CoinDesk Podcast Network

Hex Trust CEO Alessio Quaglini joins Consensus Hong Kong to discuss how stablecoins solve transparency issues in traditional banking and how Hex Trust simplifies cross-chain asset management for institutional partners.

CEO and Co-Founder of Hex Trust, Alessio Quaglini, joins the desk at Consensus Hong Kong to explain how stablecoins are providing an upgrade to a trillion-dollar payments problem. Quaglini identifies the lack of transparency and efficiency in traditional banking as a massive hurdle that has been avoided for decades. He explains how Hex Trust acts as the conduit between the blockchain world and bank accounts, hiding the complexity of managing assets across 50 different blockchains for partners like IBM and Animoca.

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This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie and Sam Ewen at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

TBV co-founders Tobias Bauer and Brent Fulfer explain how high-production after-parties serve as a data-driven investment pipeline for their $30 million venture fund.

Tobias Bauer and Brent Fulfer, co-founders of TBV, join CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong to reveal how high-production after-parties serve as the ultimate deal hub. They explain why the most authentic networking happens through shared entertainment experiences rather than rushed conference meetings. Through this unique model, they’ve transformed massive side events into a data-driven pipeline to fuel their $30 million venture fund, sourcing 28 investments in just the last year.

On the latest Blockspace roundup, the gang cover’s Block’s 40% workforce reduction and our scoop that Magic Eden is quitting the Bitcoin and Ethereum NFT game.

Get your tickets to OPNEXT 2026 before prices increase! Join us on April 16 in NYC for technical discussions, investor talks, and intimate conversation with the brightest minds in Bitcoin.

Welcome back to The Blockspace Podcast! Today, Charlie and Colin cover the Block’s 40% workforce reduction and why the stock ripped 20% on the news. We also dive into the bitcoin mining conditions that are driving hashprice to all-time lows, Blockspace’s scoop that Magic Eden is sunsetting its Bitcoin Ordinals marketplace, MARA’s latest AI partnership, and the Terra/Luna lawsuit against Jane Street. Plus, Luxor’s Michael San Miguel joins the show to discuss the ins and outs of the GPU market. 

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Notes:

* Block laid off 40% of its 10,000 employees.

* Block stock surged 20% after the layoff news.

* Bitcoin hash price hit an all-time low of $28.

* Bitcoin difficulty adjusted upward by 14.73%.

* Magic Eden is shutting down BTC and ETH marketplaces, multi-chain wallet

* Bitdeer sold all its bitcoin; Cipher plans to sell its bitcoin in 2026

* MARA forms partnership with data center developer Starwood

Timestamps:

00:00 Start

03:33 Hashrate update via Luxor’s Hashrate Index

09:29 Block lays off 40% of staff

16:37 Magic Eden shutting down

25:54 GPUs & compute

28:03 GPU vs ASIC complexity

29:04 Upgrading hardware

32:16 Finding a compute buyer

34:00 Powershell vs Neocloud

37:12 Compute still in price discovery mode

42:05 MARA earnings

45:20 CIPHER dumping bags

48:44 Jane Street is the new boogyman

59:34 Everyone's short MSTR

👉CleanSpark

CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) is a market-leading data center developer with a proven track record of success. We own a portfolio of power, land, and data centers across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin, energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our infrastructure to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by producing a global emerging critical resource – compute – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world.

👉Luxor, Blockspace's preferred mining pool

Bitcoin mining revenue changes every day. Difficulty adjusts. Fees move. Prices shift. And that makes it hard to plan. Luxor Pool’s Fixed Payouts let miners lock in revenue at a guaranteed daily rate for up to 18 months. According to Hashrate Index, miners who used rolling fixed payout strategies since the last halving have outperformed FPPS mining by up to 15 percent. Fixed Payouts give you predictable daily revenue, so you can plan, budget, and grow with confidence. With Luxor, uncertainty is optional. Learn more at luxor.tech/mining

Industry leaders from Auros, GSR, and Selini take the stage Consensus Hong Kong to dismantle the "evil" market maker narrative and explain their role as a defense against catastrophic volatility.

Leaders from market makers took the stage at Consensus Hong Kong to dismantle the "evil" market maker narrative that dominates social media. In this candid panel, Auros Chief Commercial Officer, Jason Atkins, GSR’s Managing Director and Head of APAC and EMEA Sales, Chuan Jin, and Selini’s CEO and Founder, Jordi Alexander, explain why market makers are the primary defense against catastrophic volatility rather than the cause of it.

Kraken’s Mark Greenberg joins CoinDesk Live to announce a $20 billion milestone in tokenized equity volume and explain how xStocks is dismantling the traditional brokerage model through 24/7 fractional trading.

Mark Greenberg, Kraken’s VP of xStocks and Global Head of Consumer, joins CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong to announce a $20 billion milestone in tokenized equity volume. He explains how xStocks is dismantling the traditional brokerage model by allowing users to buy fractional shares of Tesla and the S&P 500 directly within everyday apps. Greenberg discusses the 24/7 trading advantage, the roadmap for adding Hong Kong stocks, and why tokenized equities are becoming the preferred asset class for retail investors across Asia.

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This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie and Dave Lavalle at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.