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CoinDesk
The top stories and best shows in the blockchain world, delivered daily from the team at CoinDesk.
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Feb 16, 2024 • 42min
UNCHAINED: Is the Short Team Lockup for STRK ‘Misaligned’? No, Says Starkware CEO
Starknet community members were not happy about many of the details of who was eligible to receive tokens.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.Starknet made news this week for announcing what will be the largest initial airdrop by number of eligible addresses ever. But it faced heavy criticism online for many of the details of the airdrop, from the fact that Ethereum solo takers received almost 22% of the distribution to eligibility requirements that users held at least 0.005 ETH in their wallets as of Nov. 15, 2023 to the fact that the token generation event took place almost two years before the unlock date.Starkware CEO Eli Ben-Sasson joined Unchained to respond to the multiple critiques of the airdrop and discuss why he and the Starknet Foundation decided on the details that they did. Show highlights:
What the airdrop criteria was and why they decided to make it that way
Why they allocated so much $STRK to Ethereum solo stakers
Eli’s response to the criticism about how little Starknet network participants got in the airdrop
Why the STRK Token Generation Event (TGE) was done in 2022, only to be airdropped two years later
Why Eli believes that even if the unlock of tokens is in two months, it does not indicate misalignment of incentives
Whether Eli will sell his tokens when they become unvested
Thank you to our sponsors! Popcorn Network | iTrustCapital | PolkadotGuest | Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO of StarkwareLinks | Recent coverage of Unchained on airdrops: Jupiter Founder Meow to Critics of JUP Airdrop: ‘Give Me a Break’Unchained: Starknet’s Airdrop Plan Sparks Some Praise but Also OutrageStarknet’s First Token Distribution Will Be Available to Nearly 1.3 Million AddressesThe Defiant: Starknet Faces Backlash Over Airdrop and Team UnlocksLoomdart’s tweet on the TGELearn more:Do You Have to Pay Taxes on a Crypto Airdrop?What Is a Crypto Airdrop? A Beginner's Guide -Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC. Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 16, 2024 • 5min
MARKETS DAILY: CoinDesk Markets Index Week in Review
CoinDesk Indices presents notable data insights from the week, followed by additional analysis from an industry expert.To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.The CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) functions as a benchmark for the performance of the digital asset market, delivering institutional quality information to digital asset investors. Subsets of the CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) are investible CoinDesk Crypto Sectors and the CoinDesk 20 Index, designed to measure the performance of the top digital assets. Today’s takeaways are provided by Tracy Stephens, senior index manager at CoinDesk Indices with additional analysis from Mick Roche, senior trader at Zodia Markets. For more on CoinDesk Indices, visit: coindeskmarkets.com.-Consensus is where experts convene to talk about the ideas shaping our digital future. Join developers, investors, founders, brands, policymakers and more in Austin, Texas from May 29-31. The tenth annual Consensus is curated by CoinDesk to feature the industry’s most sought-after speakers, unparalleled networking opportunities and unforgettable experiences. Take 15% off registration with the code MD15. Register now at consensus.coindesk.com.-This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl, alongside Senior Booking Producer Melissa Montañez. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 16, 2024 • 20min
THE MINING POD: Justin Sun Has Bitcoin Ambitions
Charlie, Matt and Will go through this week’s most important Bitcoin headlines, including the 8% difficulty adjustment, Coinmint’s $14 million payout and Justin Sun’s Bitcoin ambitions.Follow along on your favorite podcast player of choice by clicking here.Catch up on this week’s Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining news! Charlie, Matt and Will go through this week’s most important Bitcoin headlines, including the 8% difficulty adjustment, Coinmint’s $14 million payout to ASIC manufacturer Katena and Justin Sun’s Bitcoin ambitions.Published twice weekly, "The Mining Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews Tuesday and a news show on Friday! Check out our other shows and content by going to Blockspace.media today.Follow our host on Twitter, @wsfoxley.-Thank you to our sponsor, CleanSpark, America’s Bitcoin miner!"The Mining Pod" is produced by Sunnyside Honey LLC and distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Damien Somerset.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 15, 2024 • 29min
THE PROTOCOL: The Trio of Crypto Trends |Is It a Meme or Is It Hype? Ethereum Tokens, a Bitcoin Code Resurgence and Airdrop Fever
The hosts dissect three key topics: the inception of DN 404 tokens on Ethereum, the resurgence of the OP_CAT function in Bitcoin, and the ongoing airdrop season in the crypto sphere, delving into the implications and controversies surrounding these developments.This episode is sponsored by the Stellar Community FundFollow the show here for more.In this installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk, explore the following stories:Developers on the Ethereum platform introduce 'DN-404' tokens.The new token type claims to solve some of the drawbacks with ERC-404s, an experimental standard that launched last week – to such popularity that it's already driven up congestion on the Ethereum blockchain.The 'OP_CAT' function from the Satoshi-era Bitcoin code is being revived amidst a surge in development enthusiasm.Developers Ethan Heilman and Armin Sabouri view OP_CAT as a simple opcode that offers some of the general-purpose functionality currently missing in BitcoinThe Eigenlayer TVL experiences a significant spike due to a suspected airdrop.Capital locked on restaking protocols is now at $10 billion, in December it was just $350 million.Takeaways | ERC-404 tokens on Ethereum allow for the fractionalization of NFTs, enabling greater liquidity and trading opportunities.The revival of the Opcat function in Bitcoin's development could open up new possibilities for building on the network.Airdrop season is in full swing, with various projects distributing tokens to reward users and incentivize participation in their ecosystems.Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER EPISODE LINKS | Ethereum Developers Create 'DN-404' Tokens After ERC-404s Send Network Fees SurgingWhat Is ERC-404? The Experimental Standard Whose First Token Has Rocketed 12000% in One WeekSatoshi-Era Bitcoin Function 'OP_CAT' Dusted Off as Development Fervor Grows Starknet Blockchain Plans Much-Awaited Airdrop of New STRK Tokens Next WeekEigenLayer's Cap Lift Prompts $4B Inflow as ETH Restaking Heats Up Wormhole airdrop: Wormhole (W) Tokenomics -From Our Sponsor: The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) is an open-application awards program that draws on community input to support developers and startups building on Stellar and Soroban. Accelerate your web3 project today.Apply for Funding at communityfund.stellar.org-The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 15, 2024 • 11min
MARKETS DAILY: Crypto Update | Bitcoin Continues to Rally Despite Mixed Macro Signals, With Bret Kenwell of eToro
The latest price moves and insights with Jennifer Sanasie and guest Bret Kenwell, U.S. investment analyst at eToro.To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.On "Markets Daily," host Jennifer Sanasie is joined by Bret Kenwell, U.S. investment analyst at eToro, to discuss conflicting January inflation data, pain points for retail investors and stocks to watch.-Consensus is where experts convene to talk about the ideas shaping our digital future. Join developers, investors, founders, brands, policymakers and more in Austin, Texas from May 29-31. The tenth annual Consensus is curated by CoinDesk to feature the industry’s most sought-after speakers, unparalleled networking opportunities and unforgettable experiences. Take 15% off registration with the code MD15. Register now at consensus.coindesk.com.-This episode was hosted by Helene Braun. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl, alongside Senior Booking Producer Melissa Montañez. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 14, 2024 • 15min
MARKETS DAILY: Crypto Update | 'This Bull Market Might Last Another 12 to 18 Months,' Says Matrixport's Markus Thielen
The latest price moves and insights with CoinDesk Markets Reporter Helene Braun and guest Markus Thielen, head of research at Matrixport.To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.On "Markets Daily," CoinDesk Markets Reporter Helene Braun fills in for host Jennifer Sanasie and speaks with Markus Thielen, head of research at Matrixport. Thielen highlights the bull case for both bitcoin and ether, overvaluation of MicroStrategy stock and Matrixport's year-end price predictions.-Consensus is where experts convene to talk about the ideas shaping our digital future. Join developers, investors, founders, brands, policymakers and more in Austin, Texas from May 29-31. The tenth annual Consensus is curated by CoinDesk to feature the industry’s most sought-after speakers, unparalleled networking opportunities and unforgettable experiences. Take 15% off registration with the code MD15. Register now at consensus.coindesk.com.-This episode was hosted by Helene Braun. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl, alongside Senior Booking Producer Melissa Montañez. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 14, 2024 • 1h 31min
UNCHAINED: How Decentralized Social Network Farcaster Hopes to Eventually Get to One Billion Users
Dan Romero, the co-founder of the decentralized social media network, discusses why Frames has become so popular, the central ideas behind Farcaster, and what’s in store for Farcaster’s future. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.In the two weeks since Farcaster introduced its Frames feature that allows developers to easily add mini apps to users’ posts, the decentralized social network has become the talk of Twitter, now X, and increased its user base by ten times, according to co-founder Dan Romero. Romero joins Unchained to discuss why Frames has become so popular, the philosophy behind Farcaster and its client Warpcast, why the crypto component behind Farcaster is being kept to a minimum, how Apple’s new Vision Pro could lead to the creation of a 3D social network on Farcaster, how he and his fellow co-founder’s background at Coinbase helped shape their decisions about building Farcaster, and his vision for eventually getting Farcaster to a billion-plus users. Show highlights:
What Farcaster is and what problems it’s trying to solve
How and why Farcaster uses blockchain technology in the background
How you can use ENS (Ethereum Name Services) for your handles on Farcaster
How the recovery of accounts works on Farcaster and what the security implications are
What Frames is and why it’s significant for developers and creators
What’s controlled by the protocol vs. the client
What Dan imagines could be built with the new Apple Vision Pro
Whether there’s potential for better economics and ways to monetize content in Farcaster
Why Farcaster is on Optimism, an Ethereum Layer 2, and whether it could be moved to another network
How they are working to build a more decentralized network
What the future of Farcaster and Frames could look like
How Dan’s background at Coinbase shaped the way in which he decided to build Farcaster
What the strategy is for scaling the platform to the numbers more associated with Web2 social media
Thank you to our sponsors! Popcorn Network | PolkadotGuest | Dan Romero, Co-founder of FarcasterCoinbase’s Pragmatic Crypto Culture by Dan RomeroLinks | Unchained: Bounties to Build Frames on Farcaster Are Growing RapidlyFarcaster's User Base Skyrockets Nearly 500% After Frames LaunchWhat Is SocialFi? A Beginner’s GuideThe Chopping Block: Is Farcaster the Web3 Social Layer?Dan’s ideas for FarcasterFarcaster architecture | ArchitectureOnchain password reset mechanismWhy Farcaster Frames are importantThe layers of FarcasterFarcaster charges “rent”-Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC. Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 13, 2024 • 16min
MARKETS DAILY: Crypto Update | Bitcoin Layer 2s Are an Ascendant Narrative for Crypto, Says Alex Thorn
The latest price moves and insights with Jennifer Sanasie and guest Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy.To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.On "Markets Daily," host Jennifer Sanasie speaks with Galaxy Head of Research Alex Thorn about bitcoin's bump above $50k, spot bitcoin ETF inflows and where layer 2s built on bitcoin might surpass those on Ethereum.-Consensus is where experts convene to talk about the ideas shaping our digital future. Join developers, investors, founders, brands, policymakers and more in Austin, Texas from May 29-31. The tenth annual Consensus is curated by CoinDesk to feature the industry’s most sought-after speakers, unparalleled networking opportunities and unforgettable experiences. Take 15% off registration with the code MD15. Register now at consensus.coindesk.com.-This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl, alongside Senior Booking Producer Melissa Montañez. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 13, 2024 • 29min
THE MINING POD: BitDigital’s AI Play With Sam Tabar
Sam Tabar, CEO of BitDigital, joins the show to discuss the bitcoin miner’s strategy, its AI investments and how he thinks of the upcoming halving.Follow along on your favorite podcast player of choice by clicking here.Will is joined by Sam Tabar, CEO of BitDigital, to discuss the Bitcoin miner’s focus on AI, its asset-light mining strategy and how Sam is thinking about mining post-halving.Published twice weekly, "The Mining Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews Tuesday and a news show on Friday! Check out our other shows and content by going to Blockspace.media today.Follow our host on Twitter, @wsfoxley.-Thank you to our sponsor, CleanSpark, America’s Bitcoin miner!"The Mining Pod" is produced by Sunnyside Honey LLC and distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Damien Somerset.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feb 12, 2024 • 46min
GEN C: Digital Art and Cultural Acceptance With MoMA's Madeleine Pierpont
Madeleine Pierpont of The Museum of Modern Art shares how the renowned museum is embracing digital art and bringing awareness of the medium to its visitors.In this week’s episode, Madeleine Pierpont from MoMA discusses the museum's initiatives around digital art, exhibiting Refik Anadol’s NFT art physically, launching the Postcard project for collaborative blockchain art creation and their goal of bridging the gap between the traditional art world and Web3. We also discuss the role of museums today, challenges around art financialization and the future of AI art.Links mentioned from the podcast:
Apple Vision Pro review: The infinite desktop
Employee loses $25M of firm’s funds after call with deepfake colleagues
Farcaster's Dan Romero Explains How 'Frames' Did What X (Twitter) Doesn't
Watch this episode on video:
YouTube
CoinDesk
Follow us on Twitter:
Sam Ewen, Avery Akkineni, CoinDesk, Vayner3
-Consensus is where experts convene to talk about the ideas shaping our digital future. Join developers, investors, founders, brands, policymakers and more in Austin, Texas from May 29-31. The tenth annual Consensus is curated by CoinDesk to feature the industry’s most sought-after speakers, unparalleled networking opportunities and unforgettable experiences. Take 15% off registration with the code GENC15. Register now at consensus.coindesk.com.-"Gen C" features hosts Sam Ewen and Avery Akkineni. Executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced by Uyen Truong, with additional production assistance from Eleanor Pahl. Our theme music is "1882” by omgkirby x Channel Tres with editing by Doc Blust. Artwork by Nicole Marie Rincon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.


