Crypto Curious

Welcome back to Crypto Curious. Joining us in the studio this week is a very special guest, James Coombes, Chief Commercial Officer at Block Earner. James has helped lead one of Australia's biggest crypto success stories, with Block Earner launching Bitcoin-backed home loans, securing its Australian Credit Licence and taking home the 2026 Finnies Award for Excellence in Consumer Lending.

👉🏽 On the show today, we start by going behind the scenes at Block Earner to explore how Bitcoin-backed home loans actually work, what they've learnt navigating Australia's regulatory landscape, and why more Australians are choosing to put their crypto to work rather than sell it.

👉🏽 Then we unpack a rare moment of humility in crypto, as the creator of Coinbase's Base network publicly admits he got a major strategy wrong, before handing the reins to one of the industry's most respected and influential voices, Cobie.

👉🏽 And finally, remember Robinhood's new blockchain we spoke about last week? Well, the memecoin frenzy has already descended into fake wallet leaks, rug pulls and a spectacular collapse that raises some uncomfortable questions about where the industry still has work to do.

It's a fascinating conversation that spans everything from regulated lending to crypto culture, and where this industry is really heading next.

Let’s get into it 🚀

TIMESTAMPS

1:46 Block Earner turns 5!
5:38 Will CGT changes incentivise more people to borrow against their crypto?
7:00 Jesse Pollak falls short...and admits it publicly!
12:12 Robinhood's cash cat?? What?
16:00 Short, sharp news bites

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Show notes:
James Coombes
Block Earner
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If you’re enjoying these episodes please subscribe to our podcast on your preferred platform, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend or family member.

If you want to start investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Gold & Silver, you can download the Bamboo app here. Use the code CURIOUS for $10 in BTC when you sign up.

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*****

In the spirit of reconciliation, Crypto Curious acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

*****

This podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs, or objectives.

Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're looking at three stories that all ask the same question: who really controls the money?

👉🏼 First, a crypto attacker walked away with $20 million from BonkDAO without hacking a single line of code. He simply bought enough voting power to pass a proposal that transferred the treasury to himself.

👉🏼 Then we head to Washington, where America's Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has stalled because two government departments are fighting over who gets to hold roughly $21 billion worth of Bitcoin.

👉🏼 And finally, Interpol has uncovered a $122 million romance-scam laundering network linked to a 20-year-old crypto wallet, highlighting how blockchain investigators are becoming increasingly effective at tracing money across multiple chains.

Let's get into it 🚀

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TIMESTAMPS

2:01 Bonk DAO's treasury gets hacked for $20m via vote stacking
6:10 The March 2025 big promise locked in a turf war
8:32 Interpol wraps Operation First Light 2026 - what even is it?
11:13 Short, sharp news bites

****

Show notes:

Curious about our app? Try out the new Bamboo demo mode.
OR try our new Micro-Investment Calculator
Have you subscribed to the Crypto Curious Newsletter?

****
If you’re enjoying these episodes please subscribe to our podcast on your preferred platform, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend or family member.

If you want to start investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Gold & Silver, you can download the Bamboo app here. Use the code CURIOUS for $10 in BTC when you sign up.

Follow the Crypto Curious Instagram here.
Join the Crypto Curious Facebook Group here.

*****

In the spirit of reconciliation, Crypto Curious acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

*****

This podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs, or objectives.

Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crypto industry has matured rapidly over the past few years, but what's next?

This week on Crypto Curious, we sat down with Tamas Szabo, Group CEO of Pepperstone Crypto, to discuss the evolution of digital assets, where the market is heading, and what it will take for crypto to become part of everyday finance.

Whether you're new to crypto or have been following the industry for years, this conversation offers a thoughtful perspective on where we're headed next.

Let's get into it 🚀

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TIMESTAMPS

1:32 An introduction from Tamas & Pepperstone
4:10 What's a CFD?
5:32 From CFD's to spot exchange...
9:00 What makes Pepperstone Crypto different from the competition?
10:50 Crypto regulation - where is it going?
12:41 What are crypto traders getting that FX traders aren't?
15:00 Let's talk pricing
16:12 Custody best practice
17:00 Tamas's past experience in the crypto ecosystem

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Social handles:
Pepperstone Crypto is offering 0% commission trading on all crypto for the month of July!
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Instagram
Facebook

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If you’re enjoying these episodes please subscribe to our podcast on your preferred platform, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend or family member.

If you want to start investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Gold & Silver, you can download the Bamboo app here. Use the code CURIOUS for $10 in BTC when you sign up.

Follow the Crypto Curious Instagram here.
Join the Crypto Curious Facebook Group here.

*****

In the spirit of reconciliation, Crypto Curious acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

*****

This podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs, or objectives.

Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Blake, and Tracey is taking a well-earned break this week, but I'm joined by a very special guest co-host, Jonno Newman from TRM Labs.

If you haven't come across TRM before, they're one of the world's leading blockchain intelligence firms, working with governments, law enforcement agencies and some of the biggest crypto businesses on the planet to investigate hacks, trace stolen funds and follow the money on-chain. Jonno, great to have you with us.

And you've picked a fascinating week to jump in. 👉🏼 To begin with we dive into Jonno's world. TRM Labs has just released its latest global crypto crime report, revealing a record number of crypto hacks during the first half of 2026. But the biggest surprise isn't the number of attacks—it's how dramatically the tactics are changing, and why the blockchain itself is rarely the weakest link anymore.

👉🏼 Then we turn to what could become one of the most significant stablecoin launches we've ever seen. More than 140 companies—including Visa, Mastercard, BlackRock, Stripe and Australia's own Commonwealth Bank—have joined forces to build a shared stablecoin. If it succeeds, it could reshape how money moves around the world.

👉🏼 And finally, Donald Trump's latest financial disclosure, which revealed something almost nobody expected crypto has officially become his single biggest source of income, generated around $1.4 billion in 2025 and is raising some very big questions about transparency, regulation and the growing intersection between politics and digital assets.

Let's get into it 🚀

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TIMESTAMPS

2:26 Jonno walks us through the H1 2026 crypto hacks report!
8:07 OpenUSD launches with a massive guest list
15:40 Donald Trump discloses enormous crypto profits - and no one's happy about it!
17:45 Short, sharp news bites

****

Show notes:
H1 2026 Report
Bitcoin Minors
Youtube
Instagram
TikTok
Curious about our app? Try out the new Bamboo demo mode.
OR try our new Micro-Investment Calculator
Have you subscribed to the Crypto Curious Newsletter?

****
If you’re enjoying these episodes please subscribe to our podcast on your preferred platform, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend or family member.

If you want to start investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Gold & Silver, you can download the Bamboo app here. Use the code CURIOUS for $10 in BTC when you sign up.

Follow the Crypto Curious Instagram here.
Join the Crypto Curious Facebook Group here.

*****

In the spirit of reconciliation, Crypto Curious acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

*****

This podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs, or objectives.

Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we begin in Europe, where Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, is being forced to wind down services across parts of the European Union after failing to meet the region's new MiCA licensing requirements. It's one of the clearest examples yet of regulators saying that even the biggest names in crypto have to play by a new set of rules.

Then we turn to an unlikely showdown. Nearly one hundred Catholic bishops and faith leaders have publicly opposed a major piece of US crypto legislation, arguing it could make human trafficking and financial crime harder to combat. It's a fascinating debate that goes well beyond digital assets and asks a much bigger question: where should innovation end and public responsibility begin?

And finally, Mark Zuckerberg is back. Meta is reportedly building its own prediction markets platform, setting its sights on companies like Polymarket and Kalshi. Whether it's politics, sport or global events, prediction markets are quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing areas of crypto—and now one of the world's biggest technology companies wants a seat at the table.

Let's get into it. 🚀

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TIMESTAMPS

1:30 Crypto giant suspends services in parts of the EU
4:37 The catholic church turns lobbyists!
7:33 Zuck wants in on the prediction markets...
11:34 Short, sharp news bites

****

Show notes:

Curious about our app? Try out the new Bamboo demo mode.
OR try our new Micro-Investment Calculator
Have you subscribed to the Crypto Curious Newsletter?

****
If you’re enjoying these episodes please subscribe to our podcast on your preferred platform, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend or family member.

If you want to start investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Gold & Silver, you can download the Bamboo app here. Use the code CURIOUS for $10 in BTC when you sign up.

Follow the Crypto Curious Instagram here.
Join the Crypto Curious Facebook Group here.

*****

In the spirit of reconciliation, Crypto Curious acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today.

*****

This podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs, or objectives.

Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.