The Starting Block

Exploring the origins of DeFi protocols with Andre Cronje

The Block — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:45:30 -0400

Episode 33 of The Starting Block, hosted by The Block's Gareth Jenkinson, was broadcasted live with Flying Tulip Founder Andre Cronje.

Flying Tulip Founder Andre Cronje joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the origins of his DeFi career in crypto code reviews, the capital efficiency innovations behind Flying Tulip and its total return swap differentiator, and how AI coding tools have transformed his development process.

OUTLINE
00:08 - Show Intro & Wyoming
01:23 - Block Briefing Headlines
05:14 - Meet Andre Cronje
06:48 - Cronje's Crypto Origin Story
11:09 - From Yearn to Velodrome
14:40 - Flying Tulip Explained
21:19 - Total Return Swaps & Liquidations
26:35 - DeFi's Future Outlook
30:36 - FTUSD & Regulatory Clarity
35:14 - Why Build in the US
41:03 - Growing Slowly & Safely
46:48 - AI Tools in Development

Guest links:
Andre Cronje - https://x.com/AndreCronjeTech
Flying Tulip - https://x.com/flyingtulip_

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Inside OranjeBTC’s New Bitcoin Equity ETF

The Block — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:36:43 -0400

Sam Callahan, OranjeBTC's Director of Bitcoin Strategy & Research, joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block where the duo discussed the launch of Digi11 – Brazil's first Bitcoin preferred equity ETF Digi11. They also touched on Strategy's STRC capital structure and Bitcoin accumulation goals, and the investor appetite for Bitcoin-backed income products in Brazil.

OUTLINE
00:06 - Show Open & Recap
01:31 - Block Briefing Headlines
02:06 - Bitmine's ETH Treasury
03:08 - Iren & Microsoft AI Deal
03:47 - Harmony Network Rollback
04:25 - Genius Act Rulemaking
05:36 - Ripple Expands in Asia
06:31 - Introducing Sam Callahan
06:49 - Digi11 ETF Explained
09:51 - Building the Index
11:56 - Strategy's STRC & MSTR
17:21 - Brazilian Market Appetite

Guest links:
Sam Callahan - https://x.com/samcallah
OranjeBTC - https://x.com/ORANJEBTC

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Will CLARITY Act pass in September? Ft. GSR

The Block — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:34:27 -0400

GSR's Chief Legal and Strategy Officer Joshua Riezman joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the Clarity Act being pushed to September, the political hurdles blocking its passage, and what crypto market volatility and TradFi convergence signal for the industry's future.

OUTLINE
00:06 - Welcome & Show Intro
01:47 - Block Briefing: Top Headlines
04:00 - Hive Digital's AI Pivot
04:47 - Strategy's Bitcoin Update
05:52 - Clarity Act: September Window
08:31 - Political Hurdles to Passage
13:55 - Ethics Compromise Debate
16:50 - Is Clarity Act Good for Crypto?
19:52 - Token Design & Bear Market
22:53 - Market Outlook & Price Action
28:28 - TradFi Meets Crypto
31:09 - Prediction Markets Legal Battle

Guest links:
Joshua Riezman - https://x.com/JoshR_GSR
GSR - https://x.com/GSR_io

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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DoubleZero infra to supercharge Kalshi - Ft. Austin Federa

The Block — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:58:24 -0400

DoubleZero Co-Founder Austin Federa joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the DoubleZero recently announced integration with Kalshi and how multicast fiber networks are supercharging prediction market data feeds.

OUTLINE
00:06 - Show Open & Headlines
01:33 - Tether's KPMG Audit
02:52 - Gemini Q2 Earnings
03:53 - Bullish Exchange Results
04:41 - Kalshi Regulatory Battles
06:05 - Crypto Phishing Warning
07:03 - Hot Seat: Austin Federa
07:44 - DoubleZero x Kalshi Deal
10:07 - Prediction Markets Maturing
14:50 - What Is DoubleZero?
17:43 - DoubleZero vs. Oracles
19:33 - AI Agents & Trading Edge

Guest links:
Austin Federa - https://x.com/Austin_Federa
DoubleZero - https://x.com/doublezero

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Why Bitcoin BIP-110 failed - ft Giacomo Zucco

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:44:02 -0400

Plan B Forum Director Giacomo Zucco joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the BIP 110 activation and chain stall over the weekend, the Cold Card firmware exploit and Bitcoin security vulnerabilities, and the future relevance of Bitcoin Core as a reference implementation.

OUTLINE
00:08 - Show Introduction
01:47 - Harmony Exploit
02:49 - SEC Crypto Regime Proposal
03:11 - 21 Capital Q2 Losses
04:06 - Robinhood Chain Numbers
04:44 - Cold Card Firmware Bug
07:46 - Giacomo Zucco Hot Seat
08:00 - BIP 110 Weekend Drama
13:22 - Bitcoin Governance Debates
19:45 - Luke Dashjr's Fork Attempt
25:16 - Luke Removed as BIP Editor
29:48 - Bitcoin Core's Future Role

Guest links:
Giacomo Zucco - https://x.com/giacomozucco
Plan B Network - https://x.com/planb_network

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Bitcoin Uptober Loading? Live w/ Benjamin Cowen

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:42:40 -0400

ITC Founder & CEO Benjamin Cowen joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss why Bitcoin's current cycle mirrors 2018, the likelihood of an October cycle bottom, and why institutional narratives like ETFs and strategic reserves have acted as headwinds rather than tailwinds for crypto.

OUTLINE
00:07 - Welcome & Show Intro
01:06 - Block Briefing Headlines
05:18 - Benjamin Cowen's Background
08:16 - Bitcoin's State Right Now
09:29 - Cycle Timing & October Bottom
15:50 - Institutional Impact on Bitcoin
19:18 - When Does Retail Return?
31:05 - AI Trade vs. Crypto
35:57 - Meme Coins & Industry Damage
40:11 - Bitcoin & Politics
43:32 - Outlook & AI Pivot
45:26 - Wrap-Up & CZ Teaser

Guest links:
Benjamin Cowen - https://x.com/benjamincowen

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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OKX's Lennix Lai: Retail Traders Are Already Executing Through AI Agents

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:38:45 -0400

OKX General Manager Lennix Lai joined Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the impact of institutional ETF flows on crypto markets, the rise of RWA tokenization and tokenized equities on OKX, AI-driven trading agents and compliance tools, and the outlook for retail trading through the end of 2026.

OUTLINE
00:08 - Welcome & BIP 110 Recap
02:10 - World Liberty Financial Scrutiny
03:09 - Robinhood Enters UK Crypto
03:47 - North Korea's AI Hacking Threat
05:01 - Brazil's Withdrawal Delay Rule
05:40 - BIP 110 Fork: Post-Mortem
07:42 - Market Pulse: Lennix Lai
09:29 - Institutional ETF Impact
11:14 - RWA Tokenization Demand
14:02 - AI Agents & Compliance at OKX
16:01 - Prediction Markets: OKX's Approach
27:42 - Outro

Guest links:
Lennix Lai - https://x.com/LennixOKX
OKX - https://x.com/OKX

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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AI-armed attackers deepen crypto's 2026 hacking crisis

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:27:27 -0400

Blockaid Co-Founder & CEO Ido Ben-Natan joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the record-breaking surge in crypto hack incidents in 2026, how AI is supercharging attackers and shifting the primary vector from smart contract exploits to operational security breaches, and the lessons that can be gleaned from the Coldcard exploit.

OUTLINE
00:04 - Week in Review
01:22 - Block Briefing: Clarity Act Delay
02:09 - Coinbase Prediction Markets Ruling
02:49 - Wintermute Broker-Dealer Move
03:33 - Miners' Tough Quarter
04:17 - Trump Crypto Divestiture Twist
05:39 - Ido Ben-Natan Hot Seat
06:07 - H1 2026 Hack Report
07:58 - DPRK Hackers Dominate
10:30 - AI as Attack Vector
16:56 - Coldcard Exploit Fallout
22:17 - Crypto vs. TradFi Targeting

Guest links:
Ido Ben-Natan - https://x.com/idobn
Blockaid - https://x.com/blockaid_

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Jesse Pollak reveals plans for Base as exchange competition heats up

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:24:40 -0400

Coinbase Head of Base Jesse Pollak joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss handing the Base app to Jordan Fish, widely known as Cobie, while refocusing on Base the chain, the rise of agentic finance and tokenized inference, and why prediction markets and DeFi growth matter more than social right now.

OUTLINE
00:08 - Welcome & Show Intro
01:34 - Russia's Crypto Law
02:19 - Clarity Act Stalls
03:00 - Coinbase UK Stock Trading
03:42 - Wrench Attack Surge
04:46 - Block's Bitcoin Results
05:18 - Jesse Joins: Base App Handover
09:52 - Robinhood Chain Competition
12:38 - Meme Coins & Creator Coins
14:47 - Agentic Finance & Tokenized Inference
19:52 - Prediction Markets on Base
29:45 - Coldcard Exploit & Self-Custody

Guest links:
Jesse Pollak - https://x.com/jessepollak
Coinbase - https://x.com/base

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Alpaca’s $435M raise driven by Wall Street’s tokenization push

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:22:20 -0400

Alpaca Co-Founder & CEO Yoshi Yokokawa joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss building the "AWS of financial infrastructure" for tokenized US equities, the explosive growth of AI agents on Alpaca's platform, and navigating the global regulatory landscape amid Wall Street's tokenization push. Bitwise Europe Senior Research Associate Luke Deans also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse to discuss Bitcoin's volatility expectations, key on-chain price levels to watch, and why digital assets may be well-positioned when the AI trade eventually unwinds.

OUTLINE
00:07 - Show Open & Headlines Preview
02:31 - Trump Meme Coin Scrutiny
03:07 - Cloudflare's Agentic Wallets
03:50 - BlackRock ETH ETF Reverse Split
04:25 - BitGo Moves WBTC to Chainlink
05:12 - ColdCard Exploit Fallout
07:46 - Market Pulse: Bitcoin Volatility
16:57 - AI Trade & Capital Rotation
23:12 - Alpaca's Origin & Infrastructure
33:19 - AI Agents & Agentic Trading
37:11 - Everything App & Bundling Trends
40:46 - Regulation & Growth Outlook

Guest links:
Yoshi Yokokawa - https://x.com/iyoshyoshi
Alpaca - https://x.com/AlpacaHQ
Bitwise Europe - https://x.com/Bitwise_Europe

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Breaking down the Coldcard exploit & ramifications for self-custody

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:20:04 -0400

Casa CTO Jameson Lopp joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss how the Coldcard entropy exploit unfolded, why multi-vendor multisig is the gold standard for self-custody, and why Bitcoin self-custody is still worth pursuing despite the risks. Foundation CTO Zach Herbert also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse, where he discussed the role of AI in discovering the Coldcard bug and what the industry needs to do to rebuild trust in self-custody.

OUTLINE
00:06 - Welcome & Show Intro
01:47 - Block Briefing: Strategy Sells BTC
03:17 - Trump Media, SEC/CFTC Turf War & More
09:35 - Zach Herbert: Coldcard Exploit Explained
15:17 - AI's Role in Finding the Bug
20:23 - Open Source vs. Closed Source Debate
23:15 - Self-Custody Trust & Don't Trust Verify
27:13 - Hardware Wallet UX & Market Options
34:28 - Jameson Lopp: First Reports of the Hack
40:51 - AI, LLMs & the Changing Attack Landscape
46:23 - Self-Custody: Who It's Really For
55:57 - Casa's Multi-Vendor Multisig Case

Guest links:
Jameson Lopp - https://x.com/lopp
Casa - https://x.com/CasaHODL
Zach Herbert - https://x.com/zherbert
Foundation - https://x.com/FoundationHQ

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Bitcoin rocked by Coldcard exploit w. Freddie New

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:16:04 -0400

B HODL CEO Freddie New joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the Coldcard hardware wallet exploit that drained roughly 594 Bitcoin from affected devices, the importance of entropy in seed phrase generation, and best practices for securing Bitcoin in self-custody.

OUTLINE
00:07 - Show Intro & Lineup
01:01 - Strategy's $8.2B Loss
01:50 - Coinbase Q2 Earnings
02:44 - Kalshi Legal Battle
03:19 - Circle Trust Charter
03:53 - Coldcard Exploit Headline
04:43 - Market Structure Bill
05:59 - Freddie New Joins
07:05 - Exploit Explained
14:02 - Self-Custody Best Practices
19:00 - Hardware Wallet Industry Impact
26:02 - Phishing Warning & Wrap-Up

Guest links:
Freddie New - https://x.com/freddienew
B HODL - https://x.com/bitcoinhodlco

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Fed holds interest rates – what does it mean for Bitcoin?

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:14:00 -0400

Bitwise Europe Head of Research Andre Dragosch joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block, where he discussed the Fed's split decision to hold rates and its implications for Bitcoin, Bitcoin's relative outperformance versus tech stocks and semiconductors, the US debt ceiling debate and long-term macro tailwinds for Bitcoin, BIP 110 replay risks and the low probability of it reaching majority, and Michael Saylor's Strategy stabilizing its dividend coverage to avert forced Bitcoin liquidation.

OUTLINE
05:02 - Show Introduction
06:41 - Fed Holds Rates
07:30 - Tether USAT on Celo
08:07 - Binance US Prediction Markets
08:44 - Ostium $24M Hack
09:22 - Aave Spring Cleaning
10:50 - ARK Trims Crypto Bets
11:43 - Market Pulse: Fed Impact
17:47 - Bitcoin Bottom Outlook
19:43 - Debt Ceiling & Macro
24:27 - BIP 110 Risk
26:29 - Strategy / Saylor Update

Guest links:

Andre Dragosch - https://x.com/Andre_Dragosch
Bitwise Europe - https://x.com/Bitwise_Europe

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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1inch Aqua unlocks shared liquidity with CEO Sergej Kunz

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:09:48 -0400

1inch Co-Founder Sergej Kunz joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to announce the launch of 1inch Aqua, a unified shared liquidity protocol for DeFi, and to discuss how it addresses idle AMM liquidity, the role of AI in development and protocol security, and the future of RWA tokenization on Ethereum L2s.

OUTLINE
00:05 - Show Intro & Previews
02:06 - Morgan Stanley ETF Launch
03:05 - Durov & Telegram Charges
04:26 - DeFi Hacks Record
05:09 - CFTC Prediction Markets Battle
05:55 - Core Scientific & Galaxy AI Pivots
07:22 - Ethereum L2 TVL Decline
08:24 - 1inch Aqua Explained
11:57 - Aqua Security & Audits
19:38 - AI in Development
25:33 - RWA & Robinhood Chain
29:09 - Building on Ethereum & Future Plans

Guest links:

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Open source AI the new crypto? ft. Nansen CEO Alex Svanevik

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:08:24 -0400

Nansen Co-Founder & CEO Alex Svanevik joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the evolution of Nansen from on-chain analytics to agentic trading, why open source AI is the new crypto, and how on-chain transparency has helped expose bad actors like FTX and Bitcub.

OUTLINE
00:06 - Welcome & Block Briefing
01:11 - Circle's Patent Power Play
02:28 - Kraken Acquires Magic Labs
03:05 - Lido's Post-PECTRA Upgrade
03:46 - NFL vs. Prediction Markets
05:01 - Minnesota Ban Blocked
06:01 - Nansen's Evolution
10:29 - Hyperliquid Integration
15:23 - Open Source AI = New Crypto
29:09 - Nansen's Staking Business
33:50 - On-Chain Transparency & Fraud
43:14 - RWAs & Trading Everything On-Chain

Guest links:
Alex Svanevik - https://x.com/ASvanevik
Nansen - https://x.com/nansen_ai

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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The Staking Race: Ethereum's Queue, Solana's Yield, and Where Institutional Money Is Going

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:06:44 -0400

Bitwise Head of Onchain Research Kam Benbrik joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss Bitwise's inaugural quarterly staking report, the divergence between on-chain fundamentals and market sentiment, record ETH staking highs, and institutional staking trends across Ethereum, Solana, Hyperliquid, and Avalanche.

OUTLINE
00:08 - Welcome & Show Intro
01:12 - BitMart Shutdown
02:17 - TripleA Hack Update
03:02 - KB Kookmin Goes Onchain
03:43 - Storj Bankruptcy Filing
04:22 - Bitcoin ETF Volume Drops
04:58 - Robinhood & Crypto.com Talks
05:42 - Strategy's $525M USD Reserve
06:46 - Bitwise Staking Report
10:16 - ETH vs. Solana Staking
20:16 - Upcoming Protocol Upgrades
26:35 - Week Ahead Preview

Guest links:
Kam Benbrik - https://x.com/KamBenbrik
Bitwise - https://x.com/Bitwise

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Charles Hoskinson on Cardano’s Future, the state of crypto & AI

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:54:50 -0400

Input Output Global Founder Charles Hoskinson joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss Cardano's decentralized governance and on-chain treasury and Midnight's privacy-first vision for a fourth-generation blockchain.

OUTLINE
00:03 - Welcome & Introduction
01:00 - Leaving X Behind
04:53 - Managing Social Media
07:00 - Cardano's Governance Model
10:33 - Decentralizing Development
18:58 - Bitcoin DeFi & Pogan
24:16 - Bitcoin's Limitations
32:29 - Quantum Threat to Bitcoin
37:53 - Midnight & Privacy Tech
49:33 - Hoskinson's Daily Focus
52:54 - Bullet Ant Ceremony
01:00:00 - Blackhawk & Simplifying Life

Guest links:
Charles Hoskinson - https://x.com/IOHK_Charles

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Is the Bitcoin bear market over? Ft. Cory Klippsten

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:40:41 -0400

Swan Bitcoin Founder & CEO Cory Klippsten joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the current state of the Bitcoin treasury company landscape, his essay 'The Battle for Monetary Independence,' and the long-term path to Bitcoin becoming a global medium of exchange.

OUTLINE
00:07 - Show Intro & Preview
02:07 - BitMEX Closing Down
03:04 - Crypto Clarity Act Update
03:49 - Bridge Hacks & Security
04:26 - Circle Expands in Korea
05:45 - Coinbase-SEC Settlement
07:00 - Polymarket Fights France
14:35 - Cory Klippsten's Bitcoin Origin
22:39 - Jack Mallers & 21 Bitcoin Co.
25:47 - Bitcoin Treasury Companies Landscape
39:09 - Battle for Monetary Independence
50:10 - Bitcoin as Future Money

Guest links:
Cory Klippsten - https://x.com/CorySwan
Swan Bitcoin - https://x.com/Swan

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Can JTX dominate Solana trading? Ft. Lucas Bruder

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:38:29 -0400

Jito Labs Founder Lucas Bruder joins Gareth Jenkinson on episode 15 of The Starting Block to discuss the launch of JTX, Jito's new on-chain trading platform on Solana. Bruder also spoke of his ambitions to compete with centralized exchanges and equities platforms like Robinhood, and why he is more bullish on crypto markets than ever before.

1inch Co-Founder Anton Bukov also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse, where he discussed his legacy as co-founder of 1inch, the philosophy behind his new DeFi venture, Second Tier, and his vision for building new architectural categories in decentralized finance.

OUTLINE
00:07 - Show Intro & Agenda
01:36 - Block Briefing: Today's Headlines
01:38 - Trump Crypto Ethics Ban
02:23 - Russia's Crypto Regulation
03:01 - BIS Stablecoin Warning
04:39 - Telegram's Wallet Rollout
08:19 - Market Pulse: Anton Bukov
15:00 - Second Tier Manifesto
25:16 - Hot Seat: JTX Launch
27:42 - Competing with CEXs & Robinhood
32:23 - Tokenized Equities on Solana
39:19 - Market Outlook & Solana's Vision

Guest links:
Lucas Bruder - https://x.com/buffalu__
Jito Labs - https://x.com/jito_labs
Anton Bukov - https://x.com/k06a
Second Tier - https://x.com/tier_xyz

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Crypto exchanges will take over Wall Street - ft. Bitget’s Gracy Chen

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:32:37 -0400

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the "universal exchange" thesis and Bitget's push into tokenized stocks, how crypto exchanges are competing with traditional finance, as well as Bitget's plans to enter the US market.

OUTLINE
00:07 - Jack Mallers Steps Down
05:26 - Reaction & Block Briefing
06:39 - Top News Headlines
11:17 - Gracy Chen Hot Seat
11:44 - DAT Companies & Outlook
14:11 - Universal Exchange Vision
19:04 - Tokenized Stocks & RWA
26:16 - Market Trends & User Behavior
31:13 - October 10 & Deleveraging
35:51 - Own Chain vs. Partnership
42:48 - AI Trading Tools
51:51 - US Market Expansion

Guest links:
Gracy Chen - https://x.com/GracyBitget
Bitget - https://x.com/bitget

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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The Privacy Renaissance ft. NEAR’s Illia Polosukhin

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:27:44 -0400

NEAR Protocol Co-Founder Illia Poloshukhin joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the mainnet launch of quantum resistance and dynamic resharding on NEAR, the case for confidential transactions and privacy as a mass-adoption enabler, and why decentralized AI infrastructure is critical as centralized models face government overreach and agentic security threats.

OUTLINE
01:47 - Show Intro & Headlines
02:58 - Strategy & Saylor News
04:38 - Allbridge Hack & Upbit Probe
05:53 - Polymarket Ban & Robinhood Bull Case
07:10 - Vitalik's Privacy Demo
08:28 - NEAR's Origin & Vision
17:57 - Quantum Resistance Launch
20:50 - Confidential Intents & Privacy
25:29 - X402 & Agent Payments
30:07 - Decentralized AI & Governance
37:28 - IronClaw & Agentic Security
48:20 - DeFi Exploits & Formal Verification

Guest links:
Illia Poloshukhin - https://x.com/ilblackdragon
NEAR Protocol - https://x.com/NEARProtocol

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Debunking ZachXBT’s “garbage” hardware wallet post w/ Trezor

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:54:15 -0400

Trezor CCO Danny Sanders joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss and debunk ZachXBT's viral claim that hardware wallets are "absolute garbage," the real-world use cases where that critique has merit, and make the case for why hardware wallets remain the best self-custody solution for retail users despite their limitations.

OUTLINE
00:05 - Welcome & Show Intro
01:24 - Citadel's $400M Crypto.com Deal
02:10 - Visa's Stablecoin Platform
02:49 - CLARITY Act Senate Update
03:27 - T. Rowe Price Multi-Token ETF
04:15 - JP Morgan's Bitcoin Outlook
05:14 - SBI & Ondo Tokenization Deal
06:01 - Polygon Layoffs & SBF Pardon Denied
07:33 - ZachXBT's Hardware Wallet Take
17:07 - Old iPhone vs. Hardware Wallet
23:48 - Trezor's Design Philosophy
28:08 - Is ZachXBT's Take Damaging?

Guest links:
Danny Sanders - https://x.com/Dantoshi
Trezor - https://x.com/Trezor

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Confidential DeFi? Why institutions need privacy to go all in on crypto

The Block — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:23:58 -0400

Zama Co-Founder & CEO Rand Hindi joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss how confidential DeFi works, the launch of a confidential USDC vault with Morpho and Stakehouse, and why privacy is essential for institutions to go all in on crypto. Bitwise Europe Senior Research Associate Luke Deans also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse, where he discussed Bitcoin's on-chain cost basis levels, the Fed's expected rate hold amid geopolitical inflation risks, and why the institutional bid remains absent until risk-on conditions return.

OUTLINE
00:02 - Show Introduction
01:20 - Stripe-PayPal Mega Deal
02:00 - Crypto Market Structure Bill
02:53 - DTCC Tokenized Securities
03:35 - BlackRock's On-Chain Vision
04:13 - Base Leadership Shakeup
05:49 - Ostium Hack & Stablecoin Wars
09:23 - Market Pulse: Bitcoin Outlook
16:57 - Fed Rates & Macro Risks
16:58 - ETF Flows & Institutional Bid
23:55 - Zama & Confidential DeFi
47:21 - Europe's Privacy & Regulation Risks

Guest links:
Rand Hindi - https://x.com/randhindi
Zama - https://x.com/zama
Luke Deans

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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EU DAC8 Regulation - Are Crypto Holders At Risk?

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:32:21 -0400

Bull Bitcoin Founder Francis Pouliout joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss Bull Bitcoin's landmark legal challenge against the EU DAC8 regulation in France, the privacy risks of mass crypto user data collection, and the broader global push for crypto asset reporting frameworks. Hype CEO Danny Gazit also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse, where he discussed the market reaction to CPI data, the state of crypto marketing spend during the bear market, and his bullish outlook for Q4.

OUTLINE
00:05 - Welcome & Show Intro
01:38 - Japan Classifies Crypto
02:21 - US Sanctions Iran Wallets
03:04 - Ethereum Foundation Spinout
04:05 - CFTC vs. Michigan on Kalshi
04:54 - US-UK Stablecoin Cooperation
05:36 - CPI Drop Lifts Bitcoin
06:24 - Digital Euro Pilot
12:21 - Market Pulse: Danny Gazit
18:35 - Hot Seat: Francis Pouliout
21:19 - DAC8 Explained
29:41 - The Legal Strategy

Guest links:
Francis Pouliout - https://x.com/francispouliot_
Bull Bitcoin - https://x.com/BULLBITCOIN_
Danny Gazit - https://x.com/0xDannyHype
Hype - https://x.com/hypepartners

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Wall Street Surrenders To Crypto & AI, feat. David Pakman

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:51:44 -0400

Coinfund Managing Partner and Head of Venture Investments David Pakman joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss Wall Street's surrender to crypto and on-chain finance, the stablecoin yield threat to deposit banking, and the intersection of AI agents with blockchain infrastructure.

OUTLINE
00:09 - Welcome & Show Intro
01:26 - Clarity Act & Senate Push
02:04 - Banks vs. Stablecoins
02:43 - UK Tokenization Roadmap
03:28 - Progmat Moves to Avalanche
04:11 - Bitmine ETH Treasury & Strategy
05:48 - On-Chain Equities & HyperLiquid
07:36 - David Pakman Hot Seat
13:01 - Stablecoins vs. Deposit Banks
25:48 - Prediction Markets & Gen Z
29:29 - AI, Agents & Crypto Investing
34:07 - Decentralized AI & Token Economics

Guest links:
David Pakman - https://x.com/pakman
Coinfund - https://x.com/coinfund

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Ethereum Merge Cut Electricity Use by 99% - Cambridge Report

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:08:33 -0400

Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance Research Lead Alexander Neumüller joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the recent Cambridge report finding that Ethereum's Merge cut electricity consumption by 99%, the geographical centralization risks in Ethereum's node distribution, and the fundamental security differences between proof-of-work and proof-of-stake networks. Senior Country Director for Coinbase UK Keith Grose also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse, where he discussed Coinbase UK's new MiFID licence to offer derivatives and equities trading, retail crypto appetite in the UK market, and the legacy of departing Coinbase CLO Paul Grewal.

OUTLINE
03:15 - Show Intro & Overview
04:56 - Coinbase CLO Departure
06:19 - Polymarket Eyes Leverage
07:03 - MARA's Texas Campus
07:47 - CFTC Standoff & Crypto Bills
08:28 - Gauntlet's $125M Raise
09:08 - Revolut X & AI Agents
13:04 - Coinbase UK Derivatives Licence
17:00 - UK Crypto Market Landscape
25:37 - Ethereum's 99% Energy Drop
30:46 - Node Centralisation Risks
40:44 - PoW vs PoS Security

Guest links:
Alexander Neumüller - https://x.com/alexneumueller
Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance - https://x.com/CambridgeAltFin
Keith Grose - https://x.com/kmgrose
Coinbase UK - https://x.com/coinbase

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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EXCLUSIVE: AAVE Launches Stable Vaults w/ Stani Kulechov

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:10:07 -0400

AAVE Founder & CEO Stani Kulechov joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to announce the launch of Aave Stable Vaults, a new vault architecture enabling fintechs and institutions to integrate DeFi yield with predictable rates, multi-chain support, and multi-asset deposits.

OUTLINE
03:06 - Welcome & Show Preview
04:23 - Swift Goes On-Chain
05:21 - Sony Bank Stablecoin Plans
06:00 - Paradigm's $1.2B Fund
06:44 - AscendX Shuts Down
07:22 - Interpol Fraud Crackdown
08:11 - Block Inc. Settlement
08:51 - MiCA Expansion Talks
09:30 - Blockchain Developer Safe Harbor
10:35 - Stable Vaults Launch Explained
18:11 - Aave V4 Update
21:10 - DeFi Security & Ethereum's Future

Guest links:
Stani Kulechov - https://x.com/StaniKulechov
AAVE - https://x.com/Aave

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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BitGo CEO Mike Belshe on Saylor, Stablecoins & the Crypto Wars

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:45:36 -0400

BitGo CEO Mike Belshe joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss Michael Saylor's Bitcoin sales and concentration risk, the prospects of the Clarity Act and institutional adoption, and the dangers of government overreach in AI export controls and digital privacy.

OUTLINE
02:11 - Block Briefing
02:46 - Farage Crypto Probe
03:23 - SEC 2026 Agenda
04:02 - Coinbase UK Expansion
04:44 - Vanguard Enters Crypto
05:26 - Super App Race
06:41 - Bitmine ETH Stacking
07:24 - Strike Bitcoin Loans
11:39 - Saylor & Concentration Risk
20:13 - Clarity Act Outlook
34:35 - MiCA & Binance in Europe
39:33 - AI, Encryption & Civil Liberties

Guest links:
Mike Belshe - https://x.com/mikebelshe
BitGo - https://x.com/BitGo

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Saylor’s Big Bitcoin Sale, Investigating $ANSEM

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:18:42 -0400

Smarter Web UK's Head of Bitcoin Strategy Jesse Myers joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss why Strategy's $260 million Bitcoin sale is a strategic move to build STRK's creditworthiness, the mechanics of preferred equity Bitcoin treasury instruments, and Smarter Web UK's plans to replicate the MicroStrategy playbook on the London Stock Exchange. Bubblemaps Head of Investigations Deebs DeFi also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse, where he discussed the origins of the $ANSEM meme coin, on-chain holder distribution data, and the risks of centralized supply in community tokens.

OUTLINE
02:09 - Show Introduction
02:29 - Block Briefing: Headlines
03:50 - Galaxy's AI Data Center Pivot
04:19 - Strategy Sells Bitcoin
05:16 - Trump Reserve Legal Snags
08:01 - Market Pulse: $ANSEM Origins
10:34 - Bubblemaps On-Chain Findings
20:17 - Hot Seat: Jesse Myers Intro
25:09 - Why Saylor Sold Bitcoin
34:21 - Smarter Web UK's Strategy
40:45 - Preferred Equity Mechanics
44:58 - Daily Dividends Debate

Guest links:
Jesse Myers - https://x.com/Croesus_BTC
Smarter Web UK - https://x.com/smarterwebuk
Deebs DeFi - https://x.com/Deebs_DeFi
Bubblemaps - https://x.com/bubblemaps

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Saylor Sells $216M Of Bitcoin, Joe Chalom Unpacks New Ethereum Orgs

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:43:16 -0400

Sharplink CEO Joe Chalom sits down with Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to talk about ETH Labs and Ethereum Institutional launches, SharpLink's bear market strategy and Vitalik Buterin's Lean Ethereum rebuild plan. MEXC CEO Vugar Usi stopped by Gareth's desk today for Market Pulse. They discussed Strategy's $216M Bitcoin sale, ETF outflows affecting retail sentiment, the Ansem meme coin resurrection and MiCA's impact on European crypto liquidity.

OUTLINE
02:39 - Show Introduction
03:47 - Saylor Sells $216M Bitcoin
05:07 - Farage Crypto Funding Scandal
05:58 - Vitalik's Lean Ethereum Plan
06:44 - Bitcoin ETF Outflow Record
07:37 - Trump Meme Coin Losses
08:16 - Aave Explodes On Monad
09:37 - Ripple Clears MiCA Hurdle
12:20 - Market Pulse: Vugar Usi
24:15 - Hot Seat: Joe Chalom
29:51 - ETH Labs & ETH Institutional
38:18 - SharpLink's MNAV Strategy

Guest links:
Joe Chalom - https://x.com/joechalom
Sharplink - https://x.com/Sharplink
Vugar Usi - https://x.com/usithetalk
MEXC - https://x.com/MEXC

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Yat Siu Predicts 100B AI Agents

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:20:18 -0400

Animoca Brands Chairman Yat Siu joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to discuss the 100 billion AI agent prediction, digital asset treasury companies and the evolution of DATs, and the future of blockchain as the backbone of an agentic economy. MN Fund & MN Capital Found & CIO Michaël van de Poppe also joined Gareth for the day's Market Pulse, where he discussed record Bitcoin whale accumulation near $59K, the altcoin outlook ahead of the Clarity Act, and MiCA's impact on exchanges in Europe.

OUTLINE
03:18 - Show Intro & Headlines
03:36 - Bitcoin ETF Inflows Return
06:29 - JP Morgan on Strategy Risk
07:21 - Robinhood & RWA Push
08:05 - Ondo Tokenizes BlackRock ETF
08:57 - Humanity Protocol Hack Update
10:05 - Irish Bitcoin Seizure
10:56 - Digital Ruble Rollout
15:51 - Market Pulse: Whale Accumulation
21:26 - Altcoin Outlook & MiCA
28:42 - Hot Seat: Humanity Protocol Fallout
51:26 - 100 Billion AI Agents Thesis

Guest links:
Yat Siu - https://x.com/ysiu
Animoca Brands - https://x.com/animocabrands
Michaël van de Poppe - https://x.com/CryptoMichNL
MN Fund & MN Capital - https://x.com/MNFund_

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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Breaking Down The Humanity Protocol Exploit with Founder Terence Kwok

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:02:50 -0400

Episode 2 of The Starting Block, hosted by The Block's Gareth Jenkinson, was broadcasted live with Humanity Protocol Founder Terence Kwok.

Humanity Protocol Founder Terence Kwok joins Gareth Jenkinson on The Starting Block to talk about the $36 million exploit from a hacked developer laptop, getting roasted online / accused of being an inside-job from the team, and plans for the token migration and recovery moving forward. Andre Dragosch, Bitwise Europe European Head of Research, joins Gareth for today's Market Pulse. They discuss Bitcoin's volatility and accumulation clues around cycle lows, altcoins continuing to underperform as risk-off trade, and why Fed monetary policy continues to be the catalyst we're watching for the next upward move.

OUTLINE
04:29 - Show Introduction & Format
06:21 - Securitize NYSE Debut
07:10 - MetaPlanet Q2 Bitcoin Buy
08:07 - Kash Patel Strategy Disclosure
09:15 - American Bitcoin Reverse Split
10:03 - Prediction Markets Volume Surge
10:53 - Venice AI Series A Raise
11:44 - June Crypto Hacks Roundup
15:34 - Market Pulse: Bitcoin & Macro
22:30 - Altcoin Underperformance & Fed
30:51 - The Exploit: What Happened
41:56 - Recovery Plan & Pivot Ahead

Guest links:
Terence Kwok - https://x.com/terencekwok
Humanity Protocol - https://x.com/Humanityprot
Andre Dragosch - https://x.com/Andre_Dragosch

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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CZ: $500M in Elon's X, 4 Months in Prison & What's Coming Next

The Block — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:55:25 -0400

Episode 1 of The Starting Block, hosted by The Block's Gareth Jenkinson, was broadcasted live from Abu Dhabi with Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ).

For the first episode of The Starting Block, Head of Multimedia at The Block Gareth Jenkinson is joined by Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, in Abu Dhabi for a wide-ranging conversation: his $500M bet on Elon Musk's X, the uncertainty of prison and why he's now funding prison reform, the real "secret sauce" behind Binance's rise, the fight over Binance's licence in Europe, which AI tools he actually uses, his honest take on Michael Saylor and Strategy, Hyperliquid vs. Aster, and why he's still extremely bullish on Bitcoin — plus the one thing he wants to be remembered for.

OUTLINE
0:00 – Welcome & launching The Starting Block
1:33 – The $500M X bet (and never meeting Elon)
6:59 – Legacy, philanthropy & life after Binance
10:57 – How Binance actually won
13:52 – Moving fast, regrets & the U.S. case
16:39 – Inside prison
20:51 – Prison reform & giving back
25:27 – The OKX feud
27:50 – Europe, MiCA & why Binance (and Tether) walked
35:54 – Binance US, explained
37:35 – Which AI CZ actually uses — and the centralization problem
46:23 – Michael Saylor & the Strategy question
52:25 – Hyperliquid, Aster & prediction markets
1:03:41 – Bitcoin: the outlook & the $1M call

Guest links:
CZ (Changpeng Zhao)
X: https://x.com/cz_binance

Host links:
Gareth Jenkinson - https://x.com/gazza_jenks
The Block - https://x.com/TheBlockCo
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(00:00) - – Welcome & launching The Starting Block
(01:33) - – The $500M X bet (and never meeting Elon)
(06:59) - – Legacy, philanthropy & life after Binance
(10:57) - – How Binance actually won
(13:52) - – Moving fast, regrets & the U.S. case
(16:39) - – Inside prison
(20:51) - – Prison reform & giving back
(25:27) - – The OKX feud
(27:50) - – Europe, MiCA & why Binance (and Tether) walked
(35:54) - – Binance US, explained
(37:35) - – Which AI CZ actually uses — and the centralization problem
(46:23) - – Michael Saylor & the Strategy question
(52:25) - – Hyperliquid, Aster & prediction markets
(01:03:41) - – Bitcoin: the outlook & the $1M call