The Crypto Beat

In this episode of the Crypto Beat, Tim Copeland and Kelvin Sparks are joined by Mason Nystrom, Junior Partner at Pantera, to discuss how stablecoins could be the tech that transforms fintech fails to be more internet blockchain native, what the Hyperliquid USDH bidding war signals for capturing payment flow, and the tokenization of real-world assets including collectibles like Pokemon cards. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:44 - Mason’s origin in crypto 03:35 - Research vs. VC investing 04:46 - The $1T stablecoin thesis 06:31 - Tempo: Stripe/Paradigm’s payments L1 08:55 - Retail upside & neutrality questions 14:18 - Why Stripe self-disrupts 20:12 - Hyperliquid’s USDH bidding war 23:43 - RWAs: tokenized collectibles 28:48 - Launchpads & DeFi platformization 33:08 - SocFi: Pump.fun vs. FriendTech 43:59 - Prediction markets & regulation 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: Mason Nystrom - https://x.com/masonnystrom Pantera - https://x.com/PanteraCapital 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 this episode of the Crypto Beat, Tim Copeland and Kelvin Sparks are joined by Tonstrat Executive Chairman Manuel Stotz to discuss why Telegram’s scale gives TON a unique edge. The chat hits mini-apps UX, stablecoins/remittances and gaming, U.S. access, and how to manage 80% drawdowns. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:25 - Background 05:24 - Kingsway to Crypto focus 07:31 - Portfolio mix 12:08 - Telegram edge & TON thesis 18:15 - Super-app in the West 20:10 - Regulatory past & decentralization 27:10 - Mini apps vs dApps UX 29:15 - Stablecoins/payments/games 43:55 - Ton Strategy treasury model 49:41 - Risk management & staking yield 59:45 - Premiums, cycles & outlook 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: Manuel Stotz - https://x.com/manuelstotz Ton Strategy Co - https://x.com/tonstrat 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 this episode of the Crypto Beat, Tim Copeland and Kelvin Sparks are joined by Flight3 founders Joylon and Harry Horsfall to discuss London's crypto scene, Zebu Live and the recent crypto market downturn. Harry and Joylon explained what goes into making a conference successful, London’s evolving crypto scene, and what to expect from this year’s Zebu Live conference. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 00:50 - Market Crash Reactions & Risk Lessons 02:50 - DeFi Stress Test: Protocols Held Up 04:16 - IQ Quiz, Humility, FOMO & Recovery Outlook 08:26 - What Actually Happened During The Crash 11:21 - Monad Airdrop and the Airdrop Playbook 14:35 - London Crypto Scene's Revival 16:09 - UK’s Regulatory Status 20:03 - Proposed UK Stablecoin Cap 22:52 - The Future of UK Crypto 25:10 - Zebu Live 2025: Program & Why Attend 27:05 - Curation, Conference Vibes 32:49 - Standout Moments & 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: Harry Harsfall - ⁠https://x.com/HarryHorsfall_ Joylon Horsfall - https://x.com/0x_styx Zebu Live - ⁠https://x.com/Zebu_live Flight3 - https://x.com/Flight3official 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 this episode of the Crypto Beat, Kelvin Sparks chats with Alex Gluchowski, co-founder and CEO of Matter Labs to discuss the Atlas upgrade, which promises to revolutionize performance and privacy. They explore zero-knowledge proofs and their role in scaling Ethereum. They also discuss the cypherpunk ethos, technological challenges, and Matter Labs' vision for the future. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 00:31 – Privacy: The New Meta 02:45 – Cypherpunk Roots 04:29 – User Experience of Scaled Privacy 07:24 – Trust Assumptions in Privacy 09:25 – Incorruptible Financial Systems 14:15 – Innovation in Cryptography 19:13 – Rewarding Experiences at Matter Labs 22:01 – Navigating Challenges 24:17 – Introducing the Atlas Upgrade 30:53 – Benefits of Instant Settlement 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: Alex Gluchowski - https://x.com/gluk64 Matter Labs - https://x.com/the_matter_labs ZKsync - https://x.com/zksync 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 Crypto Beat's Co-Host Kelvin Sparks, was joined by GOAT Network Co-Founder and CEO Kevin Liu in Seoul, South Korea on the sidelines of Korea Blockchain Week in this episode sponsored by GOAT Network. Kevin explains how his team is scaling Bitcoin through a ZK rollup Layer 2 that maintains Bitcoin’s core security while unlocking new use cases. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 00:36 - Bitcoin ideology and early influences 01:27 - Goat Network’s vision for Bitcoin Layer 2 02:29 - Unlocking Bitcoin’s potential through scalability 03:40 - Evolution from BitVM to GoatBitVM 06:37 - Preserving Bitcoin security in Layer 2 design 09:40 - Trade-offs in building ZK rollups for Bitcoin 11:00 - Lessons learned from Ethereum rollups 13:16 - Yield generation on Bitcoin with Goat Network 16:55 - Balancing sustainability and slashing risk 18:57 - Running a node and sequencer competition 20:09 - Differentiating yield strategies from corporates 22:46 - Opcodes and technical trade-offs 24:02 - Building the Goat Network community 28:31 - Token launch and future of Bitcoin Layer 2 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: Kevin Liu - https://x.com/kevinliub GOAT Network - https://x.com/GOATRollup 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 Jito Co-Founder & CEO Lucas Bruder and Jito Foundation Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Uhm. In this episode, Tim, Thomas and Lucas discuss the evolving U.S. regulatory stance on crypto, including the SEC’s Project Crypto and rulings on liquid staking, and how innovations like BAM and JitoSOL could unlock institutional adoption, tighter markets, and broader yield opportunities. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 01:18 – What is Liquid Staking? 04:00 – SEC's Stance on Liquid Staking 07:23 – Impact on Solana and Ecosystems 12:05 – Institutional Adoption 16:21 – ETFs and Liquid Staking 18:37 – Layer One Announcements 24:11 – Introducing BAM 27:52 – Solana Ecosystem Sentiment 30:21 – Solana vs. Ethereum 33:53 – Future of Blockchains 39:15 – Future Priorities for Jito 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: Thomas Uhm - https://x.com/ThomasUhm Lucas Bruder - https://x.com/buffalu__ Jito - https://x.com/jito_sol Jito Foundation - https://x.com/JitoFDN 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, and co-host Kelvin Sparks were joined by CoinFund’s Kavan Canekeratne. In this episode, Tim, Kelvin and Kavan discuss the evolving U.S. regulatory stance on crypto, including the SEC’s Project Crypto and rulings on liquid staking. He explains the rise of perpetuals, tokenized assets, stablecoins, and the competitive dynamics of exchanges, while highlighting risks around leverage, meme coins, and treasury companies. The discussion closes with Ethereum vs. Solana, Bitcoin DeFi, and the growing overlap between crypto and gambling. OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 00:42 - Crypto in 401Ks and U.S. regulatory shifts 03:42 - Roman Storm trial  04:47 - Explosion of perpetuals trading 06:18 - Exchange competition 07:38 - Tokenized stocks and global adoption 11:12 - Risks of leverage and stablecoin clarity 16:30 - Tokenized RWAs  17:32 - Ethereum’s resurgence vs. Solana’s momentum 22:37 - Rollups, UX improvements, and scaling Ethereum 24:48 - Meme coins, NFTs, and evolving adoption cycles 30:32 - Bitcoin DeFi & treasury companies 40:08 - 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: Kavan Canekeratne - ⁠https://x.com/kavancane Coinfund -⁠ https://x.com/coinfund_io 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, and co-host Kelvin Sparks was joined by Securitize President Michael Sonnenshein. In this episode, Sonnenshein explores the evolving market for tokenized securities, and explains the advantages of bringing traditional assets like equities, treasuries, and private credit onto public blockchains in a fully regulated, investor-protective way. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 00:37 – Promotion to President 01:28 – White House Digital Asset Report 03:44 – Regulatory Interest in Security Tokens 05:40 – Vision for Tokenized Equities 09:07 – Demand for Tokenized Treasuries 10:38 – Path to One Trillion in Tokenized Securities 12:38 – Robinhood and Tokenized Equities 15:24 – Benefits of Tokenized Equities 19:43 – Hamilton Lane Integration with Elixir 22:05 – Grayscale Bitcoin ETF Reflections 23:30 – SEC and In-kind Redemption 26:08 – Future of ETFs 26:17 – Systemic Risk of Bitcoin Treasury Companies 28:26 – 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: Michael Sonnenshein - https://x.com/Sonnenshein Securitize -⁠ https://x.com/Securitize 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 Federico Brokate, head of U.S. Business at 21Shares. In this episode, Tim and Federico discuss the remarkable success of Bitcoin ETFs. Brokate delves into institutional adoption trends, future crypto ETF developments, and potential shifts in market dynamics. The conversation also touches on burgeoning institutional interest in new crypto assets. OUTLINE 00:00 – Introduction 00:25 – Bitcoin ETFs' Success 04:43 – Hedge Funds and Basis Trade 06:11 – Options on ETFs 09:35 – From BlackRock to 21Shares 11:49 – International vs US Demand 14:49 – Selecting Assets 18:18 – Next Major Developments in Crypto ETFS 22:24 – Tokenized Equities 23:45 – Composable ETFs and DeFi 24:57 – Regulatory Environment Shifts 26:43 – Bitcoin Treasury Concerns 29:05 – Systemic Risk in Crypto Markets 29:53 – 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: Federico - ⁠⁠https://x.com/Fede_Brokate 21Shares - https://x.com/21Shares 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 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