The Scoop's host Frank Chaparro was joined by LMAX Group CEO David Mercer.

In this episode, Chaparro and Mercer discussed the accelerating institutional adoption of crypto, with major banks entering the market and driving stability, maturity, and significant capital inflows. They also explored how improved interoperability between tradfi and crypto could increase adoption by enabling more seamless asset movement between the two ecosystems.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

02:43 Bullish vs Bearish narratives

06:23 Improving regulatory environment

09:24 This ain’t mania

14:54 Competent credit offering  

18:55 The necessary infrastructure 

24:04 Capitalising on future growth

33:35 Good tech solutions will win

35:19 Conclusion

GUEST LINKS

David Mercer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercerdavid/

David Mercer on X - https://x.com/mercerdavid

LMAX Group - https://www.lmax.com/

LMAX Group on X - https://x.com/LMAX

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

The Scoop's host Frank Chaparro was joined by Dragonfly Partner Tom Schmidt.

In this episode, Chaparro and Schmidt discussed the cryptocurrency market acting as an institutional asset class moving into 2025, and how this cycle has been different for venture captial operating within the space.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:39 Crypto as an institutional asset

11:47 Crypto market idiosyncrasies

18:20 Opportunities in 2025

22:28 Application in 2025

25:59 Anti-VC backlash

30:37 Customer acquisition

35:36 Closing thoughts

GUEST LINKS

Tom Schmidt - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhschmidt/

Tom Schmidt on X - https://x.com/tomhschmidt

Dragonfly - https://www.dragonfly.xyz/

Dragonfly on X - https://x.com/dragonfly_xyz

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

The Scoop's host Frank Chaparro was joined by The Block's CEO Larry Cermak, Editor-in-Chief Tim Copeland, and Foresight Centures Co-Founder Forest Bai for a year-end special.

In this episode, Chaparro, Copeland, Bai and Cermak covered a myriad of pertinent topics  in the crypto market, including the factors that lead to a successful ecosystem, underexposure to bitcoin relative to memecoins, AI, and what they both expect and hope to see in the year ahead.

OUTLINE

00:00 End-of-Year drawdown

5:56 Memes vs fundamentals

08:25 Importance of community

11:47 Shifting investment landscapes

14:34 AI x Blockchain

18:54 Newsroom expectations for 2025

23:48 Telegram games and improving UX

26:37 Standing out in the market

34:19 2025 expectations

41:50 Microstrategy’s Bitcoin bet

47:30 AGI & Quantum attacks on encryption

48:29 Conclusion

GUEST LINKS

Forest Bai - https://x.com/ForestBai1

Larry Cermak - https://x.com/lawmaster

Tim Copeland - https://x.com/Timccopeland

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

Jeff Garzik is the CEO of Hemi Labs, a modular Layer 2 protocol that integrates Bitcoin and Ethereum.

In this episode, Garzik and The Block's Frank Chaparro discuss Hemi and its "proof-of-proof" security model, and Garzik shares his views on the future of multi-chain interoperability and the evolution of decentralized governance models.

OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction and Hemi overview

03:17  - The endangered Bitcoin maximalist

05:33 - Proof of proof 

10:01 - Lessons from testnet

13:32 - ETH vs. Bitcoin in the multi-chain future 

19:05 - Envisioning the multi-chain future

24:14 - Darwinian trial by fire

33:34 - Main net plans and closing remarks

GUEST LINKS

Jeff Garzik - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgarzik/

Jeff Garzik on X - https://x.com/jgarzik

Hemi Labs - https://x.com/hemi_xyz

Hemi Labs on X - https://hemi.xyz/

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

Edan Yago is the co-founder and CEO of BitcoinOS, a Layer 2 platform and "operating system" for Bitcoin.

In this episode, Yago and The Block's Frank Chaparro discuss BitcoinOS and how Bitcoin can evolve from being just “digital gold” into a fully programmable, global ledger for ownership and financial innovation.

OUTLINE

00:00 – Introduction


02:17 – Bitcoin and digital property rights


04:40 – Bitcoin’s spirit of innovation


08:17– Bitcoin smart contracts vs. rival chains 


15:29 – Bitcoin DeFi’s value add


20:44 – Solving scalability


25:12 – Bitcoin, AI, and the next Trillion in assets


28:28 – The next five years


35:07 – Short term shifts

37:42 - Conclusion

GUEST LINKS

Edan Yago - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edanyago/

Edan Yago on X - https://x.com/edanyago

BitcoinOS - https://www.bitcoinos.build/

BitcoinOS on X - https://x.com/BTC_OS

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

Zachary Townsend is the co-founder and CEO of Meanwhile, a life insurance company for the crypto economy.

In this episode, Townsend and The Block's Frank Chaparro discuss Meanwhile's model of Bitcoin-denominated life insurance and the advantages of this approach vs. traditional dollar-denominated insurance policies, such as protection against inflation and the ability to borrow against the policy's value tax-free.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:48 How Meanwhile works

10:33 Role of insurance in the Bitcoin economy

14:09 Charting new territory

16:38 Bitcoin vs dollar-denominated insurance

20:32 Approaching new customers

24:10 Zac’s background

26:23 Looking forward

30:04 Conclusion

GUEST LINKS

Zac Townsend - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zactownsend/

Zac Townsend on X - https://x.com/ztownsend

Meanwhile - https://meanwhile.bm/

Meanwhile on X - https://x.com/meanwhilelife

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

Himanshu Sahay is the Co-Founder and CTO of Arch.

In this episode recorded live at Emergence in Prague, Sahay and The Block's Frank Chaparro discuss the evolution of crypto lending after the 2022 market turmoil and Arch's approach to expansion and collateral.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:16 Intro to Arch 

03:15 Shifting collateral standards 

07:33 The state of crypto credit

12:48 New administration, new regulation

14:35 Debanking and Barron Trump

17:41 Arch’s global expansion

19:29 Encounters with Voyager and Celsius

20:47 Conclusion

GUEST LINKS

Himanshu Sahay - https://www.linkedin.com/in/himanshusahay/

Himanshu Sahay on X - https://x.com/hhsahay

Arch - https://archlending.com/

Arch on X - https://x.com/ArchLending

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

Samantha Bohbot is the Chief Growth Officer & Partner of RockawayX, a blockchain-focused venture capital fund.

In this episode recorded live at Emergence in Prague, Bohbot and The Block's Frank Chaparro discuss discuss challenges facing European firms compared to their American counterparts, and RockawayX's credit fund and developing opportunities in DeFi.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:36 RockawayX

03:38 Tech and investment in Europe

07:11 Post-election investment

09:19 DeFi rally

11:58 Crypto credit

17:56 Standing out to investors

21:24 Value-add investor

25:32 The race to the bottom

27:52 Conclusion

GUEST LINKS

Samantha Bohbot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-bohbot-7622b933/

Samantha Bohbot on X - https://x.com/samantha_bohbot

RockawayX - https://www.linkedin.com/company/rockawayx/

RockawayX on X - https://rockawayx.com/

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

David Wells is the founder and CEO of Enclave Markets, an institutional-grade digital asset trading platform that bills itself as the first Fully Encrypted Exchange (FEX).

In this episode recorded live at Emergence in Prague, Wells and Chaparro discuss Enclave's model, the maturing crypto market and the potential for more sophisticated trading strategies and liquidity.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:21 Enclave Markets

04:12 The Enclave experience

05:53 Crypto capital markets

06:57 The maturing crypto market

08:54 Inefficient markets

10:01 New products and strategies

12:42 Concluding thoughts

GUEST LINKS

David Wells - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-wells-12792413/

David Wells on X - https://x.com/wellsda2

Enclave Markets - https://www.enclave.market/

Enclave Markets on X - https://x.com/enclavemarkets

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

Bill Barhydt is the founder and CEO of Abra, a global platform for digital asset prime services and wealth management.

In this episode recorded live at Emergence, Barhydt and Chaparro discuss how building a successful crypto businesses requires careful navigation of complex legal and regulatory hurdles, and how this process might change under the upcoming Trump administration.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

01:57 Building in Crypto

05:38 Abra's Pivots

09:48 Surviving FTX

14:18 Abra's Future Strategy

16:26 Regulation & Innovation

20:32 Closing Thoughts

GUEST LINKS

Bill Barhydt - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billbar/

Bill Barhydt on X - https://x.com/billbarX

Abra - https://www.abra.com/

Abra on X - https://x.com/abraglobal

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor: Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

Jon Kol is the co-founder of Hyperlane, an interoperability protocol.

In this episode, Kol and Chaparro discuss the challenges and progress of blockchain interoperability, and how the industry may now be turning a corner.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

04:24 A year away

08:50 Interchange singularity

10:30 Bridge opportunities

13:32 Balancing speed and security

18:35 Poor UX, Poor DevX

20:11 Who’s the buyer?

26:52 Conclusion

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot

Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Bitkey

Bitkey is the safe, easy way to own and manage bitcoin. Learn more at Bitkey.world

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GUEST LINKS

Jon Kol - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-kol-4bb37a9b/

Jon Kol on X - https://x.com/thePalenimbus

Hyperlane - https://hyperlane.xyz/

Hyperlane on X - https://x.com/hyperlane