Is the Government Trying to Kill Off Crypto in the US?

Brian Quintenz, head of policy for a16z crypto, and Nic Carter, general partner at Castle Island Ventures, talk about Operation Choke Point 2.0, the relationship between the government and the crypto industry, the status of different tokens as securities or commodities, and potential future developments in the space.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Show highlights:

• what the original Operation Choke Point was like
• the “evidence” that shows that Operation Choke Point 2.0 against crypto is real, according to Nic
• how hard it is for crypto companies to get banked in the U.S.
• whether crypto had anything to do with the current banking crisis
• whether agencies such as the CFTC and the SEC are performing coordinated action against the industry
• how the collapse of FTX changed the approach of banking regulators toward crypto
• whether the U.S. needs to change its regulatory approach to maintain its status as a global leader
• whether crypto is a threat to the U.S. dollar and the financial system
• how Tether has benefited from the recent regulatory events
• why Brian says that the SEC has already demonstrated that BTC and – also ETH — are not securities

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Crypto.com
• Halborn

Guests:

• Brian Quintenz, head of policy for a16z crypto
• Nic Carter, general partner at Castle Island Ventures
  • Did The Government Start A Global Financial Crisis In An Attempt To Destroy Crypto?
  • Operation Choke Point 2.0 Is Underway, And Crypto Is In Its Crosshairs

Previous coverage of Unchained on the banking situation:

• Jim Bianco on Why the Banking System Has Always Been Broken
• The Fed Is In Checkmate: What Will Powell Do?
• The Fall of SVB: What Happened and How It Affects Crypto

Previous coverage of Unchained on the recent regulatory crackdown: 

• Why the CFTC Case Against Binance Will Have Very Important Consequences for Crypto
• Coinbase’s Top Lawyer Calls SEC Wells Notice a ‘Massive Overreach’ 

Links

• NYMAG: Barney Frank Talks More About the Surprise Shuttering of Signature Bank

• Unchained:

• Was Signature Bank Actually Insolvent?
• Regulators Close Signature Bank Following SVB Collapse
• CFTC Sues Binance and CZ Over US Regulatory Violations

• CoinDesk Editorial: It Sure Looks Like the U.S. Is Trying to Kill Crypto
• The Administration’s Roadmap to Mitigate Cryptocurrencies’ Risks | NEC | The White House