Unconfirmed

Latest Episodes:

Why 'Ethereum Killers' Will Have a Hard Time Attracting Its Developers - Ep.038 Sep 21, 2018

Show notes

Linda Xie, cofounder at Scalar Capital, talks about what she saw at ETHBerlin, why it made her think Ethereum's first-mover advantage may be hard for other smart contract platforms to overcome and how the crypto community in Berlin differed from that of Silicon Valley. She also talked about why Scalar Capital is focused on privacy coins, how her experience at Coinbase informed that, and what impact it would have on her investments if a more widely used coin like Bitcoin adopted privacy features. Finally, she talked about common mistakes crypto teams are making and what advice she finds herself commonly giving nowadays.

If you're interested in sponsoring Unchained or Unconfirmed:

Email Raelene at laurashinpodcast@gmail.com.

Episode links:

Linda Xie: https://twitter.com/ljxie

Scalar Capital: https://scalar.capital

Linda's thoughts on the Ethereum hackathons she's attended over the last year, including ETHBerlin: https://medium.com/@linda.xie/building-a-developer-community-66e6a47674d7

Unchained interview with Dominic Williams of Dfinity: http://unchainedpodcast.co/dfinitys-dominic-williams-on-how-its-blockchain-nervous-system-is-not-an-ai-ep78

Unchained interviews with a few decentralized finance projects being built on Ethereum:

Compound: http://unchainedpodcast.co/how-youll-earn-interest-on-your-crypto-with-compound-ep82

Dharma: http://unchainedpodcast.co/nadav-hollander-on-how-dharma-could-create-new-forms-of-debt-ep80

0x: http://unchainedpodcast.co/will-warren-of-0x-on-why-decentralized-exchanges-are-the-future

Unchained interview with Zooko Wilcox of Zcash: http://unchainedpodcast.co/zcashs-zooko-wilcox-on-why-he-believes-privacy-coins-will-be-used-more-for-good-than-bad

Alex Sunnarborg of Tetras Capital on Why He's Bearish on Ether - Ep.037 Sep 14, 2018

Show notes

Alex Sunnarborg, founding partner of Tetras Capital, describes the three core buckets his fund is investing in, how they're investing during this bear market, and why the firm has decided to short ether. He also describes why he thinks dapps could take off, but the value of ether may not rise anyway, and gives us some insight into how he thinks psychology plays into market rhythms. Plus, he explains why he's long Ethereum but short ETH.

Alex Sunnarborg: https://twitter.com/alexsunnarborg

Tetras Capital: http://tetras.capital

Tetras's bearish thesis: https://medium.com/@tetrascapital/ether-eth-bearish-thesis-the-flippening-of-market-irrationality-8633e70ab498

Tetras's other writing: http://tetras.capital/partners/

Unchained episode with Joey Krug: http://unchainedpodcast.co/joey-krug-on-how-augur-is-like-any-other-tool-ep79

Unchained episode on CryptoKitties: http://unchainedpodcast.co/what-makes-a-cryptokitty-worth-140000-ep75

Unconfirmed episode on Joe Lubin's and Jimmy Song's bet on adoption of dapps: http://unconfirmed.libsyn.com/joe-lubin-and-jimmy-song-work-on-the-terms-of-their-bet-on-dapps-and-trash-talk-the-others-coin-ep034

Tetras founding partner Brendan Bernstein's article on how cryptocurrencies are money, not equity: https://tokeneconomy.co/cryptocurrencies-are-money-not-equity-30ff8d0491bb

Shapeshift's About-Face: Why Now? - Ep.036 Sep 07, 2018

Show notes

Katherine Wu, director of business development and community at Messari, talks about the news that everyone on crypto Twitter was discussing this week: Shapeshift's decision to require customer accounts. The well-known crypto-to-crypto exchange has long been known for enabling anonymous transactions, and CEO Erik Voorhees is a noted libertarian who prefers less rather than more regulation, so the reversal was surprising to many in the crypto community. Katherine explains her theory as to why Shapeshift will be instituting customer accounts now after so many years of not requiring them, why this wasn't an easy decision for Erik to make and how Erik's personal history of run-ins with the law may have influenced this decision.

Potential sponsors!

This ad spot could be yours! Reach out to Raelene Gullapalli at laurashinpodcast@gmail.com to find out about sponsorship opportunities on Unconfirmed and Unchained.

Episode links:

Katherine Wu: https://twitter.com/katherineykwu

Messari: https://messari.io

https://info.shapeshift.io/blog/2018/09/04/introducing-shapeshift-membership/

Unchained interview with Shapeshift founder and CEO Erik Voorhees: http://unchainedpodcast.co/shapeshifts-erik-voorhees-on-how-crypto-will-separate-money-and-state

Katherine's tweet storm: https://twitter.com/katherineykwu/status/1037315100326158338

Jake Chervinsky's tweet storm: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky/status/1037334799382401027

Erik's tweet about how everything he writes is being read closely: https://twitter.com/ErikVoorhees/status/1037070392140083200

For more on the alphabet soup of regulators covering crypto, check out this Unchained with Perianne Boring and Amy Kim of the Chamber of Digital Commerce: http://unchainedpodcast.co/the-chamber-of-digital-commerces-perianne-boring-and-amy-kim-on-why-us-crypto-regulation-is-complicated-and-confusing

Shapeshift's announcement about its new chief legal officer: https://ag.shapeshift.io/press-release/shapeshift-hires-new-chief-legal-officer/

Bloomberg article on Shapeshift's U-turn on accounts: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-05/crypto-world-rocked-after-long-time-advocate-voorhees-backpedals

Pamela Morgan on How to Pass Your Crypto Assets On to Your Heirs - Ep.035 Aug 31, 2018

Show notes

Pamela Morgan, a lawyer in the blockchain space and the author of Cryptoasset Inheritance Planning, explains how you can pass on your crypto assets to your heirs without them or anyone else getting ahold of them beforehand. Surprisingly, the first step begins with a letter. She explains what information to put in that letter, how to choose helpers, and how to protect your private keys. We also discuss what you should do legally to help the process along and what kind of tax prep you should follow.

Pamela has graciously given Unconfirmed a complimentary copy of Cryptoasset Inheritance Planning, which we’ll be giving away. To win the book, tweet about it and tag me, @laurashin and @PamelawJD, and next Friday I will pick a name out of a hat and announce it on next week’s episode.

Announcement: On October 26, Pamela will be in Chicago, where she's teaching a 1/2 day legal workshop: Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Smart Contact Essentials. It's open to lawyers, law students, and law curious. Learn more at empoweredlaw.com.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Digital Asset Custody Company: https://digitalassetcustody.com

Episode links:

Pamela Morgan: https://empoweredlaw.com

https://twitter.com/pamelawjd

Cryptoasset Inheritance Planning: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BRQ864J/

Wired article on Coinbase's custody rituals: https://www.wired.com/story/coinbase-physical-vault-to-secure-a-virtual-currency/

Joe Lubin and Jimmy Song Work On the Terms of Their Bet on Dapps — and Trash Talk the Other’s Coin - Ep.034 Aug 24, 2018

Show notes

Joe Lubin, cofounder of Ethereum and founder of ConsenSys, and Jimmy Song, partner at Blockchain Capital and founder of Programming Blockchain, pick up the bet they started at the Consensus conference in May. The challenge was on whether or not we would see several decentralized apps with real user traction five years from now, with Joe taking the yes side of the bet and Jimmy taking the no side. However, the terms of the agreement were still to be worked out. On Unchained, Jimmy proposed that Joe wins and he loses if five dapps have 10,000 daily active users and 100,000 monthly active users over a six-month period. Joe, who isn’t quite certain about what terms exactly he’d be willing to agree to, proposes a cry-uncle escape clause, Jimmy expresses his concern that Joe goes to jail and can’t deliver on any payout, and multi billionaire Joe scoffs at Jimmy’s offer to put 100 BTC on the line.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Digital Asset Custody Company: https://digitalassetcustody.com/

Episode links:

Jimmy Song on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimmysong

Blockchain Capital: http://blockchain.capital/

Programming Blockchain: http://programmingblockchain.com

Joe Lubin: https://twitter.com/ethereumjoseph

ConsenSys: https://new.consensys.net/

Jimmy Song on Unchained, during which he proposes the terms of the bet:

http://unchainedpodcast.co/jimmy-song-on-why-bitcoin-will-be-the-winning-cryptocurrency-ep69

Video of Amber Baldet, Joe Lubin and Jimmy's panel at Consensus -- video 31 under Day 1: https://www.coindesk.com/events/consensus-2018/videos/

How Crypto Will Give You More Flexibility in Your Work - Ep.033 Aug 17, 2018

Show notes

Silicon Valley capitalist and longtime crypto investor Bill Tai discusses some interesting theories about how crypto is changing money and work. He starts by talking about the shift from oil- to electron-based currencies. He also describes how people have worked flexibly, as individuals, for most of human history and only recently have they become cogs in a wheel, beholden to one employer. Crypto, he believes, will shift us back to more flexible work models. We also talked about a new project he's launched with CryptoKitties to try to fund endangered species -- the Honu Kitty -- which raised $25,000 to support turtle conservation, marine protection and other conservation projects. He'a also got more ideas for how crypto collectibles could help endangered species.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Digital Asset Custody: https://digitalassetcustody.com

Episode links:

Bill Tai: https://twitter.com/KiteVC

Actai Global: http://actai.global

Bill on how electricity has replaced oil as the basis for productivity: https://medium.com/@billtai/currency-in-the-4th-industrial-revolution-19a73d47b6c5

Speaking at the Milken conference on how the petro dollar was like an ICO: https://video.cube365.net/l/8n5dF-FzQWmXBg2LUuvS3A

Honu the CryptoKitty: https://medium.com/cryptokitties/honu-the-charity-kitty-is-making-waves-1c21315a09bd

Why the ICE/Bakkt News Makes Some Crypto Investors Nervous - Ep.032 Aug 10, 2018

Show notes

Caitlin Long, who’s working on a book about Wall Street and crypto assets and is the cofounder of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition, discusses the significance of the creation of Bakkt, a new federally regulated market for Bitcoin, by ICE, Microsoft, Starbucks and investment firms Fortress Investment Group, Eagle Seven, and Susquehanna International Group. She explains why she thinks the price of bitcoin didn't jump after the news, what this move could mean for institutional players getting into crypto and why it could lead to systemic risks. We also discuss some remarks by ICE founder, chairman and CEO Jeffrey Sprecher about how the enterprise would bring "transparency and trust" to crypto.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Digital Asset Custody Company: https://digitalassetcustody.com

Episode links:

Caitlin's articles on the announcement: https://www.forbes.com/sites/caitlinlong/2018/08/03/ice-creating-new-cryptocurrency-market-a-double-edged-sword/#50803d791015

Tweet from SEC commissioner Hester Peirce regarding comment on crypto funds: https://twitter.com/HesterPeirce/status/1027273379819204608

Bakkt press release: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180803005236/en/Intercontinental-Exchange-Announces-Bakkt-Global-Platform-Ecosystem

Fortune article on Bakkt: http://fortune.com/longform/nyse-owner-bitcoin-exchange-startup/

A Place Where People May Be Using Crypto For More Than Speculation - Ep.031 Aug 03, 2018

Show notes

Tricia Martinez, director of the Dala Foundation and founder and CEO of Wala, describes how cryptocurrency Dala is being used in Africa and how it hit 100,000 new wallets and 2.5 million in transactions in two months, with an average transaction size of around $0.27. She talks about how 94% of transactions in Africa are still being done in cash, why the problem she's trying to solve needs its own cryptocurrency and can't use bitcoin or ether, and how Wala's users are using Dala. Plus, she explains why she's focusing her entrepreneurial efforts in Africa and other emerging markets.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Onramp: http://www.thinkonramp.com/

Quantstamp: https://quantstamp.com/

Show links:

Dala Foundation: https://dala.org/

Wala: https://getwala.com/

Tricia: https://twitter.com/TriciaTita

CoinList's Andy Bromberg on the One Big Regulatory Issue Facing Crypto - Ep.030 Jul 27, 2018

Show notes

CoinList founder and president Andy Bromberg talks about why the ICO services firm has worked with only five out of 2,500 token projects, how tokenomic models are changing to ensure the viability of the network and also avoid incurring regulatory action, and why one of the biggest regulatory questions remaining is when a token shifts from being a security to a non-security. We also discuss why there's such a race in the stablecoin space, why there's been a shift toward building infrastructure, and what that infrastructure looks like.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Onramp: http://www.thinkonramp.com

Quantstamp: https://quantstamp.com

Episode links:

CoinList: https://coinlist.co

Andy Bromberg: https://twitter.com/andy_bromberg?lang=en

Unchained episode on stablecoins: http://unchainedpodcast.co/why-its-so-hard-to-keep-stablecoins-stable

Unchained episode on the main regulatory issues regarding crypto: http://unchainedpodcast.co/the-chamber-of-digital-commerces-perianne-boring-and-amy-kim-on-why-us-crypto-regulation-is-complicated-and-confusing

Unconfirmed episode on SEC Director Bill Hinman's statement that, leaving aside the manner of sale, ether, in its current form, is not a security: http://unconfirmed.libsyn.com/coinbases-adam-white-on-a-momentous-day-in-crypto-ep023

Token Economy's Stefano Bernardi on How DAOs Could Create a Less Capitalist World - Ep.029 Jul 20, 2018

Show notes

In this wide-ranging conversation, the Token Economy newsletter coauthor Stefano Bernardi talks about fully digital security tokens -- security tokens with no relation to real world securities like companies and real estate, but that represent securities from DAOs and other purely crypto entities. He also discusses a new evolution in cryptoeconomics -- multiple-token economies that utilize different tokens to incentivize various behaviors on a network. For instance, one system might have a security token for accredited investors and a utility token for users. Stefano also explains why he thinks personal data monetization projects won't take off, and at the end, we dive into the question of how DAOs and blockchain technology might lead to a less capitalist world.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Onramp: http://www.thinkonramp.com

Quantstamp: https://quantstamp.com

Links from the show:

Stefano: https://twitter.com/stefanobernardi

Token Economy: https://tokeneconomy.co/

World After Capital: http://worldaftercapital.org/

Failure of the old-world corporation: https://tokeneconomy.co/token-economy-35-the-failure-of-the-old-world-corporation-35ac2312eced

The Zero-Cost Marginal Society: https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Marginal-Cost-Society-Collaborative/dp/1137278463/