Crypto In America

Latest Episodes:

WisdomTree’s $1B Crypto Bet | Why Tokenized Assets Are About to Go Mainstream Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Tokenization has been pitched as the future of finance for years. WisdomTree is trying to prove it can work at scale.

Will Peck, Head of Digital Assets at WisdomTree, joins Crypto In America to explain why the next phase of crypto adoption may be driven less by speculation and more by tokenized funds, stablecoins and financial products that can move 24/7.

With WisdomTree’s digital asset business approaching $1 billion in assets under management, Peck breaks down what is driving institutional demand, why tokenized money market funds may become a critical bridge between crypto and traditional finance, and what it will take for on-chain investing to deliver real value to everyday users.

Timestamp:

00:10 — Who is Will Peck and what does WisdomTree's digital asset business look like today?
00:20 — What does "crypto in America" mean to Will Peck?
01:07 — How did Will Peck get into crypto through WisdomTree?
02:24 — Is WisdomTree an asset manager or a fintech company now?
03:28 — What's driving WisdomTree's tokenized RWA business past $1 billion?
05:39 — Why are perpetual futures ("perps") becoming a mainstream institutional tool?
08:05 — Who's actually buying tokenized products right now?
10:09 — Is there real retail demand for tokenization yet?
12:06 — Does tokenization help the US keep its capital markets edge?
15:15 — Why did WisdomTree launch a Bitcoin ETF but skip others?
19:24 — Tokenized mutual funds vs. tokenized ETFs, explained
21:40 — How does WisdomTree think about competitors like Ondo and Superstate?
24:14 — Inside WisdomTree's 24/7 settlement approval for tokenized money funds
26:43 — What happens to WisdomTree's plans if the Clarity Act doesn't pass?
30:45 — Why did WisdomTree join a coalition with JPMorgan and Janus Henderson?
32:31 — Could incumbents win if Clarity stalls and crypto-native firms don't?
36:36 — Are stablecoins the biggest distribution channel for tokenized funds?
38:05 — What does instant settlement actually unlock for collateral and payments?
42:02 — What is Will Peck watching next in crypto regulation?
43:18 — Will Peck's take on crypto vaults and the SEC's latest statement

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Please note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

This show is sponsored by Sumsub. Get your copy of its State of the Crypto Industry report: https://sumsub.link/cdt

Follow Crypto in America: https://x.com/CryptoAmerica_

Follow our hosts

Jacquelyn: https://x.com/jacqmelinek

Gerald: https://x.com/thatgerald

Eleanor: https://x.com/EleanorTerrett

"I'm Tired of Being Played": Sen. Lummis on the Fight to Pass the Clarity Act Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

With just days before the Senate's August recess, is the Clarity Act finally headed for a vote?

Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), one of the chief architects of the Senate's digital asset market structure bill, joins Crypto In America to discuss where negotiations stand after nearly a year of work, why she still believes Majority Leader John Thune will bring the bill to the floor, and what the path to passage actually looks like.

Lummis also addresses the latest fights over the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), ethics negotiations, and whether there are enough votes to move the legislation forward.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Is the Clarity Act Finally Headed for a Vote?

01:43 Is There Still Time for a Vote Before Recess?

02:08 Democrats, Ethics & the Race to 60 Votes

08:10 Why Banks Are Fighting the Clarity Act

09:51 Where Negotiations Stand

14:04 Are Republicans Unified?

14:33 Consumer Protection or Competition?

Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Y3bQRjEQtdlNx1fxmS8hB

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crypto-in-america/id1799000155

This show is sponsored by Sei. Learn more about Sei: https://www.sei.io/

This show is sponsored by Sumsub. Get your copy of its State of the Crypto Industry report: https://sumsub.link/cdt

Follow Crypto in America: https://x.com/CryptoAmerica_

Follow our hosts

Jacquelyn: https://x.com/jacqmelinek

Gerald: https://x.com/thatgerald

Eleanor: https://x.com/EleanorTerrett

Why the Fed Killed Its CBDC, Hired Crypto Engineers, and Put AI in Every Employee’s Performance Goals | Sunayna Tuteja Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

Sunayna Tuteja, the Fed’s first Chief Innovation Officer, spent five years trying to transform one of the world’s most powerful financial institutions from the inside.

She recruited engineers from crypto and fintech, championed AI adoption among everyone from analysts to governors, and worked alongside Governor Christopher Waller on initiatives ranging from ending the central bank’s CBDC work to developing the framework for “skinny master accounts.”

Recorded live at the Injective Summit, Sunayna tells Eleanor what happened when a longtime Fed critic joined the very institution she had spent years criticizing, and why the headwinds during Operation Choke Point 2.0 drove her to try to quit more than once.

She also explains why she believes AI and regulated stablecoins are reaching an inflection point at exactly the same time, setting the stage for a major transformation of both the financial system and the Fed itself.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Sunayna’s Path to the Federal Reserve

07:58 Navigating Operation Choke Point 2.0

10:50 Why the Fed Embraced AI Faster Than Crypto

13:08 Behind the Fed’s “Skinny Master Accounts”

16:35 Will the Fed Pivot to Stablecoins?

21:57 How AI Could Transform the Fed and Finance

Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Y3bQRjEQtdlNx1fxmS8hB

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crypto-in-america/id1799000155

This show is sponsored by Sei. Learn more about Sei: https://www.sei.io/

This show is sponsored by Sumsub. Get your copy of its State of the Crypto Industry report: https://sumsub.link/cdt

Follow Crypto in America: https://x.com/CryptoAmerica_

Follow our hosts

Jacquelyn: https://x.com/jacqmelinek

Gerald: https://x.com/thatgerald

Eleanor: https://x.com/EleanorTerrett

SEC's Hester Peirce on Crypto Vaults & The Clarity Act Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

It was another big week for crypto policy in Washington. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce joins us to break down her position on crypto vaults, why some DeFi products could fall under the federal securities laws, and what it means for builders and investors. Mysten Labs General Counsel Sylvia Favretto reacts to the guidance and explains why the ICE-OKX partnership could be a watershed moment for tokenization, what's still holding institutions back from moving onchain, and the next regulatory milestone that could unlock broader adoption. We also unpack the latest on the Clarity Act after Senate Republicans released more than 600 pages of updated bill text and the White House reached what it called a "historic" ethics agreement. Solana Policy Institute CEO Miller Whitehouse-Levine joins us to break down the biggest changes, where negotiations stand, and whether the bill can still secure the Democratic votes it needs to reach the Senate floor.

From CFTC Commissioner to Blockchain Association CEO: Summer Mersinger's Year Inside the Room Where It Happens Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

Today’s guest is Summer Mersinger, the CEO of the Blockchain Association, a policy advocacy organization in Washington.

In this episode, recorded live at the Injective Summit just days before the expected Senate floor vote on the Clarity Act, our co-host Jacquelyn sits down with Summer to take stock of where the bill actually stands.

Summer breaks down why ethics has become the one issue that remained a pain point and why she's still very confident of the Clarity Act passing. Summer explains her frustration with banks walking away from a deal crypto had already conceded a lot to reach, and why she thinks BRCA's developer protections aren't a loophole but closer to the way the rest of the legal system already works. She also gets into what a failed vote would actually mean, why the regulators would have to step up and fill the gap, and what's next on her plate in year two.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 A Year at the Blockchain Association

05:02 Why the Clarity Act Matters

06:07 The Path to a Senate Vote

12:43 Banks, Stablecoins, and Market Structure

16:48 A Federal Framework for Digital Assets

20:16 Developer Protections and Law Enforcement

33:48 What Comes Next for Crypto Policy

Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Y3bQRjEQtdlNx1fxmS8hB

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crypto-in-america/id1799000155

This show is sponsored by Sei. Learn more about Sei: https://www.sei.io/

This show is sponsored by Sumsub. Get your copy of its State of the Crypto Industry report: https://sumsub.link/cdt

Follow Crypto in America: https://x.com/CryptoAmerica_

Follow our hosts

Jacquelyn: https://x.com/jacqmelinek

Gerald: https://x.com/thatgerald

Eleanor: https://x.com/EleanorTerrett

Crypto’s Trust Test | Crypto In America x Sumsub Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

Cryptocurrency didn't invent financial fraud, but it changed how money moves and how criminals exploit it. Now, with new US legislation on the table, the industry faces a bigger question: can a system built on decentralization ever become trusted infrastructure?
Eleanor, Jacquelyn, and Gerald were interviewed on the What The Fraud podcast, hosted by Tom Taraniuk for a special crossover episode.
Together they unpack the Genius Act and Clarity Act and what they actually mean for stablecoins, market structure, and consumer protection, why institutions are finally treating crypto as a technology rather than a speculative bet, the surge in DeFi hacks driven by social engineering rather than code exploits, and the growing conversation around privacy, AI agents, and programmable payments as the next frontier.
They also get personal, sharing their own brushes with fraud, the online behaviors they'd ban forever, and where they think crypto will be in ten years.
Whether you work in fraud, fintech, payments, or policy, this episode offers a candid look at what it will really take for crypto to earn the public's trust.
Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Y3bQRjEQtdlNx1fxmS8hB
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crypto-in-america/id1799000155
Subscribe to Sumsub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumsubforexperts
Please note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.
This show is sponsored by Sei. Learn more about Sei: https://www.sei.io/
This show is sponsored by Sumsub. Get your copy of its State of the Crypto Industry report: https://sumsub.link/cdt
Follow Crypto in America: https://x.com/CryptoAmerica_
Follow our hosts
Jacquelyn: https://x.com/jacqmelinek
Gerald: https://x.com/thatgerald
Eleanor: https://x.com/EleanorTerrett

The GENIUS Act Is One Year Old. Has It Worked? | Nathan McCauley, Dante Disparte & Rodney Hood Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

One year after the GENIUS Act became law, we're taking stock of what it has meant for the U.S. stablecoin industry, where implementation stands today and what comes next. To break it all down, the team is joined by Anchorage Digital co-founder and CEO Nathan McCauley, Circle Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy Dante Disparte, and former Acting Comptroller of the Currency Rodney Hood. We discuss how the law has reshaped the stablecoin market, the growing demand from banks and institutions, the rulemaking process now underway and whether the U.S. is becoming a more attractive destination for global digital asset businesses. Plus, we break down the latest on the Clarity Act, including the ongoing ethics negotiations, the timing of updated legislative text and what still stands between the bill and a Senate floor vote.

Robinhood Has 27 Million Accounts. Now It Wants to Bring Them Onchain | Johann Kerbrat Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

Johann Kerbrat is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Robinhood Crypto, where he has led the company's crypto business since 2021.

In this episode, Eleanor, Jacquelyn, and Gerald sit down with Johann to discuss Robinhood Chain's explosive start, why memecoins are helping bootstrap liquidity, and how Robinhood plans to bring 27 million accounts onchain.

Johann also reflects on building through the SEC's regulation-by-enforcement era, explains why instant settlement could have changed the GameStop saga, and discusses tokenization, stablecoin yield, and prediction markets as some of crypto's biggest opportunities.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 What Crypto in America Means to Johann

02:56 Robinhood's Crypto Journey and the Regulatory Shift

06:00 The Clarity Act, Global Expansion and Why Europe Came First

09:06 Tokenization, the SEC and the Future of U.S. Markets

11:50 Why Robinhood Is Betting on Perpetual Futures

15:08 Robinhood Chain Launch: Early Metrics and User Adoption

18:01 How Robinhood Chooses DeFi Partners

20:49 Robinhood Chain Strategy: Meme Coins vs. Real World Assets

27:54 Real World Assets, Tokenization and Consumer Adoption

30:08 Financial Education and Building Products for Retail Investors

34:48 Robinhood's Product Philosophy: How New Features Get Built

39:46 Tokenized Stocks and the Future of Global Investing

46:43 Competing with Crypto Exchanges and Wall Street

48:58 The Future of Robinhood: Becoming a Super App

50:40 What Johann Is Watching: Prediction Markets

Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Y3bQRjEQtdlNx1fxmS8hB

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crypto-in-america/id1799000155

This show is sponsored by Sei. Learn more about Sei: https://www.sei.io/

This show is sponsored by Sumsub. Get your copy of its State of the Crypto Industry report: https://sumsub.link/cdt

Follow Crypto in America: https://x.com/CryptoAmerica_

Follow our hosts

Jacquelyn: https://x.com/jacqmelinek

Gerald: https://x.com/thatgerald

Eleanor: https://x.com/EleanorTerrett

Strategy's Impact on Bitcoin Risk and dYdX's Rebrand to Arcus as Robinhood Goes Onchain Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Today's livestream goes into how Judge Torres, the same judge from the Ripple case, just dealt Kalshi a blow, denying its bid for a preliminary injunction and ruling that New York's gambling laws aren't preempted by federal commodities law. Kalshi is already appealing to the Second Circuit, and Governor Hochul and AG James aren't backing down either. Meanwhile, the SEC drops its 2026 agenda with a real timeline for "Regulation Crypto," Better Markets goes on the attack against a potential SEC nominee, and Paradigm closes a $1.2 billion fund with its eyes on AI and robotics.

Plus we bring on Grayscale's Zach Pandl to discuss Strategy and Bitcoin's tail risk, Arcus CEO Eddie Zhang on the dYdX-to-Robinhood evolution, and Offchain Labs' Steven Goldfeder on Robinhood's blockchain and its positive implications for Ethereum.

The Biggest Problem in Tokenization Isn't Technology. It's Trust. | Tom Zschach, Former SWIFT Exec Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

Tom Zschach is the former Chief Innovation Officer at SWIFT, the financial messaging network that connects more than 11,500 financial institutions across more than 200 countries and underpins trillions of dollars in cross-border financial transactions every day.

In this episode, Eleanor, Jacquelyn, and Gerald sit down with Tom to unpack why he believes the long-running narrative that blockchain would "replace SWIFT" always missed the point. After more than three decades in finance at firms including Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Barclays, followed by six years leading SWIFT's digital asset strategy, Tom recently left to launch a new venture focused on what he believes is tokenization's biggest remaining challenge: how regulated financial institutions can accept, validate, and scale tokenized assets with trust.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 What Does Crypto in America Mean to Tom Zschach?

03:31 Why Crypto Isn’t Replacing Finance. It’s Becoming Finance.

07:04 What SWIFT Actually Does (And What It Doesn’t Do)

12:48 Why “We’re Replacing Swift” Was Always the Wrong Pitch

20:16 Inside the Network That Connects 11,500 Financial Institutions

27:50 Why Tokenization Still Hasn't Scaled

31:17 The Missing Piece of Tokenization Nobody Is Solving

45:01 Will the Clarity Act Unlock Tokenization?

46:35 Trust, Not Technology, Is Holding Tokenization Back

48:26 Can Banks Ever Trust AI Agents?

57:48 Tokenization's Impact on Consumers