Fortune's Crypto Playbook

In this episode, Guy Wuollet, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), joins Jeff John Roberts on Fortune Crypto Playbook to explain why the firm believes we’ve officially entered the crypto finance era. They discuss the intersection of crypto, AI, and robotics, the impact of new stablecoin legislation, and his personal approach to working with industry legends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Editor Jeff John Roberts is joined by Fortune reporter Ben Weiss this week to discuss the latest Polymarket scandal and what to do about prediction market bullies. They also break down Mastercard's BVNK purchase and Ripple’s $750M share buyback. Plus, they discuss Bullish’s questionable volume metrics and the upcoming $TRUMP memecoin gala at Mar-a-Lago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kraken Co-CEO, Arjun Sethi, joins Jeff and Leo to discuss the exchange’s historic win, a Federal Reserve Master Account. Is Kraken still a crypto exchange, or is it becoming the world’s first on-chain central bank? We dive into the upcoming IPO, the launch of Ink L2, and why Sethi believes Wall Street is finally ready to operate 24/7. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Longtime DC vet Kristin Smith joins the show to make the case for why we could see the critical Clarity Act pass as soon as July—and why the industry has an ace up its sleeve. Meanwhile, Jeff and Leo explore Circle's surprise earnings, the price of Bitcoin holding up as bombs fall in Iran, and the controversy over whether crypto markets should pay out on Khamenei's death. The hosts also dive into an unpopular New York Times op-ed, and whether the paper hates crypto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Meta ready to try crypto again? Jeff and Leo unpack Meta’s renewed stablecoin push years after Libra’s collapse, and whether this time regulation, timing, and Wall Street alignment could make the difference.They also break down the lawsuit pulling Jane Street into the TerraUSD fallout, whether Ethereum is at a turning point, and why Sam Bankman-Fried’s pardon bid still isn’t gaining traction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crypto vibes are “sad,” according to Wintermute founder and CEO Evgeny Gaevoy. In this episode, Leo talks with Gaevoy a.k.a. the “wishful_cynic” about whether crypto is still cypherpunk and why he is still “generally optimistic” moving ahead. Also, Jeff and Leo discuss Sam Bankman-Fried's appeals for a pardon, Leo's exclusive with Dragonfly Capital and another new DC DeFi policy shop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did crypto just crash again? In this episode, Jeff and Leo discuss the recent market volatility, as well as BlackRock’s decentralized finance (DeFi) moves and Vancouver-based LayerZero’s recently released “Zero” blockchain. Also, Jeff speaks with BitGo CEO Mike Belshe about the state of the crypto industry and the company’s recent IPO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Fortune’s Crypto Playbook, Jeff and Leo discuss revelations about the “spy sheikh” and Trump’s World Liberty Financial, Tether’s Swiss bunker of gold, and whether Trump’s involvement in crypto is helping or hurting the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Fortune’s Crypto Playbook, Jeff and Leo look at Tether’s entry into the U.S., the death of the Read Write Own era of crypto, and the snowstorm delaying the CLARITY Act. Jeff talks with author and Columbia Business School Professor Omid Malekan to explore the feasibility — and Malekan’s skepticism — of the NYSE’s potential transition to tokenization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode Fortune’s Crypto Playbook, Jeff and Leo discuss the shifting strategy of digital asset treasury companies, Mr. Beast’s foray into crypto, and the Senate’s consequential crypto market structure bill known as the Clarity Act. Leo speaks with Ron Hammond, the head of policy and advocacy at Wintermute, about the progress of the bill and what it may mean for the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jeff and Leo discuss ex-NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ foray in the crypto space, possible insider trading on Polymarket, and the case for concern when it comes to World Liberty Financial’s banking charter application. Leo also talks with Lighter CEO Vlad Novakovski about decentralized exchanges and the bull case for crypto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025 was a busy year for Crypto. Between landmark shifts in political regulation, the growth stablecoins and prediction markets, and the rise and fall of Bitcoin, there is a lot to watch out for in 2026. In this episode of Fortune’s Crypto Playbook, Jeff and Leo discuss who, where, and what they are watching in the coming year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's no secret that President Trump and his family are cashing in on crypto. But how exactly does his crypto empire operate? Fortune journalist Ben Weiss has reported extensively on the Trump crypto businesses, and met the key players, including the President's sons. On this special episode, Weiss takes us inside and explains the business structure of Trump Crypto Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digital asset treasuries have become the latest buzzword in crypto. Pioneered by Michael Saylor's Microstrategy, publicly listed companies pop up to horde piles of crypto, from Solana to Dogecoin. But is this just another blockchain bubble? Tom Lee, the chair of one of the largest DATs, helps break down the asset class, arguing that only a few companies offer a real path forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While crypto started as a renegade reaction to the financial crisis of 2008, the industry has become increasingly intertwined with Wall Street. That trend accelerated this year with the rise of stablecoins and Trump administration's embrace of the technology, as traditional financial institutions became more comfortable with the world of blockchain. Citi's managing director of digital assets Artem Korenyuk explains what Wall Street sees in crypto—and why the relationship is likely to last this time around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Company-backed blockchains have a checkered history but are suddenly hot again. In this episode, guest Jesse Pollak, the influential creator of Coinbase’s Base chain makes the case why this time is different. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid legislation in D.C., billion dollar acquisitions, and interest from Silicon Valley and Wall Street, stablecoins have become the buzziest technology in crypto. But how do they actually work, and will they break into the mainstream? In this episode, former Paxos executive and business school professor Austin Campbell helps explain the appeal—and what might come next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tokenization is all the rage right now as firms rush to put real world assets on the blockchain. But why? The idea attracted hype in previous crypto cycles but never caught on. This time is different, says Kraken CEO Arjun Sethi, whose firm is putting hundreds of stocks on chain. Sethi explains why the time is right and how this will benefit companies and consumers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After starting as a renegade industry, crypto companies spent years—and tens of millions of dollars—fighting for legitimacy in D.C. This year, the effort paid off, with Congress passing a bill to create guardrails around stablecoins. Longtime D.C. veteran Kristin Smith of the Solana Policy Institute breaks down the history of the industry's political efforts and what comes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since he quit his lumberjack job to become Coinbase’s first employee way back in 2013, Olaf Carlson-Wee has been on the cutting edge of crypto. Now the founder of one of the industry’s first and most influential venture capital firms, Carlson-Wee shares his insights on where crypto is going next—making a compelling case for the role of AI agents, next-gen wallets and even memecoins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've probably heard of someone who got rich off Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. And it's just as likely you've heard of someone who put their hard-earned money into crypto only to get fleeced by a scammer. On the latest episode of Crypto Playbook, Jeff and Leo take a clear-eyed look at the investment case for crypto, and speak with a longtime venture capitalist who bets on crypto for a living. If you're tempted to take a flyer on the fast-growing digital asset industry, tune in to learn of potential bets—and how to avoid getting burned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Bitcoin launched in 2009, it rapidly found favor with libertarians and privacy advocates. They weren’t the only fans. Criminals came to love it too as a global, pseudonymous way to transact in everything from fraud to drugs to hit men. On the third episode of the Crypto Playbook, Jeff and Leo examine the more notorious features of the crypto landscape with the help of Chainalysis CEO Jonathan Levin, a pioneer in teaching law enforcement agencies to track crypto crime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Litecoin. Dogecoin. Fartcoin. What the heck are all these “alt-coins” and how did so many of them come to achieve multi-billion dollar market caps? The second episode of Crypto Playbook explores the flurry of cryptocurrencies that came after Bitcoin, and takes a hard look at whether they offer real value as a technology or an investment. With insight from special guest Dan Morehead, founder of Pantera Capital and an OG in crypto venture capital. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bitcoin is the cornerstone of the crypto industry thanks to its impeccable pedigree and bulletproof security. That’s been true ever since the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto published his vision for Bitcoin in 2008, but its role has changed over time. On the inaugural episode of Crypto Playbook, Jack Mallers, the renowned “Bitcoin maxi” helps break down its journey from an outlaw currency to $2 trillion Wall Street behemoth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crypto Playbook is a six-part series unpacking the biggest forces shaping crypto today. Hosted by Fortune’s crypto editor/reporter duo Jeff John Roberts and Leo Schwartz, the show delves into everything from Bitcoin’s mysterious origins to the scandals, regulations, and cultural flash points defining crypto’s future. Each episode, you’ll hear from experts across the crypto spectrum—so, whether you're deep in the weeds or just trying to keep up, Crypto Playbook gives you the intel you need to understand the next era of money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices