E17 - Michael Bacina on Banking Industry Friction

Mike Bacina is a former software engineer turned lawyer that chairs the blockchain Australia organization. In this conversation we talk about de-banking and the regulatory environment in crypto. We touch on CBDCs, Blackrock, and Coinbase. Mike tells us what a blockchain lawyer does, And he plugs some of the speakers and events lined up for next week's Blockchain Week such as Caitlin Long. You can find the lineup at blockchainweek.com.au 

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Timestamps:
01:35 debanking in crypto
05:55 operation chokepoint
09:05 bank digital currencies
18:16 technical complexity and UX
22:42 AML & CFT costs
32:14 blackrock ETF
38:00 coinbase
42:02 blockchain week Australia
44:55 what does a blockchain lawyer do?
51:25 rapid fire
54:05 fin
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Some notes from the show:

• French influencer crackdown (bits of blocks) https://www.bitsofblocks.io/post/oui-s-il-te-pla%C3%AEt-france-tackling-scams-at-the-on-ramp-with-new-influencer-laws
• ChokePoint 2.0 (Cooper & Kirk) https://www.cooperkirk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Operation-Choke-Point-2.0.pdf
• Sports Illustrated NFT tickets https://decrypt.co/138532/sports-illustrated-box-office-nft-tickets
• RFK's speech at Bitcoin 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz7FPl065II
• tornado cash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oain31005Go&t=106s 
• Blackrock Bitcoin ETF https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/blackrock-close-filing-bitcoin-etf-coindesk-2023-06-15/
• Grayscale Bticoin trust https://grayscale.com/products/grayscale-bitcoin-trust/
• Coinbase SEC case https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-102
• Binance SEC case https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-101
• MiCA in Europe https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/04/20/eu-parliament-approves-crypto-licensing-funds-transfer-rules/
• Blockchain Week Australia https://www.blockchainweek.com.au/
• Custodia bank https://custodiabank.com/roughstock/
• Fed master account holders list https://twitter.com/CaitlinLong_/status/1669788541470244865

Contact Mike:

• Twitter https://twitter.com/MikeBacina

• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebacina/

Find Jeff:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn 

The BCNZ Pod:

• Website https://podcast.blockchain.org.nz/
• YouTube 
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Spotify 
• iHeartRadio 

Sponsor:

• The Blockchain New Zealand podcast is brought to you by EasyCrypto

Media & Sponsorship Enquires:

• team@blockchain.org.nz 

Recorded at blockheight 794976. The BCNZ podcast was founded in 2022 by Jeff Nijsse and Bryan Ventura.