blockstack

Ryan Shea and Muneeb Ali, the cofounders of Blockstack, on how their tools enable users to control their own data, why the internet should have universal usernames but no company should control that, and why Blockstack’s storage system still allows users to choose centralized options &nbsp;like Google Drive and Dropbox. They also talk about how other blockchain systems are thinking about scaling wrong, why they launched a developer fund, and why a developer would choose Blockstack over Ethereum. Show notes:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2017/09/05/blockstack-on-how-to-take-control-from-google-facebook-and-amazon/ BlockStack: https://blockstack.org/

Blockstack On Getting Independence From Google, Facebook And Amazon

Zachary Fallon, a former SEC staffer and author of the Reg A JOBS Act crowdfunding rules and a principal at Blakemore Fallon, discusses Blockstack's filing for a token offering under Reg A+, what that means for the security status of the tokens and what types of investors the company can raise from. We also talk about several of the particulars of the Blockstack filing, such as the time-lock on the tokens, the ability to raise money in bitcoin and ether, and the cap on the dollar amount of tokens any single investor can purchase. Zach also covers how much they must have worked with the SEC until this point, how long it might take the SEC to offer a response and what the filing means for token offerings going forward. Thank you to our sponsor! CipherTrace: http://ciphertrace.com/unconfirmed Episode Links Zach Fallon: https://twitter.com/ZacharyFallon &nbsp; Blakemore Fallon: https://blakemorefallon.com Blockstack: https://blockstack.org Stackstoken: https://www.stackstoken.com App mining for Stacks: https://app.co/mining Blockstack's Reg A+ filing:  https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1719379/000110465919020748/a18-15736_1partiiandiii.htm Wired story on the filing:  https://www.wired.com/story/startup-sell-you-crypto-tokens-with-sec-backing/

Blockstack's Reg A+ Filing and the Future of Token Offerings - Ep.069

Lawson Baker, head of operations and general counsel at TokenSoft (disclosure: a previous sponsor of the podcast), explains the significance of this week's SEC statement on broker-dealer custody if digital asset securities, what issues it outlines, what problems remain to be resolved, what impact it could have on the overall industry — and why this, and other regulatory guidance, could push the industry in a more cypherpunk direction. Plus, we discuss Blockstack's Reg A+ initial coin offering, which was finally approved by the SEC, whether it's too onerous for startups and how this will affect the initial coin offering phenomenon. And finally, we talk about what we'll be watching out for in next week's Senate and House hearings on Facebook's Libra, and what the odds are that the regulators quash the project. Don't forget about the Crypto weekend retreat at Omega Institute: Sign up here! &nbsp;https://www.eomega.org/workshops/virtues-of-the-crypto-revolution Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com: https://crypto.com/ CipherTrace: http://ciphertrace.com/unconfirmed Episode links: Lawson Baker: https://twitter.com/lwsnbaker TokenSoft: https://www.tokensoft.io/ SEC statement on broker-dealer custody of digital asset securities:  https://www.sec.gov/news/public-statement/joint-staff-statement-broker-dealer-custody-digital-asset-securities Blockstack's Reg A+ offering approved:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/sec-clears-blockstack-to-hold-first-regulated-token-offering-11562794848 Details on Blockstack's token sale:  https://blog.blockstack.org/blockstack-sec-qualified-token-sale-open/ Fed raises concerns about Libra:  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/technology/fed-chair-facebook-cryptocurrency-libra.html Unconfirmed episode with Dante Disparte, head of policy and communications for Libra:  https://unchainedpodcast.com/libras-dante-disparte-on-why-we-should-trust-a-financial-system-designed-by-facebook/ Unconfirmed episode with Michael Casey on why it would be good if Libra rivaled the US dollar:  https://unchainedpodcast.com/why-it-would-be-good-if-libra-rivaled-the-us-dollar/

Why Crypto Regulation Is Surprisingly Cypherpunk - Ep.81

For the holidays, I'm doing two AMAs. In this first of two, I cover:  how my book is going tips for aspiring podcasters what it's like being an independent journalist how I spent my time outside crypto if I send bitcoin to North Korea whether I own any crypto if I expect bitcoin will lose its weirdness as it becomes more widely adopted how much blockchain technology can disintermediate banks what black swans I see on the horizon for 2021 what trends I see for 2021  &nbsp; Thank you to our sponsors! Blocknative:  :  &nbsp; Links: &nbsp; My previous AMA:  Whether North Koreans can benefit from bitcoin:  Why North Korea is interested in cryptocurrency:  Alex Gladstein of the Human Rights Foundation:  DeFi hacks:  Why yield farming is risky:  Regulation:   &nbsp; Link to the Crypto News Recap: https://unchainedpodcast.com/laura-eoy-ama-pt-1/ &nbsp;

Laura's Christmas 2020 AMA: Your Questions About Crypto Media and More - Ep.157

For the holidays, I'm doing two AMAs. In the second of two, I cover:  privacy blockchains my thoughts on the STABLE Act whether or not Facebook's Diem will have a positive or negative impact on crypto what I miss from pre-COVID about the crypto community how we can use blockchain and crypto to weed our propaganda and fake news the best pick and shovel plays in crypto what distinguishes a journalist from an entertainer my thoughts on the state of media and journalism in the US  &nbsp; Thank you to our sponsors! Blocknative:  :  &nbsp; Episode links: Meltem Demirors on privacy in 2021:  Jessie Liu episode:  Brian Brooks episode:  STABLE Act episode:  Episodes on Coinbase:   Episode with Chad Cascarilla of Paxos:

Laura's New Year's 2021 AMA: Your Questions About Privacy, the STABLE Act, Diem and More - Ep.158

Frank Chaparro, director of news at The Block, gives his predictions for what will happen in crypto in 2021. In this episode, we discuss:  the big stories in crypto in 2020 how the market has changed in 2020 how the market differs from the 2017-2018 bubble what big traditional financial services firms and investment banks will do in crypto in 2021 how crypto exchanges will experiment with their fee structures how regulatory actions, such as the lawsuit against Ripple, will affect exchanges what might happen to privacy coins as regulators become more active what he expects to see from the upcoming Coinbase IPO and how that will affect the broader market  &nbsp; Thank you to our sponsors! :  Blocknative:  &nbsp; Episode links: Frank Chaparro:  The Block:  &nbsp; The Block's 2020 year in review:  &nbsp; Predictions from The Block's analysts:  &nbsp; Unchained interview with Raoul Pal and Michael Novogratz:  &nbsp; Bittrex delisting privacy coins:  &nbsp; Link to the Crypto News Recap: https://unchainedpodcast.com/1t-40k-1200/

2021 in Crypto: What to Expect in the Year Ahead - Ep.159

Meltem Demirors, chief strategy officer at Coinshares, and Nic Carter, general partner at Castle Island Ventures, join me at the Stacks conference to discuss Bitcoin layer 2s. In this episode, they cover:&nbsp;  why layers 2s exist how layer 2s, such as payment channels like Lightning, work what kind of throughput layer 2s have&nbsp; how moving Bitcoin to layer 2 affects the price why people having moved $5 billion worth of Bitcoin to Ethereum how Bitcoin moving to Ethereum affects the price the most popular Bitcoin layer 2s  Thank you to our sponsor! :  &nbsp; Episode links: Meltem Demirors:  Nic Carter:  Stacks:  &nbsp; Total value locked in Lightning:  &nbsp; Bitcoin on Ethereum:  &nbsp; Stats on Lightning:  &nbsp; What layer 2s mean for altcoins and base chain assets like Bitcoin:  &nbsp; Sovryn:  RSK:  Liquid network:  &nbsp; Link to the Crypto News Recap: https://unchainedpodcast.com/stupid-bitcoin-rich/

What You Need to Know About Bitcoin Layer 2s - Ep.160

Gregory Pepin, deputy CEO of Deltec Bank and Trust, responds to allegations in a blog post by the pseudonymous Crypto Anonymous, that Tether is a "highly probably fraud." In this episode, he covers:  how Deltec accounts for its reserves, and why they didn't show up on Crypto Anonymous's blog post where the dollars backing Tethers are held how Tethers get created where Tether Ltd. keeps its cash equivalents why there's more demand for trading with USDT than with USD partially because of the arbitrage opportunity between East and West&nbsp; how Tethers get created using Deltec why USDT gets minted in very round numbers as opposed to very specific numbers that USDC is minted in where the cash equivalents backing Tethers are held what type of due diligence Deltec conducted when it took on Tether Ltd. as a customer why the perception that Tether is unregulated compared to other stablecoins is false what Deltec thinks about the New York Attorney General office's investigation in to Tether why Deltec has a "large position in bitcoin"  &nbsp; Thank you to our sponsor! :  &nbsp; Episode links: Gregory Pepin:  Deltec Bank:  &nbsp; Crypto Anonymous’s Medium post:  &nbsp; Deltec having large position in bitcoin:  &nbsp; Original video in which Deltec mentions its “large position in bitcoin”:  &nbsp; Deltec banking Tether:  &nbsp; Tether not audited:  &nbsp; Tether says it is fully backed:  &nbsp; Tether current balances:  &nbsp; What Tether is backed by:  &nbsp; New York Attorney General’s office press release on investigation into iFinex:  &nbsp; CoinDesk on NYAG investigation:  &nbsp; Link to the Crypto News Recap: https://unchainedpodcast.com/what-8-trillion-could-do-in-bitcoin/

Is Tether a Fraud? Its Bank Says It's Not - Ep.161

Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO and founder of FTX, describes what happened between the Subreddit Wall Street Bets and hedge funds around the stock of GameStop this week. In this episode, he covers:  what happened with the stock of video game retailer GameStop this week what that says about how to value a stock how the traditional financial establishment reacted how the events in GameStop this week are similar to the way crypto markets operate how a crypto financial system could affect the ability of investors to do what the hedge funds did with GameStop — shorting more shares of the stock than actually exist what led to FTX listing for tokenized versions of GameStop, Blackberry, AMC and Nokia, as well as a tokenized index fund of Wall Street Bets stocks how the tokenized stocks and index work on the back end why Robinhood restricted customers from purchasing shares in GameStop on Thursday what the inspiration was for FTX  &nbsp; Thank you to our sponsors! :  The Sun Exchange:  &nbsp; Episode links: Sam Bankman-Fried:  FTX:  &nbsp; Roundups of what happened with Gamestop:&nbsp; NYT:  Vox:  Early Wired story:  NYT analysis:  &nbsp; Sam on what can determine an asset’s price:  &nbsp; Chamath Palihapitiya on CNBC discussing Gamestop — defending individual investors:  Videos:   &nbsp; Gamestop price gyrations: &nbsp; &nbsp; How many shares of GME are shorted:  &nbsp; FTX lists GME for tokenized spot and futures trading:  &nbsp; FTX’s Wall Street Bets tokenized index fund:  &nbsp; Robinhood customers only being able to sell, not buy GME when Robinhood’s revenue biggest revenue source is sending order flow to hedge funds:  &nbsp; Matt Levine of Bloomberg on GameStop:  &nbsp; Link to the Crypto News Recap:

Why the GameStop Insanity Is So Similar to Crypto - Ep.162

Mira Christanto, research analyst at Messari, recently wrote a comprehensive report on the crypto scene in Asia. In this episode, she covers cultural differences in crypto trading between East and West, plus gives us the latest on the diverse regulatory landscape within this large region. Some topics covered in this show include:  why Asia is an important geography in crypto why Asia dominates the crypto futures trading markets why DeFi fits better with Western culture, and centralized services are more respected in the East the state of regulation across the region what makes crypto regulation in Hong Kong unique how the Chinese are approaching regulation, and how bitcoin is exchanged there how Japan's crypto industry differs from that of other companies and why penetration is still somewhat low why and how Korea is distinct from other crypto trading cultures why Singapore's regulatory framework for crypto is the most sophisticated what's happening in Southeast Asia and India&nbsp; the status of crypto mining in China — and why the Western view of it is quite different from what it's like on the ground  &nbsp; Thank you to our sponsors! :  Sun Exchange:  &nbsp; Episode links: Mira Christanto:  Messari:  &nbsp; Messari's Asia Crypto Landscape report:  &nbsp; Link to the Crypto News Recap: https://unchainedpodcast.com/25-billion-in-institutional-bitcoin-by-eoy/

Why Asia Is So Important to Crypto - Ep.163

Michael Moro, CEO of Genesis Global, discusses Tesla’s purchase of $1.5 billion in bitcoin and Genesis’s new unit: Genesis Treasury. He also talks about how demand has shaped Genesis’ bitcoin and crypto offerings over the years, which events have acted as catalysts for institutional demand, and what Genesis is expecting in 2021. In this episode Michael covers:  The significance of Tesla allocating $1.5 billion to BTC (1:08)   How Tesla’s purchase is a result of the evolution of the asset class and why this is just the beginning   How Genesis got its start as a regulated BTC trading desk in 2013 (2:56) What new products and services Genesis has launched since 2018 to meet institutional demand (6:11) How Genesis came to launch Genesis Treasury and what this unit does (8:00)   Understanding the idea of bitcoin as a corporate treasury asset and how the stock market is rewarding companies for getting into crypto   What the catalysts were in creating corporate demand for bitcoin and where corporate demand for bitcoin is coming from (10:52) How corporate interest in bitcoin correlated with Microstrategy’s Bitcoin for Corporations event (13:16)   Why institutions have been interested in Bitcoin as collateral, and why that narrative is new   How the conversation with institutions interested in buying bitcoin would be different in a bear market (16:00) How GAAP accounting rules affect the quarterly earnings reports of publicly traded companies that hold bitcoin (19:03 ) His projections for how 2021 in crypto will play out (21:44)  &nbsp; Thank you to our sponsors! :  The Sun Exchange:  &nbsp; Episode links: Michael Moro: &nbsp;&nbsp; Genesis: &nbsp; Genesis Treasury:  &nbsp; Recent institutional purchasing news:  Tesla’s BTC purchase:  Twitter’s CFO considers Bitcoin: &nbsp; Microstrategy’s Bitcoin for Corporations event: &nbsp; Michael Saylor’s Unchained interview:  Companies holding bitcoin: &nbsp;  Genesis information:  Michael Moro’s presentation at Microstrategy’s event: &nbsp; Genesis Global background: &nbsp; Prime Brokerage Services: &nbsp; Q4 market observations: &nbsp;  Miscellaneous:  Crypto and GAAP accounting : &nbsp; Coin Metrics report on institutional investing: &nbsp;  &nbsp; Link to the Crypto News Recap:

Michael Moro on Tesla's BTC Buy and the New Genesis Treasury - Ep.164

Lea Thompson, aka Girl Gone Crypto, talks about what goes into producing her popular “The Crypto Minute” vlog, what initially got her into crypto, and her recent decision to quit her day job and go full time crypto. In this episode we discuss:  what “The Crypto Minute” is all about, and all the crypto video content she produces (2:37) how Lea comes up with creative content such as wearing a whale costume to portray Microstrategy CEO Michael Saylor (5:04) how long it actually takes to create “The Crypto Minute” (6:36) what goes into producing “The Crypto Minute” and which family member is behind the camera (7:05) the biggest challenges Lea faces when creating her videos and how she decides which stories make the final cut (8:56) Lea’s favorite bloopers including, but not limited to, rug pulls, sushi, an Amazon money printer, and a few fake $100 bills (10:28) how Girl Gone Crypto fell down the crypto rabbit hole and why her ukulele skills were instrumental to her crypto journey (12:54) the time when JK Rowling tweeted about Bitcoin, resulting in Lea’s viral “A Muggle’s Guide to Bitcoin” video (17:31) what type of crypto content works best on different social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok&nbsp; (20:00) when Girl Gone Crypto stopped being a hobby and how it is going now that Lea is full-time crypto (21:46) how Lea is trying to educate people about crypto in a simple and approachable way… one ninja suit at time (22:34) Crypto News Recap (26:12)  &nbsp; Thank you to our sponsors! :  Download the  app here:  The Sun Exchange:  &nbsp; Episode links: Lea Thompson:  Her YouTube:  Her TikTok:  Lea's personal website:  &nbsp; Video Examples 2020 Year in Review… News Vlog Style: &nbsp; A Muggle’s Guide to Bitcoin:  Hardware Wallets Explained:  &nbsp; Miscellaneous Information Fair Use:  Money Printer:  &nbsp; Link to the Crypto News Recap:  &nbsp;

Girl Gone Crypto: How These Wildly Entertaining Crypto Videos Get Made - Ep.165

We're Moving to Unchained. Follow Us There!

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Why Crypto Regulation Is Surprisingly Cypherpunk - Ep.81

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