The Agenda

CertiK chief business officer Jason Jiang shares the nitty gritty on how North Korea’s Lazarus Group stole $1.4 billion in ETH-related tokens from Bybit, who is ultimately at fault, and what the crypto industry and investors can do to protect themselves against the next major hack. 

(00:00) Introduction to The Agenda podcast and this week’s episode
(02:17) How Lazarus Group hacked Bybit 
(07:17) Are hard wallets and cold wallets safe from hacks?
(09:19) How AI and quantum computing could compromise blockchains
(12:24) Who is most at fault for the Bybit hack?
(16:05) Is THORChain facilitating crime or abiding by the rules of decentralization?
(18:46) How smart contract audits work
(23:31) Securing AI and planning for the quantum computing Cambrian explosion
(26:02) Is there a white hat hacker shortage?
(30:34) The future of onchain security

Taxbit’s director of government solutions, Miles Fuller, breaks down everything investors and businesses need to know about crypto taxes under the new Donald Trump administration, how the US Department of Government Efficiency’s massive restructuring efforts will impact crypto regulation, and more.

The crypto sector has entered an era of hyperfinancialization, and with this comes predatory MEV and manipulation of blockchain activities that were originally intended to be consensus-based and decentralized. Shutter Network core contributor Loring Harkness explains why encryption and credible neutrality can make blockchain transactions fair again.

(00:00) Introduction to The Agenda podcast and this week’s episode
(01:47) Why credible neutrality and fairness matter
(11:26) Blockchain is as easy as rock, paper, scissors
(17:47) Everyday use cases for encrypted blockchain transactions
(20:48) Why non-finance-focused blockchains still issue tokens
(23:25) Blockchain, crypto and Myanmar
(29:16) Will crypto remain censorship-resistant in an age of hyperfinacialization?
(35:29) Would Shutter work on MMOGs like Pokemon?

Rainforest Foundation US executive director Suzanne Pelletier explains why the NGO is raising 100 BTC for a strategic Bitcoin reserve and how the fund will be used to help protect the Amazon rainforest, combat climate change and protect Indigenous rights. She explains how crypto adoption by nonprofits can increase their financial resilience.

(00:00) Introduction to The Agenda podcast and this week’s episode
(01:38) The Rainforest Foundation US mission
(03:55) Why RFUS launched a strategic Bitcoin reserve
(05:58) Trauma exhaustion and fundraising struggles
(08:20) Fundraising Bitcoin for NGOs
(11:57) Matching RFUS’s annual budget with a 100 BTC reserve
(14:21) How RFUS will use the strategic Bitcoin reserve
(17:14) Raising money from crypto community vs. traditional sources
(18:56) Risk of deforestation climate change tipping point
(21:56) Addressing Bitcoin environmental impact
(25:59) How RFUS works in tandem with Indigenous communities
(30:33) Navigating international and local politics
(32:42) RFUS origin story and why it embraced crypto
(36:57) What’s next for RFUS in 2025
(38:31) How to donate and get involved

Yannik Schrade, co-founder and CEO of Arcium, sits down to share his views on why blockchain developers, corporations, the medical industry and the average internet user need encrypted supercomputing to ensure data privacy and data authenticity. 

(00:00) Introduction to The Agenda podcast and this week’s episode
(01:50) What is Arcium, and why does everyone need encrypted supercomputing? 
(03:00) How encrypted, decentralized supercomputing works
(04:59) Blockchains are transparent by design, so why should some transactions be encrypted?
(11:25) How to ensure data authenticity in AI
(16:34) Yannik’s thoughts on DePIN and network scalability
(20:32) Why DeFi, AI agents and blockchain devs need encrypted decentralized networks
(30:11) Why data privacy matters in 2025
(33:55) Encrypted decentralization normalizes trust and eradicates distrust
(37:58) How do users know that their encrypted data is not monetized or used for personal gain?