
Crypto Critics' Corner
By Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin

Crypto Critics' CornerApr 15, 2022

Were SBF's parents in on it? Follow the Money
Today Bennett and Cas talk about Sam Bankman-Fried's parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, who are alleged to be holding onto property and money that the FTX and Alameda Research estates are looking to claw back.
This episode was recorded on September 20th, 2023.

Circle is losing the stablecoin war to Tether (Feat. Leo Schwartz)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Leo Schwartz from Fortune to discuss his feature article about Circle, USDC, and why the stablecoin can't seem to overtake Tether in marketcap or volume.
Read the article here.

SBF Deserves Human Rights

Let's Talk About Number Go Up with Zeke Faux
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by special guest Zeke Faux, journalist and author of the new book Number Go Up.
Faux was able to gain access to SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried), Deltec executives, and the head of Tether while writing his book, which explores how cryptocurrency is being used for nefarious - and not so nefarious - reasons in the real world.
If you'd like to purchase Zeke's book, please visit https://a.co/d/3mqDKBO (this is a non-affiliate link to the Amazon page for his book).

All-In? We're Out: Why the All-In Podcast is Bad for America
Today Bennett and Cas discuss one of the most popular financial podcasts in the world, the All-In podcast, and why it's bad for America.
All-In features Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya, and David Friedberg, mostly talking their books, but lately the hosts have been berating critics and claiming being venture capitalists make them men "in the arena."
This episode was recorded on August 25th and 28th.

How to Steal Almost $100 Million: Prime Trust goes Bust
Today Bennett and Cas discuss Prime Trust (again) after the Nevada-based trust company admitted that previous C-suite executives had made numerous mistakes and mishandled over $80 million in cash and cryptocurrencies.

Effective Altruism: Morally Buy An Island Nation
Bennett and Cas discuss the philosophy of Effective Altruism, how it influenced Sam Bankman-Fried, and how it contributed to the collapse of FTX and Alameda Research. This episode was recorded on July 27th, 2023.

All Hail The Orb: Worldcoin
Bennett and Cas discuss Sam Altman and his new project, Worldcoin, which promises to provide 'proof of humanity' if you let them scan your eyeball.
This episode was recorded on Thursday July 27th, 2023.

Justin Sun and TrueUSD... Again
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are discussing the weird shenanigans ongoing with the stablecoin TrueUSD (TUSD) and the numerous platforms and exchanges that Justin Sun has purchased over the years.
This episode was recorded on Wednesday, July 26th, 2023.

Prime Trust, TrueUSD, and Offshore Finance (Feat. Jonathan Reiter and Patrick Tan)
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Jonathan Reiter and Patrick Tan of ChainArgos to discuss Prime Trust, TrueUSD, stablecoins, and offshore finance.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, June 27th, 2023

How to attack Bitcoin (Feat. Micah Warren)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Dr. Micah Warren, a professor of mathematics, to discuss the game theory of Bitcoin and what it means for the security of Bitcoin.
This episode was recorded on June 8th, 2023.

Bennett and Cas at Consensus 2023: How to Spot a Scam
Today we present the panel that we were featured on at Consensus, entitled "How to Spot a Scam."
The panel was hosted by David Z. Morris of CoinDesk and features former Terraform Labs employee Hyungsuk Kang.

Binance, Coinbase, and the SEC (Featuring Mike Burgersburg of Dirty Bubble Media)
Today Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined - yet again! - by Mike Burgersburg of Dirty Bubble Media to discuss the recent lawsuits brought against Binance and Coinbase by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Crypto Critics Cope at Consensus Conference
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin discuss their takeaways from Consensus 2023, the recent cryptocurrency conference put on by CoinDesk. This video was recorded on April 30th, 2023.

The FDIC, Infinite Insurance, and Moral Hazards (Feat. Rohan Grey)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Rohan Grey to discuss how the government could provide unlimited deposit insurance against banks collapsing.
This episode was recorded on March 15th, 2023.

The Whistleblower Who Exposed WorldCom (feat. Cynthia Cooper & Daren Firestone)
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin are joined by Cynthia Cooper and Daren Firestone to discuss the history of one of the largest corporate frauds ever, Worldcom, and what it means to be a whistleblower. This video was recorded on October 13th, 2022.
Additional resources: Cooper Group http://www.coopergroupllc.com/index.php Extraordinary Circumstances https://a.co/d/9O4C9Vz Levy Firestone Muse https://www.levyfirestone.com/ cryptowhistleblower.com https://cryptowhistleblower.com/ Cynthia Cooper's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiaco... Daren Firestone Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/daren-fir...

Binance in Trouble (streamed live on March 27th, 2023)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the lawsuit filed against Binance and Changpeng Zhao by the CFTC. This video was streamed live on March 27th, 2023. Additional resources:
Complaint https://www.cftc.gov/media/8351/%20en...
Coverage of the complaint https://protos.com/cftc-lawsuit-again...

SEC sues Justin Sun, Coinbase, Celebrities; also Do Kwon arrested (recorded on March 23rd)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the lawsuit filed against Justin Sun alleging that Tron and BitTorrent token were illegal securities and that he engaged in market manipulation. We also discuss the celebrities implicated in the promotion of these tokens including:
- Logan Paul - Lindsay Lohan - Lil Yachty - Ne-Yo - Akon - Soulja Boy - Austin Mahone - Kendra Lust
This episode was recorded on March 23rd, 2023

Toilet Apes and other NFT Exploitation (Feat. Ed Zitron)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by Ed Zitron to discuss NFTs and why they became popular and why they are so empty.
This episode was recorded on February 1st, 2022.

Silvergategate: The Collapse of Silvergate and the Future of Cryptocurrency Banking
Bennett and Cas go live to discuss the collapse of Silvergate, the bank of choice for cryptocurrency companies and exchanges in the US.
Recorded on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023.

Tether Falsified Bank Records
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the recent Wall Street Journal report that reveals that Tether and Bitfinex falsified bank records in order to try to maintain access to banking.
WSJ article discussed on the show.
This video was recorded on March 3rd, 2023.
![Satire in Cryptocurrency: West Ham (feat. Josh Cincinnati and Laurence [Insert Last Name Here])](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/13263829/13263829-1645545983881-41e3641cd7fac.jpg)
Satire in Cryptocurrency: West Ham (feat. Josh Cincinnati and Laurence [Insert Last Name Here])
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin are joined by Laurence and Josh Cincinnati to dis1cuss the value of satire in cryptocurrency, ordinals, Justin Sun and more.
This was recorded on January 30th, 2023.

The El Salvador Volcano Token (feat. Domingo Flores)

Harmony Horizon Exploit, Lazarus Group, and Cryptocurrency Bridges
Bennett and Cas revisit the Harmony Horizon bridge exploit from last year, discuss why the Lazarus Group is targeting cryptocurrency so much, and go over the billion plus lost on cryptocurrency bridges over the past year.
Special thanks to ZachXBT, who uncovered the movements of Lazarus exploit funds as they were happening.

Nexo Raided, SBF Lies, and Genesis and Gemini Charged
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss the raid executed against Nexo, SBF's lies in his Substack, and the unregistered security charges brought against Genesis and Gemini.
Kentucky Cease and desist against Nexo
This video was streamed live on January 12th, 2022.

Cryptocurrency Banks Give Up
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin discuss Silvergate, Signature, Metropolitan, and other cryptocurrency banks in light of their massive deposit outflows and increasing regulatory issues.
American Banker Post about Silvergate using Home Loan bank advances: https://www.americanbanker.com/news/silvergate-bank-loaded-up-on-4-3-billion-in-fhlb-advances
OCC, Federal Reserve, and FDIC statement on risks to crypto banks: https://www.fdic.gov/news/press-releases/2023/pr23002a.pdf
This video was recorded on January 12th, 2022.

Did Satoshi run a drug cartel? The Paul Le Roux Story (Feat. Evan Ratliff)
Cas Piancey and Bennett Tomlin are joined by Evan Ratliff to discuss Paul Le Roux, an international criminal who some believe may have been Satoshi Nakamoto. We also discuss Evan's new podcast Persona, and the similarities between the crimes of Gilbert Chikli and cryptocurrency hacks and scams.
Additional resources:
This episode was recorded on October 18th, 2022.

Auditors, Binance, and Global Regulation
Today Bennett and Cas are recording an IN-PERSON(!!!) episode of CCC together!
We discuss auditors exiting the cryptocurrency industry en masse, what's next for Binance, and how regulators will or won't take on the new global financial industries.
Recorded on Tuesday, December 21, 2022.

The Skeptic's Guide to Skepticism
Today Bennett and Cas discuss walking the fine line between beneficial and frank skepticism and full-blown conspiracy theorist, and how sometimes the line can get a little blurry.
This episode was recorded on November 4th, before everything spiraled into an utter sh*tshow.

FTX and Alameda are dead, long live cryptocurrency
Today Bennett and Cas are talking about the collapse of FTX, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, and its sister trading firm, Alameda Research.

Shadow Banking 2.0 in Web3 and DeFi (Feat. Hilary Allen)
Today Cas and Bennett are joined by law professor at American University Hilary Allen to discuss whether or not web3 and DeFi are shadow banking 2.0, and if they will lead to another 2008 financial crisis.
Hilary's paper available here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4038788
Read more: https://cryptocriticscorner.com/2022/10/27/episode-97-defi-as-shadow-banking-2-0-feat-hilary-allen/
This episode was recorded on August 3rd, 2022 and edited by Griffin Davis.

Binance Smart Chain is Dumb and Mango Markets, Too
Today Bennett and Cas discuss two recent major cryptocurrency problems: one via Binance Smart Chain, a "DeFi" protocol built by CZ and the Binance team, that suffered a $100 million hack, and Mango Markets, a DeFi marketplace, that suffered a $100 million exploit. Another fun week in cryptocurrency.
Other resources mentioned in this episode:
Unchained Interview with CZ: https://youtu.be/J0XJesFkdl0
Chris Brunet revealing Mango Markets attacker: https://karlstack.substack.com/p/exclusive-the-man-who-may-have-milked
Bennett's newsletter about the BSC hack: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/protos/issues/cz-stopped-bsc-why-it-matters-1408029
This episode was recorded on Wednesday, October 12th and edited by Bennett Tomlin.

High Noon at Ooki Corral: CFTC Sues DAO Participants
Today Bennett and Cas talk about what's going on with the Ooki DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), why the CFTC is suing them, and why it's okay that Ooki DAO is not okay.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022 and edited by Bennett Tomlin.

A Tale of Two Ponzis: Celsius and Luna, Alex Mashinsky and Do Kwon
Today Bennett and Cas discuss the best of times and the worst of times for two enormous Ponzi scemes: Celsius - a now bankrupt cryptocurrency lender - and Luna - an algorithmic stablecoin ecosystem once valued at nearly $60 billion, and the two individuals who ultimately led them to their respective downfalls: Alex Mashinsky and Do Kwon.
KeyFi lawsuit against Celsius: https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=RvF30Mz2IZW63s1mjjau2Q==
Celsius lawsuit against KeyFi: https://assets.law360news.com/1523000/1523691/complaint.pdf
Coverage of the Celsius countersuit: https://protos.com/celsius-lawsuit-claims-keyfi-stole-customer-deposits-to-buy-nfts/
Mashinsky resigns: https://protos.com/chief-exec-alex-mashinsky-resigns-from-celsius-network__trashed/
Celsius Network all-hands: https://youtu.be/40-w9r7WSKM
Bennett's reaction to Coinage interview of Do Kwon: https://youtu.be/vcy_N8Kozf4
What is a red notice?: https://protos.com/what-is-an-interpol-red-notice-and-how-does-it-work/
Cas' article on death fraud: https://medium.com/coinmonks/death-fraud-6920cc93d0a7
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022 and edited by Bennett Tomlin.

Saylor's Strategy: a MicroTragedy
Today Bennett and Cas discuss Michael Saylor's reckless behavior, his departure as CEO of MicroStrategy, the tax fraud charges he faces, previous run-ins with the SEC for making up quarterly numbers, and why everyone should have seen this coming.
This episode used clips from Laura Shin's wonderful podcast, Unchained, which you can find here: https://youtu.be/cuRRVo2Cmsc
We also used clips from John Vallis' Bitcoin Rapid-Fire: https://youtu.be/hIZIXKTicw4
This episode was recorded on Monday, September 18th, 2022 and edited by Bennett Tomlin.

Crypto Journalism and Shills (feat. Nikhilesh De)
In this episode Bennett and Cas are joined by CoinDesk journalist Nikhilesh De to discuss how to report on cryptocurrency.
This episode was recorded on August 5th, 2022.

The Good, the Bad, and the Bukele (Feat. Frank Muci)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by economist Frank Muci to discuss the challenging economic situation in El Salvador, including the need for austerity and the possibility of debt restructuring.
Follow Frank on Twitter @frankmuci.
A Spanish translation will be available on our website: https://cryptocriticscorner.com/
Para una traducción al español transcrita por favor visite https://cryptocriticscorner.com/
This episode was recorded on August 2nd and edited by Griffin Davis.

Draconian Financial Regulation and the Argument for Tether (Feat. Boaz Sobrado)
We're back! Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Boaz Sobrado to discuss Tether's use in Cuba and why people turn to assets as volatile and risky as Bitcoin and stablecoins in sanctioned countries.
Follow Boaz @sobradob.
This episode was produced by Bennett Tomlin.

Coinbase and Kraken Facing Regulatory Actions
Today Bennett and Cas are talking about recent moves by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to slow down token listings and perhaps even fundamentally alter the business models of every cryptocurrency exchange located in the United States.
Episode recorded on July 28th, 2022.

Sex, Lies, and Ponzinomics: Marketing in Cryptocurrency (Feat. Adam Singer)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by marketing executive and substack writer Adam Singer to discuss all the issues and problems clearly visible and at the forefront of cryptocurrency companies.
Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamSinger or read his Substack.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, July 12th, and produced by Asher Hirsch.

A Tether Update
In this episode Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey discuss how Tether has been composing itself over the last several months.
Interview with Paolo Ardoino with Dierdre Bosa: https://twitter.com/CNBCTechCheck/status/1545472707374071808
This episode was recorded on July 10th, 2022 and produced by Asher Hirsch.

The Dogecoin Joke (Feat. Jackson Palmer)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Jackson Palmer, co-founder of Dogecoin and host of the Griftonomics podcast. We talk about how Doge flew off the rails, why Jackson has taken a few social media hiatuses, and why he's back and talking about cryptocurrency grifts and scams more than ever before.
Follow Jackson on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ummjackson
This episode was recorded on July 10th and produced by Griffin Davis.

Celsius Network: a Pyramid of Ponzis
Today Bennett and Cas talk about a civil suit brought by a former contracted employee of Celsius Network against the entity itself claiming that Celsius Network has, effectively, been run as a Ponzi scheme (and doesn't have the funds to pay back its debts).
This episode was recorded on July 7th (before Celsius Network filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection) and was produced by Asher Hirsch.

Cryptocurrency Criticism in a Bear Market (Feat. Molly White)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined again by Molly White, the single best archivist of web3 fraud (on her website https://web3isgoinggreat.com/), to discuss the difference between criticism during a bull market and a bear market as well as a host of other topics.
This episode was recorded on June 16th and produced by Asher Hirsch.
Follow Molly White on Twitter @Molly0xFFF

Contagions and Cascading Liquidations in Cryptocurrency
Bennett and Cas discuss the risk of contagion in the cryptocurrency ecosystem and how the leverage between lenders and trading firms contribute.
This episode was recorded on June 16th, 2022 and produced by Asher Hirsch.

NFTs, Frauds, and Algorithmic Stablecoins (Feat. Mark Cuban)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, to discuss NFTs, the proliferations of fraud, and whether or not algorithmic stablecoins are viable.
Follow Mark on Twitter @mcuban.
This episode was recorded on Tuesday, June 7th, 2022, and produced by Asher Hirsch.

Bitcoin ETFs, the SEC, and Regulatory Clarity (Feat. James Seyffart)
Bennett Tomlin and Cas Piancey are joined by James Seyffart to discuss what has prevented a spot Bitcoin ETF, and what things may make it easier for that to finally happen.
This episode was recorded on May 23rd, 2022 and produced by Griffin Davis.

New NFT Usecase Discovered, and it's Insider Trading
Today Bennett and Cas discuss the recent Southern District of New York move to charge a former OpenSea employee, Nathaniel Chastain, with wire fraud and money laundering charges related to insider trading.
This episode was recorded on June 5th and produced by Griffin Davis.

Celsius Collapsing: Causes, Concerns, and Catastrophe (Feat. Mike Burgersburg)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Mike Burgersburg (Dirty Bubble Media), a Twitter personality, writer, and analyst who has been discussing the systemic risks of Celsius Network and what could, and likely will, ultimately lead to its collapse.
Follow Mike on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeBurgersburg
This episode was produced by Asher Hirsch and recorded on Thursday, June 9th, 2022.

Pre-Philanthropic Billionaires and Bitcoin (Feat. Mario Gibney)
Today Bennett and Cas are joined by Mario Gibney, host of the Unhashed Podcast and employee at a Bitcoin lending service called Ledn. We debate pre-philanthropic billionaires, lending services in the Bitcoin and DeFi industries, and other weird topics.
Follow Mario on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mario_Gibney
This episode was produced by Asher Hirsch.