The Policy Layer
Episodes
Ep 63: Productivity Enables Security: The Economics of Blockchain Settlement
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ep 63: Productivity Enables Security: The Economics of Blockchain Settlement
Ep 62: Crypto Crime, Sanctions & Signals: Evidence in the Blockchain
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Description: Illicit finance in crypto exists, but it's not the whole story. Ari Redbord (TRM Labs) walks us through the real numbers, how blockchain ...
Ep 61: Congerssman Downing
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ep 61: Congerssman Downing
Ep 60: Wealth as a Feminist Act: Digital Assets, Community, and Financial Education
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Women are stepping into new forms of financial power, and digital assets are opening the door. The founders of Eve Wealth, Sadie Raney and Elaine Ashe...
Ep 59: Stablecoins Across Borders
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ep 59: Stablecoins Across Borders
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 15: Contagion in Decentralized Lending Protocols
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines Decentralized Lending Protocols (DLPs) and the contagion that can arise due to assets lent to one pool serving as collateral in ...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 14: Price Discovery at Decentralized Exchanges
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Contrary to popular belief, price discovery can occur at decentralized exchanges instead of at centralized exchanges. We discuss the underlying econom...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 13: Stablecoins and Digital Payments
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode covers the digitization of payments and the rise of stablecoins. We discuss China’s CBDC project, the success of USD stablecoins, and t...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 12: Beyond the Foundation Model: DUNAs and BORGs
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode examines the central role nonprofit foundations have played in supporting blockchain networks. We trace their original purpose, how these...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 11: Decentralized Autonomous Organizations
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the governance of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). We discuss how ownership concentration and whale voting can dis...
Ep 58: Inclusion Is Infrastructure: Diversity and Design in Web3
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Crypto says it’s for everyone, but who’s actually building the future? Michelle O’Connor, founder of The Digital Future, joins us to talk about ...
Ep 57: Fine Wine Meets Web3: Provenance, Liquidity, and Trust
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when Bordeaux meets blockchain? Connor Daly, CTO of CrewTrade, explains how tokenizing wine on the blockchain is transforming a $25B indu...
Ep 56: Tokenized Economies and the Architecture of Digital Money
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Keith Bear, Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School, joins us to break down what digital money really looks like in a tokenized economy. From stable...
Ep 55: Applying GDPR to the Blockchain ft. Clifford Chance
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can blockchains ever truly be privacy-compliant? Clifford Chance lawyers walk through the gray areas, from wallet addresses to pseudonymous data, and ...
Ep 54: What Are Digital Assets, Really? ft. Lord Chris Holmes
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lord Holmes explains how tokenization could reshape identity, finance, and trust across the UK and beyond. He breaks down what digital assets really a...
Ep 53: TLDR Global Crypto Policy in 2025 (from MiCA to Abu Dhabi and beyond).
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Global crypto rules are changing fast, and 2025 is a turning point. We are joined by Elise Soucie Watts (Executive Director at Global Digital Finance)...
Ep 52: Rethinking Cities with Blockchain with Former Lord Mayor of London Michael Mainelli
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Mainelli, former Lord Mayor of London, joins Owl Explains to unpack how blockchain can help cities govern smarter: from planning records to tr...
Ep 51: Justice in the Age of Blockchain and AI—The Case for Tech Courts
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Michele Neitz (University of San Francisco) makes the case for tech courts, a bold idea that could help us rethink how justice works in a di...
Ep 50: How Blockchain Is Expanding Access to Healthcare - the Case of Letsbuyhealthcare
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Discover Letsbuyhealthcare — a platform using Avalanche blockchain to let people prepay for private healthcare with tokenized credits in Ireland. It...
Ep 49: Democracy, Dollars & DeFi, A Digital Shift
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when trust collapses faster than institutions can rebuild it? Amanda Wick, founder of the Association for Women in Crypto and author of T...
Ep 48: How AI is Changing the Game for Legal & Compliance in Web3
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if your AI assistant could explain complex crypto laws in plain English—and connect you with an actual expert if things got tricky? That’s th...
Ep 47: US Rep. William Timmons (R-SC)
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With stablecoin and market structure bills moving fast, and NFTs waiting in the wings, Rep. William Timmons explains how 2025 could finally bring clar...
Ep 46: Chairman Glenn Thompson
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US House Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson breaks down what blockchain has to do with wheat futures, GPS networks, and bipartisan cooperation. He share...
Ep 45: DeFi's Big Questions Answered
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is DeFi truly decentralized? Is it more than just finance? Join Yvette Valdez (Latham & Watkins), Diana Barrero Zalles (GBBC), Joe Cutler (Perkins...
Ep 45: The CFTC's Balancing Act of Web3 Innovation & Regulation
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger and Sidley Austin’s Kate Lashley discuss the evolving landscape of digital assets regulation in the US. Discover ...
Global Series Ep 2: VIETNAMESE - Blockchain Innovation & Policy in Vietnam
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
[in Vietnamese] Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung (Vietnam’s National Innovation Center) discusses how to foster Web3 growth, support businesses, and leverag...
Ep 43: Are Stablecoins the Future of Money?
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join renowned author David Birch in this express podcast, as he unpacks the rise of stablecoins, their transformative impact on global finance, and wh...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 10: Deep-dive on the Avalanche Blockchain
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Buttolph (Chief Protocol Architect at Ava Labs) discusses how Avalanche's blockchain can be used for tokenization of real-world assets. The po...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 9: Mitigation Methods for MEV and LVR
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Ciamac Moallemi (Columbia University) dissects Maximal Extractable Value (MEV), Loss-Versus-Rebalancing (LVR) and associated mitigation meth...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 8: Decentralized Exchange (DEX) Aggregators and Solvers
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mallesh Pai (Rice University) covers DEX Aggregators and Solvers. In more detail, DEXs are not isolated entities. Rather, a variety of "intents market...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 7: Blockchain Privacy and Regulatory Compliance
01 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Fabian Schär (University of Basel) discusses the ability for blockchain users to attain privacy in their transactions while also remai...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 6: Regulation of Decentralized Exchanges
01 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Campbell Harvey (Duke University) and Professor Joel Hasbrouck (NYU Stern) explain the novel risks for traders who trade at Decent...
Ep 42: US Rep Warren Davidson
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Congressman Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) shares insights on token classification, self-custody, and bipartisan blockchain policy. Tune in for a candid co...
Niche Legal Issues You Should Care About I Avalanche Summit LATAM
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Geek out on distinct legal issues with tax, anti-money laundering (AML) and litigation panel experts to review and explore key concepts affecting bloc...
Navigating Crypto Laws in Argentina: What You Need to Know I Avalanche Summit LATAM
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Without a comprehensive legal framework in the region, the complexities of Argentina's crypto regulations are nuanced. Get briefed on the current poli...
Policy9000: Navigating Global Regulatory Shifts I Avalanche Summit LATAM
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Demystify the complexity of global regulation with regional legal and policy experts from the US, EU and APAC as they review recent progress, upcoming...
Ep 41: Disclosure Guidelines for Tokens
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Legal experts Lilya Tessler (Sidley Austin) and Chris Brummer (Blueprint) pull back the curtain on new token disclosure guidelines that could transfor...
Ep 40: US Congress Dusty Johnson (R-SD)
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rep. Dusty Johnson sits down with us to discuss why FIT21 isn’t just another bill, but a potential game-changer for digital asset regulation. From t...
Ep 39: Tokenizing Securities for Decentralized Finance Applications
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Andreas Park from the University of Toronto discusses how blockchain can transform the trading and management of securities. In this episode...
Ep 38: Learning from DeFi. Would Automated Market Makers Improve Equity Trading?
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Andreas Park (University of Toronto) and Katya Malinova (McMaster University) discuss their research on how automated market makers (AMMs) from DeFi c...
Ep 37: Revolutionizing Women's Non-Reproductive Health with Web3 (Asterisk)
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Veronica Kirin, founder of Asterisk Women’s Health, as she discusses her groundbreaking approach to women’s non-reproductive health using blo...
EP 36: US Congress Yadira Caraveo
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo shares insights on navigating the complex world of digital asset regulation and bipartisan collaboration. She highlights ...
Ep 35: Rep. Shri Thanedar
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Congressman Shri Thanadar (D-MI-13) discusses his early adoption of cryptocurrency and emphasizes the transformative potential of blockchain technolog...
Ep 34: Stablecoin Runs and the Centralization of Arbitrage
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yiming Ma from Columbia Business School and Anthony Zhang from UChicago explore the intricacies of stablecoins and their impact on financial stability...
Ep 33: Intersection of AI, IP and Web3 Law
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nehan Sethi and Jordan Teague (Web3 Attorneys at Campbell Teague) explore how AI challenges traditional notions of authorship and creativity, and the ...
Ep 32: Congressman French Hill (R-AR 2nd District)
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Congressman French Hill (R-AR 2nd District), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, discusses the groundbreaking H.R. 4763 bill and its impac...
Ep 31: The Impact of Blockchain and AI on the EU's Financial Landscape
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dimitrios Psarrakis (Financial Economist and co-founder of Value Verse) provides expert insights on blockchain regulation and its implications for fin...
Ep 30: Congressman Wiley Nickel
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Congressman Wiley Nickel, member of the House Financial Services Committee, joins Norma Krayem from Van Scoyoc Associates to discuss the critical topi...
Ep 29: Balcony - Revolutionizing & Tokenizing Real Estate
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Belitsky, Co-founder and Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer at Balcony sheds light on how they’re leveraging blockchain technology for gre...
Ep 28: Crypto Wallets as the Browsers of the Future
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Akash Gupta (GM at Ava Labs) shares how transformative crypto wallets can be—from identity verification to the integration of social elements. Gain ...
Ep. 27: Global Blockchain Trade Associations and 2024 Policy (Part 2)
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the second episode from our “trade associations” miniseries for 2024. We are joined by Sandra Ro (Global Blockchain Business Council), Ian...
Ep. 26: Global Blockchain Trade Associations and 2024 Policy (Part 1)
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Marina Markezic (EU Crypto Initiative) , Ron Hammond (Blockchain Association), Tommaso Astazi (Blockchain For Europe), and Cody Carbone (Digital ...
Ep 25: Emerging Technology's Language Wars - Smart Contracts
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Carla Reyes (SMU) unpacks the interdisciplinary perspectives on smart contracts, highlighting the unique vantage points each group brings to...
Ep 24: DeFi Innovation and Regulation
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yesha Yadav (Vanderbilt Law School) delves into the complexities of decentralized finance (DeFi), exploring market structures, regulatory challenges, ...
Ep 23: Shaping the Future of Currency: the Digital Dollar
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Giancarlo (Chamber of Digital Commerce and former CFTC commissioner) discusses the Digital Dollar and sheds light on the role of privacy, econom...
Ep 22: Unpacking Crypto: Use Cases, Decentralization, and Regulation
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Teana Baker-Taylor (Circle) and Ari Redbord (TRM Labs) delve into the intricate world of crypto regulation, anti-money laundering, and blockchai...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 5: Loss-Versus-Rebalancing (LVR) at Decentralized Exchanges
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses the costs of liquidity provision at Decentralized Exchanges. Ciamac Moallemi (Columbia University) explains that liquidity prov...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 4: Economics of Lending Platforms
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses lending platforms on blockchains. Thomas Rivera (McGill University) and Quentin Vandeweyer (University of Chicago) explain that...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 3: Just-In-Time Liquidity At Decentralized Exchanges
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses a phenomenon known as Just-In-Time Liquidity at Decentralized Exchanges. Agostino Capponi (Columbia University) explains that, ...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 2: Governance of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brett Falk (University of Pennsylvania) and Gerry Tsoukalas (Boston University) discuss voting protocols in Decentralized Autonomous Organizations. Br...
Ava Labs x CBER Ep 1: Are Cryptoassets Securities?
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lewis Cohen (DLx Law) discusses whether cryptoassets are securities from the perspective of US law. Lewis Cohen (DLx Law) explains the relevant US sec...
Ep 21: How Can Web3 Protect Speech?
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Maria Bustillos, journalist, editor, and founder of Popula and the Brickhouse Cooperative, delves into the complexities of managing misinformation, il...
Ep 20: Blockchain Security Featuring John Neufeld
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Neufeld, General Counsel at Open Zeppelin and Charter Member at TechGC, joins Sylvia Sanchez for an in-depth discussion on the enhanced security ...
Global Series Ep 1: SPANISH - Cinco principios para guiar la regulación cripto
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Owl Explains anuncia su iniciativa en Español, siendo un proyecto comprometido con el pensamiento global para el desarrollo responsable de la tecnolo...
Ep 18: Why Do We Need a Digital Euro?
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anne-Sophie Gógl (Digital Euro Association) and Peter Kerstens (European Commission) shed light on the digital euro's potential form and the crucial ...
Ep 17: Congressman Flood and the Regulatory Crawl
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Congressman Mike Flood delves into the latest crypto policy developments in Washington, sharing his perspective on the Fintech Flyover event and the e...
Ep 16: Why Do We Need a Digital Pound?
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the world of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) Jannah Patchay (Digital Pound Foundation and Markets Evolution), Varun Paul (Fireblocks...
Ep 15: What do policymakers think about when they think about blockchain?
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As blockchain reshapes finance and data interaction, understanding its regulatory landscape is crucial. Join us on the Owl Explains podcast for an in-...
Ep: 14 The Ticking Timebomb of AML Compliance
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the intersection of anti-money laundering (AML) policy and digital assets with Caroline Malcolm (Chainalysis), Monica Sah (Clifford Chance), S...
Ep 13: Mirror on the wall, what does the CBDC future hold?
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Russell Klein and a panel of experts in a captivating discussion on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) in our latest Owl Explains podcast ep...
Ep 12: DAO If You Do; DAO If You Don't
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the world of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) with Eugenio Reggianini (European Commission), Joni Pirovich (Blockchain and Digi...
Ep 11: Regulation Beyond the US and EU
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Explore global blockchain policies beyond the EU and US in this episode, moderated by Lee A. Schneider of Ava Labs. Our guests, Joey Garcia from Xapo ...
Ep 10: The European Blockchain Regulatory Sandbox
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Discover the European Blockchain Regulatory Sandbox's role in harmonizing technology and regulation in this episode. Featuring Helen Köpman from the ...
Ep 9: How Deloitte is using smart contracts to accelerate disaster relief
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Peder Muller and Tim Davis from Deloitte, alongside moderator Justin Gunnell of Sher Tremonte LLP, explore how Deloitte is leveraging blockchain techn...
Ep 8: How Lemonade is using smart contracts to revolutionize crop insurance
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Roy Confino, Head of Strategy and Operations at Lemonade Foundation, and Justin Gunnell, counsel at Sher Tremonte LLP, for a deep dive into the i...
Ep 7: Can blockchain solve AI's trust problem?
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shawn Helms, co-head of McDermott Will & Emery’s technology and outsourcing practice, leads a discussion on AI's trust issues and blockchain's r...
Ep 6: Is the UK on track to become a global hub for crypto?
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Dr. Lisa Cameron, MP and crypto policy expert, in a discussion with Emma Pike from Owl Explains about the UK's quest to become a global crypto hu...
Ep 5: What is a Subnet?
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Connor Daly, Software Engineer at Ava Labs and known for having the 'most cats in crypto,' discusses the future of blockchain technology with Sylvia S...
Ep 4: What's the missing link in blockchain education?
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Donna Redel, Blockchain and Digital Assets Professor at Wharton, and Thibault Schrepel, Law Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, discuss the sur...
Ep 3: What's next for blockchain policy in the EU & the US?
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lee A. Schneider, General Counsel at Ava Labs and Co-founder of Owl Explains, brings together top policy experts in blockchain. Joining the conversati...
Ep 2: Why the US needs a framework to regulate digital assets
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger joins Olta Andoni, General Counsel at Enclave Markets to discuss the future of digital asset regulation. The conver...
Ep 1: 5 principles to guide policymakers
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join us on a journey through the 'Tree of Web3 Wisdom' with Lee Schneider, Chief Owl and General Counsel of Ava Labs, in our latest Owl Explains podca...