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Unchained

The Chopping Block: Token Launch Hype, L1 Wars & Prediction Market Breakouts - Ep. 969

Unchained

Laura Shin

Tech News, Business News, News

4.61.3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Welcome to The Chopping Block — where Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner cover crypto’s biggest moments. This week we’re joined by Kevin from the Monad Foundation as we dig into the most chaotic token launch of the year. Monad goes live, CT explodes, and the tokenomics wars come roaring back — vesting, float, FDV, and why everything “just keeps going down.” We break down whether the world actually needs another L1, how hype creates impossible expectations, and how Kevin and the Monad team are handling the spotlight — and the hate. Then we shift to security chaos: Yearn’s underflow hack, Anthropic’s AI discovering real smart contract vulnerabilities, and “post-quantum” panic sweeping Crypto Twitter. Plus: BTC volatility, MicroStrategy drama, and prediction markets suddenly going mainstream. Show highlights 🔹 Monad’s explosive token launch — hype, backlash, and why it became CT’s main character of the week. 🔹 Kevin joins to break down the launch mechanics, the expectations, and what the team actually prepared for. 🔹 “Low float, high FDV” returns — why vesting debates reignited and why tokens keep sliding despite higher floats. 🔹 Do we really need another L1? The crew dissects infrastructure fatigue, tribalism, and what counts as real differentiation. 🔹 Why hype almost guarantees disappointment — and why early sentiment rarely predicts long-term outcomes. 🔹 Handling the hate — Kevin explains how the team reframes attention, survives the noise, and stays focused post-launch. 🔹 Yearn Sonic exploit — a simple underflow bug hits an OG DeFi protocol, reigniting security concerns. 🔹 AI finds zero-days — Anthropic’s agents discover new smart-contract vulnerabilities and spark an AI security arms race. 🔹 Quantum panic — why “post-quantum” became CT’s latest engagement meta and what it actually means for chains. 🔹 Macro shakeups — BTC volatility, MicroStrategy flirting with NAV, and equities demolishing crypto returns. 🔹 Prediction markets breakout — Polymarket’s US launch, Kalshi’s mega raise, and Robinhood bringing event contracts in-house. 🔹 Long-tail opportunity — why prediction markets may extend far beyond politics and sports to everything people care about. Hosts: ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  Guest ⭐️ Kevin McCordic, Director of Growth at Monad Foundation ⁠Disclosures⁠ Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:21 Monad: Hype, Hate & Week-One Reality 06:08 Vesting, Float & the “Low Float, High FDV” Meta 17:27 Do We Need Another L1?  25:08 Public Perception, Expectations & Narrative Cycles 35:54 Yearn’s yETH Exploit & Anthropic’s Exploit Agents  44:06 MSTR at NAV & Equities Leaving Crypto Behind 48:06 Polymarket vs. Kalshi vs. Robinhood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

The vast majority of crypto projects fail or die because nobody cares.

0:05.0

We're still in the low flow of meta.

0:06.0

There are no simple solutions for why tokens keep fucking going down.

0:10.0

Your friends are getting hilariously rich, punching quantum meme stocks, and you know, you're stuck flat in Bitcoin.

0:15.0

If it's just another copycat, there is no value at all in a journey.

0:19.0

Crypto Twitter is so mad at everything right now that Satoshi could launch Bitcoin and everyone

0:23.7

would hate it.

0:24.5

Not a dividend.

0:25.5

It's a tale of two quans.

0:26.6

Now, your losses are on someone else's balance.

0:29.3

Generally speaking, air drops are kind of pointless anyways.

0:31.9

I'm into trading firms who are very involved.

0:34.9

I like that eat is the ultimate pump.

0:37.1

D5 protocols are the antidote to this problem. Hello everybody. Welcome to the chopping block. Every couple weeks before we're to get together and give the industry insider's perspective on the crypto topics of the day. So quick intro is first you got Tom, the DFI Maven and Master of Memes. Hello, everyone. Next, we've got Robert, the Cryptoconussur, and Tsar of Super State. Good Winter's Eve. Yes, in Hat today. We decided to represent in Hat because it's winter and maybe the last live show that we'll be doing for the year. Joining us today, we've got special guest, Kevin, shit poster specialist at the Monad Foundation. I like that. First time hearing that. Welcome, welcome. and I'm a seed the head hype man at Dragonfly we're early two investors in crypto but I want to caveat that

1:14.6

nothing we at the Monad Foundation. I like that. First time I'm hearing that. Welcome, welcome. And I'm a Steve

1:11.2

The Head Hype Man at Dragonfly.

1:12.7

We're early-station investors in crypto, but I want to caveat that nothing we say here is investment advice, legal advice, or even life advice. Lecy Chopping Blocked at XYZ for more disclosures. So we wanted to bring you here because Monat has been the talk of the town. it launches token last week

1:27.2

last week yeah I guess last week

1:28.9

congratulations on the token launch

1:30.7

probably Monat has been the talk of the town. It launches token last week. Last week. Yeah, I guess last week.

1:28.9

Congratulations on the token launch. Probably one of the most hated token launches I have seen in the last year.

1:36.0

Just the sheer amount of argument elicited from people who are not either short or long, just to have

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