Off Chain 2/16/23: Operation Choke Point (SEC vs Crypto)

In this episode of the Decrypting Crypto podcast, hosts Matt Howells-Barby and Austin Knight discuss the recent surge in Bitcoin and the overall crypto market, driven by macroeconomic factors and optimism surrounding trade deals. They delve into the implications of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions amidst fears of stagflation, and highlight New Hampshire's groundbreaking move to establish a cryptocurrency reserve. The conversation also covers the legal troubles facing Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky following the platform's collapse, emphasizing the ongoing challenges in the crypto space.TakeawaysBitcoin is nearing the $100K mark, indicating a bullish trend.The total crypto market cap has increased by $100 billion recently.Optimism around trade deals is influencing market movements.The Fed's interest rate decisions are crucial for economic stability.Stagflation poses a significant risk to the US economy.New Hampshire's crypto reserve sets a precedent for other states.The establishment of crypto reserves could challenge federal monetary policies.Celsius's collapse highlights the risks in crypto lending platforms.Legal consequences for crypto founders are becoming more severe.Market cycles may be more tied to monetary policy than inflation. Chapters00:00 Market Movements and Macro Influences15:03 Federal Reserve Decisions and Economic Implications21:46 New Hampshire's Crypto Reserve: A Symbolic Milestone26:50 Celsius Founder Sentencing: Lessons from the Collapse

In this episode of the Decrypting Crypto podcast, hosts Matthew Howells-Barby and Austin Knight discuss the latest trends in the cryptocurrency market, including the impact of political announcements, macroeconomic factors, and new investment vehicles. They explore how Trump's recent statements influenced market optimism, the performance of various cryptocurrencies, and the emergence of significant Bitcoin investment firms. The conversation also touches on the regulatory environment and the ongoing issue of crypto scams, highlighting the need for better regulation in the space.TakeawaysThe crypto market is experiencing a wave of optimism due to recent political announcements.Trump's influence on the crypto market is significant, especially with his token's performance.Bitcoin's price movements are closely tied to macroeconomic factors and investor sentiment.New investment vehicles like 21 Capital are emerging, focusing on Bitcoin accumulation.Comparisons between XXI Capital and MicroStrategy highlight different business models in crypto investment.The regulatory environment is evolving, but scams remain a significant issue in the crypto space.Investors should remain cautious and informed about potential scams in the market.The performance of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is influenced by broader economic trends.Institutional interest in Bitcoin is growing, with major firms entering the market.The need for regulatory clarity in the crypto space is more pressing than ever.

🎙️ Off Chain Weekly Recap – April 10, 2025This week, Matt and Austin unpack one of the wildest weeks in markets this year:🔹 Trump’s Tariff Tsunami: A 10% universal tariff turned into a tit-for-tat trade war with China, peaking at 125% tariffs on Chinese imports. China hit back hard — tariffs, blacklists, and export controls on rare earth minerals.🔹 Global Fallout: Vietnam, India, Japan, and the EU rushed to the negotiating table. Some offered full tariff eliminations to avoid a full-blown trade war.🔹 Apple, Inflation & $30K iPhones?: Concerns about Apple and other US companies absorbing the shock, but signs suggest they’re more resilient than during Trump’s first term.🔹 Market Madness: Stocks nosedived early in the week, only to surge midweek after a partial tariff rollback. Crypto pumped. S&P saw its biggest 1-day gain since 2008. But uncertainty looms.🔹 Currency Games: China strategically devalues the yuan to counter tariffs. US Treasury markets spooked. Is a dangerous feedback loop forming?🔹 Outlook: Short-term: More volatility, sideways action unless China escalates. Mid-term: Q2/Q3 could be rough — all eyes on corporate earnings & the Fed. Long-term: DCA and hold. Could look back at Q2 as a massive buying opportunity.🛞 And yes — the G-Wagon is safe (for now). 🙃

In this week's episode we cover yesterday's Fed meeting and rate decision, discuss the macro outlook, dig into the pump.fun vs Raydium battle within Solana, and explain Strategy's recent STRF issuance.

In this week's episode, we take a look at the state of the markets, as well as the recent announcements regarding the US Strategic Crypto Reserve.

In this week's episode, we dig into this week's market volatility, looking at the impact of DeepSeek across global markets, yesterday's FOMC meeting, and the reasons behind the disproportionate sell off in alts and memes.

This week's episode is a bumper episode where we look back at our predictions from the start of 20245 and see how we performed. Plus, we make predictions for 2025 across the following topics: What will be the highest price BTC hits in 2025? What will be the highest price ETH hits in 2025? How many rate cuts will the Fed make in 2025? And by how many bps will they cut (in total)? Which area of crypto will get the most hype and attention/price action in 2025? And why? Will inflation in the US remain sticky or will we get back to 2% in 2025? What will the S&P 500 index peak at in 2025? You have to pick one crypto asset (excluding BTC, ETH, or SOL) that you think will perform strongly from today to December 31, 2025. At the end of the year, we’ll see which of us picked the best gain. You have to pick one publicly listed stock that you think will perform strongly from today to December 31, 2025. At the end of the year, we’ll see which of us picked the best gain. What’s your contrarian prediction for 2025 (across any topic)?

In this week's episode, we discuss the recent shift in approach from the Fed and how this has impacted the crypto markets.

In today's episode, Matt looks at the contributing factors to Bitcoin's meteoric rise above 100k and shares his take on where we go from here. After this, he looks at the emerging winners across the wider crypto asset space and shares some thoughts on how to approach the next few weeks and months.

After a couple of months off, we're back! We dig into everything you've missed and share our thoughts on how you can play the next few months. Could this be the beginning of a golden era of crypto?