Unchained

Laura Shin
Unchained

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.

  1. 12H AGO

    The Chopping Block: Bitcoin’s 200K Dream, Tariff Nightmares, & the Altcoin Exodus

    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 is joined by Jeff Park, Alpha Liaison at Bitwise, for a deep dive into the chaos gripping global markets and what it all means for crypto. With tariffs ripping through equities and whispers of stagflation on the rise, Jeff breaks down why Bitcoin might still be headed for $200K – and why MicroStrategy might be the new altcoin. They also unpack Circle’s delayed IPO, Ripple’s $1.25B acquisition, and whether capital markets are finally warming up to crypto. Show highlights 🔹 Bitcoin’s $200K Endgame? – Bitwise’s Jeff Park explains why BTC could thrive even in stagflation or full-on macro chaos 🔹 Tariffs, Stagflation & the Dollar – Why Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs might mark the end of U.S. stock market dominance 🔹 Bitcoin vs. Gold – Jeff breaks down how BTC is winning over the next-gen investor as the ultimate store of value 🔹 Altcoins Are Just Leverage – Why institutions may abandon alts for Bitcoin ETF options and MicroStrategy exposure 🔹 Circle’s IPO Delay – What Circle’s numbers really show, and why Coinbase is eating half their yield 🔹 Ripple Buys Hidden Road – The biggest crypto M&A ever? What it means for prime brokerage and TradFi on-chain 🔹 The Return of the Bitcoin Wolves – Jeff’s theory on “positive vs. negative rho” Bitcoin and how both narratives can win 🔹 The Impossible Trinity – Jeff connects the dots between FX regimes, U.S. dollar hegemony, and Bitcoin’s global role 🔹 Crypto’s Macro Decoupling – The panel debates whether Bitcoin is finally unhooking from traditional risk assets 🔹 The “Altcoin of TradFi” – MicroStrategy’s secret sauce, and why it’s become Wall Street’s favorite crypto casino Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  Guest ⭐️ Jeff Park, Head of Alpha Strategies & PM at Bitwise Asset Management Disclosures Links Circle S-1 Filing https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1876042/000119312525070481/d737521ds1.htm  Ripple Acquires Prime Broker Hidden Road for $1.25B in One of the Largest Deals in the Digital Assets Space https://ripple.com/ripple-press/ripple-acquires-prime-broker-hidden-road/  Timestamps -  0:00 Intro 02:49 Impact of Tariffs on Crypto 03:27 Bitcoin's Role in Investment Portfolios 06:14 Retail vs. Institutional Investors 07:29 Bitcoin's Sensitivity to Interest Rates 12:31 Altcoins & Institutional Interest 15:02 MicroStrategy: The Altcoin of TradFi 23:25 Geopolitical Implications of Tariffs 36:55 Global Currency Models & Bitcoin's Role 38:20 Bitcoin's Performance in Different Economic Scenarios 45:12 Circle's IPO & Business Viability 57:31 Ripple Labs' Acquisition of Hidden Road Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 5m
  2. EPISODE 814

    Bits + Bips: Why a U.S. Recession May Be Coming — And Still Isn’t Priced In

    The markets are rattled. Tariffs are rising. Investors are pulling back. In this week’s Bits + Bips, the panel digs into what’s really driving the selloff, why the Fed may be stuck, and how Trump’s tariff logic could trigger deeper economic shocks than anyone expects. Plus: Whether Bitcoin becomes a safe haven What makes this downturn different from 2022 and 2020 Why a potential recession still isn’t priced in Whether Congress can take the tariff button away from Trump And yes, Ram coins a new term: FAFO tariffs 😀 Sponsors: Bitwise 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 Tariffs: Recent coverage of Unchained on the economy and tariffs:  Arthur Hayes on Why Tariffs Will Be Good for Bitcoin and Crypto Bits + Bips: Trump’s Tariffs Are Causing Mayhem, But Will They Revive U.S. Manufacturing? Trump Tariffs Sink Crypto, BlackRock Pumps Bitcoin’s Bags Why Trump-Induced Stagflation Could Finally Make Bitcoin a Safe Haven In Market Crash, What Should You Buy? Crypto VCs Are Making These Bets 10-year yield and the Fed CNBC: 10-year Treasury yield rises back above 4% despite tariff threat to growth Reuters: No Fed 'put' when it's unclear which way the economy may pivot 2008 Market Crash Federal Reserve: The Great Recession and Its Aftermath CNN: Bailout Plan Rejected - Supporters Scramble Can Congress Step In? Economist: How Donald Trump’s Tariffs Will Probably Fare in Court Politico: Trump Threatens Veto of Bill to Curb Tariff Power Timestamps: 👋 0:00 Intro 📉 3:30 Why this selloff feels nothing like 2022 or 2020 🪞 8:41 Why buying signals could be a mirage 🤔 11:28 Is the bear market already priced in? What investors are missing. 🏚️ 14:35 Could this turn into a fall “2008 scenario”? And what real buyers are doing now 🧮 25:57 Why Trump’s tariff math is wrong, and how it will create problems for the administration 📈 36:15 Why Trump wants the 10-year yield down, and why he’s failing 🛟 39:59 What counts as a safe haven right now, and is bitcoin one of them? 🏦 52:42 Can the Fed stand up to Trump’s pressure to cut rates? 🚫 57:56 Trump thinks that the trade deficit is a profit/loss statement. Why that’s a problem.  ⚖️ 1:01:19 Can Congress pull Trump’s tariff authority? 💵 1:06:32 Can stablecoins save dollar demand? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 14m
  3. 2D AGO

    Arthur Hayes on Why Tariffs Will Be Good for Bitcoin and Crypto

    TradFi and DeFi markets are in motion, responding to Trump’s tariffs, but a giant injection of liquidity could be on the way. Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes provides his expertise on economic policy, macro movements, and political implications, delving into a variety of topics, including: Trump’s rationale for tariffs The possibility of a “fiat liquidity bonanza” and what it means for crypto What the Hyperliquid brouhaha reveals about decentralization dreams How Ethena might be an attack on Ethereum The value prop of Circle’s IPO Future price expectations for BTC, ETH, and SOL Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise HRF Guest: Arthur Hayes, CIO of Maelstrom Previous appearances on Unchained: How Arthur Hayes Has Prepared His Portfolio for the Elections Links Previous coverage on Unchained: Trump Tariffs Sink Crypto, BlackRock Pumps Bitcoin’s Bags Why Trump-Induced Stagflation Could Finally Make Bitcoin a Safe Haven Tariffs, Hyperliquid, and $1 million Bitcoin Arthur Hayes on X: Tariffs = money printer goes brrrr Arthur Hayes on X: Is Trump trying to trigger a mini financial crisis? Arthur Hayes on X: CZ and Star ‘gang up’ on HyperLiquid Kevin Zhou on X: Binance and OKX listing $JELLY sets a precedent DL News: Arthur Hayes on the one reason that tariffs can’t stop Bitcoin’s surge Trump pardon: CFTC.gov: Federal Court Orders BitMEX’s Three Co-Founders to Pay a Total of $30 Million for Illegally Operating a Cryptocurrency Derivatives Trading Platform and Anti-Money Laundering Violations | CFTC (May 2022) Justice.gov: Southern District of New York | Global Cryptocurrency Exchange BitMEX Fined $100 Million For Violating Bank Secrecy Act | United States Department of Justice (Jan 2025)  CNBC: Politics Trump pardons three BitMEX crypto exchange co-founders, and ex-employee  Timestamps: 👋0:00 Intro 😰 4:07 Does Trump’s tariff rationale make sense? 💲 10:49 The upcoming “fiat liquidity bonanza” and what it means for crypto 🫤 20:18 What’s wrong with a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve? 💥 24:20 The Hyperliquid brouhaha and the decentralization pipe dream 💪 32:04 Why Binance and OKX “fatal blow” on Hyperliquid didn’t work ⚖️ 37:57 Trump’s pardon of Hayes and his visit to Mar-a-Lago 👀 46:27 How Ethena’s Converge chain affects Ethereum 🤼‍♀️ 52:58 SOL vs ETH: Which is a better buy right now? 😬 57:12 Hayes’ opinion of USDC’s Circle filing for an IPO 🤔 1:00:18 How does Hayes suss out potential investments? 📈 1:03:11 Price predictions on BTC, ETH and SOL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 7m
  4. 6D AGO

    USDC's Circle Just Filed to IPO. Would It Make a Good Investment?

    USDC stablecoin issuer Circle has filed for an initial public offering with the SEC, as Trump’s tariffs cause turmoil in the markets and stablecoin bills make their way through Congress, promising to upend competition.  The information in its prospectus shows a company that has few aces up its sleeve, a lot of business deals to make and a perhaps lofty valuation. Omar Kanji, Partner at Dragonfly, joined the show to explain: How Circle can get USDC into the hands of users Circle’s staggering regulatory compliance costs vs. the likes of Tether Circle’s S-1 valuation of $5 billion Forthcoming regulatory clarity and how it changes the stablecoin game The potential impact of tariffs on Circle’s success Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! BitKey: Use code UNCHAINED for 20% off FalconX Mantle Guest Omar Kanji, Partner at Dragonfly Links Previous coverage on Unchained:  Congress Bickers Over Whether to Bail Out Stablecoins How a Radical Proposal in Trump’s World Could Hurt Stablecoins, but Boost Bitcoin Coinbase Aims to Jointly Pass Market Structure and Stablecoin Legislation in Congress Stablecoin Bills Could Squeeze Out $140 Billion Tether Circle files an initial public offering SEC: Circle’s S-1 Filing Coindesk: Circle is going public Fortune: 5 key takeaways X @dom_kwok: Circle’s IPO is historic Bloomberg: Bitcoin Succumbs to Risk Asset Slump as Trump Sets Tariffs Timestamps: 🤝 0:00 Introduction 🫰 4:04 Circle’s shockingly high distribution costs for USDC 💲 7:11 How much does Circle’s revenue depend on interest rates? 🤯 10:46 Circle’s staggering regulatory compliance costs vs. the likes of Tether 📈 16:02 How imminent regulatory clarity for stablecoins helps and hurts Circle 🫤 23:11 Is Circle’s $5 billion valuation realistic? ⚖️ 25:21 How stablecoin competition might look after stablecoin bills become law 😰 28:14 How will Trump’s tariffs affect Circle’s IPO? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
  5. APR 3

    Bits + Bips: Trump’s Tariffs Are Causing Mayhem, But Will They Revive U.S. Manufacturing?

    After President Donald Trump’s proud announcement of ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, markets worldwide took a tumble.  Shortly after Trump’s Rose Garden announcement concluded, James Seyffart, Steven Ehrlich, Ram Ahluwalia, and guest Quinn Thompson discussed: How markets reacted Whether tariffs can bring middle-class jobs back to America Who will end up paying the most Future possibilities of war, recession and stagflation How it all affects crypto Sponsors: Bitwise Hosts: James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Guests: Steven Ehrlich, High Scribe of the Unchained Kingdom Quinn Thompson, Master of Macro at Lekker Capital Links Trump Tariffs Shake Markets New York Times: A Stunned World Reckons With Economic Fallout From Trump’s Tariffs Wall Street Journal: U.S. Stock Futures, Dollar Tumble on Trump Tariff Plans New York Times: A Timeline of Trump’s On-Again, Off-Again Tariffs US Tariff History CATO Institute: The Problem of the Tariff in American Economic History, 1787–1934 Brookings: Did Trump’s tariffs benefit American workers and national security? Impact on Bitcoin and Crypto Unchained: Why Trump-Induced Stagflation Could Finally Make Bitcoin a Safe Haven Unchained: How a Radical Proposal in Trump’s World Could Hurt Stablecoins, but Boost Bitcoin The Concerned Consumer and CEO CBS: Consumer confidence slumps to 12-year low as Americans fret over their financial prospects NPR: Why CEOs are calm about tariffs in public — but 'very discouraged' in private 🤝 00:00 Introductions + Quinn’s background 📕 4:09 Trump’s take on U.S. tariff history 📉 6:11 The market’s tumultuous reaction 🏭 11:13 Will tariffs bring manufacturing back to America? ▶️◀️ 12:47 The contradictions in Trump’s policies and the threat of stagflation ⏳ 18:53 Why Trump doesn’t have as much time as he thinks 🥵 24:12 Will American consumers bear the burden? 💥 26:05 Taking a wrecking ball to market psychology ❓ 28:02 Whether Trump inherited a healthy or faltering economy 🫸 32:00 Why CEOs are hesitating and how to persuade them to invest in manufacturing ❌ 35:11 “This is not the way you go do it.” 🇹🇼 40:44 Another contradiction: Trump willing to defend Taiwan while being isolationist? 🪖 47:55 Why the current geopolitical climate is especially dangerous 😱 55:51 Is America heading for a recession? 🤔 01:02:00 How will this affect Bitcoin? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 12m
  6. APR 2

    The Chopping Block: Hester Peirce on Freedom, Fraud, & Fixing the SEC

    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 is joined by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce—aka “CryptoMom”—for a rare, candid conversation. They unpack the SEC’s vibe shift, why airdrops might be doomed, and whether memecoins are just collectibles or cleverly disguised securities. Plus, Hester dishes on Paul Atkins’ potential leadership, the SEC’s new crypto task force, and what real regulatory clarity might finally look like. Show highlights 🔹 Hester Peirce Unfiltered – The SEC’s “CryptoMom” on vibes vs. law, the Gensler era, and why the U.S. needs a freedom-first approach 🔹 “Come In and Talk to Us” – Why the SEC wants founders to re-engage—but can trust be rebuilt after years of legal whiplash? 🔹 Memecoins ≠ Securities? – How the new SEC is redefining meme coin oversight and why “collectibles” might be the new loophole 🔹 Airdrops Are Kinda Pointless – Haseeb argues most airdrops fail to deliver value or decentralization; the panel debates 🔹 Self-Regulation in Crypto – Hester’s surprising praise for proof-of-reserves and why industry norms might beat new rules 🔹 The Howey Test Is Broken – How forcing orange grove law onto crypto led an entire industry to play armchair lawyer 🔹 Will the New SEC Last? – If the White House flips, could the next Chair bring back the enforcement hammer? 🔹 Tarun’s TradFi Feedback Loop – Why TradFi may start borrowing more from crypto playbooks than the other way around 🔹 Regulation by Meme – The SEC embraces facts and circumstances—but is “Ghibli meme policy” scalable? 🔹 What Should Founders Do Now? – The panel pushes Hester on timelines, clarity, and whether the U.S. is safe to build in again 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  Guest ⭐️ Hester Peirce, SEC Commissioner Disclosures Links Miles To Go: Remarks before The Digital Chamber's 8th Annual DC Blockchain Summit by Hester Peirce: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-remarks-dc-blockchain-summit-032625  Timestamps 00:00 Intro 05:35 The Role of Regulation in Innovation 09:54 Crypto Task Force & Future Plans 18:47 Global Perspectives on Crypto Regulation 23:26 Self-Regulation in the Crypto Industry 27:27 SEC's Role & Potential Adjustments 35:04 Evaluating Memecoins & Their Regulatory Status 36:48 The Howey Test & Its Application to Crypto 43:55 Future of Crypto Regulation & SEC's Approach 47:10 Insights on SEC Leadership & Regulatory Philosophy 51:35 Advice for Aspiring Securities Lawyers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min
  7. APR 1

    At What Price Freedom? Stopping ‘All-Out Crime’ in Crypto Market Making

    As DeFi continues to evolve, the challenge of finding a balance between decentralization and protection from all manner of exploits persists. The founder of Infinex, Kain Warwick, joined the show to talk about: How crypto market makers have at times veered into “all-out crime” What market making looks like today Playing chart games with token allocations What Kain looks at when evaluating tokens Why Binance kicked a MOVE market maker off its platform The $JELLY attack on Hyperliquid and the problem of centralization in DeFi What problems in crypto Kain is attempting to solve with Infinex Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Bitwise Guest: Kain Warwick, founder of Infinex App and Synthetix Previous appearances on Unchained: 2025 Will Be a Year of Crypto Competition. Can Ethereum Make a Comeback? Links: Crypto Market Making Kain Warwick: Discussion about market makers Binance: What happened with MOVE on Binance Coindesk: Binance Offboards Market Maker That It Said Made $38M Profit on MOVE Listing Bloomberg: Citadel Securities Plots Jump Into Crypto Trading After Trump’s Embrace Hyperliquid Unchained: Hyperliquid Saved Itself a $15 Million Loss, but Sparked Criticism Infinex The Block: Synthetix founder Kain Warwick launches Infinex The Block: Peter Thiel's Founders Fund invests in Infinex's Patron NFT sale as total amount raised hits $67.7 million Timestamps: 👋 0:00 Intro  💭 03:30 Thoughts on crypto market makers 🙊 05:54 ICO-era market makers engaging in ‘all-out crime’ 🦹 09:33 Extracting value in an inefficient market 💸 11:28 How crypto market making has evolved in recent years 😨 16:53 The low float meta problem 📊 19:49 Why Kain evaluates tokens on FDV rather than market cap ⁉️ 25:06 What happened with MOVE on Binance 😱 31:14 Citadel as a market maker? 🥷 35:48 The $JELLY attack on Hyperliquid and the problem of centralization 🔧 44:59 The problems Kain is trying to solve with Infinex 🌎 54:13 Building a web vs. mobile app 👂 56:17 Echo group integration with Infinex Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr
  8. MAR 29

    The Chopping Block: Hyperliquid’s Not-So-DeFi Moment, 23andMe, & STABLE Act

    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 the Hyperliquid controversy and what it reveals about decentralization theater in DeFi. Then, things get weirder: the Say Foundation wants to buy 23andMe and put your genetic data onchain. We break down the backlash and privacy concerns. Finally, we look at the new Stable Act making its way through Congress and whether stablecoin regulation is headed toward bank-only control. Show highlights 🔹 Hyperliquid’s JELLYJELLY Debacle – How a DeFi darling nuked its credibility by bailing out its own vault at a fake oracle price 🔹 The Exchange Wars Heat Up – Why Binance and OKX listing JELLYJELLY perps looked like an assassination attempt on Hyperliquid 🔹 Are DEXes Just CEXes in Disguise? – What the Hyperliquid saga reveals about decentralization theater and validator capture 🔹 23andMe on the Blockchain – Say Foundation wants to token-gate your DNA; is this privacy-preserving or dystopian? 🔹 The Great DeSci Grift – Tarun revisits his war on DeSci and why putting genetics onchain is worse than memecoins 🔹 Stablecoin Regulation Showdown – The Stable Act vs. The Genius Act and who’s really winning in D.C. 🔹 Stablecoins as Narrow Banks – How crypto may finally force the Fed to accept a 20-year-old idea they’ve long resisted 🔹 Red Bull & Ratio Bets – The hosts make a real-money wager on whether HLP deposits will rise or fall after the meltdown 🔹 Memecoins and the Return of Olympus – Are the robbers now just quietly collecting rent from their broken treasuries? 🔹 Tarun’s Aesthetic Death Rankings – Why JELLYJELLY is a worse way to die than MobileCoin, but at least it’s on brand 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 Links Kevin Zhou (Galois Capital) Tweet: https://x.com/Galois_Capital/status/1904942458666094932  Steil and Hill Introduce STABLE Act Press Release: https://steil.house.gov/media/press-releases/steil-and-hill-introduce-stable-act  Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:29 Hyperliquid Drama Unfolds 10:49 Debating the Bailout Decision 18:28 OKX & Binance Join  23:05 An FTX Moment? 31:45 Future of 23andMe & SEI 44:20 Stablecoin Legislation: Genius Act vs. Stable Act 51:45 Are Stablecoins the Trojan Horse? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 2m

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4.6
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1,172 Ratings

About

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.

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