The DeFi Decoded Podcast

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Mike Belshe, Co-Founder and CEO of BitGo. Listen in as they discuss why quantum computing has re-emerged as a serious long-term risk for Bitcoin and other digital assets, what the industry can do to become quantum-resistant before the threat becomes practical, and why public market investors are increasingly asking tougher questions about crypto's technical foundations. They also explore BitGo's evolution from custody provider to full-stack digital asset infrastructure company, how tokenization and stablecoins are reshaping market structure, why vertically integrated crypto exchanges pose risks that traditional capital markets have long separated, and what the CLARITY debate could mean for custody, brokerage, retail protections, and the future of U.S. digital asset regulation.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Scott Melker, the Wolf of All Streets. Listen in as they discuss why Bitcoin has begun outperforming traditional safe-haven assets during rising geopolitical tension, how market cycles and technical levels around $60K–$70K may signal a broader bottoming process, and why unexpected macro shocks—like the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank—have historically catalyzed major crypto rallies. They also explore whether upcoming U.S. legislation like the GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act could reshape the industry, the growing tension between crypto firms and traditional banks over stablecoin regulation, and why Melker believes Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana remain the most compelling long-term bets while the broader altcoin market still lacks clear valuation frameworks.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest James Seyffart, Senior Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Listen in as they break down why ETF flows keep accelerating despite a choppy macro backdrop, how the "ETF wrapper" is expanding beyond plain-vanilla index exposure into active, options-based, and leveraged products, what the latest flow data is signaling about sector rotation (energy, materials, and industrials leading), why esoteric filings like prediction market ETFs are gaining momentum, and what's actually happening under the hood in crypto ETFs—outflows, inflows, basis trade dynamics, and the evolving debate around where Bitcoin's value accrues as stablecoins and other rails dominate payments.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Sid Powell, Co-Founder and CEO of Maple. Listen in as they discuss Maple's evolution from the 2022 credit crisis to over $4B in AUM, why overcollateralized onchain lending is attracting family offices, funds, and institutional capital seeking T-bill-beating yields with daily liquidity, and how Maple is expanding beyond crypto-native users through DeFi integrations, securitized products, and fintech distribution. They also explore the growing opportunity in tokenized collateral—from Bitcoin to gold, equities, and real-world assets—the role onchain credit could play in the broader tokenization supercycle, and how AI agents may become major users of stablecoins, onchain lending, and autonomous credit markets as machine-native economic activity emerges.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Rebecca Simmonds, Managing Executive of the Walrus Foundation. Listen in as they discuss why the next phase of AI won't just be about better models or smarter agents, but about trust, provenance, and ownership of the data those systems rely on. From decentralized storage and verifiable data markets to the rise of personal AI agents and new monetization models for user data, the conversation dives into how crypto infrastructure could become the economic and security layer for the AI economy. They also discuss the real-world path to adoption, from builders and DeFi use cases to enterprise experimentation, along with the challenges of competing with Big Tech, the role of tokens in decentralized data networks, and why the future of AI may depend on individuals reclaiming control of their digital lives. If AI runs on data, this episode asks the critical question: who controls it, and who captures the value?

Leonard Dorlöchter, co-founder of peaq and EOT Labs, builds layer‑one blockchain tools to tokenize machines. He explores the machine economy and agentic commerce. They discuss why blockchains enable machine identity, open payments and reputation. Real-world DePIN and tokenized machines appear, plus agents autonomously using stablecoins and DeFi.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with Bill Barhydt, Founder and CEO of Abra, and Perianne Boring, Chair of the Board of Directors of The Digital Chamber. Listen in as they discuss why crypto feels like it's at an inflection point, Bill's macro case for a liquidity-driven risk-on setup (and why gold may be leading while Bitcoin lags), how stablecoin legislation has shifted the policy battleground toward rewards and yield as banks push to protect deposits, why agencies (SEC/CFTC/Treasury) can move fast but market-structure laws are needed to future-proof regulatory clarity, how committee politics and "pathway" strategy can make or break a bill's progress (including the fallout from Coinbase stepping back), and what the Clarity debate could mean for exchanges, developers, and DeFi—ranging from new growth catalysts to potential constraints depending on how rules get written and enforced.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Bhau Kotecha, Co-Founder and Head of Paxos Labs. Listen in as they discuss why stablecoins are becoming the default onchain financial building block, how Paxos and Paxos Labs power major tokenization and crypto brokerage initiatives (including PYUSD and USDG) while making DeFi services like lending, borrowing, staking, and yield strategies safer and easier for institutions to embed, why the Washington policy fight is shifting toward rewards and yield as the key battleground after the GENIUS Act, how stablecoins could reshape bank deposit economics while strengthening global dollar adoption, and why issuer strategy often starts on Ethereum before expanding cross-chain due to liquidity bootstrapping, developer network effects, and security considerations.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Jillian Friedman, Chief Operating Officer at Symbiotic. Listen in as they discuss Jill's journey from founding a crypto-focused law firm in 2014 to helping pioneer Canada's early digital asset market infrastructure, why regulatory ambiguity has pushed talent and innovation out of Canada, how U.S. stablecoin policy is converging on the key battle over yield as the GENIUS Act is implemented and the proposed CLARITY Act takes shape, and how Symbiotic's "shared security" model aims to unlock capital efficiency by connecting onchain staked assets with networks and applications that need economic security and risk underwriting.

Join Alex Tapscott as he decodes the world of crypto with special guest Eric Piscini, CEO of Hashgraph. Listen in as they discuss Eric's early work building Deloitte's blockchain practice, why enterprises initially leaned toward private and permissioned systems, how today's focus has shifted from "buying blockchain" to buying real solutions, what makes Hedera's 32-member Governing Council model distinctive (including governance, validators, and industry-spanning adoption), how regulatory clarity in the U.S. and Europe is shaping institutional engagement, and how interoperability, hybrid architectures (public + private), stablecoins, tokenization, and developer traction could define the next phase of enterprise blockchain adoption.