Author: CoinDesk

A pivotal figure in the Sam Bankman-Fried case discusses how she became the one-time crypto mogul’s confidante, including whether she ever had a romantic relationship with him. 

Tiffany Fong has had an unusual route to crypto fame. After losing most of her life savings in the Celsius bankruptcy, she began posting on YouTube about her experiences and eventually received some leaked documents, which she shared with The New York Times and on her channel. The leaks gave her some visibility, and that’s when Sam Bankman-Fried began following her on Twitter.  

Fong unexpectedly managed to carve out a relationship with the one-time crypto mogul, and after he was arrested last November, she chatted often and even met with him while he was under house arrest. From there, she became known for posting details of her conversations with Bankman-Fried and documents he shared with her, and went on to attend every day of his trial in person and do videos on them.  

On this episode of Unchained, Fong shares why she thinks SBF opened up to her, whether she ever had a romantic relationship with him, her unpleasant encounter with Sam Bankman-Fried’s mother at the trial, why she doesn’t really consider herself a crypto influencer, and what her plans are now that the trial is over. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Show highlights | 

• What Tiffany did before getting into crypto
• How Tiffany lost most of her life savings in the Celsius bankruptcy and how that jumpstarted her journey into the content creation space
• How did she get in touch with Sam Bankman-Fried and get him to speak with her after FTX’s collapse
• The conversations Tiffany had with SBF during his house arrest 
• Tiffany's response to the rumors about a romantic relationship with SBF
• How Tiffany reacted to the DOJ reaching out to her for information before the SBF trial 
• Why did she decide to go to the courtroom every day during the SBF trial
• Tiffany’s unpleasant encounter with SBF's mom, Barbara Fried
• How Tiffany feels about crypto, and why she doesn’t consider herself a "crypto influencer"
• What Tiffany’s career plans are now that the SBF trial is over

Thank you to our sponsors!  Arbitrum Foundation  |  Popcorn Network  | Phemex

Guest |

Tiffany Fong, Crypto content creator

Links |

RollingStone: The Crypto Whistleblower at the Center of the Sam Bankman-Fried Storm

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Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC.  Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Noelle Acheson, the mind behind the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter, explores Binance, again, the Fed pivot, crypto markets and more.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group and PayPal.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

Today’s Stories:

Binance to Pay $4.3B to Settle U.S. Criminal Case; Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao Resigns as CEO and Pleads Guilty in Seattle 

After CZ Quits as Binance CEO, Richard Teng Looks Like the Heir Apparent 

Binance to Make 'Complete Exit' From U.S., Pay Billions to FinCEN, OFAC on Top of DOJ Settlement 

Jameson Lopp Post 

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From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

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PYUSD, a stablecoin made for Payments. 1USD = 1PYUSD.

Introducing PayPal’s new digital currency, PayPal USD (PYUSD), a stablecoin backed by U.S. dollar deposits, U.S. Treasuries and similar cash equivalents. Buy, sell, hold and transfer it in our app or site and explore Web3 with a payments brand that has been trusted for over 20 years.

Get started now at paypal.com/pyusd.

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This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Financial advisors in the US control $8 trillion in assets. Here’s why 77% are waiting for spot Bitcoin ETFs.

According to surveys of financial advisors, only 12% are currently recommending that clients invest in Bitcoin, while 47% of advisors personally own Bitcoin and a whopping 77% say they are waiting for a spot Bitcoin ETF to become available so they can offer it to their clients. 

On this episode of Unchained, Ric Edelman, founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals and author of “The Truth About Crypto,” explains how this should all lead to high demand once the first spot Bitcoin ETFs become available, although it will take some time for them to allocate. Edelman also discusses how FTX’s implosion impacted advisor perceptions of crypto, why investors have not been that excited by crypto futures ETFs, and which Bitcoin ETF issuers he believes are likely to be the big winners.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Show highlights | 

• How regulatory confusion keeps financial advisors away from recommending Bitcoin to their clients
• How the collapse of FTX affected financial advisors’ interest in crypto, according to Ric
• How the knowledge level of financial advisors about Bitcoin is "extraordinarily low"
• Why 77% of investment advisors are willing to buy a spot Bitcoin ETF
• Why there wasn't a huge interest from advisors after the launch of Bitcoin futures ETFs
• The percentage of client portfolios that he expects they will allocate to BTC
• Why Ric thinks there won't be huge inflows immediately after the approval of spot BTC ETFs
• How financial advisors will decide whose ETF to buy, among the 12 potential issuers
• Why he believes spot Ethereum ETFs have great growth potential
• Why he thinks tokenization might be the "next big thing" that will increase institutional activity

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Thank you to our sponsors!  LayerZero  | Popcorn Network

Guest | 

Ric Edelman, Founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals

Previous appearance on Unchained: Financial Advisors Control $5 Trillion in Investor Wealth. Are They Buying Bitcoin?

Links | 

Previous coverage on spot Bitcoin ETFs:

How Much Money Will Flow Into Bitcoin ETFs? Here’s One Projection

Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10

Why It Looks Like BlackRock Could Win America’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF

The Chopping Block: Are We Back? The 'Low IQ' Response to the Potential Spot Bitcoin ETF

Unchained: 

BlackRock Files for Spot Ethereum ETF

The Bitcoin ETF Is a Double-Edged Sword

Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work?

CoinDesk: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF in August Got on DTCC Site That Just Belatedly Moved Markets

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Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC.  Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At CoinDesk’s State of Crypto event in Washington, DC. Senators Gillibrand and Lummis discuss their bold comprehensive regulation bill aiming to unify all crypto interests under 'one tent.’ The conversation touches on the current legislative progress and the consequential impact on crypto innovation.

This episode is sponsored by CME Group and PayPal.

In this week's episode of "Money Reimagined," amid our Thanksgiving week programming, we present a unique recording – host Michael Casey with an on-stage interview at CoinDesk's State of Crypto event in Washington DC last month with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. As co-sponsors of a crucial bill (Lummis-Gillibrand Responsible Financial Innovation Act) to overhaul crypto regulation, their insights offer a timely and significant perspective amidst the ongoing drama and turmoil in Congress, particularly on the day of the interview, coinciding with the House's vote on a nomination for speaker.

Links | 

CoinDesk's State of Crypto 

Unpacking the Latest Lummis-Gillibrand Bill Draft

Lummis, Gillibrand Reintroduce Comprehensive Legislation To Create Regulatory Framework For Crypto Assets - Kirsten Gillibrand | U.S. Senator for New York

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From our sponsors:

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Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

-

PYUSD, a stablecoin made for Payments. 1USD = 1PYUSD.

Introducing PayPal’s new digital currency, PayPal USD (PYUSD), a stablecoin backed by U.S. dollar deposits, U.S Treasuries, and similar cash equivalents. Buy, sell, hold, and transfer it in our app or site and explore Web3 with a payments brand that has been trusted for over 20 years.

Get Started now at paypal.com/pyusd

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Money Reimagined has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “The News Tonight ” by Shimmer. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Noelle Acheson, the mind behind the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter, explores Binance, Kraken, U.S. recessions and more.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group and PayPal.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

Today’s Stories:

Kraken Accused by SEC of Operating Unregistered Platform, Improperly Mixing Customer Funds 

Binance in Talks to Pay More Than $4B to End U.S. Criminal Case; CZ Could Still Face Charges: Bloomberg 

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From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

-

PYUSD, a stablecoin made for Payments. 1USD = 1PYUSD.

Introducing PayPal’s new digital currency, PayPal USD (PYUSD), a stablecoin backed by U.S. dollar deposits, U.S. Treasuries and similar cash equivalents. Buy, sell, hold and transfer it in our app or site and explore Web3 with a payments brand that has been trusted for over 20 years.

Get started now at paypal.com/pyusd.

-

This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of "Gen C," we dive into the current gaming landscape with Daniel Paez, vice president and executive producer of the Immutable digital trading card game Gods Unchained.

Today's episode is sponsored by Chainalysis.

This week, Avery and Sam interview Daniel Paez, the VP and Executive Producer of Gods Unchained, a successful digital trading card game from Immutable. Daniel shares insights from his experience in traditional gaming at places like Blizzard and discusses the state of Web3 gaming today, including how to build sustainable games and a potentially hot take on why ownership matters less to gamers than we think.

Links mentioned from the podcast: 

• Disney To Launch NFT Platform With Dapper Labs Featuring Pixar and Star Wars
• Daniel on Twitter
• Gods Unchained Website

Follow us on Twitter: 

• Sam Ewen, Avery Akkineni, CoinDesk, Vayner3

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From our sponsor:

Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.chainalysis.com.

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"Gen C" features hosts Sam Ewen and Avery Akkineni, with editing by Jonas Huck. Executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced by Uyen Truong. Our theme music is "1882” by omgkirby x Channel Tres with editing by Doc Blust. Artwork by Nicole Marie Rincon.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Noelle Acheson, the mind behind the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter, explores crypto moves, Argentina, Worldcoin and a surprise announcement about CoinDesk.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group and PayPal.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

Today’s Stories:

OpenAI Ousts Sam Altman From CEO and Board Roles; Worldcoin Drops 12% 

Javier Milei Wins Argentine Presidency; Bitcoin Gains Nearly 3% 

Crypto Exchange Bullish Completes Purchase of CoinDesk: WSJ 

Fidelity Wants to Create an Ether ETF, Joining BlackRock in Doubling Down on Crypto 

-

From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

-

PYUSD, a stablecoin made for Payments. 1USD = 1PYUSD.

Introducing PayPal’s new digital currency, PayPal USD (PYUSD), a stablecoin backed by U.S. dollar deposits, U.S. Treasuries and similar cash equivalents. Buy, sell, hold and transfer it in our app or site and explore Web3 with a payments brand that has been trusted for over 20 years.

Get started now at paypal.com/pyusd.

-

This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"If the broker rule proceeds as is, it will surely spell the near-total collapse of the crypto industry in the United States," writes Blockchain Association CEO Kristin Smith and DeFi Education Fund CEO Miller Whitehouse-Levine.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group and PayPal.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

Today’s featured story is an opinion piece from Kristin Smith and Miller Whitehouse-Levine, titled: “Congress Gets the Runaround From Regulators, Again,” written as part of Consensus Magazine's Tax Week.

-

From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

-

PYUSD, a stablecoin made for Payments. 1USD = 1PYUSD.

Introducing PayPal’s new digital currency, PayPal USD (PYUSD), a stablecoin backed by U.S. dollar deposits, U.S. Treasuries and similar cash equivalents. Buy, sell, hold and transfer it in our app or site and explore Web3 with a payments brand that has been trusted for over 20 years.

Get started now at paypal.com/pyusd.

-

This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CoinDesk Indices presents six notable market movement highlights from last week.

Today's episode is sponsored by CME Group and PayPal.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

The CoinDesk Market Index (CMI) functions as a benchmark for the performance of the digital asset market, delivering institutional quality information to digital asset investors. Today’s takeaways are provided by Tracy Stephens, senior index manager of CoinDesk Indices with additional analysis from Todd Groth, head of index research at CoinDesk Indices. For more on the CMI you can visit: http://coindeskmarkets.com/.

-

From our sponsors:

CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options provide market-leading liquidity for bitcoin and ether trading. These cash-settled contracts give full exposure to crypto performance without the hassle of holding the physical position. No digital wallet? No problem. Trade nearly 24/7 in a transparent, CFTC-regulated market. Visit cmegroup.com/crypto to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This communication is not directed to investors located in any particular jurisdiction and is not intended to be accessed by recipients based in jurisdictions in which distribution is not permitted. The information herein should not be considered investment advice or the results of actual market experience. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. Trading derivatives products involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation.

-

PYUSD, a stablecoin made for Payments. 1USD = 1PYUSD.

Introducing PayPal’s new digital currency, PayPal USD (PYUSD), a stablecoin backed by U.S. dollar deposits, U.S. Treasuries and similar cash equivalents. Buy, sell, hold and transfer it in our app or site and explore Web3 with a payments brand that has been trusted for over 20 years.

Get started now at paypal.com/pyusd.

-

This episode was hosted by Noelle Acheson. “Markets Daily” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coin Center’s Peter Van Valkenburgh believes that the U.S. Treasury could use the Bank Secrecy Act in a dark way against crypto developers. 

In this episode of Unchained, Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, explains why the IRS's proposed broker rule for tax reporting in crypto could harm the crypto industry as well as the security and privacy of users. He explains how Coin Center thinks the IRS should accomplish its aims, and why that would even work for collecting taxes on DeFi gains. 

Additionally, Peter explains why he believes the Bank Secrecy Act might be unconstitutional and how that could potentially affect developers building in crypto. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Show highlights | 

• What does the IRS's proposed broker rule entail for crypto tax reporting and why this could  have a negative impact on the industry
• What responsibilities do brokers in the crypto space now face
• Why the IRS didn’t use Congress's amended language from the infrastructure bill
• Why Peter argues that the IRS’s new proposed broker rule on crypto is unconstitutional and the principles at stake
• The alternative approaches Peter suggests the IRS could adopt for more effective and fair regulation
• Why Peter has concerns for crypto developers about the potential application of the Bank Secrecy Act
• What actions Coin Center is undertaking to advocate for changes in the Bank Secrecy Act to better align with crypto realities
• Why Coin Center is appealing in its lawsuit against the Treasury Department over the OFAC sanctions on Tornado Cash

Thank you to our sponsors!  Arbitrum Foundation Popcorn Network

Guest |

Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center

Previous appearances on Unchained: 

Why the SEC Is Probing Yuga Labs and Coin Center Is Suing Treasury

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

Why the SEC's Proposed Rules Affecting DeFi Could Violate the First Amendment

Links | 

IRS Crypto Regulation

Coin Center: Report Electronic Cash, Decentralized Exchange, and the Constitution

The Blockchain Association’s letter opposing tax regulations proposed by the IRS

CoinDesk: How the Crypto Industry Responded to the IRS Proposed Broker Rule

Patriot Act 

California Bankers Assn. v. Shultz

Bank Secrecy Act

Coin Center:

Report Broad, Ambiguous, or Delegated: Constitutional Infirmities of the Bank Secrecy Act

Tornado Cash

Coin Center:

U.S. Treasury sanction of privacy tools places sweeping restrictions on all Americans

Coin Center is suing OFAC over its Tornado Cash sanction

Denial of Coin Center’s motion in its case against the US Treasury over OFAC sanctions

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Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC.  Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.