CRYPTO 101 — Crypto Rundown: AI Crypto Is Exploding — Are the Next 100x Opportunities in Subnets?

Hosts: Bryce Paul & Brendan Viehman
Date: April 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the explosive momentum around AI-focused crypto projects, institutional moves like Franklin Templeton’s big CoinFund acquisition, regulatory updates around stablecoins and 401(k) crypto options, and, most notably, the emerging 100x potential in subnet ecosystems—especially within BitTensor/Tau. The team also takes community questions on specific tokens, prediction markets, and gives actionable insights for retail investors looking to understand and capitalize on the latest crypto trends.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Market Update & Macro Sentiment

• Crypto Markets Stay Open Over Holidays:
  The hosts note the unique nature of crypto trading (unlike regular markets) and the market’s relatively flat action over Good Friday and into the holiday weekend.
• Recent Macro Events:
  • US administration's press conference didn’t deliver much clarity but markets shook it off ([11:12])
  • “The market does not want to be caught off sides... Professionals last year... were caught off sides. Retail bought the dip like crazy. ... Now there's a lot of explaining to do for large hedge funds.” — TiVo ([11:44])
• Market Fear Gauge:
  • Current Fear and Greed Index: 29, indicating lingering fear ([12:54])
• Bitcoin’s resilience:
  • “Amongst all the negativity, $70,000 Bitcoin is not too shabby.” — Joe ([13:06])
• Volume Uptick:
  • Crypto trading volumes rose 19% in March; $8B in volume daily ([12:19])

2. Meme & AI Coins: Community Hype and Speculation ([07:10])

• Meme Core’s Mysterious Ascent:
  • “It’s just Asian whale manipulation... Not the reason you need, but it’s up and to the right.” — Joe ([08:13])
• Outperformance of Certain Memecoins:
  • Some projects’ surges are simply driven by market narratives and speculative whale trading.

3. Institutional Moves: Franklin Templeton Acquires CoinFund ([16:05])

• Major Asset Managers Deepen Crypto Bets:
  • Franklin Templeton launches a dedicated crypto arm via CoinFund acquisition.
  • “This is the type of thing that we say all the time—there’s still these infrastructure plays in this institutional investment trying to make crypto genuinely easier to use and stronger infrastructure.” — Brian ([19:19])
• Tokenized Assets in M&A Transactions:
  • Benji tokens used as consideration in M&A: “An early step toward on-chain M&A... I’d love to see how that flows through funds.” — Joe ([21:21])

4. Crypto in 401(k)s & Mainstream Retirement Accounts

• Regulatory Progress:
  • New rulemaking potentially allows Bitcoin/Ethereum in 401(k)s after a 60-day comment window ([24:06])
• Impact on Broader Adoption:
  • “If we got 1-2% of the US retirement funds—that’s hundreds of billions, a steady new demand.” — Brian ([24:41])
  • Joe notes, “People don’t trade in 401(k)s, they just set and forget it... net positive, it’s just going to stay there.” ([26:13])

5. Stablecoin Regulation: The Genius Act

• End of Unregulated Stablecoin Era, US Moves Toward Regulatory Standards
  • “Turns stablecoins into trusted dollar rails… another win for crypto infrastructure and mainstream adoption.” — Brian ([28:08])

6. Wall Street & Big Banks: The Citadel, Coinbase, and the Rush to Become ‘Crypto Banks’

• Citadel’s Crypto Ambitions:
  • “Citadel wants to be in the crypto game now. So I don’t know if it’s going away.” — TiVo ([30:39])
• SOFI Offers Crypto Directly:
  • “First time it popped up in my bank... buy crypto from my bank SOFI now. Easier access is going to be great overall for the crypto space.” — Joe ([30:39])

7. SpaceX IPO (Non-Crypto, Macro Impact)

• Record-Breaking Valuations, Potential ‘Liquidity Suck’ from Public Markets
  • Discussion about implications for stock market liquidity and how private market growth affects retail access ([35:06])
  • “If the first one's out the gate before Anthropi and OpenAI then—it level sets expectations.” — Joe ([36:55])

8. AI Crypto: BitTensor (TAO) and Subnets — The 100x Opportunity?

Big Segment ([39:47+])

BitTensor/Tau Updates

• Grayscale Files TAO Trust S-1:
  • “Millions to billions could flow in for people interested... modeled after Bitcoin tokenomics.”
• Subnets Explained:
  • Specialized projects inside the BitTensor ecosystem; 130–140 subnets, many with low market caps and high volatility.
  • “Subnets are where all the action is... some launched but not even listed yet—we’re searching for microcap alpha.” — Joe ([42:24])
  • “Subnets are like the microcaps of the TAO ecosystem... Some could trend down for months but still be building, and when they get attention, they pop off.” — Brian ([44:57])
• Standout Subnet: Templar
  • Mentioned by Nvidia’s CEO on the All-In podcast; well-performing, handles a large LLM ([42:53])
• General Caution:
  • “Nothing we say is financial advice, do your own research... but if you're interested in AI and crypto, start with TAO and BitTensor. Subnets are where it gets interesting and risky.” — TiVo ([44:09], [47:20])

Other AI Crypto Calls

• Venice (Diem):
  • “Pays for compute on any platform Venice is integrated with—integrated with Claude, OpenAI. People are starting to budget for AI credits and that’s only going to grow.” — Joe ([48:48])
• AI Agents and Crypto Wallets:
  • “A lot of companies building the bridge between AI agents and crypto wallets. Soon, there may be millions of wallets created just for AI agents to transact online.” — Brian ([52:15])
  • “Crypto is built for agents... hundreds of millions [of wallets] could be for AI.” — Brian ([54:15])

9. Other Emerging Sectors

• Prediction Markets & Trump Administration Support ([56:44])
  • Trump Jr. is specifically partnered with prediction market sites, trying to ensure federal regulation for these markets.
  • “Be wary; prediction markets are often manipulated by insiders. But they’re an interesting crypto use case.” — Brian ([58:04])

10. Community Q&A / Rapid Fire ([62:12])

• Algorand: Not extensively tracked by hosts currently but recognized as an L1 with some AI ties.
• Vidor: Not familiar; seems niche/low cap, possibly related to digital commodities like oil.
• Learning Crypto as a Novice Near Retirement:
  • “You’re in the right place—subscribe, grab the free book in the description, listen to the podcast, and join the community!” — TiVo ([64:02])

11. Notable Quotes & Moments

On Meme Coins

• “Product, who cares? It’s just a manipulated whale controlled by the Asian markets.” — Joe ([08:13])

On Institutions Entering Crypto

• “You see the Citadel, Franklin Templeton, SoFi offering crypto—these partnerships show our industry’s not going away.” — TiVo ([30:39])

On AI Subnets Alpha

• “Brian’s finding subnets that haven’t even listed yet... That’s kind of where the action is.” — Joe ([42:53])
• “Some of these subnets could literally trend downward for months, but with the right attention, they pop off.” — Brian ([47:20])

On Regulatory Progress

• “Adding something like Bitcoin, Ethereum to 401(k) options makes crypto more normalized for regular people and could pull in the next wave of investors.” — Brian ([24:41])

On AI Agents & Crypto

• “Crypto is built for agents, not humans. ... There might be hundreds of millions of crypto wallets created just for people’s AI agents.” — Brian ([54:15])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp Range | |-------------------------------------------------|---------------------| | Market Sentiment, Memecoin Chat | 05:29 – 11:44 | | Franklin Templeton — CoinFund Acquisition | 16:05 – 21:57 | | 401(k) Regulation & Stablecoins | 22:50 – 28:40 | | Citadel & Banks Entering Crypto | 28:40 – 32:12 | | SpaceX IPO & Macro Market Impact | 35:06 – 37:47 | | TAO/Bittensor/AI Subnets Deep Dive | 39:51 – 51:56 | | AI Agents & Crypto; Infrastructure Discussion | 51:56 – 54:55 | | Prediction Markets, Regulation & Hot Takes | 55:25 – 62:12 | | Community Q&A (Algorand, Vidor, Newbies) | 62:12 – 65:24 |

Closing Thoughts & Community Vibe

• Global Community:
  Listeners called in from around the world (Russia, Isle of Man, etc.), emphasizing the show’s international reach and relevance.
• Community Engagement:
  Active live chat, fun callouts, and the hosts’ willingness to take on questions—from portfolio strategy to coin picks to prediction market bets.

For More Info:

• Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast app
• Join the $1 Momentum Moneymakers trial (links mentioned during show)
• Download the free Crypto Revolution book (link in show notes)

Final Words

“Enjoy your weekend, happy Easter to those who celebrate, and don’t forget—never stop researching. The next 100x play might be lurking in the very subnets we’re exploring today!” — TiVo ([66:18])