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Zeke Faux's Crypto Adventures and His Relationship With Former FTX CEO SBF

Should Sam Bankman Fried have just performed a rug pull? Why is it so hard to get details into USDT issuer Tether?
CoinDesk Podcast Network
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Zeke Faux, author of 'Number Go Up,' shares his findings after making a deep dive into the world of crypto. From skepticism to a full-blown investigation, Faux recounts his journey that led him to the heart of crypto, meeting some of the most eccentric characters in the industry. As a Bloomberg investigative reporter, Faux brings a critical eye to the crypto sphere, unearthing the bizarre, the risky, and the downright astonishing facets of what the crypto community calls a financial revolution.

Show highlights |

  • What the book 'Number Go Up' is about?
  • Zeke's background as an investigative reporter for Bloomberg.
  • Whether Zeke is skeptical about crypto.
  • Why Zeke thought it was a big deal to investigate Tether, the issuer of USDT.
  • Whether he had a conclusion on the fact that he couldn't find anything big about Tether.
  • Why Zeke says that Sam Bankman-Fried had a sloppy approach to risk management
  • Why does Zeke believe that SBF did not give so much money to charity even though he's an effective altruist?
  • Wow projects like STEPN and Axie Infinity are 'clearly not the future of finance,' according to Zeke
  • How SBF had such an open relationship with the media that helped him when the FTX collapse happened
  • What Zeke found out investigating pig butchering scams in Cambodia
  • How Zeke’s attempt to buy a Mutant Ape to get into an Ape Fest in New York City taught him about crypto’s bad user experience

Thank you to our sponsors!

Crypto.com | Arbitrum Foundation | Toku | LayerZero

Guest |

Zeke Faux, author of ‘Number Go Up

Bloomberg: 11 Hours With Sam Bankman-Fried: Inside the Bahamian Penthouse After FTX’s Fall

Links |

Tether - Unchained:

Is Tether a Fraud? Its Bank Says It's Not

Tether, the Multibillion-Dollar Stablecoin at the Heart of the Crypto Ecosystem

Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX - Unchained:

Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC

SBF Behind Bars: Why Revoked Bail Is a Big Deal for Crypto’s Biggest Trial

Pig butchering scams - Unchained:

How This Prosecutor Is Spearheading the Fight Against Crypto ‘Pig Butchering’ Scams

Crypto in developing countries

Bitcoin in El Salvador: Why Would Cypherpunks Support Government-Mandated Bitcoin Adoption?

Anita Posch on Why ‘Bitcoin Is a Tool for Freedom’ – Especially in Africa


Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC. Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz.