Name: Exchange Wars and the L.A. Vape Cabal w/ Threadguy
Uploaded: 2025-03-28T15:00:32+00:00
Duration: 4895 s

Speakers

Thread Guy — Crypto influencer, independent

Jordi Alexander — Founder & CEO, Selini Capital

Taiki Maeda — Founder, HFA Research

Justin Bram — Reporter, The Block

Summary

Steady Lads episode #88 features Threadguy discussing his crypto trading history, the L.A. Vape Cabal, post-Libra burnout, memecoin extraction, and how he finds edge. The hosts debate the Hyperliquid/JELLY incident, HLP vault risk, centralized-exchange criticism, and whether Hyperliquid can keep running. They also touch on AI crypto, Ghibli meme coins, Maker, spot Bitcoin, and range-trading Bitcoin.

Threadguy recounts his path from NBA Top Shot and NFTs to crypto streaming and the L.A. Vape Cabal.
The group discusses post-Libra market fatigue, memecoin extraction, and Threadguy's break from streaming.
Threadguy says he remains pro AI crypto, pro meme coins, and bought the Ghibli-themed coin around a $12-$13 million cap.
Jordi explains his range-trading framework and says Bitcoin around $87K feels balanced.
Taiki says he is long Maker with the stablecoin bill as a catalyst.
The Hyperliquid/JELLY episode is broken down, including the HLP vault squeeze, delisting, oracle rollback, and CEX reactions.
Jordi argues Hyperliquid may have years to run and that CEXs are threatened; Taiki says HLP yield no longer compensates for risk.
The episode ends with a pasta segment and discussion of the Ghibli AI meme trend.

Ideas

Thread Guy Crypto trader and streamer 2:51

Long Ghibli meme coin after early buy.

Threadguy is long the Ghibli-themed AI meme coin after buying around a $12-$13 million market cap. He thinks it is a pure tokenization of the viral Ghibli AI art trend and is surprised it has not already traded above $50-$75 million, though he explicitly says he is not telling others to buy it.

Thread Guy Crypto trader and streamer 7:23

Still bullish on AI crypto.

Threadguy remains bullish on AI crypto. He says the AI-coin wave from late 2024 into early 2025 was the most fun and reinvigorating period for onchain crypto since NFTs, he still believes in AI crypto, and some of the AI coins discussed off-camera were decent.

Thread Guy Crypto trader and streamer 41:15

Still bullish on meme coins.

Threadguy is still very pro meme coins even after becoming jaded post-Libra. He argues people want meme coins and expects the market to develop a less extractive, fairer launch mechanism, though he acknowledges most lack staying power.

Thread Guy Crypto trader and streamer 51:03

Buys spot Bitcoin, avoids perps.

Threadguy avoids perpetual futures because he believes he has no edge against professional perp traders, and says he buys spot Bitcoin instead. This is a trading-instrument preference rather than a price forecast.

Jordi Alexander Founder & CEO, Selini Capital 53:03

Bitcoin range-bound; trade 80-100K.

Jordi says Bitcoin around $87K feels balanced and he has no big position either way. His range-trading framework would buy cheap and sell expensive if BTC stays roughly in an $80K-$100K range, while a breakdown toward the $77K low could signal the range failed.

Taiki Maeda Founder, HFA Research 56:44

Long Maker on stablecoin bill catalyst.

Taiki Maeda is long Maker. He built edge by obsessing over the sector and speaking with the founders of Maker and Spark, and he sees the coming stablecoin bill in April or May as a catalyst while sizing for downside and upside scenarios.

Jordi Alexander Founder & CEO, Selini Capital 71:37

Hyperliquid has years to run.

Jordi thinks Hyperliquid probably has a few years to run. Despite the JELLY incident and centralization backlash, he argues the platform has a great non-KYC, liquid international product, the Trump-era SEC is unlikely to pursue it, and the hostile reaction from centralized-exchange heads suggests Hyperliquid is threatening their business; he calls that potentially bullish.

Taiki Maeda Founder, HFA Research 74:55

HLP yield no longer worth risk.

Taiki Maeda says he farmed the Hyperliquid HLP vault around April 2023, but now he does not think the yield is worth the risk after seeing the vault can be drained or manipulated. He would need at least 20%-30% yield to be enticed back in.

Exchange Wars and the L.A. Vape Cabal w/ Threadguy

Summary

Ideas

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