Unchained

Thank you to our sponsor, Mantle!Mantle is launching the Global Hackathon 2025 to accelerate the future of Real-World Assets. With a $150k prize pool, backing from a $4B treasury, and direct access to Bybit’s 7M+ users, this is the ultimate ecosystem for builders. Sign up here! In this year-end Bits + Bips roundtable, hosts Austin Campbell and Chris Perkins are joined by John D’Agostino, Head of Strategy at Coinbase Institutional, for a wide-ranging and often contentious look at what 2026 may hold for crypto. They debate whether a major global brand will launch its own stablecoin, whether altcoins are structurally doomed—or secretly set up for a Wall Street–driven resurgence—and whether a major crypto hack is coming. The conversation also explores how tokens accrue value and whether there will be a new M&A trend that’ll reshape the industry as we know it. Plus: don’t miss what they have to say about NFTs, financial nihilism, and whether we’ll see all-time highs for bitcoin in 2026. Hosts: Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Austin Campbell, NYU Stern professor and Founder of Zero Knowledge Consulting Christopher Perkins, Managing Partner and President of CoinFund Guest: John D'Agostino, Head of Strategy for Coinbase Institutional Timestamps 🚀 3:38 Why John thinks a global Web2 giant will launch a stablecoin in 2026 💵 8:34 How big the stablecoin market can actually get and where tokenized deposits fit in 🚫 12:18 Whether stablecoins will face outright bans in parts of the world 🔓 16:18 Why a major crypto hack of more than $2 billion in 2026 seems likely 🏛️ 19:56 Why it looks like crypto market structure legislation won’t pass in 2026 — and maybe not after the midterms either 🧠 30:57 John’s three counter-consensus predictions involving quantum tech and AGI 📉 39:25 Whether altcoins are structurally set up to underperform again in 2026 ⚡ 44:02 Whether massive Solana adoption would or wouldn’t translate into token value 🌀 45:00 What “financial nihilism” explains about altcoin behavior 🤝 49:50 Why Chris believes 2026 could become a defining year for crypto M&A 🇺🇸 59:57 How U.S. political shifts now could ripple into the 2028 election cycle 🖼️ 1:02:39 What an NFT comeback would actually look like and why it won’t resemble JPEG mania 💣 1:07:05 Why John isn’t buying the idea that post-10/10 blowups are inevitable 📈 1:08:26 Whether all-time highs in 2026 are still on the table Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you to our sponsors! Uniswap Mantle 2025 was a year of mixed outcomes for crypto. The industry got landmark stablecoin regulations in the U.S. but with a major limitation. Bitcoin soared to new all-time highs but failed to surge to heights many expected and is set to end the year flat. In this final installment of Unchained's year in review show, Ambient Finance founder Doug Colkitt and Gwart take a look back at the passing of the GENIUS Act, Bitcoin's all-time high run and the “10/10” crash. Plus, did “threadguy's” tax woes trigger Zcash's run? And is Nic Carter overreacting about the quantum computing threat to Bitcoin? Guests: Doug Colkitt, Co-founder of Fogo and Ambient Finance Gwart, Host of The Gwart Show Links: Unchained: Who Are the Winners and Losers of the New Stablecoin Law in the U.S.? Pump.fun Becomes Third Largest ICO, Raises $600M in 12 Minutes Stripe and Paradigm Announce New Layer 1 Blockchain ’Tempo’ Stablecoin Issuers Enter Bidding War to Launch Hyperliquid’s USDH Coinbase Buys Cobie’s ‘Up Only’ NFT and Echo in $375 Million Deal Bitcoin Hits All-Time High Ahead of $125,500 Crypto Markets Recover After Record $19 Billion Liquidation Why the Black Friday Whale’s $192 Million Crypto Trade Was Legal Why the Privacy Coins Mania Is Much More Than Price Action How the x402 Standard Is Enabling AI Agents to Pay Each Other MegaETH Just Had Its Public Sale. Can It Succeed in Building a Web2-Like Experience? Can ‘Choose Rich’ Nick Create the Barstool Sports of Crypto? Do Kwon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison Cracking Bitcoin Encryption Is Getting Much Easier, Google Says Timestamps: 🚀 00:00 Introduction  🫠 00:53 Why GENIUS Act blocking interest payments is problematic  🤔 4:31 Did PUMP launch buybacks too soon? 👀 10:56 Is Stripe fully committed to Tempo? ⁉️ 14:28 Was Hyperliquid's USDH partner “pre-ordained?” 😅 19:38 Is Cobie Coinbase’s best hire yet? 😵‍💫 27:16 Bitcoin's peak in downtober ❕️ 29:55 What “10/10” says about the crypto industry  🤣 41:13 Did “threadguy's” tax woes trigger Zcash's run? 👀 47:27 Is the AI agent meta a “charade?” 🤺 50:27 What is fueling the bitter rivalry between Kalshi and Polymarket 🤔 56:50 Did “ICOBeast” deserve to lose his MegaETH allocation? 💥 1:00:40 Is “Choose Rich” Nick now mainstream? 🫣 1:02:55 Was Do Kwon's 15 year sentence excessive? 🧐 1:08:54 Is Nic Carter overreacting about the quantum computing threat to Bitcoin? 🔮 1:13:42 Doug and Gwart lock in their 2026 predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crypto natives entered 2025 with many expectations, but bingo cards likely did not include world leaders launching memecoins. In this first installment of a two part Unchained Special, Ambient Finance founder Doug Colkitt and “Gwart” join to offer a whimsical take on some of the years major happenings as it pertains to crypto. How did an erstwhile dropshipper get in bed with world leaders and convince them to launch memecoins? And did Tom Lee's “good hair” save ETH? Thank you to our sponsor, Walrus! http://walrus.xyz/ Guests: Doug Colkitt, Co-founder of Fogo and Ambient Finance Gwart, Host of The Gwart Show Links: Unchained: Why Lyn Alden Isn’t a Fan of Trump’s Memecoins, but Neutral on a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve The Chopping Block: Trump’s Crypto Shake-Up, Solana’s Big Moment, that Changes Everything Why Would Argentine President Javier Milei Protect Kelsier’s Hayden Davis? How the $1.5 Billion Bybit Hack Could Have Been Prevented Which Crypto Assets Belong in a Reserve? This VC Says Not XRP and ADA White House Crypto Summit: Two Attendees Share Why It Matters Arthur Hayes and Hanson Birringer on Hyperliquid’s Success (And What Could Stop It) Hyperliquid Trader Makes $87M in 70 Days, Loses It In Five The Chopping Block: Tom Lee the New Saylor? DAT Consolidation, Token Wrappers Under Fire Circle, Issuer of the $61.5 Billion USDC, Raises $1.1 Billion in Landmark IPO Why Arbitrum Won Over Robinhood + A $59 Million Polymarket Controversy DAT Stocks Are on Sale. Are They a Buy? Plus, Why Crypto Is Dead Timestamps: 🚀 00:00 Introduction  😵 1:20 How Trump and Melania surprised the crypto community with Solana memecoins 😅 4:46 How Hayden Davis went from dropshipping to launching coins with world leaders 🫠 8:39 Could a test transaction have saved Bybit from the largest heist of all time? 🫡 13:34 How Ripple lobbyists reportedly got Trump to shout out an XRP reserve 🤣 17:55 Was the White House Crypto Summit hijacked by FIFA? 🤺 20:20 Hyperliquid's Run and the CZ v. Jeff Memes 😅 26:48 Who is James Wynn, really? 😆 30:36 What sparked ETH's comeback? Tom Lee's good hair or EF reforms? 📈 35:51 How Circle's IPO run blindsided Arthur Hayes 🎇 38:48 Robinhood's grand on-chain debut 🫠 43:58 Still early or DOA? Base's hit and miss campaigns 🤔 54:23 How does the DAT mania end? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Christmas Eve episode of DEX in the City, hosts Jessi Brooks, Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos, and Vy Le break down a pivotal moment for crypto: the industry is no longer operating as a self-contained, oppositional ecosystem. It’s converging with traditional finance. And the cool thing? Washington is responding. The trio unpacks the latest on the crypto market structure bill, what it means that TradFi players are actively supporting legislation, how compliance tools like KYC became unavoidable, and why crypto may be going through an identity crisis.  They also delve into why Democratic engagement is crucial to getting a bill across the finish line, and why January’s confirmed markup could be a turning point. Hosts: Jessi Brooks, General Counsel at Ribbit Capital Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos, General Counsel at StarkWare TuongVy Le, General Counsel at Veda Timestamps: 🎬 0:00 Intro 🎄 2:09 Whether crypto’s convergence with TradFi is finally changing how policymakers treat the industry 🧬 13:54 What “crypto-native hybrids” are and why they’re suddenly everywhere 🔐 15:23 How KYC and compliance tools went from optional to unavoidable in crypto’s tech stack 🪞 18:24 Why Vy says crypto is in the middle of a real identity crisis 📅 21:12 Why a confirmed January markup is a much bigger deal than it sounds ⚔️ 24:00 How the DeFi fight inside the bill is shaping up and why TradFi is now showing up loudly 🏛️ 31:02 What Democrats are zeroing in on to actually get this bill across the finish line 🔄 35:02 Whether the revolving door between government and crypto is healthy or a red flag ✨ 45:49 Good news and end-of-year thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Security remains work in progress for crypto — and that may be putting it mildly. This year Bybit was hacked for $1.5 billion, the largest exploit ever, crypto or otherwise.  In this Unchained episode, Security Alliance members explain how crypto exploits have evolved, why smart contracts are no longer the primary vulnerability and why a security plan alone may not be enough. They take us inside how North Koreans are getting jobs at crypto and tech companies and how they operate.  Plus, best practices for individuals that intend to hold their assets for the long-term. Test transactions and 2FA based on authenticator apps may not be ideal. Thank you to our sponsors, ⁠Uniswap⁠ and ⁠Mantle⁠! Guests: Pablo Sabbatella, Member of SEAL (Security Alliance) and Founder of Opsek Isaac Patka, Wargames Initiative Lead at SEAL, and Founder of Shield3 Links: Unchained: How the $1.5 Billion Bybit Hack Could Have Been Prevented The Chopping Block: Code, Chaos & Consequences — What the Balancer Hack and Rollback Debates Mean for Crypto’s Future How AI Agents Hacked Smart Contracts for $1 Apiece – DEX in the City DEX in the City: How Privacy in Crypto Makes Everyone’s Finances More Secure Chainalysis crypto crime report SEAL 911 bot SEAL website with profiles of confirmed DPRK IT workers Timestamps: 🚀 00:00 Introduction  ⚠️ 1:27 How social engineering has become the primary driver of crypto exploits 🤔 8:28 What does SEAL do? 💡 12:08 Why safe harbor for white hats matters 👀 14:41 Why North Koreans are infiltrating U.S. companies? 🫠 18:03 How the North Korean IT jobs scheme has evolved with “laptop farms” 😬 22:05 How North Korean IT workers steal crypto from companies and how to avoid hiring them ⚠️ 32:20 Isaac explains how companies can minimize losses even with North Korean hackers on staff 🤯 35:52 Why Isaac doesn't do test transactions ❕️ 38:19 How Bybit was targeted ⁉️ 49:41 The primary ways individuals get hacked 🚨 54:28 How individuals can avoid getting rekt 💡 1:08:42 What privacy means for crypto security 🤧 1:12:38 What to do if your assets are stolen 💫 1:15:41 Useful security resources for individuals and companies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices