The Policy Protocol

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti unpack the stalling of the CLARITY Act in the Senate before sitting down with Taylor Lindman, Chief Counsel of the SEC's Crypto Task Force, who explains why the newly unveiled innovation exemption is being resoundingly well-received across TradFi and crypto, and how much the SEC can accomplish under existing authority without Congress. Lindman also weighs in on 24/7 markets and reassures that the Crypto Task Force's work continues regardless of Commissioner Hester Peirce's departure. Plus, Rebecca and Renato debrief on whether AI needs its own regulator, and name Demis Hassabis as their Person of the Week for proposing a FINRA-style standards body for frontier AI models. - This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co. - Chapters/Timecodes: 00:00 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 01:09 Hot Topic: CLARITY Stalls in the Senate 02:06 The Ethics Fight That Sank the Bill 03:28 Why the Regulators Are Now Leading 03:47 How Hard It Is to Undo a Rule 05:13 EU Rolls Back MiCA as the UK Pushes Ahead 05:52 The SEC and CFTC Roundtable Blitz 06:46 Taylor Linman, SEC Crypto Task Force, Joins 06:56 The Innovation Exemption and Its Reception 08:52 What the SEC Can Do Without Congress 11:11 Inside the 24/7 Trading Roundtable 12:00 Liquidity Providers, Dealers, and the Cold Start Problem 13:31 Piecing Together the Future of On-Chain Trading 16:17 Does Peirce's Exit Change the Task Force? 17:04 Debrief: Plumbing, Not Main Character Energy 18:28 Person of the Week: Demis Hassabis 20:05 Does AI Need Its Own Regulator?

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti open on the AMC–Robinhood tokenization showdown playing out on X and "CLARITY Act death watch," before sitting down with Cody Carbone, CEO of the Digital Chamber. Carbone argues the bill's fate comes down to ethics and that the White House and President Trump himself will have to weigh in publicly on the Tillis–Gallego ethics proposal to get to 60 votes. He also lays out the contingency plan if CLARITY stalls and breaks down the Digital Chamber's lawsuit against Illinois' new crypto tax. Plus, Rebecca and Renato debrief on why spot-market authority survives even if CLARITY doesn't, and name LeBron James, and the wave of celebrity prediction-market deals, as their Person of the Week. - This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co. - Register now for CoinDesk's Policy and Regulation event on September 22, 2026: policy-regulation.coindesk.com. - Chapters/Timecodes: 00:00 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 02:54 The AMC–Robinhood Tokenization Showdown 05:18 Can AMC Actually Sue? Renato's Litigation Read 07:41 CLARITY Act Death Watch 10:15 Why Reg Crypto Isn't Enough Without Market Structure 11:06 Cody Carbone, CEO of the Digital Chamber Joins 12:03 Ethics, Ethics, Ethics: Will the White House Weigh In? 15:25 What Happens to Crypto Policy if Clarity Fails? 17:42 Federal Preemption and the Illinois Crypto Tax Fight 20:51 The Convergence of TradFi and Digital Finance 23:32 Rebecca and Renato Debrief on Spot Authority 24:37 Person of the Week: LeBron James and Prediction Markets

CoinDesk’s The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti break down the Ninth Circuit’s ruling against prediction markets like Kalshi, New Jersey’s push to bring the fight before the Supreme Court, and the SEC’s new roundtable on 24/7 trading featuring a roster of TradFi heavyweights. Then, Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos, Head of Legal at Chainlink, joins the show to discuss 21 global banks planning a joint stablecoin and what it could mean for Circle and Tether, why Kraken’s Bitnomial acquisition could offer a “creative” path to bring Hyperliquid onshore, and the London Stock Exchange’s push to bring its 100 largest companies onchain. Plus, Kirkpatrick makes the case that legislation remains the only durable way to “future-proof” crypto, while Rebecca and Renato debate whether Congress is entering a post-CLARITY era. - This episode is brought to you by Grayscale, the world's largest digital asset-focused investment platform. Grayscale's mission is to make digital asset investing simple and open to every investor. Learn more at grayscale.com. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co. - Register now for CoinDesk's Policy and Regulation event on September 22, 2026: policy-regulation.coindesk.com. - Chapters/Timecodes: 00:00 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 02:07 Hot Topic: Ninth Circuit Rules Against Kalshi 03:12 New Jersey Takes Prediction Markets to SCOTUS 04:31 The Kalshi–Michigan Federalism Fight 06:17 Hot Topic: SEC's 24/7 Trading Roundtable 08:57 Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos of Chainlink Joins 09:30 21 Global Banks Launch a Joint Stablecoin 12:14 Bringing Hyperliquid Onshore via Kraken–Bitnomial 16:14 London Stock Exchange's Tokenization Push 18:13 Are We in a Post-CLARITY Era? 21:00 Person of the Week: The U.S. House 21:51 Is the House Recess Really 'Devastating'? 24:26 A Big Miss for Crypto — and America

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol host Renato Mariotti takes a deep dive into the CFTC's inaugural Innovation Advisory Committee. Renato breaks down the viral, spicy exchange between CME Group CEO Terry Duffy and CFTC Chairman Michael Selig over event contracts and market manipulation, and introduces his own comment-letter concept "accountability arbitrage" that focuses on the enforcement gap that opens up when an AI agent authors a trading strategy. He then sits down with the committee's chair, Walt Lukken, President and CEO of the Futures Industry Association and a former acting CFTC chairman, who explains why Chairman Selig stood up the committee, how FIA is welcoming retail-first and formerly-offshore entrants while holding the line on customer protections, and why the hardest open question in the room was how to hold a machine accountable. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Register now for CoinDesk's Policy and Regulation event on September 22, 2026: policy-regulation.coindesk.com. - Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 01:15 The Story of the Week: The CFTC's Innovation Advisory Committee 01:50 The Viral Clip: Duffy vs. Selig on Event Contracts 02:45 A Fight Playing Out in the CME–CFTC Lawsuit 03:19 A Titanic Shift: TradFi Meets Blockchain 03:59 The Real Frontier: Agentic Finance 04:34 Accountability Arbitrage and Agentic Trading 06:33 Walt Lukken Joins the Show 07:00 Why Chairman Selig Built the Committee 08:21 FIA's Big Tent: Offshore to Onshore 09:49 Futures, Crypto and Prediction Markets Converge 11:43 Letting the Disagreements Be Aired 13:14 The AI Session: Holding a Machine Accountable 15:23 A Good First Year and the Tokenization Push 17:14 Renato's Debrief: A Working Committee

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti open on President Trump's White House remarks about bringing Hyperliquid onshore, then dig into Judge Vernon Oliver's Connecticut ruling that slammed the CFTC's emergency order in the Kalshi fight. Alexander Zozos, General Counsel of Superstate and a former SEC staffer, joins the hosts to break down what “Reg Crypto” actually does: two fundraising exemptions plus a safe harbor that acts as a "barbell" on when securities laws apply, solving crypto's "Hotel California" problem of checking in but never checking out. Plus, Rebecca and Renato debrief on whether the rule is a foundation or a window, and name crypto lawyers as their Person of the Week. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Register now for CoinDesk's Policy and Regulation event on September 22, 2026: policy-regulation.coindesk.com. - Chapters/Timecodes: 00:00 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 01:54 Hot Topic: Trump Talks Hyperliquid at the White House 04:36 Renato's Hot Topic: Kalshi, the CFTC, and Loper Bright 06:34 The SEC Drops Its 'Reg Crypto' Rulemaking 06:42 Alexander Zozos of Superstate Joins the Show 06:55 What Is Reg Crypto? The 30,000-Foot View 10:04 Foundation or Window? The Rogue Regulator Question 12:16 Inside the SEC: How a 400-Page Rule Gets Made 17:40 Does the Exit Ramp Depend on the CLARITY Act? 20:04 Rebecca and Renato Debrief 21:44 Person of the Week: Crypto Lawyers

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti open on the stalled CLARITY Act and how crypto's newness in DC stacks up against TradFi's decades-old relationships. They also dig into two hot topics: Erebor raising $1.5 billion at a valuation near $9.5 billion, and FlightAware's short-lived trademark lawsuit against prediction market Kalshi. Then they sit down with Brooke Ybarra, Head of Innovation at the American Bankers Association, who breaks down the yield compromise on payment stablecoins, makes the ABA's case that stablecoin growth could pull deposits away from community banks and shrink local lending, and explains how banks of all sizes are already experimenting with tokenized money and tokenized deposits. Plus, Rebecca and Renato debrief on the bipartisan holdouts and name SEC Chair Paul Atkins as their Person of the Week. NOTE (Aug. 14, 09:00 ET): this episode was recorded before the SEC canceled the open meeting originally scheduled for Friday.-This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at realfi.co.-To view the ABA's recommended changes to legislative text of the Clarity Act, please see their Joint State Association Letter to the Senate: https://www.aba.com/advocacy/policy-analysis/Joint-Letter-to-the-Senate-on-the-Clarity-Act - Chapters/Timecodes:00:00 Welcome to The Policy Protocol01:12 CLARITY Stalls Before the August Recess03:03 Crypto vs. TradFi: A New Entrant in DC05:18 Why Clarity Levels the Playing Field06:20 Hot Topic: Erebor's $1.5B Bank Raise08:38 Hot Topic: FlightAware Sues Kalshi12:06 Brooke Ybarra of the ABA Joins the Show12:38 The Yield Compromise and Interest-Like Payments14:59 The Deposit Flight Debate17:22 How Banks Are Innovating with Tokenized Money19:49 What Happens If CLARITY Doesn't Pass22:45 Person of the Week: SEC Chair Paul Atkins

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti open on the current state of crypto and the industry's evolution before digging into the George Santos CFTC settlement and the ColdCard hardware wallet hack. They are joined by SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, who is departing the agency for academia after nearly a decade of service. Peirce reflects on the legacy she hopes to leave and shares a piece of parting advice for the industry. Plus, insights into what the SEC can and can't do on crypto rulemaking if the CLARITY Act fails, though she remains “optimistic” that the bill will pass. And, Rebecca and Renato name Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) as their bipartisan Person of the Week for the ethics compromise they delivered to the White House. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Chapters/Timecodes 00:24 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 00:39 Crypto's 'Maturation' and Its TradFi Era 02:03 George Santos, the CFTC, and Kalshi 03:08 Prediction Markets vs. the States 04:35 The ColdCard Hack and Self-Custody 06:42 Quantum Risk and Bitcoin's Design Tradeoffs 07:39 SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce Joins the Show 09:00 Peirce's Legacy: Let People Try Things 10:01 Why the SEC Should Read Its Jurisdiction Narrowly 11:42 A Message to Industry: Build Things People Need 12:50 What the SEC Can Do If CLARITY Doesn't Pass 17:06 Rebecca and Renato Debrief on Commissioner Peirce 18:25 Person of the Week: Sens. Tillis and Gallego 20:26 CLARITY Isn't an Industry-Friendly Bill

On CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol, Renato Mariotti is joined by guest host Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, for a conversation on the politics of the CLARITY Act, the state-vs-federal fight over prediction markets, and Wisconsin's invocation of an 1849 law that could bar prediction-market users from voting. And, they sit down with Rachel Anderica, Head of Global Operations at Anchorage Digital, who walks through Anchorage's agentic banking build inside its OCC trust and a "cashless reserves" model in partnership with JPMorgan. Plus, the hosts name the TradFi endorsers of CLARITY — BlackRock, Fidelity, and Goldman Sachs — as the Person of the Week. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ledn.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Timecodes: 00:00 Cold Open: Wisconsin's 1849 Voting Law 01:13 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 01:29 Ari Redbord Joins as Guest Host 02:13 CLARITY's Law Enforcement Provisions 03:05 'Burn and Reissue': Getting Funds Back to Victims 04:19 The Politics: Why the Votes Aren't There 06:26 Prediction Markets and the CFTC Battle 08:04 Wisconsin's 1849 Law and the Right to Vote 09:53 Federalism, Circuit Splits, and the Road to SCOTUS 11:10 The HFSC Scam Report and AI at Scale 14:04 Rachel Anderika of Anchorage Digital Joins 14:34 Who's Liable When an Agent Moves Money? 18:56 OCC Rulemaking, Secondary Markets, and Sanctions 20:40 'Cashless Reserves' with JPMorgan Tokenized Funds 22:53 Trash Talk: The Skinny Master Account 24:29 Person of the Week: The TradFi Endorsers of CLARITY

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti open on the week's biggest policy news from SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce's statement on crypto vaults to the London Stock Exchange's launch of a 24/5 tokenized market. Then, Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, joins to make the case that the CLARITY Act deserves a Senate floor vote before the August recess and argues that President Trump's agreement to subject himself to conduct restrictions is a "historic" and unprecedented ethics concession. Witt also breaks down the CFTC's expanded mission and the fight over funding and staffing. Plus, Rebecca and Renato debrief on the lessons of MiCA and the state of bipartisan compromise on the Hill, and name the state attorneys general, led by an op-ed from Montana's AG, as their Person of the Week. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Check out CoinDesk Research’s report on the evolution of crypto centralized exchanges, with a case study on Binance at: https://www.coindesk.com/research/the-evolution-of-the-crypto-cex-landscape-a-case-study-on-binance - Timecodes: 00:00 Cold Open: 'No Other President Has Done That' 01:07 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 01:59 Hester Peirce on Crypto Vaults & Onchain Lending 04:22 The LSE's 24/5 Market, LSE24 05:59 NYSE, OKX, and TradFi's Tokenization Push 06:18 The CLARITY Act & Guest Patrick Witt 06:41 Will CLARITY Pass Before the August Recess? 09:01 Inside the Bill's Historic Ethics Provision 11:06 The Tillis Ethics Compromise 12:40 Funding the CFTC's Expanded Mission 14:03 Why CLARITY Isn't a Giveaway to Crypto 17:04 Debrief: MiCA's Lessons and Market Structure 20:37 Person of the Week: State Attorneys General

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol host Rebecca Rettig is joined by guest co-host Ryan VanGrack, Coinbase's newly appointed Vice Chairman, to unpack the week's biggest crypto policy developments. They begin with the escalating legal standoff between Kalshi, the state of Michigan and the CFTC, before turning to the U.S.-U.K.'s new joint recommendations on stablecoins and tokenized assets. On the one-year anniversary of the GENIUS Act, Rebecca sits down with the bill's architect, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), who reflects on the legislative battle to pass the landmark stablecoin law and explains why the CLARITY Act now faces an even more challenging political path. The episode closes with Hero of the Week Harry Jung, Patrick Whitt's deputy who is stepping into a leading White House role on crypto policy while Whitt takes military leave, and Zero of the Week Sam Bankman-Fried, after the Senate unanimously passed a resolution opposing any pardon or commutation for the former FTX founder. - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ledn.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Timecodes: 00:00 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 01:14 Coinbase's New Vice Chairman Ryan VanGrack Co-Hosts 03:06 Kalshi, Michigan Courts, and the CFTC Standoff 07:51 US-UK Joint Statement on Stablecoins 11:22 Conversation with Senator Bill Hagerty 11:54 GENIUS at One Year: Countries Copying U.S. Language Word for Word 12:41 Warren's Midnight Amendments and the Real Fight Behind the Bill 17:51 What are CLARITY's Remaining Hurdles? 19:05 Will Democrats Allow a Win? Hagerty on CLARITY's Path Forward 21:11 World Cup Picks With Senator Hagerty 24:37 Hero of the Week: Harry Jung 25:35 Zero of the Week: Sam Bankman-Fried

On CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol, hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti break down a case of prediction market manipulation involving 500,000 fake Spotify streams and examine the latest uncertainty surrounding the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Then, Blockchain Association CEO and former CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger joins the show to explain why she believes prediction markets are underestimating the CLARITY Act's chances, why the CFTC needs fee-based funding, and what a fully staffed bipartisan commission would mean for the future of crypto regulation. Plus, Rebecca and Renato wrap up with a Person of the Week that shows just how mainstream prediction markets have become. - Timecodes: 0:00 - Summer Mersinger Joins The Policy Protocol 2:08 - Manipulation on Prediction Markets and Spotify 5:29 - Where Is the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve? (Rebecca) 8:28 - Summer Mersinger on Better Markets and Christy Goldsmith Romero 10:18 - CFTC Resources, Funding & Clarity's Regulatory Framework 15:54 - Clarity Passage Odds + The Single-Commissioner Debate 21:07 - Why Jose Mourinho & Future Are Our People of the Week - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at realfi.co. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at ledn.io - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets: https://x.com/jpegtrading

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti open with two hot topics: the SEC's request for public comment on "novel" ETFs and the launch of Open USD, a new stablecoin protocol backed by Coinbase, major banks, Visa, and Mastercard. Christian Catalini, Founder of the MIT Cryptoeconomics Lab and co-creator of Facebook’s Diem/Libram project, joins to argue that the alliance's real test will be in governance. Plus, Rebecca and Renato close by naming their Person of the Week ahead of an important July 4th target. - Timecodes: 00:00 - Welcome to The Policy Protocol 01:57 - SEC Opens Public Comment on "Novel" ETFs 04:39 - Open Standard and the Antitrust Question 07:27 - Christian Catalini on Libra’s Lessons, Neutrality, and Governance 16:14 - Person of the Week - This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at realfi.co. - Ledn provides a secure and transparent way to access liquidity while maintaining your bitcoin holdings. Perfect 8 year track record of keeping clients assets safe. Don't sell your bitcoin. Get a bitcoin-backed loan. Check out your rate by using their loan calculator at ledn.io - JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets: https://x.com/jpegtrading