CoinDesk Podcast Network

Discussion of whether Bitcoin’s recent surge will trigger a classic sell-the-news dip after the Fed meeting. Coverage of SEC and CFTC coordination on crypto securities and regulatory guidance. Update on progress and behind-the-scenes negotiations for a crypto market structure bill and stablecoin yield talks.

A major payment network is making a $1.8B play to bring stablecoins into cross-border and on-chain payments. A popular wallet scored a unique CFTC green light to link users to regulated derivatives noncustodially. A human-identity system teams up with a major exchange to cryptographically verify people for AI-driven transactions and micropayments.

May Zabaneh, PayPal’s SVP and GM of Crypto, leads the company’s PYUSD stablecoin expansion. She explains why PayPal launched PYUSD in 70 markets and how it eases cross-border payments. Conversation covers remittance use cases, competing via network and trust, stablecoins in emerging economies, and the role of programmable money in an AI-driven commerce future.

Valentin Rousseau, analyst at Hashlabs who ranks countries for bitcoin mining. Danny Plainview, co-founder of OP_NET building Bitcoin smart contract tooling. Chad Masters, OP_NET co-founder focused on Bitcoin-native infrastructure and fundraising. They discuss OP_NET’s $5M raise and mainnet launch. They also cover Hashlabs’ mining country rankings and the fallout from Blockfills’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Simeon Hyman, ProShares strategist linking crypto to multi-asset portfolios. Bill Barhydt, Abra CEO steering a SPAC and DeFi yield products. Andrew McCormick, eToro US lead expanding retail crypto and navigating licensing. They discuss Hormuz geopolitics and market effects. Bitcoin versus gold and equities. eToro’s NY rollout, Abra going public, and crypto index and yield product strategies.

A DeFi protocol tied to the Trump family passed a three-tier staking plan that includes a $5 million lockup for top-level perks and guaranteed access to the project team. A crypto broker filed Chapter 11 after large losses and a high-profile lawsuit. Bitcoin crossed its 50-day moving average and faces a key resistance test near $75,000.

Alex B, founder at Ark Labs driving Arc and Arcade to add programmable finance to Bitcoin. Jamie Gill runs Luxor’s ASIC brokerage desk, focused on secondary markets and fleet refresh. Alex Bloom from Two Prime covers institutional lending behavior. They discuss Ark Labs’ $5.2M raise, miner markets and logistics, institutional lending risks, Bitcoin price moves, and the IRS 1099-DA controversy.

Top holders of the $TRUMP token are slated to attend a Mar-a-Lago gala luncheon, raising fresh attention around political ties and crypto. BlackRock launched a staked ETH ETF that quickly gathered significant assets and trading volume. A trader suffered an extreme slippage loss on a swap, prompting Aave's founder to step in to return substantial fees.

Arthur Hayes, BitMEX co-founder and Maelstrom CIO, explains why he turned bullish on Hyperliquid’s HYPE token and what could push it toward $150. He breaks down real liquidity vs wash trading, trading traditional markets on the platform, exit signals to watch, comparisons with GMX, a case for Zcash’s privacy narrative, and his bold Bitcoin price target.

A $750M share buyback rockets Ripple to a $50B valuation and sparks talk of aggressive acquisitions. BlackRock launches a staked Ether product blending spot ETH with staking rewards. Regulators take a step toward coordination with a new SEC-CFTC memorandum of understanding.