"Honestly, companies like Western Union should just go out of business." — Matt
We’re past the halfway point of 2025, and this year just won’t slow down. Today’s episode hits a wide range of topics: major legacy players like Western Union finally seeing the light on stablecoins, another Amazon data privacy red flag with Ring, a major crypto trial that could define how the U.S. treats privacy software, and listener questions that dug deep into yield, cycles, and timing. Let’s get into it.
💸 Western Union Feels the Heat as Stablecoins Disrupt Remittances
🔐 Ring Users Report Mysterious Logins — Amazon Points to Backend Bug
⚖️ Tornado Cash Trial Twists as Defense Considers Mistrial
🦠 Cryptojacking Resurfaces: 3,500 Sites Infected With Monero Mining Malware
📉 Spot Bitcoin ETFs Break 12-Day Inflow Streak
📊 XRP Price Charts Hint at Rally Toward $6
📉 Trader Cobb & Market Training via The Grow Me Co
Western Union and the Long Overdue Embrace of Stablecoins
"It's just myopic. It's slow moving. It's complacency. Western Union, you suck." — Matt
Western Union’s CEO finally admitted they’re actively exploring stablecoin infrastructure—settlement, store of value, remittance upgrades—the works. They're running pilots in South America and Africa, considering crypto wallets and on/off-ramps. All of it sounds like what they should have done a decade ago.
I don’t want to be too harsh, but I’m also not going to pull punches. This company had years to lead in innovation but chose the status quo. Only now, with stablecoins like USDC and Tether threatening their grip on remittances, are they reacting. A proactive move would’ve been championing regulatory clarity and building solutions early.
Instead, they’re playing catch-up, while fintech and DeFi firms are already leagues ahead. Sure, I applaud the move now—but it’s reactive, not visionary.
Amazon’s Ring Cameras
"We basically created a decentralized, customer-paid-for surveillance system." — Matt
A strange flurry of login reports hit Amazon’s Ring users at the end of May, with people spotting unknown devices like old iPhones and Chromebooks logged into their accounts. Amazon says it was a backend bug causing false device listings. Yeah… okay.
Users pushed back hard, and so did I. This wasn’t one or two isolated Reddit posts. This went viral on TikTok, X, Reddit. And just as the story broke, Ring’s founder was reinstated as CEO. Coincidence? Maybe. But now there’s chatter about reversing Amazon’s recent decision to restrict police access to Ring footage.
It brings up something I constantly harp on when it comes to private digital infrastructure: terms of service are the law now. You buy a camera to watch your doorstep, but with Ring, you also opt into surveillance policies that may share your footage without a warrant. Useful in some cases—my neighbor’s car theft was caught on camera—but the potential abuse is real. We’re sleepwalking into mass surveillance one smart device at a time.
Tornado Cash Trial Could Define Developer Rights
"You don't make a car and get sued because someone drunk-drives it." — Matt
Roman Storm, developer of privacy mixer Tornado Cash, is facing 45 years in prison. That’s insane. His defense team is considering a mistrial after it was revealed the prosecution’s key witness had no on-chain evidence to back their claim that stolen funds were laundered through Tornado Cash.
The bigger issue here isn’t even the mistrial. It’s whether or not building software can land you in prison for how someone else uses it. This case will set a precedent. Are privacy tools legal? Is open-source development criminal? The fact that prosecutors are trying to equate code with crime—without clear evidence—is a massive overreach.
And yes, the crypto community is watching closely. This case matters. It’s not just about one guy. It’s about all of us who care about financial privacy and open-source rights.
Cryptojacking Returns… and It’s Kind of Genius
"If it’s not malicious and it’s not stealing your data, it’s pretty damn cool." — Matt
Over 3,500 websites have been quietly hijacked to mine Monero in visitors’ browsers. It’s called cryptojacking, and it’s back. No data theft, no ransomware, just stealthy CPU drain. Using techniques like throttled WebAssembly and WebSockets, attackers avoid detection and keep CPU usage low enough to slip under the radar.
This approach is… honestly kind of brilliant. Obviously I don’t condone it. But from a tech perspective? Ingenious. It’s passive income at scale: one infected browser is meaningless. A million? You’ve got a mining pool.
We’re in an era where your computer might be mining Monero while you’re reading a blog post. That’s the world we live in now.
Bitcoin ETF Inflows Stop, XRP Might Pop
"Bitcoin money-making over? When the hell did I say that, Brian? Never. Never, never, never." — Matt
For 12 straight days, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw inflows. That ended Monday with $131 million in outflows. Natural cool-down? Probably. This doesn’t scream reversal. It’s a pause.
Meanwhile, XRP bulls are eyeing $6. That’s not hopium. That’s TA. Multiple charts show symmetrical triangle breakouts. If XRP closes above its 8-year high of $3.66, next stop could be $6.03. In the short term, a clean break above $3.46 signals $5.80.
Whether or not you’re an XRP believer, the chart looks good. And we’re in a market that respects momentum right now.
My Take
Western Union, Ring, Tornado Cash—all different stories, but with one common theme: systems failing to adapt transparently and responsibly. Whether it’s a legacy financial giant, a smart home surveillance company, or a U.S. court trying to criminalize code, we keep bumping into the same wall—centralized power resisting decentralized logic.
Stablecoins are going to transform payments, but only if regulators let the market innovate. The Ring case shows the downside of letting tech companies write the rules on privacy. And the Tornado Cash trial shows what happens when governments can’t tell the difference between tools and users.
This moment matters. And so do the questions you’re asking.
Listener Questions
"You can't compete, so no one gets to. That's not a free market." — Matt
Maddy asked about yield on stablecoins after hearing David Sacks on All-In. My take: the banks got scared. They knew they couldn’t compete with stablecoin APYs, so they pushed regulators to ban yield. That’s not capitalism—that’s protectionism. Now we’re in gray zones of “rewards” or “gift cards” instead of honest yield. It’s ridiculous.
Micky Papa asked if Bitcoin could break its four-year cycle while the rest of crypto doesn’t. My answer: no. Bitcoin sets the tone. If it goes supercycle, so does the rest of the market. This cycle looks different—ETFs, more stability, longer holding periods. If we’re ever going to break the four-year pattern, it’s now.
Brian asked if I said crypto money-making is over. Brian. Come on. Absolutely not. We’re consolidating, and the next leg up is coming. Long-term view, always.
Crypto Prices (as of 9:17 AM ET)
Bitcoin: $119,350 (+1%)
Ethereum: $3,700 (−2.1%)
XRP: $3.52 (−0.2%)
Solana: $203 (+6.4%)
Binance Coin (BNB): $765 (−0.5%)
USDC: Holding steady
Dogecoin: $0.266 (−1.3%)
Cardano: $0.878 (−4.3%)
Tron: $0.313 (−0.3%)
Market Caps:
Bitcoin: $2.36 Trillion
Ethereum: $444 Billion
Total Crypto Market: $3.88 Trillion
Fear & Greed Index: 67 (Greed)
Summary
Western Union’s stablecoin experiments highlight how late TradFi is to this game. Amazon’s Ring camera mess reminds us that surveillance is opt-in now—whether we like it or not. The Tornado Cash trial shows how fragile software freedom can be. And meanwhile, XRP and Bitcoin show this market isn’t done moving. Not even close.
We're consolidating. We're recalibrating. But we’re not cooling off for good. The next leg is coming. Buckle up.
Happy HODLing, Everyone.
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