The Paul Barron Crypto Show Banks Got Outplayed DeFi Vault Trick Just Beat the Banks
Feb 8, 2026
Jonathan Mann, portfolio manager at Bitwise Asset Management, discusses Bitwise’s new noncustodial on‑chain vaults and roadmap. He covers chain choices (Ethereum and Base), safety measures and smart‑contract monitoring. Conversation touches on liquidity, vault curation vs incumbents, asset expansion like XRP and tokenized gold, and integrations such as wallets, cards and loyalty tokens.
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Chain Choice Follows Client Demand
- The initial Bitwise vault will launch on Ethereum L1 and Base, reflecting client locations and demand.
- The team plans further chains and integrations based on where clients are active.
Treat Vaults Like Fiduciary Products
- Prioritize safety by treating vaults with the same fiduciary diligence as traditional products and layer market-risk and smart‑contract protections.
- Monitor smart contracts actively and build safeguards to preserve principal and detect hacks.
Stakehouse Example Sparks Bitwise Strategy
- Paul Barron cites Stakehouse Finance's rise with Morpho as an example of trust-building via curation and distribution.
- Jonathan Mann positions Bitwise as another trusted curator aiming to capture significant vault AUM growth.