On The Brink with Castle Island
Hosts Matt Walsh and Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures explore news and deals in the public blockchain space and talk to some of the leading experts in the industrypodnews.net.
Weekly Roundup 11/07/25 (Balancer Hack, DATs Are Suffering, Zcash Rally) (EP.684)
Matt and Nic dissect this week’s crypto headlines, covering the Balancer hack, the collapse of Stream Finance’s xUSD, and the surge in Zcash prices, while also noting broader market stress from the U.S. government shutdown and stablecoin liquidity concerns. They revisit the Nic Carter vs. Mike Green debate, discuss the oddity of Tom Brady’s clone dog, and flag the ongoing issues with Opendime devices and DATs selling coins. The episode ties these events together to argue that stablecoins remain a critical, yet fragile, lightbulb for crypto market stability.
Keone Hon (Monad Foundation) on Blockchains Built to Scale (EP.683)
In this episode, Keone Hon, founder of the Monad Foundation, explains how his trading background shapes his view of blockchains as tools for scalable, efficient financial systems, especially during market stress. He outlines Monad’s purpose—enhancing decentralization and chain efficiency while...
Giovanni Vignone (Octane Security) on Protecting Onchain Assets (EP.682)
In this episode Wyatt interviews Giovanni Vignone, founder of Octance Security, about the most pressing threats to crypto assets and how hacker tactics are evolving. Vignone outlines key cybersecurity categories for blockchain, advises startups on appropriate security budgets, and emphasizes...
Weekly Roundup 10/31/25 (DATs Selling Coins, Prediction Market Problems, Bessent's Pesos) (EP.681)
Matt and Nic dissect a packed week of finance news, highlighting Mastercard’s $2 billion acquisition of Zerohash, Fiserv’s disastrous day, and Bitwise’s launch of a Solana staking ETF. They debate the looming regional banking crisis, the ethics of DAT‑driven activism, and...
Geetha Panchapakesan (Tesser) on Enabling FIs to Utilize Stablecoins (EP.680)
In this episode, Geetha Panchapakesan, founder and CEO of Tesser, shares how her payments‑industry experience led her to develop a one‑stop‑shop platform that helps financial institutions, payment service providers, and money‑service businesses adopt stablecoins. She outlines the major shifts in...
Weekly Roundup 10/24/25 (Quantum, Crypto Pardons, Fed Payment Accounts) (EP.679)
Matt and Nic discuss a week of diverse financial headlines, noting a resurgence in traditional crime alongside growing concerns that quantum computing could threaten Bitcoin’s security. They highlight political friction in Washington over Democratic-driven market‑structure changes and celebrate Binance CEO...
Weekly Roundup 10/17/25 (Flash Crash, Pig Butchering Scam Busted, Erebor Charter Granted) (EP.678)
Matt and Nic break down the recent flash crash, explaining the market structure flaws that triggered the rapid sell‑off, and discuss the fallout involving Binance and Ethena. They highlight Palmer Luckey’s new bank, Erebor, which secured an OCC charter, and...
Pbj (Perpl) on the Perp DEX Market & Monad's Imminent Launch (EP.677)
In this episode Wyatt interviews Pbj, the founder of Perpl, about the growing significance of perpetuals exchanges in crypto, highlighting their market size, trader appeal, and the recent success of platforms like Hyperliquid. Pbj explains how Perpl will differentiate itself...
Dave Balter (Flipside) on the Convergence of AI and Blockchain Analytics (EP.676)
In this episode, Flipside Crypto co‑founder and CEO Dave Balter explains how the company has re‑engineered its analytics platform to leverage large language models for deeper insight into public blockchains. He discusses the challenges of building a product organization in...
Weekly Roundup 10/10/25 (Luxembourg Buys BTC, N. Dakota's Stablecoin, Salomon Bros Dust Attack) (EP.675)
Matt and Nic dissect a week of crypto and finance headlines, debating whether stablecoins could trigger a bank deposit exodus and if FDIC insurance is becoming obsolete, while also probing the privacy prospects of CBDCs. They highlight notable developments such...