The Evolution of Bitcoin, DeFi & Prediction Markets #116

In this week’s Crypto Options Unplugged, Imran Lakha and David Brickell sit down with Andrew Melville, Head of Research at Block Scholes, to explore one of the most important shifts happening in crypto today: the acceleration of institutional adoption and the emergence of prediction markets as a new financial primitive.Andrew shares how Block Scholes has become a leading provider of crypto derivatives and volatility data, supplying institutions, hedge funds, exchanges, and even Bloomberg. The discussion examines why institutional interest is no longer a future narrative but a present reality, with banks, structured product desks, and traditional financial firms increasingly building crypto capabilities despite challenging market conditions.The conversation then turns to market structure, Bitcoin’s resilience amid macro uncertainty, ETF flows, volatility dynamics, and the growing influence of AI-driven capital allocation. The trio debate why crypto volatility remains subdued despite large price swings, and how institutional capital may reshape the industry over the coming years.Finally, Andrew provides his perspective on prediction markets, the evolution of decentralized finance, and why the next wave of growth may come not from speculation alone, but from real-world applications and infrastructure being built today.#crypto #trading #cryptocurrencynews #podcast