Unchained

The Chopping Block: Venezuela Sanctions Drama + Polymarket Insider Trading + Zcash Foundation Exodus

The Chopping Block breaks down the Kontigo Venezuela sanctions scandal, poly market insider trading drama around Maduro's capture, and the explosive Zcash governance crisis that has the entire Electric Coin Company team quitting to launch CashZ amid foundation versus for-profit wallet debate. Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, the crew dives deep into Venezuela's unexpected crypto connections following Maduro's capture, unpacking how the YC-backed fintech Kontigo allegedly used stablecoins to arbitrage sanctions and capital controls. They debate the moral complexities of banking the unbanked versus violating US sanctions, and whether stablecoins are fulfilling their promise of financial freedom or enabling bad actors. The conversation then shifts to prediction markets drama, as a mysterious trader made $400k betting on Maduro's downfall just hours before it happened — sparking calls for insider trading laws in political betting markets. Finally, they tackle the governance chaos in Zcash land, where the entire Electric Coin Company team quit en masse over disagreements with the nonprofit board, launching a new for-profit venture called CashZ. The hosts debate whether this signals the end of the foundation era in crypto, or just growing pains for protocols trying to build killer products. Hosts: Haseeb Qureshi Robert Leshner Tarun Chitra Tom Schmidt Links: FinTech Business Weekly - Kontigo: Y Combinator's Venezuelan Sanctions Evasion Startup Wall Street Journal - A Mystery Trader Made $400,000 Betting on Maduro’s Downfall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Venezuela Shows Why Bitcoin, Crypto and Stablecoins Help Everyday People

Thank you to our sponsors, Uniswap and Figure Markets! Amid several years of economic challenges, Venezuela boasts a long and intriguing relationship with crypto. Following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. government, these crypto ties have again been brought into focus. In this Unchained podcast episode, Ledn cofounder Mauricio Di Bartolomeo and Economic Inclusion Group President Jorge Jraissati join Laura Shin to unpack this history, including the plausibility of the Latin American country sitting on a $60 billion Bitcoin stash. Mauricio details how the hums of Bitcoin mining rigs became the sound of freedom for Venezuelans. Jorge says post-Maduro Venezuela will “demand” a crypto powered economy. Will the crypto industry shape the future of Venezuela? And what does such a future look like? Hosts: Laura Shin Guests: Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, Cofounder and CSO of Ledn Jorge Jraissati, President of Economic Inclusion Group Links: Bitcoin Rallies to $93,000 After U.S. Attack on Venezuela How Maduro’s Capture and a ‘Pre-War World’ Affects Bitcoin: Bits + Bips Brian Kelly on Token-Curated Registries, Robinhood Crypto Trading and the Petro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DEX in the City: Why Prediction Market 'Insider Trading' Isn't Illegal — Yet

Thank you to our sponsor, Mantle! Canton's in bed with Nasdaq, a Google DeepMind's paper talks up the role of blockchain in an agentic economy and an alleged insider cashes in on Maduro's capture. In this DEX in the City episode, hosts Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos, Jessi Brooks and Vy Le dive into the implications of Canton's Nasdaq deal, why DeepMind's study matters for crypto and the legality of insider trading on prediction markets. Vy highlights what Canton's Nasdaq deal signals about the priorities of institutions adopting blockchain technology. Katherine and Jessi engage in what happens when the machines take over. Plus, should federal officials be banned from using prediction markets? Hosts: Jessi Brooks Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos TuongVy Le Links: Bitcoin Rallies to $93,000 After U.S. Attack on Venezuela How the x402 Standard Is Enabling AI Agents to Pay Each Other Why the Black Friday Whale’s $192 Million Crypto Trade Was Legal DEX in the City: Insider Trading and Crypto: What the Law Actually Says Google DeepMind’s agentic economy paper Pawthereum's website A copy of Rep. Ritchie's bill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Aave Labs and the DAO Should Split Ownership of the Brand - Uneasy Money

Thank you to our sponsors, Multichain Advisors and Mantle! Aave DAO on Christmas Day lost the vote to take control of Aave brand assets, but the fight is likely not over. In this Uneasy Money episode Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) founder Marc Zeller takes hosts Kain Warwick and Taylor Monahan inside the fight over one of DeFi's biggest names, teasing a “phase two” of the fight. Plus, why is Infinex's ICO getting so much flak and are claims of insider trading on Polymarket misguided? Hosts: Kain Warwick Taylor Monahan Guests: Marc Zeller, Founder of the Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) Links: Uneasy Money: Why Token Holders Have No Rights & Why Every DAO ‘Has Failed’ Aave Labs Proposes Off-Protocol Revenue Sharing With Token Holders Aave’s Rushed Governance Vote Draws Backlash Infinex Changes INX Token Sale Terms After Low Demand MegaETH Just Had Its Public Sale. Can It Succeed in Building a Web2-Like Experience? Polymarket Introduces Taker Fees in 15-Minute Markets Polymarket Resolves Issues After Polygon Network Disruption How to Trade Prediction Markets Without an Opinion on the Event Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin Says Blockchain Trilemma ‘Has Been Solved’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why 2026 Is 'Too Chaotic' to Make Crypto Predictions

Thank you to our sponsor, Mantle! In this Unchained podcast episode, guests Alex Thorn and Ryan Graham share their 2026 outlook for Bitcoin and the broader crypto market, exploring why the year looks unusually uncertain. The conversation also digs into questions around Ethereum’s long-term value, whether killer apps are enough to drive adoption, prediction markets’ push into sports betting, and why the privacy meta could continue in 2026. Hosts: Laura Shin Guests: Ryan Graham, Research Analyst at Messari Alex Thorn, Head of Firmwide Research at Galaxy Digital Links: DAT Stocks Are on Sale. Are They a Buy? Plus, Why Crypto Is Dead Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin Says Blockchain Trilemma ‘Has Been Solved’ Solana Withstands Week-Long DDoS Attack Solana Mulls Proposal to Lower Inflation Rate Western Union Files ‘WUUSD’ Trademark After Solana Stablecoin Reveal Why the Privacy Coins Mania Is Much More Than Price Action The Chopping Block: Hyperliquid vs. Tarun, ADL Transparency & The Coming Perps Arms Race How to Trade Prediction Markets Without an Opinion on the Event Why Wall Street Banks Need to Launch Their Own Stablecoins How the GENIUS Act Creates a Built-In Advantage for Banks and Deposit Tokens Klarna Launches Stablecoin Built on Stripe’s Tempo Chain How the x402 Standard Is Enabling AI Agents to Pay Each Other Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices