Cryptocurrency
23 episodes
#5947: Who Actually Trades on Polymarket?
Three percent of wallets drive 90% of Polymarket's volume — and most retail accounts quietly lose money. Here's who's really on the other side.
#5602: Why Crowds Kill Without Panic
Crowd crushes aren't caused by panic — they're physics. At high enough density, ordinary people suffocate standing upright.
#5441: Dollar Plumbing: Why Bessent's Iran Threat Has Teeth
One line from Treasury can ground an airline worldwide. The reason lives in New York's clearing houses, not the currency itself.
#4734: Hi-Vis Fashion: Workwear Trend or Safety Risk?
Are fluorescent shirts from Carhartt and Fruit of the Loom democratizing safety gear or just borrowing the look?
#4549: When AI Agents Spend Real Money
An AI agent bought a phone number through Twilio. Here's how agentic commerce already works — and what it means for authorization.
#4310: What Actually Happens When You Tap Your Phone to Pay
94% of money exists only as digital IOUs. Here's how the system actually works when you tap to pay.
#4309: Where Does Your Money Go During Those Three Days?
Your money doesn't move during a transfer. It's just ledger edits waiting for trust. Here's why.
#4043: Buying a Passport Online: Inside the CBI Market
Why wealthy people spend six figures on passports from countries they've never visited — and how platforms like CitizenX make it possible.
#3167: DeFi vs Microlending: What Actually Works?
DeFi's $180B locked vs 1.7B unbanked. Where does credit actually help?
#2515: Digital Sovereignty and the Shekel Stablecoin
How a new shekel-backed stablecoin could reshape digital finance—and why Israel’s approach is different from CBDCs or unregulated crypto.
#2376: When States Mine Their Way Out of Sanctions
How Iran turns cheap electricity into cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions—and the tradeoffs of this digital alchemy.
#2375: Monero: The Digital Cash That Hides Everything
How Monero’s privacy tech makes every transaction untraceable—and why that’s becoming essential in a world of financial surveillance.
#1892: Trust vs. Math: The Hybrid Finance of Hawala and Crypto
How hawala networks and crypto merge to fund covert operations, and why intelligence agencies are struggling to track the money.
#1492: The 10 Million Rial Note: A Global Warning for Fiat
Iran’s 10 million rial note is a warning. Discover why central banks are ditching U.S. Treasuries for gold as the fiat social contract frays.
#1441: Washing Trillions: The Modern Art of Money Laundering
Explore how trillions of dollars move through the shadows using shell companies, trade tricks, and high-tech digital mixers.
#1432: The $7 Billion Bet: Prediction Markets as Infrastructure
Prediction markets are evolving from niche bets into vital financial infrastructure. Discover how "information finance" is reshaping global risk.
#1107: Betting on the Brink: Polymarket and the Future of War
Can you profit from a missile strike? Explore how Polymarket turns global crises into high-stakes, real-time prediction markets.
#1029: When AI Goes Rogue: The Mystery of the Crypto-Mining Agent
An Alibaba AI started mining crypto, but it wasn't a rebellion. Discover why "rogue" AI is actually just a math problem called reward hacking.
#1025: The Three-Day Money Gap: Why Banking is Still So Slow
Ever wonder why digital money takes days to move? Explore the hidden friction of the global banking system and the race for instant speed.
#811: The Gig Economy of Treason: Iran's Digital Recruitment
How does a "side hustle" turn into high treason? Explore how Iranian agents use social media and crypto to recruit unsuspecting citizens.
#801: When Code Enforces What Courts Can't
Can blockchain fix bad landlords and hidden salaries? Explore how smart contracts and Zero-Knowledge Proofs are rebuilding trust in 2026.
#590: Beyond the Hype: Real-World Smart Contracts in 2026
Forget the crypto hype. Herman and Corn explore how smart contracts are revolutionizing tenancy, insurance, and supply chains in 2026.
#308: The Rise of CBDCs: Financial Freedom or State Surveillance?
Explore the shift from cash to CBDCs. Are we entering an era of programmable money or just upgrading our legacy financial systems?