In this week’s episode of The blocmates Podcast, we break down the massive geopolitical shockwaves rocking the crypto markets. The US just launched strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran's parliament is pushing to shut down the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint for 20% of global oil supply – and the market reacted hard.

We’re talking:
- The Trump–Iran chaos and why the “peace prize” moment aged horribly
- Strait of Hormuz and how it could reshape global energy (and your bags)
- Bitcoin dipping below $100k and $1B in daily liquidations
- Major breach season: from fake Ledger giveaways to Apple, Meta, Google and CMC being compromised
- Can decentralized infrastructure actually save us here? Enter: Tether’s PearPass

All this, plus our usual no-filter takes, bullish/bearish calls, and what it all means for the markets.

Strap in – this one’s stacked.

Elon vs Trump shakes the market, a man gets kidnapped, and Justin Sun might actually take Tron public?!

In the first episode of the newly branded blocmates Podcast, we break down the chaos across crypto — from France to the Middle East, meme coin madness to stablecoin adoption. Plus: Bybit’s bold DEX play and why Solana keeps winning.

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Oh yeah, follow us on Twitter: 

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Grant - https://x.com/Grantblocmates
Alex: https://x.com/alexblocmates
Gazz: https://x.com/CryptoTubeYT
Newsletter: blocmates.beehiiv.com

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Stories discussed: https://www.blocmates.com/news

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For everything else: https://linktr.ee/blocmates

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Disclaimer: 

The information presented on the blocmates podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, investment advice, trading advice, or any other advice. 

You should not make any decision, financial, investment, trading or otherwise, based on any of the information presented on this podcast without undertaking independent due diligence and consultation with a professional broker or financial advisor. You understand that you are using any and all Information available on or through this podcast at your own risk.

Cryptocurrency is a highly volatile and high-risk investment. You should only invest money that you can afford to lose. Before investing in cryptocurrency, you should do your own research and understand the risks involved. You should also consult with a financial advisor to get personalized advice on whether cryptocurrency is right for you.

Alex and Gazz are driving the conversation this week and there will be no mention of Loudio. 

Rattling through our favourite stories, heavily centred around Trump’s latest fuckery, a potential pardoning for Sam Bankman-Fried, countries buying up Bitcoin and showstopper James Wynn teaching us all how to really trade with leverage.

Hola! And so we have it, another all-time high on Bitcoin, despite the fact that we've been brought back down to earth as I type this and we push the episode live.

Jedi is on the pod this week, bullish as ever, as we rattle through the top stories. Happy Friday. Share this with your pals. 

Gazz is back from his 2 year sabbatical to join Alex and Mike this week. 

We’re covering the Internet Capital Markets meta, everything that has happened with the Coinbase exploit and subsequent bounty by Brian Armstrong, plus more fuckery from pump.fun.

We even have some positive news for the industry and a real-world use case for blockchain tech, with Lyft jumping on the bandwagon.

Alex and 563 sit down for a chat about the creepy advancements in the AI sector and discuss how centralized players are already taking advantage.

We cover why it's already important that you're aware of what data you hand over, and where these developments could lead us in the future.

It's not all bleak, though, and 563 chats through how this incredible technology can bring real benefits to our day-to-day, if built responsibly. 

The Friday podcast returns, and we're in Vienna, discussing the Zerebro debacle and the founder's fake suicide on camera, as Jeffy Yu is discovered in his parents' place, wearing flip flops. 

We're also reviewing everything else that's happened these past couple of weeks, including Google turning to blockchain technology, Movement Labs firing Rushi Manche after a market maker controversy, and a few other updates across crypto.

That was a tiring week. 

Two main ones to dig into, and you can probably guess them.

What the hell happened with the $OM token, and why has Base decided to back a meme coin now, of all times?

Who knows. Let’s dig into it.

This week Grant is joined by Conor from Ethena 

The lads discuss the explosive growth and potential of stablecoins in the tech and crypto sectors. They also dive into Ethena's innovative approaches to stablecoin issuance, the importance of enabling institutional capital through pragmatic design choices, and the launch of Converge—a game-changer for onboarding traditional finance into crypto. 

Discover insights on market trends, regulatory landscapes, and how Ethena plans to scale and optimize its products for future growth.

Dan is back to cover the Gazz-filled void on the podcast this week, and honestly the content out there is pretty dry.

We touch on the Trump macro tariff situation, the current market, as well as the return of the goat Fartcoin, plus whatever random bits we’ve found while scouring the internet. Have a good weekend, and like and subscribe, or just leave us a comment if you feel like it.

In this episode, Grant is joined by Andrei, 

They talk about current market trends, regulatory implications, and the potential of stablecoins as one of the greatest opportunities in the finance and tech sectors. 

The lads highlight the advantages of stablecoins for cross-border payments, US dollar dominance, and competition amongst various stablecoins. The latter part discusses Falcon's innovative approach to generating yield, user experience, and the necessity of regulatory compliance. 

In this episode of TAO Talk, 563 is joined by guest CH Egan to discuss the latest developments in the Bit Tensor ecosystem. 

They cover Xavier's significant tweet about subnets and innovations like Polaris' compute aggregator, Tatsu's document understanding subnet, and Liquidity's bridging incentives on Ethereum. 

They also highlight major updates from Manifold, including the Targon V6 release, and showcase the new TAO XYZ terminal and Meta's illustrative Nova dashboard. 

Well, we can't promise that all of these episodes are bangers but at least we're honest. 

This week we're discussing the Liberation Day lunacy, the impact on the market, Trump deciding to slap penguin island with tariffs and who the real winner is between USDC and USDT. Like, subscribe, and leave a tumbleweed if it makes you feel better. See ya next week.

This week we look at what happened with the Hyperliquid $JELLY drama, and the potential involvement from Binance and CZ. Plus Ghibli memes have been all over the timeline and a meme pumped on the back of it.

There’s also news of GameStop pumping every penny they (don’t) have into Bitcoin under Lord Saylor’s stewardship, Tornado Cash is back in action and making a home on MegaETH, Berachain’s PoL went live, Movement are doing big buy backs and Robinhood is launching an AI-assisted trading tool.

Pretty heavy week. Enjoy the episode, like, and subscribe, as well. It’s the least you could do, tbh.

In this episode, 563 and Brody welcome special guest Mark Jeffrey from Hashrate. 

Mark shares his insights on Bit Tensor, the rising trends in subnet tokens, and his thoughts on the integration of AI with crypto. They discuss the latest launches, including Zeus, Patrol, and AI Factory, and dive into the impact of novel AI platforms like Squad by Rayon Labs. 

The discussion also covers trade analysis and security concerns within the ecosystem. Join us for an engaging conversation on the current state and future potential of Bit Tensor and its subnets.

In this episode, Grant hosts Luke Saunders and Kevin from Delphi Labs. 

They discuss the impact of Web3 and AI on the crypto space, highlighting Delphi's accelerator program. Luke and Kevin explain how Delphi incubates and accelerates innovative crypto projects, focusing on AI-driven ventures. 

The lads delve into the challenges of launching products, the growing role of AI in coding, and the potential for decentralized infrastructure in shaping the future of the crypto market.

Listen back to the audio from our roundtable with guests and builders from the Sonic ecosystem, chatting about their respective protocols and why they've found a home on Sonic. 

Grant steps in for Alex this week to host The Friday Podcast, as Mike and Gazz unpack the week's most interesting developments.

Ethereum is in focus as Standard Chartered adjusts its price target and prominent names Pump.Fun and Robinhood are making big moves, but what does it all mean? Lock in to find out.

Join 563 and Brody as they dive into BitTensor's dynamic AI market with Mike, manager of Bittensor Fund 1. 

Mike discusses his journey from Citibank to Bittensor, his strategic investments in key subnets like PTN and Templar, and the impact of the dynamic TAO launch. 

Discover exciting new subnets like Hippius and Vericore, and explore tools like Glitch Financial and TAOBot designed to boost trading efficiency. 

In this episode, Grant sits down with Kain Warwick. 

They discuss the state of the crypto market cycle, current sentiment, and emerging trends.

Kain provides insights on how various voices dominate the timeline, the impact of DeFi summer, and the evolution of decentralized exchanges. We delve into Infinex's strategy for simplifying crypto user experience via aggregation theory, discuss the potential of introducing AI interfaces, and touch on the importance of self-custody. 

Kain also shares updates on synthetics and potential products for Infinex, offering valuable alpha on upcoming innovations.

In this episode, we have SendAI. 

An AI development lab and community dedicated to the Solana ecosystem. We discuss MCP's impact on AI, its adoption trends, and how it bridges the gap between APIs and LLMs. 

The team explains the hackathon they've organized to encourage MCP server development and delves into the concept of vibe coding, which enables non-technical individuals to create apps using AI. 

Other topics include the cost reduction in app development, the rise of hyper-speculative apps, and the future potential of solo developers in the crypto space. 

This week, Grant is joined by Ryan from SphereOne and Orbit. 

They discuss their innovative approach to integrating multiple blockchains through AI-powered agents. 

Learn about Orbit's journey, challenges, and the future potential of combining different chains to enhance user experience. They also delve into the advancements in AI models, decentralized AI, and how agents can provide personalized financial solutions. 

Tune in for insights into the evolving landscape of crypto and AI, and what the future holds for these intersecting technologies.

Back from Denver in the hosting seating, Alex, Mike and Gazz cover this week’s news, which, disappointingly, is heavily macro-focused.

David Sacks confirms the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, while the Whitehouse Crypto Summit will happen today, plus a load of usual macro doom indicators. Strap in.

This week, Grant is joined by Breadguy from MegaETH. 

The lads explore MegaETH's innovative approach to blockchain performance.

They also discuss the implications of the Kaito airdrop, the viability of L2s, the challenges with blobs, and how MegaETH aims to redefine performance and scalability. 

Hear about the new MegaETH stack, its unique sequencer model, the benefits of EigenDA, and how MegaETH is eliminating gas limits. Discover how MegaETH aims to create real-time, seamless digital interactions and the potential applications being developed.