Crypto 101 – Crypto Rundown: Bitcoin or Ethereum to Outperform?... and Top Meme Coin Trades for Q4

Hosts: Bryce Paul, Brendan Viehman
Date: October 25, 2025

Overview

This episode of Crypto 101 dives into the latest macro and crypto market moves, the perennial Bitcoin vs. Ethereum debate, major ETF developments, meme coin alpha for Q4, and the evolving world of prediction markets. The hosts, joined by Brian and Joe from the “Momentum Money Makers” community, break down a busy week full of volatility, bullish headlines, and high-stakes drama across the crypto landscape. Listeners get both high-level insights and actionable trading ideas in meme coins and beyond.

1. Macro & Market Update

Timestamps: 00:08 – 10:48

• Context: Markets rallied on a better-than-expected CPI report, fueling bullishness across stocks and crypto alike. Despite this, crypto remains in volatile “chop.”
• Key Discussion Points:
  • Recent CPI was higher than prior but lower than feared, sparking relief rallies in traditional and crypto markets.
  • Bitcoin oscillates between $110-115k, struggling to break higher but holding strong above psychological levels.
  • ETF flows remain net positive, but “ancient whale wallets” may be taking profits, contributing to headwinds.
  • The market feels boring or “in chop,” but the hosts emphasize it as a key time to DCA (dollar-cost average) and stay vigilant for opportunity.
• Notable Quote:

  “I think this is a really interesting time, even though it's a little boring because we're just chopping along… I personally think we're gonna chop for a few more weeks too, until we probably catch, you know, good old Santa’s rally. I’m still very bullish that we’re going to see some crazy numbers in Q4.”
  — Brian (04:58)

2. Sentiment & Trading Advice

Timestamps: 05:10 – 08:32

• Discussion:
  • Despite Bitcoin trading above $100k, the Fear & Greed Index signals “fear” due to recent deleveraging and uncertainty.
  • Overleveraged traders are cautioned; hosts stress education and risk management.
• Notable Quote:

  “If you don't know what you’re doing, your entire years of work and savings and portfolio can disappear like that…. If you continue to listen to these episodes during this boring, wear you out type of things. We've seen this before.”
  — Host (08:25)

3. Bitcoin vs. Ethereum: Cathie Wood & Tom Lee Bull-Off

Timestamps: 10:48 – 17:54

• Clip Discussion:
  • Cathie Wood: Predicts a $25 trillion ecosystem by 2030, majority in Bitcoin as a global, rules-based monetary system.
  • Tom Lee: Compares post-gold-standard dollar dominance enabled by Wall St. products to the Ethereum opportunity; argues ETH can “flip” BTC via tokenized assets and stablecoins.
• Host Reaction:
  • Biases acknowledged: Tom Lee on Ethereum’s board/treasury side, Cathie Wood with BTC ETF.
  • Both agree on the unstoppable trajectory of crypto but take different sides.
• Notable Quotes:

  • “We believe Ethereum could flip Bitcoin similar to how Wall street and equities flipped gold.”
    — Tom Lee (13:40)

  • “I see a path for both [BTC & ETH] succeeding… I would actually probably lean a little bit more Ethereum right now.”
    — Brian (15:24)

  • "Ethereum is probably undervalued at what, 500 billion. We have Apple, we have Nvidia at 2 trillion now...If Nvidia's undervalued, then Ethereum definitely has room to grow."
    — Joe (16:16)

4. Changing Wall Street Tune: Jamie Dimon & Institutional Adoption

Timestamps: 18:34 – 22:18

• Jamie Dimon’s “Ponzi” Claims Contradicted:
  • Hosts point out Dimon’s history of anti-crypto comments, yet J.P. Morgan now accepts BTC/ETH as collateral for institutional clients.
  • Trend: “Do as they do, not as they say” as Wall St. quietly accumulates and integrates crypto.
  • BlackRock’s ETF expansion, onboarding old-school whales with $3B+ inflows.
• Notable Quote:

  “We’re not bullish enough. I don’t care what the price says. The permabull says we’re not bullish enough.”
  — Brian (20:15)

5. ETF Developments & Whale Movement

Timestamps: 22:18 – 24:25

• Key Insights:
  • Traditional finance's embrace of BTC/ETH ETFs signals further mainstreaming.
  • Institutional investors value ETF access for tax efficiency, custodial simplicity, and regulatory clarity.
  • Self-custody purists may disagree, but easy onboarding attracts “new whales.”

6. Regulatory & Political News: Solana, Binance, and the Trump-CZ Pardon

Timestamps: 24:25 – 31:20

• Solana ETF in Hong Kong signals growing Asia appetite and opens a new chapter for Solana’s global narrative.
• CZ (Binance founder) Pardoned by President Trump:
  • Hosts clarify that the main impact is CZ regaining ability to work in the US and re-engage in the industry.
  • Trump’s comments: “I don’t know him, never met him… but I’ve been told by a lot of support…” (27:05)
  • Points out persistent regulatory “gray areas” in both TradFi and crypto.
• Coinbase Lists Binance at “suspiciously good” timing, reflecting inter-exchange dynamics and speculation.

7. NFT & Social Ecosystem: UpOnly TV Returns, Coinbase Acquisitions & Zora Hype

Timestamps: 31:20 – 40:08

• UpOnly TV (Kobe & Ledger) Revival:
  • Officially coming back for $25M, via NFT sale to Coinbase, now owner via additional acquisition of Kobe's “Echo” platform ($375M).
  • Anticipate eight new episodes; expected to launch on Coinbase’s Zora platform, which may drive new content and tokenization trends.
  • Alpha Call: Zora token surged recently; future creator token launches (like potential “Kobe” token) could be next-level alpha.
• Notable Quote:

  “It’s just a wild time to be following everything going on in crypto. It’s a lot of fun.”
  — Brian (30:55)

8. Meme Coin Alpha: Momentum Money Makers Calls for Q4

Timestamps: 40:08 – 50:05

• Top Meme Coin Plays:

  • Tibber: Initially called at $70M market cap, surged past $400M. Associated with Ribbit Capital (w/ deep NFT links), backed by AI agent buying iconic CryptoPunk.
  • Base ecosystem:
    • Cat coins outpace dog coins (Brian Armstrong’s cat > his dog meme coin).
    • Zora: Early base play, previously spotted by podcast guests—shows strong fundamentals and ties to the uptrend in NFT meme exposure.
    • Base Token Airdrop Speculation: High likelihood of Coinbase dropping a native Base token in 2026, making early on-chain activity (e.g., with meme coins) potentially lucrative.
  • Pudgy Penguins:
    • Buzzy due to high-profile advisors (including a supposed “highest-IQ” bitcoin proponent).
    • “Pengu” is a top pick due to strong partnerships and undervalued metrics compared to classic meme coins like DOGE.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “You show on-chain activity, potentially you might get a base token airdrop...there’s a potential to hit something we call airdrops.” – Joe (45:06)
  • “I just think [Pudgy Penguin] is absolutely going to explode...it’s one of my favorite bags I hold.” – Brian (49:20)

9. NFT & OpenSea Preview

Timestamps: 50:05 – 51:44

• OpenSea Token Launch Confirmed:
  • Q1 2026 release with 50% of launch revenue set for token buyback.
  • OpenSea CMO will be featured on an upcoming episode for more insight.

10. Prediction Markets & Token Alpha

Timestamps: 51:44 – 58:02

• Meta Moves:

  • PolyMarket: CMO confirms native token is coming; US rollout and KYC compliance expected first.
  • Kalshi: US-regulated, direct partnerships with Robinhood, Jupiter, the NHL. Integration and token launch speculation.
  • DraftKings Acquisition: Now moving into prediction markets (acquired Railbird).
  • Trading Tips: Heavy focus on airdrops and user activity tracking for future eligibility.

• Notable Quote:

  “Prediction markets next year is going to be solid play. And yeah, like Brian said, that’s another alpha for you. Just hammer Poly and Kalshi with Jupe now.”
  — Joe (54:07)

11. Sports & Scandal: Sports Betting, the NBA, and NFT Collectibles

Timestamps: 58:02 – 63:27

• Sports Gambling Scandals:
  • NBA rocked by betting, player/coach leaks, and mafia tie-ins; raises specter of insider and match-fixing.
  • Reflection on the risk in rapidly growing prediction/gambling markets.
  • NBA Top Shot: Huge revamp; new cycles of buying/flipping NBA NFTs expected to be highly profitable, especially with physical and digital cross-over appeal.

12. Community Q&A: Rapid-Fire Hot Takes

Timestamps: 63:27 – 69:02

• Nobody Sausage: Sentiment play; team is building, likely to bounce when meme coin meta rotates back.
• European Crypto Reserve Funds: Hosts believe EU countries are quietly accumulating BTC; public announcements may spark snowball effect.
• BTC vs. Gold Debate: CZ vs. Peter Schiff may soon take place; “tokenized gold is a ‘trust me bro’ token.” (67:26)
• Toshi (Base meme coin): Clear base ecosystem leader beside Brett; strong technical support level – “not a horrible entry right now.” (68:18)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Jamie Dimon & TradFi Adoption:

  “Do as they do, not as they say. J.P. Morgan and Jamie Dimon specifically have been the best example of that.” (19:27)

• On Meme Coin Alpha:

  “We're just giving it all today. We're just releasing it all!”
  — Joe (43:19)

• On Sports Gambling Scandals:

  “It's just a bad look for sports gambling…I think we all assume that there were some people cooking numbers always...”
  — Brian (60:38)

Conclusion

This packed episode encapsulates the energy and relentless alpha-hunting that defines the current crypto era. The hosts deliver a nuanced, occasionally irreverent take on market cycles, Wall Street hypocrisy, political drama, NFT comebacks, and the meme coin gold rush. Listeners get a window into both macro investing strategies and retail-centric playbooks for Q4 2025—perfect for anyone seeking edge and entertainment in the ever-shifting crypto landscape.