The Charlie Shrem Show

The U.S. crypto scene is finally waking up. After years of regulatory uncertainty and innovation flight, the winds are shifting. Charlie Shrem sits down with Jesse Darnell, former Marine and founder of ADVANCE Protocol, fresh off Token2049 in Singapore, to talk about why global builders are suddenly turning their eyes back to America. They dive into: What Token2049 reveals about the real direction of crypto in Asia How the U.S. is quietly reopening for crypto innovation — from Wyoming to D.C. The rise of “AI + Blockchain” startups and why VCs are finally paying attention again What it means to build a company that’s both community-driven and battle-tested Lessons from the Marines on leadership, pain, and moving fast in chaos Why meme coins and serious protocols actually depend on each other It’s a grounded, hopeful conversation about where the next wave of building will happen — and what it’ll take to win.

“Quantum computing is taking the laws of nature — light, heat, entanglement — and turning them into a new kind of computer. When that happens, the way we think about Bitcoin’s security will have to change forever.” — Charlie Shrem This week on The Charlie Shrem Show, we go deep into the strangest frontier yet: the intersection of Bitcoin, cryptography, and quantum computing. Charlie sits down with Olivier Roussy Newton, OG Bitcoiner and CEO of BTQ Technologies (NASDAQ: BTQ) — a company building at the edge where photons meet blockchains. From his early exposure to D-Wave’s first quantum computers in Canada to raising capital from Chinese state funds (and getting blocked by the CIA’s venture arm), Olivier’s story tracks the entire rise of the post-quantum security industry. Together, Charlie and Olivier unpack what it really means when we say “the end of ECDSA,” why the U.S. government plans to deprecate Bitcoin’s signature standard by 2035, and how quantum systems could make traditional mining obsolete. They explore how the analog world of nature — light, gravity, superconductors — can replace brute-force hashing, how “Boson sampling” could one day stand in for SHA-256, and why the biggest breakthroughs in computing may come from mimicking God’s own architecture. Plus, Charlie shares insights from a recent dinner with Dr. Adam Back and his own stealth research into quantum-mining convergence. This episode isn’t just about crypto’s future — it’s about the future of computation itself. Topics Discussed: From Node.js startups to quantum cryptography What happens when the CIA’s VC fund blocks your deal Why the U.S. and China’s quantum race matters for Bitcoin The birth of post-quantum cryptography and NIST’s standards How quantum encryption could replace proof-of-work Why consensus itself might become irrelevant How AI’s mainstream boom paves the way for quantum adoption The analog vs. digital computing paradigm shift

What happens when you take the discipline of an Oxford-trained surgeon and apply it to crypto? You get Nic Roberts-Huntley, founder of Concrete and Glow, two of the fastest-growing DeFi protocols. In this episode, Nic and Charlie dive deep into the frameworks, philosophies, and practical decisions that turn ideas into billion-dollar realities. From early mornings at 4:30 AM to late-night calls across continents, Nic’s journey shows how rigor, kindness, and a surgeon’s precision can reshape digital finance. 🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode Frameworks that scale: How lessons from medicine and private equity apply to building DeFi products. Concrete & Glow explained: Institutional-grade yield tools and Solana’s first “margin-first” liquidity engine. Funding playbook: Why the best founders raise on milestones, not desperation. AI + blockchain: Are we building better AI with crypto, or crypto that powers better AI? Team building: The human capital edge — why your first hires define your destiny. Investor relations: Managing Polychain, VanEck, Tribe Capital, and more on your cap table without losing your sanity. Tokenization’s future: From side letters to employee incentives, why tokens are the new equity. Morning routines matter: How Nic structures his 4:30 AM wake-ups, workouts, and workdays to stay sharp. The acquisition story: How Jet Protocol became Glow, and why consolidation is a sign of DeFi’s maturity. 🧭 Episode Highlights “Never raise capital because you need the money. Only raise it because you deserve it.” — Nic Roberts-Huntley The dangers of “vibe coding” in Solidity and how to protect users from liquidation risks. Why DeFi protocols live or die by trust — rugged users rarely return. How Glow is pioneering liquid restaking ($glowSOL) on Solana. The inside story of raising $17M+ and building with backers like Polychain, VanEck, and Portal Ventures. 🎙️ About the Guest Nic Roberts-Huntley is the founder of Blueprint Finance, the company behind Concrete and Glow. A former Oxford surgeon (MD, MBA) turned Point72 investor, Nic has built a reputation for bridging worlds — from the operating room to private equity to DeFi infrastructure. Concrete: Tokenized DeFi-native asset management and yield optimization on Ethereum (now with $650M+ TVL). Glow: Margin-first liquidity engine and liquid restaking on Solana, acquired from Jet Protocol. 🔖 Tags / Keywords DeFi, Concrete, Glow Finance, Solana, Ethereum, Yield Farming, Tokenization, Restaking, Venture Capital, Polychain, VanEck, Tribe Capital, Crypto Investing, AI + Blockchain, Startups

In this episode of The Charlie Shrem Show, Charlie sits down with Ian Farrar, a 30-year biohacker, longtime investor, and founding brand partner at Puriam, a direct-to-consumer superfood company. While the crypto space is full of financial innovation, Ian brings the focus back to the most valuable asset you have—your body. They dive deep into what it means to live a "superhuman" lifestyle, how modern diets are failing us, and why wealth without health is a ticking time bomb. Ian shares how green superfoods, gut microbiome balance, and small daily changes can radically transform your life—even if you’re not ready to go full health guru. Topics covered: 🥬 Why every Bitcoiner should be thinking about alkalinity and cell charge 🍌 How walking barefoot on the beach is better than most supplements 📉 Why nutrient density in food has collapsed since the 1970s 💊 The harsh truth about Big Pharma vs. lifestyle medicine 🧠 How your mindset and gut health are directly connected 🛑 Why most alkaline water products are BS (and what actually works) 🌍 The case for local food as natural medicine—Colombia vs. the U.S. 📱 EMF radiation, cell phones, and protecting your “Faraday bag” body 🧪 Full-body scans, thermograms, and futuristic diagnostics Ian also explains the financial literacy parallels between long-term investing and long-term health: both require daily discipline, clarity of purpose, and an understanding of what's coming years down the line. 🌿 Mentioned in the episode: Ian’s superfood site: ishopPURIAM.com Discount code: IAN for $50 off or 25% off Ian’s show: Superhuman on Nausik TV Book: Identity Is the New Money by David Birch (also mentioned in Ep. 446) 🧘 Bonus: Listeners who use the code “IAN” can also get a free 30-minute lifestyle consultation with Ian.

In this episode of The Charlie Shrem Show, Charlie is joined by Michael Rihani, Head of Product at Coinbase, to talk about how Bitcoin is finally going mainstream—not just as an investment, but as a spendable, usable financial asset. Michael breaks down the launch of Coinbase’s new American Express-powered credit card, which gives users up to 4% back in Bitcoin on every purchase. Together, they explore what this means for the next generation of crypto adoption and why stablecoins, Lightning payments, and Bitcoin-backed loans are rapidly reshaping the financial stack. Topics covered: 🪙 Why the Coinbase Amex card could be crypto’s iPhone moment ⚡ The reality of using Bitcoin and Lightning at Steak & Shake 📈 $500M in loan originations and the rise of Bitcoin-backed borrowing 🌍 How stablecoins are rescuing families from hyperinflation 💳 The behind-the-scenes story of working with American Express 💡 “Identity is the new money” and the future of frictionless crypto payments 🧠 Coinbase's internal X402 project and how it could reinvent internet-native payments 🔒 Balancing privacy, identity, and usability in a decentralized future Michael and Charlie don’t just nerd out on payment protocols—they get real about product-market fit, what crypto users actually want, and how we're moving from trading to real-world utility. 📚 Mentioned in the episode: X402 Protocol Identity Is the New Money by David Birch Coinbase Credit Card Waitlist: coinbase.com/creditcard