Laura Shin

Laura Shin

Creator
0 followers

Crypto journalist 🎧 Host @unchained_pod 📚 Author, The Cryptopians 💌 Sign up https://t.co/gf90Q5GrXy Ads sponsorships@unchainedcrypto.com

DeFi's Decentralization Dilemma Highlighted by Arbitrum Freeze
SocialApr 23, 2026

DeFi's Decentralization Dilemma Highlighted by Arbitrum Freeze

"It also exposes some of the tricky things about decentralized finance, which is what are the levels of decentralization v. centralization, such that users feel comfortable interacting with the protocol" - @MiguelMorel on the Arbitrum freeze of the Kelp DAO...

By Laura Shin
Huge THORChain Deposits Often Signal Criminal Proceeds
SocialApr 23, 2026

Huge THORChain Deposits Often Signal Criminal Proceeds

"When you get very large THORChain deposits like that, it's very typical that these are proceeds of crime" - @MiguelMorel on how Arkham was alerted to the Kelp DAO exploit https://t.co/C0Okymb2f3

By Laura Shin
Arkham Reveals Blockchain Intel as Kelp DAO Loot Freezes
SocialApr 23, 2026

Arkham Reveals Blockchain Intel as Kelp DAO Loot Freezes

The Kelp DAO loot is moving onchain and Arkham has had a front-row seat to the action. 🚨 Up Next on the stream today, Arkham CEO Miguel Morel joins me to discuss what his team has seen and how blockchain intelligence...

By Laura Shin
ETH Lending Stuck with Low Yields, Insufficient Risk Premium
SocialApr 23, 2026

ETH Lending Stuck with Low Yields, Insufficient Risk Premium

"Lenders in the ETH market were facing a risk of impairment on loans that were illiquid with indefinite duration and no defined maturity. "The risk premium they should be receiving were not being compensated at a yield of 3%, but...

By Laura Shin
Aave's Umbrella Module Under‑Capitalized, Fails to Cover $250M Exploit
SocialApr 23, 2026

Aave's Umbrella Module Under‑Capitalized, Fails to Cover $250M Exploit

"The Aave Umbrella module, meant to cover bad debt, which had $250 million going into the exploit, seemed like a nice cushion, because Aave has had less than $5 million worth of bad debt throughout its history. "But now we see...

By Laura Shin
Canton’s “Permissionless” Label Questioned as Pseudo‑
SocialApr 23, 2026

Canton’s “Permissionless” Label Questioned as Pseudo‑

Haseeb Qureshi’s framing on Unchained: calling Canton permissionless is like calling something democratic when you still decide who gets to vote. Yuval Rooz had a sharp rebuttal. Full segment: https://lnkd.in/ehT2FFWj

By Laura Shin
STRC Offers Liquidity and Transparency Amid Private Credit Woes
SocialApr 23, 2026

STRC Offers Liquidity and Transparency Amid Private Credit Woes

Parker White on Bits + Bips: "The two problems with private credit are illiquidity and lack of transparency. STRC is liquid and transparent." The rotation thesis for why Apyx USD could see billions in inflows. Watch:

By Laura Shin
DeFi Lending Can't Be Fully Immutable, Bentley Concedes
SocialApr 22, 2026

DeFi Lending Can't Be Fully Immutable, Bentley Concedes

The most important exchange on this week's Bits + Bips: Michael Bentley of Euler saying he's "resigned to the fact" that DeFi lending protocols can't be truly immutable. Austin Campbell's response is worth hearing: Michael Bentley of Euler says that's...

By Laura Shin
Balancing Trade‑offs: No Perfect Solution, Choose Sacrifices
SocialApr 22, 2026

Balancing Trade‑offs: No Perfect Solution, Choose Sacrifices

👀 Michael Bentley of Euler on Bits + bips: “Maybe it's just not possible to get the best of all worlds and we're going to have to sacrifice something somewhere.” Austin Campbell's response is worth watching. With Ram Ahluwalia and...

By Laura Shin
Experts Identify Real Culprits Behind Kelp DAO Hack
SocialApr 22, 2026

Experts Identify Real Culprits Behind Kelp DAO Hack

Chris Perkins on the Kelp DAO hack: “Let's point fingers at the people who really deserve it — the criminals who perpetrated this attack.” Bits + Bips has the full breakdown, with Austin Campbell, Ram Ahluwalia, and Michael Bentley of...

By Laura Shin
DeFi Must Rethink Implicit Transaction Legitimacy Post‑Hack
SocialApr 22, 2026

DeFi Must Rethink Implicit Transaction Legitimacy Post‑Hack

Austin Campbell asked the question I keep coming back to after the Kelp DAO hack: should DeFi stop assuming transactions are legitimate by default? This week's Bits + Bips is worth watching in full: https://lnkd.in/epMWa_4F

By Laura Shin
SEC Rarely Dismisses Cases, Grants Harassment Immunity
SocialApr 21, 2026

SEC Rarely Dismisses Cases, Grants Harassment Immunity

The SEC rarely dismisses a case and signs a release saying the defendant cannot sue them for harassment. @nadertheory on why that happened here: https://t.co/RNhnvLqOX2

By Laura Shin
WLFI Token Lockup Hides Second Freeze for Select Investors
SocialApr 21, 2026

WLFI Token Lockup Hides Second Freeze for Select Investors

WLFI's token lockup is more layered than it looks. @tayvano_ explains why a select group of investors — including Justin Sun — face a second freeze even if the global lock lifts. And then there's the ultimatum they're all being forced...

By Laura Shin
Operation Chokepoint 2.0 Allegedly Blocks Payments to Win Cases
SocialApr 21, 2026

Operation Chokepoint 2.0 Allegedly Blocks Payments to Win Cases

🤯 A new theory about Operation Chokepoint 2.0: @nadertheory told me his lawyers believe the point of cutting off your bank accounts is to keep you from being able to pay them for your defense so they win by default...

By Laura Shin
Trump-Appointed Judges Skeptical of Prediction Market Rulings
SocialApr 21, 2026

Trump-Appointed Judges Skeptical of Prediction Market Rulings

"All three judges on this panel were appointed by Trump, but they all seemed skeptical of the prediction markets, and one of them was grilling the prediction markets and seemed like this is definitely not happening. But reviewing the arguments,...

By Laura Shin
9th Circuit's Attack on Prediction Markets Backfires
SocialApr 21, 2026

9th Circuit's Attack on Prediction Markets Backfires

"Last week, the 9th circuit grilled prediction markets ... and it didn't go well for them" 😥 -- @kkirkbos https://t.co/Ii8rYK8RJX

By Laura Shin
Decentralization ≠ Permissionless: Protocols Can Restrict Assets
SocialApr 21, 2026

Decentralization ≠ Permissionless: Protocols Can Restrict Assets

"We often conflate decentralization and permissionlessness. People often think permission is KYC. But a protocol can restrict what types of assets or collateral it will allow." -- @TuongvyLe12 https://t.co/t7300eM1hx

By Laura Shin
Prosecutors Admit No Clear Accountability in DeFi
SocialApr 21, 2026

Prosecutors Admit No Clear Accountability in DeFi

"Most of my friends who are still prosecutors in government, when I ask who is responsible in DeFi, they say, 'What is DeFi? There's always someone to send a subpoena to.'" 👀 -- Jessi Brooks https://t.co/Ii8rYK8RJX

By Laura Shin
Platforms, Not Users, Must Own Backend Responsibility
SocialApr 21, 2026

Platforms, Not Users, Must Own Backend Responsibility

"If you have the relationship with the customer, you are responsible. It is not on the customer, if she's on a certain front end, to know everything that's happening underneath." -- Jessi Brooks on who is responsible: KelpDAO or LayerZero...

By Laura Shin
DeFi Lawsuits Struggle to Pinpoint Duty Holders
SocialApr 21, 2026

DeFi Lawsuits Struggle to Pinpoint Duty Holders

"In litigation, the first thing you ask is, 'Who had the duty?' And it's often unclear in DeFi." -- @kkirkbos on the KelpDAO and LayerZero finger pointing 👉👈 https://t.co/Ii8rYK8RJX

By Laura Shin
Defaults Drive Behavior, Shaping Industry Norms
SocialApr 21, 2026

Defaults Drive Behavior, Shaping Industry Norms

"I do think defaults matter, and the options that you give actually shapes behavior. So if a large portion of the ecosystem — in this case, all of LayerZero's users — follow this, it starts to look more like a...

By Laura Shin
DeFi Security: Beyond Audits, Chasing Endless Dependencies
SocialApr 21, 2026

DeFi Security: Beyond Audits, Chasing Endless Dependencies

☠️ "You can have a million audits, but now it's about the dependencies on oracles and bridges and collateral and multisig configurations and operational security practices. It feels like you're just playing whac-a-mole." -- @TuongvyLe12 on all the DeFi hacks https://t.co/PvhRjgnJGF

By Laura Shin
Bitcoin Developer Proposes Impossible Coin‑freezing Mechanism
SocialApr 21, 2026

Bitcoin Developer Proposes Impossible Coin‑freezing Mechanism

The real story here isn't quantum computing. It's that a serious Bitcoin developer just proposed something Bitcoin was philosophically designed to make impossible: freezing coins 🥶 @tayvano_ @kaiynne on Uneasy Money: @Unchained_pod https://t.co/832jOCgoo7

By Laura Shin
DESO Founder’s Arrest Collapses; SEC Settlement Revealed
SocialApr 21, 2026

DESO Founder’s Arrest Collapses; SEC Settlement Revealed

I spoke with @nadertheory, the DESO and BitClout founder the DOJ arrested at the airport in front of his wife and son. Both cases have now collapsed — and the SEC had him sign a document promising not to sue...

By Laura Shin
Facilitating User‑Initiated DEX Trades Keeps You Compliant
SocialApr 21, 2026

Facilitating User‑Initiated DEX Trades Keeps You Compliant

KK Bos’s read on the SEC front-end guidance on DEX in the City: if you’re basically helping users set up their own trade and not pushing specific transactions, you can sleep at night. With Vy Le and Jessi Brooks:

By Laura Shin
Cash‑funded Buying Signals Market Health, Not Bearishness
SocialApr 21, 2026

Cash‑funded Buying Signals Market Health, Not Bearishness

@Joshua_J_Lim’s read on negative funding rates is worth hearing. Most people treat it as bearish positioning. His take: spot leading derivatives with cash-funded buying is actually a sign of market health. @bitsandbips https://t.co/ubxpahxXQU

By Laura Shin
Miner-to-HPC Shift and Saylor Bid Set Bitcoin's Mechanical Ceiling
SocialApr 21, 2026

Miner-to-HPC Shift and Saylor Bid Set Bitcoin's Mechanical Ceiling

I keep thinking about @Joshua_J_Lim’'s framing here. There's an offer from miners transitioning to HPC and a bid from Saylor. They're roughly the same size. That's a mechanical ceiling on Bitcoin, not a sentiment one. @bitsandbips https://t.co/smP7XYNo1v

By Laura Shin
Transaction Parties Must Agree on State Despite No Public Verification
SocialApr 20, 2026

Transaction Parties Must Agree on State Despite No Public Verification

"It is true there is no public verifiability. Only if you are a party to a transaction. But it's important that parties to a transaction agree on the state of the transaction." -- @YuvalRooz on @CantonNetwork https://t.co/xtIdxNvnOf

By Laura Shin
MEV Lacks TradFi Precedent for Transaction Reordering
SocialApr 20, 2026

MEV Lacks TradFi Precedent for Transaction Reordering

On Don Wilson's view that MEV is not suitable for markets: "I've yet to see an example of being able to re-order transactions in TradFi." -- @YuvalRooz https://t.co/xtIdxNvnOf

By Laura Shin
Ethereum Offers Upgradeable, Limit‑enforced Contracts; Canton Lacks Protection
SocialApr 20, 2026

Ethereum Offers Upgradeable, Limit‑enforced Contracts; Canton Lacks Protection

What's possible on Ethereum that's not possible on Canton? "You can set limits, you can make it upgradeable with keys in cold storage by Circle in a multisig, and this smart contract. enforces limits. "You cannot do this on Canton. Your...

By Laura Shin
Permissionless, Not Democratic, Defines Crypto Governance
SocialApr 20, 2026

Permissionless, Not Democratic, Defines Crypto Governance

"The reason you're getting this pushback [on calling @CantonNetwork] is because -- it's like calling something 'democratic.' You're saying, 'You can apply, and if you're approved, you get to vote,' but that's not what people mean when they say 'Democratic.'...

By Laura Shin
Permissionless Access, Not Unlimited Rights on Canton Network
SocialApr 20, 2026

Permissionless Access, Not Unlimited Rights on Canton Network

What permissionmless means to @YuvalRooz: "Anyone can create an app, connect to and participate in the infrastructure, but not that just by connecting to the infrastructure that you'll have access to every asset or application on @CantonNetwork. "And everyone can...

By Laura Shin
RWA on Permissionless Chains Hinge on Issuer Trust
SocialApr 20, 2026

RWA on Permissionless Chains Hinge on Issuer Trust

"Any RWA on any permissionless chain relies on the issuer --" [I interrupt] "No, no, no, if @gluk64 started went down this rabbit hole, I'd like him to dig himself out of it." -- @YuvalRooz @hosseeb: LOL 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/s0BeE0UnBP

By Laura Shin
Canton Network Explains Limits on Unchecked Stablecoin Minting
SocialApr 20, 2026

Canton Network Explains Limits on Unchecked Stablecoin Minting

"What prevents any stablecoin provider from minting one billion new coins onchain?" 🛡️ -- @YuvalRooz, defending @CantonNetwork https://t.co/xtIdxNvnOf

By Laura Shin
Ensuring Single Bitcoin Version Amid Separate Party Views
SocialApr 20, 2026

Ensuring Single Bitcoin Version Amid Separate Party Views

"In Canton itself, how do you ensure that you don't produce two versions of Bitcoin? Because your infrastructure only provides each party with their view." -- @gluk64 https://t.co/xtIdxNvnOf

By Laura Shin
Ensuring No Double Spend When Spending a UTXO
SocialApr 20, 2026

Ensuring No Double Spend When Spending a UTXO

"Who guarantees that when you spend one UTXO there's no double spend?" -- @gluk64 on Canton https://t.co/s0BeE0UnBP

By Laura Shin
Canton’s Value Lies in Properties, Not Blockchain Label
SocialApr 20, 2026

Canton’s Value Lies in Properties, Not Blockchain Label

"Canton is not really a blockchain. It's not about definitons or semantics. It's really about the properties." 💥 -- @gluk64 https://t.co/s0BeE0UnBP

By Laura Shin
Canton Network Secures Major Tokenized JGB Deals
SocialApr 20, 2026

Canton Network Secures Major Tokenized JGB Deals

😎 "We didn't do a pre-mine, we didn't publish all these white papers. We just very quietly executed, and now we're signing all these deals. "Today we signed deals around with Mizuho and Nomura and JPX around tokenized JGBs." --...

By Laura Shin
Lending Markets Need External Data, Making Efficiency Impossible
SocialApr 20, 2026

Lending Markets Need External Data, Making Efficiency Impossible

"An AMM or exchange is very self-contained. It doesn't care about the outside world. It has to balance a single variant. "If you look at a credit or lending market, they really care about the outside environment -- the volatility...

By Laura Shin
DeFi Must Rethink Trust After Lazarus Breaks Eight Protocols
SocialApr 20, 2026

DeFi Must Rethink Trust After Lazarus Breaks Eight Protocols

"If Lazarus can break 8 different protocols in 8 different ways, then DeFi has to stop working from the framework of assuming that all transactions are legitimate." 👀 -- @austincampbell https://t.co/xtIdxNvnOf

By Laura Shin
Miner Selling Vs. Saylor Buying Keeps Bitcoin Range‑Bound
SocialApr 20, 2026

Miner Selling Vs. Saylor Buying Keeps Bitcoin Range‑Bound

FalconX's Joshua Lim on why Bitcoin is stuck in a range — and what the arithmetic of miner selling vs. Saylor buying tells you. https://lnkd.in/ebwDAE89

By Laura Shin
Low Volatility, Miner Sales Signal Bitcoin Stalls Below $80K
SocialApr 20, 2026

Low Volatility, Miner Sales Signal Bitcoin Stalls Below $80K

Bitcoin vol is at historically low levels, miners are selling to fund HPC transitions, and smart money is not adding leverage. FalconX's Joshu Lim explains why bitcoin’s recent surge is not ready to push past $80,000. Worth watching. https://lnkd.in/eX5i7kzN

By Laura Shin
SEC Subpoenas Trigger Account Closures, Stalling Defenses
SocialApr 20, 2026

SEC Subpoenas Trigger Account Closures, Stalling Defenses

When the SEC sends a bank subpoena, your account is often closed before anyone reads it. Nader tells Laura how the tactic nearly shut down his legal defense: https://lnkd.in/eK6_npmu

By Laura Shin
Williams & Connolly Wins by Avoiding Ex‑prosecutors
SocialApr 20, 2026

Williams & Connolly Wins by Avoiding Ex‑prosecutors

.@nadertheory told me the reason Williams & Connolly keeps winning against the government is that they are the only top defense firm that refuses to hire ex-prosecutors. This clip is worth your 7 minutes: https://lnkd.in/ePsxiBH9

By Laura Shin
Ask Your Questions for Tomorrow's Canton Debate
SocialApr 19, 2026

Ask Your Questions for Tomorrow's Canton Debate

🎙️ Hey all, we're doing a debate on Canton tomorrow. With @hosseeb @YuvalRooz and @gluk64 on @Unchained_pod What do you want us to see us cover? Taking questions 👇

By Laura Shin
AI Agents Simplify On-Chain Options with DeriveXYZ
SocialApr 19, 2026

AI Agents Simplify On-Chain Options with DeriveXYZ

"Options are complex. AI agents don't care about complexity. @itseneff makes the case that this is the unlock for onchain options — and why he's building @DeriveXYZ to be agent-friendly from day one: https://t.co/7d3TBYVbSP

By Laura Shin
Basis Trade Collapse Clears Path for On‑Chain Options Yield
SocialApr 18, 2026

Basis Trade Collapse Clears Path for On‑Chain Options Yield

I hadn't fully understood how much the basis trade was crowding out onchain options as a yield product until this conversation. @itseneff and @maybeltr lay out why this moment is different from every failed experiment before. @unchained_pod: https://t.co/wbU8NeFLsm Timestamps: 🚀 0:00 How crypto...

By Laura Shin
Decentralized Identity for AI Agents Drives Immediate Revenue
SocialApr 18, 2026

Decentralized Identity for AI Agents Drives Immediate Revenue

The AI-crypto hype from two years ago was all VC theater. The real infrastructure play happening now is decentralized identity for robots and AI agents, revenue-generating from day one. @KavitaGupta19 @bitsandbips 🎧 https://t.co/MwHHENjcHJ

By Laura Shin
Basis Trade Yields Collapse Marks End of Era
SocialApr 18, 2026

Basis Trade Yields Collapse Marks End of Era

For five years, the basis trade paid 15–30% near risk-free. Options couldn't compete as yield. Then 10/10 happened. @itseneff calls it 'the final nail in the coffin.' Watch: https://t.co/kWlaB3JxRL

By Laura Shin