Unchained
Laura Shin
Crypto assets and blockchain technology are about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity to the Internet of Things. In this podcast, host Laura Shin, an independent journalist covering all things crypto, talks with industry pioneers about how crypto assets and blockchains will change the way we earn, spend and invest our money. Tune in to find out how Web 3.0, the decentralized web, will revolutionize our world.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 16, 2026 • 1h 13min
Uneasy Money: Are Institutions Creating a New Crypto Meta?
They dig into TradFi moves like BlackRock and Citadel buying tokens and tokenized treasuries on-chain. New chain launches and LayerZero’s tech and decentralization claims get a close look. The conversation covers AI safety departures, Vitalik’s AI views, agent-driven payments and how attention markets might be gamed. Coinbase/Base product choices and the tension between ambition and revenue are debated.
Feb 13, 2026 • 56min
DEX in the City: Is Now the 'Perfect Time to Launch a Crypto Scam'?
Peter Van Valkenburgh, executive director of Coin Center and defender of open-source crypto developers, digs into how proposed laws define "control" in DeFi. He discusses admin keys, pause functions, and the line between non-custodial builders and intermediaries. They also tackle whether current enforcement can catch bad actors if developers get legal cover.
Feb 13, 2026 • 53min
Why MegaETH Is Delaying Its Token and Rejecting Credible Neutrality
Amir Almaimani, MegaETH’s ecosystem lead building token, stablecoin and apps like Mega Mafia; Namik Muduroglu, CSO shaping the chain’s performance‑first architecture. They discuss why the token launch is being delayed, the KPIs that will trigger it, MegaETH’s USDM stablecoin strategy, low‑latency technical wins, and why they reject credible neutrality in favor of an opinionated ecosystem.
4 snips
Feb 12, 2026 • 1h 17min
Why Bitcoin Developers Are Not Incentivized to Talk About the Quantum Threat
Chris Peikert, a University of Michigan professor and lattice-crypto expert, and Justin Drake, an Ethereum Foundation researcher focused on post-quantum migration, dive into the quantum threat to blockchain. They discuss quantum timelines, key-harvesting risks, migration challenges, hash-based and lattice defenses, and the social and technical hurdles of upgrading major chains.
Feb 12, 2026 • 48min
Could a Non-Crypto Hedge Fund Have Pulled a Bitcoin ‘Big Short'?
Parker White, COO and CIO at DeFi Development Corp and experienced crypto investor, lays out a trading-hypothesis about derivatives, iBit options, and market structure. He traces a Feb. 5 price shock to short-vol strategies, a possible TradFi crossover fund in Hong Kong, and mechanics of forced unwinds that could push Bitcoin lower.
12 snips
Feb 11, 2026 • 1h 6min
Bits + Bips: Could Blackrock Someday Feel Compelled to 'Fire' Bitcoin Core Devs?
Nic Carter, founding partner at Castle Island Ventures and longtime Bitcoin analyst, weighs in on failing Bitcoin narratives and why developer inaction on quantum risk could invite institutional control. Conversations jump from derivatives and ETF flows to whether token-focused VC is dead, AI’s impact, and clashes in the Solana ecosystem.
23 snips
Feb 10, 2026 • 41min
How Zero Blockchain Cracked 2M TPS Without Sacrificing Decentralization
Bryan Pellegrino, co-founder and CEO of LayerZero Labs, is building the Zero blockchain to scale without centralization. He discusses fixing storage, rethinking ZK as compression, execution and networking breakthroughs, and how heterogeneous nodes, force-inclusion and institutional partnerships enable 2M TPS and tiny fees.
20 snips
Feb 8, 2026 • 1h 4min
Want to Hire an AI Agent? Check Their Reputation Via ERC-8004
Davide Crapis, AI lead at the Ethereum Foundation and primary contributor to ERC-8004, explains the new trust framework for AI agents. He covers on-chain identity and reputation registries, how agents find and pay each other, defenses against manipulation, validation and watchtower checks, and implications for multi-chain marketplaces and builder tooling.
13 snips
Feb 7, 2026 • 1h 23min
Uneasy Money: How the Increasingly Better AI Agents Are Being Used Onchain
Karl Floersch, Optimism co-founder and CTO working on scaling Ethereum; Austin Griffith, Ethereum Foundation AI lead and dev-tooling builder. They debate Vitalik's L2 rethink and where rollups fit. They dive into the AI agent boom, agent architectures, on-chain bot cultures like OpenClaw and Moltbook, and how agents are automating deployments, QA, and even daily life.
30 snips
Feb 7, 2026 • 60min
When AI Agents Take Over, What Does a Post-Human Economy Look Like?
Michael Casey, longtime finance and tech commentator and DAIS Global chair, and David Mattin, trend researcher and co-founder of The Exponentialist, explore AI agents, proof of control and sovereign AI. They examine agent economies, jobs first affected, AI hallucinations and social harms. They debate money for machines, Bitcoin’s role and what uniquely human skills will still matter.
