End of tariffs and meme coins plus AI billions and chlorinated chicken
Summary
While global markets tumbled under the weight of Trump’s new tariffs, this episode of the NFA Podcast cuts through the panic to spotlight the bullish stories buried under the headlines. Nish and Frackers start with the week’s rollercoaster in crypto and tech stocks, comparing the sharp drops in Ethereum and Solana to a surprisingly resilient Bitcoin. Nish explains how the meme coin engine Pump.fun has lost steam, while Michiel shares horror stories from past crashes, andpension fund absurdities.
Then, in the most underreported bullish news of the year: OpenAI quietly raised $40 billion and wants to buy Jony Ive's startup for an AI iPhone killer Sam Altman invested in, ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati is going for $2 billion at a $10 billion valuation, and OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever's Safe Superintelligence is targeting a $30 billion valuation with Alphabet and Nvidia on board. But none of them seem to have functional websites.
Plus:
• Binance founder CZ’s next move is advising Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan on blockchain adoption
• Trump’s pro-crypto SEC pick Paul Atkins is approved
• Ripple’s SEC lawsuit nears its endgame
• Europe and China flirt over electric vehicles to counter US tariffs
• And yes, the UK might end up with chlorinated chicken as a reward for trade realignment
The episode ends with predictions: Frackers sees a cautious market rebound, Nish calls it sideways. But both remain long-term bullish, still think there will be a Bitcoin all-time high this year.
Keywords
crypto, market trends, investment, tariffs, AI, blockchain, pension funds, media influence, Bitcoin, Ethereum, CZ, Broadcom, Pump.fun, meme coins, SSI, Thinking Machines Lab, Mira Murati, Ilya Sutskever, Sam Altman, Jony Ive, io Products, AI iPhone killer
Chapters
00:00 – Marketsin Meltdown: What Just Happened?
02:15 – FromLehman to Today: War Stories and Wipeouts
05:11 – TeslaTanks, Bitcoin Holds: Who’s Really Losing?
06:18 – Ethereum’sCollapse, Solana’s Shriveling, and the Meme Coin Freeze
10:10 – GoodNews Buried: Why Bullish Stories Got Snowed Under
10:51 – CZ’sNext Moves: From Binance to Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan
11:30 – Trump’sSEC Pick, Ripple’s SEC Endgame, and the Rise of Pro-Crypto Policy
12:36 – OpenAI’s$40 Billion Raise, and Sam Altman Buying the AI device maker from Jony Ive and…himself?
15:17 – JonyIve’s $60M AI Theater and the weird world of AI startups, with Mira Murati ofThinking Machines Lab
18:32 – Alphabet,Nvidia, and the $30B Valuation of Ilya Sutskever’s Safe Superintelligence
20:13 – TariffChaos, EU-China EV Drama or Partnership, and the Brexit Chlorinated ChickenPlot Twist
22:34 – Predictions:Sideways, Comebacks, and Bitcoin All-Time Highs?
Links
OpenAIreportedly buying JonyIve's and Sam Atlman's startup
Frackers on "theiPhone killer with AI"
ex-OpenAICTO Mira Murati's newAI-startup Thinking Machines raising $2 B
OpenAIco-founder Ilya Sutskever's newAI-startup SSI raising at $30 B valuation
new Stanfordreport: AI isimproving, complex challenges remain difficult
Chinaand EU in talks about electric vehicle pact
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