Episodes

In this episode of FYI, Brett Winton and Chase Prather host Andy Tang, partner at Draper Associates, to discuss how venture capital is evolving alongside AI, deep tech, and shifting market dynamics. Andy reflects on his 20-year investing career, the growing importance of AI-native companies, and why the cost of execution is rapidly declining for startups. The conversation explores founder psychology, the role of contrarian investing, and how Draper approaches unconventional ideas ranging from ar...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett and Nick discuss Apple's latest AI strategy announced at the 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), including a major Siri upgrade. They explore how Apple's integration of Gemini models and on-device capabilities could transform Siri into a deeply personal AI companion. They also analyze the strategic moves of industry giants—Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, and SpaceX—and what their latest AI and data center investments mean for the future of computin...

In this episode of FYI, Brett Winton, Cathie Wood, and Charlie Roberts sit down with Bryan Johnson, founder of Blueprint and creator of Braintree. They explore his pursuit of extending human life and the broader philosophical shift toward valuing existence itself. Bryan shares the origin of his ideas, the role of AI in accelerating change, and why he believes humanity must rethink its priorities. The conversation also covers practical approaches to improving health today, including sleep, behavi...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick and Sam are joined by Daniel Maguire to discuss Blue Origin's recent rocket explosion, which has sparked a pivotal discussion on the future of space launch dominance and AI infrastructure investments. They explore how industry giants like SpaceX might capitalize on these setbacks, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape with strategic infrastructure investments. Key Points From This Episode: SpaceX and other leaders are building infrastruc...

In this episode of Bitcoin Brainstorm, Rod Roudi is joined by Cathie Wood, Adam Back, Hunter Beast, Rob Hamilton, Ren Crypto Fish, and David Puell for a deep discussion on quantum computing and its implications for Bitcoin. The group examines the technical, financial, and governance challenges posed by advances in quantum technology, while also exploring the progress being made on post-quantum cryptography and Bitcoin security research. From institutional concerns and custodial infrastructure to...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick and Sam are joined by Daniel Maguire and Tasha Keeney to discuss the expected June 12th initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX. SpaceX’s recently filed S-1 revealed a significant opportunity across launch, Starlink, AI compute, and orbital data centers. The team unpacks the bull and bear cases, Starship’s role, and whether SpaceX could become the backbone of future AI infrastructure. Key Points From This Episode: SpaceX’s S-1 reframed the company...

In this episode of FYI, Brett Winton is joined by David Puell, Nic Carter, and Alex Pruden to examine the potential risks quantum computing poses to Bitcoin. The group explores how advances in quantum technology could compromise cryptographic security, what a “broken” Bitcoin system might look like in practice, and the technical pathways for mitigation. They also debate upgrade strategies, trade-offs in post-quantum cryptography, and the controversial question of how to handle vulnerable coins, ...

Hyperliquid is revolutionizing global markets with its innovative blockchain, facilitating $3 trillion in annual volume and rivaling giants like Binance. In this episode, Lorenzo Valente reveals how hyperliquid's cutting-edge technology and products like perpetual futures are democratizing access to private markets and reshaping the future of trading. Key Points From This Episode: The secret sauce behind hyperliquid's rapid growth despite a bear market, including their purpose-built blockchain...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Frank and Sam explore the groundbreaking deal between SpaceX and Anthropic, focusing on the implications for AI compute infrastructure, space-based data centers, and the economics behind data centers. Key Points From This Episode: Economic Value of Space-Based AI: The true value lies in scarcity and speed to market rather than cost savings. Companies prioritize immediate access to space-based compute for strategic advantages. Advancements in Hardware ...

In this episode of FYI, Lorenzo Valente sits down with ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood and Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of Binance, to examine his journey from early life in China to building the world’s largest crypto exchange. CZ shares how Binance scaled rapidly, the regulatory challenges it faced, and how the crypto industry has evolved over the past decade. The conversation also covers institutional adoption, stablecoins, AI’s role in accelerating innovation, and CZ’s outlook on Bitcoin, exchang...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick and Sam offer a comprehensive analysis of mega-cap tech companies, focusing on CapEx trends, AI integration, user engagement, and market demand. They discuss Meta's AI strategies, cloud spending, and the evolving landscape of digital entertainment and enterprise productivity. Key Points From This Episode: Meta's hidden advantage is distribution, not AI products: The core of Meta's value lies in its vast, highly engaged user base, not in its public...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick and Sam explore how AI is reshaping technology, from coding to consumer devices, and how SpaceX's acquisition of Cursor at a $60 billion valuation could redefine the future of technology. They delve into the strategic layers of AI, revealing insights into SpaceX's long-term advantage and the potential revolution in space launches and satellite deployment. Key Points From This Episode: SpaceX's acquisition of Cursor highlights a strategic move to i...

In this episode of FYI, Brett Winton and Charles Roberts sit down with Michael Stewart of M12, Microsoft’s venture fund, to examine how AI is reshaping software, infrastructure, and investment strategy. Michael explains how M12 identifies emerging signals across the AI ecosystem, from generative AI adoption to enterprise spending shifts. The conversation covers the evolution from SaaS (software as a service) to AI-driven models, pricing dynamics, and the growing importance of compute efficiency....

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick and Sam explore the emerging landscape of digital identity verification, focusing on World ID and its implications for online security, business models, and advertising. They discuss the technical challenges, regulatory hurdles, and future potential of proof of humanhood in a bot-dominated world. Key Points From This Episode: Authenticity verification is inevitable but deeply complex. As AI-generated content and deepfakes proliferate, proving huma...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick and Sam explore the latest developments in AI models like Mythos, the strategic moves of companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta, and the future of social networks in an AI-driven world. They discuss the implications of AI safety, compute constraints, market dynamics, and innovative social trust networks. If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term research projections, like estimating where we will be 5-10 years from now! But ju...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick and Sam explore the transformative impact of public and private space initiatives, focusing on how NASA's missions and SpaceX's innovations are accelerating progress toward lunar bases and Mars colonies. Discover the economic implications of SpaceX's reusable rockets and AI-powered satellites, and how these advancements are shaping a trillion-dollar industry. If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term research projections, like est...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Nick and Sam are joined by Nicole Kagan, Head of Research at Kalshi. They discuss how prediction markets could revolutionize risk management across every industry you can imagine. From macroeconomic trends to cultural phenomena, she's uncovering how financializing uncertainty creates vast new opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and even governments. If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term research projections, like estimating where ...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick, and Sam delve into Elon Musk's ambitious Terafab project, a revolutionary semiconductor manufacturing facility poised to transform the future of AI and space infrastructure. Discover how Musk's strategy integrates energy, manufacturing, and space into a cohesive ecosystem, aiming to produce trillions of chips and power space colonization. Join us as we explore the implications of this $20 billion venture and its potential to reshape global technolo...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick, and Sam are joined by Frank Downing to discuss how XAI is shifting gears, aiming to turn that raw power into practical, revenue-generating products. Elon Musk’s latest moves reveal a daring strategy: leveraging Tesla’s custom chips, SpaceX’s orbital infrastructure, and a close-knit integration of AI and hardware. The question is, can XAI reinvent itself with this vertical integration, or will it become just another seller of compute? If you know A...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick, and Sam are joined by Alap Shah, CIO of Lotus Technology Management, and co-author of the viral Citrini Report. Alap reveals a provocative scenario: an acceleration in AI capabilities might wipe out a significant portion of white-collar jobs faster than expected, risking both economic disruption and widening inequality. He also teases his follow up report, being released in the coming weeks. If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-t...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick, and Sam dissect how industry giants like Block are slashing 40% of their workforce overnight while accelerating AI adoption, challenging everything you thought you knew about employment, productivity, and economic growth. You’ll discover the real reason behind Jack Dorsey’s massive layoffs, surprising data on revenue-per-employee ratios, and the shift from tools to agentic systems. If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term resear...

In this episode of FYI, Brett Winton and Nick Grous sit down with Leif Abraham, co-founder and co-CEO of Public. They examine how the brokerage landscape is shifting as digital-native investors seek more sophisticated tools, and why Public is focused on the top quartile of earners positioned to compound wealth. Leif discusses agentic AI workflows, generated assets, platform design trade-offs, prediction markets, and how Public is balancing short-term monetization with long-term customer lifetime...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick, and Sam debate the implications of humanoid robots and AI on society, focusing on themes such as technological unemployment, the competition between the US and China in robotics, and the future of work in an increasingly automated world. They explore whether humanoid robots are overhyped or underhyped, the economic implications of AI, and the role of humans in a future dominated by automation. The discussion is punctuated by viewer questions, addin...

In this episode of The Brainstorm, Brett, Nick, and Sam are joined by Frank Downing to discuss the current state of the Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) industry, exploring whether it is dead or simply undergoing a transformation due to AI advancements. They delve into the competitive landscape, pricing power, and the challenges faced by traditional SaaS companies. The discussion also touches on the innovator's dilemma in the context of AI and how it affects companies' willingness to disrupt their o...