This week, host Takatoshi Shibayama is joined by Nikhil Joshi, chief operating officer, ⁠Emurgo⁠, and Lisa JY Tan, founder and founding economist, ⁠Economics Design⁠, to discuss the latest news and developments in the crypto industry.

The panel addresses the current market panic, questioning Bitcoin’s role as a hedge amidst Fed influence and stock-crypto divergence, the current state of Ethereum, the acquisition of Hidden Road, and the next generation of fintech. The discussion on Ethereum covers its market performance in early April 2025, trading with volatility around the $1600-$1800 range and below major EMAs, indicating continued bearish pressure according to some analyses. A key point is the upcoming Pectra upgrade scheduled for May 7th, 2025, which aims to enhance staking by increasing limits to 2,048 ETH and improve user experience through account abstraction, enabling features like batched transactions and stablecoin gas payments, alongside boosting Layer 2 scalability.

The panelists also look at Ripple’s significant $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road in early April 2025, which establishes Ripple as the first crypto firm to own a global, multi-asset prime broker, clearing over $3 trillion annually and serving over 300 institutional clients across FX, digital assets, derivatives, and fixed income. Hidden Road recently secured FINRA approval as a broker-dealer, allowing expansion of its prime brokerage services. Finally, they touch on the next generation of fintech, highlighting the increasing application of AI for fraud prevention and personalized services.

Blockcast is hosted by Head of APAC at Ledger, Takatoshi Shibayama. Previous episodes of Blockcast can be found here, with guests like Nic Young (Oh), Jacob Phillips (Lombard), Chris Yu (SignalPlus), Kathy Zhu (Mezo), Jess Zeng (Mantle), Samar Sen (Talos), Jason Choi (Tangent), Lasanka Perera (Independent Reserve), Mark Rydon (Aethir), Luca Prosperi (M^0), Charles Hoskinson (Cardano), and Yat Siu (Animoca Brands) on our most recent shows.

🎙️ Hey there, Blockcast listeners! 🎙️ This podcast provides commentary and discussion on cryptocurrency and related topics. It is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Guests appearing on this podcast may discuss companies or strategies, but these discussions are not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold any particular asset or pursue any specific strategy. The hosts and guests are not financial advisors, and listeners are urged to consult with a qualified professional before making any investment decisions. Investments in cryptocurrency are inherently risky, and you could lose money.