Crypto Critics' Corner

Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin

Bennett and Cas discuss historical moments in the cryptocurrency and finance industries, focusing on frauds, hacks, exit scams, and other malfeasance.

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175 episodes
Updated February 5

Episodes175

Newest first

Nov 18, 2021 · 22 min
Stablecoins will Fork your Chain if they Want to Fork
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey talk about the concept that maybe stablecoins play an intimate role in how successful a fork of a major cryptocurrency is or whether the cryptocurrency forks at all.
Nov 11, 2021 · 46 min
The Tether Papers (feat. David Canellis of Protos)
Today we dissect The Tether Papers along with one of the main authors, David Canellis - also the head of the Protos newsroom. Please follow along at home by reading The Tether Papers here: https://protos.com/tether-papers-crypto-stablecoin-usdt-investigation-analysis/
Nov 7, 2021 · 24 min
The President's Working Group and Algo Stablecoin Woes
In today's episode Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the President's Working Group, which recently released a report on stablecoins, and the issues that the creator of TerraUSD (an algorithmic stablecoin) is facing.
Oct 30, 2021 · 51 min
Tracking Tether and Working on Ethereum Layer 2 (with Daniel Goldman)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by a good friend and special guest Daniel Goldman, an engineer working on the Ethereum layer 2 solution called Arbitrum, but who is also a cryptocurrency critic. Daniel helped create a Twitter bot that allowed skeptics to follow any and all Tether prints for years, and without his work the chore of monitoring every large Tether print during the early days would've been an annoying errand.
Oct 23, 2021 · 40 min
Decentralization and Tribalism (featuring Oliver Beige)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey talk with Oliver Beige, an engineer turned economist, who tell us whether decentralization is sustainable and how tribalism plays a role.
Oct 16, 2021 · 33 min
Taiwan and Tether (with Sam Reynolds)
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Blockworks author Sam Reynolds, a Taipei-based reporter, who discusses the early history of Tether in Taiwan and what can be implied by their issues with their early banking partners.
Oct 9, 2021 · 24 min
The Pandora Papers
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey talk about a huge investigative drop from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: the Pandora Papers. The leaks will help the public understand how the rich, famous, and politically connected are able to evade taxes and move money without anyone knowing. If you'd like to read about the Papers yourself, please visit https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/ If you'd like to donate to the ICIJ, please visit https://checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?org_id=icij&installmentPeriod=monthly&amount=10&campaign=701f4000001A4kF
Oct 3, 2021 · 23 min
Liberty Reserve: the first stablecoin
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey review Liberty Reserve - the first stablecoin and the first stablecoin shutdown by US regulators.
Sep 27, 2021 · 41 min
Evergrande with David Z. Morris
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined, once again, by David Z. Morris, the chief insights columnist at Coindesk, to discuss what's happening with Evergrande, why it matters for other regions and industries, and how the property market on the Chinese Mainland operates.
Sep 12, 2021 · 22 min
Cryptocurrency Lending is Too Good to Believe
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey explore the incredible interest rates offered by centralized cryptocurrency lenders, how they likely make their money, and whether or not any of them are "risk-free."
Sep 6, 2021 · 22 min
Remembering Fraud: WorldCom
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey reflect on a fraud that began in the 1980s and ended when the Dot-Com Bubble burst: WorldCom. Are there applicable comparisons to cryptocurrency and securities markets of today? (Hint: Yes.)
Aug 30, 2021 · 26 min
C.R.E.A.M. Cumberland Rules Everything Around Me
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the history and importance of DRW/Cumerbland Global, one of the top liquidity providers in the cryptocurrency space, and speculate on the influence the company exerts on the industry.
Aug 20, 2021 · 26 min
Binance: the Tai Chi Document
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey talk about the Binance Tai Chi document (which you can read about here https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldelcastillo/2020/10/29/leaked-tai-chi-document-reveals-binances-elaborate-scheme-to-evade-bitcoin-regulators/?sh=6dbafb302a92). This was recorded *before* Binance introduced full-KYC (know-your-customer) practices, but highlights previous issues with Binance, Binance US, and other Binance affiliated companies. If you're interested in the book by Evan Ratliff that we mention, it can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Mastermind-Drugs-Empire-Murder-Betrayal/dp/0399590412
Aug 16, 2021 · 46 min
Blockchain Terminal with Robert Green
Robert Green (@robogreen on Twitter), a marketing consultant who ended up doing contract work for Blockchain Terminal - a company claiming to be "the Bloomberg Terminal," but for cryptocurrencies! - joins us to discuss his time at the bold project. The main problem with the company? One of the biggest fraudsters in Canadian history was running things under a pseudonym, "Shaun MacDonald," and was planning his exit scam from day one (perhaps even laundering funds from a pervious scam to bootstrap the project). Tune in to hear the full story.
Aug 8, 2021 · 20 min
Bitcoin
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the history, function, positives, negatives, flaws, and potential benefits of Bitcoin.
Aug 5, 2021 · 23 min
Algorithmic stablecoins and regulation, Part II featuring Frances Coppola
The second part of the two-part discussion with Frances Coppola. On this episode, Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey ask about algorithmic stablecoins, overcollateralized stablecoins, regulation, and historical precedent for pegged-currency failures.
Aug 2, 2021 · 25 min
Inflation, deflation, and stablecoins with Frances Coppola (Part I)
Frances Coppola - "infamous" nocoiner and author - joins Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey to teach everyone a thing or two about inflation, deflation, hyperinflation, and stablecoin regulation.
Jul 30, 2021 · 16 min
Crypto Charity - where you donate to random people making promises and get nothing in return
Today's episode is guest-less! Just Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discussing how particularly egregious cryptocurrency-based charities tend to be. Examples include Jacob Kostecki, Binance's Pink Care Token, and Deltec Cares.
Jul 26, 2021 · 41 min
From Skeptic to Believer: Preston Byrne on the cryptocurrency ecosystem
Lawyer Preston Byrne joins Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey for a wide-ranging discussion that goes from his own crypto journey (of skeptic to believer) to regulatory and legal risks for stablecoin operators. Visit his Twitter to see more from Preston https://twitter.com/prestonjbyrne
Jul 21, 2021 · 40 min
Stablecoins, CBDCs, and the STABLE Act with Rohan Grey
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Assistant Professor of Law at Willamette University and one of the authors of the STABLE Act, Rohan Grey. We discuss how stablecoins operate, what he hopes to see from CBDCs and the problems he sees in all kinds of new(er) money markets. Find him on Twitter @rohangrey

Crypto Critics' Corner

Stablecoins will Fork your Chain if they Want to Fork

The Tether Papers (feat. David Canellis of Protos)

The President's Working Group and Algo Stablecoin Woes

Tracking Tether and Working on Ethereum Layer 2 (with Daniel Goldman)

Decentralization and Tribalism (featuring Oliver Beige)

Taiwan and Tether (with Sam Reynolds)

The Pandora Papers

Liberty Reserve: the first stablecoin

Evergrande with David Z. Morris

Cryptocurrency Lending is Too Good to Believe

Remembering Fraud: WorldCom

C.R.E.A.M. Cumberland Rules Everything Around Me

Binance: the Tai Chi Document

Blockchain Terminal with Robert Green

Bitcoin

Algorithmic stablecoins and regulation, Part II featuring Frances Coppola

Inflation, deflation, and stablecoins with Frances Coppola (Part I)

Crypto Charity - where you donate to random people making promises and get nothing in return

From Skeptic to Believer: Preston Byrne on the cryptocurrency ecosystem

Stablecoins, CBDCs, and the STABLE Act with Rohan Grey