The Starting Block

The Block
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The Starting Block is The Block's new flagship daily live show — the breaking news, the context behind it, and the people shaping where crypto goes next. Each episode is a 45-minute live broadcast hosted by award-winning journalist and broadcaster Gareth Jenkinson and powered by The Block's newsroom and research desk.

  1. 3d ago

    DoubleZero infra to supercharge Kalshi - Ft. Austin Federa

    DoubleZero Co-Founder Austin Federa joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the DoubleZero recently announced integration with Kalshi and how multicast fiber networks are supercharging prediction market data feeds. OUTLINE00:06 - Show Open & Headlines01:33 - Tether's KPMG Audit02:52 - Gemini Q2 Earnings03:53 - Bullish Exchange Results04:41 - Kalshi Regulatory Battles06:05 - Crypto Phishing Warning07:03 - Hot Seat: Austin Federa07:44 - DoubleZero x Kalshi Deal10:07 - Prediction Markets Maturing14:50 - What Is DoubleZero?17:43 - DoubleZero vs. Oracles19:33 - AI Agents & Trading Edge Guest links:Austin Federa - https://x.com/Austin_FederaDoubleZero - https://x.com/doublezero Host links:Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenksThe Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto?🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

  2. 3d ago

    Why Bitcoin BIP-110 failed - ft Giacomo Zucco

    Plan B Forum Director Giacomo Zucco joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the BIP 110 activation and chain stall over the weekend, the Cold Card firmware exploit and Bitcoin security vulnerabilities, and the future relevance of Bitcoin Core as a reference implementation. OUTLINE00:08 - Show Introduction01:47 - Harmony Exploit02:49 - SEC Crypto Regime Proposal03:11 - 21 Capital Q2 Losses04:06 - Robinhood Chain Numbers04:44 - Cold Card Firmware Bug07:46 - Giacomo Zucco Hot Seat08:00 - BIP 110 Weekend Drama13:22 - Bitcoin Governance Debates19:45 - Luke Dashjr's Fork Attempt25:16 - Luke Removed as BIP Editor29:48 - Bitcoin Core's Future Role Guest links:Giacomo Zucco - https://x.com/giacomozuccoPlan B Network - https://x.com/planb_network Host links:Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenksThe Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto?🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

  3. 3d ago

    Bitcoin Uptober Loading? Live w/ Benjamin Cowen

    ITC Founder & CEO Benjamin Cowen joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss why Bitcoin's current cycle mirrors 2018, the likelihood of an October cycle bottom, and why institutional narratives like ETFs and strategic reserves have acted as headwinds rather than tailwinds for crypto. OUTLINE00:07 - Welcome & Show Intro01:06 - Block Briefing Headlines05:18 - Benjamin Cowen's Background08:16 - Bitcoin's State Right Now09:29 - Cycle Timing & October Bottom15:50 - Institutional Impact on Bitcoin19:18 - When Does Retail Return?31:05 - AI Trade vs. Crypto35:57 - Meme Coins & Industry Damage40:11 - Bitcoin & Politics43:32 - Outlook & AI Pivot45:26 - Wrap-Up & CZ Teaser Guest links:Benjamin Cowen - https://x.com/benjamincowen Host links:Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenksThe Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto?🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

  4. 3d ago

    OKX's Lennix Lai: Retail Traders Are Already Executing Through AI Agents

    OKX General Manager Lennix Lai joined Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the impact of institutional ETF flows on crypto markets, the rise of RWA tokenization and tokenized equities on OKX, AI-driven trading agents and compliance tools, and the outlook for retail trading through the end of 2026. OUTLINE00:08 - Welcome & BIP 110 Recap02:10 - World Liberty Financial Scrutiny03:09 - Robinhood Enters UK Crypto03:47 - North Korea's AI Hacking Threat05:01 - Brazil's Withdrawal Delay Rule05:40 - BIP 110 Fork: Post-Mortem07:42 - Market Pulse: Lennix Lai09:29 - Institutional ETF Impact11:14 - RWA Tokenization Demand14:02 - AI Agents & Compliance at OKX16:01 - Prediction Markets: OKX's Approach27:42 - Outro Guest links:Lennix Lai - https://x.com/LennixOKXOKX - https://x.com/OKX Host links:Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenksThe Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto?🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

  5. 3d ago

    AI-armed attackers deepen crypto's 2026 hacking crisis

    Blockaid Co-Founder & CEO Ido Ben-Natan joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the record-breaking surge in crypto hack incidents in 2026, how AI is supercharging attackers and shifting the primary vector from smart contract exploits to operational security breaches, and the lessons that can be gleaned from the Coldcard exploit. OUTLINE00:04 - Week in Review01:22 - Block Briefing: Clarity Act Delay02:09 - Coinbase Prediction Markets Ruling02:49 - Wintermute Broker-Dealer Move03:33 - Miners' Tough Quarter04:17 - Trump Crypto Divestiture Twist05:39 - Ido Ben-Natan Hot Seat06:07 - H1 2026 Hack Report07:58 - DPRK Hackers Dominate10:30 - AI as Attack Vector16:56 - Coldcard Exploit Fallout22:17 - Crypto vs. TradFi Targeting Guest links:Ido Ben-Natan - https://x.com/idobnBlockaid - https://x.com/blockaid_ Host links:Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenksThe Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto?🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

  6. 3d ago

    Jesse Pollak reveals plans for Base as exchange competition heats up

    Coinbase Head of Base Jesse Pollak joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss handing the Base app to Jordan Fish, widely known as Cobie, while refocusing on Base the chain, the rise of agentic finance and tokenized inference, and why prediction markets and DeFi growth matter more than social right now. OUTLINE00:08 - Welcome & Show Intro01:34 - Russia's Crypto Law02:19 - Clarity Act Stalls03:00 - Coinbase UK Stock Trading03:42 - Wrench Attack Surge04:46 - Block's Bitcoin Results05:18 - Jesse Joins: Base App Handover09:52 - Robinhood Chain Competition12:38 - Meme Coins & Creator Coins14:47 - Agentic Finance & Tokenized Inference19:52 - Prediction Markets on Base29:45 - Coldcard Exploit & Self-Custody Guest links:Jesse Pollak - https://x.com/jessepollakCoinbase - https://x.com/base Host links:Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenksThe Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto?🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

  7. 3d ago

    Alpaca’s $435M raise driven by Wall Street’s tokenization push

    Alpaca Co-Founder & CEO Yoshi Yokokawa joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss building the "AWS of financial infrastructure" for tokenized US equities, the explosive growth of AI agents on Alpaca's platform, and navigating the global regulatory landscape amid Wall Street's tokenization push. Bitwise Europe Senior Research Associate Luke Deans also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse to discuss Bitcoin's volatility expectations, key on-chain price levels to watch, and why digital assets may be well-positioned when the AI trade eventually unwinds. OUTLINE00:07 - Show Open & Headlines Preview02:31 - Trump Meme Coin Scrutiny03:07 - Cloudflare's Agentic Wallets03:50 - BlackRock ETH ETF Reverse Split04:25 - BitGo Moves WBTC to Chainlink05:12 - ColdCard Exploit Fallout07:46 - Market Pulse: Bitcoin Volatility16:57 - AI Trade & Capital Rotation23:12 - Alpaca's Origin & Infrastructure33:19 - AI Agents & Agentic Trading37:11 - Everything App & Bundling Trends40:46 - Regulation & Growth Outlook Guest links:Yoshi Yokokawa - https://x.com/iyoshyoshiAlpaca - https://x.com/AlpacaHQBitwise Europe - https://x.com/Bitwise_Europe Host links:Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenksThe Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto?🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

  8. 3d ago

    Breaking down the Coldcard exploit & ramifications for self-custody

    Casa CTO Jameson Lopp joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss how the Coldcard entropy exploit unfolded, why multi-vendor multisig is the gold standard for self-custody, and why Bitcoin self-custody is still worth pursuing despite the risks. Foundation CTO Zach Herbert also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse, where he discussed the role of AI in discovering the Coldcard bug and what the industry needs to do to rebuild trust in self-custody. OUTLINE00:06 - Welcome & Show Intro01:47 - Block Briefing: Strategy Sells BTC03:17 - Trump Media, SEC/CFTC Turf War & More09:35 - Zach Herbert: Coldcard Exploit Explained15:17 - AI's Role in Finding the Bug20:23 - Open Source vs. Closed Source Debate23:15 - Self-Custody Trust & Don't Trust Verify27:13 - Hardware Wallet UX & Market Options34:28 - Jameson Lopp: First Reports of the Hack40:51 - AI, LLMs & the Changing Attack Landscape46:23 - Self-Custody: Who It's Really For55:57 - Casa's Multi-Vendor Multisig Case Guest links:Jameson Lopp - https://x.com/loppCasa - https://x.com/CasaHODLZach Herbert - https://x.com/zherbertFoundation - https://x.com/FoundationHQ Host links:Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenksThe Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto?🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

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About

The Starting Block is The Block's new flagship daily live show — the breaking news, the context behind it, and the people shaping where crypto goes next. Each episode is a 45-minute live broadcast hosted by award-winning journalist and broadcaster Gareth Jenkinson and powered by The Block's newsroom and research desk.

Information

  • Creator
    The Block
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Block
  • Show Website
    The Starting Block