The Policy Layer

We consider the next phase of US crypto regulation after the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate. Norma Krayem of Van Scoyoc Associates, Peter Freeman of FS Vector, and Lee Schneider of Ava Labs follow the practical choices now facing lawmakers and agencies, from rule-making timelines to narrower proposals on software developers and tax treatment. Tune in to hear why new rules could help move policy forward while also changing the terms of the next congressional negotiation. 🎧 Listen in Spotify and Apple Music

Bridget McCormack, President and CEO of the American Arbitration Association, joins us to unpack what happens when smart contracts execute, assets move on-chain, and people still end up in conflict. She explains why AAA created a dedicated Web3 arbitration panel, how blockchain records can change the evidence in a dispute, and why decentralization forces legal decision-makers to get much more precise about who did what. We also get into AI-assisted arbitration, cross-border commerce, and why she believes dispute resolution may need to become part of the infrastructure of digital transactions themselves. 🎧 Listen in Spotify and Apple Music

This episode offers a 2026 midyear global check-in on crypto policy and focuses on where the conversation is gaining real momentum. It covers tokenization, the US legislative moment around the Clarity Act and stablecoin rule-making, the MiCA review process in Europe, and the continued importance of keeping infrastructure providers out of intermediary categories that do not fit what they do. Taken together, these issues offer a useful snapshot of how the policy landscape is shifting across major jurisdictions. Stay updated and get even more details in our policy comment letters. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Erwin Voloder of Blockchain for Europe joins us to unpack why euro stablecoins still struggle to gain traction under MiCA, despite Europe’s push for regulated digital finance. From remuneration and reserve design to legal uncertainty and central bank infrastructure, this episode looks at the frictions shaping the market now and the monetary future Europe may be building toward. The conversation is grounded in Blockchain for Europe’s report, Reforming MiCA for Euro Stablecoins: A Status Report, which lays out a sharper case for recalibrating key parts of the current framework. Check out the full report: https://www.blockchain4europe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Reforming-MiCA-for-Euro-Stablecoins-26426.pdf 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

This episode starts with a simple argument: Europe cannot buy its way into digital sovereignty. Professor Roman Beck explains why the real issue is not nationality, but control, and why blockchain and decentralized systems belong in that conversation. From governance and key custody to resilience and execution, this is a policy discussion about what blockchain infrastructure can offer when institutions are thinking seriously about sovereignty.

What does good crypto regulation look like when the technology keeps moving and the stakes are real? Maha El Dimachki (GFTN) to talk about the gap between blockchain and crypto in policy conversations, the importance of proportionate regulation, and why useful engagement between regulators and industry depends on trust, tension, and clarity. We also get into policy coordination, experimentation, and what still is not getting enough attention. This one is for anyone interested in how serious institutions think through innovation. 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

This episode starts at the core. Why should people care about blockchain? Is everything permissionless? From concert tickets to land records, the conversation shows why blockchain matters once you stop reducing it to Bitcoin or price charts. 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Adam Zec, CEO of MyStandard, joins us to talk about fixing one of the most broken parts of the digital economy: data ownership. MyStandard is building infrastructure that lets individuals control and monetize their workforce data instead of handing it over to platforms by default. The conversation covers hiring, privacy, bias, and why useful blockchain products should lead with what they solve. Discover more in MyStandard.io 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Adrian Ang (Partner at Allen & Gledhill) at brings a clear view of how Singapore approaches stablecoins, blockchain regulation, and the risks that come with digital money. He lays out the logic behind MAS’s framework, from technology-neutral regulation to the higher standards expected of serious market participants. Adrian also explains why regulatory clarity has become one of Singapore’s biggest strengths as a financial hub. 🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Liquid staking tokens may sound like a niche corner of crypto, but they raise a much bigger question: can regulation actually keep up with decentralized systems? Juan Ignacio Ibañez of the MiCA Crypto Alliance dicusses why LSTs are so hard to classify under MiCA, and why that ambiguity creates real compliance risk for platforms and service providers. The conversation moves beyond labels to a deeper issue: what happens when existing rules are built for assets with issuers, managers, and clearer boundaries than Web3 often provides. Listen on Spotify and Apple Music. Discover more in their working paper: Crypto-asset Taxonomy for Investors and Regulators

🎧 Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.