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The Bad Crypto Podcast

Joel Comm and Travis Wright

Technologists and crypto-enthusiasts Joel Comm and Travis Wright attempt to demystify the world of bitcoin, blockchain, litecoin, ethereum, alt-coins, token generation events, and ICOs in this podcast for cryptocurrency newbies.

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S1 · E815
Monday · 31 min
Bitcoin Bull Trap? Episode 815
The SEC finally wrote the rules down. Citi is about to hold your Bitcoin. Thirty-nine state banking associations are building their own blockchain. And a $3 billion short squeeze shoved Bitcoin through $71K — right before Joel disappears on his honeymoon until November. On August 18, the SEC published a 402-page proposing release called Regulation Crypto Assets: two registration exemptions plus a conditional safe harbor that can finally retire the "investment contract" label once an issuer permanently stops the managerial efforts it promised. For eight years this industry was regulated by lawsuit. For once, nobody had to get sued to find out what the rules were. Meanwhile Bitcoin ripped more than 20% in a week — and is still down on the year. Joel says zoom out: $81K keeps rejecting price, that's a double top, and the four-year cycle still points at a bottom somewhere between late October and early December. Which makes this rally a bull trap until proven otherwise. Also in this one: Open USD and its 140-partner consortium taking aim at Circle and Tether, the BankChain Alliance putting 3,283 banks on a chain of their own, Arthur Hayes coming out of retirement to sell food for AI agents, 512GB Macs that run frontier models on your desk, Anthropic's $65 billion run rate ahead of its IPO, and the guy calling the entire AI industry a con. This is the last one until mid-November. Joel's getting married. Full show notes: https://badco.in/815 Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E814
August 13 · 34 min
The Bots are Botting - Episode #814
The SEC stopped waiting for Congress. Harmony minted four billion tokens out of thin air. And on Robinhood's new chain, AI agents moved $200 million while the humans logged off. Joel and Travis cover the SEC's August 14 vote on Regulation Crypto — the first formal crypto rulemaking of Chairman Paul Atkins' tenure, landing days after the Senate left town without moving the CLARITY Act. Then: Harmony's empty-block exploit that minted 26% of ONE's total supply and the chain rollback the team is now weighing; Goldman Sachs buying NEOS Investments for $2.25 billion and inheriting a bitcoin income ETF; Tether becoming the 17th largest holder of US Treasuries on Earth; Anthropic watermarking everything Claude writes to satisfy the EU AI Act; H100 Group's world-first bitcoin-for-bitcoin acquisition; Hyperliquid's absurd $106 million of revenue per employee; and Anthropic's $9.1 billion, 20-year lease with bitcoin miner Riot Platforms — signed at a moment when it costs more to mine a bitcoin than a bitcoin is worth. Joel demos three AI builds including an America Online time capsule frozen in August 1996, and Travis walks through FourthWeb's agent swarm scraping 150-plus news sources every fifteen minutes. Plus: 52% of Gen Z investors have moved money earmarked for investing into sports betting, and 26% now call it part of their long-term financial strategy. Programming note — this is our second-to-last show before a hiatus. Joel's getting married. We'll be back in late November. We're not quitting. Not financial advice. Stay bad. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E813
August 3 · 34 min
$88 Million Gone From Wallets That Were Never Online
A five-year-old firmware bug quietly turned "cold storage" into a guessing game, and roughly $88 million in Bitcoin walked out the door without anyone touching a device. Joel Comm and Travis Wright open year ten of The Bad Crypto Podcast with the Coldcard entropy flaw: a March 2021 build error routed seed generation through a predictable software fallback instead of the hardware random number generator, leaving affected seeds with about 40 bits of entropy instead of 128. Galaxy Research mapped the first sweep — 1,196 addresses drained in 41 minutes — and later waves pushed the total past 4,500 addresses. Updating the firmware does not fix a seed that was already generated. Also on this episode: BitGo CEO Mike Belshe posts a wallet holding 100 BTC and dares Anthropic's Claude to take it. Strategy sells another 1,638 Bitcoin to cover STRC preferred dividends while sitting on $10.9 billion in unrealized losses. Trump's executive orders move the federal post-quantum deadline to 2031, and BIP-361 raises the question of what happens to Satoshi's coins. Truth Social starts selling early access to the President's posts. And American Bitcoin posts a $57.2 million quarterly loss while growing its treasury to 8,002 BTC. Then the hosts swap notes on what they've been building. Travis is turning the marketing canon into installable AI skills at MRKT.NG, finished two screenplays that sat in a drawer for twenty-six years, and rebuilt his site around a news-reading audio agent and a council of nine AI advisors. Joel made a short film, wrote and produced an original song with AI, and makes the case that "slop" is a skill issue — the work is in the directing, not the prompting. Closes with a practical tutorial on building character reference sheets so your AI-generated characters stop changing faces between shots. This episode is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. It is not financial, investment, or trading advice. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E812
July 16 · 26 min
Hidden Value in Your Dead NFTs
Nine years ago today, two dudes had an idea. That idea became The Bad Crypto Podcast — and 812 episodes later, we're still here. To celebrate our ninth anniversary, Joel Comm and Travis Wright are doing something useful with all those dead NFTs in your wallet: turning them into a tax write-off. Most of the NFTs we bought are abandoned, rugged, or worth pennies. But in the U.S., a crypto loss is a capital loss — and those losses can offset your gains (plus up to $3,000/year against ordinary income). Joel built a tool with Claude that scans your wallets, finds the damage, and hands you a report for your CPA. 👉 Scan a wallet FREE at https://rektwriteoff.com — this episode's sponsor. Also in this one: Stripe and Advent's ~$53B bid for PayPal and the stablecoin angle, where the GENIUS and CLARITY Acts stand, the great NFT market reset, the Spain vs. Argentina World Cup final and FIFA's $999 "Right to Buy" NFTs, plus AtomicHub/WAX going multi-chain. ⚠️ Not financial or tax advice. Joel and Travis are not CPAs or financial advisors. Talk to a tax professional before harvesting losses or burning assets. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E811
July 1 · 26 min
Spontaneous Combustion - Episode 811
Where have we been? The real question is — where have YOU been? Joel and Travis hit record with zero show notes for a fully spontaneous Episode 811. On the docket: the third bear market and the halving-cycle math that points to a bottom this winter and the next top around fall 2029; record June Bitcoin ETF outflows of roughly $4 billion; the launch of X Money with its 6% APY and metal Visa card; Trump's freshly-disclosed $1.4 billion in 2025 crypto earnings; the return of Anthropic's Fable 5 model; and two daredevils unfurling a peace banner on top of the Empire State Building while the guys were recording. Plus: why stablecoins are really just the digital dollar people wanted, MiCA and the Circle-vs-Tether split, the US debt clock spiraling past $39 trillion, and some genuinely good news — Travis's CoinResearch.ai tool drawing a majority investment from the Hilton family office technology fund. No plan. No polish. Pure bad. Stay bad. NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE. For entertainment and informational purposes only. Crypto is volatile — do your own research and consult a licensed professional. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E810
June 10 · 40 min
Claude Fable is AWESOME - Bad Crypto #810
The Worst It'll Ever Be: AI Apps in 20 Minutes, SpaceX's $1.8T IPO & Saylor's Head Fake — Bad Crypto Podcast #810 It's a bear market, so the bad boys of crypto are doing what builders do: SHIPPING. Bitcoin sits at $61,873, the altcoins are in the crapper, and Joel has officially divorced his bags. Travis explains why the 4-year cycle is alive and well — mapping this pullback exactly to previous cycles, with a projected bottom around mid-October. Then it goes full mad-scientist. Travis builds a viral-worthy "Culture Shock" site of World Cup visitors reviewing America in 20 minutes flat with Claude's new Fable model, then ships Viddl — a desktop app that downloads video from YouTube, X, TikTok, Instagram or LinkedIn with FFmpeg baked in. Joel premieres his AI-generated origin story film (1978, a food court paycheck, and a TRS-80 in a Radio Shack window) and announces his Acumen daily puzzle games are headed to the App Store. Plus: SpaceX IPOs as $SPCX at a $1.8 TRILLION valuation with ~$250B in demand, OpenAI and Anthropic file to go public, Michael Saylor's 32-BTC head fake, a trader who built his own exchange from a 42-page prompt, and the AI video tool stack the guys actually use (Kling, PAI, Higgsfield, Seedance & more). "The technology that we're using now to build stuff is the worst that it's going to be." — Joel ⏱ CHAPTERS 0:00 Cold open & liftoff 1:04 Episode 810 kicks off — semi-retired no more 3:48 Bitcoin's 4-year cycle is mapping exactly 4:45 Saylor's head fake: sells 32 BTC, buys 1,500 more 6:40 Market check: BTC $61,873 & Joel divorces his altcoins 7:49 The AI trading edge: OKX & the 42-page prompt exchange 10:24 SpaceX IPO ($SPCX): $250B demand, $1.8T valuation 11:27 Trillion-dollar AI: Anthropic & OpenAI file to go public 15:48 Culture Shock: World Cup visitors review America 19:09 Viddl: download any video, built in a morning 23:06 Joel's AI origin story: 1978 & a TRS-80 26:30 The AI video stack: Kling, PAI, Higgsfield, Seedance 28:08 Acumen: 9 daily puzzle games headed to the App Store 31:56 Travis's Pixar-style get-well video for his brother 35:03 "The worst it's ever going to be" — why the opportunity is NOW 37:18 The fine print 🔗 LINKS 🎮 Play Acumen free: https://games.aiforeveryoneshow.com/app.html 📕 Pre-order Joel's new book AI Made Simple (Dec 1, 2026): https://aimadesimplebook.com 🎬 Joel's origin story video: https://www.youtube.com/joelcomm 🎞 PAI by Utopai Studios (story-to-storyboard video): https://pai.utopaistudios.com/login 📈 MSTR Today with John Lee Dumas (the Saylor breakdown): https://www.youtube.com/@MSTRtoday 🤖 Travis's market tools: https://coinresearch.ai ⬇️ Download Viddl: https://badco.in/viddl 📝 Full show notes: https://badco.in/810 ⭐ Enjoying the show? Leave us 5 stars and a funny review on Apple Podcasts! DISCLAIMER: Not financial advice. The Bad Crypto Podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Prices and valuations quoted reflect the moment of recording. Do your own research and never invest more than you can afford to lose. Stay bad. 🤘 #BadCrypto #Bitcoin #SpaceX #SPCX #AI #ClaudeFable #BearMarket #Crypto #MichaelSaylor #VibeCoding Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E809
June 2 · 37 min
A Reality Engine for AI - Exploring XYO Network
In this sponsored episode of The Bad Crypto Podcast, Joel and Travis welcome back Markus Levin, co-founder of XYO Network, a project first featured on the show back in the ICO days of 2018. Unlike many projects from that era, XYO is still building. The conversation centers on a huge problem in both crypto and AI: digital systems are often blind to the real world. Smart contracts, AI agents, apps, and autonomous systems can process data, but they do not automatically know whether that data is true, where it came from, or whether someone tampered with it. That is where XYO comes in. Markus explains how XYO has evolved from a proof-of-location network into what the team describes as a truth layer for real-world data. Using devices, mobile phones, sensors, NFC tags, cryptographic proofs, and its own data-focused Layer 1 blockchain, XYO is working to verify events, actions, assets, and real-world information so AI systems and blockchain applications can operate with greater certainty. Joel, Travis, and Markus also dig into the COIN app, which allows users to earn rewards for contributing real-world data, and the broader XYO ecosystem, including the XYO token, XL1 token, proof of origin, zero-knowledge privacy protections, and the newly announced AI infrastructure verification partnership with Setter Labs. The big idea: as AI becomes more powerful, the question may not be whether a model can generate an answer. The question is whether it can prove where that answer came from. Topics Covered Why AI agents and smart contracts are still “blind” to the physical world How XYO began as a proof-of-location project in 2018 Why GPS and location data can be spoofed The role of blockchain in verifying real-world events What “proof of origin” means and why it matters How XYO collects and verifies real-world data Why bad data may be one of AI’s biggest problems How verified data could reduce AI hallucinations The COIN app and how users can earn rewards for data collection XYO’s Layer 1 blockchain and the XL1 token The difference between XYO, XL1, COIN, and other ecosystem assets How zero-knowledge proofs help preserve privacy Why decentralized physical infrastructure networks may become increasingly important How XYO is moving into AI infrastructure and AI agent verification The new XYO AI SDK and what developers can build with it Why long-term survival matters in crypto Joel’s reminder that sponsored projects must still pass Bad Crypto vetting Featured Guest Markus Levin Co-founder of XYO Network Links Mentioned XYO Network: https://xyo.network COIN App: https://coinapp.co Build with XYO: https://xyo.network/build Partnership inquiries: partnerships@xyo.network Disclosure This is a sponsored episode of The Bad Crypto Podcast. Joel and Travis were compensated to feature XYO Network, but the project passed their vetting process before being brought to the Bad Crypto audience. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E808
May 20 · 34 min
AI Video is Crazy!
AI video has officially gone off the hook, off the chain, and possibly off the planet. In Episode 808 of The Bad Crypto Podcast, Joel Comm and Travis Wright are back in their original human form to explore just how crazy AI video creation has become. Travis shows off the latest evolution of his long-running Cornytopia project, including consistent AI-generated characters, animated scenes, and the kind of visual storytelling that used to require a full studio, a production crew, and a painful budget. The guys also break down how Travis created a cinematic AI video for Multibank.io, including how he used tools like Google Flow, ChatGPT image generation, character reference sheets, storyboard prompting, and AI video models to build something in days that an agency said would take weeks. Also in this episode: Joel shares the latest on his upcoming book, AI Made Simple: Artificial Intelligence for Everyday Life, coming December 1, 2026 from Morgan James Publishing. The mission is simple: help everyday people, especially those who feel intimidated by AI, gain the confidence to actually use it. Pre-order the book at: https://AIMadeSimpleBook.com And because this is still The Bad Crypto Podcast, Joel and Travis also check in on Bitcoin, Ethereum, the crypto markets, and the ongoing weirdness of where all this may be headed. This one is highly visual, so yes, you really may want to watch instead of just listen. http://youtube.com/badcryptopodcast Subscribe, like, comment, and stay bad. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E807
May 6 · 16 min
Bitcoin Breaks $81K as AI Agents Start Spending Money
Bitcoin has blasted past $81,000, but somehow that is not even the wildest story in crypto this week. In Episode 807 of The Bad Crypto Podcast, Joel Comm and Travis Wright break down a massive week where Bitcoin ETF inflows surged, Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin stack grew to nearly 4% of the total supply, Google committed up to $40 billion toward Anthropic, and AI agents began crossing into territory once reserved for humans: opening accounts, making payments, and deploying software. The boys also dig into the explosive growth of tokenized real-world assets, including Treasuries, gold, and stocks moving on-chain, plus the looming May 21st deadline for the Clarity Act and what it could mean for XRP and the broader crypto market. Crypto, AI, and traditional finance are no longer separate stories. They are becoming one very strange, very powerful story. Welcome to the future. Stay bad. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E806
March 20 · 30 min
BCP 806 - AI Produces Bad Crypto!
This week, Joel and Travis handed the producer role to AI and let it choose the top 10 stories in crypto. Surprisingly, the machine delivered. Episode 806 covers Kraken’s direct access to Fed payment rails, the growing push toward tokenized stocks, the stalled progress of the U.S. Bitcoin reserve, the latest Trump meme coin pump, and why stablecoins may be becoming the true financial infrastructure story of crypto. They also dig into Bitcoin outperforming gold during wartime, how banks are trying to protect their turf as stablecoin legislation moves forward, and why the next phase of adoption may have less to do with hype and more to do with rails, regulation, and real-world use. It’s a fast-moving roundup of the biggest crypto stories of the week, with analysis, sarcasm, and a few detours only Bad Crypto could make work. Show notes at http://badco.in/806 Stay bad! Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E805
March 10 · 38 min
Web 4.0 Has Arrived: What We’re Building with AI Right Now
What if the internet stopped waiting for you… and started working for you? In this episode, Joel and Travis show the real AI tools, agents, and systems they’re building right now — from automated news engines and live signal feeds to content publishing systems, games, voice clones, and blockchain-powered experiments. This is why we think Web 4.0 has arrived. We break down: Why Web 4.0 means the web is now building itself How AI agents are researching, writing, coding, and running workflows Travis’ AI-powered war news site and custom news anchor Joel’s automated content engine for WorldVillage Baseball Sudoku built with AI New Blockchain Heroes videos and a working game prototype built in hours Why the “idea person” is now more powerful than ever How fast this technology is moving — and why most people still have no idea what’s coming The tools are getting better. The agents are getting smarter. And the people who learn how to use them now are going to have a serious advantage. This is not theory. This is what we’re actually building. Watch, get inspired, and then go build something. Show notes and links: http://badco.in/805 If you’re experimenting with AI agents, tools, or automations, tell us what you’re building in the comments. Stay bad. #AI #Web4 #OpenClaw #ClaudeCode #Automation #BadCryptoPodcast #WorldVillage #BlockchainHeroes Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E804
February 23 · 38 min
AI Goes Rogue: The Wild Rise of OpenClaw
What if your AI assistant could negotiate your next car purchase, trade prediction markets, manage your inbox, and research crypto… while you sleep? This week we break down the insane rise of ClaudeBot → Moltbot → OpenClaw, the open-source AI agent that rocketed past 200,000 GitHub stars and sparked a massive wave of autonomous agents almost overnight. But of course, crypto had to crypto. Along the way, the project triggered a triple rebrand, a $16M scam token spun up by opportunists, and a security mess that unfolded in real time as attackers hunted for poorly-secured instances and exposed keys. We also get into the bigger picture: as AI agents start doing real work for people (and eventually paying bills, trading, and moving value), crypto becomes the natural payment rail. Permissionless. Programmable. Always on. Which is exciting… and also a whole new playground for scammers. We cover what happened, why it matters, and what you should do if you’re experimenting with agents: lock it down, separate machines/accounts, protect your keys, and don’t chase random tokens. Show notes and links: http://badco.in/804 Leave a comment with the best OpenClaw tutorial you’ve found — we’ll dig in. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E803
February 16 · 40 min
Is Quantum About to Break Bitcoin?
Two years ago, quantum computing was a “someday problem.” Now NVIDIA is lobbying Congress. Ethereum is funding post-quantum research. Coinbase has launched a Quantum Advisory Board. So the question isn’t theoretical anymore. What happens to Bitcoin when quantum computers become powerful enough to crack today’s cryptography? In Episode 803, we sit down with Christopher Steven Smith, CEO and co-founder of Quantus, a quantum-secure Layer 1 blockchain built using NIST-backed post-quantum cryptography. We cover: • What quantum computing actually is (without melting your brain) • How qubits differ from classical bits • Why elliptic curve cryptography may be vulnerable • Whether Bitcoin can realistically fork to quantum resistance • The risk to old wallets (including Satoshi’s coins) • Post-quantum signatures like Dilithium • Reversible transactions and whether they break crypto ethos • Whether the “digital gold” narrative was a strategic mistake Is quantum an overhyped sci-fi scare tactic? Or is it the next existential threat nobody is pricing in? This is a sponsored episode. As always, we disclose that upfront. We took the interview because the topic is real, timely, and worth exploring. Welcome to the future of cryptography. Or the end of it. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E802
February 4 · 32 min
Crypto Panic + The Epstein Bitcoin Rabbit Hole
Everything is fine… weeks where everyone is definitely not fine. In Episode 802, we dig into the crypto panic, the blood-in-the-streets charts, and the uncomfortable question nobody wants to say out loud: Did the grown-ups finally show up to crypto… and ruin the party? We talk institutional adoption (ETFs, custody, control), how the “gatekeepers and suits” might be working the same old playbook, and why crypto feels weirdly toxic right now. Then we take a hard left into a truly bizarre rabbit hole: new Jeffrey Epstein-related emails, claims floating around about funding Bitcoin Core, and what the Brock Pierce connection might mean (or might not mean). We don’t pretend to have final answers—just the receipts we can point to, the debates happening publicly, and a healthy dose of skepticism. And because we can’t help ourselves, we also go off-road into AI, Elon, robots, peptides, and… yes… “you spit in a thing, you 💩 in a thing.” You’re welcome. Educationally unsettling. Extra sarcasm. Always weird. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:16 Panic in the markets + “did institutions ruin crypto?” 02:53 Market snapshot: blood in the streets 06:03 Institutional adoption vs. decentralization 07:53 Epstein files + what people are claiming 09:57 Travis explains the “mastermind” AI experiment 16:33 Brock Pierce emails + what’s known vs. speculation 20:36 AI as leverage: finishing 25 days of work in 6.5 hours 21:53 Elon, xAI/SpaceX talk, and where this all goes 24:18 Robots, health tech, and the future getting weird fast 26:20 “Spit in a thing / 💩 in a thing” (yes, really) Links & ResourcesLINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW: Epstein Files Drop! DOJ Documents Reveal Who Really Built Bitcoin Bruce Fenton Responds Is Brock Pierce Behind Epsteins $3 Million Coinbase Investment? SpaceX acquires xAI, plans to launch a massive satellite constellation to power it Crypto Tax Audit CoinGecko.com bitcoinTreasuries.net Bull Market Peak Signals Want more of the “mastermind” clips? Tell us in the comments. If you’re into it, we’ll drop more of those weird little time-travel audio segments in future episodes. Contact Email: badcryptopodcast@gmail.com DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Do your own research and consult a professional before making any financial decisions. #crypto #bitcoin #ethereum #epstein #blockchain #etf #AI #badcryptopodcast Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E801
January 28 · 28 min
Crypto Taxes Just Leveled Up: 1099DA, New Reporting Rules, and How to Avoid a Mess
Tax season is back, and crypto reporting is getting a lot more… specific. We’re joined by returning guest Clinton Donnelly of CryptoTaxAudit to break down the biggest crypto tax changes affecting U.S. traders this year—what forms are coming, what the IRS will see, and the most common ways people accidentally trigger problems. If you’ve traded on U.S.-based exchanges, this episode is your wake-up call. In this episode, we cover: Why crypto taxes are getting more complicated (and more visible) New 1099-DA reporting: what it is and what exchanges may report Why “proceeds vs. cost basis” matters (and where confusion hits) The Form 8949 change: crypto transactions being separated out The “match the proceeds” issue that can trigger nasty IRS letters New FIFO requirement by wallet/account (and why it can change your tax bill) Why audits can drag on for years (and what “audit-proofing” really means) Practical advice for staying compliant without losing your mind The 3 big crypto tax changes Clinton highlights: 1099-DA is here (for U.S.-based exchanges) Crypto gets its own lane on Form 8949 (more visibility for the IRS) FIFO by wallet/account becomes required (can reshape gains calculations) Helpful link: Work with Clinton / CryptoTaxAudit: http://badco.in/tax Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E800
January 21 · 27 min
800 Episodes Later: Bitcoin, Gold, AI, and the End of the Old Cycles
Eight hundred episodes in, crypto doesn’t feel wild anymore — and that might be the biggest story of all. In this milestone episode, Joel and Travis kick off 2026 by unpacking a market that refuses to behave like it used to. Bitcoin isn’t mooning, but it isn’t collapsing either. Institutions are quietly vacuuming up supply, ETFs keep stacking, and the once-predictable four-year cycle looks stretched, warped, or possibly broken altogether. The conversation moves beyond charts into bigger territory: why Bitcoin drawdowns are getting shallower, why gold and silver are exploding alongside crypto, and what an increasingly unstable global economy means for hard assets. Along the way, the guys reflect on how manipulation hasn’t disappeared — it’s just become more sophisticated — and why retail panic matters less when corporations and funds are waiting on every dip. Episode 800 also zooms out to the future. AI’s acceleration, the coming wealth transfer, the growing divide between those who adapt and those who don’t, and why the next decade may reward understanding what’s possible more than chasing the next tool or token. No predictions. No moon math. Just perspective earned over nine years, hundreds of cycles, and a market that’s finally starting to act… different. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E799
Dec 31, 2025 · 27 min
2025 Cryptocurrency Recap - What went right and what went wrong?
2025 was supposed to be the year for crypto. Instead, it delivered all-time highs… followed by one of the most confusing pullbacks we’ve seen in years. Bitcoin hit new records, then gave them back. Altcoins struggled. Expectations got wrecked. And everyone was left asking the same question: What the hell just happened? In Episode 799 of The Bad Crypto Podcast, Joel and Travis close the books on 2025 and look ahead to what 2026 might bring — without pretending they have a crystal ball. They break down: Why 2025 felt bullish on paper but disappointing in reality The massive liquidation event that changed market momentum overnight Why the four-year cycle may already be broken How Bitcoin behaved more like a “stablecoin” than a risk asset this year Why nation-states, ETFs, and institutions are quietly reshaping the market What macro factors, liquidity, elections, and money printing could mean next Why zooming out still tells a very different story than staring at short-term charts The guys debate whether Bitcoin is gearing up for another major leg higher or settling into a new kind of market entirely — one driven less by retail euphoria and more by institutions, governments, and global liquidity. It’s part recap, part reality check, part cautious optimism… and a reminder that after nine years and nearly 800 episodes, Bad Crypto is still here, still asking the hard questions, and still bullish on the long game. As the calendar flips to 2026 and Episode 800 looms, this is your moment to reflect, recalibrate, and remember why you got into crypto in the first place. Out with the old. In with the new. And as always… Stay bad. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E798
Dec 17, 2025 · 25 min
Is the Four-Year Crypto Cycle Dead?
For years, crypto traders have lived and died by the halving clock. Boom. Bust. Rinse. Repeat. But what if that old rhythm doesn’t work anymore? In Episode 798 of The Bad Crypto Podcast, Joel and Travis make the case that Bitcoin has officially graduated from “speculative science experiment” to institutional-grade asset class — and that changes everything. We break down why this cycle looks nothing like the last ones, including: • Why banks that mocked crypto are now quietly building custody, trading, and ETF pipelines • How public companies, governments, and ETFs are soaking up Bitcoin supply • Why institutional buying is far “stickier” than retail panic selling • How regulation shifts (OCC, FDIC, Fed guidance) removed the biggest barriers between banks and Bitcoin • Why the classic 80% crash may no longer be the default outcome • What January and February could reveal about whether the cycle is truly broken • Why Gen Z asking for crypto for Christmas might be the most bullish signal of all We also dig into adoption curves, Bitcoin treasuries, ETF inflows, government holdings, and the uncomfortable reality that the market may have changed the rules while many traders are still playing the old game. If you’re waiting for the “inevitable crash” so you can say “told you so”… you might want to listen first. Because Bitcoin doesn’t look like it’s leaving. It looks like it’s settling in. 🎧 Episode 798 — from Puerto Rico to Dubai 📺 Watch on YouTube 🎙️ Listen wherever podcasts live Stay bad. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E797
Dec 8, 2025 · 27 min
True Crypto Confessions
Everyone in crypto has a horror story. In this episode, Joel and Travis turn the mic on themselves and the community for a raw, honest look at loss, regret, and the painful side of the crypto journey. Travis recounts how he lost 55 Bitcoin he mined back in 2010 after a hardware failure and no backup of his keys. Joel shares how he was seconds away from reading a 2FA code to a fake “Google security” caller that could have compromised everything tied to his account. Add in a 10 ETH honeypot scam, drained wallets, and NFT phishing, and you start to see a pattern: nobody is immune. Along the way, they read anonymous posts from the CoinFessions account on X – real stories of people who: – Turned life-changing gains into dust by trying to time “one more pump” – Lost six figures to scams and bad decisions – Sat through entire bull runs and never took profits – Finally got it right after years of pain and one big, smart exit This episode covers: – Why even experienced users still get wrecked – The psychology behind never taking profits on the way up – How grief, stress, and desperation make you vulnerable to scams – Why experiences and relationships matter more than your portfolio balance – A brief look ahead at what macro conditions and liquidity might mean for the next phase of the market If you have ever: – Round-tripped your portfolio – Lost coins to a scam, bad link, or bad judgment – Felt alone or ashamed about your mistakes …this is group therapy. You are not the only one. The Bad Crypto Podcast has been here since 2017, and the guys are still in the arena with you. Pull up a chair, listen in, and maybe walk away feeling a little less wrecked and a little more human. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S1 · E796
Nov 20, 2025 · 23 min
Bitcoin’s Weirdest Cycle Yet: Why Nothing Looks Normal Anymore
Bitcoin is stuck. The market feels heavy. Sentiment is terrible. And yet, none of the traditional bull-market top signals have fired. Not a single one. In Episode 796, Joel and Travis dig into one of the strangest phases Bitcoin has ever entered. A trillion dollars has fallen off the crypto market cap since early October, ETF flows have flipped negative, liquidity is thinning out, and institutions are repositioning. But at the same time, the larger macro picture, historical drawdowns, and long-term adoption trends point to something very different. Is this the end of the bull run? Or is this exactly what a mid-cycle flush looks like—painful, confusing, and full of mixed signals? In this episode we cover: • Why liquidity is disappearing and how it affects every chart • ETF outflows, BlackRock’s massive selling week, and what it really means • Why none of the historical bull-run peak indicators have triggered • How macro forces, Japan’s rate shifts, and global pressure ripple into crypto • What Apple, Nvidia, and on-device AI reveal about where the tech cycle is headed • Why Bitcoin repeat patterns matter—and why they don’t • The psychological trap of watching the market every day This is a grounded, straight-talk conversation about the state of the market — the kind of conversation Joel and Travis used to have before the podcast even existed. Crypto goes up. Crypto goes down. The chart keeps moving. And your favorite blockheads are still here, from Dubai to Puerto Rico. Listen, comment, debate, and tell us what you think the market is about to do next. Stay bad. Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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