Stablecoins, Regulation, Mining And 2026 Outlook

Since inception, ARK has researched and published thoughts on the cryptocurrency ecosystem within Big Ideas and through articles, whitepapers, monthly Bitcoin reports and podcasts. Now, in coordination with Bitcoin Park, ARK is pleased to introduce a monthly conversation with leaders in the Bitcoin space, to discuss everything happening in the rapidly-changing and still nascent Bitcoin ecosystem. Published through the For Your innovation podcast channels, this monthly series aims to be informative and enlightening, including experts with diverse viewpoints. Guests on this month’s Bitcoin Brainstorm include: Lorenzo Valente: Director of Digital Assets at ARK InvestFrank Corva: Former Bitcoin White House Correspondent and Contributor to Forbes CryptoJeff Booth: General Partner of Ego Death Capital and Board Member of Core Scientific Rory Murray: VP Digital Assets Management at CleanSparkCathie Wood: Founder, CEO and CIO at ARK InvestRod Roudi: Co-Founder, Bitcoin Park  Key Points From This Episode:0:00 — Welcome + 2025 → 2026 setup0:52 — 2025 price action: $120k, 10/10 flash crash, four-year cycle & volatility5:06 — Why 2025 was a “before/after” year: Genius Act, Clarity Act, institutional rails10:13 — Stablecoins vs Bitcoin: “usurping a role” + medium-of-exchange reality check12:38 — Circular economies on the ground: Kibera (Afribit) + real-world usage20:32 — US adoption push: Square/Block terminals + merchant acceptance22:26 — The “de minimis” tax exemption: why it matters + political momentum28:04 — Privacy + developer protections: Clarity Act language, Samourai/Tornado Cash concerns32:01 — Bitcoin as pristine collateral: miners, credit markets, yield/treasury management48:29 — Mining & energy convergence: AI/High Performance Computing (HPC) shift, hashrate decentralization, supply chain/ASICs56:14 — Bold predictions for 2026: normalization + “de-taboo-ization” of Bitcoin Learn more about Bitcoin Park: bitcoinpark.comEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)