

Crypto Critics' Corner
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin
Bennett and Cas discuss historical moments in the cryptocurrency and finance industries, focusing on frauds, hacks, exit scams, and other malfeasance.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 7, 2022 • 30min
High Noon at Ooki Corral: CFTC Sues DAO Participants
Today Bennett and Cas talk about what's going on with the Ooki DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), why the CFTC is suing them, and why it's okay that Ooki DAO is not okay.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022 and edited by Bennett Tomlin.

Sep 30, 2022 • 28min
A Tale of Two Ponzis: Celsius and Luna, Alex Mashinsky and Do Kwon
Today Bennett and Cas discuss the best of times and the worst of times for two enormous Ponzi scemes: Celsius - a now bankrupt cryptocurrency lender - and Luna - an algorithmic stablecoin ecosystem once valued at nearly $60 billion, and the two individuals who ultimately led them to their respective downfalls: Alex Mashinsky and Do Kwon.
KeyFi lawsuit against Celsius: https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=RvF30Mz2IZW63s1mjjau2Q==
Celsius lawsuit against KeyFi: https://assets.law360news.com/1523000/1523691/complaint.pdf
Coverage of the Celsius countersuit: https://protos.com/celsius-lawsuit-claims-keyfi-stole-customer-deposits-to-buy-nfts/
Mashinsky resigns: https://protos.com/chief-exec-alex-mashinsky-resigns-from-celsius-network__trashed/
Celsius Network all-hands: https://youtu.be/40-w9r7WSKM
Bennett's reaction to Coinage interview of Do Kwon: https://youtu.be/vcy_N8Kozf4
What is a red notice?: https://protos.com/what-is-an-interpol-red-notice-and-how-does-it-work/
Cas' article on death fraud: https://medium.com/coinmonks/death-fraud-6920cc93d0a7
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022 and edited by Bennett Tomlin.

Sep 23, 2022 • 34min
Saylor's Strategy: a MicroTragedy
Today Bennett and Cas discuss Michael Saylor's reckless behavior, his departure as CEO of MicroStrategy, the tax fraud charges he faces, previous run-ins with the SEC for making up quarterly numbers, and why everyone should have seen this coming.
This episode used clips from Laura Shin's wonderful podcast, Unchained, which you can find here: https://youtu.be/cuRRVo2Cmsc
We also used clips from John Vallis' Bitcoin Rapid-Fire: https://youtu.be/hIZIXKTicw4
This episode was recorded on Monday, September 18th, 2022 and edited by Bennett Tomlin.

Sep 16, 2022 • 1h 2min
Crypto Journalism and Shills (feat. Nikhilesh De)
In this episode Bennett and Cas are joined by CoinDesk journalist Nikhilesh De to discuss how to report on cryptocurrency.
This episode was recorded on August 5th, 2022.
Follow Nik on Twitter.

Sep 11, 2022 • 45min
The Good, the Bad, and the Bukele (Feat. Frank Muci)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by economist Frank Muci to discuss the challenging economic situation in El Salvador, including the need for austerity and the possibility of debt restructuring.
Follow Frank on Twitter @frankmuci.
A Spanish translation will be available on our website: https://cryptocriticscorner.com/
Para una traducción al español transcrita por favor visite https://cryptocriticscorner.com/
This episode was recorded on August 2nd and edited by Griffin Davis.

Sep 1, 2022 • 60min
Draconian Financial Regulation and the Argument for Tether (Feat. Boaz Sobrado)
We're back! Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Boaz Sobrado to discuss Tether's use in Cuba and why people turn to assets as volatile and risky as Bitcoin and stablecoins in sanctioned countries.
Follow Boaz @sobradob.
This episode was produced by Bennett Tomlin.

Aug 13, 2022 • 33min
Coinbase and Kraken Facing Regulatory Actions
Today Bennett and Cas are talking about recent moves by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to slow down token listings and perhaps even fundamentally alter the business models of every cryptocurrency exchange located in the United States.
Episode recorded on July 28th, 2022.

Aug 2, 2022 • 1h 2min
Sex, Lies, and Ponzinomics: Marketing in Cryptocurrency (Feat. Adam Singer)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by marketing executive and substack writer Adam Singer to discuss all the issues and problems clearly visible and at the forefront of cryptocurrency companies.
Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamSinger or read his Substack.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, July 12th, and produced by Asher Hirsch.

Jul 25, 2022 • 29min
A Tether Update
In this episode Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss how Tether has been composing itself over the last several months.
Interview with Paolo Ardoino with Dierdre Bosa: https://twitter.com/CNBCTechCheck/status/1545472707374071808
This episode was recorded on July 10th, 2022 and produced by Asher Hirsch.

Jul 20, 2022 • 39min
The Dogecoin Joke (Feat. Jackson Palmer)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Jackson Palmer, co-founder of Dogecoin and host of the Griftonomics podcast. We talk about how Doge flew off the rails, why Jackson has taken a few social media hiatuses, and why he's back and talking about cryptocurrency grifts and scams more than ever before.
Follow Jackson on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ummjackson
This episode was recorded on July 10th and produced by Griffin Davis.


