The Scoop

Armani Ferrante is the founder and CEO of the crypto wallet company Backpack and the creator of the MadLads NFT collection.In this episode of The Scoop recorded live at Solana Breakpoint 2023, Ferrante unpacks Backpack's plans to launch a new exchange in Dubai.As Ferrante explains, the new exchange is both an opportunity to bring a regulated crypto exchange to market and to bolster the Solana ecosystem:"We very much see a big opportunity in the international market, not only in the context of building a next generation exchange that embraces a lot of the technological innovations that blockchains and crypto at large has brought to the world, but also an opportunity to embrace the Solana ecosystem and kind of be that shepherd that bridges those two worlds."OUTLINE:00:00 - Introduction03:27 - Go to Market Strategy05:26 - Exchange Custody Transparency08:57 - Attracting Liquidity14:35 - Product Offering15:37 - Setting Up in Dubai20:03 - State of Solana EcosystemThis episode is brought to you by our sponsors PayPal.Make your crypto move with PayPal. Get started today at PayPal.com/crypto

Jupiter Zheng, Partner of Liquid Funds & Research for HashKey Capital, discusses the momentum of the crypto industry in Asia, especially in Hong Kong. They explore Hong Kong's transition to Web3 technology and the key players in the crypto industry. They also touch on the introduction of a stablecoin built on Ethereum by USD PayPal, market narratives, portfolio positioning, and predictions for the future of crypto in Hong Kong and Asia.

Juthica Chou is the head of OTC options trading at Kraken and the former president of LedgerX.In this episode, Chou explains how crypto's recent rally is being reflected in the options market, and what signals to pay attention to in the weeks ahead.According to Chou, volatility has returned to the market after months of relatively little activity:"The market's definitely pricing some big moves. And I always say, like if it can go up fast, it can go down faster."This episode is brought to you by our sponsors PayPal.Make your crypto move with PayPal. Get started today at PayPal.com/crypto

Pranav Kanade is a portfolio manager at VanEck.In this episode, Kanade analyzes some of the trends and opportunities that he sees playing out during the current crypto bear market.Kanade says that crypto builders should be focusing on building products that help onboard new users into the ecosystem:"If I were to criticize this space for something, it's that a lot of people are too focused on building things for the existing user base rather than building things for people that are not current users... I'd love to see more of that.The VanEck Ethereum Strategy ETF launched in early October as one of the first ETFs ever to launch based on ether futures.

Kevin Johnson, Coinbase's VP of Institutional Sales and Trading, discusses Coinbase Prime's new web3 wallet for institutional clients. The non-custodial wallet offers on-chain capabilities, DEX aggregation, risk controls, and customizable workflows. Kevin also talks about integrating wallet technology, leveraging on-chain activity for marketing campaigns, and Coinbase's efforts to promote industry growth.

Joesph Kelly is the CEO of Unchained — a bitcoin financial services company that offers services including trading, inheritance solutions, bitcoin-backed loans, and tax-advantaged bitcoin retirement accounts.In this episode, Kelly explains how his firm managed to become "the last lender standing in the US market for bitcoin-backed loans," and how Unchained has experienced growth despite rising federal interest rates.Earlier this year, Unchained raised $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Valor Equity Partners. 

Zack Abrams, Block's Weekend Editor, covers Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial providing a first-hand account and discussing the complexity of the case. Topics include fraud or failure, SBF's defense, Alameda's backdoor, campaign funding violations, collateral risk, and effective altruism.

WassieLawyer is a former restructuring lawyer and an active participant in the ongoing conversation surrounding FTX's bankruptcy proceedings.In this episode, WassieLawyer outlines how the prospects of FTX creditors have improved over the course of the past year, including what to expect in the coming months.FTX's investment in Anthropic made headlines recently following reports that the company's most recent valuation could be as high as $30 billion.OUTLINE:00:00 Introduction00:39 Anthropic Investment05:00 FTX Ventures07:14 The FTX Estate11:02 Unsecured Creditors Committee15:26 What’s Next for FTX Bankruptcy17:20 FTX 2.020:20 FTX’s Business Model22:10 Clawbacks25:24 Bidding for FTX28:21 Closing Thoughts

Former FTX executive, Zane Tackett, explains the meltdown at FTX. He highlights the exchange's terms of service and SBF's alleged knowledge. They also discuss FTX's business model, balance sheet, estate asset recovery, and the difference between CeFi and DeFi. The podcast touches on effective altruism, the ongoing SBF trial, Michael Lewis' controversy, and the excitement for the future of crypto.

Travis Kling is the Founder & Chief Investment Officer of Ikigai Asset Management — a crypto asset management startup that had a 'large majority' of its assets stuck on FTX when the exchange declared for bankruptcy last year.In this episode, on the eve of former FTX boss Sam Bankman Fried's criminal trial, Kling recounts his story since last November when FTX imploded and explains why he remains optimistic about the potential for recovery.OUTLINE:00:56 - Introduction03:01 - Ikigai’s $65 Million FTX Disaster05:10 - FTX Estate’s Balance Sheet08:01 - FTX 2.012:01 - Problems with Binance15:41 - Rebuilding Trust with Exchanges18:03 - SBF Trial19:14 - Closing Thoughts