The DeadCaitBounce Experience

Planet MicroCap & Caitlin Cook

The emerging world of crypto and DeFi is riddled with developer speak, unnecessary jargon, and seemingly complex solutions that leave newcomers’ heads spinning. While much of what’s been created thus far may appear to be smoke and mirrors, crypto, DeFi, blockchain technology and the like are not going away. As a TradFi transplant myself, I understand that the learning curve is steep in this nascent space and am making a concerted effort to bridge the gap by bringing in the brightest across the industry to talk shop at a level that even the newest of newbies can follow along with. The DeadCaitBounce Experience is here to help you bridge the gap in crypto education, and onboard you for the future of finance. read less
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Episodes

Making Sense of the 2023 Crypto Headlines with Matthew Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Asset Management
May 2 2023
Making Sense of the 2023 Crypto Headlines with Matthew Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Asset Management
This week’s guest is Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, a company focused on bringing crypto education and investment products to professional investors. Not only is Matt at the helm of a large US firm sitting at the intersection of traditional and decentralized finance, he’s also far and away one of the most thoughtful and pragmatic educators in the space. Especially when it comes to crypto for TradFi professionals. Matt and I discuss crypto market cyclicality, tips for onlookers that want to filter out the noise in a sea of headlines, what crypto-related firms and projects in the US could be doing better to promote positive change, the biggest headlines and US regulatory headwinds of 2023, and what even the biggest of crypto skeptics should be keeping an eye on as the space continues to evolve. For more information about Bitwise Asset Management, please visit: https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ Show notes: [0:05] Introduction to Matt Hougan, Bitwise Asset Management [1:39] Making sense of the Crypto headlines in 2023 [4:37] What is driving the price of bitcoin and other crypto recently [7:35] Material vs. noise following the various crypto fallouts (FTX, etc...) [10:12] Flushing out the bad actors in crypto [12:04] Cutting through all the noise and how to think about portfolio allocation with crypto [16:50] Crypto education for institutional investors - what's been the feedback? [19:15] Any growth from the institutional interest/activity in crypto recently? [21:16] Hesitation for crypto still tied to regulatory uncertainty? [24:04] What can folks in crypto do to bridge the gap for folks that are hesitant [26:17] Main actions that crypto, as a whole, can do when having the conversation around crypto; engaging to have good regulation [28:25] Do regulators want to engage? [30:24] What is happening at Coinbase and what it means for crypto (SEC serving the Wells Notice) and timeline following the serving of the Wells Notice [37:38] Bitcoin spot ETF in the US and how Grayscale working on this [41:55] Why is the law on the side of crypto? [44:03] How does Matt see the rest of 2023 going for crypto? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
The Bank and the DAO with Dan Krewson, SVP & Market President and Director of Specialty Lending at Huntingdon Valley Bank
Apr 5 2023
The Bank and the DAO with Dan Krewson, SVP & Market President and Director of Specialty Lending at Huntingdon Valley Bank
This week’s guest is Dan Krewson. As Market President and Director of Specialty Lending at Huntingdon Valley Bank, Krewson is building commercial and specialty lending divisions as well as leading the development of several new products including a crypto stablecoin funded participation facility. Dan and I discuss how HVB, a now publicly traded company and broker-dealer that has provided traditional consumer and commercial banking services since 1871, facilitated the first ever integration between a decentralized finance protocol and a traditional bank. MakerDAO, a fully crypto-native “DAO” or, Decentralized Autonomous Organization, and the creators of the $5B marketcap stablecoin DAI which is, in MakerDAO’s words, “The world’s first unbiased currency.” opened a $100M DAI loan to HVB. We provide an overview of DAO structure for those who are unfamiliar, discuss the rules and guardrails HVB implemented and abided by to make this deal happen, the complex considerations and logistics of working with a, by definition, decentralized organization, and more. This story is an important showcase of the ways in which highly regulated traditional institutions are beginning to test the waters, dipping their toes into the growing world of crypto and decentralized finance. With that, please enjoy my conversation with Dan. For more information about Huntingdon Valley Bank, please visit: https://www.myhvb.com/ Show notes: [0:07] Introduction to Dan Krewson [2:10] Dan Krewson's and Huntingdon Valley Bank's backgrounds [6:07] How did the deal for MakerDAO happen and logistics [10:11] What is a DAO? [14:15] How does a firm like HVB able to work with MakerDAO? [20:02] Transaction with MakerDAO [23:16] Rules and guardrails for how this deal was structured [30:45] Fast-forward to 2023, how the MakerDAO/HVB transaction look today [38:40] View doing more transactions like MakerDAO/HVB in the future? [41:45] Crypto/blockchain enabling frictionless transactions; how does the MakerDAO/HVB deal reflect that original crypto/blockchain thesis [44:25] How does Dan see crypto regulation moving forward after deals like this get done + general crypto regulation [53:50] Biggest opportunity for traditional finance institutions, like HVB, to get more integrated into the up-and-coming DeFi space All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Crypto Content Your Parents Can Understand with with Grant and Jerri, Blocmates
Mar 21 2023
Crypto Content Your Parents Can Understand with with Grant and Jerri, Blocmates
This week’s guests are Grant and Jerry from Blocmates.com. Blocmates is in the business of education, helping to make cryptocurrency accessible to everyone via their guides, tutorials, reviews, and a free weekly newsletter with the latest crypto analysis. It’s so simple your grandparents could follow it, and let me tell you…the crypto industry needs more of what they’re doing. As a whole, crypto content creation today is in desperate need of a makeover. There are far too many creators that either don’t know what they are talking about or focus on things like silly thumbnails on YouTube to bring in listeners that are designed for click rather than value. In short: Unnecessary noise, and FAR too many grifters. On the other end of the spectrum is blocmates. Value is the key driving force behind everything they do. From deep dives into promising crypto projects to 101 explainers on up-and-coming areas of the market, this team is EVERYWHERE. We discuss important topics including crypto education, the makings of a strong and sustainable crypto project, red flags for investors to look out for, and more. With that, please enjoy my conversation with Grant and Jerri. For more information about Blocmates, please visit: https://blocmates.com/ You can Follow Blocmates on Twitter @blocmatesdotcom: https://twitter.com/blocmatesdotcom  Show notes: [0:05] Introduction [2:45] For the traditional finance crowd, what is blocmates and how did Grant and Jerri meet [11:33] Crypto content - how does blocmates create accessible crypto content and where do people go wrong? [16:18] How do you find good crypto projects? [25:56] Managing and re-assessing projects in a crypto bear market [31:57] An active community on Telegram and Discord to ask questions about projects; the crypto sub-culture [39:11] Education around the crypto sub-culture / so much noise in the space [50:44] What are the projects that are solving problems (and what problems)? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Custodial vs. Non-Custodial Solutions in a Post-FTX World with Simon Grunfeld, Head of Web3 at Cogni
Feb 21 2023
Custodial vs. Non-Custodial Solutions in a Post-FTX World with Simon Grunfeld, Head of Web3 at Cogni
This week’s guest is Simon Grunfeld. Simon is Head of Web3 at Cogni, a banking platform that eliminates the friction between Web2 and Web3 via a seamless on-and-off ramp to help accelerate mass adoption. After all, that’s what this entire podcast is about - bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3. The key differentiator in what Simon and Cogni are building is access. Unlike major crypto exchanges, Cogni gives users complete control over their assets with a non-custodial wallet that it can’t access, and where only users have access to their private keys. Simon and I discuss the spectrum of options available today for investors who want to buy crypto, the associated risks of each, how and why non-custodial wallets will be the difference maker in recovering consumer confidence in the crypto industry, and why interoperability is the key to building America's super wallet. With that, please enjoy my conversation with Simon. For more information about Cogni, please visit: https://getcogni.com/ You can Follow Simon Grunfeld on Twitter @getcogni: https://twitter.com/getcogni Show notes: [0:06] Introduction to Simon Grunfeld [1:53] Simon Grunfeld's background and his crypto journey to Cogni [4:09] What is Cogni and What is their key differentiator [9:25] How FTX exposed the issue around custody; narrative around self-custody [14:10] Centralized vs. Decentralized platform [17:18] Idea of "Trusting the Code" [24:50] Interoperability - ability to have fiat and crypto in one place, how that can help with bridging the gap between TradFi and DeFi [31:05] Tax perspective; tracking your transactions, does Cogni help with data tracking? [35:22] Ease of use to open an account with Cogni [38:05] How Crypto and Web3 is maturing; for Simon - Web3 identity tools [42:12] Regulatory clarity [47:01] Bull vs. Bear case for Crypto and Blockchain technology All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Crypto Indexing Strategies with Crews Enochs, Ecosystem Growth Lead at Index Cooperative
Feb 15 2023
Crypto Indexing Strategies with Crews Enochs, Ecosystem Growth Lead at Index Cooperative
Crews Enochs is the Ecosystem Growth Lead at Index Cooperative, where he is responsible for marketing communications & off-chain partnerships for their portfolio of on-chain structured products. Index Cooperative democratizes access to complex crypto strategies, making it simple to create a custom index of tokens using smart contracts. Think of these as, say, the next-generation ETFs. Index Cooperative is an early mover on what i believe will become a high-demand area of the crypto space as mainstream adoption rises. One token to gain diversified exposure, on-chain, making responsible crypto investment easier than ever. But we’re not there yet. Crypto index products are in the early stages of adoption. We discuss the hesitancies many newcomers have when getting started, associated risks, whether crypto indexes truly provide diversification within a historically highly correlated industry, what a “good” crypto project consists of, how recent market events have impacted on-chain index product adoption, and much more. With that, please enjoy my conversation with Crews. For more information about Index Cooperative, please visit: https://indexcoop.com/ You can Follow Crews Enochs on Twitter @theyoungcrews: https://twitter.com/theyoungcrews Show notes: [0:06] Introduction to Crews Enochs[2:06] What is Index Cooperative and Crews Enochs' background + role at Index Cooperative[4:32] Index Cooperative's products and the idea of Crypto ETFs; buying a basket of tokens[6:43] Conversations around "self-custody"[9:30] Why are indexes not more popular in crypto?[13:03] Traditional ETF products for Crypto[15:08] More interest from retail or institutional investors?[17:38] Who are Index Coop customers trusting when buying one of their products?[20:50] Are Index Cooperative's products actually diversified?[25:31] What does a fundamentally sound project look like in Crypto?[27:25] Where does yield come from from Index Cooperative products?[32:38] What is stopping traditional finance from creating ETF-like products in Crypto?[34:14] How has all the Crypto negative sentiment affected Index Cooperative?[37:18] Where has Index Cooperative seen the most interest amongst their products?[40:57] Long-term and short-term trends for bringing traditional assets "on-chain"[43:38] Bull and Bear case for Crypto moving forward All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
The Problem with Sovereign Money Systems with George Harrap, Co-Founder of Step Finance
Feb 3 2023
The Problem with Sovereign Money Systems with George Harrap, Co-Founder of Step Finance
This week’s guest is George Harrap, Co-Founder of Step Finance. George has been in the crypto world for 12 years having been an early bitcoin miner in 2011 to co- founding the first crypto remittance company in 2014, later going on to cofound Step Finance in early 2021 with the goal of onboarding the next billion people in crypto. He is passionate about sovereign money systems and the benefits cryptocurrencies can bring to the world and is currently leading the Step Finance team toward highlighting better on-chain data in the Solana ecosystem. Working around the world from Turkey to Hong Kong and beyond, not only does George have a long tenure in the crypto space, he also has a strong understanding of the various real-world use cases for crypto and decentralized finance. Many of my listeners are within the United States. It’s important to step back every so often and remind ourselves of the many ways in which government, policy, and volatile native currencies can impact countries, businesses, and individuals, as well as the many ways in which crypto and blockchain technology have already been and are continuing to be adopted around the world. We cover all of that and more in this episode. With that, please enjoy my conversation with George. For more information about George Harrap and Step Finance, please visit: https://www.step.finance/  You can Follow George Harrap on Twitter @George_harrap: https://twitter.com/George_harrap Show notes: [0:06] Introduction to George Harrap [2:20] George's crypto origin story [6:22] How has the Bitcoin thesis changed since the beginning [12:16] Use cases for crypto in emerging markets [20:05] What is the incentive for the US (or any sovereign nation) to change their banking system? [21:28] Interesting crypto innovations that George has seen around the world [25:04] What is Step Finance and how the company will "onboard the next 1 billion people into crypto"? [31:15] For folks new to crypto, what data should they be looking at to start as they are onboarding into the place [34:05] Keeping track of crypto transactions [36:22] Hackathon, Future of crypto and most important things that need to be solved next [43:46] Regulation and global ecosystem for crypto innovation [50:10] What would it take for crypto to get to mass adoption, and where does it fail? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Crypto Reflections and Revelations with Anthony Scaramucci, Founder & Managing Partner at Skybridge
Dec 14 2022
Crypto Reflections and Revelations with Anthony Scaramucci, Founder & Managing Partner at Skybridge
This week’s guest is Anthony Scaramucci. Anthony is the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge, a global alternative investment firm, and founder and chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio. Prior to founding SkyBridge in 2005, Scaramucci co-founded investment partnership Oscar Capital Management, which was sold to Neuberger Berman in 2001. Earlier, he worked in Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs & Co. In 2022, Scaramucci was ranked #47 in Cointelegraph’s Top 100 Influencers in Crypto and Blockchain. In 2016, he was ranked #85 in Worth Magazine’s Power 100: The 100 Most Powerful People in Global Finance. In 2011, he received Ernst & Young’s New York Financial Services “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award. Anthony is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and a board member of the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation. He is the author of five books. Scaramucci served on President Donald J. Trump’s 16-person Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee, and in 2017 briefly served as Chief Strategy Officer of the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank and White House Communications Director. Scaramucci, a native of Long Island, New York, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Tufts University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. We discuss everything from crypto sentiment in the hedge fund space to Algorand, his outlook on crypto in washington, and even his relationship with SBF and FTX. It’s a jam packed hour, folks, so with that, please enjoy my conversation with Anthony. For more information about Skybridge and Anthony Scaramucci, please visit: https://www.skybridge.com/ You can Follow Anthony Scaramucci on Twitter @scaramucci: https://twitter.com/Scaramucci Show notes: [0:06] Introduction [2:48] When did Scaramucci get the crypto bug [5:29] How Institutional interest in crypto has grown over time [9:48] Use cases in crypto [11:26] How he got into Algorand and the opportunity there [16:15] What he would do to build awareness for Algorand [19:36] How SALT Conference came to be [21:16] Meeting SBF, Partnering with FTX on Crypto Bahamas conference, relationship with SBF [27:07] Hard to discern fraud [29:08] Criteria for a potential investment in crypto and has that changed now post-FTX [31:21] What his team looks for specifically when evaluating crypto projects/companies [34:31] Anthony's thoughts on what the next wave of crypto/web3/blockchain looks like [36:21] How does crypto succeed or fail? [38:03] Crypto conversations in Washington, and how this will affect next Presidential election [39:28] Not letting cynicism creep in despite all the negative news in crypto All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Innovation in Asset Management with Teddy Fusaro, President of Bitwise Asset Management
Dec 7 2022
Innovation in Asset Management with Teddy Fusaro, President of Bitwise Asset Management
This week’s guest is Teddy Fusaro. Teddy is the President of Bitwise Asset Management, a company focused on bringing crypto education and investment products to professional investors. Prior to Bitwise, Teddy was an executive at multiple alternative and start-up ETF issuers that brought pioneering products to market in regulated wrappers. In his role at IndexIQ, Teddy focused on hedge-fund replication strategies and at Direxion Shares, managed leveraged and inverse ETFs and commodities and managed futures strategies. In those capacities, Teddy oversaw Portfolio Management, Trading, Capital Markets and Operations. He began his career in equity derivatives and credit derivatives at Goldman Sachs & Co. Not unlike this podcast, Bitwise’s mission is focused on building bridges. They do so by delivering crypto, defi and web3 to traditional financial professionals in familiar product wrappers, as well as by producing institutional grade market research. Bitwise has delivered on their mission early and often, with a variety of innovative products coming to market throughout the years and, in some cases, even releasing research findings that shocked the industry and beyond. We discuss Bitwise and how they differ from other crypto companies. We also step out of our often all consuming “crypto bubble” to talk about how financial advisors and institutional investors are approaching the space given recent market turbulence, crypto position sizing and much more. Show notes: [0:07] Introduction to Teddy Fusaro [2:55] Teddy's journey into crypto and Bitwise [5:35] How Bitwise is helping bridge the gap between TradFi and DeFi [8:07] NFT product and "out there" products launched since Bitwise first started [10:51] Breaking outside the crypto "bubble" and educating folks outside the space [18:00] Crypto exchanges - how data from shoddy exchanges made its way to mainstream media (and of course the problem with that, and the problem with offshore exchanges) [20:24] Sentiment from institutional investors and financial advisors regarding Crypto [25:27] Approach to crypto position sizing [31:52] How crypto is scaling [34:42] What should centralized crypto exchanges to promote trust and transparency in the space? What can they learn from DeFi exchanges? [40:32] Self-regulation - what can this look like in crypto? [45:57] How recent crypto crises can influence regulation; relating to past financial crises and regulations that were bourn out of those experiences [48:01] What Bitwise is most excited about when thinking about the future of crypto [51:16] How does Teddy and Bitwise cut through all the noise and find valuable information [53:25] Where should folks start with crypto [58:19] Teddy's drink recommendations (everyone please drink responsibly) All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Finding Crypto Stability in Stablecoins with Alex McDougall (Stablecorp) and Dante Disparte (Circle)
Nov 16 2022
Finding Crypto Stability in Stablecoins with Alex McDougall (Stablecorp) and Dante Disparte (Circle)
In this week’s episode I spoke with Dante Disparate and Alex McDougall. Dante Disparte is Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at Circle, responsible for overseeing company strategy, communications, policy and public affairs. Since joining Circle in 2021, his leadership in driving market expansion, regulatory engagement, and more have been integral in furthering the company’s mission to raise global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of financial value. Prior to joining Circle, Dante served as a founding executive of the Diem Association, leading policy, communications, membership and social impact. He also brings two decades of experience as an entrepreneur, business leader and global risk expert, most recently as founder and CEO of Risk Cooperative. He also served as an appointee on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council. Currently, he is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Digital Currency Governance Consortium and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Additionally, he is co-author of “Global Risk Agility and Decision Making” (Macmillan 2016). He earned a bachelor’s degree from Goucher College, is a PLD graduate of Harvard Business School, and has an MSc in risk management from NYU Stern School of Business. Alex McDougall is the CEO of Stablecorp, a Canadian fintech that achieved a global first by launching the first bank issued Stablecoin along with pioneering the Stablecoin 2.0 model and is leading new approaches to cross-border blockchain-based payments. In his role, Alex leads the company in all areas including strategic direction, ecosystem and partner expansion, development, compliance, and overall business growth. Prior to joining Stablecorp, Alex was Managing Director at 3iQ, responsible for their venture and digital asset yield initiatives. Alex co-founded Bicameral Ventures, a venture platform focused on Interconnected Investing, blockchain, interoperability, data and identity self- sovereignty, personalized AI, and Web 3.0. He is also the director of Big Shooter Golf, Alex started his career as an investment banker at the Bank of Montreal, and led multiple projects and teams across BMO Capital Markets, including in Fintech, M&A, and Financial Institutions. He sits on the Board of Directors at Balance Custody, is a CFA charter holder and holds a degree in Commerce, Finance, and International Business along with a Master’s in Accounting and Finance. In the midst of what was the craziest and darkest week in crypto history thus far in the wake of FTX and Alameda Research’s abrupt downfalls, Alex, Dante, and I took a step back to talk about one of the most critical and least “sexy” components of crypto today: stablecoins. We discuss what stablecoins are, the important role they play in a dgitially native, blockchain native world, how stablecoins offer a cheaper and faster alternative to payments processing and international remittances, and more. We also discuss cross border payments, the role that stablecoins could play for cross border payments in crypto, and the work being done to make it happen. For more information about Circle, please visit: https://www.circle.com/en/ For more information about Stablecorp, please visit: https://www.stablecorp.ca/ You can Follow Dante Disparte on Twitter @ddisparte: https://twitter.com/ddisparte You can Follow Alex McDougall on Twitter @AMcDougall_SC: https://twitter.com/AMcDougall_SC Show notes: [0:06] Introduction [4:47] Alex and Dante’s background, roles at Circle, Stablecorp and Circle’s + Stablecorp’s mission [11:50] Stablecoin adoption today, both in the US and abroad [20:07] Experimentation we’ve seen in the stablecoin space thus far [29:38] How stablecoins are seen through a regulatory lens [37:35] Crypto NAFTA and cross border payments - what does the ideal structure look like [46:45] Why is there a void for alternative currencies that represents digital currency [53:28] Next steps to follow along Circle and Stablecorp's progress All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Crypto in the Media with Frank Chaparro, Editor-at-Large at The Block
Nov 9 2022
Crypto in the Media with Frank Chaparro, Editor-at-Large at The Block
This week’s guest is Frank Chaparro. Frank is an industry leader covering the intersection of financial markets and cryptocurrency as Editor-at-Large at The Block. Since joining the publication in 2018 as its first reporter, he has played a key role in building The Block into a leader in financial journalism and research. He leads special projects, including The Block's flagship podcast, The Scoop. Prior to The Block, Frank held roles at Business Insider, NPR, and Nasdaq. Not only am I a huge fan of Frank, I also find the topic of crypto in the media to be CRITICALLY important. The crypto markets operate 24/7, 365, with countless new projects, and developments underway on every corner of the globe…. There is an information overload at all times… How do you filter the noise? How do you determine what news is breaking vs what’s not? There’s no better guest to unpack this with than Frank. We cover how crypto sentiment in the media has changed over time, leading narratives within the space, how to navigate the dynamic crypto space and its fleeting headlines to get to the info that truly matters, and more. I’d be remiss if I did not mention that we recorded this upcoming episode last week, which was prior to the news about Binance’s non-binding offer to purchase FTX during the midst of a liquidity crunch. If you’d ask any crypto vet, they’ll tell you that this is without a doubt a top 5 major event to ever occur within the industry and is a LOT to unpack. I’ll do an episode to cover this in the near future, but it makes a perfect case for today's episode. Things can take a turn for the worse or the better in a manner of seconds in the crypto space, and this scenario highlights why covering crypto news can be so difficult. With that, please enjoy my conversation with Frank. For more information about The Block, please visit: https://www.theblock.co/podcasts  You can Follow Frank Chaparro on Twitter @fintechfrank: https://twitter.com/fintechfrank  Show notes: [0:07] Introduction [3:11] Frank's Crypto journey, how he got to where he is today [6:50] Sentiment change since Frank started covering crypto (around 2017) [13:00] Common themes amongst crypto blow ups [16:48] Next narrative for Crypto [22:05] Regulation (i.e., SBF vs Voorhees) [27:09] Crypto in the midterm election cycle; contributions from various crypto-focused institutions [33:08] On-chain data [35:17] Navigating all the crypto info/news - deciphering what’s important, what’s not, etc.. [42:07] Where to send folks to get trusted crypto news information (other than The Block) [51:57] How does crypto fail and succeed? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Hash it Out: Crypto - Where to Start, Where to Go? with Producer Bobby
Nov 2 2022
Hash it Out: Crypto - Where to Start, Where to Go? with Producer Bobby
This week’s guest is.. Me. (and my producer Bobby Kraft) We’re shaking things up with the first edition of Hash It Out, a regular DCBE feature where we field questions from our listeners and cover the biggest breaking news across the crypto industry to make sure you stay up to date. We want to hear from you - nothing is offlimits, and, as we well know, there is never a shortage of crypto news to dive into. So with that, sit back, relax, and enjoy our conversation. You can Follow Caitlin Cook on Twitter @DeadCaitBounce: https://twitter.com/DeadCaitBounce You can Follow The DeadCaitBounce Experience on Twitter @DCBExperience: https://twitter.com/DCBExperience Show notes: [1:54] Caitlin's experience telling people that she works in crypto during this current crypto winter [3:45] Practical take on the crypto winter from Caitlin's experiences at various crypto conferences [5:51] Positive news in crypto that's been completely overlooked [10:43] Caitlin's take on Regulation based on first few guests answers having to do with crypto succeeding or failing [16:04] Trading strategies around known, upcoming catalysts, example: the Ethereum merge [19:29] Onboarding parents into crypto from scratch [24:18] Low-hanging fruit to onboard the masses to crypto [28:15] Why products and services using blockchain technology are brushed to the side (for now) [31:27] Final thoughts All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Crypto Growing Pains with Thomas Braziel, Founder/CIO of 507 Capital
Oct 19 2022
Crypto Growing Pains with Thomas Braziel, Founder/CIO of 507 Capital
Mount Gox… Voyager… Celsius… Three Arrows Capital.. Terra / LUNA… Since crypto’s inception, these are some of the most highly publicized scandals in and around the crypto space. But what actually happened? Where did things go wrong? Most importantly… What were the results and how do we learn from these scenarios? Historically speaking, many leaders across the space have shied away from talking about these things. If we bring these stories up, will they scare newcomers away? Do we cross our fingers and hope that everyone will simply forget as the ecosystem continues to grow? Thoughts like this have led many to sweep these situations under the rug… until the next inevitable headline. As for me… I want to take a different approach. Why? Because if we don’t address these topics, nothing changes. Nobody learns. It looks shady on the part of leaders and educators in the space, and certainly does not instill confidence in those on the outside. In fact, these are some of the main instances that people point to as a reason WHY they won’t delve into this space. So in this episode, we’re going to talk about it. For more information about 507 Capital, please visit: https://507capital.com/ You can Follow Thomas Braziel on Twitter @ThomasBraziel: https://twitter.com/ThomasBraziel Show notes: [0:05] Introduction to Thomas Braziel [2:56] Thomas Braziel's crypto origin story [6:12] Why distressed assets? Then, how that led to crypto [9:49] Importance of talking about failures and risks in crypto [12:46] Counter-party risk in crypto [16:13] Criteria for potential new crypto investment [23:15] Story of Mt. Gox, what happened? [27:27] Mt. Gox unraveling still ongoing, where are we at now? [29:37] Voyager, Celsius, TerraLuna - how are these situations different from what happened with Mt. Gox? [33:45] With crypto becoming more mainstream, why its important to understand Voyager and Celsius failures [39:01] Even if bullish on crypto, understanding how am I accessing this asset class? [41:10] Difficulty in doing the research on crypto investment opportunities - white papers can be hard [44:17] Risk management in crypto [46:57] Behavioral aspect in crypto, don't get fooled by the "Get Rich Quick" ideas; most investments come from social proof, hacking your mind to invest in worthless opportunities [51:01] How does crypto ultimately succeed or fail? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
DeFi 101 with DeFi Dad
Oct 12 2022
DeFi 101 with DeFi Dad
This week’s guest is the ONE AND ONLY DeFi Dad. As you might've inferred from his name, DeFi Dad is an early DeFi super-user, educator, investor, and host of the DeFi Talks with DeFi Dad… Now A Partner at 4RC (Fourth Revolution Capital) investing early stage DeFi, Web3 media, and Web3 gaming projects, DeFi Dad and I discuss what a beginners need to know about, well, DeFi… Decentralized Finance is a term used ad nauseum in the crypto space, but what is it? We define DeFi in plain English, as well as discuss the most common ways in which the crypto beginner will be exposed to DeFi innovations, current issues in the space, and more. This is often made to be an overly complicated topic, and I can confidently say that this is one of the best DeFi primers i’ve ever heard. With that, please enjoy my conversation with DeFi Dad For more information about DeFi Dad, please visit http://defidad.com or his Lenstube channel at https://lenster.xyz/u/defidad.lens You can Follow DeFi Dad on Twitter @DeFi_Dad: https://twitter.com/DeFi_Dad Show notes: [0:06] Introduction to DeFi Dad [1:48] DeFi Dad’s crypto and name origin story [8:22] What is “DeFi” and how does it compare to “TradFi”? [13:35] DeFi use cases; store value that is digitally scarce (original use case) [24:31] Opportunity when it comes to yield; how are the yields possible without being a scam? Time for some mythbusting [38:33] How do we regulate DeFi? Current issues folks in DeFi are facing, specifically having to do with regulation [49:15] Current market environment: how does this current crypto bear market we are in defer from past bear markets? [55:35] Ultimately, looking ahead, how does DeFi succeed towards mass adoption and conversely, how does it fail? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Bringing Asset Management On-Chain with Jeremy Schwartz and Will Peck of WisdomTree
Oct 5 2022
Bringing Asset Management On-Chain with Jeremy Schwartz and Will Peck of WisdomTree
WisdomTree… Blackrock… Vanguard… PIMCO.. Invesco… Oppenheimer… The global asset management industry encompasses trillions of dollars in assets under management. But how are they engaging and innovating when it comes to crypto?  I spoke with Jeremy Schwartz and Will Peck of WisdomTree, a European based 80 billion dollar asset management firm, to find out. Jeremy Schwartz is the Global Chief Investment Officer at WisdomTree, leading the firm's investment strategy team in the construction of WisdomTree’s equity indexes, quantitative active strategies and multi-asset model portfolios.  Will Peck is Head of Digital Assets at WisdomTree. In this role, Will leads the firm’s Strategy Group, leads corporate development, and drives other strategic initiatives for the firm, including the launch of WisdomTree Prime, a financial services app built from the ground up on blockchain rails with DeFi concepts. Additionally, he is responsible for oversight of the firm’s investments in emerging technologies.  Not only is Wisdomtree a leading global asset manager, but they are also one of the industry’s most forward thinking firms, heavily embracing web3, blockchain technology, and cryptoassets within their business. We cover why and how they are integrating the future of finance into their model, as well as how they perceive the broader asset management industry to acclimate to this emerging space. With that, please enjoy my conversation with Jeremy and Will. Show notes: [0:06] Introduction to Jeremy Schwartz and Will Peck [2:30] Jeremy Schwartz and Will Peck crypto origin story [5:30] Bird's eye view: Asset Management industry views towards crypto [10:14] What does it look like from a product perspective on how folks can get exposure to crypto? ETFs, direct, etc... [17:08] How WisdomTree leading the charge on product innovation for crypto [21:57] WisdomTree's digital asset strategy [27:17] Bringing 40 Act Funds on-chain [34:23] Process for tokenizing 40 Act Funds [36:38] For those of larger pools of money, what are folks most interested in right now in Crypto? [38:53] Where do they see other asset managers getting involved with Crypto? [41:15] Update on approval in the US for crypto ETF [43:49] Roll out of financial crypto products globally [47:03] What does success and failure look like in Crypto? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
The $110T Whale: Onboarding RIAs into Crypto with Adam Blumberg, Co-Founder of Interaxis
Sep 28 2022
The $110T Whale: Onboarding RIAs into Crypto with Adam Blumberg, Co-Founder of Interaxis
This week’s guest is Adam Blumberg. He is Co-Founder of Interaxis, Co-Founder and Lead Curriculum Developer of the CDAA or Certified Digital Asset Advisor designation, and Co-Founder of PlannerDAO. A certified financial planner who has been in Financial Services for over 12 years, Adam created and launched a company dedicated to educating financial professionals about Digital Assets, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and other alternative assets in 2021, a course and Certification to teach Financial Advisors how to make Digital Assets part of their practice, launched a YouTube channel that now has over 10,000 subscribers, and was one of the creators of PlannerDAO, the first decentralized community for advisors, which has grown to over 1,000 members. It’s safe to say that Adam has been keeping himself busy lately… He and I come from similar backgrounds of educating the financial advisor community on crypto, and I wanted to dedicate an episode to covering all things registered investment advisors. While it’s not considered to be the “sexiest” profession within financial services, advisors like the ones Adam is working to educate will play a MAJOR role in this space, whether you realize it yet or not. Why? Crypto investments require financial planning, tax planning, and estate planning functions just like any other asset… and often with more nuance. Which is exactly why most (if not ALL) investors will benefit from having a trusted guide to help them navigate the space in the future. Not including broker dealer firms that offer wealth management services such as Morgan Stanley, UBS, & Merrill Lynch, the RIA industry makes up over 100 trillion dollars in assets under management. This is a whale of an industry that I’d encourage my listeners to take note of as we see crypto adoption continue to grow. For more information about Adam Blumberg and Interaxis, please visit: https://www.interaxis.io/  You can Follow Adam Blumberg on Twitter @Interaxis8: https://twitter.com/Interaxis8 Show notes: [0:06] Introduction to Adam Blumberg [3:00] Adam's crypto origin story; how he got to where he is today [6:43] Crypto for financial advisors; why should people care about the way RIA space approaches crypto in the future? [11:44] Crypto education for advisors; sentiment that investors are going to invest in crypto with or without their advisor [15:25] What does a financial advisor need in order to incorporate crypto into their practice [18:51] What should advisors consider first when looking to get informed on crypto? [24:09] Advisors should have fiduciary responsibility to understand crypto and the importance of education [35:30] Crypto regulation for advisors [40:03] Bitcoin and ETFs [44:47] What it will take for mass adoption of crypto by advisors [47:20] What crypto financial products are available today for advisors to provide their clients exposure to the space [50:42] What does the portfolio of the future look like? [58:00] How does crypto succeed and fail? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Solving On-Chain Privacy with Jill Gunter, Chief Strategy Officer at Espresso Systems
Sep 21 2022
Solving On-Chain Privacy with Jill Gunter, Chief Strategy Officer at Espresso Systems
This week’s guest is Jill Gunter. Jill is cofounder and chief strategy officer at Espresso Systems, which is building privacy and scalability solutions for Web3. Previously, she invested in crypto, blockchain, and fintech with SF-based VC fund Slow Ventures and served as an advisor to a range of projects and institutions from the IMF to startups like Zcash and Algorand. She started her career as a bond trader at Goldman Sachs in NYC. I’m so excited to have Jill as my second guest to unpack an important and often misunderstood aspect of crypto, which is PRIVACY. This is a topic that’s commonly misunderstood on several fronts. For those outside of the industry, the common storyline has historically been that the perceived anonymity crypto provides allows it to be used as a means for performing illicit activities. Juxtapose that with what many of those in the crypto community know all too well. The data transparency that blockchain technology provides is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. In fact, transparency is often touted as one of the cornerstones of the emerging crypto space… but like anything else, enhanced data transparency is a double edged sword, and those in the crypto space, from your average retail participants, to institutional investors, to regulators, are still trying to wrap their heads around what an ideal solution looks like… How much transparency is too much transparency, and how much privacy is TOO much privacy? What data should the masses have access to, and why? We’ve seen this play out recently in the case of Tornado Cash, which Jill and I cover today. As always, the answer to the question of how we solve on-chain privacy is a nuanced one, but there’s no better person to provide clarity on this topic than today’s guest. With that, please enjoy my conversation with Jill. For more information about Jill Gunter, please visit: https://www.jillrgunter.com/ You can Follow Jill Gunter on Twitter @jillrgunter: https://twitter.com/jillrgunter Show notes: [0:06] Introduction to Jill Gunter [3:35] Jill Gunter's crypto origin story [7:45] What Jill is building with Espresso Systems [11:30] Problem with lack of on-chain privacy [14:22] State of privacy and Web3 and how is Espresso solving for these issues [20:44] What information is most important to be public to promote a more health, transparent system? Difference between what information should and shouldn't be public [26:01] Tornado Cash case study - what happened and why it's important to understand as it relates to privacy and Web3 [33:04] OFAC guidance to Tornado Cash, and how users were affected by this [35:24] What smart contracts are categorized as? Role that code plays in Freedom of Speech [40:54] How do we account for core contributors to a decentralized network that could be "bad actors"? [44:19] Where do we go from here with censorship resistance, privacy and Web3? [48:10] What does success and failure look like in Crypto? CLIP - start at 49:19 All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.
Bridging the Gap with Brett Harrison, President of FTX
Sep 14 2022
Bridging the Gap with Brett Harrison, President of FTX
Brett Harrison is at the helm of one of crypto’s goliaths, and a firm that I believe will be largely responsible for onboarding the next million crypto users. He is the President of FTX US, a US-regulated cryptocurrency exchange. Prior to joining FTX US, Brett was Head of Semi-SystematicTechnology at Citadel Securities, where he managed technology for the firm’s Options, ETF, OTC, and ADR trading globally. He began and spent the majority of his career at Jane Street, where he led the firm’s algorithmic trading system development. He also previously worked at Headlands Technologies as a senior software developer. Brett received his M.S. and B.A. in Computer Science from Harvard. I felt it was important to have Brett as my first guest on the podcast because he truly embodies everything that The DCBE is about: applying traditional subject matter expertise to a new frontier. More specifically, I have a huge appreciation for the balanced approach Brett takes when it comes to bridging the gap for the masses through advocacy, education, cooperation with regulatory bodies, and being on podcasts like this one. With that, here is my conversation with Brett Harrison. For more information about FTX, please visit: https://ftx.us/v You can Follow Brett Harrison on Twitter @Brett_FTX: https://twitter.com/Brett_FTX Show notes: [0:09] Introduction to Brett Harrison [1:55] Setting the scene, Brett's background in traditional finance; met SBF at Jane Street and what led to Brett joining SBF at FTX [5:45] What are the problems that Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is trying to solve for Traditional Finance (TradFi) [9:02] How FTX is trying to solve these TradFi problems [11:52] FTX is bridging the gap from TradFi to DeFi [15:25] Crypto winter - how did we get here? [21:00] History doesn't repeat, but often rhymes - how is crypto industry maturing? [22:56] Crypto regulation - what are the issues the industry is facing from regulatory agencies and where are we at? Who regulates crypto trading and where how FTX operate in the current regulatory environment? [31:54] Creating new regulatory regime specifically for DeFi - will that ever work? [34:32] Timeline for clarity from regulatory agencies for Crypto [36:27] Bipartisan support for Crypto regulation? [38:15] What does the international regulatory landscape look like for Crypto, and where does the US fit into that narrative? [41:51] How FTX strategy for working with international governments [44:24] What does success and failure look like in Crypto? All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.