Weekly roundup 05/31/24 (Gemini Earn, Salame sentenced, PYUSD on Sol) (EP.531)

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode:  Certik goes from white hat to black hat regarding a Kraken exploit Bozo of the week The DJT memecoin scandal and Martin Shkreli What’s the deal with Barron Trump and the DJT memecoin? Should we welcome celebrity memecoins? Should bankers have been more supportive of crypto over SAB121? Paul Ryan’s stablecoin op-ed in the WSJ Sponsor notes: Floating on Thin Air In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 264, we dive into the different factors of a project’s tokenomics and its effects on token valuation and on-chain activity.

Edward Woodford, founder and CEO of Zero Hash joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Edward’s origin story in the digital asset industry and his path to founding Zero Hash. Zero Hash’s product lineup and the ways that the firm is powering companies seeking to engage in the digital asset ecosystem. The regulatory landscape for digital assets and how Zero Hash has positioned the firm both in the United States and internationally. Stablecoin adoption and the types of businesses that are emerging to service this breakout category. How brokerage platforms are integrating digital assets. Zero Hash’s roadmap and what is coming in the next year. To learn more about Zero Hash visit their website.

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: GME and Roaringkitty drama The detention of Tigran Gambaryan continues OP_CAT prospects Biden considers accepting crypto campaign donations What’s the deal with Hamster Kombat Martin Shkreli vs PleasrDAO Terraform labs settles up with the SEC Microstrategy is still buying Bitcoin Should crypto holders donate coins to Biden? New nominee for FDIC chair Are democrats pivoting on crypto?  We dissect a tweet thread by Rep Sean Casten Sponsor notes: Meme Coin Mania In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 263, we delve into the surge of meme coin activity on Ethereum and Solana, highlighting key market trends driven by the meme coin sector. Content Mentioned: Jen Wieczner in NYMAG, Are Democrats Pivoting on Crypto

In this episode, Wyatt sits down with Babylon founder David Tse to cover: Restaking/shared security and how it works Why shared security is a valuable use case for Bitcoin Bitcoin’s structural limitations and their impact on Bitcoin innovation Bitcoin innovation broadly and Bitcoin L2’s

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Kerrisdale versus Bitcoin miners Robinhood buys Bitstamp for $200m Biden vetoes the SAB121 overturn bill Is the Biden admin’s pro crypto tilt over? Tucker interviews Bukele Coinbase donates to Fairshake SEC takes more Ls Big inflows into the bitcoin ETFs Are ETF inflows more about the basis trade? Paxos launches the interest-bearing stablecoin USDL out of the UAE Can Bitcoin miners sell into the AI cloud market? Kraken is in talks to raise a pre-IPO round State Street is reentering crypto MiCA and stablecoins Matt’s latest crisis The barbell approach to AI investing  Sponsor notes: Breaking Down Ethereum Blobs & EIP-4844 In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 262, we break down Layer-2 blob usage and evaluate the success of Ethereum’s EIP-4844 upgrade.

We sit down in Bermuda with Mountain Protocol founder Martin Carrica and XBTO founder Philippe Bekhazi for a talk on stablecoins and doing business on the island. In this episode:  Why XBTO is Bermuda-first and why Mountain set up there The “Bermuda triangle” for doing business on the island The overlap between Bermuda’s reinsurance industry and crypto The partnership between Mountain and XBTO The rise of interest-bearing stablecoins USD stables as extending the reach of the dollar The relationship between crypto and big 4 auditors The coming race between interest and non-interest bearing stablecoins Blackrock’s BUIDL product and tokenized treasurys

Wyatt sits down with Julian Duran, product lead of Marathon Digital’s Anduro project. Discussion included: Why miners are strategically expanding and exploring new initiatives New innovation in Bitcoin broadly How Bitcoin today differs from Bitcoin 2+ years ago Where Bitcoin L2’s and sidechains are headed Learn more about Anduro

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode: We recap the Coin Center annual dinner Will Biden follow through on his SAB121 veto threat? The Biden admin is reportedly reaching out to key industry figures Ethereum ETF prospects Recap of the fight that didn’t happen Prediction market issues Gemini Earn recovery Sponsor notes Exploring the Impacts of ETH ETF Approvals In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 261, we explore the market reaction and network implications of ETH ETF approvals

Felix Pago CEO and Co-Founder Manuel Godoy joins us for an episode to share how Felix Pago is utilizing stablecoins to make remittances easier for immigrants. Manuel’s personal story including financial services pain points as an immigrant Felix’s founding story around the massive Latin American remittance market The importance of trust for remittance businesses The dominance of WhatsApp as an operating system across Latam Utilizing stablecoins to move money faster and cheaper

Matt and Nic return for another wild week in crypto. In this episode: Whip Emmer returns to OTB Matt’s animal problems Congress passes the SAB121 overturn Gruenberg offers his resignation and what it means for crypto In a stunning overturn the SEC approves the ETH ETF The significance of the FIT21 act The anti-CBDC bill passes the House Sponsor notes: Decoding the Digital Dollar In Coin Metrics' State of the Network issue 260, we assess the growth and usage patterns across Coin Metrics' suite of stablecoin coverage