Zack Seward

“The Hash” team discuss today’s hot topics: Facebook lost about $65 million during an hours-long outage Monday, according to a Forbes report, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has subpoenaed USDC stablecoin backer Circle, and Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee, has proposed the “Clarity for Digital Tokens Act of 2021″ which would carve out space for crypto projects to launch tokens without irking securities regulators. Plus, Robinhood becomes the first platform to offer 24/7 crypto phone support.

Oct 5, 2021

“The Hash” team discuss today’s hot topics: The wealth-management industry is starting to make the case that cryptocurrencies have a place alongside stocks and bonds in investment portfolios, even retirement accounts, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has delayed ETF application decisions submitted by Global X, Wisdomtree, Kryptoin and Valkyrie by 45 to 60 days, and Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX, sold a doodle of an elephant at Christie’s Monday for $412,500, which outsold works by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Alice Neel, Wayne Thiebaud, George Condo and more. Plus, NBA champion and entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal is about to release his NFT collection.

Oct 4, 2021

“The Hash” hosts discuss today’s top stories: One of France’s major banks, Société Générale, is applying for a $20 million MakerDAO loan using bond token collateral, marking a historic step toward DeFi institutional adoption. Compound founder Robert Leshner pleads to users to return $90 million in funds mistakenly given away. El Salvador just mined its first bitcoin with volcanic energy. Plus, TikTok debuting its first NFT collection “TikTok Top Moment” featuring artists Lil Nas X and Grimes.

Oct 1, 2021

“The Hash” hosts discuss today’s hot topics: Visa is working on an interoperability platform for stablecoins and CBDCs, China’s manufacturing capacity is in shock slowdown as the country experiencing energy shortage, and DeFi money market Compound has overpaid millions in COMP rewards in possible exploit and about $80 million are at risk, according to the founder. Plus, crypto job listings are exploding, with one popular board seeing 1,500% growth in paid postings in a year.

Sep 30, 2021

“The Hash” hosts dig into today’s top stories surrounding crypto and the blockchain space: The bitcoin market is facing increasing uncertainty from a potential default risk of the $28 trillion in U.S. government debt, and China’s crypto crackdown could be an opportunity for DeFi tokens, but it may be short lived. Cross-chain wallet XDEFI raises $6 million to take on Metamask and Phantom. Plus, startup NFTfi is allowing users to borrow against their non-fungible tokens.

Sep 29, 2021

“The Hash” hosts discuss today’s hot topics: Coinbase is going to allow its users to deposit paychecks in crypto directly, U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) have proposed new legislation that would require the Treasury Department and other agencies to track crypto mining and use cases worldwide, Chinese Ethereum mining pool BeePool to shut down following the crypto ban, and Revolut, a fintech company with a $33 billion valuation reportedly is looking to launch its own cryptographic token.

Sep 28, 2021

“The Hash” hosts discuss today’s hot topics: The world’s second-largest Ethereum mining pool, the Chinese SparkPool, is halting all services due to the latest crypto crackdown from the Chinese central bank. SparkPool initially had stopped providing services to new Chinese users, but it has now expanded its suspension to all users. Prominent Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith pleads guilty to a conspiracy charge in Monday’s North Korea sanctions case in New York. According to President Nayib Bukele, almost a third of Salvadorans are using the bitcoin wallet Chivo. Plus, the Ethereum scaling product, the Immutable X, has raised over $12.5 million via token sales in under an hour.

Sep 27, 2021

“The Hash” hosts debate and discuss today’s top stories: China’s central bank declaring all cryptocurrency transactions illegal, jolting crypto markets, Twitter is adding a bitcoin tipping feature and pushing further into the NFT world, and Time Magazine is launching a new collection of NFTs, offering “unlimited access” to its website through 2023. Plus, a new challenger to OpenSea NFT marketplace, “Artion,” has been launched, and it might be a game-changer.

Sep 24, 2021

“The Hash” hosts discuss today’s hot topics: The Bank of England has called on ministers to decide whether a central bank digital currency should be “programmable,” ultimately giving the issuer control over how the recipient spends it, an apparent giveaway scam paralyzed the Bitcoin.org website, and the Grape Network, the startup that broke Solana, just raised $1.8 million. Plus, Hong Kong-based crypto unicorn Amber Group is reportedly eyeing a U.S. listing, but regulatory uncertainty remains.

Sep 23, 2021

“The Hash” hosts unpack what SEC Chair Gary Gensler said about stablecoins in an interview with the Washington Post, saying they’re “almost like poker chips” at the Wild West casino. Dapper Labs has reached a $7.6 billion valuation in the latest $250 million funding round. Meanwhile, Coinbase is reportedly preparing to pitch a proposed regulatory framework to federal officials. Plus, leaked slides show how Chainalysis flags crypto suspects for police.

Sep 22, 2021