FCAT Crypto Brief™

Host, Ryan Stuebe is joined by special guest, Matt Allen from FCAT’s Bitcoin Mining team to discuss mining economics, economic and network impacts of the halving, data from previous halvings and live listener questions. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [4:05] Economics of Bitcoin Mining [6:55] The Reality of the Halving Hype [12:40] Economic Impact of the Halving [22:00] A Wild Card in the 2024 Halving [25:05] A Look to Past Data [33:30] Impact of the Halving on the Bitcoin Network Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2024 FMR LLC. All rights reserved. 1040156

Jack and Parth welcome Sergey Nazarov of Chainlink to the podcast to discuss the beginnings of Chainlink and its current place in the market, as well as Nazarov’s perspective on tokenized assets, cross-chain security and the future of smart contracts. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [1:45] Chainlink’s Role in the Crypto Space [6:30] Chainlink’s Early Days [11:00] Transition to Tokenized Assets [18:35] Chainlink’s Role in Creating a Tokenized Fund [31:30] Cross-chain security [37:30] Sergey’s Long-Term Vision of Smart Contracts  Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2024 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Hosts welcome Chris Kuiper, Director of Research with Fidelity Digital Assets to discuss potential developments we may see in 2024 and how major milestones may impact the crypto community in the year to come. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [2:15] 2023 - The Calm Before the Storm? [5:30] Macro Trends & Their Impact on Bitcoin [11:00] Market impact from first approved spot-crypto products [21:00] Lightening developments [27:35] Thoughts on the Future of Ethereum, Solana and smart contract platforms   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2024 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Hosts take turns sharing their highs and lows from 2023 and shine light on what their hopeful for in the coming year. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [5:00] Ryan’s Low for 2023 - Collapse of SVB [12:30] Jason’s High - The Shapella Upgrade [19:20] Parth’s High - Solana Survived [21:50] Ryan’s High - Interpretability & Development Growth [23:30] Jack’s Low - Lack of Killer Use Cases [27:00] Jason’s Low - Pace of US regulatory clarity [30:25] Ryan & Jack’s High - Closure & Clarity with Exchanges [35:30] Parth’s Low - Few Stablecoin Issuers   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Ryan interviews Jack, now a Research Associate for Avon Ventures, about the current macro state of VC and how it relates to crypto markets, how regulatory clarity may change things and what the next 6-12 months can bring. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [2:30] Summary on sentiment [11:30] What would increased regulatory clarity mean for VCs and the companies they're funding? [14:05] Exiting investments [17:30] Thoughts on the next six months   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Jason, Jack and Ryan tackle answering some of the top questions submitted by listeners.   Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [2:40] How do the hosts see the role of Ethereum evolving in the coming year? [14:50] What are the implications of major banks and institutions becoming more active in the ecosystem? What excites the hosts the most about companies building? [28:15] Beyond ETPs, what are the hosts thoughts on other digital asset products? [31:50] What are the implications to the ecosystem post-Binance settlement? Where do we go from here? Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Hosts dive deep into the push behind Pyth’s Token Airdrop, exploring its impact on on-chain data dynamics and the evolving landscape of decentralized finance. Additionally, the hosts delve into JPMorgan's foray into blockchain interoperability, analyzing the potential disruptions and advancements progress in this space could bring to the broader blockchain ecosystem. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [2:40] Pyth Token Airdrop - What does it mean for on chain data? [13:20] JPMorgan Tackles Blockchain Interoperability Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Parth kicks off the episode examining the Ethereum Attestation Service. Then, hosts dive into a conversation on how crypto exchanges earn revenue and how they may seek to diversify their revenue streams using L2 solutions. Finally, Jack gives us a look at the macro environment and discusses the widespread optimism around a potential Bitcoin ETP approval.   Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [2:45] What Parth Tried This Week: Ethereum Attestation Service [9:15] Crypto Exchange Business [14:10] Business of L2s [21:15] Are the bulls back? Macro Update [25:00] Inching Closer to a Bitcoin spot ETP Approval? Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Parth kicked off the conversation sharing CryptoMiso.com, a tool that rates blockchains based on developer activity. Hosts then provide a recap of Sam Bankman-Fried's trial and discuss its implications for the crypto industry. Finally, they dive into the latest developments on Solana, highlighting the significance of the Firedancer testnet launch for the blockchain's scalability, performance, and overall ecosystem. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [4:45] What Parth Tried This Week: CryptoMiso [7:30] SBF Found Guilty, What now? [17:00] Solana Testnet of Firedancer Goes Live Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Parth kicks of this episode sharing his experience with building a Compound liquidation bot. Then, the hosts dive into a conversation about restaking on EigenLayer after Ether.Fi rolled out their liquid staking token. Finally, they wrap up talking about DTCC’s recent acquisition of Securrency. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [3:10] What Parth Tried This Week - Building a Compound Liquidation Bot [10:10] Liquid staking vs restaking – What is it? How does it work? Why would people do it? [26:05 DTCC’s Acquisition of Securrency Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

This week, we welcome Nic Carter, founding partner of Castle Island Ventures and Fidelity alum to the podcast. Nic shares his story of an almost decade-long of journey in crypto, reflects what is now considered to be a prescient take on stablecoins, and shares what makes him optimistic about the future of crypto. Nic is a general partner at Castle Island Ventures and the cofounder of blockchain data company Coin Metrics. Previously, he was a crypto-asset analyst at Fidelity. He holds an MA Finance from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Philosophy from the University of St. Andrews. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [2:30] Catalyst to becoming a crypto enthusiast [4:30] Nic on stablecoins: past, present & future [19:30] Could offshore stablecoins be used to generate income? [51:45] What excites Nic about the future of crypto   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Hosts dive into the benefits and challenges of real world asset tokenization and discuss tokenization platforms, including the recent introduction of JPMorgan’s Oynx Blockchain. Plus, hear about potential changes in demand in DeFi and new innovations out of Goldfinch. Episode Topics: [0:00] Intro [3:45] What Parth Tried This Week: Soma Finance [10:45] JPMorgan Introduces Tokenization Platform [25:30] Demand in DeFi [30:20] On-chain Credit History Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Steven Goldfeder, CEO and co-founder of Offchain Labs, sits down with host Parth to discuss the birth of Arbitrum and his transition from cryptographer to CEO. They take a technical deep dive into Layer 2 (L2) rollups, their importance in blockchain scaling, and the differences between optimistic and ZK rollups. Steven highlights the challenges of achieving scalability while preserving security and decentralization and offers insights for choosing the right L2 solution in the complex blockchain landscape. About Steven:Steven Goldfeder is the CEO and co-founder of Offchain Labs, the initial developer of Arbitrum. Steven received his doctorate from Princeton University and is a published author of multiple research papers on blockchain science, crypto technologies, smart contracts, and more. Steven co-founded Offchain Labs in 2013. 0:00 Intro  2:39 Stephen’s Crypto Catalyst  9:15 Transition from Cryptographer to CEO  13:15 Rollups and Why They Matter  22:00 Differences Between ZK and Optimistic Rollups  29:30 Considerations When Choosing an L2  35:00 Optimism for Optimistic Rollups    Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Jack, Parth, and Ryan discuss a new open-source application that aims to turn old phones into hard wallets. They then touch on MetaMask’s new, in-beta, community feature “Snaps.” They conclude by speaking on news of Tether’s most recent financial attestation. Episode Topics: 0:00 Intro 2:51 What Parth Tried Last Week, Air Gap 10:37 Metamask’s new capability 21:00 Tether attestation news   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Jack, Jason, and Ryan talk about attending the Future Proof conference. They then discuss the news of FTX gaining approval to liquidate some of their assets. The hosts then touch on the news of Deutsche Bank partnering with a crypto custodian. Finally, they speak on Coinbase integrating the Lightning Network, and share their thoughts on the Lightning Network as it stands today.  Episode Topics: 0:00 Intro 6:39 FTX’s liquidation update 15:11 Deutsche announces digital custody partnership 23:47 Coinbase’s integration of the Lightning Network Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.  

This week Ryan and Parth speak about a blockchain explorer that aims to improve the user experience when scrubbing blockchains –– and while throwing in a hint of AI. Then the two hosts touch on Visa’s announcement to start utilizing USDC to help with settling payments. Finally, the two discuss a new update to Metamask that allows for users to transition from crypto to cash easier.   0:00 Intro 5:25 What Parth tried last week: LoreScan 10:18 Visa to start leveraging stablecoin technology 18:11 The state of stablecoins 28:20 Metamask’s new sell feature 30:32 New FASB rules   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Jack, Jason, and Parth speak on a new tokenized social media platform. They then touch on the news surrounding Tornado Cash and MakerDAO –– and the technical and philosophical questions that come from it. Topics 0:00 Intro 2:22 What we tried last week 8:29 Tornado Cash 17:30 MakerDAO’s endgame plan   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Summary: This week Jack and Ryan talk about the recent price changes in the crypto market. Jack explains how macroeconomic conditions impact not only cryptocurrencies, but also traditional investments at large. They then speak on Coinbase’s approval to operate a futures commission merchant and on the first Bitcoin spot ETF launched in Europe.  Episode Topics:  0:00 Intro  3:25 Macro moves and their impact on crypto markets  17:10 Coinbase approval to operate a futures commission merchant  21:45 First Bitcoin spot ETF in Europe  Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech.  Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW.  Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved. 

Jason and Jack interview Sterling Ingui, the Head of Next Gen Retirement Products, Workplace Investing at Fidelity. She’s worked for a diverse set of businesses ranging from universities to fine jewelry. She discusses her career evolution and how blockchain found her on the most recent episode of the Crypto Brief. Episode Topics: 0:00 Intro 2:31 How Sterling got into the blockchain space 11:23 Sterling’s role today  14:02 Sterlings’ cybersecurity background and crypto 21:17 blockchain uses besides cryptocurrency  31:47 final questions for Sterling   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2023 FMR LLC. All rights reserved. Fidelity Charitable is the brand name for the Fidelity Investments® Charitable Gift Fund, an independent public charity with a donor-advised fund program. Various Fidelity companies provide services to Fidelity Charitable. The Fidelity Charitable name and logo, and Fidelity are registered service marks of FMR LLC, used by Fidelity Charitable under license. 

Parth, Jason, and Ryan break down news related to Block’s bitcoin quarterly earnings and the exploit on Curve Financial. Finally, they spoke on PayPal’s stablecoin announcement. Episode Topics: 0:00 Intro 2:35 What Parth Tried This Week: Nike Swoosh 7:59 Block Updates 18:38 Curve Financial Hack News 34:50 PayPal’s Announcement of Stablecoin Launch in Partnership with Paxos   Stay connected with us beyond the podcast by following FCAT on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where we share additional insights and updates on all things emerging tech. Whether you're crypto-curious or have a crypto foundation, Fidelity may have your next career opportunity. EXPLORE NOW. Please remember: this podcast is solely for informational and educational purposes and is not investment, tax, legal or insurance advice. Digital assets are speculative and highly volatile and you should conduct thorough research before you invest. To learn more, visit: fcatalyst.com FMR LLC. © 2022 FMR LLC. All rights reserved