Bloomberg Crypto

As investors around the world grapple with the reality of sustained declines in prices across crypto markets,  stakeholders are asking the question: what’s next? And in some cases, who’s next? In this episode of Bloomberg Crypto, reporter Emily Nicolle speaks with Alston Zecha, partner at global venture fund Eight Roads, for his perspectives on how the crypto winter is affecting sentiment and markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You could argue that crypto is no stranger to a recession: in fact, it was the financial crisis of 2008 that birthed the idea of Bitcoin In the first place. But this recession is a little different: in the decade or so since that formative Bitcoin whitepaper, crypto has experienced spectacular growth. Rising and record prices led to investor FOMO, or fear of missing out. But now, in the midst of this crypto winter, investors who entered the digital asset class during its “bull market” are reevaluating their entire relationships with the digital coin. For more on this shift from FOMO to "Oh No", Bloomberg reporter Claire Ballentine joins this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every day, around the world, the reporters and editors who work on crypto at Bloomberg wake up (often at the crack of dawn) and start figuring out how we’ll tackle the biggest and most important news events of the day. Crypto is a 24/7 asset class: it doesn’t stop trading, and it doesn’t take holidays. It’s our job to assess both the big trends and the small moments, and to figure out how to translate those into stories - and podcast episodes. In this episode, you’ll get to meet three of Bloomberg’s crypto editors, folks who are making decisions all day long about how we approach this asset class: Beth Williams and Dave Liedtka who are both based in New York, and Philip Lagerkranser, who’s based in Zurich. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the founding document that led to the invention of Bitcoin first appeared in 2008, Bitcoin’s true believers have adopted a philosophy that resembles “one for all and all for one." Bitcoin is often mentioned as a means to improve financial inclusion, to allow people oppressed by their governments to maintain or reclaim a sense of freedom. In Bitcoin, everyone’s equal - or so the theory goes. But does the theory match the reality of the ecosystem? On today's episode, Data Scientist Alyssa Blackburn and Dr Erez Lieberman Aiden, an Associate Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, join to discuss their research into who controlled Bitcoin from those early days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you want an example of the intense optimism of certain crypto investors, here’s one: Some investors are still buying the token known as Luna Classic, which has flatlined towards zero in the aftermath of the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin. Why are people so willing to buy up zombie coins? In this episode, Bloomberg  senior editor Mike Regan and Bloomberg reporter Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou stop in to discuss the motivations of these risk-takers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Depending on who you ask, crypto’s volatility is either a bug or a feature. Wild, unexpected or aggressive price swings make this an asset class that is ill suited to anyone who’s less experienced at managing risk. It’s clear that these swings can be challenging, but is there a world in which they’re perceived as a benefit? And if so, what’s the upside?  In this episode, Bloomberg Opinion columnist, Lionel Laurent joins to discuss whether there’s any value to crypto’s volatility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jump Crypto burst onto the scene less than a year ago, with the appointment of a former intern named Kanav Kariya as its founding president. Within just a few months, Jump Crypto has found itself spending hundreds of millions bailing market participants out because of a major DeFi hack, and having to navigate the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin. Undeterred by critics, Kanav Kariya believes that the market’s current volatility is the perfect time to double down. In this episode you’ll hear from Bloomberg reporters Katherine Doherty and Yueqi Yang, who went to Chicago to visit Jump’s headquarters and hear about what’s next for the firm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It feels like every country in the world is figuring out how they want to regulate crypto - or if they’ll even allow it to exist at all.  India is seen as one of the fastest-growing markets for crypto trading, something which its government isn’t too keen about. Bloomberg reporter Sidhartha Shukla joins me today to discuss India’s complicated history of crypto regulation, why they’re turning to taxes to curb speculation on the asset classes, and the potential lessons for other countries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sorare is one of several companies attempting to take the idea of collectibles like baseball cards and bring them into the digital context. In May, Sorare announced a partnership with Major League Baseball in the US. And Serena Williams is a member of their advisory board. Why is Sorare betting big on sports? Do collectibles really need to be on a blockchain? Will baseball players benefit from that Major League deal? On this episode, we’ll talk to Bloomberg reporter Hannah Miller and to Sorare’s CEO Nicola Julia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experimenting with who you are online, especially if those identities are really different from who you present to the analogue world, is not a new concept. Neal Stephenson famously coined the phrase “metaverse” back in 1992. So it’s no surprise that folks are using newish technologies like crypto and the blockchain to play with their self-expression. Some are even using blockchain-enabled structures to monetize their experiments with identity, including their gender presentation.In this episode, you'll hear from Bloomberg reporter Emily Nicolle and Florence Smith Nicholls, a doctoral student who researches games, ethics and artificial intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.