Unchained

Crypto natives entered 2025 with many expectations, but bingo cards likely did not include world leaders launching memecoins. In this first installment of a two part Unchained Special, Ambient Finance founder Doug Colkitt and “Gwart” join to offer a whimsical take on some of the years major happenings as it pertains to crypto. How did an erstwhile dropshipper get in bed with world leaders and convince them to launch memecoins? And did Tom Lee's “good hair” save ETH? Thank you to our sponsor, Walrus! http://walrus.xyz/ Guests: Doug Colkitt, Co-founder of Fogo and Ambient Finance Gwart, Host of The Gwart Show Links: Unchained: Why Lyn Alden Isn’t a Fan of Trump’s Memecoins, but Neutral on a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve The Chopping Block: Trump’s Crypto Shake-Up, Solana’s Big Moment, that Changes Everything Why Would Argentine President Javier Milei Protect Kelsier’s Hayden Davis? How the $1.5 Billion Bybit Hack Could Have Been Prevented Which Crypto Assets Belong in a Reserve? This VC Says Not XRP and ADA White House Crypto Summit: Two Attendees Share Why It Matters Arthur Hayes and Hanson Birringer on Hyperliquid’s Success (And What Could Stop It) Hyperliquid Trader Makes $87M in 70 Days, Loses It In Five The Chopping Block: Tom Lee the New Saylor? DAT Consolidation, Token Wrappers Under Fire Circle, Issuer of the $61.5 Billion USDC, Raises $1.1 Billion in Landmark IPO Why Arbitrum Won Over Robinhood + A $59 Million Polymarket Controversy DAT Stocks Are on Sale. Are They a Buy? Plus, Why Crypto Is Dead Timestamps: 🚀 00:00 Introduction  😵 1:20 How Trump and Melania surprised the crypto community with Solana memecoins 😅 4:46 How Hayden Davis went from dropshipping to launching coins with world leaders 🫠 8:39 Could a test transaction have saved Bybit from the largest heist of all time? 🫡 13:34 How Ripple lobbyists reportedly got Trump to shout out an XRP reserve 🤣 17:55 Was the White House Crypto Summit hijacked by FIFA? 🤺 20:20 Hyperliquid's Run and the CZ v. Jeff Memes 😅 26:48 Who is James Wynn, really? 😆 30:36 What sparked ETH's comeback? Tom Lee's good hair or EF reforms? 📈 35:51 How Circle's IPO run blindsided Arthur Hayes 🎇 38:48 Robinhood's grand on-chain debut 🫠 43:58 Still early or DOA? Base's hit and miss campaigns 🤔 54:23 How does the DAT mania end? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Christmas Eve episode of DEX in the City, hosts Jessi Brooks, Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos, and Vy Le break down a pivotal moment for crypto: the industry is no longer operating as a self-contained, oppositional ecosystem. It’s converging with traditional finance. And the cool thing? Washington is responding. The trio unpacks the latest on the crypto market structure bill, what it means that TradFi players are actively supporting legislation, how compliance tools like KYC became unavoidable, and why crypto may be going through an identity crisis.  They also delve into why Democratic engagement is crucial to getting a bill across the finish line, and why January’s confirmed markup could be a turning point. Hosts: Jessi Brooks, General Counsel at Ribbit Capital Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos, General Counsel at StarkWare TuongVy Le, General Counsel at Veda Timestamps: 🎬 0:00 Intro 🎄 2:09 Whether crypto’s convergence with TradFi is finally changing how policymakers treat the industry 🧬 13:54 What “crypto-native hybrids” are and why they’re suddenly everywhere 🔐 15:23 How KYC and compliance tools went from optional to unavoidable in crypto’s tech stack 🪞 18:24 Why Vy says crypto is in the middle of a real identity crisis 📅 21:12 Why a confirmed January markup is a much bigger deal than it sounds ⚔️ 24:00 How the DeFi fight inside the bill is shaping up and why TradFi is now showing up loudly 🏛️ 31:02 What Democrats are zeroing in on to actually get this bill across the finish line 🔄 35:02 Whether the revolving door between government and crypto is healthy or a red flag ✨ 45:49 Good news and end-of-year thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Security remains work in progress for crypto — and that may be putting it mildly. This year Bybit was hacked for $1.5 billion, the largest exploit ever, crypto or otherwise.  In this Unchained episode, Security Alliance members explain how crypto exploits have evolved, why smart contracts are no longer the primary vulnerability and why a security plan alone may not be enough. They take us inside how North Koreans are getting jobs at crypto and tech companies and how they operate.  Plus, best practices for individuals that intend to hold their assets for the long-term. Test transactions and 2FA based on authenticator apps may not be ideal. Thank you to our sponsors, ⁠Uniswap⁠ and ⁠Mantle⁠! Guests: Pablo Sabbatella, Member of SEAL (Security Alliance) and Founder of Opsek Isaac Patka, Wargames Initiative Lead at SEAL, and Founder of Shield3 Links: Unchained: How the $1.5 Billion Bybit Hack Could Have Been Prevented The Chopping Block: Code, Chaos & Consequences — What the Balancer Hack and Rollback Debates Mean for Crypto’s Future How AI Agents Hacked Smart Contracts for $1 Apiece – DEX in the City DEX in the City: How Privacy in Crypto Makes Everyone’s Finances More Secure Chainalysis crypto crime report SEAL 911 bot SEAL website with profiles of confirmed DPRK IT workers Timestamps: 🚀 00:00 Introduction  ⚠️ 1:27 How social engineering has become the primary driver of crypto exploits 🤔 8:28 What does SEAL do? 💡 12:08 Why safe harbor for white hats matters 👀 14:41 Why North Koreans are infiltrating U.S. companies? 🫠 18:03 How the North Korean IT jobs scheme has evolved with “laptop farms” 😬 22:05 How North Korean IT workers steal crypto from companies and how to avoid hiring them ⚠️ 32:20 Isaac explains how companies can minimize losses even with North Korean hackers on staff 🤯 35:52 Why Isaac doesn't do test transactions ❕️ 38:19 How Bybit was targeted ⁉️ 49:41 The primary ways individuals get hacked 🚨 54:28 How individuals can avoid getting rekt 💡 1:08:42 What privacy means for crypto security 🤧 1:12:38 What to do if your assets are stolen 💫 1:15:41 Useful security resources for individuals and companies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you to our sponsor, Mantle. Sign up for their hackathon here!After a “weird” year in the markets, hosts Ram Ahluwalia and Christopher Perkins are joined by Ava Labs’ President John Wu for a candid debate about where crypto really is in the cycle—and what needs to happen next. The panel wrestles with a question many investors are quietly asking: has the market washed out enough to set up the next move, or is something still missing? They explore why momentum has faded, what signs would suggest it’s coming back, and why 2026 keeps coming up in long-term conversations—even as near-term enthusiasm remains divided. Plus, why TGEs are “dying” and, with the rise of super apps, does Coinbase has an edge on Web2 players like Robinhood?  Hosts: Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Christopher Perkins, Managing Partner and President of CoinFund Guest: John Wu, President of Ava Labs Links: Unchained:  Circle Acquires Interop Labs Team, Excludes Axelar Foundation and Token  Aave’s Rushed Governance Vote Draws Backlash UNI Token Rallies as Voting Begins on UNIfication Proposal Bitcoin’s Demand Boom is Fading: CryptoQuant Alex Thorn predicts BTC will reach $250K by end of 2027  Memento’s research on TGEs  Jeff Dorman on X: “I don’t know a single liquid fund that has bought a new token on TGE in over 2 years.” CoinDesk: Coinbase rolls out stock trading, prediction markets and more in bid to become the 'Everything Exchange' The Block:  Coinbase to acquire prediction markets startup The Clearing Company AAVE token holder proposes 'poison pill' for DAO to absorb Aave Labs amid contentious revenue debate Timestamps: 🎬 0:00 Intro 📉 1:55 What made this a truly “weird year” for markets 🗓️ 7:09 Why 2026 may be a breakout year and why not all tokens may survive 🌊 8:41 Whether a big washout is ahead and what actually brings momentum back 🔁 13:40 How the four-year cycle, midterms, and new cohorts keep reshaping crypto demand 🏦 20:30 The fight over institutional settlement layers and Canton’s rise 🧩 24:34 Why tokens exist at all and where real value capture is getting lost ⚖️ 30:19 How investors should think about the constant tug-of-war between equity and tokens 📊 41:07 Why Chris feels constructive on markets while Ram sees something missing 💵 43:52 Why stablecoins are quietly becoming the “new net interest income” 📱 44:51 How super apps are changing the game and why Coinbase may have an edge over Robinhood 🧟 53:16 Why token generation events are fading Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this double-header episode of Bits + Bips, Steven Ehrlich first speaks with Figure CEO Mike Cagney about why most tokenization projects fail, how Figure built an onchain mortgage replacement, and why he believes big banks may now be leading blockchain innovation. Then, Jason Brett joins the show to explain how an upcoming crypto market structure bill could expose President Trump’s World Liberty Financial as centralized, and why that matters for DeFi, regulation, and the industry’s credibility. Sponsors: Uniswap Mantle Host: Steve Ehrlich, Executive Editor at Unchained Guests: Mike Cagney, Co-founder and CEO of  Figure Technology Solutions Jason Brett, Former Banking Regulator With FDIC Links: Unchained: Inside Robinhood’s Big Super App Plan: ‘There’s Still a Lot of Work to Be Done’ Coinbase Launches Stock Trading and Prediction Markets How the GENIUS Act Creates a Built-In Advantage for Banks and Deposit Tokens Timestamps:  🚀 00:00 Introduction  🧠 1:48 What is a HELOC? 💡 4:48 How Figure is turning HELOCs into a mortgage replacement ⚡️ 7:58 How Figure issues loans from origination to disbursement 📍 11:28 Why Figure uses a blockchain  ⚠️ 12:15 Cagney explains how liquidity poses a challenge for many tokenization projects 🧏‍♂️ 13:10 Why the real value proposition is in DeFi and how Figure is bring $1 billion on-chain 📃 14:14 Cagney reveals Figure's preferred DeFi platforms  💥 16:09 How the GENIUS Act could drive assets onchain  ⚡️ 17:46 How Figure is working towards stablecoin settlement of loans 👀 23:40 Why Cagney says the big banks are doing more disruptive work than the likes of Coinbase ⚖️ 27:53 What Cagney is advocating for around DeFi in DC and his litmus test for decentralization  ❕️ 31:30 Why Cagney believes anonymity is not necessary for decentralization CLIP 💡 33:32 How Cagney deals with the pressures of going public 🧠 34:32 Why Cagney has taken a different philosophical approach to Robinhood and Coinbase  💥 37:05 Cagney explains what it takes for tokenization projects to succeed 41:55 Intro 45:51 If crypto finally gets rules, what then? 49:39 Frozen wallets: the DeFi dealbreaker 55:51 Has the White House picked a DeFi side? 56:36 Why this goes beyond “ethics” 58:49 If Trump’s DeFi fails the test… then what? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices