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Unchained episodes
- Why Are NFTs the One Bright Spot in the Crypto Markets? - Ep.309
Avid NFT collector Aftab Hossain (aka @iamDCinvestor on Crypto Twitter) discusses why OpenSea and NFT volumes are popping to start 2022, how LooksRare’s vampire attack is a good thing for the NFT market, and how royalties affect a project’s trading potential. Show topics:
- why Aftab thinks NFT floor prices are rising and what role NFT “flippers” have to do with his theory
- whether the NFT industry could continue growing even if fungible crypto assets enter a bear market
- how the LooksRare vampire attack on OpenSea works
- why people are wash trading NFTs on LooksRare
- why Aftab would choose to list NFTs on LooksRare over OpenSea
- whether LooksRare’s vampire attack will force OpenSea to decentralize and/or tokenize
- what sort of NFT projects should have royalties… and which projects shouldn’t
Thank you to our sponsors!
Avado: ava.do
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
Episode Links
Aftab Hossain
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamDCinvestor
LooksRare
- LooksRare vampire attack + wash trading:
-
- https://decrypt.co/90317/ethereum-nft-market-looksrare-wash-trading
https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2022/01/11/one-day-after-launch-opensea-competitor-looksrare-sells-over-100m-in-nfts/- LooksRare: https://twitter.com/LooksRareNFT
- LooksRare vs OpenSea data: https://dune.xyz/hildobby/LooksRare-VS-OpenSea
Background Links
- NFT volume to start the year: https://cryptopotato.com/opensea-records-over-2-billion-in-trading-volume-early-in-2022/
- OpenSea metrics: https://dune.xyz/rchen8/opensea
- Fred Ehrsam tweet: https://twitter.com/FEhrsam/status/1370414944265572353
- The Chopping Block: https://unchainedpodcast.com/the-chopping-block-why-the-crypto-markets-have-been-down-this-week/
- Nas NFTs:
-
- https://decrypt.co/89881/rap-legend-nas-sells-2-songs-as-nfts-on-dj-3laus-royal-platform
https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/130123/3lau-backed-platform-royal-crashes-during-first-music-nft-drop-mint-delayed- OpenSea IPO rumors: https://decrypt.co/87701/opensea-ipo-criticism-crypto-ethereum-token
- SushiSwap vampire attack: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/76419/uniswap-fork-sushiswap-700-million-total-value-locked
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40 min - The Chopping Block: Why the Crypto Markets Have Been Down This Week - Ep.308
The Chopping Block is back! Crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra chop it up about the latest news in the digital asset industry. Show topics:
- why crypto assets experienced a drawdown after last week’s FOMC meeting that hinted at accelerated rate hikes
- which emerging assets Tarun, Haseeb, and Tom envision weathering a bear market
- which assets could be further hurt by a continued bear market
- the significance of Paradigm and Sequoia investing in Citadel Securities
- what aspects of Signal CEO Moxie Marlinspike’s web3 article Haseeb, Tom, and Tarun take umbrage with
- whether Cryptoland is crypto’s Fyre Festival or whether it’s the metaverse
- what the heck is going on with the Pudgy Penguins community
- the lessons from the CFTC’s fine of Polymarket (disclosure: a former sponsor of my shows)
Episode Links
Hosts
- Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly Capital
-
- https://twitter.com/hosseeb
- Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly Capital
-
- https://twitter.com/tomhschmidt
- Tarun Chitra, managing partner at Robot Ventures
-
https://twitter.com/tarunchitraTopics
- FOMC = Crypto assets dip
-
- https://www.ar.ca/blog/debunking-more-overreactions-to-macro-a-ronin-case-study
- Paradigm + Sequoia invest in Citadel Securities
-
- https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/01/11/paradigm-sequoia-to-invest-115b-in-citadel-securities-bringing-trading-firm-closer-to-crypto/
- Cryptoland
-
- https://thenextweb.com/news/welcome-to-cryptoland-real-island-cryptocurrency-fans-analysis
- Moxie Marlinspike’s first impressions of web3
-
- https://moxie.org/2022/01/07/web3-first-impressions.html
- Pudgy Penguins drama
-
- https://thedefiant.io/fire-on-the-iceberg-pudgy-penguin-holders-eye-coup-amid-acquisition-talks/
- Polymarket fined by CFTC
-
- https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2022/01/03/cftc-fines-crypto-betting-service-polymarket-14m-for-unregistered-swaps/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
49 min - Can Crypto Be a Force in the Midterms? Yes, Say Kristin Smith and Jake Chervinsky - Ep.307
Kristin Smith, executive director at Blockchain Association, and Jake Chervinsky, head of Policy at Blockchain Association, discuss the current state of crypto regulation. Show topics:
- why 2021 was a watershed year for crypto regulation and lobbying
- why Jake decided to move from Compound Labs to Blockchain Association
- what Kristin and Jake think about the current state of regulation in the crypto industry
- how crypto education will play a significant role in Blockchain Association efforts going forward
- how crypto will affect midterm elections
- why Kristin thinks crypto will not be a partisan issue long term
- what sort of budget Blockchain Association functions on
- what Kristin and Jake think about the President’s Working Group report on stablecoins
- why Jake does not think the US should issue a CBDC
- what Blockchain Association’s take is on SEC commissioner Hester Peirce’s “safe harbor” proposal
- why Kristin and Jake believes the idea of a “crypto czar” is not feasible
- how regulators are treating DeFi going into 2022
- how crypto tax guidelines could be improved for centralized exchanges
- how Blockchain Association thinks tax code 6050I should be applied
- what issues could arise from DAOs in 2022+
- what listeners can do to address the different regulatory topics discussed in this podcast
Thank you to our sponsor!
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
Show Links
Guests
- Jake Chervinsky: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky
- Kristin Smith: https://twitter.com/kmsmithdc
- Previous Unchained appearances:
- https://unchainedpodcast.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-looming-battle-over-privacy-in-crypto/
https://unchainedpodcast.com/how-congress-might-pass-laws-bad-for-proof-of-stake-and-defi/- https://unchainedpodcast.com/all-things-crypto-regulation-with-jake-chervinsky/
- https://unchainedpodcast.com/why-is-the-proposed-fincen-rule-for-unhosted-wallets-being-pushed-so-quickly/
- https://unchainedpodcast.com/how-congress-might-pass-laws-bad-for-proof-of-stake-and-defi/
- https://unchainedpodcast.com/what-the-crypto-industry-could-see-under-a-biden-administration/
https://unchainedpodcast.com/when-is-a-token-decentralized-enough-to-not-be-a-security-ep-056/The Blockchain Association
- Website: https://theblockchainassociation.org/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn
- 2021 growth: https://theblockchainassociation.org/crypto-industrys-leading-trade-association-more-than-doubles-membership-in-2021/
- Jake joining the team: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2021/11/09/blockchain-association-fills-out-its-washington-team-with-seasoned-hands-798774
Regulatory Topics Discussed:
- a16z
- https://a16z.com/2021/10/13/an-agenda-for-the-future-of-the-internet/
- Tax Code 6050i
- https://www.coincenter.org/congress-takes-its-war-on-cash-to-digital-assets/
https://unchainedpodcast.com/not-reporting-info-on-some-transaction-partners-could-soon-be-a-felony/- Infrastructure Bill
- https://twitter.com/jerrybrito/status/1461317078175072263
- President’s Working Group stablecoin report
- https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2021/11/01/biden-administration-to-congress-put-stablecoins-under-federal-supervision-or-we-will/
- FATF Guidance
https://twitter.com/coincenter/status/1453700485484097537Articles Jake Mentioned
- Jake on CBDCs: https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2021/12/21/secure-americas-financial-strength-with-stablecoins-not-central-banks/
- Gabriel Shapiro on DAOs: https://lexnode.substack.com/p/wyomings-legal-dao-saster
- Morgan Harper thread: https://twitter.com/mh4oh/status/1463219384776806402
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1 hr 15 min - 65% of Active Developers Joined Web3 in 2021 - Ep.306
Electric Capital’s Maria Shen dives into her company’s recently published research report about Web3 open-source development in 2021 and shares her thoughts and insights on how developers are flocking to Web3 in a manner that goes far beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum. Show topics:
- Maria’s biggest takeaways from the Electric Capital Developer Report
- how developer growth is affected by asset price
- which ecosystems are growing fastest
- why Maria thinks the growth in Bitcoin development has slowed down
- why Maria is so impressed by Ethereum’s performance in terms of retaining developers
- how closed-source development on, for example, Solana or Flow could affect the report’s findings
- the significance of Polkadot, Solana, NEAR, Binance Smart Chain, Avalanche, and Terra growing faster than Ethereum did at similar points in its history
- developer growth in DeFi during 2021
- why Electric Capital did not study developer growth for NFTs, DAOs, or gaming
- why Maria is so interested in studying community growth going forward
- what Maria will be watching for in 2022
Thank you to our sponsors!
Avado: ava.do
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
Episode Links
Maria Shen
https://twitter.com/MariaShen- Previous Unchained appearance: https://unchainedpodcast.com/electric-capital-on-the-coins-punching-below-their-weight/
Electric Capital
- https://www.electriccapital.com/
Electric Capital Developer Report (2021)
https://medium.com/electric-capital/electric-capital-developer-report-2021-f37874efea6d- Previous reports: https://medium.com/electric-capital
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
39 min - Crypto 2022 Outlook: Where Will the Markets Go This Year? Plus DeFi and NFTs - Ep.305
Larry Cermak, VP of research at The Block, and Igor Igamberdiev, director of research and data at The Block, recap the most significant trends of 2021 (BTC mining, L1s, NFTs, DeFi, venture funding) and discuss what might happen in 2022. Show topics:
- why 2021 was so significant for the crypto industry
- why the crypto markets didn’t see a blow-off top at the end of the calendar year the way they typically do about a year after a Bitcoin halving
- what Larry thinks about whether the crypto market is in a supercycle
- how the state of BTC and ETH mining changed in the past year
- why Igor thinks multichain technology was key to a record-breaking year for venture capital entering the crypto space in 2021
- how the layer 1 (L1) ecosystem wars played out in 2021 and what it could look like in 2022
- what Larry and Igor think of Ethereum layer 2s (L2s)
- how Ethereum’s shift to 2.0 could affect the L1 race
- what Larry thinks about DeFi tokens going into 2022
- how DeFi trends, like decentralized exchange volume and lending, played out in 2021
- why Igor thinks KYC-DeFi (know-your-customer decentralized finance) is inevitable
- what Larry thinks about NFTs going in 2022 and why he thinks PFPs are dead
- Larry and Igor’s outlook on the metaverse going into the new year
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
Episode Links
Guests
- Larry Cermak: https://twitter.com/lawmaster
- Igor Igamberdiev: https://twitter.com/FrankResearcher
The Block’s 2022 Digital Asset Outlook Report
- https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/127723/the-block-research-2021-digital-asset-outlook-report
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1 hr 8 min - Unconfirmed: Song a Day NFTs With Jonathan Mann + Your 2022 Crypto Predictions! - Ep.304
Jonathan Mann has published a song a day for 13 years. On Unchained, he talks about his writing process, how he came up with the idea of publishing his songs as NFTs, his plans for a DAO he created called SongADAO, and more. Show topics:
- the significance and process of making a song a day for 13 years straight
- how Jonathan monetized his content in the early days (2009) of the internet
- what crypto event sent Jonathan down the rabbit hole and how Vitalik Buterin was involved
- why CryptoPunks piqued Jonathan’s interest in monetizing his content on-chain
- how being in the crypto world has changed Jonathan’s creative process
- where his song data is being uploaded in the context of web2 and web3
- how SongADAO will work and how it could change the paradigm of the music industry
- the characteristics of his 12/31/2021 NFT drop, which will see over 3,000 songs minted
- Jonathan plays “Mongoose Coin” for the Unchained audience, a song he made about Senator Brad Sherman’s comments about cryptocurrency in a recent hearing.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Avado: ava.do
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
Nodle: https://bit.ly/3AXGydJ
Episode Links:
Jonathan Mann
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/songadaymann
- Website: https://www.jonathanmann.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanmann/
Song A Day:
- YouTube: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanmann/
- Minting website: https://songaday.world/
- OpenSea: https://opensea.io/collection/song-a-day
Tweet Thread on Song A Day + SongADAO (must read if you are interested in Jonathan’s work)
- https://twitter.com/songadaymann/status/1475210923124178951
Jonathan at Devcon
https://www.jonathanmann.net/devconMongoose Coin
https://decrypt.co/87904/congressional-hearing-spawns-mob-mongoose-based-meme-coinsLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
47 min - The Chopping Block: 2021 in Crypto: The Biggest Winners, Biggest Losers, and Best Memes - Ep.303
Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Chopping Block, a new show on Unchained hosted by Haseeb Qureshi, Robert Leshner, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra, in which they discuss the latest juicy topics in crypto. This week, the four crypto heavyweights take a look back at 2021. Show topics:
- Biggest winners and losers
- Best mechanism
- Biggest surprise
- Best meme
- Predictions for 2022
Without revealing too much, Haseeb, Robert, Tom, and Tarun cover a lot of ground, diving into “esoteric” subjects like Luna tokenomics, the Tezos NFT marketplace HEN, the origins of web3, the Grayscale arbitrage opportunity, OHM, Convex Finance, single-basis point liquidity pools on Uniswap, and Empty Set Dollar. They also tackle more popular topics like BTC, Dogecoin, NFT marketplaces, L1s, and more.
Episode Links
Hosts
- Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly Capital
-
- https://twitter.com/hosseeb
- Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly Capital
-
- https://twitter.com/tomhschmidt
- Robert Leshner, managing partner at Robot Ventures
-
- https://twitter.com/rleshner
- Tarun Chitra, managing partner at Robot Ventures
-
https://twitter.com/tarunchitraBiggest Winners:
- L1 performance in 2021: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/128603/in-2021-l1-blockchains-took-the-spotlight-thanks-to-defi
- Coinbase IPO: https://unchainedpodcast.com/is-coinbase-stock-a-good-buy-this-analyst-says-yes/
- Solana: https://www.notboring.co/p/solana-summer
- OpenSea: https://www.readthegeneralist.com/briefing/opensea
- Lido: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/is-lido-undervalued
- Dogecoin: https://docsend.com/view/vutymtgqjf99yrpu
- Solana early investors: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/solana-generates-1-billion-in-returns-for-early-backers
Mechanisms
- Uniswap V3: https://uniswap.org/blog/launch-uniswap-v3
- Convex Finance (+ Curve): https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/11/11/curve-wars-heat-up-emergency-dao-invoked-after-clear-governance-attack/
- OHM: https://www.coingecko.com/buzz/what-is-olympusdao-and-how-does-it-work
- ESD: https://medium.com/@lewisfreiberg/empty-set-dollar-esd-a0abbfc5ecdb
Biggest Losers:
- Grayscale: https://dcresearch.medium.com/interpreting-grayscale-premiums-gbtc-ethe-a7261dd8cfca
- Bitcoin: https://www.coindesk.com/price/bitcoin/
- HEN: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/news+/126688/tezos-art-marketplace-hen
- EOS: https://cryptonews.com/news/eos-down-as-community-forks-out-blockone.htm
Biggest Surprises
- Uniswap pool analytics:https://info.uniswap.org/#/pools
- NFTs: https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/11/22325054/beeple-christies-nft-sale-cost-everydays-69-million + https://decrypt.co/89060/bored-ape-yacht-club-nfts-flip-cryptopunks-floor-price-in-ethereum
- Luna: https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2021/11/10/terra-passes-highly-anticipated-proposal-to-burn-nearly-89m-luna/
Best Memes
- Dog coins: https://nypost.com/2021/12/27/santa-floki-cryptocurrency-surges-3500-after-elon-musk-tweet/
- SBF shoes: https://twitter.com/zackseward/status/1468641558346059777
- Grimes tweet: https://twitter.com/grimezsz/status/1449528005966000129
- Web3: https://www.coindesk.com/learn/what-is-web-3-and-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 1 min - Why NFT OG Mitchell Chan Has Released Just One Project This Year - Ep.302
Mitchell F. Chan, who released one of the first NFT projects on Ethereum back in 2017, discusses his projects, making art on a blockchain, how NFTs are transforming the traditional art world, and more. Show topics:
- Mitchell’s art career before NFTs
- how Mitchell was inspired by Yves Klein’s 1950's work 'Zones of Immaterial Pictorial Sensibility’
- the story behind Mitchell’s OG NFT art project: ‘Digital Zones of Immaterial Pictorial Sensibility’
- what the traditional world thinks about NFTs
- who is collecting NFT art
- the story behind Mitchell’s 2021 NFT project: ‘LeWitt Generator Generator’
- why Mitchell has not minted any more NFTs this year – even though the market has been on fire
- whether Mitchell thinks NFTs are changing the art world (hint: he thinks yes)
- NFTs and the financialization of art
- why Mitchell can empathize with some of the backlash about NFTs coming from the traditional art and gaming industries
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
Nodle: https://bit.ly/3AXGydJ
Brave: http://brave.com/Unchained
Episode Links
Mitchell Chan
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mitchellfchan
- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/4QdtdZWMpN
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellfchan/
- Gallery: https://chan.gallery/
Content:
- DIGITAL ZONES OF IMMATERIAL PICTORIAL SENSIBILITY (Sotheby’s NFT - $1M+)
-
- Sotheby’s Sale: https://metaverse.sothebys.com/natively-digital/lots/digital_zone_of_immaterial_pictorial_sensibility
- 33 Page Essay: https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmcdKPjcJgYX2k7weqZLoKjHqB9tWxEV5oKBcPV6L8b5dD
https://twitter.com/mitchellfchan/status/1465699544436330496- OpenSea: https://opensea.io/collection/ikb-cachet-de-garantie-1
- TL;DR: https://twitter.com/LeonidasNFT/status/1470397221548052480
- Video Essays on NFTs (super interesting)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtUGpOe-zE4&list=PLVRveZVaYYqHZKN_5oH8wC5QBRMMlXdBT&t=25s- Sol Lewitt Generator Generator
https://medium.com/@mitchellfchan/nfts-generative-art-and-sol-lewitt-e99a5fa2b0cbLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 16 min - Unconfirmed: What Could the Crypto Media Do Better? Four Journalists Discuss - Ep.301
Merry Christmas (Eve)! For this special episode of Unchained, three other crypto journalists and I discuss their favorite stories from the past twelve months, how they would grade crypto journalism in 2021, and what they are looking forward to covering in 2022. Show highlights:
- what stories Michael, Michael, Jeff, and I will remember from a ~busy~ 2021
- why 2021 is “clearly the biggest year” yet for the industry
- how CoinDesk, Forbes, and Decrypt can improve their news coverage in 2022
- what Michael, Michael, Jeff, and I think about all the negative energy directed at journalists from the crypto and tech space
- how mainstream media can do a better job covering crypto
- predictions for what the biggest stories of 2022 will be
Thank you to our sponsors!
Avado: ava.do
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
Nodle: https://bit.ly/3AXGydJ
Michael Casey
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikejcasey
- CoinDesk: https://www.coindesk.com/
- Unchained Appearances
- Why Bitcoin Now: Michael Casey and Niall Ferguson on How Bitcoin Fits in the History of Money
-
- https://unchainedpodcast.com/why-bitcoin-now-michael-casey-and-niall-ferguson-on-how-bitcoin-fits-in-the-history-of-money/
- Live from SXSW: Michael Casey and Paul Vigna, Co-Authors of The Truth Machine, on Why the SEC Has Issued Subpoenas to ICOs
-
- https://unchainedpodcast.com/live-from-sxsw-michael-casey-and-paul-vigna-co-authors-of-the-truth-machine-on-why-the-sec-has-issued-subpoenas-to-icos/
Michael del Castillo
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/delRayMan
- Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/
Jeff Roberts
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffjohnroberts
- Decrypt: https://decrypt.co/
- Unchained Appearances
- Will Coinbase Do a Token Offering When It Goes Public?
-
- https://unchainedpodcast.com/will-coinbase-do-a-token-offering-when-it-goes-public/
- Coinbase’s S-1: The Number That May Make the Exchange Nervous
-
- https://unchainedpodcast.com/coinbases-s-1-the-number-that-may-make-the-exchange-nervous/
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55 min - This Noble Family's Art Was Taken by Nazis, But Is Being Saved by NFTs - Ep.300
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1 hr 8 min
About Unchained
From the publisher's feed
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…
Shin, an independent journalist covering all things crypto, talks with industry pioneers about how crypto assets and blockchains will change the way we earn, spend and invest our money. Tune in to find out how Web 3.0, the decentralized web, will revolutionize our world.