In today’s episode, we’re unpacking crypto regulation. We explore the role regulation plays in enhancing crypto’s legitimacy, trust and adoption, and examine how frameworks address consumer protection, market transparency, and innovation.  With the much-anticipated Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) set to make a substantial impact on the EU market, today, we’re joined by Josh Peschko, Global Head of Compliance at Talos, to shed light on its significance, and potential implications for businesses in the crypto space.

On January 10, 2024, the first US-listed Bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds were approved by the Securities Exchange Commission, representing a significant step towards greater institutional acceptance of Bitcoin. Here to talk more about the impact of this approval is Benjamin Dean, Director of Digital Assets at WisdomTree - one of the leading fund managers to have its spot Bitcoin ETF application approved by the SEC. 

KPMG recently published a report looking at the environmental, social, and governance impact of Bitcoin and its role in the ESG imperative.  To discuss this report in more detail, today we’re joined by Brian Consolvo, Technology Risk Principal at KPMG, who co-authored the report alongside Kirk-Patrick Caron, ESG & Climate Advisory Director at KPMG. 

The sustainability and energy use issue around Bitcoin mining is a topic of significant concern and debate in both the cryptocurrency community and broader public discourse. Addressing this issue head on, today, we’re joined by Bert de Groot, the Owner of Bitcoin Bloem, a Dutch startup that uses Bitcoin mining to grow tulips in the Netherlands. Sign up for a Wallet ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠⁠⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠

Last week in crypto, Bitcoin dipped down, and at time of writing/recording sits at $36,290.  The news we’re most excited about though, Blockchain.com closed a $110M round of funding, led by UK-based Kingsway Capital, the latest sign that crypto-focused venture capital investments are picking up amid this year’s rebound in digital-asset prices.  Disney and Dapper Labs are collaborating on a new NFT collectibles platform called Disney Pinnacle. Inspired by Disney's physical pins, the platform will offer digital collectibles based on Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars characters, minted as NFTs on the Flow blockchain. Characters like Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Disney Princesses, and Darth Vader will be featured. While Marvel is not mentioned at launch, Dapper Labs CEO hinted at potential future additions. Disney Pinnacle is designed for mobile use and aims to strike a balance between accessibility for fans and limited or even super limited edition assets for collectors. The platform's waitlist is open, and a gradual onboarding process for beta testing will begin before public launch. Dapper Labs, known for NBA Top Shot's success, introduced Disney to NFTs, and the collaboration signifies the broader application of NFTs beyond sports. Uniswap Labs, the developer of the decentralized exchange Uniswap, has launched its Android app, catering to approximately 430,000 users on the waitlist. This move is part of Uniswap Labs' strategy to expand its user base globally, given Android's 70% market share worldwide. The Android app, following a beta release in October, complements the previously launched iOS app in April. To enhance international reach, Uniswap Labs is adding more languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. A few weeks ago, we talked about Uniswap Labs’ decision to charge a 15 basis point fee on certain tokens, which has generated nearly $1 million in revenue, a strategy that’s been implemented on both the iOS and Android apps too. 

Last week in crypto, we saw Bitcoin rise to $35k, and that trend continued with another year-to-date all-time-high this week, at the time of recording bitcoin is trading at over $36,000, passing the $36k mark. Along with other altcoins, Toncoin saw a price rise as well - to it’s highest point in nearly a year. Right now, Toncoin is trading at $2.63, up over 20% from its price 30 days ago. It’s suggested that this spike can be attributed to Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram who announced last week they would give away 10,000 premium subscriptions for the Telegram App. Durov specified in his announcement that he procured the premium accounts with TON tokens, totalling around $200k. Attendees at ApeFest, a convention based on the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT, returned for the event in Hong Kong this week. However, some attendees reported extreme eye pain after attending, with a small handful hospitalized. Yuga Labs, the digital assets company behind the event, shared a post on X, addressing the concerns and concluding this was likely the result of UVA emitting lights that were used at the event. London’s City Minister, Andrew Griffith, is championing the role of crypto in London’s financial portfolio. In a recent conversation with David Merritt, Griffith shared he perceives London as a potential hub for emerging domains such as cryptocurrency and AI, capitalizing on London’s reputation for quality and trust. Griffith stated: “I think it builds naturally on our strengths in terms of things like tech and payments”.

The demand for “climate risk” insurance is growing at an unprecedented rate, as climate change significantly threatens the stability of our environment and economy. However, in Africa alone, the majority of the 300 million smallholder farmers are not currently financially protected against crippling risks such as floods and drought. Today we’re joined by Roy Confino, Head of Strategy and Operations at Lemonade Foundation,  who turned to the blockchain to tackle this head on in an attempt to close the climate insurance gap.  Sign up for a Wallet ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3dpcCQw⁠⁠ Sign up to the Exchange ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3QzCKGP⁠

Getting to grips with the fundamentals of cryptocurrency can be tricky. To help you on your journey, Blockchain.com Co-Founder Nic Cary and Head of Research Dr. Garrick Hileman answer 10 of the most commonly asked questions about crypto. Whether you’re totally new to crypto or would like to brush up on some basics, this episode covers: What is the history of money? What is Bitcoin and why should I care about it? What gives Bitcoin value in the eyes of its investors? What drives the price of Bitcoin? Why is the price of Bitcoin so volatile? What are some of the common misconceptions around Bitcoin? Is it too late to invest in Bitcoin? How can I buy crypto today? What's the difference between a custodial and non-custodial wallet? Where can I go to learn more? Resources: An Intro to Crypto: https://bit.ly/31ZYxU2 Sign up for a Wallet: https://bit.ly/3k4Fr5B Trade on the Exchange: https://bit.ly/3pODxtg

In this episode, we spoke with Pat Duffy Co-Founder of The Giving Block on the critical role of gifting cryptocurrency. While major charities such as Save the Children accept cryptocurrency donations, Pat discusses industry obstacles, the changing political landscape, and what motivates people to donate in crypto vs fiat currency. If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Start your crypto journey with Blockchain.com today. Sign up for a Wallet: https://bit.ly/3k4Fr5B Trade on the Exchange: https://bit.ly/3pODxtg

Blockchain.com's monthly discussion about the crypto market. During the call we’ll cover asset price movements, potential key drivers, developments in the news, and updates from Blockchain.com.   This month, we were joined by Erik Voorhees, CEO and Founder of ShapeShift to discuss the decentralization of ShapeShift and the future of the organization. Enjoy!

For today's episode, Blockchain.com's Head of Research, Garrick Hileman, reads his article titled "Crypto-Wall Street Convergence". It was first published in July of last year and makes the case that the long heralded arrival to crypto of traditional financial institutions (like banks) was underway. Read the article here: https://medium.com/blockchain/crypto-wall-street-convergence-881a6c3d2dee