Spot Bitcoin ETF Options Are Here. Why You ‘Can’t Overstate’ Their Importance

On Tuesday, options on BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF, IBIT, launched, seeing $1.9 billion worth of those options changing hands on the first day. The launch of these options could mark a turning point for crypto markets, with implications for liquidity, volatility, and institutional adoption. Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, explains why these options are so significant, who they’re designed for, and how they could impact the broader ecosystem. Plus, he offers some cautionary advice to bitcoiners, gives insight into whether spot ether etf options are on their way, and discusses the odds of SOL ETFs launching.

BASE Creator Jesse Pollak: Why Most Crypto Traders Lose (And What to Do Instead) | E93

Jesse Pollak is the creator of Base, Coinbase's ethereum layer 2 network offering a secure, low-cost way for anyone to build decentralized apps onchain. He is also the Lead at Coinbase Wallet and a member of the Coinbase Exec Team. In this conversation, Jesse shares his deeply personal journey of building Base, from the intense pressure of early ideation to the physical and emotional toll of its launch. He opens up about almost quitting, losing 20 pounds from stress, and how his wife's intervention helped him through the darkest moments. Beyond the struggles, Jesse discusses his ambitious vision for an onchain future, predicting that "everything will be onchain in 5 years." From his unique background in Quaker schools to his unconventional problem-solving methods, Jesse offers rare insights into what it takes to build a platform that could transform how billions of people interact with the digital world. In this episode, we explore: Jesse’s mind and struggles What gave him a big chip on the shoulder How hard the beginning of Base was on a personal level Why the most successful products in crypto DO NOT have a token The Coinbase’s centralization Paradox How Jesse built the leading Ethereum Layer 2 in the crypto space. Why Jesse owns a Cryptopunk What it takes to be a successful founder in crypto Why Jesse cuts his hair earlier this year How Jesse finds solutions to the most complex problems! And much more!

Creating Onchain Media with Pods — Lucas

Lucas is the Founder of Pods. A new way to publish, discover, and own your favourite podcasts. The place for bringing your podcast onchain. He's also a Co-Founder of Fire Eyes DAO, a collective of crypto-natives who designed token economic and governance systems for projects including Optimism, ENS and Gitcoin. And was also an early employee at Bankless. We talk about what we've learned from a few years experimenting with onchain media. How minting works like a broadcast signal. And creators using platforms like Layer3 and Boost to amplify distribution by offering token incentives and rewards for people to collect their content. ___ UFO Sponsor Resources Towns — https://www.towns.com/ ↑ Higher — https://www.aimhigher.net/ 🌐 International Meme Fund — https://imf.bz/ --- @0xl @ufoclub.eth @hollins For more episodes, go to ufo.fm

Co-host Origin Stories | Natalie Mullins

In this special episode Ben interviews Liquid Culture co-host Natalie Mullins. We dive into Nat’s crypto origin story, her musical heritage & creative process, how she thinks about onchain media and minting, breaking into venture investing, and more.