The Crypto Beat

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Veda co-founder and CEO Sun Raghupathi. Tim and Sun discussed how DeFi vaults are simplifying complex finance systems and looking to drive mainstream and institutional adoption. Sun explained on Veda's Vault architecture, the importance of security, and the evolving competitive landscape in the DeFi space. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 00:25 – What is Veda? 03:31 – Potential Contagion Risks 04:30 – GMX Hack 05:39 – DeFi Hacks  08:16 – Challenges of Building Vaults 09:48 – DeFi's Evolution 15:23 – Institutional Involvement 16:58 – Vault Uses in TradFi 17:47 – Tokenized Stocks 20:44 – Vaults vs. Staking 22:48 – Types of Vault Strategies 24:39 – AI in Vault Management 25:47 – Veda’s Future Plans 26:37 – Conclusion The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Sun - ⁠https://x.com/sunandr_ Veda - ⁠⁠https://x.com/veda_labs Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by OpenLedger Core Contributor Ram Kumar in this episodes sponsored by OpenLedger. Tim and Ram discussed the emerging intersection of decentralized AI and blockchain technology. Ram explains how OpenLedger is building infrastructure to let users contribute proprietary data to train AI models, with on-chain attribution and rewards for data contributors. The conversation covers OpenLedger’s upcoming mainnet launch, tokenomics, and the broader promise of creating a transparent, community-driven AI economy. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 01:02 – What is Openledger? 02:27 – Data Contribution Model 08:47 – Access to Agents 15:16 – Ensuring Quality Data 19:09 – Incentive Structures 23:18 – The Role of Tokens 24:56 – The Convergence of AI and Crypto 27:53 – Competing with Centralized Systems 30:23 – Openledger's Future and Success 33:32 – Data Economy Insights 36:17 – Conclusion The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Ram -⁠ https://x.com/Ramkumartweet⁠ OpenLedger - ⁠https://x.com/OpenledgerHQ⁠ Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Co-Host Kelvin Sparks and memecoin aficionado Murad. In this episode, Murad argues that the future of crypto lies in belief-driven, community-powered assets rather than short-term speculation or utility tokens. He explains why meme coins like SPX6900 are not just speculative plays but cultural and spiritual movements that offer their holders meaning, identity, and potential financial upside. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 00:47 – Memecoin Landscape 04:58 – Rise of Bonk.Fun 07:10 – The next six months 09:15 – SPX6900 as a Schelling Point 18:33 – Responsibilities with Memecoins 23:45 – Flipping the Stock Market  29:23 – Memecoin mullet 34:13 – Memecoin strategy 38:55 – Bitcoin Treasury Trade 45:47 – Crypto's Future 48:17 – Murad's Motivation in Crypto 52:56 – Creating or Moving Value 54:56 – Conclusion The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Murad - https://x.com/MustStopMurad Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Wormhole Co-Founder Robinson Burkey. In this episode, Copeland and Burkey discuss the growing adoption of multi-chain frameworks and increasing institutional interest in blockchain technology. The conversation also touches on tokenized assets and the growing emphasis on revenue in the crypto space. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 01:22 – Wormhole’s growth 04:07 – Which chains are seeing growth 06:47 – RWAs 08:57 – Tokenized Credit 11:47 – Wormhole's Role in RWA 14:14 – Institutional adoption 17:45 – Institution’s opening up to crypto 20:23 – Future Crypto Expansion 23:05 – IPOs and On-Chain Opportunities 25:54 – Wormhole’s Governance Model 32:06 – Effects of Shifting US regulations  36:00 – Potential For Revenue Sharing 37:51 – Conclusion The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Robinson Burkey -⁠ https://x.com/RobinsonBurkey Wormhole Foundation - https://x.com/wormholefdn Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Silhouette Founder Chandler De Kock. In this episode, Copeland and De Kock discuss Silhouette and dark pools, the integration of privacy features into DeFi, and the implications for market transparency. The conversation also touches on the role of market makers and recent industry trends on token launches. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 00:36 – Dark Pools Explained 03:34 – Ensuring Private Transactions 07:39 – Maintaining Standards 12:57 – Hyperliquid. 15:44 – James Wynn and Public Positions 19:48 – Challenges and Opportunities 21:38 – Market Maker Engagement 23:33 – Next Steps to Launch 28:55 – Conclusion The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Chandler De Kock -⁠ https://x.com/chandlerdkk Silhouette - https://x.com/silhouette_exhttps://x.com/silhouette_ex Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Alluvial CEO Mara Schmiedt. In this episode of The Crypto Beat, Copeland and Schmiedt discuss Alluvial's role in shaping institutional Ethereum staking. Schmiedt also discusses a new partnership between Liquid Collective and Galaxy, and shares insights on market trends, compliance, and the future of crypto regulations. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 00:34 – Alluvial's Mission 02:29 – Compliance and KYC 05:12 – ETH Withdrawals 06:05 – Partnership with Galaxy 08:02 – Institutional Staking Demand 10:06 – Adding ETH to balance sheets 12:38 – Convergence of Crypto and TradFi 14:24 – Institutional Adoption and Compliance 15:27 – SEC Staking Guidance 18:33 – Growth of Liquid Staking Tokens 20:06 – US Staking Lawsuits 21:21 – ETFs and Staking 25:50 – Future of Staking 26:57 – Conclusion The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Mara Schmiedt - https://x.com/MaraSchmiedt Alluvial - ⁠https://x.com/alluvialfinance Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Upexi CEO Allan Marshall and CEO Brian Rudick. In this episode, Marshall and Rudick explain why their company is going all-in on Solana as the core of a digital asset treasury strategy. They discuss the upside potential of Solana, staking yields, and how disciplined leverage and capital markets dynamics could mirror or improve on MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin playbook. OUTLINE 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Why Upexi chose Solana over Bitcoin 02:45 - Staking Solana and revenue benefits 04:41 - Regulatory clarity and the bull case 07:23 - Wen Solana ETF 10:39 - Explaining the premium 15:12 - Risk management  19:18 - Locked SOL supply and market impact 21:39 - GameStop & SharpLink 23:53 - Concerns about treasury strategies 26:32 - Navigating downturns in crypto 31:45 - Looking ahead 33:24 - Conclusion The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Allan Marhsall -⁠ ⁠⁠https://x.com/marshall_a22015 Brian Rudick - https://x.com/thetinyant Upexi - https://www.upexi.com/ Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Across Protocol Co-Founder Hart Lambur. In this episode, Copeland and Lambur discuss how Across Protocol is looking to revolutionize cross-chain interoperability by using an intent-based system that enables near-instant, secure asset transfers between blockchains. They also touched on Lambur's history as a bond trader at Goldman Sachs, chain abstraction, and crypto treasury companies. OUTLINE 00:00 – Intro 
 00:33 – What is Across Protocol?
 03:42 – How Intent-Based Bridging Works
 05:05 – Solver Mechanics Explained
 06:34 – Fee Structure & Value Prop
 09:07 – Lambur’s history with Goldman Sachs
 11:13 – Across and Intents
 14:57 – The Future of Seamless UX
 19:06 – Onboarding new users
 22:14 – Other Projects Lambur Likes
 26:55 – Market Outlook & Bitcoin Macro
 28:15 – MicroStrategy Copycats Risk?
 31:18 – Closing Remarks The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Hart Lambur - ⁠⁠https://x.com/hal2001 Across Protocol - ⁠https://x.com/AcrossProtocol⁠ Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Thrive Founder Daniel Jacobs. In this episode, Jacobs shares how Thrive uses a mix of expert and AI agent reviewers to validate contributions, making grant funding faster, fairer, and ensure they are supporting the creation of value. Jacobs also critiques the value-extraction mindset in crypto and advocates for a shift toward long-term value creation and ecosystem sustainability. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 01:03 – The Origin of Thrive 04:23 – Reviewer Incentives  05:35 – AI Agent Adoption 08:52 – Confirming AI Accuracy 12:36 – Comparisons to Kaito 13:58 – Growth Metrics 16:26 – Challenges in Crypto Grant Funding 20:50 – Extracting vs. Creating Value 25:07 – Are VCs good for the space? 28:37 – Moving into “Fundamental Season” 30:07 – Interesting projects 31:17 – Daniel’s Predictions for 2025 31:42 – Closing Thoughts The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Daniel Jacobs - ⁠https://x.com/thrivegiraffe Thrive Protocol - https://x.com/thriveprotocol Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Metamask Co-Founder Dan Finlay. In this episode, Copeland and Finlay discuss the evolution of the crypto industry, the intersection of blockchain and AI, and MetaMask's goal to build a wallet for a much broader audience outside of crypto natives. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 00:42 - Crypto’s evolution 02:57 - MetaMask's strategy 04:39 - Mainstream Use Cases  07:20 - MetaMask’s Grants Program 10:57 - Challenges in Building MetaMask 15:17 - Improving Multi-Chain UX 17:16 - The Pectra Upgrade 23:06 - MetaMask’s revenue streams 25:33 - From Memes to Fundamentals 27:58 - Experimenting with AI  32:19 - The Solana Meme Coin 37:04 - Native Support for Solana  40:09 - The Changing U.S. Regulatory Landscape 41:20 - The Elusive MetaMask Token 42:17 - Hopes for the Future 43:01 - Conclusion The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠ Guest links: Dan Finlay - https://x.com/danfinlay MetaMask - ⁠⁠https://x.com/MetaMask Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams. Sign up for a trial today: ⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/campus