656 episodes

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. Disclosure: I'm a nocoiner.

Unchained Laura Shin

    • News

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. Disclosure: I'm a nocoiner.

    The Chopping Block: Institutional Memecoin Craze, BASE vs. Ethereum, and Legal Clamps on Rogue Exchanges!

    The Chopping Block: Institutional Memecoin Craze, BASE vs. Ethereum, and Legal Clamps on Rogue Exchanges!

    Welcome to The Chopping Block, where Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner dive into the crypto universe's hottest topics. In this episode, we're tackling pressing questions: "Are Memecoins a Good Bet for Institutional Investors?" and "Can BASE Catalyze a Shift in Ethereum's DeFi Dominance?" Amidst Ethereum's upgrades, we explore the impact on scalability and the Layer 2 landscape. The legal entanglements of KuCoin with the DOJ and Beba's lawsuit against the SEC prompt a discussion on "What Do These Legal Challenges Mean for Crypto's Regulatory Future?" Additionally, we analyze the Blast Layer 2 security breach, questioning its implications for decentralized finance's security. Plus, a hypothetical scenario with Mr. Beast airdropping his own token leads us to ponder, "Can Celebrity-Endorsed Cryptocurrencies Create Real Value?" Join us as we dissect these pivotal developments, offering insights into the strategic maneuvers and policy shifts shaping crypto's future. Tune in for a compelling narrative on innovation and speculation in the rapidly evolving world of blockchain technology.
    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
    🔹 BASE's Growth and Challenges: Discussing BASE's explosive growth amidst Ethereum's upgrades, and how it's shaping the Layer 2 landscape amidst rising gas fees and scalability solutions.
    🔹 Beba & DeFi Education Fund vs. SEC: Unpacking the lawsuit against the SEC for clearer airdrop regulations, highlighting its significance for future of airdrops.
    🔹 KuCoin's Legal Battle: Insights into KuCoin's indictment by the DOJ, emphasizing the exchange's challenges and the broader implications for crypto regulations.
    🔹 Blast L2 Security Incident: Analyzing the $62 million hack on Blast L2, exploring its impact on security perceptions and the debate over centralized control in DeFi.
    🔹 Institutional Engagement with Memecoins: Exploring the surprising trend of reputable investment firms and family offices venturing into the volatile world of memecoins. 
    🔹 The Mr. Beast Coin Hypothesis: Exploring the theoretical impact of a Mr. Beast coin on the crypto economy, debating whether celebrity-backed coins can lead to genuine wealth creation.
    Hosts
    ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly 
    ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly 
    ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures
    ⭐️Robert Leshner, Founder of Compound

    Disclosures
    Links
    BEBA LLC and DEFI EDUCATION FUND v. SEC - https://www.defieducationfund.org/_files/ugd/84ba66_3f7a8f2ca6614d7381122cb1beeed4a8.pdf 

    Prominent Global Cryptocurrency Exchange KuCoin And Two Of Its Founders Criminally Charged With Bank Secrecy Act And Unlicensed Money Transmission Offenses - https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/prominent-global-cryptocurrency-exchange-kucoin-and-two-its-founders-criminally 

    Tweet “Learn about that touch and the intersection of AI and blockchain” - https://twitter.com/NEARProtocol/status/1772494712525426865 
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    • 56 min
    How Gitcoin 2.0 Could Someday Help Reward People for Doing Good

    How Gitcoin 2.0 Could Someday Help Reward People for Doing Good

    Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
    In this episode, Laura interviews Meg Lister, GM of Grants Labs at Gitcoin, and Kevin Owocki, co-founder of Gitcoin. 
    They discuss the evolution of Gitcoin from a centralized platform to a decentralized suite of protocols, Gitcoin 2.0, which allows any Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) based ecosystem to fund its public goods. They also talk about the various funding mechanisms available, including quadratic funding, retroactive public goods funding, and conviction voting. 
    Learn more: What Is Retroactive Public Goods Funding?
    The team is also exploring more futuristic concepts such as private voting systems, angel investing 2.0, and impact attestations. The ultimate goal for Gitcoin is to create a capital allocation infrastructure that funds what matters to communities, whether they are towns, states, countries, or online interest groups.
    Show highlights:

    Kevin's background and how he came to found Gitcoin and why Meg joined the company

    The differences between Gitcoin 1.0 and 2.0

    What quadratic funding is and why it is important in the blockchain ecosystem

    The problem of sybil attacks and how Gitcoin Passport aims to solve it

    Why Gitcoin has changed its approach to put more focus on scaling Ethereum rather than other types of grants

    How Gitcoin is trying to solve capital allocation efficiency with Allo (Capital Allocation) Protocol

    What streaming quadratic funding is and how it differs from traditional quadratic funding

    How retroactive public goods funding (RPGF) works

    What conviction voting is and how it addresses some of the current problems in DAOs

    Which projects are using Gitcoin Passport and what for

    Why Gitcoin is so focused on the Ethereum ecosystem and whether they will launch in other chains

    What the purposes of the GTC token are and how it could become a flywheel for Gitcoin

    How Gitcoin can become sustainable long-term, since it's free to use at the moment

    The features that are coming down the line for Gitcoin, including privacy and onchain "angel investing" 

    What the future could look like if Gitcoin succeeds in its mission, according to Kevin

    Thank you to our sponsors!
    Polkadot
    Guests:


    Kevin Owocki, Co-founder of Gitcoin


    Meg Lister, GM of Grants Labs at Gitcoin

    Links
    Gitcoin


    Gitcoin 2.0 Whitepaper, co-authored by Kevin Owocki and Meg Lister


    Public Goods Funding: The New Meta | Kevin Owocki - Gitcoin, presentation at ETH Denver 2024


    Gitcoin Entering the End Game 

    Gitcoin’s Citizen Grants program

    Impact report

    CoinDesk: Why Crypto’s Most Altruistic Project Is Going (Kinda) Corporate


    Blockworks: Gitcoin is restructuring to focus on grants for the Ethereum ecosystem 

    Allo Protocol
    Announcement thread
    Web3 Ecosystem Funding

    State of Web3 Grants Report

    Web3 Innovations in Public Goods Funding


    How To Fund Innovation: A Guide to Web3 Grants, Meg Lister for BeIn Crypto

    Quadratic funding

    ORIGINAL WHITE PAPER, co-authored by Vitalik Buterin 
    Retro PGF
    Unchained: What Is Retroactive Public Goods Funding?

    Passport

    Introducing Passport - Digital Identity as a Public Good 

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    • 1 hr 9 min
    How BlackRock’s New Fund on Ethereum Got a Very Crypto Welcome

    How BlackRock’s New Fund on Ethereum Got a Very Crypto Welcome

    Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
    On Wednesday, BlackRock, the world's leading asset management firm, announced the launch of a tokenized investment fund, the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity (BUIDL) Fund, developed in collaboration with Securitize. 
    Carlos Domingo, founder and CEO of Securitize, discusses the launch of the fund, which is native to the public Ethereum blockchain and aims to bring an institutional-grade cash management product to crypto institutions, offering faster token issuance, redemption, and transferability. 
    Learn more: What Is Real-World Asset (RWA) Tokenization? A Beginner's Guide
    He also talks about how Blackrock has embraced crypto, how the launch of the fund was “front run” by crypto Twitter, and how Blackrock will deal with issues such as the fund being dusted with ETH tainted by sanctioned Tornado Cash ETH. 
    Show highlights:

    What the BUIDL fund is, its essence and objectives

    How the fund rewards its users, with a system similar to crypto airdrops

    Whether they were worried about regulatory aspects of bringing this product onchain

    Securitize's role in the partnership with BlackRock

    How much money flowed into the fund on the first day and who the target investor is

    Why BlackRock decided to build this product on Ethereum 

    What BlackRock's attitude towards crypto is, according to Carlos

    How the launch of the fund was frontrun by crypto insiders 

    How a wallet associated with the fund received unintended funds from North Korean tied wallets and whether Ethereum should implement a mechanism for addresses to approve funds that are sent to it

    Whether the contract is secure and what steps Securitize is taking to increase the safety of the users

    The roadmap for the partnership between BlackRock and Securitize

    Thank you to our sponsors!

    iTrustCapital

    Polkadot

    Uniswap

    Guest


    Carlos Domingo, Founder and CEO of Securitize

    Previous appearance on Unchained: Could Securitize Democratize Access to Different Asset Classes?


    Links

    Previous coverage on Unchained of real world assets:

    The Catalysts for This Crypto Bull Market: AI, DeFi, Real World Assets?

    The Chopping Block: Will Tokenizing RWAs Finally Click This Time?

    MakerDAO Has Brought in Real World Assets. Is It Worth the Risk?

    BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity (BUIDL) Fund

    The Block: BlackRock to launch tokenized investment fund with Securitize


    Unchained:

    BlackRock's Institutional Fund Wallet Receives Unsolicited ETH From Tornado Cash Within Hours of Launch

    BlackRock Receives Memecoins and NFTs After Putting $100 Million USDC Onchain


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    • 39 min
    The Chopping Block: Memecoin Presales, MakerDAO’s Endgame, and BlackRock's Blockchain Bet!

    The Chopping Block: Memecoin Presales, MakerDAO’s Endgame, and BlackRock's Blockchain Bet!

    Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest news. In this week's episode, the squad dives into the riveting dynamics of meme coins and their undeniable sway over market sentiments, alongside a detailed exploration of BlackRock's groundbreaking leap into blockchain with its on-chain fund initiative. Is Solana redefining its role as the new haven for meme coin ventures, signaling a shift in blockchain platform dominance? And with Ethereum's recent 4844 and Dencun upgrades, can it hold its ground as the DeFi ecosystem's backbone amidst escalating competition? We delve into MakerDAO's ambitious 'Endgame' strategy, contemplating its potential to reshape governance within the DeFi sector. The conversation doesn't stop there; we untangle the complex web of crypto conspiracies and debate the evolving definition of 'fair launch' in the decentralized space. This episode is packed with analysis and insights as we navigate the speculative excitement of meme coins, the strategic moves of blockchain giants, and the transformative policies shaping the future of decentralized finance. Join us for a thought-provoking journey as we dissect these developments, with Robert Leshner shedding light on the alpha in Reg D filings, to unravel the narratives that could redefine the crypto ecosystem's future. Tune in for a compelling session that promises to peel back the layers of innovation, speculation, and strategic maneuvering in the ever-evolving crypto landscape.

    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
    🔹 Unraveling Crypto Conspiracies: Delving into the speculative theories surrounding the surge of memecoins and their potential orchestration by exchanges or other entities.
    🔹 Redefining 'Fair Launch' in DeFi: A critique of the shifting meaning of 'fair launch' within the memecoin sector, highlighting the departure from traditional norms.
    🔹 Solana as the New Memecoin Haven: Examining Solana's burgeoning role as the preferred platform for memecoin activity and what it signifies for blockchain innovation.
    🔹 Ethereum's Technological Upgrades: Analyzing the implications of Ethereum's 4844 and Dencun upgrade for transaction fees, scalability, and the developer ecosystem.
    🔹 Debating the Future of memecoins: Insights into the dynamic world of memecoins, from the rise of pre-sales on Solana to the broader implications for the crypto market.
    🔹 The Evolution of MakerDAO: Discussion on MakerDAO's transformative 'Endgame' strategy, introducing new governance mechanisms and tokens to revitalize its ecosystem.
    🔹 BlackRock's Entry into Crypto: A glimpse into BlackRock's strategic move to launch an on-chain fund, marking a significant step by a major institutional player into the crypto space.
    Hosts
    ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly 
    ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly 
    ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures
    ⭐️Robert Leshner, Founder of Compound

    Disclosures
    Links
    Pump.fun - https://www.pump.fun 
    3AC’s Kyle Davies on Why He’s Crypto’s Lloyd Blankfein and Why He’s Not Sorry - https://unchainedcrypto.com/3acs-kyle-davies-on-why-hes-cryptos-lloyd-blankfein-and-why-hes-not-sorry/ 
    MakerDAO Endgame: Launch Season - https://forum.makerdao.com/t/makerdao-endgame-launch-season/23857/1 
    What Is a Fair Launch in Crypto? - https://www.coingecko.com/learn/what-is-a-fair-launch-in-crypto 
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    • 44 min
    3AC's Kyle Davies on Why He's Crypto's Lloyd Blankfein and Why He's Not Sorry

    3AC's Kyle Davies on Why He's Crypto's Lloyd Blankfein and Why He's Not Sorry

    Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
    Few crypto figures have been as vilified as Kyle Davies, the co-founder, along with Su Zhu, of crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which imploded in mid-2022, losing $3 billion and bringing many pillars of the crypto industry down with it. Davies and Zhu have been accused of, among other things, lying about 3AC’s assets as the firm was imploding, trying to borrow money when the firm was insolvent, and seeking funding from the Mafia, all of which Davies denies. 
    But he remains unapologetic about 3AC’s demise, saying most, if not all, companies eventually go bankrupt, and that 3AC had a “pretty spectacular” ten-year run. He joined Unchained to explain why he and Su Zhu were ordered to prison in Singapore for non-compliance with the liquidation proceedings, Zhu’s “six weeks meditating” (in prison), where he’s living now, why he and Zhu went to Bali after the bankruptcy, his $25,000-a-month fee for consulting for crypto bankruptcy exchange OPNX, his and Zhu’s current work advising crypto derivatives platform OX.FUN, and what he wishes he would have done differently in terms of 3AC’s wind down. 
    Show highlights:

    Whether Kyle is cooperating with 3AC liquidator Teneo and his opinions of that firm

    His and 3AC co-founder Su Zhu’s prison sentences in Singapore

    Why Kyle says he didn’t know about the scheduled court date

    Why Dubai levied fines against him, according to Kyle

    Where he is living now

    Whether or not he made misrepresentations about 3AC’s assets to lenders before its implosion, traded when the firm was insolvent, and borrowed money from the mafia

    Why Kyle went to Bali after the bankruptcy 

    His defense of his $25,000 a month fee for consulting for OPNX

    Why Kyle thinks his reputation post-3AC was still “huge” because all companies eventually go bankrupt

    Gamified derivatives platform OX.FUN, where he is an advisor

    His dreams of opening a cloud kitchen chicken restaurant

    Why he filed a lawsuit against Sixth Man Ventures’ Mike Dudas

    What he could have done differently at the time of 3AC’s collapse

    Why Kyle is not sorry 3AC went bankrupt 


    Thank you to our sponsors!
    Polkadot
    Guest

    Kyle Davies, OX.FUN advisor and co-founder of Three Arrows Capital 
    Links
    Su Zhu’s Arrest
    Unchained: Three Arrows Capital Cofounder Su Zhu Arrested in Singapore

    3AC Founders’ Assets Frozen
    CoinDesk: Court Freezes $1 Billion of Assets of Three Arrows Capital Founders

    3AC Ventures
    CoinDesk: Bankrupt Hedge Fund 3AC's Return as a VC Stirring Up Crypto Community

    Davies and Su’s Post Bankruptcy Lives

    New York Times: Their Crypto Company Collapsed. They Went to Bali


    New York Magazine: ‘They Are Very Comfortable Lying’: How fallen crypto kingpins Su Zhu and Kyle Davies are dodging prison — and rebranding 

    OPNX

    Wall Street Journal: Founders of Bankrupt Three Arrows Capital Plan Trading Platform for Distressed Crypto Debt 

    Cointelegraph: CoinFLEX creditors dissatisfied with restructuring to OPNX: Report


    Unchained: 3AC Founders’ New Crypto Exchange OPNX to Shut Down


    Cointelegraph: OPNX to shut down with mysterious new exchange as replacement


    Decrypt: CoinFLEX Creditors React to OPNX Closure: 'They Have Left a Trail of Destruction'


    OX.FUN
    March 11 Twitter spaces on OX.FUN with Davies and Zhu 

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    • 1 hr 19 min
    How Ethereum’s Dencun Upgrade Could Lead to the Rise of Millions of Layer 3s

    How Ethereum’s Dencun Upgrade Could Lead to the Rise of Millions of Layer 3s

    Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
    Ethereum’s long-awaited Dencun upgrade finally went live this week, and many L2s immediately saw their transaction fees fall dramatically, as was the intention. Among them was the Coinbase-incubated Base, which was created by Jesse Pollak. Pollak joined Unchained to discuss the impact Dencun was having on Base; how he thinks Layer 1s and Layer 2s will start to differ from one another and eventually spawn a multitude of specialized Layer 3s; his response to criticisms of the increasing use of Layer 2s, what he’s focusing on now, and why he supports using the word “onchain” over “crypto” or “web3.” 
    Show highlights:

    The problem that Dencun is trying to solve

    The benefits of blobs and blobspace

    How Dencun has already reduced Base’s fees, but also increased its transactions

    How Jesse thinks Layer 1s and Layer 2s will start to become differentiated from each other

    The rise of Layer 3s

    How Jesse addresses criticisms of fragmentation and centralization arising from the increasing use of Layer 2s

    Why Jesse is particularly excited about two features of the Dencun upgrade—transient storage and increased composability between L1s and L2s

    What Jesse and the Base team are focusing on now

    Why Jesse thinks that “onchain” is a better word to describe the industry than “crypto” or “blockchain” or “web3” 

    Thank you to our sponsors!

    iTrustCapital

    Polkadot

    Uniswap

    Guest

    Jesse Pollak, creator of Base at Coinbase
    Previous appearances:
    The Chopping Block: All About That Base With Jesse Pollak 
    Links
    Recent coverage on Unchained of the Dencun Upgrade and Base: 

    Dencun Day One: Ethereum Layer 2 Networks See Drastic Drop in Transaction Fees

    Ethereum Completes Milestone Dencun Upgrade, Which Should Substantially Reduce Fees

    How Much Will the Dencun Upgrade Really Reduce Ethereum Layer 2 Fees By?

    Why Base’s Creator Thinks Social Apps Will Be a ‘Huge Part’ of the Layer 2 Blockchain’s Success

    CoinDesk:
    Debating Dencun: Will Ethereum's Big Update Help or Harm the Network?

    Jesse’s tweets on Dencun


    October 2022 

    January 2024


    March 13, 2024 


    Blobs / Proto-danksharding

    EIP-4844 proposal


    Blobs unleashed: Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade activates on mainnet 


    Base says it will support EIP-4844 from 'day 1' following Dencun upgrade 

    Ethereum stans are putting the Bee Movie on blobs for as little as $5


    Superchain


    Decentralizing Base with the OP Stack and Optimism 


    Base’s Commitment to Decentralization with the Superchain 


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    • 40 min

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