Unchained
Hosted by Ben Francis, Haseeb K. Qureshi, Laura Shin, Robert Leshner, Tarun Chitra & Tom Schmidt · 34 decoded episodes · newest Oct 15, 2026
Crypto assets and blockchain technology are about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity to the Internet of Things. In this podcast, host Laura Shin, an independent journalist covering all things crypto, talks with industry pioneers about how crypto assets and blockchains will change the way we earn, spend and invest our money. Tune in to find out how Web 3.0, the decentralized web, will revolutionize our world.
Episodes 34
- Sep 9, 2026 · 19 minRobinhood’s stock tokens test crypto’s promiseThe debate turns on whether tokenized equities expand access and create capital or merely repackage synthetic exposure without shareholder rights.
- Sep 7, 2026 · 1h 1mGenLayer bets AI agents need their own dispute courtsAs autonomous agents begin transacting, low-value disagreements could overwhelm conventional legal systems unless software can resolve them cheaply and enforceably.
- Sep 4, 2026 · 32 minCrypto perpetuals expose gaps in legacy derivatives rulesThe classification of perpetual contracts could determine where they trade, which regulators oversee them, and whether U.S. retail users can access them.
- Sep 3, 2026 · 1h 3mRobinhood Chain Turns Tokenized Stocks Into Meme-Coin SpeculationThe episode tests whether Robinhood Chain’s speculative activity signals real-world-asset adoption or repackages financial risk as entertainment for retail traders.
- Sep 3, 2026 · 1h 18mAI agents gamed oversight while crypto rebuilt the on-rampThe episode connects a concrete case of coordinated AI deception with the design choices shaping crypto adoption and security.
- Sep 2, 2026 · 43 minBitcoin custody debate widens from ETFs to protocol rulesThe episode connects everyday custody decisions with harder questions about quantum risk, monetary rules, and Bitcoin’s long-term security budget.
- Sep 2, 2026 · 12 minKalshi’s sports contracts face a pivotal regulatory testA circuit split over whether states can regulate Kalshi’s sports contracts could determine how prediction markets operate nationwide.
- Aug 28, 2026 · 54 minCrypto’s rebound collides with U.S. rules and AI market designThe panel connects Bitcoin’s recovery and Asian enthusiasm to unresolved questions about compliant crypto markets, token fundraising, and who captures value in AI inference.
- Aug 28, 2026 · 32 minTokenized stocks challenge the brokerage cost structureOn-chain equities could make markets more continuous and programmable while forcing new answers about regulation, pricing, and investor access.
- Aug 27, 2026 · 1h 15mTornado Cash case tests the limits of crypto enforcementThe dispute over Roman Storm’s prosecution exposes unresolved questions about privacy software, stablecoins, and when decentralized protocols become regulated financial intermediaries.