The Bitcoin Podcast

Welcome back to The Bitcoin Podcast! In this episode, Dee, and Jesse bring the laughs while diving into the wild world of crypto and beyond. We cover Monero’s so-called “51% attack,” the latest on privacy in crypto, Wyoming launching its own stablecoin, and even some spicy theories on Tether and government shorting. 🚀It’s not your typical crypto show—we mix tech talk, market insights, and plenty of off-the-wall tangents (aliens, sex dungeons, and super-yachts, anyone?). At the heart of it all, we keep the energy light, the vibes jovial, and the crypto conversations real.Stick around for laughs, insights, and a reminder that adoption is the only thing that matters. Whether you’re deep in DeFi or just here for the fun, you’ll feel right at home.00:00 Intro & old school Bitcoin Podcast vibes 02:30 Monero “51% attack” & mining pool concerns 07:15 Tornado Cash trial & privacy under fire 12:00 Wyoming launches its first stablecoin 16:20 Tether vs USDC – conspiracy theories & regulation 22:00 Traditional finance & crypto adoption 28:15 Conspiracies, billionaires & crypto tangents 34:40 Financial advisors warming up to crypto portfolios 40:10 Aliens, Netflix shows & off-topic fun 45:00 Closing thoughts & wrap-up laughs #Bitcoin #CryptoPodcast #Blockchain #Tether #Monero #Stablecoin

This week, the crypto landscape witnessed significant developments: Circle's $1.05 billion IPO signals growing institutional interest; the SEC's appointment of Jamie Selway hints at potential regulatory shifts; and India's forthcoming crypto regulation paper marks a pivotal step in global digital asset governance. Meanwhile, Bitcoin maintains its position above $100,000, and Ethereum shows resilience amid market fluctuations

From a surprise SEC pivot that clears the way for staking-enabled ETFs to Wall Street banks quietly testing crypto desks, this week (May 23 – May 29 2025) delivered regulatory momentum and real-world adoption. Europe piloted blockchain-settled sovereign bonds, Chainlink and ZKsync shipped interoperability upgrades, and Telegram’s $300 million xAI deal sent TON flying. Meanwhile, Bitcoin held above $106 K and ETH pressed toward $2.6 K on record ETF inflows.

In this episode of the Bitcoin Podcast, hosts Dee, Corey, Jessie, and Ahmad cover a wide-ranging discussion about Bitcoin Ordinals, a new protocol for creating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Bitcoin blockchain, highlighting the potential and ongoing debates about their utility. Corey offers a detailed explanation of the concept and its origin, tracing it back to the NFT craze on Ethereum and the broader development in the blockchain ecosystem. The team also touches on the broader implications and challenges of integrating fungibility with non-fungibility in digital assets, drawing parallels with game economies and discussing the nuances of collectibility and community dynamics. Throughout the conversation, they also reflect on the lessons learned from previous ventures in NFTs and digital collectibles, emphasizing the importance of sustainable community support for any token's lasting value.Chapters00:00:00 How Did the Bitcoin Podcast Begin Again?00:00:00 What's New in Season Two and Who's Hosting?00:00:57 Are Bitcoin Ordinals Changing the NFT Game?00:01:46 Is Being Busy Always a Bad Thing?00:03:11 How Does Corey Handle All Hands Meetings?00:03:41 What's the Secret to Dee's Wedding Planning?00:04:12 Should We All Be Eating More Pineapples?00:04:41 How Are Bitcoin Ordinals Similar to NFTs?00:06:05 Are Bitcoin NFTs a Copycat of Ethereum?00:06:47 Why Did Bitcoin Once Dismiss NFTs?00:07:10 What is Fungibility, and How Is Bitcoin Redefining It?00:09:06 Are NFTs Just an Artificial Craze, or Is There More to Them?00:10:11 What's the Connection Between Gaming Skins and NFTs?00:11:47 Could Game Economies and the Black Market Collide?00:13:13 How Do Tokens Resemble an Ecological Balance?00:15:35 Can Different Game Economies Be Unified by Blockchain?00:20:02 What Makes Bitcoin NFTs Unique Compared to Ethereum's?00:22:25 Why Does Rarity Matter in Bitcoin Ordinals?00:24:10 Can the Auditability of UTXOs Affect Bitcoin's Fungibility?00:25:50 Are Certain Physical Items Actually NFTs in Disguise?00:26:22 Why Should We Avoid Cash in Favor of Digital Currencies?00:27:00 How Did the Chicken NFT Craze Take Off?00:31:00 Which Factors Determine the Long-Term Value of Tokens?00:34:06 What Lessons Have We Learned From the Chicken NFT Craze?

This episode explores Binance’s massive settlement with the SEC, Ethereum ETF momentum, South Korea’s sweeping new crypto rules, Chainlink’s enterprise play, and Robinhood’s growing Web3 bet—all while BTC and ETH show signs of consolidation after recent rallies.Links:HIO Discord: https://discord.gg/Mq6TUHv4Codex Discord: https://discord.gg/ChK3ew3AWaku Discord: https://discord.gg/UADwEA64Status Discord: https://discord.gg/cWTjmjNKLogos Discord: https://discord.gg/SrtQBha3Website: https://Thebitcoinpodcast.com

Markets tread water while regulators turn the heat up: this week (10 – 16 May 2025) the Fed’s draft stable-coin framework lands alongside fresh FCA proposals, the SEC punts once more on the ETH ETF, and Hong Kong issues its first retail-ready trading licences. On the tech front Polygon unveils AggLayer and Uniswap super-charges cross-chain swaps, while PayPal and Shopify push crypto checkout to tens of millions of shoppers. BTC grinds above $104 k; MATIC jumps 20 %. Get every headline you need in under 15 minutes with Dee Weekly.Stable-coins set to go mainstream (Deutsche Bank note) — https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/stablecoins-becoming-mainstream-dollar-gold-stable-genius-act-2025-5Stable-coin bills advance in Congress — https://www.debevoise.com/insights/publications/2025/05/stablecoin-bills-advance-in-congress-as-adminSEC delays spot-ETH ETF decision — https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/04/14/sec-delays-decisions-on-in-kind-redemptions-ether-etf-stakingUK FCA crypto discussion paper — https://www.skadden.com/insights/publications/2025/05/uk-fca-discussion-paper-proposesHong Kong first retail VASP licences — https://www.sfc.hk/en/Welcome-to-the-Fintech-Contact-Point/Virtual-assets/Virtual-asset-trading-platforms-operatorsNigeria drops criminal charges against Binance exec — https://www.reuters.com/technology/nigeria-binance-case-update-2025Polygon AggLayer breakout program — https://polygon.technology/blog/pol-value-accrual-post-2-introducing-the-agglayer-breakout-programUniswap permissionless bridging live — https://blog.uniswap.org/permissionless-bridging-is-now-liveBTC price history — https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/bitcoin/historical-data/ETH price rally analysis — https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/05/16/ether-bears-are-done-and-that-s-fueling-eth-price-surge-crypto-benchmark-issuer-saysMATIC price history — https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/wmatic/historical-data/PayPal 3.7 % APY & global checkout expansion — https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2025-04-23-Buy-Hold-Earn-Rewards-PayPal-USDShopify integrates Solana Pay — https://www.quicknode.com/guides/solana-development/solana-pay/shopifyLinks:HIO Discord: https://discord.gg/Mq6TUHv4Codex Discord: https://discord.gg/ChK3ew3AWaku Discord: https://discord.gg/UADwEA64Status Discord: https://discord.gg/cWTjmjNKLogos Discord: https://discord.gg/SrtQBha3Website: https://Thebitcoinpodcast.com

This week on Dee Weekly we unpack the OCC’s surprise green-light for U.S. banks, Ethereum’s freshly-activated Pectra upgrade, a Bitcoin Core overhaul, and adoption moves from Morgan Stanley, Visa, and PayPal—all while BTC flirts with $103 K and ETH rockets 29 %. Stay ahead of the market with concise analysis across regulation, global policy, tech breakthroughs, price action, and real-world adoption.Links to All Articles MentionedOCC clarifies bank authority to engage in crypto custody — https://www.occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2025/nr-occ-2025-42.htmlU.S. House schedules FIT21 market-structure vote — https://www.bhfs.com/insights/alerts-articles/2024/house-passes-landmark-crypto-billESMA issues MiCA market-abuse guidelines — https://www.esma.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-04/ESMA75-453128700-1408_Final_Report_MiCA_Guidelines_on_prevention_and_detection_of_market_abuse.pdfNexus Global Payments launch (Project Nexus) — https://fintechnews.sg/109698/payments/nexus-global-payments/Ethereum Pectra upgrade activated — https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/05/07/ethereum-activates-pectra-upgrade-raising-max-stake-to-2048-ethBitcoin Core 27.0 release notes — https://bitcoincore.org/en/releases/27.0/Solana Firedancer testnet hits 1 M TPS — https://nexo.com/blog/solana-firedancerBitcoin reclaims $100 K — https://www.investopedia.com/watch-these-bitcoin-price-levels-as-cryptocurrency-reclaims-usd100k-level-11731488BTC price data — https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/BTC%3DF/history/ETH price data — https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/ETH%3DF/history/SOL price data — https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SOL-USD/history/Morgan Stanley to add crypto trading to E*Trade — https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-01/morgan-stanley-plans-to-offer-crypto-trading-to-e-trade-clientsVisa invests in BVNK and expands USDC settlement — https://bvnk.com/blog/visa-invests-in-bvnkCoinbase × PayPal integrate fee-free PYUSD — https://www.coinbase.com/blog/coinbase-and-paypal-to-advance-stablecoin-paymentsLinks:HIO Discord: https://discord.gg/Mq6TUHv4Codex Discord: https://discord.gg/ChK3ew3AWaku Discord: https://discord.gg/UADwEA64Status Discord: https://discord.gg/cWTjmjNKLogos Discord: https://discord.gg/SrtQBha3Website: https://Thebitcoinpodcast.com

Catch up fast with a Dee Weekly’s crypto update. We unpack Bitcoin’s latest bank-friendly green light, Ethereum’s May 7 “Pectra” upgrade, soaring ETF inflows, and Project Nexus’s game-changing cross-border payment rail—all in one streamlined episode. Dive into must-know regulatory shifts, Lightning Network adoption, and price action for BTC, ETH, and SOL. Subscribe now for authoritative crypto news, tech breakthroughs, and adoption trends delivered in under 20 minutes.Fed rescinds 2022 crypto-bank memo — https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/04/29/fed-rollback-crypto-policy/UK crypto regulation bill (exchanges & stablecoins) — https://www.theblock.co/post/280001/uk-fca-crypto-draft-law-2025Project Nexus cross-border payments hub — https://www.bis.org/about/bisih/topics/fmis/project_nexus.htmEthereum “Pectra” upgrade announcement — https://blog.ethereum.org/2025/04/28/pectra-announcementCoinbase rolls out Lightning withdrawals — https://decrypt.co/225012/coinbase-bitcoin-lightning-network-lightsparkBTC / ETH / SOL price charts — https://coinmarketcap.comMorgan Stanley adds crypto to E*Trade — https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-30/morgan-stanley-e-trade-crypto-integrationLuxury jeweler Messika accepts crypto — https://decrypt.co/225045/messika-jewelry-crypto-paymentsLinks:HIO Discord: https://discord.gg/Mq6TUHv4Codex Discord: https://discord.gg/ChK3ew3AWaku Discord: https://discord.gg/UADwEA64Status Discord: https://discord.gg/cWTjmjNKLogos Discord: https://discord.gg/SrtQBha3Website: https://Thebitcoinpodcast.com

The Bitcoin Podcast returns for its second season, exploring the latest in cryptocurrency news and discussions on Bitcoin's evolving landscape. Once focused heavily on initial adoption, the hosts now consider what true adoption means in the context of recent technological advancements like L2s and regulatory developments impacting the market significantly. They dive deep into the nuances of Bitcoin's network growth and the Lightning Network's capacity and implications, while also humorously reflecting on past podcast episodes and entertaining conjectures about the future of Bitcoin. The podcast invites listeners to join them once again, aiming to reclaim their place as a leading voice in the crypto community by tackling contemporary issues with humor and informed conjecture.00:00:00 What’s the Buzz about the Bitcoin Podcast’s Comeback?00:00:39 Why Is Season Two of Our Bitcoin Podcast Different?00:01:23 Can You Guess the Real Length of Our Podcast Season?00:02:01 What Major Developments Have Shaped Bitcoin in 2025?00:02:28 How Has the Lightning Network Fared Over the Years?00:03:22 What Milestones Is Bitcoin Achieving with AI Integration?00:03:49 Why Haven't We Listened to Every Bitcoin Podcast Episode?00:05:51 Who Really Created the Lightning Network?00:06:19 How Did Lightning Network Evolve into a Game Changer?00:08:03 Is the Lightning Network Living Up to Its Hype?00:08:57 What's behind the Decrease in Bitcoin Lightning Channels?00:09:39 What's Going on with Uniswap’s 24-Hour Volume?00:11:48 Why Should You Care about Lightning Network’s Capacity?00:12:26 How Did Bitcoin’s Integration with Ordinals Impact its Market?00:14:01 Are Bitcoin Nodes Increasing or Decreasing?00:15:16 Is Bitcoin's Power Consumption Limiting Its Growth?00:16:54 What's the Trend in Bitcoin Vs. Ethereum Dominance?00:18:50 How Has the Web3 Ecosystem Evolved with Bitcoin L2s?00:21:48 Are Bitcoin Roll-ups the Future of Blockchain Scalability?00:25:34 Is Regulation Keeping Up with Web3 Technology?00:27:38 Are We Facing Real Blockchain Adoption or Hype?00:30:27 Could Bitcoin Be Manipulated by Institutional Players?00:34:19 Is There a Conspiracy behind Bitcoin’s Market Movement?00:36:55 What’s Next for Season Two of Our Podcast?

In this Logos Podcast episode, Jarrad Hope interviews Federico Ast, founder of Kleros, a decentralised arbitration service. Federico shares his journey into the crypto world, influenced by Argentina's economic challenges, and describes how he envisioned Kleros as a tool to globally democratise access to justice through low-cost arbitration. They explore the mechanics of Kleros, emphasising its use of blockchain for transparency and economic incentives to ensure fair decision-making. The conversation also highlights Frederico's thoughts on the necessity of blending historical governance insights with modern decentralised systems to create efficient and legitimate solutions. JOIN THE COMMUNITY: Logos Twitter Logos Discord RESOURCES: Jarrad Hope X Federico Ast X Kleros X READING & COURSES: The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age Yale Introduction to Political Philosophy Yale Power and Politics in Today’s world Oxford Very Short Introduction series TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:02 What Led You to Start Kleros? 00:03:46 Is Kleros Rooted in Practical Necessity? 00:06:00 How Do Economic Incentives Play a Role in Kleros? 00:10:26 How Did Kleros Handle Disputes in Prediction Markets? 00:18:17 How Do You See Kleros as a Tool for Decentralized Justice? 00:22:35 How Does Kleros Address Real World Problems? 00:28:01 How Has Kleros Bridged The On-Chain and Real-World Divide? 00:33:27 How Does Enforcement Work in Kleros? 00:41:15 Can Kleros Shape Future Governance Models? 00:44:10 What Can DAOs Learn From Political History? 00:48:22 What’s Next for Kleros and Decentralized Justice? 00:54:39 Which Books and Courses Should Blockchain Enthusiasts Read?

This week Jarrad Hope spoke to Jameson Lopp to discuss his decade-long effort to promote self-custody in Bitcoin by lowering technical barriers for users, emphasizing the fight against human nature's preference for convenience over security. Lopp traces his journey into Bitcoin and Cypherpunk ideology, highlighting the appeal of cryptography in creating open and fair systems resistant to manipulation. Both Lopp and Hope explore various technological solutions and the challenges inherent in privacy and decentralization, such as the pitfalls of centralization in legacy protocols and the need for vigilant, iterative improvements in Bitcoin. Finally, Lopp underscores the importance of evolving Bitcoin's base protocol to foster more innovation at the second layer, while maintaining the decentralized ethos of the network. JOIN THE COMMUNITY Logos Twitter Logos Discord

Jarrad Hope talks to Diego Gutierrez-Zaldivar, Chairman and Co-founder at IOVLabs and co-founder of Rootstock.io, about his lifelong mission to create an equitable society by integrating technology and social work. He believes that Bitcoin can transform society by establishing a peer-to-peer monetary system, merging his passion for technology with social transformation, particularly in financially unstable regions such as Latin America. By collaborating with governments and NGOs, Diego aims to scale and implement decentralized digital trust frameworks, ensuring financial inclusion while preserving individual freedom.

Mark Lutter of the Charter Cities Institute and Braavos Cities discusses focusing on tangible, actionable research to help make better decisions for developing charter cities. Lutter explains the significant challenges in city development, including the necessity of political buy-in and complex stakeholder coordination amidst increasing global uncertainty. He notes that younger, growing populations often drive city growth. Alongside Jarrad Hope, they explore topics such as urbanization patterns, financing mechanisms for low-income housing, and economic development strategies essential for successful charter city projects.

Jarrad Hope talks to Niklas Anzinger, Founder & CEO of Vitalia City and Founder & General Partner at Infinita VC, about building a decentralised city for crypto-driven biotech and the regulatory challenges these types of communities face.

"...the United States did not give satisfactory assurance in relation to Julian being able to rely on constitutional protections for freedom of speech " - Stella Assange on the decision made by the courts to allow Julian Assange to appeal his extradition to the United States. This episode originally aired in December of 2023. We bring it to you again, in light of the appeal decision. Jarrad Hope, co-founder of Logos, sits down with Stella Assange – lawyer, human rights defender, and wife of Julian Assange – for an in depth conversation about Wikileaks, Julian Assange, and the role technology has played in shaping the global socio-political landscape. Stella talks about her experience working on Julian Assange's legal team, her introduction to new technologies including Bitcoin, and the current surveillance state that has emerged since the rise of the open internet.

Robert Gehl and Jarrad Hope discussed the misconceptions and societal impacts of dark web technologies, emphasizing how they're often unfairly characterized by their negative uses, overshadowing their potential for positive, discreet communication and community building. Gehl shares his exploration into alternative social media and encryption technologies' ethical implications, particularly focusing on anonymity's role in protecting users' identities and enabling free speech. Through their dialogue, they touch on the challenges of decentralization and the struggle against the centralization tendencies of large tech companies, highlighting the importance of maintaining small, interconnected communities over large, dominant networks. The conversation also explores the idea of creating a cyber-state or virtual space that respects privacy and freedom, underscoring the necessity of encrypted communication as a fundamental right and safeguard against tyranny.

In the episode, Jarrad Hope talks to Professor Tom W. Bell about the process of shifting from traditional nation-states to more flexible, innovative, specialized jurisdictions. They also dive into the practical mechanisms for establishing such jurisdictions, the importance of foundational legal systems like Ulex, and the challenges posed by traditional copyright hindrances. Overall, Tom and Jarrad reflect on the need for resilient and adaptive models that can withstand the challenges of the future while promoting human flourishing and the benefits of technology like blockchain in achieving these aims.

In this conversation, Jarrad Hope discusses the transformational impact of crypto and peer-to-peer technologies with Michel Bauwens, highlighting the potential seed forms for a new decentralized and commons-oriented societal organization. They acknowledge the complexity and the challenges of the current state of crypto, stressing the importance of building an inclusive and more user-friendly infrastructure while maintaining the pursuit of pluralistic and intelligent discourse.

In a Logos Press Engine crossover, Jarrad Hope brings Corey Petty - Logos Program Lead & Hashing It Out host - to discuss the political and technological motivations behind their work and their aim of building infrastructure that supports civil liberties and resists centralization of power, using open-source tech. They question if the nature of technology is inherently neutral or not, the ethics of building technology, and how it relates to political structures.

Jarrad Hope, co-founder of Logos, sits down with Patri Friedman – Co-Founder and General Partner of Pronomos Capital – for an in-depth conversation about creating autonomous communities, from Seasteading to modern Charter Cities. They discuss the values and monetary incentives that bring people to these new spaces, and the challenges of turning ideas into reality.