On The Brink with Castle Island

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Business
**On The Brink with Castle Island**

Hosts Matt Walsh and Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures explore news and deals in the public blockchain space and talk to some of the leading experts in the industry. Learn more and stay up to date at CastleIsland.vc and follow on twitter @CastleIslandVC

Latest Episodes:

Alexei Zamyatin (BOB) on the Bitcoin Renaissance (EP.521) Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

In this episode we sit down with Alexei Zamyatin, the founder of Build On Bitcoin (BOB). Topics covered:

Why EVM-compatibility is important for Bitcoin and Bitcoin L2s
Merge mining and fostering adoption of Bitcoin L2's
Why now for the Bitcoin Renaissance
BitVM, use cases, and unlocks for Bitcoin

Weekly Roundup 04/19/24 (Stablecoin bill, Halving, Code is not law) (EP.520) Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

Dubai is underwater
The Lummis Gillebrand stablecoin bill and its prospects
Do stablecoins affect the US' ability to make sanctions?
Avraham Eisenberg has been found guilty for the Mango markets hack
Stablecoins as proto CBDCs
Do stablecoins disintermediate commercial banks?
What do the 13F filings tell us about ETF flows?

Sponsor notes:

Bitcoin's 4th Halving
In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 255, we understand the significance of the Bitcoin halving, its impact on miners and potential effects on BTC's price as the 4th Bitcoin halving nears.

Content mentioned in this episode:

Timothy Massad, Stablecoins and national security: Learning the lessons of Eurodollars

Cynthia Lo Bessette and Matt Horne on Digital Asset Management at Fidelity (EP.519) Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

Cynthia Lo Bessette and Matt Horne of Fidelity Digital Asset Management join the show. In this episode we discuss:

The history of digital asset innovation at Fidelity.
The decision to operationalize a digital asset-management capability under Fidelity's Asset Management business unit.
The launch of the Fidelity Bitcoin ETF and the path to getting this product to market.
How Bitcoin ETFs are currently being consumed and the distribution of these products to various investor types and platforms.
How Fidelity is approaching the tokenization of real world assets.
Broader views on the future of public blockchain assets and the types of opportunities for asset managers.

Learn more about Fidelity's Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund

Weekly Roundup 04/12/24 (SEC sues Uniswap, Core dev funding controversy, CPI print) (EP.518) Apr 12, 2024

Show notes

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

Our reactions to the CPI print
The SEC announces its intention to sue Uniswap
Sen Warren doesn't like the stablecoin bill
Howard Lutnick weighs in on stablecoins again
Saylor's core dev funding controversy

Sponsor notes:

An Introduction to the Solana Network
In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 254, we provide a data-driven overview of the Solana blockchain, exploring its architecture, ecosystem, network usage and adoption metrics

Quinn Thompson (Lekker Capital) on why the Macro matters for Crypto (EP.517) Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

Quinn Thompson, founder and CIO of Lekker Capital, joins the show. In this episode:

Launching Lekker Capital
Quinn's investment strategy with Lekker
Using crypto instruments to take a view on macro trends
The significance of the move in the 10year
How unusual is it to cut rates when inflation is running hot
Is inflation the lesser of two evils?
Why an inflationary reset is the only way out of our fiscal position
Is Bitcoin more analogous to gold or NASDAQ?
What are memecoins telling us about the crypto cycle?
Institutional participation in Bitcoin dampening volatility?
Quinn's views on the halving
Will Microstrategy shares ever converge to the value of their BTC?
Why it is often mechanically difficult to bring meme stocks back to earth
Quinn's views on GBTC selling and the US govt's seized Silk Road coins

Further reading:

Weekly Roundup 04/05/24 (WSJ attacks Tether, Chris Waller on Stables, Nic's fight announced) (EP.516) Apr 05, 2024

Show notes

Matt and Nic are back with another week of news and deals. In this episode:

How risky is Eigenlayer?
The SEC is asking for public comment on ETH ETFs
Is the US government about to liquidate $2b worth of Silk Road Bitcoin?
Goldman wealth management CIO doesn't like Bitcoin
WSJ is back with a Tether hitpiece
Fed Governor Chris Waller says crypto is good for the dollar
Nic and David Hoffman are fighting at Karate Combat at Consensus

Sponsor notes:

State of the Network's Q1 2024 Wrap-Up
In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 253, we take a data-driven look at the most important events that impacted the digital assets industry in Q1 2024.

David Hoffman (Bankless) on Eigenlayer (EP.515) Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

David Hoffman of Bankless and Bankless Ventures returns to the show. In this episode we discuss:

What Bankless Ventures has been focusing on, including Bitcoin Layer Twos.
Eigenlayer – what originally attracted David to the project.
The Eigenlayer value chain and the emerging categories of projects building in this ecosystem.
Liquid Restaking Tokens, Actively Validated Services and how these primitives work in the Eigenlayer ecosystem.
Views on risk management and leverage in the context of Eigenlayer.

To learn more:

DeFi Education Fund and Beba sue the SEC (EP.514) Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

Miller Whitehouse-Levine and Amanda Tuminelli of the DeFi Education Fund join the show. In this episode we discuss:

Beba, an American apparel company based in Waco, TX and the DeFi Education fund have filed a complaint against the SEC, challenging the agency's pattern of regulation via enforcement.
The specific's of Beba's airdrop campaign.
The Debt Box case and the pattern of behavior that the case highlights.
The status of Congressional action on market structure, stablecoins and SAB 121.
How the DeFi Education Fund prioritizes key initiatives.
How to get involved in this case and support the broader mission of the organization.

To learn more about the Beba case: https://www.defieducationfund.org/post/it-s-our-time-def-goes-on-offense-against-the-sec

To learn more about the DeFi Education Fund: https://www.defieducationfund.org/

Weekly Roundup 03/29/24 (SBF sentenced, Blast and Munchables, the MSTR convergence trade) (EP.513) Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

Matt and Nic return for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

Was SBF's 25-year sentence too lenient?
Beba vs SEC
Coinbase motion to dismiss is dismissed
Coinbase notches a win vs the SEC over their Wallet product
SDNY v Kucoin
Ripple vs SEC
Will MSTR ever converge to the fair value of their Bitcoin?
North Korea allegedly hacks Blast's Munchables farm
How did Blast persuade the hackers to give the money back?
What's going on with ETH blobspace?
Bitwise's ETH vs ETH futs correlation analysis

Content mentioned:

Bitwise thread on ETH/futs correlation

Sponsor notes:

State of the Network's Q1 2024 Mining Data Special
In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 252, we zoom in on the impressive recovery of miner profitability amid improving market conditions

Weekly Roundup 03/22/24 (SEC v Debtbox, ETH security drama, Blackrock's BUIDL token) (EP.512) Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

Nic's Columbia scandal
Stablecoin growth
ETH Foundation subpoena from the SEC
ETH ETF prospects
Blackrock releases their tokenized Treasury product with Securitize
Are private blockchains obsolete?
Fidelity amends their ETH ETF prospectus to add staking
Japan's pension fund is learning about Bitcoin
More GBTC outflows
More bad boys
Kyle Davies wants a debate

Content mentioned:

Brian Armstrong, What is crypto good for, anyway?
Bitwise, 12 Real-World Stories of How Millions of People Are Using Crypto Services Today

Sponsor notes:

Appraising Growth in Digital Asset Markets
In Coin Metrics State of the Network Issue 251, we leverage market data and datonomy™ sector classification to understand recent shifts in digital asset markets.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

On The Brink with Castle Island

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected