CoinDesk Podcast Network

Nazar Khan, CTO of TeraWulf who leads technical strategy and the company’s push into AI and repurposing industrial power sites. He discusses building multiple AI-ready sites in Kentucky and Maryland. Talks cover converting former coal plants, massive battery storage for grid reliability, and how bitcoin mining ops fit alongside growing AI and HPC loads.

A lawsuit over alleged defamation tied to reporting on Iran-linked transactions takes center stage. A new Mastercard program aims to bridge crypto tools and traditional payment rails. Recent February CPI data and its implications for near-term Federal Reserve policy are also covered.

Coverage of political signals that sparked crypto and equity rallies after comments about a possible end to the Iran conflict. Analysis of market reactions including a weakening dollar and Bitcoin momentum. Report on Hyperliquid hitting record open interest and surging weekend trading volumes. Update on a major strategy’s large Bitcoin purchases and dividend changes to sustain accumulation.

Kevin Lehtiniitty, CEO of Borderless.xyz and blockchain payments entrepreneur, explains the move to Stablecoin 2.0 and a new Borderless–Dfns partnership. He discusses why institutions need multi-provider rails, the importance of redundancy and regional access, and how modular stacks replace single-vendor prototypes.

Michael Reinking, Senior Market Strategist and head of the MAC desk at the NYSE, offers market-floor perspective on current turmoil. He explains how Middle East tensions sent oil soaring and why Asia is bearing the brunt. He describes volatility-driven de-risking across assets and the surprising resilience and correlations in crypto and mega-cap tech.

John Nahas, Chief Business Officer at Avalanche, builds institutional blockchain adoption with sovereign L1s and embedded finance. He explains why custom, purpose-built chains are replacing one-size-fits-all platforms. Real-world use cases from FIFA to tokenized markets are highlighted. The conversation covers pitching blockchain to firms, responding to mainstream skepticism, and integrating AI and micropayments.

Liang Wang, VP of Canaan — a leading Bitcoin miner and ASIC maker focused on North American operations — discusses Canaan’s Texas site acquisitions and asset-heavy approach. He talks about designing durable Avalon miners, using stranded energy and behind-the-meter power, and how AI demand and foundry dynamics are reshaping ASIC sales and mining economics.

Ric Edelman, veteran financial advisor and founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals, gives blunt takes on policy and markets. He argues the banking lobby will likely win the stablecoin yield battle and urges compromise. He outlines timing for the Clarity Act, warns what failure could mean, defends Bitcoin against quantum fear, and reiterates a long-term bullish Bitcoin outlook.

Nasdaq is teaming with Kraken to offer one-to-one tokenized versions of public company stocks in international markets. Discussion touches on oil spiking past $100 and its market effects. There is coverage of why Bitcoin is holding steady amid tech ties and market shifts. Rapid fundraising and sky-high valuations in prediction markets also get attention.

Khan (Luxor) — research lead who tracks Bitcoin hashrate and mining economics. Chris Johannesson (IonStream) — go-to-market lead for bare-metal GPU rentals and NeoCloud infrastructure. They discuss a $46M theft arrest, Kraken securing a Fed master account and what a skinny access means, the pivot from ASICs to GPUs and IREN’s push to 150,000 GPUs.