Unchained

Two VCs on Why This Is the Perfect Time to Invest in Crypto - Ep. 522

Jul 25, 2023

Chris Burniske and Joel Monegro, partners at Placeholder VC, discuss their bullish outlook on the crypto market despite recent turmoil. They explore why now is a prime time for Web3 investments due to favorable macroeconomic conditions and technological advancements. The duo reflects on past cycles of crypto, including Bitcoin's influence and the implications of interest rates. They also analyze the Ripple ruling's impact on the industry and share insights on potential self-regulation within crypto, urging optimism as the market evolves.

01:46:55

Creator website

Episode guests

Joel Monegro

Chris Burniske

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Role of Blockchain in Media Infrastructure

00:53

The Massive Costs of Centralized Infrastructure in Web2

01:30

Investment Returns at the Protocol and Application Layers: Understanding Value in Blockchain

01:20

Intro

2min

Cycles of Crypto Investment

22min

Navigating Macroeconomic Shifts in Crypto

9min

Crypto Market Dynamics and Regulatory Insights

4min

Ripple Ruling and Crypto Accountability

22min

Ethereum Classic: Growth and Ecosystem Insights

30min

AI, Cryptocurrency, and the Future of Digital Creativity

11min

The Bitcoin ETF Debate

6min

Despite the doom and gloom, Placeholder VC partners Chris Burniske and Joel Monegro are highly bullish on the present moment. “We’re all going to look back on this period and remember it as fondly as we remember ‘18 and ‘19,” Monegro tells Laura Shin. The two long-term investors explain why the confluence of macroeconomic factors and crypto-native (and AI) innovations make this the ideal time to invest in a Web3 future. They cut their teeth on Bitcoin, they grew up with Ethereum; hear what they think is next.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Show highlights:

why Chris says crypto’s four-year cycle will likely play out once again
the role of interest rates in asset valuation
whether the crypto industry has learned its lessons from the “crypto carnage” of 2022
whether there’s a future for KYC’d DeFi
when failing in crypto should be considered a crime, as in the Do Kwon case
what could happen with the rate hikes and how the macroeconomic environment affects the markets
how the ruling in the Ripple case impacts the development of new crypto companies and user adoption
whether Joel felt relieved by the ruling, considering Placeholder has invested in many tokens that were named as securities by the SEC
what Joel thinks of the new crypto bill in Congress and how he wishes that smart contracts were used to self-regulate the industry
what Joel and Chris think of the delicate situations of crypto giants such as Binance and DCG
whether the fat protocol thesis still holds up and whether it colors Placeholder’s current investment thesis
why most of the Layer 1s will become rollups, according to Chris
why Chris is bullish on Solana, despite the massive collapse in value following the FTX debacle
how NFTs will play a significant role in “establishing the provenance of content”
whether AI agents will become crypto power users

Thank you to our sponsors!

Guests:

Chris Burniske, partner at Placeholder VC
Previous appearance on Unchained:
2022 in Review + How Cobie and Chris Burniske Are Playing the New Year
Cobie and Chris Burniske on How to Navigate a Crypto Bear Market
How To Value A Crypto Asset
Joel Monegro, partner at Placeholder VC.
Placeholder’s Joel Monegro on the Fat Protocols Thesis

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