Bankless

Ruchir Sharma, investor and author known for his insights on global macro trends, explores the intertwining of U.S. dominance and AI's impact on growth. He discusses why the U.S.'s exceptionalism may be peaking, pointing toward a rebound in international markets. Ruchir emphasizes the importance of diversifying investments with exposure to quality stocks and emerging markets like India and China. He also warns about the potential risks of an AI bubble and gives a measured take on Bitcoin as a hedge amidst evolving economic landscapes.

Bryan Johnson, an entrepreneur and longevity advocate, presents his 'Don't Die' moral philosophy, emphasizing existence as the highest virtue. He discusses how societal engineering can address issues like inequality and stagnation in a future influenced by AI. Johnson outlines his Blueprint program for improving health and behavior, stressing collective action for longevity. He also connects innovations in crypto, reflecting on his Braintree experience, as a potential way to support a shared commitment to sustain life and combat entropy.

Tom Schmidt, a venture capital partner at Dragonfly and crypto investor, joins as co-host to explore the jittery crypto market. They discuss Trump's ambitious housing proposals and their potential impact on the economy. The conversation shifts to Coinbase's return of ICOs and Uniswap's highly anticipated fee switch. Privacy takes center stage with Zcash's staggering 4,000% surge and the legal risks for privacy developers. Finally, they dissect JPMorgan's launch of a deposit token, hinting at a new horizon for institutional crypto.

Justin Drake, an Ethereum researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, dives deep into the transformative Lean Ethereum vision. He discusses scaling Ethereum's Layer 1 to a staggering 10,000 TPS while enhancing decentralization through zkSNARKs. Justin explains the key tradeoffs between throughput and decentralization, and outlines a four-phase roadmap for mandatory proofs. He emphasizes the potential of native rollups to eliminate gas ceilings and shares insights on real-time proving and the ecosystem's competitive landscape. This is Ethereum in Beast Mode!

Robbie Mitchnick, Head of Digital Assets at BlackRock, dives into the future of crypto and tokenization. He discusses how institutions are adapting to market cycles and why recent sell-offs might not deter long-term crypto adoption. Mitchnick highlights BlackRock's innovative tokenized money market funds and the essential need for regulatory clarity. He emphasizes the importance of stablecoins in reshaping banking, while outlining a 24–36 month timeline for significant industry changes. Plus, his insights on institutional allocations will intrigue any investor!

Join Hasib Qureshi, a prominent crypto investor and researcher, as he dives into the hot topics of the crypto market. They debate whether the crypto bull market is really over amid AI’s rise, dissect the implications of a startling $128M Balancer hack, and question the integrity of prediction markets triggered by big players like Brian Armstrong. Plus, discussions on the fragility of leverage in the market, the impact of institutional adoption, and the controversial role of Bitcoin as a potential 'BlackRock coin' add layers of intrigue!

Haonan Li, Co-founder and CEO of Codex, shares insights on the evolving landscape of stablecoins. He explains how Codex is tackling fiat-to-stablecoin friction and why on-chain FX could drive global flows. The conversation dives into the differences between stablecoin chains, the importance of neutrality, and Codex's strategic choice to operate as an Ethereum layer-2. Li also highlights the significance of reducing transaction frictions and the need for app-specific rollups to enhance Ethereum's value.

In this engaging discussion, Sam Ragsdale, CEO of Merit Systems and innovator behind x402, dives into the transformative potential of crypto micropayments. He reveals how x402 revives the long-dormant "Payment Required" status code to allow seamless transactions for AI agents and humans alike. Discover how this protocol could change everything from online business models to autonomous commerce. Sam also shares insights on privacy, the evolution of transaction flows, and the opportunities for developers to reshape the internet monetization landscape.

Mike Bird, Editor at The Economist and author of The Land Trap, explores the intriguing world of land as a $180 trillion asset. He discusses how superstar cities struggle with underbuilding, leading to skyrocketing housing costs. Bird reveals how mortgages link banks to land, amplifying credit cycles. The conversation dives into historical property records, Japan's land bubble, and China's unique land markets. He also offers solutions for the land trap, suggesting policy remedies like taxing land-value uplift to fund essential infrastructure.

Luke Gromen, a macro investor and founder of FFTT, dives into the new regime of debasement, explaining why traditional assets may appear strong in dollar terms but stagnate when viewed through the lens of gold and Bitcoin. He highlights the geopolitical shift favoring gold over treasuries and argues the implications of a possible gold revaluation. Additionally, Gromen discusses the risk factors surrounding paper gold and the potential roles of Bitcoin as the global financial landscape evolves. His insights provide a thought-provoking framework for navigating a 100-year reset.