains a Significant Threat as Number of Incidents Rises
Russian and North Korean Cyberattack Infrastructure Converge: New Hacking Data Raises National Security Concerns
ZachXBT: How Lazarus Group laundered $200M from 25+ crypto hacks to fiat from 2020–2023
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:59 Sam's findings on North Korean workers infiltrating crypto projects
04:04 Taylor on the recurring nature of the issue
09:05 Why they’re referred to as ‘IT’ workers
16:17 Most interesting infiltration stories
34:16 Hiring trends and red flags for North Korean operatives
44:02 How easy it is to de-anonymize blockchain transactions
51:05 Assets and networks used for payment
54:06 How infiltrated companies end up getting hacked
58:36 What to do if you've already hired North Korean operatives
1:00:21 How to protect a protocol from being hacked
1:06:22 Is the industry improving in security?

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1 hr 14 min
October 06, 2024 The Chopping Block: EigenLayer Launch, Celestia Controversy, and Ethereum’s Future - Ep. 714
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 into Ethereum’s homestaking crisis and its growing competition from high-throughput chains like Solana. They tackle the explosive drama between EigenLayer and Celestia, including the controversial $82 million token sale by VCs. The discussion also covers Ethereum's future, staking rewards, and how restaking could boost its long-term value. Tune in for a deep dive into the challenges and ethical debates shaping the blockchain space right now!
Show highlights
🔹 Total Fees in DA: Data availability (DA) layers generate relatively low fees compared to other blockchain networks.
🔹 EigenLayer Token Launch: EigenLayer launched at a $6 billion valuation, sparking drama with Celestia over DA performance.
🔹 VC Staking Practices: Polychain sold $82 million in Celestia staking rewards, raising ethical concerns about token vesting practices.
🔹 Ethereum Homestaking Debate: Ethereum’s focus on homestaking is being questioned as it faces competition from faster, high-throughput chains.
🔹 Ethereum vs. Solana: Ethereum is urged to take growing competition from Solana seriously to maintain its market dominance.
🔹 Restaking for Monetary Premium: Restaking in EigenLayer could significantly boost Ethereum’s value and long-term sustainability.
🔹 Staking Rewards and Inflation: Staking rewards protect investors but can lead to ethical issues with inflation mechanics.
🔹 Scaling Ethereum: Critics suggest Ethereum should increase bandwidth and capital requirements to enhance scalability and performance.

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

DisclosuresLinks
Disclosures Related to Employee and Investor Staking by EigenLayer https://docs.eigenlayer.xyz/eigenlayer/information-and-transparency/disclosures
“Polychain invested around $20mil in the Series A&B round of Celestia and have already sold over $82 million worth of $TIA just from staking rewards” by @gtx360ti
https://x.com/gtx360ti/status/1839553081773560045
“I think there's a sane version of this where we recognize that 32 ETH is much more of a barrier than bandwidth reqs” by @VitalikButerin
https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/1841756178692358587

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49 min
October 04, 2024Bitcoin's Price Dropped After Iran's Attack on Israel. Is ‘Uptober’ Canceled? - Ep. 713
October started with hopes for “Uptober”—a positive price trajectory in October—in the Bitcoin community, since, historically, Bitcoin has performed well this month. But things took a turn when geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalated, raising concerns about how that could affect Bitcoin’s price this month.
In this episode, André Dragosch, European Head of Research at Bitwise, talks about how Bitcoin typically responds to geopolitical shocks, whether this could present a buying opportunity, and how major events like the U.S. elections might shape Bitcoin’s future.
Show highlights:
How Bitcoin’s reacted to the geopolitical escalations
Why André believes this is a buying opportunity
How there was a macro capitulation after the beginning of the unwind of the Japan carry trade in August
Whether Bitcoin can truly act as a safe haven asset
How the clientele of ETFs have changed the market structure for Bitcoin
Whether ‘Uptober’ is canceled
How Andre expects Bitcoin will perform depending on the winner of the U.S. elections
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
André Dragosch, European Head of Research at Bitwise
Bitcoin as a Safe-Haven: Hedging Against Geopolitical Risks
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on the recent market movements::
Investors Ditch Bitcoin, Scoop Up Gold, as Iran-Israel Tensions Escalate
$500 Million Liquidated From Crypto Markets Cools ‘Uptober’ Enthusiasm
Unchained:
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan’s thread on how bitcoin & gold have performed
BlackRock’s bitcoin report
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:14 How Bitcoin's price reacts to geopolitical tensions
03:17 Whether this could be a buying opportunity
08:54 Macro capitulation after the start of the Japan carry trade unwind
11:02Can Bitcoin act as a safe haven asset?
16:12 How ETFs have changed Bitcoin's market structure
20:28 Is ‘Uptober’ canceled?
24:17 Bitcoin’s future based on U.S. election outcomes
28:45 News Recap

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41 min
October 01, 2024Could Bittensor End Up Being the Only Crypto/AI Project That Matters? - Ep. 712
AI and crypto are two of the hottest topics of the decade, but are there any projects truly making waves at the intersection of both? Bittensor, an open-source, decentralized AI network, is positioning itself as a leader in this space, with its TAO token seeing explosive growth and its model challenging traditional centralized AI companies.
In this episode, we’re joined by Joseph Jacks, aka JJ, founder of OSS Capital, and Sami Kassab, partner at OSS Capital, to explore why they’ve gone all-in on Bittensor. They discuss how Bittensor works, what makes it different from centralized AI models, and why they believe this project could be transformative for both crypto and AI.
Show highlights:
OSS Capital’s background and how they got to invest in Bittensor
Why Sami and JJ are bullish on TAO
What the three roles in the Bittensor ecosystem are
How new subnets incentivize miners to develop AI models
Why it’s so expensive to launch a subnet
Why Bittensor was built on the Polkadot SDK
The pros and cons of rolling out EVM compatibility
What Allora and Commune AI are focused on within the ecosystem
How Bittensor can compete with the big AI companies
The dangers AI poses to humanity and whether Bittensor can mitigate them
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
Guests:
Joseph Jacks, Founder and General Partner of OSS Capital
Sami Kassab, Partner at OSS Capital
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on Crypto/AI:
Erik Voorhees' New Venture: Why AI Desperately Needs Privacy and Uncensorability
When AI and Blockchain Meet, How Can Each Technology Benefit?
The Chopping Block: Why AI Will Change the Course of History in Crypto
Learn more:
A Beginner's Guide to AI Tokens
5 Use Cases of AI in Blockchain
Bittensor:
Bittensor’s website
The game theory of TAO
Nous Research leaving Bittensor
Seth Bloomberg’s tweet on “Bittensor’s Network Effects”
Cost of building a subnet
Commune.ai
Allora Network
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:39 Background of OSS Capital and investing in Bittensor
19:06 Why Sami and JJ are bullish on TAO
24:51 The three roles in the Bittensor ecosystem
35:00 How subnets incentivize AI model development
47:50 Why launching a subnet is expensive
50:12 Bittensor’s foundation on the Polkadot SDK
53:00 Pros and cons of EVM compatibility
1:03:03 Focus areas for Allora and Communi
1:06:48 How Bittensor competes with big AI companies
1:09:19 JJ’s take on AI dangers and Bittensor’s role

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1 hr 21 min
September 27, 2024Why Bitcoin ETF Options Could Unlock Massive Amounts of Capital for Crypto - Ep. 711
With Bitcoin ETF options on the horizon, the crypto market is bracing for significant changes. In this episode, Joshua Lim, co-founder and CEO of Arbelos Markets, joins us to explain what the launch of Bitcoin ETF options means for the broader market. Could they unlock vast amounts of capital and set off a new altcoin boom? Josh also dives into the potential effects on Bitcoin volatility, DeFi lending, and even the onchain options markets. Plus, what could the 2024 U.S. presidential election mean for Bitcoin?
Show highlights:
What are options and why they are significant for bitcoin ETFs
How they will affect the price of BTC
When options will actually launch and what needs to be done
How the launch of IBIT options could lower Bitcoin volatility and compress spreads
Whether dominant players in derivatives will suffer from this launch
How the launch of options could lead to an “altcoin boom”
Why Josh thinks the SEC delayed its decision on ether ETF options
How rising Bitcoin options interest could trigger volatility during major options expiries
What Josh thinks the impact of the US presidential election will be on the markets
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Coinbase
iTrustCapital
Polkadot
Mantle’s FBTC
Guest:
Joshua Lim, Co-founder and CEO of Arbelos Markets
Links
Approval for BlackRock’s IBIT
The Block: Bitcoin ETFs set to attract liquidity and speculation as IBIT options trading gains approval
CoinDesk: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Options to Set Stage for GameStop-Like 'Gamma Squeeze' Rally, Bitwise Predicts
Decrypt: SEC Hits Pause on Ethereum ETF Options Following Bitcoin Nod -
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:48 What Bitcoin ETF options are and why they’re significant
05:41 Impact on BTC price
08:17 When Bitcoin ETF options will launch
10:03 How IBIT options could reduce volatility
15:53 Will dominant players in derivatives be affected?
20:40 How options could trigger an altcoin boom
24:12 Thoughts on potential ether ETF options approval
24:47 Rising Bitcoin options interest and volatility risks
28:22 Impact of the 2024 US election on crypto markets
31:48 News Recap

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44 min
September 26, 2024Bits + Bips: Why Bitcoin Is a Leveraged Bet on Global Liquidity - Ep. 710
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 Bits + Bips, hosts James Seyffart, Alex Kruger, and Joe McCann are joined by Sam Callahan of The NewsBlock to explore how macroeconomic factors and liquidity conditions are driving Bitcoin’s price. They dive into the Federal Reserve's recent rate cuts, the impact of Solana's token unlocks, and why many investors are concerned about a potential liquidity crunch. Plus, the panel discusses whether Bitcoin’s price is increasingly dependent on global M2 money supply, and how BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF options could impact the market.
Is Bitcoin simply a leveraged macro bet? And could Solana’s unlocks cause a price squeeze?

Show highlights:
Alex and Joe’s takeaways from Token 2049 and Solana Breakpoint
Why there’s so little attention on Bitcoin at these conferences
The SOL vs. ETH trade debate
Why Sam thinks that the Fed cut rates to help the Treasury
Whether they think inflation will persist
How China's rate cuts aim to boost its economy amidst export challenges
How Bitcoin's correlation with global liquidity can break down during speculative bull runs, despite its typical sensitivity to liquidity conditions
The pros and cons of the approval of Bitcoin ETF options
Why fears about BlackRock and Coinbase's bitcoin holdings are unfounded, according to James
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:
Sam Callahan, Current Free Agent Analyst & Scribe of the NewsBlock
Sam’s research post with Lyn Alden
Links
Coverage of Unchained on Token 2049 and Solana Breakpoint:
Should the Solana Foundation Be Dissolved? Yes... and No...
$1.3 Billion Market Cap BONK Caught Asymmetric Financial's Eye at $28 Million, Founder Tells Solana Breakpoint Event
Bring Back ICOs, Says Multicoin Capital’s Tushar Jain, Winning Agreement From Debate Adversary Qiao Wang of AllianceDAO
PYTH Stakers Get Carrots and Sticks as Douro Labs Rejigs Staking Mechanism
DeFi Protocol Sky, Formerly MakerDAO, to Launch on Solana Blockchain
Firedancer Efforts Bring Solana a Step Closer to Leap in Processing Power, Says Jump Trading’s Science Chief
Stoner-Originated Proof-of-Liquidity Network Berachain Scores a Hit at Token2049
SOL vs. ETH
Unchained: SOL on Course to Flip ETH, Says Multicoin Capital’s Kyle Samani
Alex’s tweet: “Ironically $SOLETH is barely up in 2024”
Rate cuts and macro:
Fed Cuts Rates for First Time Since 2020
China:
Reuters: China's central bank unveils most aggressive stimulus since pandemic |
ETF options:
CoinDesk: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Options to Set Stage for GameStop-Like 'Gamma Squeeze' Rally
Decrypt: SEC Hits Pause on Ethereum ETF Options Following Bitcoin Nod -
Kamala Harris:
Unchained:
Kamala Harris Makes Her First Comments on Crypto
Harris Commits to Prioritizing Emerging Industries Like Blockchain in Speech
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:55 Takeaways from Token 2049 and Solana Breakpoint
07:14 Little Bitcoin interest me at conferences
12:23 The SOL vs. ETH trade debate
17:32 Sam’s view on the Fed’s rate cuts
28:55 Will inflation persist?
41:14 China’s rate cuts and economic boost
49:44 Bitcoin’s correlation with global liquidity
1:02:43 Pros and cons of Bitcoin ETF options
1:13:23 BlackRock and Coinbase Bitcoin holdings fears

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1 hr 19 min
September 24, 2024With Rate Cuts and Upcoming Elections, What’s the Best Play in Crypto? - Ep. 709
The Fed just made its first rate cut in years, slashing 50 basis points off interest rates—but what does this mean for the crypto markets? With Bitcoin lagging behind traditional finance, and the looming U.S. elections, uncertainty is growing.
In this episode, Quinn Thompson of Lekker Capital and Travis Kling of Ikigai Asset Management break down the major factors influencing the markets: from Bitcoin’s sluggish summer and the unwinding of the Japan yen carry trade, to why the 2024 elections could be a pivotal moment for crypto. Are these the catalysts we’ve been waiting for, or should we brace for more turbulence ahead?
Also, they cover which assets could benefit the most under a Trump administration, and why they believe SOL could have a negative catalyst in the near future.
Show highlights:
Why the Fed cut rates by 50 basis points and what the chances of a recession are in the U.S.
Why Bitcoin has underperformed the broader TradFi markets this summer
The risks of the unwinding of the Japan carry trade for crypto
How the election results might matter differently for different sectors of the industry
Whether rate cuts affect stablecoin yields in DeFi
How the approval of Bitcoin ETF options will affect the price of BTC
Whether Bitcoin miners will be affected by AI’s need for computing power
Ether’s lagging performance this year and what might be a huge catalyst for ETH
How SOL will manage through the huge unlock in early 2025
What Quinn and Travis think about investing in memecoins
How the rise of Base will impact Coinbase
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
Gemini
Guests:
Quinn Thompson, CIO of Lekker Capital
Travis Kling, Founder and CIO of Ikigai Asset Management
Previous appearance on Unchained: With the Merge, Will Ethereum Take Over Bitcoin’s Title as Digital Gold
Links
Rate cuts
Unchained:
Fed Cuts Rates for First Time Since 2020; Bitcoin Remains Mostly Flat
Fed Rate Cut Should Spur Crypto Investors to Load up on Memecoins, Asymmetric Founder Tells Token2049
Bitcoin Is Now in a ‘Classic Setup’ to Surge Higher Soon, Analysts Say
Bitcoin and the Crypto Markets Slump as Fed Faces Tough Rate Cut Decision
What Do Cooling Inflation and Rate Cuts Mean for Crypto and Bitcoin Prices?
ETH performance and L2s:
Unchained:
SOL on Course to Flip ETH, Says Multicoin Capital’s Kyle Samani
Ether Has Been a Much Worse Investment Than Both Gold and Silver So Far This Year
Are L2s 'Parasitic'? Analysis Shows Ethereum Only Gets a Tiny Percentage of Fees
Alex Kruger’s tweet: “Ironically $SOLETH is barely up in 2024”
Bitcoin ETF options:
CoinDesk: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Options to Set Stage for GameStop-Like 'Gamma Squeeze' Rally, Bitwise Predicts
Mining and AI:
TIME: Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:09 Fed rate cut and recession chances
12:34 Bitcoin’s underperformance this summer
14:56 Risks of Japan carry trade unwinding
21:3 Election impacts on crypto sectors
38:00 Rate cuts and DeFi stablecoin yields
43:00 Bitcoin ETF options
49:31 AI’s impact on Bitcoin miners
54:38 Ether’s lagging performance and future catalysts
1:03:19 SOL’s 2025 unlock concerns
1:10:39 Investing in memecoins
1:18:15 Base’s rise and Coinbase impact

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1 hr 22 min

About Unchained

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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…

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