Unchained
Podcast

Unchained

by Laura Shin

412 episodes

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. Disclosure: I'm a nocoiner.
Ask about UnchainedAnswers are grounded in this source's posts from the last 30 days.

Recent Posts

412 posts
Should Ethereum Really Burn Its Staking Yield to Zero?

Monitor governance votes closely regarding proposed Ethereum ($ETH**)** monetary policy changes that could drastically reduce staking rewards and introduce near-term volatility. Factor macroeconomic fixed-income yields into your valuation framework, as blockchain staking yields now directly compete with traditional Treasury and money market rates. Prioritize networks demonstrating actual user activity and real-world asset adoption over those overly focused on internal tokenomic adjustments. Watch for potential capital rotation into alternative layer-1 protocols like Avalanche ($AVAX**)** if major governance disputes disrupt institutional confidence in Ethereum ($ETH**)**. Maintain strict risk management around your crypto holdings during this 18-month policy debate window.

Sam MacPherson on Why Spark Benefited So Much From the KelpDAO Hack

Investors seeking conservative crypto yield should consider allocating stablecoins to Sky (SKY) and its USDS stablecoin, which currently manage over $10 billion in deposits backed by treasury bills. Monitor Sky's expansion catalysts, including its integration with the Robinhood chain and upcoming partnerships with Stripe and Tempo. For equity-like exposure to decentralized finance growth, look at the SPK token, which captures value directly through protocol buybacks funded by excess profits. Although SPK currently trades near its all-time low due to short-term crypto market volatility, its profitable operating model and discounted cash flow potential present an intriguing asymmetric opportunity. Review Spark's published financial metrics and institutional lending revenue before establishing a position.

Could Some Vaults Trigger Securities Law? Yes, but It's Case by Case

Capitalize on the rapidly growing decentralized finance vault infrastructure by gaining exposure to leading lending and execution layers like Morpho and Aave.

Monitor top-tier fintech integration partners such as Robinhood and Coinbase as they scale retail access to automated yield products.

Prioritize vaults curated by trusted operators with proven risk-management histories to mitigate operational and collateral hazards.

Remain cautious of broader market volatility and emerging regulatory scrutiny from the SEC regarding tokenized yield assets.

Inside the Coldcard Hack That Drained Over $100 Million in Bitcoin: Uneasy Money

If you or anyone you know uses a Coldcard hardware wallet, you must immediately move your Bitcoin (BTC) to a secure, unaffected wallet due to a major entropy vulnerability. Thoroughly evaluate the security practices and audit histories of all self-custody wallet providers before storing your digital assets. Keep a close eye on Ethereum governance proposals like EIP-8361, as upcoming changes to network issuance could significantly alter Ethereum (ETH) staking yields. Anticipate potential market volatility for ETH if low staking yields trigger massive unstaking and selling pressure. Always prioritize rigorous due diligence and proactive risk management when navigating rapidly evolving cryptocurrency infrastructure.

The Chopping Block: ColdCard's $100M RNG Hack, AI-Powered Security & Ethereum's Staking Yield Taper

If you currently use a Coldcard hardware wallet, immediately generate a new key and move your Bitcoin (BTC) to a secure address to avoid potential exploitation from a historical random number generation vulnerability. Monitor the community debate surrounding Ethereum (ETH) and proposed staking yield changes via EIP-8361 before locking up capital in long-term staking strategies that could disrupt decentralized finance yields. Capitalize on shifting retail momentum by exploring high-growth alternative trading sectors like event contracts and prediction markets on platforms such as Polymarket or Kalshi. Diversify your portfolio beyond traditional crypto spot trading as market volatility cools and retail volume migrates toward these emerging platforms.

DEX in the City: How Claude's Red-Teaming Agents Escaped a Test Without Realizing It

Accumulate Chainlink (LINK) as a foundational infrastructure play to capitalize on the ongoing tokenization of traditional finance and its dominant market position in decentralized finance. Exercise extreme caution with self-custody by auditing your hardware wallet's firmware and setup process to mitigate recent security vulnerabilities. Anticipate increased regulatory scrutiny and potential legal accountability frameworks targeting hardware wallet manufacturers following recent entropy-related losses. Monitor the Supreme Court's eventual review of event-based trading jurisdictions to navigate the heavy legal headwinds facing prediction market platforms like Kalshi. Recognize prediction markets as a rapidly expanding sector experiencing massive retail adoption, driven by aggressive expansion from major fintech players like Robinhood.

Is Any Cold Wallet Safe? Inside the Coldcard Hack's Wave Three

If you currently use a Coldcard hardware wallet, specifically models Mark III, Mark IV, or Mark V, you must immediately transfer your Bitcoin (BTC) to a secure, unaffected wallet to prevent potential theft from the recent security exploit.

Victims of this breach should retain their compromised Coldcard devices as physical evidence and immediately file formal reports with law enforcement agencies like the FBI’s IC3.

This multi-million dollar exploit highlights the hidden technological risks of physical self-custody, proving that even trusted hardware solutions require rigorous, ongoing open-source security audits.

Investors holding significant digital assets should diversify their storage methods and re-evaluate their operational security frameworks to protect against unforeseen cryptographic vulnerabilities.

Should Tokenized Stock Only Come From Issuers? Yes, Says Carlos Domingo

Investors seeking exposure to real-world asset tokenization should target Securitize (SEXZ) following its landmark NYSE debut and native multi-chain tokenization on Solana and Avalanche. This regulated offering significantly lowers counterparty risk by placing token holders directly on the official corporate cap table with full access to dividends and proxy votes. Investors should closely monitor upcoming developments regarding Securitize's collaboration with the New York Stock Exchange as they prepare to launch digital alternative trading systems in Q4. As the regulatory landscape shifts to favor issuer-approved products, avoid unauthorized, offshore synthetic equity derivatives that lack proper corporate backing. Keep an eye on broader digital dollar and crypto infrastructure pioneers like Circle to gauge overall market appetite for blockchain-based financial assets ahead of potential public offerings.

Meta Fell 10%. Microsoft Didn't Blink.

Meta Fell 10%. Microsoft Didn't Blink.

101 days ago•Unchained•Laura Shin
Podcast10 min 25 sec

Buy Microsoft (MSFT) for its disciplined capital expenditure and strong Azure cloud growth, which currently outshines peers during the heavy AI infrastructure boom. Avoid Meta Platforms (META) in the short term following its 10% earnings drop and a $5 billion increase in CapEx until management provides clearer ROI timelines. Exercise caution across the broader AI sector by monitoring corporate debt and cash flow statements, especially as companies take on significant debt to fund data centers in just the second inning of the trend. Prioritize big tech investments that successfully balance aggressive AI spending with reliable free cash flow to protect your portfolio from potential volatility. Watch for tangible proof of revenue growth before re-entering penalized stocks like Meta, as market sentiment will remain pressured without immediate top-line validation.

Zcash, Ethereum, Aztec, Canton and More: Which Chain Will Win the Privacy Race?

Consider accumulating Zcash (ZEC) as a top conviction trade for privacy-focused investors seeking quantum-resistant digital gold following its major Ironwood network upgrade.

Monitor the broader Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem for opportunities in operational Layer 2 privacy networks like Aztec, which are currently driving bank-grade loan systems ahead of mainnet protocol updates.

Target these privacy-centric crypto assets over centralized institutional chains like Canton, which rely on traditional trust models rather than foundational cryptographic guarantees.

Keep in mind that privacy technologies carry inherent code vulnerabilities, though these risks are increasingly mitigated through modern AI-driven security audits and formal verification.

Allocate capital carefully within these emerging sectors over the current market cycle to capitalize on the growing demand for true fungibility and institutional operational security.

Should Crypto Tokens Come With Investor Rights? - Uneasy Money

Accumulate Arbitrum (ARB) as its sustainable licensing model and enterprise partnerships with Coinbase and Robinhood position it favorably among Layer 2 scaling solutions. Monitor Arbitrum's ongoing market share battle against Optimism for crucial signals regarding long-term adoption. Invest in revenue-generating decentralized perpetual platforms like Hyperliquid (HYPE) to capture strong user retention instead of relying on purely speculative token models. Exercise caution with Hyperliquid and similar emerging networks by watching out for high-value bridge vulnerabilities that attract sophisticated cyber attacks. Evaluate Layer 1 blockchains like Solana (SOL) carefully by factoring in venture capital concentration risks that can introduce unexpected ecosystem volatility during market drawdowns.

Has Control Replaced Decentralization as DeFi's Legal Test? - DEX in the City

Investors should closely monitor DeFi lending and vault protocols as primary targets for upcoming SEC and international regulatory scrutiny. Watch for protocols demonstrating centralized control or human discretion, as these face the highest risk of compliance enforcement. Anticipate potential policy "soft bans" and export controls on open-source AI weights, which could mirror historical crypto restrictions. Position portfolios defensively by avoiding heavily centralized DeFi infrastructure that relies on opaque governance models. Stay alert for legislative updates surrounding the Clarity bill and digital asset frameworks to gauge long-term sector viability.

Does Capitalism Doom Every Closed AI Model to Get Copied?

Investors should buy NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) to capitalize on the booming infrastructure demand driven by the race between open-source and proprietary AI ecosystems. Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) is a strong buy as its strategic backing of open-weight models successfully captures massive developer volume and market share. Avoid pure-play closed-source business models, such as those of OpenAI and Anthropic, as they face long-term pricing pressure and structural risks from low-cost international competitors like DeepSeek. Privacy-conscious consumers and crypto holders should immediately upgrade their security by utilizing Cape (CAPE) via cape.co/unchained to protect against SIM-swapping and metadata tracking.

The Chopping Block: Wind Downs, YC's Nemil Dalal, & Will Every Failed Crypto Idea Eventually Work?

Accumulate Bitcoin (BTC) as a resilient, long-term store of value supported by sustained institutional interest and adoption. Allocate capital toward Ethereum (ETH) to capture the growth of the leading smart contract network driven by strong developer engagement. Invest directly in stablecoin infrastructure and business-to-business fintech integrations, which offer clear product-market fit for fast cross-border payments. Target high-utility financial applications and asset-tokenization verticals like prediction markets that solve actual economic problems rather than experimental concepts. Position your portfolio to benefit from the emerging AI and Agentic Finance theme, where automated agents will utilize blockchain rails for micro-payments and financial transactions.

Kristin Smith on Why the Clarity Act Comes Down to a Memecoin

Accumulate Bitcoin (BTC) now as a scarce digital asset with a strict supply cap of 21 million, positioning your portfolio ahead of expected institutional inflows.

Monitor the upcoming Clarity Act, as favorable macro-level legislation will likely clear the regulatory path for mainstream capital to enter the broader crypto ecosystem.

Position yourself in Solana (SOL) to capitalize on its role as a leading enterprise-grade layer-1 blockchain network.

Anticipate that these clearer regulatory frameworks will soon remove hesitation for traditional financial institutions, prompting them to adopt and upgrade their technology using Solana (SOL).

Paid Partnership: How Can DeFi Fix Its Liquidity Problem? 1inch's Aqua Offers a Solution

DeFi investors can immediately capitalize on the launch of 1inch’s new Aqua protocol, which addresses the massive capital inefficiency where traditional liquidity sits idle 95% of the time. You can participate in the 500,000 USDC three-month incentive program distributed by the 1inch DAO by creating positions and generating trading volume on Aqua. Advanced investors can leverage blue-chip assets like Ethereum (ETH) or Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) on Aave v3 by looping positions 3 to 4 times. By channeling these leveraged assets into Aqua, you can earn increased fee yields driven by professional market maker volume across 13 networks. Always review educational materials at 1inch.com/aqua/learn and weigh smart contract risks before deploying capital into these strategies.

Bits + Bips: Why Bitcoin Has the Least to Gain From the Clarity Act

Capitalize on the rapid growth of regulated crypto derivatives by trading Bitcoin options through IBIT, which has quickly matched the daily volume of offshore markets at roughly $25 billion. Monitor the valuation spread between the global BVIV index (trading near 39) and the US-focused BVIV US index (near 42) to gauge institutional demand premiums in regulated exchanges. Position for potential upside volatility in Bitcoin by leveraging strong institutional tailwinds from tokenization, blockchain infrastructure, and stablecoin adoption. Target smart contract platforms like Ethereum and Solana, which are currently outperforming Bitcoin due to positive market positioning ahead of regulatory catalysts. Watch for the successful passage of the Clarity Act to provide the regulatory clarity needed to drive massive growth across DeFi applications and decentralized exchanges like Hyperliquid and Lighter.

How Jesse Pollak Is Mapping Out Base's Next Chapter After the App Pivot

Investors should target Coinbase and its growing Base ecosystem to capitalize on expanding Layer 2 scaling solutions and real-world asset tokenization.

Monitor upcoming network upgrades like Cobalt, scheduled for late August or September, to gauge improvements in native accounts and stablecoin gas payments.

Core foundational assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) remain strong holds as they continue to capture record transaction volume and utility across expanding L2 networks.

Look for cross-chain growth opportunities as Solana (SOL) and other networks integrate deeper into multi-chain trading applications.

Cobie Taking Over Base App? He's 'the Respectable Trencher': Uneasy Money

Maintain a bullish long-term outlook on Base (BASE) as the platform pivots away from failed social experiments and refocuses on high-demand financial infrastructure like trading. Everyday retail investors must stay completely away from meme coins, as these tokens operate as predatory environments engineered for professional snipers to extract capital. Avoid participating in celebrity or corporate-backed meme tokens, which rely on manufactured social media outrage rather than any fundamental utility. Capitalize on the strong financial backing and ecosystem components of Base (BASE) to capture growth as the network aligns with core on-chain trading activity. Treat non-professional trading in the meme coin sector as a negative-expected-value strategy that carries a near-certain risk of financial loss.

The Chopping Block: The CLARITY Act Endgame with Patrick Witt + Gauntlet's $125M SBI Raise + Balaji's Malaysia Exodus

Maintain a bullish outlook on Ethereum (ETH) as institutional adoption deepens and discussions around exchange-traded products progress. Monitor the U.S. Senate closely ahead of the August 7th recess for potential updates on The CLARITY Act. Factor in that current prediction markets place the passage of The CLARITY Act at roughly 46% to 50%, representing a significant near-term binary event for the crypto sector. Anticipate a strong positive price tailwind for digital assets if the crypto market structure legislation successfully passes. Prepare for potential regulatory delays in the broader crypto market if this legislative hurdle fails to clear before the midterms.