On The Brink with Castle Island

Weekly Roundup 05/08/26 (Consensus Miami, AI layoffs strike Coinbase, Clarity compromise, AI energy and water use) (EP.719)

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode: Will Hantavirus become another global pandemic? Kraken buys Reap for $600m Bullish buys Equiniti for $4.2b Reflections on 10 years of attending...

2026-05-08

Episode notes

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode:

  • Will Hantavirus become another global pandemic?
  • Kraken buys Reap for $600m
  • Bullish buys Equiniti for $4.2b
  • Reflections on 10 years of attending Consensus
  • Is it acceptable to wear a backpack with a suit
  • a16z crypto announces a $2.2b fundraise
  • Coinbase is laying off 14% of the firm
  • Will AI lead to massive job losses?
  • Is VC immune from AI job displacement
  • I bipartisan compromise is finally reached on Clarity
  • How the AI water use debate is just like Bitcoin
  • The AI lobby is learning from Fairshake
  • The SEC delays prediction market ETFs