Robinhood vs. Coinbase: Who Wins the Future of Finance? | David Rodriguez & Omar Kanji

David from Blockworks and Omar from Dragonfly join the show to debate Coinbase vs Robinhood, two companies racing to become the dominant financial super app. We break down their business models, growth strategies, tokenized asset plays, and how each is approaching crypto, equities, and infrastructure. Will Robinhood’s slick UX and expanding product suite win the next generation? Or will Coinbase’s onchain infra and stablecoin moat prove unbeatable? Omar & Dragonfly https://x.com/TheOneandOmsy https://x.com/Dragonfly_xyz David & Blockworks https://x.com/EffortCapital https://x.com/BlockworksAdv --- 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium --- BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🟠BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance --- TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 2:37 Understanding Coinbase 8:31 Coinbase B2B 13:39 Comparing Revenue, Valuation, & Infrastructure 23:12 Future Growth of Coinbase 28:14 Understanding Robinhood 38:22 Robinhood Competition 45:42 Robinhood 2021 Crisis Explained 48:14 Robinhood Bank 52:02 Tokenized Stocks & L2 55:32 Defending the Coinbase Moat 1:06:19 Forecasting Robinhood’s Future 1:11:08 Forecasting Coinbase’s Future 1:15:31 Closing & Disclaimers --- Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures

Crypto prices seem stuck. Is that about to change? Michael Nadeau of the DeFi Report returns to unpack what onchain data says about Bitcoin, ETH, and altcoins. We dive into why the market may be coiling beneath the surface, whether altcoins are due for a “hate rally,” and how valuation metrics reveal surprising accumulation trends. Michael also shares his current portfolio moves, including high-beta bets like Pepe and ENA, and lays out the macro triggers that could spark the next leg up. Michael Nadeau & The DeFi Report: https://x.com/JustDeauIt https://thedefireport.io --- 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium --- BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🟠 BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance --- TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 2:19 The HODLer's Fallacy: Rethinking Conviction in a Naturally Extractive Market https://mirror.xyz/sreevanth.eth/6unQ_oX9sQFkvjPi3yehVi6M7Ak2t1V5hzyWYs9yUi4 7:03 BTC Onchain Data & Price Explanation 15:23 Altcoin Season Index 23:24 ETH & Solana Onchain Data 32:30 Beta Assets Bull Case 38:46 Ethena Memo https://thedefireport.io/research/ethena-memo 51:14 Crypto Equities 55:45 Liquity & The Macro Setup 1:00:53 Michael’s Portfolio Today 1:02:31 How to Value an L1 https://thedefireport.io/research/how-do-you-value-an-l1 1:02:53 Quarterly Reports 1:04:40 Closing & Disclaimers --- Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures

In this series of three interviews from Cannes, we host Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood, Johann Kerbrat, GM of Crypto at Robinhood, and AJ Warner from Arbitrum to explore key announcements from their recent Token Summit. They discuss the introduction of tokenized stock options for private companies like SpaceX and OpenAI, aiming to democratize access for retail investors. Vlad highlights Robinhood’s commitment to addressing investment inequities, while Johann shares insights on the technological challenges and their Layer 2 blockchain initiative facilitating 24/7 trading. They also navigate the regulatory landscape with the SEC and CFTC, envisioning a future where private shares become accessible and entrepreneurial capital raising is enhanced. The conversation wraps up with plans to improve user experience for new financial products in Robinhood’s evolving crypto offerings. ------ 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🟠 BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ------ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Interview with Vlad Tenev 21:00 Interview with Johann Kerbrat 37:30 Interview with AJ Warner ------ RESOURCES Vlad Tenev https://x.com/vladtenev Vlad’s Washington Post Op-Ed https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/01/28/investing-crypto-tech-robinhood-stock-market/ Johann Kerbrat https://x.com/johannkerbrat AJ Warner https://x.com/ajwarner90 ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠

Sam Dogen, founder of Financial Samurai and one of the original F.I.R.E. voices, joins Ryan Sean Adams to break down the path to financial independence, whether you're investing in crypto or other asset classes. They unpack 10 milestones to millionaire status, from mindset and momentum to investing, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Sam and Ryan go deep on how to avoid financial landmines, get on the same page with a partner, and define a life where money serves purpose, not the other way around. If you want your net worth to grow without losing your life to the grind, this episode is your roadmap. ------ 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🟠 BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ------ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 5:56 Millionaire Mindset 9:34 The Probability of Becoming a Millionaire 10:58 Understanding Your Why 12:46 Freedom Through Finance 17:07 Signs You’ve Reached Independence 19:52 How Much Should You Have? 22:20 Saving: Where to Begin 26:48 The 50% Rule 29:21 The Magic of $250.000 32:30 Smart Debt vs Smart Risk 34:44 What Assets Build Wealth? 37:31 Buying Your First Home 43:00 Easy Wins in Property 47:14 Income That Frees You 49:22 Cars That Kill Wealth 52:55 Why Ownership Beats Income 59:56 Location = Opportunity 1:02:38 Design Your Financial Life 1:04:28 Build Wealth as a Team 1:06:43 Redefining Retirement 1:08:41 Lightning Round 1:12:53 Closing ------ RESOURCES Sam Dogen https://x.com/financialsamura/ Financial Samurai https://www.financialsamurai.com/ Millionaire Milestones https://www.amazon.com/Millionaire-Milestones-Simple-Steps-Figures/dp/0593714709 ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠

This week, David and guest co-host Tom Schmidt (Dragonfly) unpack a deceptively quiet crypto market with Bitcoin dominance hitting 66% and altcoins eerily still. What meta could flip the trend? They dive into Circle’s explosive 10x IPO, Robinhood’s surprise crypto surge, and why Coinbase is finally catching up. Plus: the Kalshi vs. Polymarket drama, ICOs creeping back, and how meme coins might soon help you get a mortgage. Also: Vitalik’s Layer 1 pivot, prediction markets heating up, and signs of a new retail cycle forming. Tom Schmidt & Chopping Block https://x.com/tomhschmidt https://x.com/_choppingblock https://x.com/dragonfly_xyz ------ 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐SELF | PROVE YOUR SELF https://bankless.cc/Self 🟠BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ------ TIMESTAMPS & RESOURCES 0:00 Intro 0:46 Tom’s crypto vibe check 1:50 Markets 26:53 Kalshi Series C https://x.com/tomhschmidt/status/1937957381197185165 https://www.wsj.com/finance/prediction-market-kalshi-hits-2-billion-valuation-in-new-funding-round-2d0c8b4c https://x.com/tomhschmidt/status/1937957381197185165 https://x.com/hosseeb/status/1938065110351716707 36:50 US regulator orders Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to consider crypto for mortgages https://x.com/pulte/status/1937944964656152800 https://x.com/crypto_bobby/status/1937951968619639046 43:44 Ethereum https://x.com/TrustlessState/status/1936037598805590364 49:04 What Tom’s excited about 53:01 Closing & Disclaimers ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino returns to Bankless at a historic moment for stablecoins. With the Genius Act advancing in the U.S. Congress, Paolo discusses what regulatory clarity means for Tether, the future of USDT, and the company’s plans to launch a domestic stablecoin. We explore the Circle IPO hype, Tether’s eye-popping profits, its growing presence in the U.S. Treasuries and Bitcoin mining, and how grassroots distribution across emerging markets powers its dominance. Paolo also gives a glimpse into Tether’s ambitions in AI, tokenized gold, and the battle to distribute the dollar where banks can’t reach. ------ 🎬 DEBRIEF | Ryan & David Unpacking the Episode https://www.bankless.com/podcast/debrief-the-stablecoin-king-tether-ceo-paolo-ardoino ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🟠 BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ------ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 5:32 GENIUS Act 12:54 Tether & The US 22:13 Domestic Competition 26:23 Circle IPO 23:36 Handling Pressure 28:32 Stablecoin Valuations 31:38 Winning the Next Chapter 36:52 USDT in Emerging Markets 41:58 Tether & Crypto Correlation 45:52 Tether Ventures 53:25 Tether Wallet? 56:44 Tether & Bitcoin 1:00:15 Other Assets 1:01:07 Bitcoin Mining 1:04:58 Tokenized Gold 1:09:01 GENIUS Act Consequences 1:12:27 Europe 1:14:49 Why Tether is Good 1:17:50 Closing & Disclaimers ------ RESOURCES Paolo Ardoino https://x.com/paoloardoino USDT Insights https://usdt.network/ Tether https://tether.io/ ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠

Welcome to the Weekly Rollup, where we cover this week in Crypto. We unpack the implications of the Genius Act's passage, which positions the U.S. to lead in digital assets and spurs optimism around stablecoins potentially hitting a $3.7 trillion valuation by 2030. Also: JP Morgan’s surprising entry into the stablecoin market and Coinbase’s launch of new products, including a Bitcoin cashback credit card. ——— 🤌 BANKLESS SUMMIT | SEE US AT DEVCONNECT https://lu.ma/0ph1qg6c ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐SELF | PROVE YOUR SELF https://bankless.cc/Self 🟠BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ------ TIMESTAMPS & RESOURCES 0:00 Intro 2:55 Markets https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/ethereum 8:00 ETFs https://x.com/jseyff/status/1934591572710211587 https://x.com/cointelegraph/status/1933534615395815761 https://x.com/JSeyff/status/1933635898140192849 https://x.com/JSeyff/status/1935043249141322017 https://x.com/EricBalchunas/status/1932527239679095097 12:00 Macro https://x.com/NickTimiraos/status/1935397119772217715 https://x.com/scottmelker/status/1935382005866189003 https://x.com/elerianm/status/1933505682625417521 https://www.ft.com/content/0d175cad-db7c-4dc2-83a8-90736f96f198 https://x.com/thomas_fahrer/status/1934056640476770678 https://x.com/treenewsfeed/status/1934589597394084071 https://x.com/erictrump/status/1934665029866881155 29:00 The GENIUS Act Passes the Senate https://x.com/SenatorHagerty/status/1934942333859979279 https://x.com/SenatorHagerty/status/1935491670805754100 https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/1935027160374210573 https://x.com/secscottbessent/status/1935404649718157691 https://polymarket.com/event/genius-act-signed-into-law-in-2025?tid=1750338903189 https://x.com/TFTC21/status/1935027661421822149 https://x.com/RyanSAdams/status/1935371112403116518 https://x.com/intangiblecoins/status/1935095696454984027 https://x.com/intangiblecoins/status/1933583236778578274 https://x.com/pete_rizzo_/status/1933484989334659136 https://x.com/CryptosR_Us/status/1935475419286798505 38:30 JPMorgan Stablecoin JPMD https://x.com/tier10k/status/1934684065875284187 https://x.com/base/status/1935055475252543823 43:00 INK Kraken Token https://x.com/inkonchain/status/1934992073024823560 https://x.com/DefiIgnas/status/1935274751322435769 44:50 EigenLayer announces EigenCloud https://x.com/ethereum/status/1935010523776430587 https://x.com/ViktorBunin/status/1934969360851857532 https://x.com/sreeramkannan/status/1935028483044032921 https://youtu.be/P2PGQIe9U6g?si=Q6ZZPy9KzyPQLBaA 47:43 Blockworks Token Transparency Framework https://x.com/Blockworks_/status/1935321626788380714 50:10 Coinbase Product Launches https://x.com/brian_armstrong/status/1933290398799065459 https://x.com/tier10k/status/1933238313567080716 https://x.com/tier10k/status/1933238313567080716 https://x.com/CoinbaseBiz/status/1933228168783278110 https://x.com/vivek4real_/status/1933230638842232989?s=46 https://blog.base.dev/commerce-payments-protocol https://www.reuters.com/business/coinbase-seeking-us-sec-approval-offer-blockchain-based-stocks-2025-06-17/ https://x.com/luke_metro/status/1934061707158081538 https://x.com/KafiSq8/status/1934026011898683724 58:30 Roman Storm’s Legal Defense https://x.com/ethereumfndn/status/1933564840112435567 https://x.com/ethereumfndn/status/1894704611606385012 https://x.com/rstormsf/status/1933502107577168047 59:25 Stablecoin Summer vs The Plot https://x.com/mrjasonchoi/status/1935555875013538229 ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠

Today, we discuss the recently passed Genius Bill with Senator Bill Hagerty, a key architect behind the legislation aimed at stabilizing the U.S. stablecoin market. Following a significant bipartisan Senate vote of 68-30, Sen. Hagerty shares insights on the evolving congressional perception of cryptocurrency, moving from skepticism to support. The bill seeks to foster a regulatory environment that encourages innovation while protecting users and maintaining America’s leadership in financial technology. The episode also highlights the potential economic benefits of a strong stablecoin framework and addresses concerns regarding Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). ------ 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🟠 BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ------ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Introduction to the Genius Bill 5:43 Welcoming Senator Bill Haggerty 8:55 Next Steps for the Bill 11:16 Why America Needs Stablecoin Law 14:07 Fostering a Domestic Stablecoin Economy 15:23 Addressing Detractors of the Bill 18:06 Understanding Stablecoins vs CBDCs 20:27 Who Can Issue Stablecoins? 21:01 Path for Offshore Issuers 23:54 Surveillance Concerns with Stablecoins 26:10 Addressing the Trump Loophole 27:34 The Bipartisan Nature of Crypto 28:52 Senator Haggerty's Evolution on Crypto 32:17 Establishing a Clear Regulatory Framework 34:51 Future Steps for the Crypto Industry ------ RESOURCES Sen. Bill Hagerty: https://x.com/SenatorHagerty The GENIUS Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/394/text Sec. Bessent’s Tweet: https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/1935027160374210573 ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠

In this episode, Jeremie and Edouard Harris, co-founders of Gladstone AI and national security advisors, join us to break down the real score in the U.S.–China AI race. We unpack what it actually means to “win” in AI: from cutting-edge model development and compute infrastructure to data center vulnerabilities, state-sponsored espionage, and the rise of robotic warfare. The Harris brothers explain why energy is the hidden battleground, how supply chains have become strategic liabilities, and why export controls alone won’t save us. This is not just a geopolitical showdown - it’s a race for superintelligence, and the clock is ticking. ------ 💫 LIMITLESS | SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW https://limitless.bankless.com/ https://x.com/LimitlessFT ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🟠 BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ------ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 1:05 AI race: who's ahead? 4:41 Framing AI as an arms race 12:58 Gov't awareness of AI conflict 20:38 AI reports feel like sci-fi 24:44 China vs US: model race 29:11 Shift to inference-time compute 31:19 China’s software vs US hardware 34:28 Open vs closed source politics 38:56 China’s energy dominance 43:32 America’s electric grid lag 47:55 Supply chain vulnerabilities 56:30 US chipmaking onshoring 1:01:08 U.S. lead in chips 1:04:00 DUV vs EUV bottlenecks 1:08:26 Manufacturing gap in robotics 1:11:53 Fear vs optimism in culture 1:17:26 Coordination vs dynamism 1:22:10 Bot-driven opinion warfare 1:25:58 China pushing degrowth narratives? 1:29:05 National security recommendations 1:33:36 Co-op or conflict endgame? 1:37:27 Closing ------ RESOURCES Jeremie Harris https://x.com/jeremiecharris Edouard Harris https://x.com/harris_edouard America’s Superintelligence Project https://superintelligence.gladstone.ai/ ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠

EigenLayer is back with a major announcement: EigenCloud. Sreeram Kannan and JT Rose unveil the first crypto-native cloud platform—a verifiable, programmable environment for building applications beyond the limits of traditional blockchains. We explore how EigenCloud packages modules like EigenDA, EigenVerify, and EigenCompute into a developer-friendly product that brings cloud-scale computation and crypto-grade trust guarantees together. From meme coins and AI agents to fully sovereign applications, we dig into what makes this launch a pivotal step for crypto infrastructure and why it might just reignite Ethereum’s original ambitions. ------ 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | SWAP ON UNICHAIN https://bankless.cc/unichain 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🟠 BINANCE | THE WORLDS #1 CRYPTO EXCHANGE https://bankless.cc/binance ------ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 0:14 Introducing EigenCloud 12:39 Solving Programmability Bottlenecks 32:45 Apps EigenCloud Unlocks 54:00 Promoting EigenCloud 58:39 Total Addressable Market 1:02:53 Developer Action Items 1:06:19 Closing & Disclaimers ------ RESOURCES EigenCloud Announcement https://x.com/eigenlayer/status/1934961135515828501 EigenCloud https://eigencloud.xyz/ Sreeram Kannan https://x.com/sreeramkannan JT Rose https://x.com/jt_rose ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠