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:

January 22, 2025Bits + Bips: Debate: Is Trump’s Memecoin a Gift or a Grift? - Ep. 769
This week, Trump’s memecoin launch had everyone talking—and scrambling for Phantom wallets. But was it a strategic masterstroke or just another speculative frenzy?
On this episode of Bits + Bips, the hosts unpack the wild moments of the Crypto Ball, where $TRUMP made its surprise debut. They discuss how Bitcoin maxis were forced to embrace Solana wallets, why Multicoin Capital emerged as the biggest winner, and whether the memecoin launch signals a local market top.
Plus, they debate whether Trump’s crypto-friendly stance could shape policy in 2025, why Litecoin might beat Solana to a spot ETF, and what Trump’s inauguration speech reveals about his crypto game plan.
Show highlights:
0:58 What Ram can tell us about his experience at the Crypto Ball
3:39 How Ram was so surprised when the $TRUMP coin dropped in the middle of the event
7:51 What will happen with the 80% of $TRUMP that Trump holds
8:51 Why Ram believes Multicoin Capital was the biggest winner of $TRUMP dropping
10:14 Whether the coin was “gift or grift”
17:07 How the $Melania coin was the Trumps shooting themselves in the foot
19:37 How the launch of the coin is a “major win” for Solana
22:49 Whether ETH can have a comeback as the “TradFi chain”
35:28 How the market would react to the lack of a strategic bitcoin reserve mention
43:28 What executive orders Trump could deliver for the crypto industry
48:47 Alex’s experience with the pump and dump of a fake Barron Trump memecoin
53:41 What was notable from Trump’s inauguration speech
56:28 Whether rate cuts in December were a mistake and whether more are coming
1:05:51 Why James believes that Litecoin has more chances than Solana for a spot ETF
1:08:41 Whether the launch of $TRUMP will mark a local top for the markets
Hosts:
James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence
Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard
Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida
Noelle Acheson, Author of the “Crypto Is Macro Now” Newsletter
Links
Saylor’s parody account’s tweet recounted by Alex
Meme recounted by Noelle
Vitalik on changing the EF leadership
Josh Stark’s tweet on how the EF “uses Ethereum”
Paper on DeFi that Alex talked about: Christopher J Waller: Centralized and decentralized finance - substitutes or complements?
Polymarket: Will Trump create Bitcoin reserve in first 100 days?
Unchained:
Trump Appoints Crypto-Friendly Mark Uyeda as Acting SEC Chair
Trump-Backed World Liberty Financial Goes on Token Buying Spree
Trump Picks Pham as Acting CFTC Chair

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1h 18min
January 21, 2025Why Lyn Alden Isn't a Fan of Trump’s Memecoins, but Neutral on a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve - Ep. 768
The crypto world was shaken this weekend when Donald Trump and Melania Trump launched their own memecoins, ahead of Trump’s inauguration as president.
Financial analyst Lyn Alden joins Laura to explain why she’s not a fan of memecoins, neutral on a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve, and doubtful the U.S. can disrupt itself even as Bitcoin, crypto and blockchain technology hold the possibilities of upending the geopolitical world order.
Discussing everything from rising tariffs to reshoring strategies, Lyn offers a sharp analysis of the U.S. fiscal and monetary outlook and explains why she believes fiscal policy now overshadows monetary policy. Plus, hear her take on the TikTok ban debate, her skepticism that Bitcoin’s future security could be at risk as the block subsidy decreases, and her Bitcoin projection for 2025.
Show highlights:
02:13 Why Lyn is not supportive of the launch of Trump’s and Melania’s memecoins
10:01 Whether Trump should airdrop his memecoin to U.S. citizens
11:47 Why a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve sparks debate over its potential to devalue the dollar, reshape trade deficits, and challenge the global reserve currency system
25:09 How bitcoin’s rise as a neutral reserve asset could shape a multi-polar world
27:23 Why she thinks addressing U.S. fiscal issues may require the reshoring of industry and rethinking the dollar system
31:22Why Lyn thinks rising tariffs could disrupt global trade, but might also make the government less able to rely on taxation in a world of portable capital and growing privacy tools
35:16 Whether DOGE will be bearish for bitcoin
39:39 Why Lyn feels that Scott Bessent’s “3-3-3 Plan” faces challenges
42:29 Why fiscal policy now overshadows monetary policy, according to Lyn
48:21 What the TikTok ban debate reveals to Lyn about government control and the push for decentralized social media
52:31 Lyn’s take on MSTR’s plan to increase the number of shares
54:56 Lyn’s view on OP_CAT and bitcoin soft forks
57:20 Why Lyn doesn’t think that declining subsidies pose a problem for bitcoin’s security
1:05:59 Why Lyn doesn’t see value in other sectors of crypto, such as DeFi, aside from Bitcoin and stablecoins
1:09:15 Lyn’s projection for the price of bitcoin in 2025
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Somnia Network
Polkadot
Guest:
Lyn Alden, founder of Lyn Alden Investment Strategy
Previous appearances on Unchained:
Does Maximalism Help or Hurt Bitcoin? Lyn Alden and Udi Wertheimer Debate
How Will Inflation Impact Crypto?
Is Ethereum a Good Investment?
Why Bitcoin Now: Meltem Demirors and Lyn Alden on the Perfect Conditions for Bitcoin
Links
Trump’s announcement of a memecoin
Unchained: TRUMP Memecoin Soars Then Sinks as MELANIA Launches
Balaji’s tweet on the proposal of airdropping $TRUMP
Unchained: A Bitcoin Strategic Reserve for the U.S.? Senator Cynthia Lummis Reveals Her Bill
Bloomberg: MicroStrategy May Soon Rival Amazon, Alphabet in Common Shares -
Unchained: What Is the OP_CAT Bitcoin Improvement Proposal? - Unchained
Unchained: Bitcoin Layer 2s Aim to Attract Ethereum-Like Dapps. Will They Succeed? - Ep.638

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1h 12min
January 17, 2025Why Sony Launched Soneium, an Ethereum L2, and Blacklisted Some Memecoins - Ep. 767
This week, Sony launched the mainnet for Soneium, its Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain built on the OP Stack from Optimism. Soneium is designed to support creators, developers, and fans through tools like Sony’s NFT-based Fan Marketing Platform and Soneium Spark.
However, Soneium’s launch has sparked controversy. Its decision to blacklist some memecoins—over intellectual property concerns—has raised questions about the balance between decentralization and protecting creators’ rights. Even Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin weighed in, highlighting the tradeoffs businesses face in Web3.
Sota Watanabe, CEO at Startale, took a quick interview to clear up the misunderstanding about IP infringement. He also explains the vision for the platform and what’s next for Soneium in entertainment and finance.
Plus, at the end of the episode, Laura speaks to Ari Gore, head of communications at Zengo Wallet, about protecting your private keys and your cryptocurrencies from natural disasters.
Show highlights:
01:52 Why Sony decided to launch a layer 2 on Ethereum
05:39 How Soneium will work with creators to support them
11:29 Sota’s response to the backlash about blacklisting memecoins
18:46 How Soneium’s technical implementation protects IP rights
23:56Why Soneium attracts people from certain demographics
27:05 What the L2 blockchain will focus on next
27:05 Tips to protect your crypto safe from natural disasters
34:47 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!
Stellar Build Better
Quai Network
Polkadot
Guests
Sota Watanabe, CEO at Startale
Ari Gore, head of communications at Zengo Wallet
Links
Soneium Mainnet: Invoking Emotion And Empowering Creativity
Tweet by PopPunkOnChain
Tweet by 0xKawz
Tweet by Vitalik
Tweet by donnoh_eth
Soneium's Philosophy for Responsible Innovation

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49min
January 16, 2025 The Chopping Block w/ Guy Young: Lessons from USD0, Ethena's Bold Vision, and DeFi’s Future - Ep. 766
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 Guy Young, CEO and founder of Ethena Labs, to break down the hard truths behind DeFi’s most recent chaos. We dive into the USD0++ depeg and its ripple effects across the ecosystem, exploring what went wrong and the critical lessons for the future of stable assets. Plus, we discuss Ethena’s meteoric rise, Guy’s vision for synthetic dollars, and how innovative yield strategies are reshaping DeFi. Stay tuned as we debate, analyze, and uncover the hidden forces shaping crypto today.
Show highlights
🔹 USD0++ Depeg Drama: A deep dive into what caused the USD0++ depeg, the mechanics behind the chaos, and the broader implications for DeFi.
🔹 Lessons on Risk Transparency: Why sudden rule changes eroded trust and how protocols can improve communication to avoid similar fallout.
🔹 Ethena’s Rise and Vision: Guy Young shares the story of Ethena’s explosive growth, its innovative synthetic dollar model, and its role in DeFi’s evolution.
🔹 The Yield Dilemma: Exploring how Ethena’s yield model works, its appeal, and the risks it carries for users and the ecosystem.
🔹 DeFi’s Distribution Problem: Why centralized exchanges remain the key to scaling synthetic assets and stablecoins like Ethena’s USD.
🔹 Transparency vs. Overconfidence: Drawing lessons from Luna’s downfall and how Ethena’s approach to clear communication sets a new standard.
🔹 Athena’s 2025 Roadmap: From DeFi integrations to TradFi adoption, what’s next for Ethena as it scales synthetic dollars globally.
🔹 Reflections on Building in DeFi: Guy Young opens up about the challenges, surprises, and rewards of leading one of DeFi’s fastest-growing projects.
🔹 2025 Predictions: The crew debates who might become this year’s “main character” in crypto and what that could mean for the market.

Hosts
⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate
⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly

Guest
⭐️Guy Young, CEO & Founder of Ethena Labs
Disclosures

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:30 Changes to Usual Money’s Protocol
06:05 Reactions & Analysis
09:12 Lessons from USD0
18:35 Transparency vs. Miscommunication
22:42 Ethena: A DeFi Success Story
32:12 Demand for Stablecoins & Yield
36:40 Custody & Market Structure Post-FTX
43:58 Handling Negative Yields and Market Corrections
48:22 Ethena's Roadmap and Future Plans
55:53 Reflections on Building Ethena

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1h 4min
January 15, 2025Bits + Bips: AI Jobs Wipeout, Bitcoin as a Risk-Off Asset and Few Rate Cuts - Ep. 765
This week, Bloomberg’s James Seyffart, Lumida’s Ram Ahluwalia, and guest Tom Dunleavy explore whether the “Fed pivot” is officially dead, how AI will impact the job market, and what Tether’s move to El Salvador means for U.S. stablecoin policy.
They also debate whether bitcoin could ever be a risk-off asset, how sovereign nations might already be accumulating BTC, and what the Coinbase legal win against the SEC signals for the future.
Plus, why volatility is still king in crypto and what lies ahead for the global markets.
Show highlights:
02:12 Whether the “Fed pivot” is officially dead and whether rate cuts are coming
08:37 What the impact of AI will be on the jobs market
13:27 Why the markets have been chopping so much and whether it’s the bottom
18:00 What Trump could achieve for the crypto industry in his first 100 days
23:02 Whether the US sold the Silk Road bitcoin
25:27 Why bitcoin will not be a risk-off asset in the near term according to Tom and Ram
31:08 Whether sovereign nations have already started buying bitcoin
36:49 Why Tether moving to El Salvador is a loss to the U.S., according to Ram
40:26 How the L.A. fires will have an impact on the political landscape in the U.S.
52:06 How Coinbase just achieved a “huge win” against the SEC
Sponsors:
Stellar Build Better
Hosts:
James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence
Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida
Guest:
Tom Dunleavy, Partner at Master Ventures

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1h 7min
January 14, 2025How New Stablecoin Startup Bridge Got Acquired by Stripe for $1.1 Billion - Ep. 764
In October, the crypto industry saw a jaw-dropping acquisition: Bridge, a stablecoin-focused company, was bought by Web2 payments giant Stripe for $1.1 billion.
Now, three months later, Bridge co-founder Zach Abrams opens up about the wild journey that led to this moment, from navigating collapses like Terra’s UST and USDC’s depegging, to securing compliance and fraud prevention as core priorities.
Zach also delves into his vision for the future of stablecoins, whether the U.S. dollar will continue to dominate, and why global financial infrastructure needs an upgrade.
Plus, he recounts how timing and resilience helped Bridge stand out amidst massive industry challenges.
Show highlights:
01:49The problems of the payments system and how stablecoins could solve them
13:35 What Bridge is, how it works and what types of consumers it serves
19:33 What significant inconveniences Bridge found throughout its journey
25:56 How Zach’s background in Coinbase influenced the launch of Bridge
30:20 Whether there will be multiple stablecoins or just a couple of winners
33:49 How Bridge worked with their customers to improve its product
39:35 The story of how Bridge was acquired by Stripe for $1.1 billion
46:37 Whether its dependence on banks is a problem for Bridge
53:02 How Bridge deals with fraud and compliance
59:50 What Zach thinks about the competition in the stablecoin landscape
1:04:37 Why Zach believes that the fiat infrastructure landscape is still Bridge’s main competitor
1:10:08 Whether the U.S. dollar will remain the overwhelmingly predominant currency in stablecoins
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Stellar Build Better
Polkadot
Guest:
Zach Abrams, Co-founder of BridgeLinks
Recent coverage of Unchained on stablecoins:
How This Stablecoin Business in Africa Is Taking on SWIFT and Big Banks
Why Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev Is Betting Big on Crypto, Stablecoins, and Prediction Markets
CNBC: Stripe's $1.1 billion deal for crypto firm Bridge marks much-needed win for VCs

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1h 16min
January 10, 2025Why Travis Kling Thinks Not Looking at AI Agents Would Be 'a Big Mistake' - Ep. 763
It’s been a tough week for the markets, with bitcoin gyrating from $102,400 to $92,000.
Travis Kling, CIO of Ikigai Asset Management, shares his thoughts on the selloff, whether this market dip is a cause for alarm, and how macro factors like the Fed’s rate policy and ETF dynamics are shaping the landscape.
Plus, he dives into the explosive growth of AI agents and why crypto investors should start paying attention to this new frontier. Could AI agents revolutionize crypto, or are we witnessing another bubble?
Show highlights:
01:49 Why Travis believes this market selloff was “abnormal”
04:31 Whether he thinks the DOJ will sell Silk Road’s $6 billion worth of BTC from Silk Road
07:36 Why Travis is supportive of a US bitcoin strategic reserve
17:15 Why inflation and policy shifts might keep Fed rates steady
22:30 What explains the significant outflows from bitcoin spot ETFs on Wednesday
24:37 Whether Travis thinks the AI agent rise is a bubble
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Stellar Build Better
Polkadot
Guest
Travis Kling, Chief Investment Officer of Ikigai Asset Management
Previous appearances on Unchained:
With Rate Cuts and Upcoming Elections, What’s the Best Play in Crypto?
With the Merge, Will Ethereum Take Over Bitcoin’s Title as Digital Gold
Links
Previous coverage of Unchained on AI agents:
2025 Will Be a Year of Crypto Competition. Can Ethereum Make a Comeback?
With AI Agents Now Trading Crypto, What Does Their Future Look Like?

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45min
January 09, 2025 The Chopping Block: Debanking Drama, Crowdsales, and the Future of Crypto Regulation - Ep. 762
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.
Hosts
⭐️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

Disclosures

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46min
January 08, 2025Bits + Bips: Trump Will Soon Be President. Where Will Bitcoin and Crypto Prices Go? - Ep. 761
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.
Show highlights:
01:54 Why bitcoin broke the $100K level again
07:28 How the markets will react to the inauguration of Donald Trump as President
19:09 What factors will affect the Fed’s next decision on rates
26:38 What the premium of MSTR to its BTC holdings should be
34:37 Why they all hate the current version of AI agents
43:19 Why Charles likes Ethena and ENA
45:49 Alex’s and Charles’ thoughts on what to expect in 2025: supercycle incoming?
50:01 Alex’s analysis on the market corrections and what they teach us
57:34 Whether James believes the spot Solana ETF will be approved this year
Hosts:
James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence
Alex Kruger, Founder of Asgard
Guest:
Charles Edwards, founder of Capriole Investments Links
Capriole Investments | Update #58
MicroStrategy just bought another $100m in Bitcoin on path to $2bn spree – DL News
With AI Agents Now Trading Crypto, What Does Their Future Look Like?

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1h 3min
January 07, 20252025 Will Be a Year of Crypto Competition. Can Ethereum Make a Comeback? - Ep. 760
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.
Show highlights:
03:35 Why 2024 became a turning point for the crypto ecosystem
07:02 How AI agents could reshape onchain innovation and public discourse in 2025
14:47 Whether AI agents might soon compete with VCs
22:10 Why fundamentals-driven crypto projects will gradually dominate the market, according to Marc
26:05 Whether Solana will continue to steal Ethereum’s thunder
37:56 Is Base cannibalistic to Ethereum? Can Base or Ethereum compete with Solana?
42:53 Where the ETH ecosystem is headed and whether it can overcome issues of fragmentation, lack or interoperability, so many L2 tokens detracting from the ETH price
52:30 Whether Coinbase's deep commitment to Ethereum is causing it to discriminate against Solana
1:00:10 How Ethereum's reputation rises and falls with its price action, not its fundamentals, per Kain
1:08:43 What the purpose is of the Ethereum Foundation and whether it should change its approach
1:24:57 Why Kain doesn’t think the native rollups proposal is tenable
1:31:12 Whether Ethena is depressing the price of ETH
1:34:00 What Kain and Marc think about crypto-specific phones, especially the Solana Seeker
1:42:07 Kain’s and Marc’s predictions for 2025
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Stellar Build Better
Robinhood & Arbitrum
Kelp DAO
Polkadot
Guests:
Marc Zeller, founder of Aave Chan Initiative
Kain Warwick, founder of Infinex
Links
Unchained: Why Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev Is Betting Big on Crypto and Stablecoins
Unchained: 2024 Was Solana's Best Year Yet. Can It Sustain the Momentum in 2025?
Unchained: What's the Best Way for Ethereum to Grow? Two Ethereans Debate
The Block: Long-running Ethereum newsletter shutting down, cites lack of funding
Unchained: How Solana Beat Out Ethereum to Nab New Crypto Developers in 2024
Evan Van Ness’ tweet on the newsletter shutdown
EF’s Josh Stark’s reply to Van Ness
Unchained: Vitalik Has Gone 'Founder Mode.' Is This Just What Ethereum Needs?
Marc’s proposal about the EF
0xMawuko’s tweet on ETH governance
Unchained: Are Layer 2s Failing Ethereum? A New Proposal Advocates for Native L2s
Ben Lilly’s tweet on Ethena possibly suppressing the price of ETH

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1h 49min

FAQs about Unchained:

How many episodes does Unchained have?

The podcast currently has 870 episodes available.