The Crypto Beat

Anthony Pompliano and Jeff Park argue that deflation, not inflation, may be Bitcoin’s biggest headwind, challenging the narrative that fueled institutional adoption in 2020. They suggest institutions aren’t trying to exit fiat, but are instead integrating Bitcoin into the legacy system to attract new clients and revenue. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:30 - The Independent Investor 05:45 - Institutions & Bitcoin 08:20 - Bitcoin vs Altcoins 12:00 - Biggest Risks to Bitcoin 17:30 - The Weak Dollar Play 22:00 - AI & Occupy AI 28:15 - Favorite Investments 33:00 - Long-Term Outlook Guest links: Anthony Pompliano - https://x.com/APomplianoJeff Park - https://x.com/dgt10011Kelvin Sparks - https://x.com/imyoungsparksTim Copeland - https://x.com/timccopeland --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News 👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis 📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto? 🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block! ✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test ⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theblock.co/campus

Anthony Pompliano and Jeff Park argue that deflation, not inflation, may be Bitcoin’s biggest headwind, challenging the narrative that fueled institutional adoption in 2020. They suggest institutions aren’t trying to exit fiat, but are instead integrating Bitcoin into the legacy system to attract new clients and revenue. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:30 - The Independent Investor 05:45 - Institutions & Bitcoin 08:20 - Bitcoin vs Altcoins 12:00 - Biggest Risks to Bitcoin 17:30 - The Weak Dollar Play 22:00 - AI & Occupy AI 28:15 - Favorite Investments 33:00 - Long-Term Outlook Guest links: Anthony Pompliano - https://x.com/APomplianoJeff Park - https://x.com/dgt10011Kelvin Sparks - https://x.com/imyoungsparksTim Copeland - https://x.com/timccopeland --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News 👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis 📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto? 🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block! ✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test ⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theblock.co/campus

Anthony Pompliano and Jeff Park argue that deflation, not inflation, may be Bitcoin’s biggest headwind, challenging the narrative that fueled institutional adoption in 2020. They suggest institutions aren’t trying to exit fiat, but are instead integrating Bitcoin into the legacy system to attract new clients and revenue. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:30 - The Independent Investor 05:45 - Institutions & Bitcoin 08:20 - Bitcoin vs Altcoins 12:00 - Biggest Risks to Bitcoin 17:30 - The Weak Dollar Play 22:00 - AI & Occupy AI 28:15 - Favorite Investments 33:00 - Long-Term Outlook Guest links: Anthony Pompliano - https://x.com/APomplianoJeff Park - https://x.com/dgt10011Kelvin Sparks - https://x.com/imyoungsparksTim Copeland - https://x.com/timccopeland --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News 👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis 📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto? 🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block! ✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test ⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theblock.co/campus

The Block's Kelvin Sparks was joined by Solstice Founder Ben Nadareski and BonkX founder Jovan Tisma, who argue stablecoins will become the standard settlement layer within 10 years, compressing bank margins but unlocking DeFi access for retail. They stress the importance preserving permissionless principles while institutionalizing, and believe lifestyle-focused payments—not speculation—will drive mainstream adoption. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 03:00 - Why Crypto Payments 10:00 - The 10-Year Horizon 12:00 - Building on Solana 17:00 - Breaking Into Payments 23:00 - Banks vs Stablecoins 30:00 - Onboarding Retail 34:00 - Lifestyle Banking 38:00 - Where Value Accrues 45:45 - The USX Incident Guest links: Solstice - ⁠https://twitter.com/solsticefi Ben Nadareski - https://twitter.com/ben_solstice BonkX - ⁠https://twitter.com/BonkX_SOL Jovan Tisma - ⁠https://twitter.com/tishmica --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News 👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis 📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto? 🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block! ✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test ⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theblock.co/campus

Tim Copeland and Kelvin Sparks were joined by Mike Cahill from Pyth and Niklas Kunkel from Chronicle discuss how oracles are transforming from simple price feeds into critical infrastructure for tokenized real-world assets. They explore the explosive growth in tokenized money market funds and CLOs, the shift toward B2B adoption by DeFi protocols rather than retail, and new business models—Pyth's data subscription hit $1M ARR in weeks while Chronicle scaled to $6B in tokenized funds in under a year. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 02:06 - Pyth's RWA Origins 05:25 - Going Cross-Chain 07:51 - Oracle Competition Metrics 12:04 - Chronicle's DeFi Journey 17:17 - Retail vs Institutional 23:21 - Corporate Chains 34:27 - Pyth Reserve & Buybacks 41:24 - Building Without a Token 45:47 - 2026 Predictions Guest links: Pyth - https://x.com/PythNetwork Mike Cahill - https://x.com/mdomcahill Chronicle - https://x.com/ChronicleLabs Niklas Kunkel - https://x.com/nomos_paradox --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News 👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis 📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉⁠⁠⁠ https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto? 🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block! ✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test ⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://theblock.co/campus

Tim Copeland was joined by Andrew Keys, Co-Founder of The Ether Machine, and Guilherme Gomes, Founder and CEO of OranjeBTC todiscuss the rapid rise of digital asset treasury companies. The conversation explored how these firms aim to outperform crypto ETFs through active management, including staking, DeFi, leverage, and capital markets strategies, while highlighting the risks around execution, premiums to NAV, and long-term sustainability. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:25 - Current State of Digital Asset Treasury Companies 04:28 - DeFi Strategies and Risk Management 09:13 - Why Investors Choose DATs Over ETFs 14:04 - Market Access and Regulatory Considerations 20:52 - Hong Kong Regulator Concerns About Premiums 26:36 - Share Buybacks and Finding Equilibrium 30:47 - Bitcoin vs Ethereum: Different Asset Profiles 34:42 - Market Cap Decline: From $176B to $100B 40:26 - MicroStrategy's Average Buy Price Risk 47:11 - The Flywheel Effect and Selling Scenarios 51:13 - US Insider Trading Probe 52:24 - Niche Token Treasuries and Liquidity Concerns 55:06 - Closing Remarks Guest links: Andrew Keys - https://x.com/AK_EtherMachine The Ether Machine - https://x.com/TheEtherMachine Guilherme Gomes - https://x.com/GuiAmadoGomes OranjeBTC - https://x.com/oranjebtc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News 👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis 📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉⁠⁠ https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiring in crypto? 🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block! ✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test ⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 ⁠⁠https://theblock.co/campus

In episode 52 of the Crypto Beat, Kelvin Sparks and Tim Copeland were joined by Bybit CEO Ben Zhou to discuss how he bootstrapped a derivatives-focused exchange and grew Bybit into a one-stop crypto platform. Ben also reflects on managing a $1B hack with radical transparency, surviving brutal bear markets, and why he thinks RWAs and on-chain capital markets will be a defining theme going into 2026. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 02:05 - Derivatives-First Bybit 05:09 - Cards & User Acquisition 08:21 - Prediction Markets & Competition 11:33 - CEX vs On-Chain Perps 13:44 - Mantle, BitDAO & L2 Strategy 18:28 - Market Outlook & Liquidity 21:40 - Hiring, Culture & Layoffs 28:14 - Bootstrapping & Product Focus 30:41 - $1B Hack & Hard Lessons 36:46 - RWAs, Tokenized Stocks & 2026 Guest links: Ben Zhou - https://x.com/benbybit Bybit - https://x.com/Bybit_Official ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News 👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis 📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉⁠ https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiring in crypto? 🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block! ✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test ⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 ⁠https://theblock.co/campus

In episode 51 of the Crypto Beat, Kelvin Sparks was joined by "Code is Law" co-director James Craig and Wildcat Finance co-founder Lawrence Day discuss the real human, technical, and legal fallout of major DeFi hacks, and the origins and making of the documentary. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introductions 03:00 – The Hack That Sparked the Film 07:00 – Idealists vs. Pragmatists in Early Crypto 10:00 – Emotion, Trauma, and Recalling Major Hacks 13:00 – Two Lines of Code and the Fragility of Money 18:30 – The Psychological Toll of Exploits 20:50 – Rise of White Hats 23:00 – Law Enforcement’s Blind Spots 24:30 – Internet Culture: Schadenfreude and Chaos 28:00 – The Ogle Interview Story 32:00 – Why Builders Keep Building After Being Hacked 38:00 – Code vs. Law: The New Legal Battleground Guest links: James Craig - https://x.com/jamescraig1111 Code is Law - https://x.com/CodeIsLawFilm Laurence Day - https://x.com/functi0nZer0 Wildcat - https://x.com/wildcatfi ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters! 🚨 Breaking News 👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis 📈 Market Insights Subscribe now 👉 https://www.theblock.co/newsletters ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiring in crypto? 🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block! ✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test ⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams Start your free trial today 👉 https://theblock.co/campus

In episode 50 of the Crypto Beat, Tim Copeland and Kelvin Sparks were joined by The Block's policy reporter Sarah Wynn and Moto Legal founding partner Chris Elias to break down how the Genius and Clarity Acts aim to pull crypto talent and businesses back to the U.S. by finally clarifying SEC/CFTC rules. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 02:34 - Impact of the Genius Act on Stablecoins 05:10 - The Clarity Act Explained 10:41 - How the Bill Evolved Over Time 16:47 - The Exodus & Return of Crypto Projects 19:13 - How Projects Seek Legal Guidance 23:28 - Political Parties' Impact on the Bill 28:21 - Government Shutdown Impact on Legislation 34:08 - Will the US Become the Crypto Capital? 37:24 - 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: Chris Elias - https://x.com/itschriselias Moto Legal - https://www.motolegal.io/ Sarah Wynn - https://x.com/ForTheWynn_ 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

In episode 49 of the Crypto Beat, Tim Copeland was joined by Gnosis Co-Founder Stefan George, EtherFi CEO Mike Silagadze, and Ready Co-Founder Itamar Lesuisse to break down how cheap L2s, new fiat rails and self-custody are turning high-reward “crypto cards” into full-blown global neobanks that can realistically challenge Revolut, Amex and traditional banks. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 02:37 - Bridging DeFi to daily spend 03:58 - Why demand is surging 08:17 - Neobank revenue model 13:04 - Cost of issuing cards 15:04 - Regional issuance hurdles 19:00 - New user segments 22:27 - What is a crypto neobank 26:28 - Fixing crypto UX 32:27 - Cost and global scale edge 37:40 - Power of composability 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: Stefan George - https://x.com/StefanDGeorge Gnosis - https://x.com/gnosis_ Mike Silagadze - https://x.com/MikeSilagadze EtherFi - https://x.com/ether_fi Itamar Lesuisse - https://x.com/itamarl Ready - https://x.com/ready_co 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