When Shift Happens Podcast

Hosted by Kevin Follonier

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196

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Nov 2026

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EN-US

About the show

I sit down every week with the most based people in crypto. My goal is to create a safe space to have the deepest and most real conversations with the biggest builders and investors in the industry, as well as to help educate the mainstream people, politicians, celebrities and big Web2 entrepreneurs coming into Web3. Hopefully this platform does its little part in onboarding as many people as possible into the incredible world of opportunities that Web 3 offers, while staying true to crypto’s core values and ethos. Thank you for watching.

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November 12, 2026Episode 1941 hr 9 min

4 Billion Fund Manager Reveals The 5 Crypto Coins He’s Going All In On | E194

Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly, has backed more than 150 crypto companies. He explains how top investors actually pick and win deals, and why the AI boom looks a lot like crypto in 2020. He also explains why most of the difficulty in venture is getting a seat at the table, and how an underdog can win without a big brand. He also shares what drew him to early bets like Near, Ethena and Variational. He ends with the bets he believes in most right now, what would make him bearish on crypto, and why the culture of trying new things matters so much. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🌐 NEAR is a high-speed, low-fee Layer 1 blockchain built for scalable apps and AI agents: https://near.org/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries: https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com ___________ FOLLOW HASEEB QURESHI 👇 • Twitter: https://x.com/hosseeb?s=21 • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imhaseeb FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. #Crypto, #AI, #NEAR, #NEARProtocol, #IlliaPolosukhin, #Web3, #Blockchain, #AIAndCrypto, #DecentralizedAI, #DataPrivacy, #Privacy, #Transformers, #ChatGPT, #Claude, #AIPrivacy, #Bitcoin, #Ethereum, #DeFi, #CryptoNews, #CryptoInvesting, #FutureOfAI, #BigTech, #DigitalPrivacy, #TheShiftNewsletter, #Innovation 0:00 Intro 2:18 Why AI Currently Feels Like Crypto Did 6:28 How Haseeb Looks At Investing During a Frenzy 8:54 The Solana Memo Haseeb Regrets 12:47 Why Getting Into VC Is Difficult 15:34 How an Underdog Wins Deals 17:50 Why Building A Personal Brand Helps In VC 19:34 Partnerships: @Variational @BitwiseInvest 20:27 Advice on Being Adaptable To Specific Founders 21:18 Why Haseeb Ended Up Investing in Near Protocol 28:55 Ethena’s Investment: The Bet Nobody Wanted 32:57 Partnership: @KASTxyz 33:44 Why Dragonfly Still Holds Ethena 34:52 What Made Variational Worth Investing In 40:40 How Big Can Variational Get 44:02 Why The Founder of HyperLiquid Said No to Investors 47:21 How Dragonfly Thinks About Taking Profits 50:06 Partnerships: @JupiterExchange @Ethena 50:49 The Crypto Haseeb Believes In Most 56:10 Haseeb’s Thesis on Zcash: Insurance for Bitcoin 1:01:06 What Would Make Him Bearish 1:06:06 Why The Silicon Valley Culture Is Important

November 4, 202656 min

Why AI Alongside Crypto Will Dominate the Next Decade - NEAR Founder | E193

Illia Polosukhin, CEO of the NEAR Foundation and co-founder of NEAR Protocol, also helped create the transformer architecture behind AI like ChatGPT and Claude, explains what really happens to your data when you use AI and why a handful of companies could end up controlling it. He also shares how he went from AI to crypto and how crypto's privacy tools are being used to build AI that can't see or use your data without your permission. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated financial exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events : https://kalshi.com/category/crypto ___________ FOLLOW ILLIA POLOSUKHIN • Twitter: https://x.com/ilblackdragon • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/near-protocol-project/ FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 02:57 His Mission: Own Your Data, Assets and Choices 04:08 Growing Up With Hyperinflation in Ukraine 05:46 Why Now Is the Best Time To Learn Anything 06:58 The Big Move: Leaving Google 07:56 "Attention Is All You Need" Explained Simply 12:12 Partnerships: @Variational @BitwiseInvest 13:05 Why Google Didn't Launch ChatGPT First 16:01 What the Smartest AI People Still Get Wrong 17:33 How a Payments Problem Led Him to Crypto 24:44 What NEAR Is Today 26:43 Partnership: @KASTxyz 27:30 What NEAR Handles That Other Stacks Can’t 29:05 What Happens To Your Data With Big AI Companies 31:29 What You Should Never Ask a Chatbot 32:52 The 1984 Scenario: Who Controls AI's Instructions? 35:07 How You Can Verify Your AI (The Green Lock) 36:55 Zcash and Private Money Explained 40:31 What Is User-Owned AI? 42:05 Partnerships: @JupiterExchange @Ethena 42:49 How Is User-Owned AI Sustainable 44:58 The Strongest Argument Against Private AI 47:23 Is the AI Doom Story Overhyped? 51:21 The Next Big Shift: Personalized Medicine 54:10 What Humans Will Struggle To Adapt To

October 29, 2026Episode 19243 min

E192: Tristan Thompson: Why This NBA Champion Is Betting on Crypto (and why you should too)

NBA champion Tristan Thompson breaks down the simple Bitcoin strategy he uses to build long-term wealth, and why he believes in Bitcoin going to $1 million. He opens up about growing up around government assistance, the memecoin trade where greed cost him most of a seven figure gain, and why so many rich people end up losing it all. Whether you’re new to crypto or already stacking, this is a rare look at how a pro athlete really thinks about money, risk, and getting rich. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🔓 Trezor offers the safest cold-storage wallets for crypto and true financial independence. Buy with 10% off - promo code: WSH10 - https://affil.trezor.io/SH12h 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated financial exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events : https://kalshi.com/category/crypto ___________ FOLLOW TRISTAN THOMPSON • Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/realtristan13/ • LinkedIn: https://x.com/TThompson FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. 0:00 Intro 3:55 What Basketball Taught Tristan About Investing 4:41 Tristan’s Biggest Weakness 6:04 Growing Up With A Chip On His Shoulder 6:52 Why He Switched From Soccer To Basketball 8:58 Life After The NBA 11:20 Why Companies Want Former Athletes 12:46 Partnerships: @KASTxyz @Variational @BitwiseInvest 14:24 Why Sharks Target Athletes’ Money 16:49 Bitcoin To $1 Million? 19:37 Tristan’s Crypto Portfolio Beyond Bitcoin 21:08 His Biggest Miss & Best Investment 23:03 The Real Goal Behind Building Wealth 24:09 What Separates Talented From Great 24:49 Why He’s Betting On AI & Robotics 27:29 What Becomes Scarce When AI Makes Everything Abundant 28:44 Preparing Kids For An AI Future 29:51 Partnerships: @JupiterExchange @Ethena 30:35 Where The Money In AI Actually Goes 33:16 Why Rich People Lose It All 35:02 The Memecoin Trade That Got Away 35:35 Does Tristan Make Money Leverage Trading? 37:39 Tristan’s Thoughts On Zcash 38:03 What He’s Trying To Win Now 39:25 Do Elite Degrees Still Matter? 41:57 If You Don’t Spend It, Someone Else Will 42:46 Closing Thoughts

October 22, 2026Episode 1911 hr 0 min

E191: Dan Tapiero: After 35 Years, I Figured Out The Secrets To Getting Rich In Crypto

Dan Tapiero, founder of $1.7 billion digital asset firm 10T Holdings, returns to reveal the boring secrets to getting rich in crypto that actually work, from why he passed on FTX to the selling rule that keeps you from giving it all back. After 35 years in investing, including working under legends Stan Druckenmiller, Julian Robertson and Steve Cohen, Dan explains why crypto is the easiest place in the world to make money and the hardest place to keep it. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🔓 Trezor offers the safest cold-storage wallets for crypto and true financial independence. Buy with 10% off - promo code: WSH10 - https://affil.trezor.io/SH12h 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated financial exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events : https://kalshi.com/category/crypto ___________ FOLLOW DAN TAPIERO • Twitter: https://x.com/DTAPCAP • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-tapiero-22b41b191/ FOLLOW 50T HOLDINGS • Twitter: https://x.com/50TFunds • Website: https://www.50tfunds.com/ FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. 0:00 Intro 2:05 What Rich People Understand About Money 3:54 Why Dan Isn't On Instagram 5:18 The Biggest Myths About Getting Rich 6:43 Advice That Keeps People Poor 9:49 How FOMO Becomes The Wrecker Of Wealth 15:25 Partnerships: @Variational @BitwiseInvest 16:17 What People Shouldn't Optimize For In Crypto Today 18:20 Mistakes People Make In Their 20s & 30s 20:54 Knowing When To Sell Is A Skill All Should Learn 25:54 Skill vs Patience In Wealth Building 28:54 Why Do People Sell Their Winners Too Early? 30:46 Partnership: @KASTxyz 31:34 Where We're At Within The Crypto Wealth Cycle 37:20 Dan's Thoughts On Zcash's Progress 39:50 The Best Ways To Bet On Assets Going On Chain 43:01 How Bullish Is Dan On NFTs? 45:38 What Smart People In Crypto Get Wrong Today 48:26 Partnerships: @JupiterExchange @Ethena 49:09 Why All Monetary Value Will Go On Chain 51:21 Where Should A 25-Year-Old Spend Their Energy? 52:57 The Secrets To Getting Rich In Crypto 58:04 What Does A Rich Life Look Like For Dan? 59:58 Closing Thoughts

October 15, 2026Episode 1901 hr 50 min

E190: Raoul Pal: How to Get Rich in Crypto Before AI Changes Everything

Raoul Pal believes we have roughly four years to build wealth before AI fundamentally changes how the economy works. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🔓 Trezor offers the safest cold-storage wallets for crypto and true financial independence. Buy with 10% off - promo code: WSH10 - https://affil.trezor.io/SH12h 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated financial exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events : https://kalshi.com/category/crypto ___________ CONNECT WITH RAOUL👇 Twitter: https://x.com/RaoulGMI Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raoul-pal-real-vision/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raoulgmi YouTube: @RaoulPalTJM GET RAOUL PAL’S FREE REPORT AND PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DECADE: https://rvtv.io/3YOZZUe CONNECT WITH REAL VISION👇 Twitter: https://x.com/RealVision Website: https://www.instagram.com/realvisiontv YouTube: @RealVisionPresents FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. 0:00 - Intro 03:31 - The BANANA ZONE that never happened 04:07 - How To Allocate Better In Crypto 04:52 - How Compounding Actually Works 09:25 - Early vs Wrong: How To Tell 12:54 - The Belief Raoul Totally Reversed 19:01 - Sponsor: Variational, Bitwise 22:12 - The Belief Raoul Wishes Was Wrong 29:46 - How Long Does This Bull Run Last? 34:23 - The Next Obvious Crypto Narrative 36:50 - Is Bitcoin Still Primarily Money? 40:19 - Are We Underestimating AI’s Speed? 50:53 - Sponsor: Kast 51:41 - Will Crypto Ever Be Exciting Again? 59:49 - Is Success Being Smart Or Pain Tolerance? 1:03:27 - KR1: A Raoul Crypto Bet That didn't work 1:11:02 - When will The SUI Thesis Pay Off? 1:13:20 - What Brought Raoul Back To ETH 1:20:24 - Is Zcash A Trade Or A ZODL? 1:21:44 - How Big Can ZEC Get? 1:22:53 - Sponsor: Jupiter, Ethena 1:25:16 - What Is Money For? 1:26:45 - Optimizing For More Than Wealth 1:29:35 - The Most Asked Question To His Palvatar 1:33:31 - The Secret to Raoul's Great Looks 1:35:03 - Looksmaxxing: How Deep Is Raoul In? 1:37:46 - Was Telling Everyone About SUI a Wise Idea? 1:42:53 - Was the 70% SUI Position Sizing Wrong? 1:44:13 - Does Raoul Still Believe In Hold And Do Nothing? 1:44:48 - The One Major Shift Left To Witness 1:48:46 - How Good Is AI Today?

October 8, 2026Episode 18932 min

E189: Binance Founder: This Is The Best Time In History To Get Rich In Crypto

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of Binance, sits down with Kevin live on stage at Bitcoin Asia 2026 in Hong Kong and explains why right now is the best point in history to build wealth in crypto. He breaks down why $1 million Bitcoin is coming faster than anyone expects, why Bitcoin will overtake gold in the next bull run, the exact crypto allocation he tells governments to hold, and what the biggest AI companies are telling him about launching their own tokens. Where the next decade of crypto is going, from the man who built the biggest exchange in the world. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries: https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT 🔓 Trezor offers the safest cold-storage wallets for crypto and true financial independence. Buy with 10% off (promo code in video): https://trezor.io/?transaction_id=102... 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ 💧 Sui is a next-gen Layer 1 making digital asset ownership fast, private, and secure. https://sui.io/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com ___________ FOLLOW CHANGPENG ZHAO (CZ)👇 Twitter: https://x.com/cz_binance FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. #CryptoNews, #JupiterDEX, #SolanaEcosystem, #DeFiInsights, #DEXAggregator, #CryptoTrading, #Web4, #BlockchainFuture, #TokenEconomics, #CryptoCommunity, #DeFiGrowth, #CryptoAdoption, #FintechRevolution, #CryptoMistakes, #FoundersStory, #CryptoBuilders, #DeFiRevenue, #CryptoVolume, #CryptoCulture, #Web3ToWeb4, #CryptoInnovation, #SolanaDEX, #CryptoProduct, #BlockchainStrategy 0:00 Intro 0:37 Do We Need 25 Years For Bitcoin To Hit $1M 1:36 What’s Needed For This Century To Be Bitcoin Century 3:26 How Tokenization Links To Bitcoin’s Success 5:08 Will Bitcoin Weaken Or Strengthen Governments 8:47 Are Governments Serious About Bitcoin Today 11:14 What Most Governments Aren’t Doing With Bitcoin 12:56 Which Countries Are Doing The Best With Bitcoin 15:36 Will Bitcoin Become More Valuable Than Gold 16:33 Could We Be Wrong About Bitcoin Being Better Than Gold 17:17 How Much Should Countries Go In On Bitcoin 20:37 What’s Driving The Next Bitcoin Cycle 21:49 How AI Agents Will Trade Crypto 25:21 Stablecoins vs Bitcoin’s Future 26:54 What Will CZ Contribute To The Bitcoin Century

October 1, 2026Episode 1881 hr 53 min

E188: Crypto Trading Expert: Why No Amount of Crypto Is Enough (even millions)

Jordi Alexander, founder and CEO of crypto trading firm Selini Capital, explains why retirement is a 20th century dream and why no amount of money will ever be "enough" in a world being rebuilt by AI. He also shares the skill AI can't replace, where he sees Bitcoin and Zcash heading next, and why health, not wealth, will be the biggest divide of the next 20 years. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🔓 Trezor offers the safest cold-storage wallets for crypto and true financial independence. Buy with 10% off - promo code: WSH10 - https://affil.trezor.io/SH12h 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated financial exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events : https://kalshi.com/category/crypto ___________ CONNECT WITH JORDI ALEXANDER Twitter: https://x.com/gametheorizing FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. 00:00 Intro 03:23 How Do You Not Break The Streak? 05:56 Who Are You? 09:24 When Did You Know You'd Made It? 12:15 How Do You Get Into The Inner Circle? 14:23 Are Billionaires Actually Special? 18:55 Early Or Just Wrong On AGI? 24:00 Sponsor: Variational, Bitwise 24:57 How Do You Not Go Crazy? 29:10 When Did Your Intuition Cost You? 31:30 The Skill AI Can't Replace 41:25 Are Book Smarts Dead? 43:03 When To Stop Grinding And Recharge 47:17 How Do You Protect Your Peace Of Mind? 51:03 Is "No Retirement" Bad Advice For Normal People? 54:45 Sponsor: Kast 1:01:13 Are Health Shortcuts Worth It? 1:06:52 Has Your Hourly Rate Changed? 50K For A Coffee 1:09:41 Where Is The Puck Going? 1:16:07 Which Platforms Win? 1:20:18 Is Qiao Wang Serious About Zcash? 1:23:19 Where Could Zcash Be In 2 Years? 1:24:50 What's In Your Macro Portfolio? 1:25:50 Why Nobody Teaches Allocation 1:29:08 Sponsor: Jupiter, Ethena 1:29:48 How Wealth Turns Into Unhappiness 1:34:56 When Does More Money Stop Mattering? 1:36:07 Why Spend Millions To Impress Strangers? 1:40:37 At 90, What Would Make Your Money Worth It? 1:42:47 Health Inequality Vs Wealth Inequality 1:44:10 What To Do When You're Spiraling 1:49:16 Can Normal People Access Psychedelic Therapy? 1:51:15 The One Thing To Remember 1:53:01 Thank You Jordi

September 25, 2026Episode 1871 hr 4 min

E187: Binance Founder: Nobody Realizes How Big The Next 10 Years Of Crypto Will Be

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of Binance, opens up on why he's always bullish on Twitter, how a single tweet lined up with Bitcoin's 20% pump right before Trump's crypto speech, and why he believes crypto is still nowhere near saturated with less than 1% global penetration. He also gets candid about growing up a second-generation immigrant in Canada, surviving the FTX collapse and a Binance hack, and his contrarian take on why the traditional education system is broken. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on stocks, commodities, and more digital assets: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is a leading platform for digital asset trading and the largest of its kind on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend digital dollars with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ digital asset investment products - ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar system built on Ethereum's network, offering a digitally-native, non-bank-dependent price-stable digital currency called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated exchange for trading on the outcomes of real-world events: ⁠https://kalshi.com/⁠ ___________ FOLLOW CHANGPENG ZHAO (CZ)👇 Twitter: https://x.com/cz_binance FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. #CryptoNews, #JupiterDEX, #SolanaEcosystem, #DeFiInsights, #DEXAggregator, #CryptoTrading, #Web4, #BlockchainFuture, #TokenEconomics, #CryptoCommunity, #DeFiGrowth, #CryptoAdoption, #FintechRevolution, #CryptoMistakes, #FoundersStory, #CryptoBuilders, #DeFiRevenue, #CryptoVolume, #CryptoCulture, #Web3ToWeb4, #CryptoInnovation, #SolanaDEX, #CryptoProduct, #BlockchainStrategy 0:00 Introduction 2:01 Life on the Road 3:33 Who Are You? 4:07 Becoming a Top-20 Billionaire 5:14 Growing Up Poor in Canada 6:45 His Sister's Career 7:35 Avoiding "Third Gen Degenerate" 8:07 Binance's First Day 10:05 Sponsor: Variational & Bitwise 10:58 The Early Team 12:32 What Hardworking Means 13:35 Misconceptions About Binance 14:24 Why Listed Projects Disappoint 16:54 Can Retail Ever Win? 18:58 Origin of the "4" Meme 20:55 Tweeting "4" and Meaning It 21:29 The FTX Tweet, Full Story 25:13 Hardest Period of His Life 26:05 Prison, Not Knowing When 27:48 Did Anyone Disappear? 28:31 Sponsor: Kast 29:18 The Pardon Process 32:20 Pardon: Politics or Justice? 34:32 Advice for Elon 35:44 Bybit Hack: Was Ben Right? 36:42 2019 Hack and the Red Button 41:18 Hyperliquid as a Threat? 45:07 Why Hype Isn't on Binance 46:31 The 10/10 Crash Villain 50:47 Tweeting "4" on the Crash? 51:31 Sponsor: Jupiter & Ethena 52:14 His Crypto Legacy 53:56 Giggle Academy 1:00:56 Can CZ Move the Market? 1:03:30 Outro

September 10, 2026Episode 1851 hr 28 min

E186: Variational CEO: This Hidden Fee Is Quietly Draining Your Crypto Account

Lucas Schuermann is the founder and CEO of Variational, a peer-to-peer derivatives protocol built on Arbitrum. Former Genesis executive, former quant, and someone who went to Columbia at 12 and started a hedge fund at 20. Today we get into why variational charges zero trading fees, how it's aggregating liquidity from traditional finance to list hundreds of assets on chain, why perps have a funding rate problem most traders don't understand until it costs them, and what happens to old-school brokers once this liquidity actually moves. ___________ THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/ ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated financial exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events : https://kalshi.com/category/crypto ___________ FOLLOW VARIATIONAL 👇 • Twitter: https://x.com/variational_io • Linkedin: https://ky.linkedin.com/company/variational FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:20 Merch, Travel & Being Back in Singapore 5:13 Who Is Lucas Sherman? 5:24 How Lucas Thinks About Building Trust 6:03 Starting College at Age 12 8:26 How Do You Actually Skip That Many Grades? 9:45 Making Friends Six Years Younger Than Everyone Else 10:40 Are You Still a "Weirdo" at 30? 11:40 Starting a Hedge Fund at 20 - "Hubris of the Young" 14:09 From Paper-Reading Group to a Real Fund 16:50 Acquired by Digital Currency Group at 21 18:59 Why Sell the Fund to DCG? 19:54 Sponsors: Variational & Bitwise 20:47 Did You Regret Selling That Early? 21:51 The Money DCG Made Off Their Work 22:38 Starting a Market Making Firm 24:46 Explain Variational Protocol to Your Mom 26:49 Biggest Mistake Building Variational 28:13 The "Holy Sh*t, We Built Something Massive" Moment 29:54 Reason #1: Zero Fees 32:59 How Do You Trust the Price With Only One Market Maker? 34:33 Are Trading Fees a Scam? 35:29 How Much Do Fees Actually Cost Traders? 36:33 Reason #2: Asset Selection & What "Liquidity" Really Means 40:20 Why Hasn't Crypto Solved This Already? 42:39 Where On-Chain Order Books Break at Scale 46:04 Sponsor: KAST 1:07:30 Sponsor: Jupiterexchange & Ethena

September 2, 2026Episode 18558 min

E185: Ethena CEO: This $7B Crypto Company Just Launched An App That Pays You To Spend Money

Guy Young built Ethena from zero to billions in under two years. In this conversation, we talk about the one crypto product he believes can reach 100 million users: a yield-bearing dollar in a mobile app. The goal is for it to feel like a normal fintech app where users don't even know crypto is powering it underneath. Just save, spend, and send to anyone in the world. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated financial exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events : https://kalshi.com/category/crypto ___________ Follow Guy Young • Twitter: https://x.com/gdog97_ FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. 0:00 Introduction 2:37 Which Of Guy’s Plans Didn’t Work Out 5:37 Where Are The Users People Are Trying To Obtain 7:10 What Excited Guy About Crypto 9:20 Differences Between PayPal, Revolut, & Neo Banks 12:43 Partnerships: @Variational @BitwiseInvest 13:36 Revolut vs Stable Coin Neo Banks 15:58 Is Swapping To Neo Banks A 10x Improvement 18:00 Ethena Pay Explained Simply 21:21 Why Another Crypto Neo Bank 23:53 Will A Fight For The Pie Happen With Crypto Banks 25:55 How Ethena Gets Users When It Can Help Everyone 32:47 What Makes Ethena Different 36:51 Ethena’s Cashback System Revealed 38:32 Guy’s Thoughts On How Ethena Reduces Fees 39:39 How Ethena Gets The Best Yield 45:16 Guy’s Opinion On Dealing With FUD 48:35 Why Guy Doesn’t Communicate A Lot 49:29 Partnership: @KASTxyz 50:17 What KPI Is Ethena Looking To Hit In 2026 51:55 The Holy Grail For A Stable Coin Neo Bank 52:31 Partnerships: @JupiterExchange @Ethena 53:14 If Everyone’s Doing The Same Thing, Who Wins 55:23 The Next Big Thing For Ethena After Ethena Pay 56:36 Is Ethena Pay Like USDE 58:04 Closing Thoughts