E127: Have You Been Involved with Blockchain Diplomacy at Davos and Creating the 24/7 NYSE Casino?
Tue Jan 20 2026
Davos is hot—literally and geopolitically—and Brian Armstrong didn’t bring enough SPF for the regulatory crossfire. In this episode of Off the Record, On the Rocks, Toner and BTC Ankarino break down how Coinbase’s follically minimalist CEO became America’s accidental ambassador to the world stage—armed with nothing but blockchain products and a charm offensive the size of a Swiss Alp.As the Market Structure Bill stalls back home, Armstrong’s detour to Davos reveals a narrative sleight of hand: the NYSE quietly launches a 24/7 tokenized securities exchange, ICE (yes, ICE) pours billions into Polymarket, and the ABA throws a stablecoin tantrum louder than a Goldman intern on a caffeine cleanse. Meanwhile, whispers of a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, Venezuelan confiscation ops, and predictive betting in your 401k have us asking: is DeFi the new Department of Defense?Come for the regulation regime change, stay for the hairless cat analogies, and buckle up as America quietly franchises out its financial narrative… one blockchain charm bomb at a time.
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Davos is hot—literally and geopolitically—and Brian Armstrong didn’t bring enough SPF for the regulatory crossfire. In this episode of Off the Record, On the Rocks, Toner and BTC Ankarino break down how Coinbase’s follically minimalist CEO became America’s accidental ambassador to the world stage—armed with nothing but blockchain products and a charm offensive the size of a Swiss Alp.As the Market Structure Bill stalls back home, Armstrong’s detour to Davos reveals a narrative sleight of hand: the NYSE quietly launches a 24/7 tokenized securities exchange, ICE (yes, ICE) pours billions into Polymarket, and the ABA throws a stablecoin tantrum louder than a Goldman intern on a caffeine cleanse. Meanwhile, whispers of a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, Venezuelan confiscation ops, and predictive betting in your 401k have us asking: is DeFi the new Department of Defense?Come for the regulation regime change, stay for the hairless cat analogies, and buckle up as America quietly franchises out its financial narrative… one blockchain charm bomb at a time.