ROLLUP: Trump's Massive Memecoin | Ethereum Ecosystem Drama | Ross Ulbricht Freed | Phantom Wallet Worth $3B?
In this week’s Bankless Weekly Rollup, David is joined by Eric Conner to unpack a whirlwind week in crypto. Highlights include Trump’s explosive entry back into the Oval Office, launching a $50B memecoin on Solana, a full pardon for Ross Ulbricht, and pro-crypto cabinet appointments. Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation faces internal drama as Vitalik declares “wartime mode” amidst leadership restructuring. We also dive into Solana’s soaring ecosystem, BlackRock’s massive Bitcoin buys, and the SEC’s shakeup with new pro-crypto initiatives. It’s a week of big moves, bigger drama, and major market shifts! ------ 📣 0x | Start building with 0x v2 https://bankless.cc/0x ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM https://bankless.cc/Uniswap-Bug-Bounty ⚖️ARBITRUM | SCALING ETHEREUM https://bankless.cc/Arbitrum 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🎮RONIN | THE FUTURE OF WEB3 GAMING https://bankless.cc/Ronin ----- ✨ Mint the episode on Zora ✨ https://zora.co/collect/base:0x4be6cd4d402fed49eb2de95fbc8e737e8ffd3e7f/21?referrer=0x077Fe9e96Aa9b20Bd36F1C6290f54F8717C5674E ------ TIMESTAMPS & RESOURCES 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:30 Markets https://farside.co.uk/?p=1518 https://blog.coinshares.com/volume-217-digital-asset-fund-flows-weekly-report-02c0bf3c093d https://youtu.be/nWPRFNVs6XY?si=YEOfBSUlqGmNJD7B 00:06:08 ETF Flows https://farside.co.uk/?p=1518 https://blog.coinshares.com/volume-217-digital-asset-fund-flows-weekly-report-02c0bf3c093d 00:11:19 Trump Memecoin https://x.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1880446012168249386 00:14:10 Melania Token https://x.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1881087523847593995 00:20:53 World Liberty Financial Bids https://x.com/worldlibertyfi/status/1881457386671464804 00:26:06 Ross Ulbricht Freed https://x.com/WatcherGuru/status/1881932492170760674 00:31:08 Politics and Agencies https://x.com/DegenerateNews/status/1881760858508062898 https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/departure-gensler-012025 00:35:53 Brian Armstrong Expectations https://x.com/AltcoinDailyio/status/1880348843772113061 00:40:15 Trump Effect Kicking In https://x.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/1880299698038493400 https://x.com/Cointelegraph/status/1881688751602286740 00:47:35 What’s Going On In The EF? https://x.com/vitalikbuterin/status/1880635379771904423 https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/1880723497393201460 00:56:19 EF Leadership Drama https://x.com/dannyryan/status/1879705279761178690 https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/1881680518934384676 01:06:37 SEC Charges Digital Currency Group https://x.com/tier10k/status/1880299710495486365 01:07:25 Circle Introduces USDC Paymaster https://x.com/circle/status/1882428077537386502 01:07:41 Phantom Raised $150M Series C https://x.com/phantom/status/1880018917068009527 ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures
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1:10:45
AI ROLLUP #8: $500B AI Boost | Trump’s $70B Memecoin Frenzy | 400K Onboarded | Agent Framework Wars
Ejaaz is back with David to unpack the whirlwind effects of President Trump’s $70B memecoin launch, which slammed 400K fresh users onto Solana and shattered revenue records in under 30 hours. Meanwhile, a $500B federal boost to AI—backed by OpenAI and SoftBank—has everyone on edge about how crypto’s AI agent economy might ride this newfound momentum. On the protocol front, Arc’s Rake framework and AI16z’s curated Eliza ecosystem are both stepping up, incubating projects like SoulGraph and Listen that promise a more user-friendly DeFAI future. Virtuals keeps shipping at breakneck speed too, testing new multi-chain waters, instituting a bold buyback, and hinting at metaverse collabs that could reshape gaming for good. From automated DeFi positions and trading dashboards to fully autonomous NPCs that commentate (and maybe soon play) your favorite games, the lines between AI and crypto are getting blurrier—and more exciting—by the day. Buckle up as the AI agent revolution continues to redefine what “on-chain” can really mean. Ready for the ride? ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM https://bankless.cc/Uniswap-Bug-Bounty ⚖️ARBITRUM | SCALING ETHEREUM https://bankless.cc/Arbitrum 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🎮RONIN | THE FUTURE OF WEB3 GAMING https://bankless.cc/Ronin ----- ✨ Mint the episode on Zora ✨ https://zora.co/collect/base:0x4be6cd4d402fed49eb2de95fbc8e737e8ffd3e7f/20 ----- TIMESTAMPS & RESOURCES 0:00 Intro 0:50 Trump’s Memecoin & $MELANIA https://x.com/cryptopunk7213/status/1880974772990832780 https://x.com/DiamondHandsDig/status/1880979832445780107 13:52 The Stargate Project…$500B AI U.S. Investment & OpenAI Agents https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1881830103858172059 https://www.axios.com/2025/01/21/openai-davos-kevin-weil-ai-agents 23:09 Virtuals goes multi-framework https://x.com/virtuals_io/status/1881340149503857151 https://x.com/NickDGarcia/status/1880275667809374597 30:54 Indie.fun https://x.com/indiedotfun/status/1879518209293918434 36:16 First AI Agent DOTA2 Stream https://x.com/ethermage/status/1879900384019517522 38:39 Agent tank demo of agent performing TA on a chart https://x.com/AgentTankLive/status/1881786054593925159 42:22 Ai16z demo day https://x.com/0xwitchy/status/1880244340561441238 46:44 ARC announces initial agent projects launching on its framework RIG, soulgraph https://x.com/LiquidLizard_/status/1880068692261675228 1:00:20 AI Agent Playground Grows https://x.com/nifty_island/status/1880258049149128749 1:03:19 Closing & Disclaimers ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures
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1:04:50
LIVE: Trump Pardons Ross Ulbrict, TRUMP Offical Memecoin, SEC's Pro-Crypto Pivot | Alex Thorn
Alex Thorn, Head of Research at Galaxy Digital, joins us to unpack all the craziness that's gone down this week around the inauguration. Alex had the opportunity to attend the Crypto Ball and spend the weekend in DC so he gives us the inside scoop among all the other exciting developments. Alex on X - https://x.com/intangiblecoins ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙 FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM https://bankless.cc/Uniswap-Bug-Bounty ⚖️ ARBITRUM | SCALING ETHEREUM https://bankless.cc/Arbitrum 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐 CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🎮RONIN | THE FUTURE OF WEB3 GAMING https://bankless.cc/Ronin ----- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Inaugration Recap 04:23 Ross Ulbricht Is Free 20:42 TRUMP Token Launch 37:27 The Crypto Ball 44:00 Pro Crypto SEC 50:05 Tornado Cash Updates ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures
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1:09:51
BlackRock's Crypto Plans for 2025 | CIO Samara Cohen
In this episode of Bankless, Samara Cohen, BlackRock's Chief Investment Officer of ETFs and Index Investments, discusses how ETFs and blockchain are revolutionizing finance. We explore Bitcoin and Ether ETFs as bridges between crypto and TradFi, blockchain's role in market modernization, and how ETFs enhance transparency and diversification. Cohen also shares insights on upcoming regulations and the importance of education in driving crypto adoption. ------ 📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24 https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙 FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM https://bankless.cc/Uniswap-Bug-Bounty ⚖️ ARBITRUM | SCALING ETHEREUM https://bankless.cc/Arbitrum 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐 CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🎮RONIN | THE FUTURE OF WEB3 GAMING https://bankless.cc/Ronin ------ ✨ Mint the episode on Zora ✨ https://zora.co/collect/base:0x4be6cd4d402fed49eb2de95fbc8e737e8ffd3e7f/18?referrer=0x077Fe9e96Aa9b20Bd36F1C6290f54F8717C5674E ------ TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Intro 00:06:59 Role of Market Modernizer 00:09:12 Blockchains and ETFs Future 00:12:54 "Blackrock" Blockchain? 00:16:09 ETF Progress Check 00:19:22 Bitcoin & Ether ETFs Updates 00:24:08 Blackrock on Cryptos/ETPs 00:27:47 Blackrock's Research Audience 00:29:26 2025 ETF Predictions 00:33:21 Blackrock's Effect on Options 00:36:06 Options Unlock Opportunities 00:40:28 "Price is Best Marketing" 00:42:42 Upgrading ETF Protocols 00:44:49 Blackrock’s Other ETFs Plan 00:54:11 New Administration Impact 00:58:11 Blackrock's 2025 Outlook 01:00:30 Digital Assets & ETF Teams 01:03:33 Samara's Next Guest 01:05:55 Samara on 2025 Excitement 01:09:02 Closing & Disclaimers ------ RESOURCES Samara Cohen https://www.linkedin.com/in/samara-epstein-cohen-9a661b76/ Black Rock Research Paper https://www.blackrock.com/institutions/en-us/strategies/diversified-strategies ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures
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1:04:09
ROLLUP: 2025 Market Outlook | Inauguration Impact | Gary Gensler's Parting Gift | Sony Censors Ethereum?
This week’s episode dives into the evolving landscape of crypto as we approach a new administration. We discuss Donald Trump’s upcoming presidency and what it could mean for markets, analyze the recent market turmoil despite positive economic indicators, and break down the SEC’s case against Elon Musk. We also explore Sony’s controversial L2 launch and Tether’s move to El Salvador. Finally, some an exciting new privacy tool teams up with Coinbase. ------ 📣 0x | Start building with 0x v2 https://bankless.cc/0x ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS: 🪙FRAX | SELF SUFFICIENT DeFi https://bankless.cc/Frax 🦄UNISWAP | BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM https://bankless.cc/Uniswap-Bug-Bounty ⚖️ARBITRUM | SCALING ETHEREUM https://bankless.cc/Arbitrum 🛞MANTLE | MODULAR LAYER 2 NETWORK https://bankless.cc/Mantle 🌐CELO | BUILD TOGETHER AND PROSPER https://bankless.cc/Celo 🎮RONIN | THE FUTURE OF WEB3 GAMING https://bankless.cc/Ronin ----- ✨ Mint the episode on Zora ✨ https://zora.co/collect/base:0x4be6cd4d402fed49eb2de95fbc8e737e8ffd3e7f/17?referrer=0x077Fe9e96Aa9b20Bd36F1C6290f54F8717C5674E ------ TIMESTAMPS & RESOURCES 00:00:00 Start 00:02:34 Markets https://macromostly.substack.com/p/bls-jobs-report-recap-december-95c https://business.bofa.com/en-us/content/market-strategies-insights/weekly-market-recap-report.html https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/15/cpi-inflation-december-2024-.html 00:11:45 Strong Jobs Report https://imgur.com/MxHgOOe 00:18:28 SEC Sues Elon Musk https://x.com/WatcherGuru/status/1879305674594865284 https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1879322286291054653 https://x.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1879319142303498579 https://decrypt.co/301226/sec-appeals-ripple-ruling-seeks-reversal-on-xrp-classification 00:29:26 3 Days Until Trump Takes Office https://x.com/Polymarket/status/1879957585748734158 https://blockworks.co/news/trump-assembles-2025-cabinet https://x.com/QuintenFrancois/status/1879093846493012042 00:36:24 What If Kamala Won? https://x.com/BillHughesDC/status/1877740571831193697 https://x.com/katiebiber/status/1877783826442723365 00:41:59 Sony Launches ETH L2 https://soneium.org/en/blog/soneium-mainnet-is-live https://x.com/a1lon9/status/1879038646231429332 https://x.com/0xKawz/status/1879032105767928026 https://x.com/donnoh_eth/status/1879210463952818472? t=jlmQ8W1KoPgZSEzfP9oq4g&s=19 https://x.com/0xbreadguy/status/1879176334372401191?s=43&t=2ZINVXJQKx6xO_6Wiiu_2g https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/1879560670150017068 00:51:30 Coinbase uses Morpho for Bitcoin Loans https://x.com/coinbase/status/1879902780564951530 https://www.coinbase.com/blog/now-get-a-USDC-loan-without-selling-your-bitcoin 00:53:58 Aevo Moves To EigenDA https://x.com/aevoxyz/status/1879728286093479947 00:56:22 Veil.Cash Uses Coinbase https://x.com/Veildotcash/status/1877827571926053220 01:03:05 An Update From RSA https://blockworks.co/news/berachain-pre-launch-liquidity https://tether.io/news/tether-licensed-in-el-salvador-strengthening-focus-on-emerging-markets-and-innovation/ ------ Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures