On The Brink with Castle Island

Dan Tapiero, the Managing Partner or 10T Holdings joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Dan’s pre-crypto career as a macro manager and entrepreneur and the path that led him to founding 10T Holdings The institutional narrative for Bitcoin and cryptoassets and how this thesis interplays with gold Views on layer one smart contract platforms and how to think about value accrual on these networks How Dan is approaching growth stage opportunities in this industry To learn more about 10T visit: 10tfund.com Follow Dan on Twitter @DTAPCAP  

Michael Greenwald is a former U.S. Treasury official with expertise in sanctions programs and using USD infrastructure to promote policy objectives. In this episode:  What the weaponization of the dollar really means How sanctions mechanically work How Treasury and the State Dept carry out sanctions The risk of sanctions wearing blunt as a tool  The growth of sanctions post 9/11 How sanctions against Russia represented a sea change in policy How the US deputizes SWIFT for sanctions How and why Europeans tried to route around US sanctions on Iran Is the US led international order fraying? China's attempt to build a parallel financial infrastructure to challenge the dollar The objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative The purpose of the digital yuan Can the yuan challenge the primacy of the dollar in the international system? How China uses the belt and road initiative to advance the yuan How the US should react to China's aggressive move into closer economic relationships with the third world What a digital US dollar or CBDC might look like How the US can reassert dominance in the international sphere Michael's thoughts on stablecoins and Bitcoin Read Michael's paper, The Future of the US Dollar Sponsor notes: Copper is transforming how institutional investors engage with digital assets by developing award-winning custody and next-gen trading infrastructure. Headquartered in London, the firm is scaling rapidly across Asia and North America to bring its suite of products to a wider pool of institutional investors. To learn more visit copper.co or reach out on Twitter, @CopperHQ

Nic and Matt return for another week of deals and news. In this episode:  We announce onthebrink.shop What was Robby Gutmann from NYDIG rumoring on our recent episode? Morgan Stanley opens up their platform to Bitcoin funds A new taxonomy for NFTs Bridging the gap between NFT fans and skeptics Why NFTs are not bearer assets and are liabilities of an issuer We break down a popular thread debunking NFTs Bitmex Research publishes a book on the blocksize war BoFa publishes a very bad report on Bitcoin India dithers on their cryptocurrency ban The parallels between the crypto wars of the 90s and state bans today Is there a double standard for Bitcoin versus other ETFs at the SEC? Is Gensler a grey swan for crypto markets? The SEC is officially on the clock for a new ETF application Why FTX should not buy the naming rights to the Miami Heat stadium Content referenced in this episode:  Nic Carter on Medium, Why NFTs are Hard to Explain Twitter thread on NFTs by Jonty BitMEX Research publishes 'The Blocksize War' SEC Comissioner Hester Pierce's speech, Paper, Plastic, Peer to Peer  This episode is brought to you by Sovryn, DeFi on Bitcoin.

Dennison Bertram and Raf Solari, the founders of Tally join the show. In this episode we discuss: Dennison and Raf’s career journeys into crypto and to founding Tally The current state of DeFi and how they think about an emerging taxonomy of projects Views on how voting and user interaction with DeFi protocols are evolving Comparison to legacy financial services like proxy voting How Tally is engaging with open-source communities to promote user engagement To learn more about Tally visit www.withtally.com  

Robby Gutmann, CEO and Co-founder of NYDIG, and Co-founder of Stone Ridge, joins the show to talk about his firm's Bitcoin and digital asset ambitions. In this episode:  The origins of NYDIG and Stone Ridge NYDIG's product suite and differentiation  NYDIG's deliberate pro-Bitcoin stance  Why Bitcoin is such a compelling opportunity to Robby Bitcoin's pace of development  How much attention NYDIG pays to core development Is there a contradiction between open source money and institutionalization?  What explains client enthusiasm for Bitcoin in 2021 Sponsor notes: Copper is transforming how institutional investors engage with digital assets by developing award-winning custody and next-gen trading infrastructure. Headquartered in London, the firm is scaling rapidly across Asia and North America to bring its suite of products to a wider pool of institutional investors. To learn more visit copper.co or reach out on Twitter, @CopperHQ

Nic and Matt return for another intense week of deals. In this episode:  New Bitcoin FUD dice? Is there any new Bitcoin FUD? Beeple sells an NFT for $69m Are NFTs art or the autograph? The missing link for NFTs – where do you show off your NFTs and demonstrate status? One issue with NFTs and IP Is NY Life getting into crypto? Norwegian oil billionaire embraces Bitcoin DCG buys back GBTC to bring it back to NAV Scenarios for how GBTC redemption occurs Why GBTC trading at a discount is better for retail investors Moneygram and Ripple are no longer partners Grayscale hires an entire ETF team Should the US start a strategic Bitcoin reserve? Why Bitcoin makes sense for central banks Why CBDCs will never provide real cash-like assurances Content mentioned:  Aker Shareholder Letter This episode is brought to you by Sovryn, DeFi on Bitcoin.

Zac Prince, CEO and Cofounder of BlockFi joins the show once again to discuss BlockFi's newly announced Series D financing and to discuss market dynamics. In this episode:  Announcing the Series D round of financing Growth of revenues and clients on the platform How BlockFi classifies itself in the taxonomy of banking, fintech, and brokerage Market worries around the GBTC discount Why did GBTC flip to being discounted? What the GBTC discount means for BlockFi How do the current GBTC dynamics affect Bitcoin interest rates, if at all? One unexpected way the GBTC discount could disappear The prospects for "busting the trust" How Zac thinks about public messaging and the Twitter environment What fraction of the bitcoin interest rate the GBTC trade represents What's next for BlockFi Prior BlockFi OTB episodes:  Rene Van Kesteren on how BlockFi manages Risk  Zac Prince on growing BlockFi through a pandemic

Matthew Le Merle, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Fifth Era and Blockchain Coinvestors joins the show. In this episode we discuss: Matthew’s views on The Rise of Generation C and some of the trends he foresaw ten years ago Views on the GameStop / WSB saga and what this portends for the financial markets in the years to come The state of the cryptoasset market and the infrastructure that is being deployed in 2021 How he thinks about approaching this industry as a leading fund of funds   Learn more about Blockchain Coinvestors at their website and follow Matthew on Twitter @mlemerle   

David Vorick, the cofounder and CEO of Nebulous, the firm developing the Sia network, joins the show once again to talk about the growth of decentralized cloud storage. In this episode:  Skynet reaches its 1 year anniversary Dweb versus Web3 Current capacity and utilization of the Sia network Where Sia stacks up in terms of the decentralized storage networks by usage How the internet ended up massively siloed Why data portability and thin internet applications are so important Current breakout applications of decentralized storage New models for authentication for web apps How the dweb could return the internet to its 90s-era topology The current state of property rights on the internet The intersection between Handshake and Sia

Matt and Nic are back. In this episode: More cured meats drama The Singapore sovereign wealth fund invests in Anchorage Will they or wont they - Goldman edition Bitcoin completes Paypal's original vision Schwab looks to add support for crypto Kings of Leon NFT Are NFTs the first truly mainstream application of blockchains? Are today's centralized public blockchains just a return of private blockchains? Citi releases the case for bitcoin GBTC trades at a steep discount to NAV and what it means Is the GBTC arbitrage trade over? Should startups hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets? How does 2021 feel compared to 2018? Are we likely to see another 70%+ drawdown? Content mentioned in this episode:  Bloomberg's Crypto Outlook, Mike McGlone Understanding Bitcoin, Jurrien Timmer Bitcoin at the Tipping Point, City GPS This episode is brought to you by Sovryn, DeFi on Bitcoin.