Unchained

Laura Shin

Crypto assets and blockchain technology are about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity to the Internet of Things. In this podcast, host Laura Shin, an independent journalist covering all things crypto, talks with industry pioneers about how crypto assets and blockchains will change the way we earn, spend and invest our money. Tune in to find out how Web 3.0, the decentralized web, will revolutionize our world.

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1,228 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes1228

Newest first

Aug 22, 2017 · 1 hr
The High-Speed World Of ICOs: Smith and Crown Discuss Cryptoeconomics And The Future Of Tokens
Brian Lio, CEO of cryptofinance research site Smith and Crown, and head of research Matt Chwierut discuss how they do their research, how they decide which projects to cover in-depth rather than just list and when they provide advisory services for...
Aug 8, 2017 · 56 min
How Bitcoin Solved This Serial Entrepreneur's Problems
Afghan entrepreneur Roya Mahboob has launched numerous companies, but it was a blogging platform that presented her with the problem of how to pay her (mostly female) users, 99% of whom did not have bank accounts. And even if they did get paid, their...
Jul 25, 2017 · 1 hr 12 min
Why November Will Be The Real Test For Bitcoin
Bitcoin core developer Eric Lombrozo and OB1 CEO Brian Hoffman debate whether SegWit2x is the best path forward, discuss who supported it and why, and whether the potential for a hard fork harms the price. They also discuss what happens to the power...
Jul 11, 2017 · 59 min
Listener Qs: Laura On Ponzi Schemes, Bubbles, Greed And More
In this episode, coming one day after the release of my Forbes cover story online, I answer listener questions, starting with my background, the history of the podcast, whether or not I trade or invest in crypto, and what tokens I think have the...
Jun 13, 2017 · 1 hr 6 min
Why Digital Currency Group's Meltem Demirors Is Concerned About The ICO Craze
The DCG director of development talks about why she thinks identity will be the first tangible application of blockchain technology that consumers experience, why DCG supports Ethereum Classic as an investment vehicle and yet still supports Ethereum...
May 30, 2017 · 1 hr 3 min
'Bitcoin Oracle' Vinny Lingham On Why Bitcoin Is Overpriced
The Civic CEO and cofounder explains how his upbringing in South Africa and his experience at former company Gyft led him to launch a startup focused on identity. It was also at Gyft that he realized how enthusiastic the bitcoin and cryptocurrency...
May 16, 2017 · 59 min
ICOs: Why People Are Investing In This $380 Million Phenomenon
Don't forget to take the Unchained podcast survey: Developers of new cryptocurrencies are raising gobs of money with little more than a white paper. Though real advances are likely to emerge from the trend, the bubble could get worse before it gets...
May 2, 2017 · 56 min
IBM's Jerry Cuomo On Everything From Blockchain Security To Hyperledger To The Internet Of Things
Thanks to all the listeners who've let me know what you want to hear more of, what you like about the show, and who you want to see as guests. If you haven't yet, have a say in the direction of the show -- tell me what you like, what the podcast...
Apr 18, 2017 · 59 min
This VC Is Sure Venture Capital Is About To Be Disrupted
Don't forget to take the Unchained Podcast survey! 's recent BCAP token offering is a harbinger of things to come in venture capital and private equity, says the firm's managing director Brock Pierce. And Stan Misohnik, the CEO and...
Apr 4, 2017 · 1 hr
Why Bitcoin May Split In Two And How To Prevent It
Please take the Unchained podcast survey! The bitcoin community is mired in a civil war. In this episode of the Unchained podcast, supporters of opposing sides -- former Bitcoin Core developer Jeff Garzik and Litecoin creator Charlie Lee --...
Mar 21, 2017 · 55 min
Bobby Lee, CEO Of BTCC, On Why The Chinese Probably Aren't Using Bitcoin To Evade Capital Controls
Bobby Lee, CEO of BTCC, one of the world's longest-running cryptocurrency exchanges, talks about whether Chinese people are using bitcoin to evade capital controls, how bitcoin trading in China has changed since a government crackdown in early...
Mar 7, 2017 · 57 min
Why The First Employee Of Coinbase Launched A Hedge Fund
Olaf Carlson-Wee is the founder of Polychain Capital, a hedge fund that has invested $15 million into digital assets and has gotten backing from storied venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures. In this episode, Carlson-Wee...
Feb 21, 2017 · 50 min
Why Nasdaq Is Even More Optimistic About Blockchain Than It Was 3 Years Ago
Fredrik Voss, Nasdaq's head of blockchain initiatives, discusses what the company has accomplished with the technology and how his firm evaluates whether potential projects could benefit from a blockchain solution. He also reveals what is likely to...
Feb 7, 2017 · 57 min
With Deadline Looming, Will The SEC Approve A Bitcoin ETF?
The SEC will make a decision on a proposed bitcoin ETF by March 11. Will it approve? An optimist and pessimist weigh in, touching upon bitcoin’s liquidity, the impact recent events in China have had on its trading, as well as proposals for bitcoin...
Jan 24, 2017 · 51 min
Is The IRS Justified In Demanding Information On Millions Of Bitcoin Users?
The IRS found three entities using bitcoin to evade taxes and has now demanded the records of millions of users at Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange. An accountant and an attorney specializing in cryptocurrency discuss whether the IRS...
Jan 10, 2017 · 45 min
What Is One Of The World's Largest Derivatives Exchanges Doing With Bitcoin?
CME Group handles three billion contracts worth about $1 quadrillion annually. So why is it making a foray into bitcoin, whose market capitalization is a mere $16 billion? Sandra Ro, CME's head of digitization, explains its first cryptocurrency...
Nov 1, 2016 · 45 min
Federal Prosecutor Kathryn Haun On How Criminals Use Bitcoin -- And How She Catches Them
Kathryn Haun put away the DEA and Secret Service agents who tried to make off with more than $800,000 in stolen bitcoin while investigating the darknet Silk Road marketplace. She talks about how the blockchain technology underlying Bitcoin made it...
Oct 18, 2016 · 50 min
How Coin Center Is Helping Define The 'Big Fuzzy Gray Area' Of Blockchain And Cryptocurrency Law
As blockchains and cryptocurrencies evolve, there are times when the technology outpaces the law. That's when Coin Center steps in. The non-profit, which represents the technology, not the industry, and aims for regulators to keep a mostly hands-off...
Oct 4, 2016 · 57 min
What Does Cornell’s Emin Gun Sirer See As The Main Security Threats In Cryptocurrency? ‘Everything’
Cornell University computer science professor Emin Gun Sirer, an influential figure in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space, describes his ideas for improving security in the space, his skepticism about how to scale these networks, and how the last...
Sep 20, 2016 · 56 min
Why A Wall Street Journal Currency Reporter Didn't Understand Money Until He Learned About Bitcoin
Michael Casey, senior advisor at MIT's Media Lab and author of the Age of Cryptocurrency, spent 18 years at the Wall Street Journal -- a good portion of that covering currency markets. But he says it wasn't until he learned about Bitcoin that he...

Unchained

The High-Speed World Of ICOs: Smith and Crown Discuss Cryptoeconomics And The Future Of Tokens

How Bitcoin Solved This Serial Entrepreneur's Problems

Why November Will Be The Real Test For Bitcoin

Listener Qs: Laura On Ponzi Schemes, Bubbles, Greed And More

Why Digital Currency Group's Meltem Demirors Is Concerned About The ICO Craze

'Bitcoin Oracle' Vinny Lingham On Why Bitcoin Is Overpriced

ICOs: Why People Are Investing In This $380 Million Phenomenon

IBM's Jerry Cuomo On Everything From Blockchain Security To Hyperledger To The Internet Of Things

This VC Is Sure Venture Capital Is About To Be Disrupted

Why Bitcoin May Split In Two And How To Prevent It

Bobby Lee, CEO Of BTCC, On Why The Chinese Probably Aren't Using Bitcoin To Evade Capital Controls

Why The First Employee Of Coinbase Launched A Hedge Fund

Why Nasdaq Is Even More Optimistic About Blockchain Than It Was 3 Years Ago

With Deadline Looming, Will The SEC Approve A Bitcoin ETF?

Is The IRS Justified In Demanding Information On Millions Of Bitcoin Users?

What Is One Of The World's Largest Derivatives Exchanges Doing With Bitcoin?

Federal Prosecutor Kathryn Haun On How Criminals Use Bitcoin -- And How She Catches Them

How Coin Center Is Helping Define The 'Big Fuzzy Gray Area' Of Blockchain And Cryptocurrency Law

What Does Cornell’s Emin Gun Sirer See As The Main Security Threats In Cryptocurrency? ‘Everything’

Why A Wall Street Journal Currency Reporter Didn't Understand Money Until He Learned About Bitcoin