The Chopping Block
@_choppingblock • 7,663 subscribers
Exploring today's crypto topics through the perspective of industry insiders @hosseeb, @rleshner, @tarunchitra & @tomhschmidt! 🤝 Streaming via @Unchained_pod
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New episode: Vladimir Novakovski on the Robinhood deal, the eternal token vs. equity debate, a masterclass in how not to run a DAO, and the largest financial disclosure in presidential history. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 03:40 Tokens vs equity 06:12 Fiduciary obligations 08:00 What happens when buyback capital runs out 12:42 Why launch a token 19:18 Comparing VVV to BNB 25:28 Lighter's Robinhood Chain deal 37:02 BonkDAO governance exploit & the $20M vote 47:09 Trump's $2.4B disclosure 🔥Stay updated by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block55,077 просмотров • 14 дней назад
"Ethereum is for boomers, but boomers hold the bag." David Hoffman and max reznik confess why they left, who's really running the show at the EF, and if ETH's just Microsoft. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 03:12 Why David Sold ETH 05:26 ETH Momentum and Value Capture 07:38 Ethereum Foundation Shakeups 10:18 Max on Tech and Identity Crisis 15:57 Talent Drain and New Blood 19:29 Strong vs Weak Crypto Debate 25:28 Ethereum as Microsoft 30:02 Second Foundation Idea 35:43 Microsoft Era Ethereum 38:20 EF Money Runs Out 42:02 Utility Asset Narrative 46:07 Etherealize Enterprise Push 48:04 Bitcoin Has Saylor 53:32 Ethereum Narrative Whiplash 55:51 Solana As The Yang 58:15 Post Quantum Solana Roadmap 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block119,807 просмотров • 1 месяц назад
.Joseph Lubin told us not to call it the Second Foundation but also told us SharpLink, BitMine, and ConsenSys are becoming Ethereum's "decentralized commercialization engines" sooooo Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:06 Saylor Sells BTC & Market Panic 05:07 STRC Death Spiral & DAT Risks 07:07 Ethereum Foundation Exodus & CROPS 13:04 The "Not Second Foundation" Debate 17:58 Quantum Q-Day: 50% by 2032 23:47 Is All of DeFi Unsafe? 31:11 ZK Composability & Bridge-Free Architecture 34:19 Security Deployment Lag & AI Arms Race 40:18 Anti-Fragility & Formal Verification 47:36 Zama USDC Freeze & Privacy vs Courts 50:33 CFTC Perps Approval & Hyperliquid at $75 55:53 Hyperliquid's Distribution Flywheel 01:00:46 Joe Lubin's Ethereum Bull Case 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block101,568 просмотров • 1 месяц назад
Tarun called STRC "Luna for suits" and Tom said Strategy execs are cold-calling random crypto funds to sell them preferred shares. Meanwhile, the CME is suing the CFTC for the right to not compete. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:10 STRC & Strategy: Saylor "Luna for suits" 12:33 No death spiral — burn the boat 17:06 Strategy execs cold-calling crypto funds 20:06 EF shakeup & ETH Labs spin-out 27:33 ETH Labs is the ghost of Tomasz 35:20 CME sues CFTC to block domestic perps 44:44 100-year futures as a workaround 50:29 Meta's prediction market "Arena" 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple:
The Chopping Block46,832 просмотров • 28 дней назад
The banks showed up late to the yield fight. CME is trying to box out Hyperliquid. Prediction markets might end up at the Supreme Court. And Tarun still doesn't care about regulation. The regulation bonanza episode with Rebecca Rettig ⤵️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:10 The CLARITY Act: Banks vs Crypto 05:21 The "Do Stuff Yield" Compromise 07:18 The Compromise: Transaction-Based Rewards 10:22 Presidential Ethics: The Last Sticking Point 12:26 What Actually Changes If CLARITY Passes? 16:01 Token Founders: What Do You Have to Do? 18:41 Developer Protection & DeFi Activity 20:15 CME & ICE Lobbying Against Hyperliquid 26:05 On-Chain Finance vs DeFi 29:57 Who Wins US Regulated Perps? 34:39 ETF Options vs Crypto Perps 40:24 What Hyperliquid Means for Investment Banking 44:50 Retail IPO Participation & Dynamic Share Counts 49:25 Prediction Markets: Kalshi & Polymarket vs the States 51:40 Supreme Court Showdown: CFTC vs State Gaming Laws 58:30 Economic Impact Test 01:01:47 Tokenized Securities & the SEC Innovation Exemption 01:06:41 Do Issuers Actually Care About Tokenization? 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block84,464 просмотров • 2 месяцев назад
Canton: enterprise blockchain or just TradFi LARPing? Meanwhile, open source drama keeps spiraling, AI is winning, humans are coping, and Ethereum is having their typical existential crisis. And yes, wishful_cynic is absolutely cheering Ethereum on. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:07 ZKsync vs. Canton: What Counts as a Real Blockchain? 04:44 Evgeny’s Canton Critique: DRW, Privacy, and ZK Skepticism 09:37 Gating, Auditability, and Whether Canton Is Just a Ledger 14:38 Openness, Verifiability, and the Return of Enterprise Blockchain 23:01 Ethereum’s Cypherpunk Crossroads 31:04 Stablecoins, Fork Governance, and the Linux Analogy 41:09 Drift Hack, AI Security, and the Future of Open Source 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block133,744 просмотров • 3 месяцев назад
this week: saylor sold 32 bitcoin and broke the market, an AI found a money printer inside zcash, defi got told it's terminal, and illia says robots will do your shopping. Ep. w/ Illia (root.near) (🇺🇦, ⋈) & mert Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:17 Weekend Crypto Meltdown & Bitcoin Crash 02:52 Saylor, STRC & the DAT Death Spiral Fears 11:51 "No Sell Button" — Saylor's Lesson Learned 13:14 Zcash Bug: 50% Crash Explained 20:30 The Fix: Ironwood Pool & Formal Verification 23:11 AI vs Crypto Security: The Attacker Advantage 27:21 What Is Formal Verification? 30:07 Spaceship-Grade Smart Contract Security 31:36 OPSEC, Oracles & Anomaly Detection 36:08 Cypherpunk Dilemma: Stop the Hack or Not? 38:37 Will DeFi Survive? Long Math 42:49 NEAR's AI Agents & Intents Vision 48:43 Is Agentic Commerce Real? Mert's Skepticism 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block50,779 просмотров • 1 месяц назад
Jeff built an empire with no KPIs, no team page, no VC deck. This week, we pulled jeff.hl out of the shadows! Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:51 Hyperliquid's Market Dominance 05:14 The Philosophy Behind Hyperliquid's Success 07:44 Challenges with Decentralized Exchanges 09:34 Metrics and Success in Hyperliquid 12:59 Addressing Market Dynamics and User Types 22:50 Competitive Pressures and System Resilience 25:28 Exploring Hyperliquid's Future and HIP 3 36:08 Complexity in Zero-Day Options 38:40 Perps vs. Options 41:24 The Role of User Interfaces in Trading 45:08 Crypto SPACs and Market Trends 57:21 The Genius Act and Market Reactions 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block241,265 просмотров • 1 год назад
Tom Lee = ETH’s CMO Plasma = Berachain-for-stablecoins Prediction markets = media now New episode from Token2049 feat. Thomas (Tom) Lee (not drummer) FSInsight.com & Arthur Hayes Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:15 Token 2049 Reflections 03:55 Tom Lee's Role in Ethereum 08:04 Challenges & Future of DATs 13:09 Plasma: Berachain-for-stablecoins 20:06 Perp DEX Wars & Hyperliquid 24:26 Fee Compression 29:59 Kalshi vs. Polymarket 39:52 Zcash & Privacy Coins 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block155,390 просмотров • 9 месяцев назад
We break down why everyone blames “Q Day” for unloading their bags, how Satoshi’s coins are the ultimate market panic button, and why the real stablecoin wars are happening while the WLFI drama makes us question our industry choices. Episode feat. Joshua Lim Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:23 Market Signals For Quantum Risk 09:31 Institutional Fears & Demand 14:02 Quantum As Performative Narrative 18:21 Orderly Post Quantum Migration 22:43 Why Hacking Satoshi Seems Unlikely 27:51 Drift Hack & Recovery Package 31:44 Circle Freeze Debate 35:17 Principles vs. Pragmatism On Freezes 46:06 World Liberty Financial Drama 58:11 Political Fallout Ahead 01:01:20 Is Crypto VC Dead 01:07:35 Utility Company Debate 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block56,516 просмотров • 3 месяцев назад
Crypto was cypherpunk. Now we're stuck in a never-ending "financial nihilism" era. Is this our dystopia... or are we just coping? Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:07 jez (equity perps era) x Tarun Lore 03:24 Cynicism & Rug Culture 09:00 Back To Cypherpunk Roots? 14:37 Compromises & Reality 23:36 Intermediaries Coexist 25:23 Gates Closing Fears 28:10 Stablecoins & Policy 29:24 Agents As Middlemen 30:28 Microfinance to DeFi Agents 31:57 Open Source AI and Crypto Control 32:41 Iran War DeFi Price Discovery 33:57 Why Perps Beat TradFi 37:21 Kalshi vs Polymarket Dispute 44:31 Are Prediction Markets Just Toys? 50:50 Insider Trading Crackdown 54:15 Adverse Selection and Market Design 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block75,334 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад
DeFi drama in 3 acts: North Korea exploits a one-validation bridge, Aave gets stiffed on loan repayments, and Arbitrum "reverse-hacks" their own chain. The only constant? We all hate North Korea & everyone's blaming everyone else. Episode feat. monetsupply.eth Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:38 Kelp DAO Hack Explained 06:22 Bad Debt Blame Game 09:43 Arbitrum reverse-hack 11:20 Tom on Liability Norms 17:42 Monet on Who Pays 24:03 Tarun on L2 Waterfalls 33:00 Bridge Risks 36:32 Haircuts and Secondary Markets 39:03 Arbitrum ETH Recovery Debate 46:47 Different Rollups Different Values 53:00 Remediation Rate Limits 58:03 Peg Risk & Collateral Choice 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block50,120 просмотров • 3 месяцев назад
zcash up 5x and suddenly everyone’s a privacy expert. joins to discuss: 🤑 Tempo’s ~$5B val; Dankrad exit ⚖️ public-goods vs profit 🔌 AWS/Base outage Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:22 Mert: Madman of Solana & Now Zcash 05:20 Bitcoin vs. Zcash: A Philosophical Clash 14:35 Tempo Fundraise & Ethereum's Talent Exodus 33:05 Ethereum's Social Layer & Public Goods 34:45 Religious Priesthood in Crypto 41:01 USDmanlet Proposal & Stablecoin Coordination 49:32 AWS Outage & Its Impact on Crypto 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block112,753 просмотров • 9 месяцев назад
This Hyperliquid episode has it all: Haseeb’s public cope. Governance drama. Alleged bribes. G | Ethena. And Tarun not caring. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:27 Hyperliquid USDH Stablecoin Proposal 03:25 Native Markets vs. Paxos, Ethena, Frax 06:21 Early Signals, Rumors, and Bribery Allegations 13:33 Validator Decisions, Community Reactions & Outcomes 29:47 Liquidity, Bridge Yield, & Market Microstructures 31:46 Was this 4D Chess Hyperliquid 34:28 Governance Design 37:45 Stablecoin Ecosystem 39:25 Exchanges, Maker Behavior & Fee Dynamics 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block120,483 просмотров • 10 месяцев назад
Ethereum Foundation dropped another vibes manifesto, so naturally the industry is beefing over whether EF is building a “sanctuary for rebels” or just LARPing as crypto monks. Spoiler: nobody changed anyone’s mind, but we did get some group therapy. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:51 EF Mandate Explained 03:23 Pragmatists vs. Cypherpunks 05:13 Tay 💖’s Middle Ground 08:54 David Hoffman Reads Between Lines 13:51 Tom & Tarun Push Back 18:20 EF Factions & Solana Shadow 24:13 Does Ethereum Want Growth 31:01 Virtue Signaling 35:35 Where to Build Now 39:16 Solana Support vs Ethereum Stability 42:12 EF Promotion & Builder Support 47:54 Goldilocks Time Horizons 51:10 Ethereum Soul and Body 56:03 Does EF Leadership Matter? 01:02:45 Stewardship and Market Failures 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block49,023 просмотров • 4 месяцев назад
perps make noise. RWAs need structure. kaledora unpacks how a CFD-like model can make equity exposure usable on-chain. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:39 Kaledora’s Crypto Twitter Controversy 03:43 Perpetuals & Equities 07:20 Funding Rates & Market Dynamics 16:09 CFDs vs. Perpetuals 29:31 CZ's Pardon & Political Backlash 37:42 Trump's Pardon: Optics and Implications 39:06 Crypto's Midterm Impact 41:50 Echo x Coinbase 46:11 Crowdfunding Platforms & MegaETH 55:36 Luxury Goods & Token Sales Analogy 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block88,965 просмотров • 8 месяцев назад
vibes: rekt. facts: $19B+ liquidated, OI sliced, depegs, ADL chaos. solutions: onchain clearing + real insurance funds (we explain) episode ft. Doug Colkitt Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:11 $19B+ Liquidated 04:35 Personal Experiences & Reactions 08:30 Understanding Auto De-leveraging (ADL) 14:37 Binance & USDe Incident 23:19 DeFi vs. CeFi Performance 26:05 Zero-Sum & Greedy Algorithms 34:26 Vaults & Trader Protection 39:43 Market Reactions & Trader Sentiments 44:33 Infrastructure Failures & OI Collapse 46:56 Insider Trading Allegations & Market Manipulation 52:14 Future of Perpetual DEXs 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block92,554 просмотров • 9 месяцев назад
Imagine spending months on research, just to have CT turn on you. Tarun explains the whiplash + we pulled up with Vladimir Novakovski Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:38 Tarun’s ADL Paper Sparks Backlash 05:24 Research vs Bag Defense 06:27 How ADLs Work 12:27 Fairness vs Predictability 24:14 Tarun’s Inspiration 28:17 Zero-Fee Perps Explained 34:12 Perp Wars Heat Up 38:15 RWAs Trade Onchain 41:49 Token Launch Reality 47:19 Tokens vs Equity Clash 🔥Stay updated with all the latest hot takes by following and subscribing to The Chopping Block and Unchained! 🎥 YouTube: 🎧 Spotify: 🍎 Apple: 🎙 Podcast Home:
The Chopping Block74,830 просмотров • 7 месяцев назад