ABOUT THIS EPISODE
An Ethereum Foundation researcher says AI-driven math could break crypto keys in months, worst case. Austin Campbell and Chris Perkins weigh the real risk.
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Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake warned that AI-accelerated math could break crypto's cryptography "in the worst case, in months, not years." Meanwhile, Ledger confirmed a hardware implant in a device sold through an authorized reseller, after an estimated $100 million was drained across six chains.
Austin Campbell and Chris Perkins weigh whether self-custody still means what crypto thinks it means, and why Chris says this may be the moment for intermediaries. Fresh off Token2049 in Singapore, Chris also reports that institutions showed up in force as fundamentals and utility replace memes and momentum.
Then they turn to a 10-year Treasury yield around 5.24%, CPI projections, and the young-versus-old fault line Austin sees splitting Western politics, before asking where the money in AI actually lands as OpenAI faces reporting of a $20 billion revenue gap. Chris's answer: picks and shovels.
Hosts
Austin Campbell - Host of Bits + Bips, Founder of Zero Knowledge Group, and Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern
Chris Perkins - Co-host of Bits + Bips and Head of Franklin Crypto
Timestamps:
🌏 01:47 Token2049: what Chris saw as institutions showed up in force in Singapore
🏗️ 07:05 Why Chris says fundamentals and utility are replacing memes and momentum
🇺🇸 11:07 What Patrick Witt's Strategic Bitcoin Reserve comments mean for sovereigns
💰 15:36 Nexo: Generate daily interest on your crypto or borrow funds against your assets at https://unchainedcrypto.com/go/nexo-podcast-yt
🔓 16:11 How a compromised Ledger reseller led to an estimated $100M drained
🔐 21:58 Why Austin says self-custody users have misread their security surface
🧮 25:25 Justin Drake's warning: could AI math break crypto keys before Q-Day?
📈 35:51 A 10-year near 5.24% and why Austin says you can't hike out of a supply shock
🧓 40:00 Why Austin sees young vs. old as the West's next political fault line
🤖 47:40 OpenAI's reported $20B revenue gap: where do the gains from AI land?
