Emily Spaven

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly says cryptocurrency “has the right to exist and can be used as a means of payment.” The hosts of “First Mover” review Russia’s stance toward crypto with global regulatory expert Mary Beth Buchanan of Merkle Science. Also, Urs Bernegger of SEBA Bank discusses markets and the Swiss bank’s new program for earning yield with crypto.

14 oct. 2021

“First Mover” hosts discuss bitcoin’s price movements as it retreats from the $57K level. B2C2 Co-CEO Rob Catalanello shares his insights as trading data from his firm suggests retail traders are not driving bitcoin’s latest bullish surge. Fred Schebesta, CEO and co-founder of Finder, explains the newly released survey and key findings on crypto adoption worldwide. Plus, Strips Finance is raising $8.5 million to launch a new derivatives platform in November. CEO Ming Wu explains the details behind the new venture.

13 oct. 2021

“First Mover” team digs into the top stories impacting the crypto markets today: China’s real estate crisis ensnaring yet another developer, Modern Land is struggling to pay its debt–could this cause a domino effect in global financial system? A couple received $100,000 in privacy coin monero before they were arrested by the FBI and NCIS, according to a criminal complaint. Justin Ehrenhofer, a monero community member, shares his take on the arrest. Mannik Dhillon, president of VictoryShares and Solutions for Victory Capital, provides his analysis on bitcoin’s bull run. Plus, Elliptic CEO Simone Maini shares plans for R&D and expansion after raising $60M.

12 oct. 2021

“First Mover” team digs into the news that SEC has just approved Volt Equity’s crypto stock ETF which will be listed on New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BTCR; Volt Equity CEO Tad Park shares the details of this launch. Bitcoin charging ahead, passing $56K as the bull run continues; CrossTower Co-Founder and CEO Kapil Rathi provides his analysis on the price movements, plus, Blockstream CIO Samson Mow shares his insights on stablecoins and tether as they come under scrutiny.

11 oct. 2021

“First Mover” is joined by Fmr CFTC Chairman Timotthy Massad as stablecoin regulation comes into focus. Bitcoin briefly breaks $56K Friday, COSIMO Ventures’ Co-founder and Managing Partner Rob Frasca provides his take on Bitcoin’s most recent bull run. Plus, CoinDesk Managing Editor for Global Policy & Regulation Nikhilesh De shares the latest news on stablecoin regulations.

8 oct. 2021

“First Mover” hosts dig into the latest crypto and traditional finance partnership as MoneyGram announces it’s teaming up with Stellar and Circle’s USDC stablecoin for blockchain-based payments. MoneyGram CEO Alex Holmes and Stellar Development Foundation CEO and Executive Director Denelle Dixon share insights into the announcement. Small Exchange CEO Donald Roberts provides his take on the bitcoin rally as it holds above the $52K support level. Plus, a Bloomberg Businessweek report reveals Tether Holdings’ reserves include billions of dollars of short-term loans to large Chinese companies. CoinDesk Managing Editor for Global Policy & Regulation Nikhilesh De provides his take on the story.

7 oct. 2021

“First Mover” hosts dig into today’s top stories: Bitcoin surging near $52K as SEC Chair Gary Gensler reiterates his agency has no plans to ban crypto, CoinDesk kicks off 2021 Bitcoin for Advisors Conference, and Origin Wealth Advisors Financial Planner Morgen Rochard gives her insights into the event and why financial advisors are advising clients to add crypto to their portfolios. Plus, Impact Theory Co-founder & CEO Tom Bilyeu explains the company’s latest NFT collection as NFT becomes a mainstream gateway to crypto.

6 oct. 2021

“First Mover” hosts dig into the driver behind bitcoin’s surge as it challenges the $50K level. Grant Whitlock, GlobalBlock Head of Trading, provides his analysis on the markets. CoinDesk unveils the third-quarter research report, and George Kaloudis, CoinDesk Research Associate, shares the highlights from the report. UC Berkeley ranks third in CoinDesk’s Top Universities for Blockchain. One of the professors teaching the blockchain courses and Oasis Labs CEO, Dawn Song, shares her insights. Plus, the Deso Foundation announces a $50 million fund, “Octane,” to fuel the decentralized social ecosystem. BitClout Founder Nader Al-Naji explains.

5 oct. 2021

“First Mover” hosts dig into today’s major stories impacting the markets: Biden’s administration wants to regulate stablecoin issuers as banks to address concerns the digital currency could fuel financial panics, CoinDesk releases its latest list of top universities for blockchain, and Reuben Youngblom, Managing Editor of Cryptoeconomic Systems (MIT DCI), shares highlights of the report. Stephen Ehrlich, CEO and Founder of Voyager, provides analysis into the latest market movements. Plus, the state of crypto in Puerto Rico with updates from the Puerto Rico Blockchain Trade Association.

4 oct. 2021

“First Mover” hosts dig into today’s market actions: bitcoin is up more than 10% after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the U.S. has no intention to ban cryptocurrencies. Ben Cruikshank, Head of Flourish, provides his analysis. The U.S. bipartisan infrastructure bill is delayed in the House of Representatives, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promises a vote today. House Financial Services Committee member Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) joins our discussion. Plus, Zero Hash is eyeing expansion into DeFi and NFTs after raising $35 million. Co-founder Edward Woodford provides more details.

1 oct. 2021