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Unchained

Unchained

Released: 2026-01-01
© Copyright 2020 Laura Shin. All Rights Reserved.
Unchained - QR Code
1024 Episodes
Audio
Listen on Apple Podcasts
1024 Episodes
Audio
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Released: 2026-01-01
© Copyright 2020 Laura Shin. All Rights Reserved.
Most Recent Episode
The Chopping Block: Aave Civil War + Flow Hack + Coinbase Super-App

The Chopping Block: Aave Civil War + Flow Hack + Coinbase Super-App

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. This episode opens with the Aave DAO civil war: a CoWSwap integration that allegedly routed swap
Time: 1:01:12
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. This episode opens with the Aave DAO civil war: a CoWSwap integration that allegedly routed swap fees to Aave Labs/Avara instead of the DAO, igniting “stealth privatization” claims, a “poison pill” push to seize Aave IP/brand, and a bigger fight over who really owns Aave.com and the protocol’s front door.
Next, the crew unpacks the Flow hack (a $3.9M mint exploit) and the wild rollback talk that followed — plus why forks and bridges make rollbacks dangerous, turning bridges into accidental custodians and breaking old security assumptions.
Finally, they break down Coinbase’s System Update and the “Everything Exchange” strategy — stocks, tokenization, perps, prediction markets, stablecoin rails — and whether this approach can win against Robinhood. DAO wars, chain chaos, and super-app ambition — let’s get into it.
Show highlights
🔹 Aave DAO civil war erupts — CoWSwap fees reportedly route to Aave Labs/Avara, not the DAO, fueling “stealth privatization” claims.
🔹 “Poison pill” proposal — DAO demands Aave IP/brand and Aave.com control, turning governance into a DevCo vs DAO showdown.
🔹 No foundation, messy ownership — Aave’s pre-foundation setup exposes off-chain IP risk, jurisdiction questions, and untested legal theory.
🔹 Christmas vote drama — 41% abstain signals a redo; OG/Asia backlash pits “property rights” vs “commons” narratives.
🔹 Flow hacked for $3.9M — chain pause + rollback idea sparks outrage (and wouldn’t even stop the attacker).
🔹 Rollbacks meet bridges — forked history can wipe innocent bridgers; bridges become custodians when chains reorg or rewind.
🔹 Interconnected chains break security — old models crumble, and small chains “die twice” when bridges/oracles unplug.
🔹 Coinbase goes “Everything Exchange” — stocks/ETFs, tokenization, perps, prediction markets; can Coinbase beat Robinhood’s funnel?
Hosts:
⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly
⭐️Robert Leshner [MIA], CEO & Co-founder of Superstate
⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures
⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly 
Links:
Aave Cowswap Integration- Tokenholder Questions (aave discussion) 
https://governance.aave.com/t/aave-cowswap-integration-tokenholder-questions/23530?u=ignas 
Aave Will Win: 2026 Master Plan by Stani Kulechov
https://x.com/StaniKulechov/status/2001036446098919461 
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:51 Aave Civil War Erupts
06:37 CoWSwap Fees Spark Aave IP Debate
10:20 Can a DAO Own IP?
15:25 Aave’s Pre-Foundation Legal Quirk
28:20 Flow Hacked: $3.9M Mint Attack
33:50 Small Chains Die When Bridges Leave
34:33 App Chains Boom Is Over
36:32 The Hidden $20M L1 Tax
43:29 Coinbase System Update: Everything Exchange
57:43 Coinbase vs Robinhood: Build vs Buy
Disclosures
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode ID: 1000743420788
GUID: 53800ed8-e69e-11f0-9d56-ef9e701bf1c0
Release Date: 1/1/2026, 9:00:00 AM

Description

Crypto assets and blockchain technology are about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity to the Internet of Things. In this podcast, host Laura Shin, an independent journalist covering all things crypto, talks with industry pioneers about how crypto assets and blockchains will change the way we earn, spend and invest our money. Tune in to find out how Web 3.0, the decentralized web, will revolutionize our world. Disclosure: I'm a nocoiner.

Apple Podcasts: Customer Reviews

2025-08-02

Great show

Unchained has kept its integrity much better than some others in the space. I love the roundtable format. Generally very high-quality discussion with much food for thought.
kfixbwhdisa
2025-07-18

On the Chopping Block…

Overall, Unchained is great. Shin is an excellent interviewer and most of the time “in the loop”
On all topics being covered. She does an excellent job of setting guests up and giving them time to follow through and elaborate.
The other shows, the round tables with the macro guys.. those can be brutal listens sometimes. The pretentiousness from some of them is blatant and at times they will start speaking over each other, even guests. They ramble &.. just a very disjointed and strange show. Some good information but they’re unlistenable 30% of the time IMO
EDIT:
Another excellent week of Unchained! Show gets better every week!
Another week of Chopping Block “geniuses” YAPPING over each other!
5starok
2025-05-07

Low quality Solana shells

Shin is an atrocious interviewer. She is often misinformed, spreads that misinformation and is generally just parrots VC and crypto twitter propaganda. Bits and Bips is pretty good though.
Uber eats is awful
2025-05-02

don’t read this review

Crypto content can be intimidating, confusing, or biased—and it’s important to be aware of these notions when first being curious about blockchain technology. In my mid-thirties I had some traditional investing knowledge but, if I’m being honest, had undeniable FOMO about the space. Laura, and the entire Unchained pod, do a great job lowering the barrier to this new asset class with non-biased information, detailed analysis, and breakdowns of relevant macro/geopolitical implications for investors and the curious. Thanks for this, and remember not to be a "chainist" ;)
lukas North
2025-04-25

Great crypto podcast

Laura always has great guests in the show, and she always asks the questions most people are afraid to ask especially with controversial guests. She’s a true journalist in this space. Also, shouts out to the chopping block such a good segment on Unchained.
ChurroMane
2025-04-20

Very topical

I consider Laura to be explicitly non technical but she’s still able to communicate with technical people and effectively communicate their ideas.
xxflightbenefitsxx
2025-04-10

The best crypto podcasts today

Unchained, the Chopping Block, and Bits + Bips are a wonderful trifecta of signal in a noisy, crowded space. Thank you for having the timeliest guests and most relevant conversations about Crypto for folks in our industry on the Internet
Fewertofooze
2025-03-14

Outstanding reporting

Best info through the bear market. This pod kept me alive!
stabarelli
2025-03-02

Heads firmly stuck in the sand

This pod is ok I guess. Interesting at times, but downright religious at others. Really wish they would cover the major shakeup that the crypto sector is currently undergoing but I’m not holding my breath. They seem dogmatically committed to btc and eth and use “defi” to justify not covering anything else. Very meh if you ask me. I’m not even sure if they realize what happened a few days ago, their self-imposed blinders might just be that restrictive.
Samtothemusic
2025-02-20

Enjoy most of it

I really enjoy the variety of topics, assets, and narratives covered. I’m a little annoyed that your discussion of celebrity meme ruggings mostly ignored DJT, tho. All the celebrities are indeed culpable but you seem to walk past the biggest one several times.
Speedyheeb
2025-01-21

Shin makes me smarter

This is my fav pod on the unregulated securities market that is cryptocurrency and it’s memecoin and nft offshoots. And like another reviewer mentioned, Shin talks like/ sounds like me too, and it’s probably why I continue to listen going on for ..3 years now? Shin’s approach to interrogating the news and events in the world of bitcoin is always deeply informed and succinct; I listen to a lot of things at 1.5x speed but never unchained, it’s always focused and sharp, Shin is great at getting her always equally great guests to explain in depth much about the marketplace and its various stakeholders and the forces that seek influence over them, etc. crypto skeptic (as I am) or crypto enthusiast, this podcast is a great resource if you want to go deep on the topic.
BreakfastToys
2025-01-19

Best Crypto Podcast Feed

I’ve been a huge unchained fan since 2018, and with the addition of the new shows to the feed (the chopping block, bits and bips) I am a bigger fan now than ever. This is my gold standard in the world of crypto podcasts and journalism.
salt dogg
2024-07-17

Truly great

If you’re even remotely familiar with global macro, and even remotely crypto savvy, then I would highly recommend this pod!
derekva
2024-04-24

Request

Hello - Would it be possible to link to the cases and opinions discussed on the pod? Like the Debt Box case, if it was linked that would be so sweet and go so far to credibility and for those who want to verify! Thank you!
F.Hayek1913
2024-03-10

Chopping block is terrible

Love Laura but chopping block is a bunch of midwits shilling their own projects and trashing decentralized projects with no vc allocation
darce_holliday
2023-10-24

Best Pod on SBF trial

Thanks for sharing the details in a way that makes me feel like I’m in the courtroom! And thanks for the interviews - you ask questions that help me understand what is happening behind the scenes.
nbvc75432$@&
2023-10-22

Rambling, unprepared, confused host

If you like imprecise, half-baked, repetitive, long, confusing questions by an interviewer, you’ll love this podcast.
Matt_B_W
2023-10-19

👍🏼👍🏼

I don’t know much about crypto, but want to know literally everything about crypto people going rogue in crypto - Laura you’re my new fav podcast esp because you talk like me and make me laugh as these WILD details unfold! Thank you!
.s.s.harveydudemuffin
2023-03-17

Very mature crypto podcast

Unchained is great! They have on real experts, discuss important crypto and finance topics, explain in depth concepts well, and is all around a fantastic news source and podcast.
She loses two stars for her intro still being on every episode. Nothing in crypto screams “look at me I’m special!” More than talking about when you got into crypto and how cool you are for being so early. If we want to be taken seriously by other industries we have to stop this childish nonsense. Michael Barbaro doesn’t start every episode of the daily talking about how he was the first mainstream reporter to do something. Let’s raise the bar on crypto please.
MikGiant
2022-11-16

Valuable, but Ms. Shin

There’s no question this is an extremely informative podcast. But Ms. Shin sounds like an abused spouse or girlfriend. “Oh yes, SBF just beat the crap out of me. Sure, SBF broke my arm, knocked out my teeth. But you know, it’s really my fault, not his”. Grow up, Ms. Shin
Loridans1
2022-11-11

Good for the lols

The biggest guests are frauds, the editors can’t edit, and the host can’t read.
Rowsdower1197
2022-09-08

Good guests, annoying host

Like nails on a chalkboard.
ZZ1949
2022-08-29

Great information but…

Good podcast, very informative. It’s hard to listen to Haseeb (Chopping Block) because he mumbles and talks low, then normal, then mumbles: Arrrg.
Decibel Dozer
2022-04-19

No Bro Yo

Intelligent and informed discussion. Highly recommend. I’m a guy sick of hearing guys.
El Phantsmo
2022-03-12

Eh

Still haven’t found a good crypto podcast most of my stuff I find is on YouTube
Maybeicy
2022-02-23

Very informative

I have only been listening for the past 2 weeks however there is so much information discuss on this show. If your really in cryptocurrencies then you should most certainly listen to this show.
Missy Richland
2022-01-28

Authoritative & Reliable

I listen to about a dozen podcasts - none more journalistically (in the old-fashioned, quality sense of the word) sound than Laura’s. She is a Rock of Gibraltar in the killer seas of crypto.
Dutchladle
2022-01-12

You’re much appreciated

Thanks for the amazing content Laura. I’m new to the space so I’ve been diving deep into the rabbit hole of Crypto. Thanks to your content that dive has been pretty smooth thus far. I stumbled upon your Ted Talk on YouTube at the ending of 2021, that’s where I learnt about your podcast and I’ve been a devoted listener ever since. Keep up the good work.
istemihan1000
2021-12-24

Great interviews

Thanks Laura for Christmas Eve and so many others this year. A follow up on El Salvador adaption was missed. How this de level ops and grows or fails will be a major news event going forward. I like guest’ discussion on FUD and tribalism. Perhaps the opposite can be COP (Cheerleading, Overvaluing, and Pumping).
pbjlogan
2021-11-29

‘No Hype’

And yet she brings on a professional astrologer. I like the show but that is unprofessional. Going to leave this for a week or two in protest.
Hkiugbxsdgnkklnbcds
2021-10-25

Very Insightful Podcast

This podcast has incredible and insightful information that is available to the listeners’ fingertips. I am very impressed on the subject of today’s podcast!
Fashionistagirly1967
2021-10-20

Insightful information

Very thought provoking insightful information to learn all the new things in crypto, nft and metaverse.
Real admiration for work u do
Nufcrambo
2021-09-12

Livni Never Again!

I generally really like Laura’s podcasts. Her guests are usually well informed and very educational. But that Livni guest from The NY Times was horrible! I could not stand to listen to her! What brainless, liberal hack! Please never ask her back onto your show Laura. Your listeners hated her.
cryptorocks
2021-08-18

Awesome podcast!

Laura, host of the Unchained podcast, highlights all aspects of business, investing and more in this can’t miss podcast! The host and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that is helpful to anyone that listens!
EricaBushwell
2021-07-25

Empowering, insightful and actionable! 🙌

Whether you’re well established as someone who can translate creative energy into the impact you want to have on the crypto community, or just getting started as a catalyst for change - this is a must-listen podcast for you! Laura does an incredible job leading conversations that cover a huge breadth of topics related to the ins and outs of navigating the constantly shifting industry landscape - while highlighting what you truly need to know - with leaders who’ve actually walked the path. Highly recommend listening and subscribing!
obacker19
2021-06-15

Amazing guests + smart questions

Unchained is my favorite crypto podcast because Laura’s journalistic approach cuts through the hype. She isn’t afraid to ask billionaires hard questions - a refreshing quality in such a bullish space!
Check out the Mark Cuban and Chris Dixon episodes.
Jessca84
2021-05-18

Great Work

Great episode with Alex Gladstein! 🔥🔥🔥
Fraziertown
2021-05-14

Not journalism; beware.

It’s very clear that after listening to Laura for years now that her podcast will not cover certain major projects within the crypto ecosystem that deserve the coverage. Instead she focuses on Ethereum positive related topics primarily.
This week’s crypto news recap failed to mention a new crypto exchange/platform that is the best capitalized within the crypto ecosystem. This will lead to more on ramps for crypto as a whole. Zero mention and it’s very obvious that she has an agenda and is not covering unbiased news.
Wine customer
2021-05-03

One stop shop for crypto info

Whether you are new to crypto or deep in the weeds, this is a great podcast! Relevant guests, insights into the industry, and Laura does an amazing job of breaking down the information for even the novice listener. Thank you guys for your great work!
centra28
2021-03-30

Ahead of the curve

Always hitting the topic or getting the interview I didn’t know I wanted or that no other show has had. This is one of the best cryptocurrency podcasts.
Velvet Jones81
2021-03-26

Love this!

Incredible content. Keep it up!
Captain Stank
2021-03-13

Please have someone else read news recap

I enjoy this podcast and find it informative. Laura is a great interviewer. My only gripe is that the Crypto News Recap section is almost un-listenable, as she reads the headlines and blurbs in a very stilted manner, both in terms of awkward pauses/pacing and errors in reading words.
shoopboop22
2021-03-12

Intro is the worst

Seriously, this was the longest and most annoying intro I have ever had to sit through for any podcast. I only say this because it is a huge barrier to listeners. Please consider changing it.
The last thing I want is to try to be sold three different times before the podcast even starts
Johnnysayssss
2021-02-18

Great podcast

Love unchained! So easy to follow!
Adaobi. N
2021-02-09

Solid!

Timing is 🔑 and Unchained gets you important upcoming information fast! Thank you so much 🙏
MitchJ1971
2021-02-09

I like some of it but...

I am not a fan of this show but I want more Lynn Alden and less Roul.
Jhwahaha
2021-01-19

Beware

Listen to fools, lose everything, you’ve been warned
Nickesh23
2020-12-29

Big fan...Mind stretch!

You can geek out on the details or plug in for the big picture. Up to you. Laura does a terrific job of keeping the conversation on topic and on task. I listen to a lot of different podcasts - few have the mind-stretching qualities of Unchained. Also, if you haven’t realized we are at the tipping point of the biggest shift in our civilization in probably 500 years, plug in or go back to your 8-track.
NYCMontana
2020-11-17

Amazing Podcast

I listen to a lot of blockchain podcasts and this one is by far the most educational. Laura Shin does an incredible job to bring thought leaders from the blockchain space. She styles episodes in a way that both new comers and people involved in crypto 24/7 can enjoy.
Tommyyy96
2020-10-01

Excellent

I love how the host’s questions are almost ALL the who/what/where/when/why/how type and avoids assuming answers for the guests or putting forth potential responses at the end of questions. I can’t stand when people do that! Laura also asks “tough” questions and seems averse to softball lines of inquiry. Bravo.
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