The DeFi Decoded Podcast

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with Bill Barhydt, Founder and CEO of Abra, and Perianne Boring, Chair of the Board of Directors of The Digital Chamber. Listen in as they discuss why crypto feels like it's at an inflection point, Bill's macro case for a liquidity-driven risk-on setup (and why gold may be leading while Bitcoin lags), how stablecoin legislation has shifted the policy battleground toward rewards and yield as banks push to protect deposits, why agencies (SEC/CFTC/Treasury) can move fast but market-structure laws are needed to future-proof regulatory clarity, how committee politics and "pathway" strategy can make or break a bill's progress (including the fallout from Coinbase stepping back), and what the Clarity debate could mean for exchanges, developers, and DeFi—ranging from new growth catalysts to potential constraints depending on how rules get written and enforced.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Bhau Kotecha, Co-Founder and Head of Paxos Labs. Listen in as they discuss why stablecoins are becoming the default onchain financial building block, how Paxos and Paxos Labs power major tokenization and crypto brokerage initiatives (including PYUSD and USDG) while making DeFi services like lending, borrowing, staking, and yield strategies safer and easier for institutions to embed, why the Washington policy fight is shifting toward rewards and yield as the key battleground after the GENIUS Act, how stablecoins could reshape bank deposit economics while strengthening global dollar adoption, and why issuer strategy often starts on Ethereum before expanding cross-chain due to liquidity bootstrapping, developer network effects, and security considerations.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Jillian Friedman, Chief Operating Officer at Symbiotic. Listen in as they discuss Jill's journey from founding a crypto-focused law firm in 2014 to helping pioneer Canada's early digital asset market infrastructure, why regulatory ambiguity has pushed talent and innovation out of Canada, how U.S. stablecoin policy is converging on the key battle over yield as the GENIUS Act is implemented and the proposed CLARITY Act takes shape, and how Symbiotic's "shared security" model aims to unlock capital efficiency by connecting onchain staked assets with networks and applications that need economic security and risk underwriting.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Eric Piscini, CEO of Hashgraph. Listen in as they discuss Eric's early work building Deloitte's blockchain practice, why enterprises initially leaned toward private and permissioned systems, how today's focus has shifted from "buying blockchain" to buying real solutions, what makes Hedera's 32-member Governing Council model distinctive (including governance, validators, and industry-spanning adoption), how regulatory clarity in the U.S. and Europe is shaping institutional engagement, and how interoperability, hybrid architectures (public + private), stablecoins, tokenization, and developer traction could define the next phase of enterprise blockchain adoption.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Thomas Uhm, Chief Commercial Officer at the Jito Foundation and Advisor to Jito Labs. Listen in as they discuss what Abu Dhabi Finance Week and Solana Breakpoint reveal about institutional crypto sentiment, why ADGM is emerging as a serious hub for digital asset regulation and capital formation (with major players spanning BlackRock, Circle, Tether and more), how Solana's market structure is evolving through Jito's block-building, priority-fee "tips," and the upcoming BAM framework for application-controlled execution, what MEV is and how networks can reduce harmful forms of it while still securing validators, why Solana's performance under large DDoS pressure reinforces the "internet capital markets" thesis, and what 2026 could bring—from JitoSOL liquid-staking ETFs (and an options-driven structured products wave) to Breakpoint landing in London.

Join Andrew Young as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Rachel Mayer, VP of Product at Arc. Listen in as they discuss Circle's launch of Arc as a USDC-centric layer one network designed for predictable gas fees, instant finality, and compliant privacy, the rapid shift in stablecoin regulation and the impact of the GENIUS Act, the rise of non-USD stablecoins and tokenized FX markets, how RWAs, Morpho-style vault structures, and tokenized treasuries could reshape global capital flows, and why Arc's architecture, interoperability strategy, and potential transition to delegated proof-of-stake position it as a core platform for the next wave of institutional onchain finance.

Join Alex Tapscott and Andrew Young as they decode the world of crypto with special guest Federico Brokate, Global Head of Business Development at 21Shares. Listen in as they discuss the rapid rise of Bitcoin ETFs from IBIT's record-breaking launch to today's shifting mix of retail and institutional holders, the tension and interplay between DATs and ETFs as vehicles for crypto exposure, how new SEC generic listing standards have opened the door to products on Solana, Ethereum, XRP, Doge and even staked assets, the case for index and basket strategies such as top-10 ex-Bitcoin products and future active and factor-based crypto ETFs, why this cycle's "Bitcoin up, everything else lagging" dynamic is reshaping how investors think about diversification and power-law outcomes in digital assets, and how jurisdictions from Brazil and South Korea to Saudi Arabia are building regulated ETF frameworks that could broaden global access to the asset class.

Join Alex Tapscott and Andrew Young as they decode the world of crypto. Listen in as they discuss the recent selloff in AI-led equity markets and how shifts in Fed cut expectations and data-center-driven capex are rippling into Bitcoin and crypto, the White House's AI "Genesis" push and the emergence of AI as systemically important infrastructure, the rise of AI-generated "slop" content and hyper-personalized ads versus a potential backlash toward tech detoxing, why Bitcoin still looks structurally attractive amid ongoing fiscal debasement and generational rotation from gold, and how improving fundamentals in Ethereum and DeFi, mispriced app tokens, and the evolution of DATs and ETF-like structures could create asymmetric opportunities for institutional investors.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Seamus Rocca, Executive Director and CEO of Xapo Bank. Listen in as they discuss Xapo's evolution from the original Bitcoin cold-storage pioneer to a fully regulated private bank, its focus on serving emerging market clients seeking safety in Bitcoin and U.S. dollars, the integration of stablecoins and yield-bearing accounts as a bridge between crypto and traditional banking, the implications of Bitcoin ETFs and digital asset treasuries for institutional adoption, and how Xapo's conservative, Bitcoin-first model is redefining what private banking looks like in the digital age.

Dive into the recent crypto flash crash, where a single tweet sparked a liquidation cascade, revealing vulnerabilities in leverage and liquidity. Discover why Bitcoin and Ethereum are recovering while altcoins struggle due to flawed tokenomics and pressure from exchange listings. Learn about the rise of on-chain trading platforms and how TradFi integration may address liquidity issues. Plus, explore the significance of new ETFs for institutional access and the evolving dynamics of digital-asset-treasuries as they navigate a turbulent market.