The Pomp Podcast This is A CRAZY Idea to Deal with Crypto Hacks | Chris Perkins
24 snips
May 4, 2026 
Chris Perkins, incoming Head of Crypto at Franklin Templeton and CEO of 250 Digital Asset Management, shares big ideas on the April surge of crypto hacks and how AI is changing cyber threats. He outlines a provocative privateering proposal to recover stolen funds. Geopolitics, tokenization, stablecoins, and what institutions actually buy in crypto also get concise, high-level attention.
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Hacks Are The Main Barrier To Institutional Crypto Adoption
- Crypto fundamentals are strong but widespread hacks are blocking institutional adoption and scale.
- April saw 29 projects lose about $600 million, often via state-sponsored groups like Lazarus exploiting social engineering and weak ops.
AI Is Powering Both Attacks And Defenses In Crypto
- AI is accelerating social engineering and enabling realistic deepfakes that make hacks easier now.
- Longer term, institutions with superior compute and models should gain defensive advantage because security also becomes an arms race in AI.
Bring Back Privateering As A Regulated Crypto Recovery Tool
- Privateering could be repurposed for cyberspace by licensing vetted private actors to recover stolen crypto and disrupt attackers.
- Perkins proposes regulated bonds/stakes and prize courts to share recovered proceeds and fund a crypto reserve without taxpayer cost.