TRM Talks

EP. 103 | Climbing Capitol Hill: Breaking Down Crypto Market Structure with Chainlink’s Adam Minehardt

From the Federal Reserve on 9/11 to Capitol Hill during the 2008 financial crisis, Adam Meinhardt’s career spans some of the most pivotal moments in economic policy. Now, as Head of Public Policy at Chainlink, he's helping shape crypto regulation during a historic legislative push. In this episode, Adam joins Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, to explore what it takes to engage policymakers, why market structure legislation matters, and how Chainlink is enabling the next generation of decentralized infrastructure. Key takeaways from their conversation: Why the US market structure debate hinges on five critical issues How traditional finance is entering crypto — and what that means for innovation The role of Chainlink oracles in powering secure, data-driven smart contracts What regulators can learn from blockchain’s broader use cases across government Backed by decades of experience in policy and financial services, Adam offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how decisions in Washington will shape the future of crypto. This episode cuts through complexity to surface what matters now — and what's coming next.

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EP. 102 | Legal Clarity in a Tokenized Financial Future with Joshua Klayman

Crypto law has matured quickly — and few people have been closer to that evolution than OG crypto lawyer Joshua Klayman. In this episode of TRM Talks, Joshua Klayman, US Head of Fintech and Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets at Linklaters, joins Ari for a wide-ranging conversation on how legal frameworks around digital assets, tokenization, and blockchain-based finance are taking shape in real time. With nearly two decades of legal experience — and more than a decade working in crypto — Josh walks through how early blockchain work was shaped by skepticism around smart contracts, why the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) has become foundational to tokenized finance, and how lawyers and regulators continue to wrestle with the question of when a token is, or is not, a security under US law. They also dig into how global banks and startups alike are navigating stablecoin regulation, including emerging frameworks like GENIUS, and what it means to advise clients in an environment where precedent is still being built. From regulatory risk to tokenized treasuries, this episode is a clear, grounded look at where crypto law stands today — and where it’s heading — from one of the lawyers helping define it.

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EP. 101 | 2026 Predictions from the TRM Team

What does the future of crypto look like in 2026? TRM’s global team weighs in. In this special New Year’s edition, Ari is joined by TRM colleagues from around the world — investigators, compliance leaders, product strategists, and policy experts — to share their bold predictions for 2026. Across the episode, TRM team members explore: The end of theory, and the beginning of execution How AI is accelerating financial crime, and how teams are adapting with AI-powered compliance Why stablecoins are now a primary asset for both regulators and criminal networks The rise of behavioral intelligence as the new frontier in blockchain investigations The push for harmonized global regulation and the shift from pilots to implementation What talent, recruiting, and training will look like in an AI-enabled crypto ecosystem From law enforcement disruption to public-private partnerships and machine-assisted investigations, our predictions reveal how 2026 is poised to reshape the crypto risk landscape. This episode is more than a prediction party — it’s a look into how leading experts at TRM are building the future.

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Flash TRM Talks: The Year of Stablecoins — How 2025 Reshaped Crypto Regulation with Dante Disparte

2025 was the year of stablecoins — and there’s no better person to look back (and ahead) with than Dante Disparte of Circle. In this Flash TRM Talks, Ari and Dante reflect on Circle’s big year, the passage of the GENIUS Act, shifting US market structure, and accelerating global regulatory alignment. They also share predictions for 2026 — including why privacy and global coordination will define crypto’s next chapter — and have a great time doing it.

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EP. 100 | Inside the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Digital Asset Strategy with Kenneth Gay

How do you build a forward-looking regulatory framework while keeping innovation moving at internet speed?In this episode, Ari is joined by Kenneth Gay, Chief FinTech Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), for a wide-ranging conversation on technology, regulation, and the future of finance. Together, they trace Kenneth’s 21-year journey across enforcement, markets, macro-financial analysis, and hands-on experimentation — right down to spinning up a Bitcoin node to understand blockchain data from the ground up. Kenneth explains how early explorations such as Project Ubin laid the foundation for Project Guardian, a cross-border sandbox that brings together regulators and financial institutions to test real-world tokenization of funds, bonds, stablecoins, and bank liabilities. He highlights the emerging frameworks MAS has developed to help the industry operationalize tokenization across asset classes, and why collaboration and shared standards are essential to scaling safely. The conversation also dives into artificial intelligence, outlining MAS’s four-pillar approach — capabilities, adoption, governance, and workforce — and explains why curated pathways, including solution marketplaces and centers of excellence, will be critical to responsible AI deployment.Grounded, pragmatic, and optimistic, this episode shows how a regulator can be both rigorous and innovation-minded — without losing sight of risk. Listen in to learn how the next phase of finance is being built in public, with standards, sandboxes, and shared incentives at the core.

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EP. 99 | Every Crime Is a Financial Crime: Inside IRS-CI’s Fight Against Illicit Finance with Chief Guy Ficco

What do Al Capone, the Bitfinex hack, and the largest child-exploitation takedown in history have in common? IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) played a defining role in all of them. In the latest episode of TRM Talks, Ari sits down with Chief Guy Ficco — the head of IRS-CI — for a wide-ranging conversation on how one of the smallest federal law-enforcement agencies has become one of the most powerful forces in financial-crime enforcement. Chief Ficco reflects on his 30-year career, from his early days as a field agent in New York to leading global investigations that follow money across borders, blockchains, and criminal ecosystems. The discussion covers IRS-CI’s involvement in major cases, including the Welcome to Video takedown and the largest crypto seizure in US history. Chief Ficco also details the agency’s growing leadership in cryptocurrency investigations, seizure and forfeiture strategy, and public-private partnerships like CI-FIRST and Beacon. He shares candid insights on the risks and opportunities of AI, the evolving threat landscape, and the principles that guide his approach to leadership and modernization. A must-listen episode for anyone interested in the future of financial-crime enforcement — and how IRS-CI is staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated illicit actors.