Why Swan CEO Cory Klippsten Is Still Convinced That Bitcoin Is Headed to $1 Million - Ep. 584

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Swan founder and CEO Cory Klippsten is all-in on Bitcoin. Not only does he believe that Bitcoin is poised to reach $1 million by 2030, he also thinks most alt-coins add little to no value and will eventually all go to zero. Accordingly, his company is a massive bet on the future of Bitcoin, from educating people about the world’s first crypto and convincing them to eventually self-custody, to making private equity investments in the Bitcoin ecosystem, to eventually planning to launch the first US Bitcoin-only trust company to create a safer environment for investors.
Here he talks to Unchained about his crypto journey, the likely impact of spot Bitcoin ETFs on crypto adoption and prices, his extreme skepticism about Bitcoin Ordinals, when he first knew Sam Bankman-Fried was a fraud and why he thinks that crypto VCs have done a “massive disservice” to the world.
Show highlights:

What Swan Bitcoin is, its origin story and the future trajectory envisioned by Cory

Cory's journey into crypto, his journalism background and the shift to a Bitcoin-centric focus

How Cory is navigating discussions with hedge funds, family offices, and insurance companies in anticipation of a Bitcoin spot ETF

Swan’s Bitcoin-only investment strategies

How lending and borrowing with Bitcoin is evolving

Cory's private equity investments within the Bitcoin ecosystem

The rationale behind Swan launching the first US Bitcoin-only trust company

Swan's stance on financial privacy, especially after warning customers that banks might close their accounts if they used mixers

Cory's reasoning for advising against "trading" the Bitcoin spot ETF launch

Predictions on when BTC might reach new all-time highs

Cory's perspective on Bitcoin Ordinals and their impact on the Bitcoin mempool

The concerns about decreasing block rewards and the future security of Bitcoin

Why Cory was convinced of FTX's fraudulent nature after reviewing the balance sheet that led to SBF's downfall

Why he thinks that VCs have done a "massive disservice” to the world

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Guest:

Cory Klippsten, CEO of Swan Bitcoin
Links:
Swan Bitcoin:

Fortune: Swan deployed more than $200 million in 2023 building out institutional offerings such as Bitcoin-backed lending

Protos: Some Swan Bitcoin customers lose banking access

CoinDesk: BitGo, Swan to Form Bitcoin-Only Trust Company

WSJ: Crypto Custodian Prime Trust Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Decrypt: Swan, Coinbits Disclose Prime Trust Ties as Fallout Continues

Cointelegraph: Swan Bitcoin to terminate customer accounts that use crypto-mixing services

Bitcoin ETFs:

Previous coverage on spot Bitcoin ETFs:

How Much Money Will Flow Into Bitcoin ETFs? Here’s One Projection

Why a Spot Bitcoin ETF Will Probably Launch No Later Than January 10

Why It Looks Like BlackRock Could Win America’s First Spot Bitcoin ETF

The Chopping Block: Are We Back? The ‘Low IQ’ Response to the Potential Spot Bitcoin ETF

Unchained:

Why the SEC May Want Cash Creation of Spot Bitcoin ETFs

Bitcoin ETFs Explained: What Are They & How Do They Work?

BlackRock Updates Bitcoin ETF Filing to Make Access Easier for Wall Street Banks

FTX
CoinDesk: Divisions in Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto Empire Blur on His Trading Titan Alameda’s Balance Sheet

Ordinals:

Cory’s tweet on Ordinals

Unchained:

Bitcoin Ordinals-Related Token ORDI Passes $1 Billion in Market Value

Bitcoin Mempool Reaches Record Levels of Congestion

Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs Are Hot and Getting Hotter. What’s the Hype About?

Bitcoin’s BRC-20 Mania: Is It Sustainable?

Why All 10,000 OnChainMonkey NFTs Will Move From Ethereum to Bitcoin

Learn more:

What Are BRC-20 Tokens?

What Are ORC-20 Tokens?

How to Create a Bitcoin Ordinal

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