Scott Melker · Oct 28, 2026 · 25 min
Bitcoin's Biggest Buyers Have Gone Quiet
Scott Melker interviews Coinbase's Brett Tejpaul on Coinbase's MiCA compliance, a Bitcoin-plus-UAE-real-estate treasury vehicle, and big banks adopting crypto infrastructure, arguing that tokenization, stablecoins and payments are converging into one disruption of finance. Melker then runs through news: Brazilian stablecoin flows, Bitcoin outperforming the S&P 500 lately, companies objecting to tokenized stocks, miners selling Bitcoin to fund AI data centers, and an expected Fed hold. He argues Bitcoin remains an uncorrelated asset that follows the four-year cycle.
Where they stand
Institutional and bank adoption of crypto infrastructure is accelerating and the guest and host see long-term upside, though Melker notes the four-year cycle is weak lately and tokens may not capture the value.
Medium conviction · years
Markets are discussed mainly via the expected Fed hold and Bitcoin's relationship to equities, with no strong directional call.
Low conviction · weeks
AI is mentioned in passing: financial services drives revenue for AI labs and miners are pivoting to AI data centers as a better business.
Low conviction · months
Key takeaways
- Coinbase says it is now MiCA/MiFID compliant in Europe and stablecoins like USDT must be dropped in favour of compliant ones such as USDC under MiCA. 0:00
- Standard Asset Company is pairing about $400-500M of cash-flowing UAE real estate with Bitcoin in a $1.5B strategy, with Coinbase handling custody and asset management. 3:54
- The guest argues the digital asset treasury companies were poorly conceived (selling a dollar for $1.50), their stocks collapsed and Bitcoin yield fell from about 5% to 1-3%. 1:42
- JPMorgan, Citi and PNC are using Coinbase, and the guest says banks are moving from testing the technology to building and disrupting their own businesses with it. 9:54
- Guest argues tokenization, stablecoins, ETFs, neobanks and 24/7 trading are all the same infrastructure and are disrupting finance at the same time. 15:17
- Melker says Bitcoin is an uncorrelated asset, and that sometimes means it does not rise when equities do, which is still good for portfolio construction. 19:46
- About 26 companies including Intel, Oracle and IBM are objecting to OKX/ICE tokenized stock plans, which Melker sees as a knee-jerk reaction. 20:53
- Melker expects the Fed to hold rates steady, with prediction markets about 90% for a hold, and says Fed projections are generally wrong. 22:49
Calls and positions
- Ripple's RLUSD is going to be listed on Coinbase as Coinbase adds other viable stablecoins.
“So our RL USD is going to be going on Coinbase.”
- The Fed will hold rates steady, and Warsh will give little information.
“I think it's 90% on prediction markets right now that he is going to hold”
Views expressed
- Digital asset treasury companies that sold a dollar of assets for $1.50 were poorly conceived and their stock prices plummeted.
“all the DATS went out and said, all of you have the mandate to sell a dollar for $1.50 or $1.25.”
- Bitcoin yield from carry collapsed from about 5% to 3% or even 1%, leaving treasury companies with no operating income.
“Bitcoin yield collapses from 5% to 3%, even 1% if you're not, you know, crazy risk on.”
- Combining cash-flowing real estate with a long-term Bitcoin allocation is a good value proposition.
“It feels like a good value proposition to me, right?”
- The Bitcoin treasury company model was a terrible idea where buyers were buying the top with no plan for the future.
“You're all just buying the top and nobody has a plan for the future.”
- Banks are crossing the threshold from testing blockchain technology to building and running businesses on it.
“I feel like we're crossing that threshold now in terms of actually building and disrupting their own businesses to adopt the technology.”
- Wall Street adoption of crypto could leave tokens flat even as the technology achieves global adoption.
“the crypto, believers for a decade got exactly what they wanted global adoption of the technology and like their tokens don't go up”
- Bitcoin is an uncorrelated asset, and its idiosyncratic behaviour is valuable for portfolio construction.
“that means your asset is uncorrelated.”
- Companies objecting to tokenized stock plans are mostly reacting reflexively and want to wait for the innovation exemption to become a rule.
“this is an initial knee-jerk reaction by companies who would prefer to sit on the sidelines for a little while and see how it goes.”
- Bitcoin miners are selling Bitcoin to fund AI data center buildouts because it is a better business for them right now.
“Bitcoin miners have been selling Bitcoin to build out AI data centers.”
- Spot Bitcoin ETF flows generally follow price rather than lead it.
“I think the ETF flows generally probably follow price.”
Companies, projects and topics mentioned
- Bitcoin
- Coinbase
- JPMorgan Chase
- Ripple
- Stablecoins
- S&P 500
- Tokenized stocks
- OKX
- MARA Holdings (Marathon Digital)
- Federal Reserve
- Interest rates
More from Scott Melker
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- Bitcoin And Gold Are Both LOSING In 2026 - Why?Oct 26, 2026
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- Bitcoin Could Swing 30% Either Way In The Next Two Months | Gracy ChenOct 24, 2026
- Bitcoin's Biggest Advantage Is The One Wall Street Can't Buy | Saeed BadregOct 23, 2026
- Bitcoin Was Recovering. Then Wall Street's AI Problem Hit. | Carlos DomingoOct 22, 2026
Summary generated by AI from the episode audio (machine transcription)and checked against it; quotes are verbatim. Processed Oct 28, 2026.
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