Trump’s Memecoin, Ethereum’s New Marketing Arm, and More!

This week on Unchained: Interviews with Lyn Alden and Vivek Raman. Plus, new episodes of Bits + Bips and The Chopping Block.Why Lyn Alden Isn’t a Fan of Trump’s Memecoins, but Neutral on a Strategic Bitcoin ReserveTrump’s memecoin. A strategic Bitcoin reserve. Tariffs. The current inflection point in the geopolitical world order. Lyn Alden dissects these headlines and their implications for the U.S. economy, global trade, and the crypto industry.The crypto world was shaken this weekend when Donald Trump and Melania Trump launched their own memecoins, ahead of Trump’s inauguration as president.Financial analyst Lyn Alden joins Laura to explain why she’s not a fan of memecoins, neutral on a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve, and doubtful the U.S. can disrupt itself even as Bitcoin, crypto and blockchain technology hold the possibilities of upending the geopolitical world order.Discussing everything from rising tariffs to reshoring strategies, Lyn offers a sharp analysis of the U.S. fiscal and monetary outlook and explains why she believes fiscal policy now overshadows monetary policy. Plus, hear her take on the TikTok ban debate, her skepticism that Bitcoin’s future security could be at risk as the block subsidy decreases, and her Bitcoin projection for 2025.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.Why Ethereum’s New Marketing Arm Is Convinced Wall Street Will Adopt ETHThe Ethereum community has been experiencing a crisis of confidence on social media—but Vivek Raman, founder of Etherealize, believes the future is brighter than ever.Ethereum has had a tough year, losing ground to Solana in price performance, developer activity and as the home to the latest crypto trends. Yet, Vivek Raman, founder and CEO of Etherealize, is doubling down on Ethereum’s future.In this episode, Vivek explains how Etherealize, a “marketing arm for the ETH ecosystem,” was in the works long before the current criticisms of the Ethereum Foundation’s marketing, and how it got funding from Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin and the foundation. He discusses why he believes layer 2 solutions make Ethereum a better fit for Wall Street than Solana.Plus, Vivek shares his thoughts on Ethereum’s value accrual, the state of its ecosystem, and how Etherealize plans to bridge the gap between Wall Street and Web3.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.Bits + Bips: Debate: Is Trump’s Memecoin a Gift or a Grift?Trump’s memecoin launch shocked and polarized the crypto world. The Bits + Bips hosts break down its launch during the Crypto Ball, discuss whether it marks a local top for crypto, and touch on aftereffects like fake $BARRON coins.This week, Trump’s memecoin launch had everyone talking—and scrambling for Phantom wallets. But was it a strategic masterstroke or just another speculative frenzy?On this episode of Bits + Bips, the hosts unpack the wild moments of the Crypto Ball, where $TRUMP made its surprise debut. They discuss how Bitcoin maxis were forced to embrace Solana wallets, why Multicoin Capital emerged as the biggest winner, and whether the memecoin launch signals a local market top.Plus, they debate whether Trump’s crypto-friendly stance could shape policy in 2025, why Litecoin might beat Solana to a spot ETF, and what Trump’s inauguration speech reveals about his crypto game plan.Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.The Chopping Block: Trump’s Crypto Shake-Up, Solana’s Big Moment, that Changes EverythingPolitical Grift or Crypto Shift? $Trump, $Melania, & Solana’s Rise – The Chopping Block.Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, we dive into one of the wildest weeks in crypto history, unpacking the unprecedented launch of Trump’s meme coin and its explosive $70 billion valuation. We discuss how it broke every record imaginable, the fallout from Melania’s token, and the chaos it unleashed across the Solana network. From the ethics of a sitting president launching a coin to the implications for retail investors and the future of meme coins, we’re covering it all. Plus, we debate whether this marks a new chapter for crypto adoption or a troubling precedent for political grift. Stay tuned for this jam-packed emergency episode!Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.On Unregulated:Trump Picks Pham to Temporarily Chair the CFTC 🏦 Veronica Irwin and Sage D. Young·Jan 20Read full storySCOOP: House Resolution to Overturn IRS Broker Rule at 3PM ET 📄Veronica Irwin·Jan 21Read full storySilk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht Freed 🚨Veronica Irwin·Jan 22Read full storyFinally. Crypto Is a National Priority 🇺🇸Veronica Irwin and Laura Shin·Jan 23Read full storyIn Case You Missed It 👀Here are some articles you will probably want to read:Solana-Based Jupiter’s Airdrop Propels Market Cap Up 87% to $3.5 BillionOf the 2 million users who qualified for the airdrop, roughly 503,000 addresses have claimed about $200 million worth of JUP tokens.Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin’s NFT Choice Spurs Talk of ‘Wartime Mode’Buterin’s acquisition and use of a Miladys NFT on his social media accounts X and Farcaster comes at a time when the Ethereum community has expressed a number of concerns about the network’s trajectory and leadership.Obol Collective, Focused on Decentralizing Ethereum Staking, Nears Token Airdrop LaunchThe OBOL token provides governance rights for token holders and will serve as the backbone for incentive programs.Read the Weekly Recap!Unchained WeeklyThis Is How ETH Gets Pitched to Wall Street 🎯Juan Aranovich·Jan 24In this week’s edition:💼 Trump creates crypto working group and explores digital asset stockpile🔒 Ledger co-founder freed after ransom kidnapping🚀 Tornado Cash sanctions overturned, TORN surges 200%📈 Solana hits record high as Coinbase faces delays⚖️ Jump Trading sues ex-engineer over non-compete breach🐶 Bitwise files for Dogecoin ETF amid memecoin buzz💸 Truth Terminal sells $22M in Fartcoin, shaking Solana memes📊 Trump-backed DeFi platform spends $112M in crypto spree😂 DOGE logo vanishes from U.S. government websiteRead full storyWe Are Hiring!A Bitcoin Reporter to cover all things Bitcoin. See the details and apply here.An Audience Development Director to broaden the reach of the publication’s content, whether through the web, social media, newsletters, podcast platforms, or videos. See the details and apply here.🔝 Are you hiring and want to promote the postings in the Unchained newsletter? Let us know! If You Like Unchained:🎧 Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on Unchained: Interviews with Lyn Alden and Vivek Raman. Plus, new episodes of Bits + Bips and The Chopping Block.


Why Lyn Alden Isn’t a Fan of Trump’s Memecoins, but Neutral on a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

Trump’s memecoin. A strategic Bitcoin reserve. Tariffs. The current inflection point in the geopolitical world order. Lyn Alden dissects these headlines and their implications for the U.S. economy, global trade, and the crypto industry.

The crypto world was shaken this weekend when Donald Trump and Melania Trump launched their own memecoins, ahead of Trump’s inauguration as president.

Financial analyst Lyn Alden joins Laura to explain why she’s not a fan of memecoins, neutral on a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve, and doubtful the U.S. can disrupt itself even as Bitcoin, crypto and blockchain technology hold the possibilities of upending the geopolitical world order.

Discussing everything from rising tariffs to reshoring strategies, Lyn offers a sharp analysis of the U.S. fiscal and monetary outlook and explains why she believes fiscal policy now overshadows monetary policy. Plus, hear her take on the TikTok ban debate, her skepticism that Bitcoin’s future security could be at risk as the block subsidy decreases, and her Bitcoin projection for 2025.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.


Why Ethereum’s New Marketing Arm Is Convinced Wall Street Will Adopt ETH

The Ethereum community has been experiencing a crisis of confidence on social media—but Vivek Raman, founder of Etherealize, believes the future is brighter than ever.

Ethereum has had a tough year, losing ground to Solana in price performance, developer activity and as the home to the latest crypto trends. Yet, Vivek Raman, founder and CEO of Etherealize, is doubling down on Ethereum’s future.

In this episode, Vivek explains how Etherealize, a “marketing arm for the ETH ecosystem,” was in the works long before the current criticisms of the Ethereum Foundation’s marketing, and how it got funding from Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin and the foundation. He discusses why he believes layer 2 solutions make Ethereum a better fit for Wall Street than Solana.

Plus, Vivek shares his thoughts on Ethereum’s value accrual, the state of its ecosystem, and how Etherealize plans to bridge the gap between Wall Street and Web3.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.


Bits + Bips: Debate: Is Trump’s Memecoin a Gift or a Grift?

Trump’s memecoin launch shocked and polarized the crypto world. The Bits + Bips hosts break down its launch during the Crypto Ball, discuss whether it marks a local top for crypto, and touch on aftereffects like fake $BARRON coins.

This week, Trump’s memecoin launch had everyone talking—and scrambling for Phantom wallets. But was it a strategic masterstroke or just another speculative frenzy?

On this episode of Bits + Bips, the hosts unpack the wild moments of the Crypto Ball, where $TRUMP made its surprise debut. They discuss how Bitcoin maxis were forced to embrace Solana wallets, why Multicoin Capital emerged as the biggest winner, and whether the memecoin launch signals a local market top.

Plus, they debate whether Trump’s crypto-friendly stance could shape policy in 2025, why Litecoin might beat Solana to a spot ETF, and what Trump’s inauguration speech reveals about his crypto game plan.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.


The Chopping Block: Trump’s Crypto Shake-Up, Solana’s Big Moment, that Changes Everything

Political Grift or Crypto Shift? $Trump, $Melania, & Solana’s Rise – The Chopping Block.

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. In this episode, we dive into one of the wildest weeks in crypto history, unpacking the unprecedented launch of Trump’s meme coin and its explosive $70 billion valuation. We discuss how it broke every record imaginable, the fallout from Melania’s token, and the chaos it unleashed across the Solana network. From the ethics of a sitting president launching a coin to the implications for retail investors and the future of meme coins, we’re covering it all. Plus, we debate whether this marks a new chapter for crypto adoption or a troubling precedent for political grift. Stay tuned for this jam-packed emergency episode!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.


On Unregulated:


In Case You Missed It 👀

Here are some articles you will probably want to read:

Solana-Based Jupiter’s Airdrop Propels Market Cap Up 87% to $3.5 Billion

Of the 2 million users who qualified for the airdrop, roughly 503,000 addresses have claimed about $200 million worth of JUP tokens.

Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin’s NFT Choice Spurs Talk of ‘Wartime Mode’

Buterin’s acquisition and use of a Miladys NFT on his social media accounts X and Farcaster comes at a time when the Ethereum community has expressed a number of concerns about the network’s trajectory and leadership.

Obol Collective, Focused on Decentralizing Ethereum Staking, Nears Token Airdrop Launch

The OBOL token provides governance rights for token holders and will serve as the backbone for incentive programs.


Read the Weekly Recap!


We Are Hiring!

  1. A Bitcoin Reporter to cover all things Bitcoin. See the details and apply here.

  2. An Audience Development Director to broaden the reach of the publication’s content, whether through the web, social media, newsletters, podcast platforms, or videos. See the details and apply here.

🔝 Are you hiring and want to promote the postings in the Unchained newsletter? Let us know!


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