On The Brink with Castle Island Weekly Roundup 11/07/25 (Balancer hack, DATs are suffering, Zcash rally) (EP.684)
Nov 7, 2025
Matt and Nic dive into the latest crypto news, sparking a lively debate over Tom Brady's cloned dog. They discuss Balancer's $128M hack due to a smart contract error, pointing out the need for better security measures in DeFi. The duo examines the recent rally in Zcash, attributing it to privacy upgrades and market interest. They also explore the impact of a government shutdown on market liquidity and question if stablecoins might be the pivotal innovation that could transform the crypto landscape.
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Tom Brady's Dog Clone
- Tom Brady cloned his deceased dog by contracting Colossal Biosciences, which surprised the hosts.
- Matt Walsh and Nic Carter discuss clones not being the same pet and suggest adopting from shelters instead.
Watch Treasury Flows During Shutdowns
- Recognize macro events like a government shutdown can sap market liquidity and raise risk-off behavior.
- Monitor TGA and Treasury flows as part of risk assessment during political stalemates.
Old Code Hides Big DeFi Risk
- Balancer lost $128 million due to a rounding bug in old V2 smart contract code.
- The hosts warn that audits alone don't remove lurking smart-contract risks and preventative design is needed.