In a recent episode of the SlateCast, CryptoSlate's Editor-in-Chief, Liam "Akiba" Wright, sat down with Simon McLoughlin, CEO of Uphold, to discuss key developments in the cryptocurrency space. Their conversation covered the evolution of stablecoins, regulatory changes, and the increasing intersection of AI and crypto. McLoughlin shared insights on how Uphold is positioning itself as a leader in the digital finance space, offering transparency, regulatory compliance, and innovation to its users.Regulatory Shifts and Market SentimentMcLoughlin expressed optimism about the future of the crypto industry, citing significant regulatory shifts in the United States."Who would have thought six months ago that we would have Hester Peirce heading up the SEC Working Group for Crypto, Cynthia Lummis chairing the Senate Committee on Digital Assets, and the removal of SAB 121?" he remarked.Despite recent sell-offs in the market, McLoughlin remains confident."These sell-offs are natural market phenomena. The fundamentals are stronger than ever, and institutional adoption is pushing Bitcoin closer to being treated like a traditional risk asset."Stablecoins as a Catalyst for Financial InnovationOne of the major topics of discussion was the rapid growth of stablecoins. According to McLoughlin, the stablecoin market exceeded $200 billion in 2023 and could reach $300 billion in the near future."The value proposition is clear: send a dollar anywhere in the world in less than a second for less than a cent," he explained. "Traditional banking systems struggle with cross-border transactions, and stablecoins offer a seamless alternative."Uphold is capitalizing on this shift by expanding its stablecoin offerings across multiple blockchains."We currently support five stablecoins on 15 blockchains, and by next month, that will increase to 34 blockchains. Payments companies need a seamless infrastructure, and we provide the necessary accessibility and security," McLoughlin added.Uphold’s Approa

In the latest SlateCast episode, CryptoSlate’s Editor‑in‑Chief Liam “Akiba” Wright and CEO Nate Whitehill sat down with Dustin Hedrick, co‑founder of The Roar, to unpack how RoarChain—a self‑custody‑first layer‑two built on the OP‑Stack—blends artificial‑intelligence tooling, fee‑backed yield and a decade‑long roadmap to welcome the next wave of crypto users.Building a Self‑Custody L2 on OP‑StackRoarChain’s architecture begins with an unflinching stance on wallet sovereignty.“Decentralization is core and we cannot move away from that… you don’t own your wallet or your keys unless you have those keys privately,”Hedrick stressed when asked how the chain protects newcomers who struggle with basic password hygiene.By rolling their own OP‑Stack network, Hedrick says the team can keep fees low while inheriting Ethereum security and Optimism’s Superchain interoperability—without “feeding users to death” on transaction costs.Smarter Wallets & AI Trading AgentsA standout feature is Roar’s forthcoming “smarter wallet,” where AI parses on‑chain data the moment a user connects.“You’ll have the NFTs literally interact with the AI as you log in… it’s learning your traits in those first few seconds,”Hedrick explained, outlining how the model combines wallet history with a 25‑point, five‑star project‑rating system that scans over 11,000 tokens.Full trade execution (“agency”) is still gated, but Hedrick hopes to activate it later this year once the guardrails are battle‑tested.Yield Backed by Fees, Nodes & NFTs—Not PonzinomicsSkeptics of high‑yield promises often recall the 2021 cycle’s excesses. Hedrick counters that RoarChain’s rewards are underwritten by real cash‑flows:“We have some of the same staking fees as Uniswap and… our chain is offering nodes that actually do something in function”.Revenue from node sales, DEX trading fees and secondary NFT markets cycles into a DAO‑controlled treasury, which has been “largely personally funded” to date. The goal is rapid network effect:

From slideware to a live, award-winning productNemo.money began life in 2021 in a crowded field of investing apps. Scott explained that the team quickly had to choose which core user problem to solve. Rather than building primarily for education, Nemo focused on surfacing actionable opportunities aligned to a user’s goals and risk appetite—helping people decide what to buy and when, without recommending a single security to any individual.“We don’t have permission to give … advice,” Scott noted, emphasizing that Nemo presents options and context while leaving decisions to the user.Guidance, not advice: how Nemo frames AIA centerpiece is Nemo’s daily, AI-driven “portfolio insight.” With a tap, users receive a concise brief on what moved in their holdings over the last 24 hours—stitched together from relevant headlines and price action—plus ideas to improve diversification. The experience is designed to save time and surface “interesting stories,” not just the biggest movers, so users learn why their portfolio behaved the way it did and explore adjacent assets or ETFs that might rebalance risk.Wright underscored the point that any AI summary must be grounded:“And it’s amazing writing that back, but it needs the fact to begin with. You cannot get trust.”Scott agreed, explaining Nemo’s strict separation between facts and language models: the team licenses fundamentals, volumes, and sentiment from tier‑one financial data vendors, then feeds that truth set into the LLM to generate user‑specific insights.“We learned that early doors: buy from good data providers.”Truth first: model strategy and privacyNot every feature demands the latest, priciest model. For factual, template‑like updates (e.g., refreshed company health summaries generated from fundamentals), Nemo can rely on established models. For problem‑solving tasks—like suggesting diversification paths from a user’s current holdings—the company opts for newer models. Scott also stressed privacy: user portfolios are a

Swaroop Hegde, CEO and Co-Founder of Powerloom, joined CryptoSlate’s Editor-in-Chief, Liam “Akiba” Wright, and CEO Nate Whitehill on The SlateCast to discuss the future of decentralized data layers. Backed by notable names like Blockchain Capital and Filecoin, Powerloom is setting a new standard for composable and decentralized data solutions, reshaping how users interact with on-chain data and fostering innovation across web3 applications.The Challenge of Reliable On-Chain DataSwaroop began by highlighting the current inefficiencies in accessing and verifying on-chain data. Traditional methods rely heavily on centralized sources, such as CoinMarketCap or specific blockchain dashboards, leading to potential data manipulation and outdated information.“Most of the usage when it goes outside of the dApp is actually coming from some sort of centralized indexer,”Swaroop noted, emphasizing the vulnerabilities inherent in such a setup.Powerloom addresses these issues with a decentralized node network, enabling real-time data computation without the need for a centralized intermediary.“With over 5,300 nodes, even non-technical users can contribute to the network, ensuring verifiability and reliability,” he explained.Powerloom’s Unique Approach to Data CompositionUnlike traditional indexers, Powerloom operates on a demand-driven system that aggregates data atomically. Swaroop explained,“We don’t sit and index all the data. Instead, we focus on composing data dynamically based on demand.”This approach allows Powerloom to cater to a variety of use cases, from trading data to lending rates across multiple chains.The platform’s composability extends beyond Uniswap and Aave, creating “data markets” that empower users to craft personalized queries and insights. These markets are decentralized and verifiable, ensuring users can trust the integrity of their data.Introducing Generative Prediction Markets (GPM)A standout feature discussed was Powerloom’s Generative Prediction Markets