Summary
The NFA Podcast's latest episode, hosted by Nisheta Sachdev and Michiel Frackers, covers recent developments in the cryptoand tech world, while also featuring their ongoing trading competition. Nish and Michiel cover a whirlwind of crypto drama, political irony, and market twists.
They start with JP Morgan’s stablecoin launch, a $100Mhack in Iran where the attackers burned the funds and BitGet’s partnership with UNICEF to fund girls’ education. Then they discuss Tron’s U.S. IPO following a possible presidential intervention and debate whether the SEC’s crypto probes are justified.
The episode heats up with a breakdown of Microsoft’sstrategy to lock in OpenAI revenue while potentially blocking its IPO, and how Meta’s $100M AI sign-on bonuses reflect desperation in the AI arms race.
Nish shares a wild ride on PumpFun, turning $6 into $240 before getting rugged in a gamified token ecosystem that collapsed within a few hours.
The trading competition updates, personal AIcautionary tales, and a few sharp takes on egos (Trump, Zuck, and crypto bros alike) round out a packed episode. Final score? Michiel’s steady portfolio beats Nish’sdegen bets this week.
Links from this week's stories
· JP Morgan is launching a stable coin
· Iran’s biggest exchange was hacked for $100m
· Tron to go public in the US - SEC pauses probe
· Bitget and Unicef have partnered to educate 300k girls across the world!
· OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Meta offered $100 million bonuses to OpenAI employees
· Microsoft prepared to walk away from high-stakes OpenAI talks
· The stock of Circle, the company behind USDC had a spectacular IPO (up 117%)
Chapters
00:00 – Nish tees up the big stories: JP Morgan’s stablecoin,a major Middle East hack, Tron’s redemption arc and a wild trading week.
01:30 – Hack & Burn: Iran’s $100M Crypto Ghost
A pro-Israeli group hacks Iran’s biggest exchange andburns the tokens. Ethics, retaliation, and questions of civilian impact follow.
03:19 – BitGet x UNICEF: Finally, Some Good News
A rare feel-good headline: crypto helps educate300,000 girls. But where did that extra $100M come from?
03:59 – Trump, Tron, and the Big D Energy
Tron goes public after a presidential pardon. Whathappened to the SEC probe? And why is Eric Trump an advisor?
06:44 – AML, MetaMask & Who’s Responsible?
The SEC’s crackdown on crypto: fair regulation orpolicy overreach? Metamask, Binance, and double standards.
08:50 – Meta’s AI Faceplant
Meta tries to catch up in AI by buying Scale. But is a$100M sign-on bonus desperation or genius?
11:12 – Microsoft v OpenAI: The SoftBank Ultimatum
Satya Nadella plays chess while the rest of tech playscheckers. The real reason Microsoft doesn’t want OpenAI to IPO. Michiel explains how Microsoft gets $92B in revenuebefore any equity upside. It’s not about the shares, it’s about the compute business.
14:13 – Elon vs Zuck: The Ego Wars
Meta isn’t about data or AI, it’s about one-uppingMusk. Zuckerberg’s Threads, rockets and rage.
16:31 – AI Is Making Us Dumb (Seriously)
An MIT study shows AI use reduces cognitiveengagement. Nish shares a personal lesson on using AI in school.
20:43 – Bitcoin Up, Alts… Meh?
Predictions time. Bitcoin’s holding, alts areinconsistent, but both hosts expect an uptick.
21:09 – Trading Comp: Michiel Plays It Safe, Nish GoesFull Degen
Michiel’s portfolio edges up +2.69% with Nvidia andBTC. Meanwhile, Nish starts at $6 and hits $240 before getting rugged.
26:28 – Final Wallet Check: Michiel Wins This Round
Nish ends at $55, Michiel at $102.69. Lessons: takeprofits, don’t YOLO everything, and maybe skip PumpFun next week.
28:15 – Degens Gonna Degen
Nish embraces her degen roots. Michiel calls outhypocrisy: “You always tell me to sell half!” And yet…