Memecoin Culture, Robinhood's Crypto Ambitions, and More!
This Week on Unchained: Don't miss the interviews with Nathaniel Popper on meme culture, and Johann Kerbrat on Robinhood's crypto ambitions. Plus, a new episode of TCB.
Yesterday, Unchained turned 8 years old. Read Laura’s message here:
Are Memecoins the Next Evolution of Wall Street Bets?
Nathaniel Popper just published his latest book, “The Trolls of Wall Street,” covering the Wall Street Bets phenomenon. Funnily enough, his book comes at a time when there are striking similarities with the current memecoin mania in crypto.
In this episode, Popper explores the rise of online investing communities like Wall Street Bets and their reflection on broader societal changes, particularly among young men.
He also touches on the parallels between the trolling culture of these communities and the rise of figures like Donald Trump, and delves into the hidden dangers and psychological influences of memes in modern investing.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Or watch it on YouTube.
Why Robinhood, a TradFi Hub, Is Growing Its Crypto Business Globally
Robinhood has been in the spotlight for its $200 million acquisition of European crypto exchange Bitstamp. The TradFi app’s venture into crypto is paying off: its recent earnings showed that revenue is growing substantially, and the Bitstamp acquisition is just one way the company will grow the pie.
Johann Kerbrat, general manager of Robinhood Crypto, came on the show to discuss the acquisition, Robinhood’s plans for expanding its crypto business internationally and into the institutional market, the company’s approach to listing crypto assets, how regulation has affected its business decisions, and its efforts to bridge traditional finance and decentralized finance.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Or watch it on YouTube.
The Chopping Block: Iggy Azalea, Hamster Kombat, & Airdrop Insights
In this episode, we dive into the impact of celebrity-endorsed memecoins, featuring Iggy Azalea’s new coin ‘Mother’ and Andrew Tate’s ‘Daddy.’ We discuss how these phenomena influence the broader crypto market, recent trends in airdrops, and the challenge of Sybil resistance. Additionally, we explore the permissionless nature of crypto and the trade-offs involved in fun and chaotic projects, including the explosive rise of ‘Hamster Kombat.’ Tune in for an in-depth look at how pop culture intersects with the core principles of cryptocurrency, shaping current market sentiment.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Pandora, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Or watch it on YouTube.
In Case You Missed It 👀
Here are some articles you will probably want to read:
Bitcoin’s Little Brother: Will Ethereum ETFs Also Boost Ether’s Price?
In a recent budget hearing, SEC Chair Gary Gensler told senators that the US spot ether ETF approvals should be completed by the end of the summer, so where does the market see ether’s price going before and after the launch?
Arbitrum Is Preparing to Fully Remove Its Training Wheels in Becoming a Stage 2 Ethereum Rollup
Community members are mulling over a snapshot temperature check on whether to bring BOLD, a new dispute resolution protocol, to Arbitrum One and Nova, which is expected to enhance the security of Arbitrum chains and remove the restrictions on who can become a validator.
Could Telegram’s TON Blockchain Be the ‘Next Solana’ and Successfully Challenge Ethereum?
While lagging behind Solana, TON’s daily active addresses have exceeded Ethereum’s figures every day except for one thus far in June. Some believe TON could close the distance in market cap with Solana.
10 Crypto Projects That Could Drive the 2024 Bull Market
Farcaster, Jito, Ethena, Pendle Finance, Pump.Fun are among the ten crypto projects that have attracted substantial attention from users.
Has LayerZero Shot Itself in the Foot With Its Sybil Detection Program?
As LayerZero finds more industry-grade airdrop farmers, activity in the interoperability protocol is going down, but still dominates the sector.
Solana Is Trying to Solve MEV in a Radically Different Way Than Ethereum
The Solana Foundation took action against validators that perform sandwich attacks and Jito Foundation delegates could blacklist others.
Opinion: Web3 Has Given Us the Chance to Own Our Online Data, But Do We Want It?
by Khori Whittaker, Executive Director at ENS Labs
Users know in the abstract that Web2 exploits them and their data, but Web3’s onboarding experience will have to be improved before they embrace the ability to not just read and write but also own on the internet.
Read the Weekly Recap!
🤓 Learn With Unchained
What Is CheckTemplateVerify (CTV) Proposal for Bitcoin? BIP-119 Explained
What Are Sequencers in Layer 2 Protocols Such as Optimism, Arbitrum, and Base?
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