Welcome to Beyond the Code, the podcast where we dive into the legal, regulatory, and ethical issues surrounding emerging technologies. Each week, we bring you in-depth conversations with industry experts, discussing the latest advancements in technology and their implications on society and the legal system. From artificial intelligence to blockchain, we'll be exploring all the hot topics in the field. Your host, Yitzy Hammer, a lawyer and tech enthusiast, is joined by a diverse group of ex ...
What if your law firm felt more like an art studio than a courtroom? In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Vivek Jayaram, founder of Jayaram Law and one of the most creative minds in the legal space. They go deep on how Vivek built a law firm that refuses to look or act like one, why authenticity and originality are at the heart …
In this wide-ranging conversation, Yitzy sits down with Dr. Shmuel Abramzon, Israel’s Chief Economist at the Ministry of Finance, to unpack his unique role at the intersection of policy, macroeconomics, and innovation. They dive into the evolution of digital assets in Israel, what it really means to “regulate” crypto, and the story behind the Minis…
On March 26, 2025, Collider. VC hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview guests and speakers. In the last of the Building Blocks Conversations, Yitzy Hammer sat down with Adam Benayoun, managing partner at Collider, to unpack the highlights and aspirations emerging from Bu…
On March 26, 2025, Collider. VC hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview guests and speakers. Live from Building Blocks at Jaffa Port in Tel Aviv, Yitzy interviews Josh Schwartz, CEO and Co-Founder of FORDeFi, about bridging the gap between traditional finance and decentra…
On March 26, 2025, Collider. VC hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview guests and speakers. Live from Building Blocks at Jaffa Port in Tel Aviv, Yitzy interviews Ben Samocha, the founder of Crypto Jungle, discussing the evolution of the platform, its role in the Israeli …
Ever worry about what will happen to your bitcoin after you die? On March 26, 2025, Collider. hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview guests and speakers. Live from Building Blocks at Jaffa Port in Tel Aviv, Yitzy sits down with Eyal Gruper, Co-Founder of Peaceful21, …
On March 26, 2025, Collider. hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview guests and speakers. Live from Building Blocks at Jaffa Port in Tel Aviv, Yitzy sits down with Iri Zohar, CEO and founder of Bring, a crypto cashback platform that allows users to earn cryptocurrency rewar…
On March 26, 2025, Collider. VC hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview guests and speakers. Live from Building Blocks at Jaffa Port in Tel Aviv, Yitzy Hammer sits down with Eva Beylin, Board Member of Optimism and Former Director of The Graph Foundation. They explored Ev…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Carlo D’Angelo, the "DeFi Defender," a veteran criminal defense lawyer turned crypto law expert. Carlo shares his fascinating journey—from his early days as a public defender in Florida to becoming a key figure in the crypto legal community. He dives into his current work defending "money mul…
Live from Building Blocks at Jaffa Port, Yitzy Hammer chats with Asaf Naim, co-founder of Kirobo, a trailblazer in Web3 since 2018. Asaf shares his journey from a taxation accountant to a self-taught programmer, sparked by a failed Bitcoin buy in 2011 and a client’s lost crypto key in 2018. Kirobo pioneered account abstraction with "smart transacti…
On March 26, 2025, Collider. VC hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview guests and speakers. Live from Building Blocks at Jaffa Port in Tel Aviv, Yitzy Hammer sits down with Lou Kerner, founder of Crypto Mondays. Lou traces his journey from a Wall Street analyst to a social med…
On March 26, 2025, Collider. VC hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview key guests and speakers. Gordon Einstein is a pioneering crypto lawyer and founder of Dubai’s Tech Tuesdays. Gordon shares his journey from Los Angeles to Dubai, sparked by a rediscovery of law through bloc…
On March 26, 2025, Collider. VC hosted Building Blocks 2025, as part of ETH TLV. Our host, Yitzy Hammer was invited to come and interview guests and speakers. Youval Rouach is CEO and Co-Founder of Bits of Gold, one of Israel's leading crypto currency exchanges and also of BILS, the first Israeli-shekel backed stablecoin, to be issued by Bits of Go…
Tigran Gambaryan spent 8 months in grueling conditions in a Nigerian prison. But that’s not what made him famous. Episode 52 of Beyond the Code dives into Tigran’s incredible journey. For those of you who don’t know, Tigran started off as an IRS special agent, where he used a simple Excel spreadsheet to reverse engineer the Bitcoin blockchain and …
In Episode 51 of Beyond the Code, host Yitzy Hammer welcomes Eran Lahav, Co-Founder and CEO of First Read, an AI-powered legal tech platform designed to revolutionize how lawyers draft, review, and manage legal documents. In this insightful conversation, Eran shares his journey from accounting and finance to launching a cutting-edge AI tool for law…
In this episode ofBeyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with financial planner andBlue & White Finance co-founderNadav Ellinson to tackle one of the most debated questions in investing:How much Bitcoin (or crypto) should be in your portfolio (if any)? We discuss: ✅ The risks and rewards of allocating crypto in a long-term portfolio; ✅Dollar Cost Averagi…
Episode Summary: In this milestone 50th episode of Beyond the Code, host Yitzy Hammer sits down with Amanda Wick, CEO and founder of the Association for Women in Crypto, for an expansive conversation that goes far beyond the blockchain. Amanda shares her incredible journey—from her days as a federal prosecutor tackling early crypto crimes to her pi…
In Episode 49 of Beyond the Code, Bentzi Rabi, CEO of Utila, shares his fascinating journey from an Israeli intelligence unit to founding an enterprise-grade crypto operations platform. Discover how a chance encounter at a Bitcoin embassy chess club sparked his crypto passion, leading him to challenge giants like Fireblocks with Utila’s focus on fl…
Last week, Yitzy attended Coindesk's premier event in Hong Kong, #ConsensusHK, where he livestreamed Beyond the Code episodes with leading innovators in the blockchain arena (more on that in the coming weeks). This week, Yitzy is back with the 48th episode of BTC! In this episode, Yitzy connects with Dr. Jimmie Lenz, a trailblazer in the crypto spa…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Tom Teman from the Ethereum Foundation to explore his path from early crypto days to shaping the future of wallets through account abstraction. Tom details his journey founding Portis, getting acquired by ShapeShift, and eventually joining Kraken—before landing at the Ethereum Foundation. He …
In this special episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy Hammer welcomes back Jonathan Caras for a lively discussion on the rise of meme coins and their impact on the crypto landscape. From the evolution of token issuance—Bitcoin, ICOs, DeFi Summer—to the chaotic yet fascinating world of meme tokens like $TRUMP Coin and $MELANIA Token, Jonathan unpacks ho…
In this episode, Yitzy sits down with Eylon Aviv, a partner at Collider.VC, Israel’s leading crypto-centric venture capital fund. Eylon shares his journey from early days at tech unicorn IronSource to becoming a driving force in Israel’s crypto ecosystem. We discussed Eylon’s investment thesis, the unique challenges and opportunities of being a cry…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, affectionately referred to within the cryptoverse as "Crypto Mom," joins Yitzy to discuss the SEC’s evolving approach to cryptocurrency and innovation. They explore the challenges of balancing regulatory oversight with fostering innovation, the agency's struggles to provide clear g…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Noah Perlman, Chief Compliance Officer at Binance, to explore the intricate balance of power, responsibility, and innovation at the world’s largest crypto exchange. Noah reflects on his journey from a federal prosecutor and DEA counsel to leading the compliance efforts of the one of the most …
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy Hammer sits down with Ouriel Ohayon, CEO and founder of ZenGo, to explore the cutting-edge innovations behind the world’s most secure crypto wallet. Ouriel shares the journey from discovering crypto to building a wallet that eliminates the pain points of seed phrases, leverages multi-party computation (MPC)…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Professor Edward Lee, a leading expert in intellectual property, copyright law, and emerging technologies. Professor Lee, author of Creators Take Control, dives into the fascinating world of NFTs, AI, and their legal and cultural implications. Together, they explore: The resurgence of NFTs an…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Ofir Eliasi, founder of Borsa, to discuss his journey as a serial entrepreneur and blockchain innovator. Ofir shares his background, from early days in the 8200 unit of the Israeli army to leading development at major tech companies and startups, including his work on groundbreaking blockchai…
In Episode 38, Yitzy interviews Nick Furneaux, a pioneer in cryptocurrency investigations and digital forensics. They discuss the realities of crypto crime, the evolution of investigations, and the importance of understanding cryptocurrency for law enforcement. Nick literally wrote the book on investigating cryptocurrencies (like, literally, his fi…
What’s next for Bitcoin? Yitzy Hammer and Quantum Economics' Mati Greenspan dive into the seismic shifts shaping the crypto world in the wake of Trump's election and the US's new stance on crypto. From Bitcoin’s rise as a nation-state reserve asset to the untapped potential of DeFi, this episode explores the forces driving blockchain innovation. Ma…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy Hammer sits down with JP Thor, the visionary founder behind ThorChain. From his roots in remote Australia to his career as a fighter and bomber pilot, JP shares his remarkable journey into decentralized finance and the creation of ThorChain, a groundbreaking cross-chain liquidity protocol. JP reveals th…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy Hammer sits down with Jake Brukhman, founder and CEO of CoinFund, to explore the evolution of crypto investing. Jake shares his journey from discovering Bitcoin in 2011 to launching one of the first crypto-native investment firms, CoinFund, in 2015. The conversation dives into CoinFund’s unique approach…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Amanda Tuminelli, Chief Legal Officer at the DeFi Education Fund, to explore the critical legal battles shaping the future of decentralized finance. Amanda shares her insights on the ongoing fight for fair crypto regulation, the DeFi Education Fund’s involvement in high-profile cases like Rom…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Jason Schwartz, tax partner and co-head of Fried Frank’s Digital Assets and Blockchain Practice, for a lively discussion on crypto taxation, DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), and the future of decentralization. With deep expertise in tax issues related to digital assets, fi…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Joseph Page, founder of the Web3-focused venture capital firm Strange Quark. Joseph shares his unique journey from his roots in Honduras to studying and competing in ping pong in Taiwan, and ultimately moving to Israel, where he became a key player in the crypto world. The conversation explor…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy is joined by Moish Peltz, a partner at Falcon Rappaport & Berkman PLLC, co-host of the Block & Order podcast, and a true OG in the world of crypto law. Moish shares his fascinating journey from his early days in the IP and tech law sectors to becoming a key figure in the crypto space, diving deep into the c…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Flavia Naves to explore her remarkable journey from Brazil to the US, culminating in her influential role on the Wyoming Stable Token Commission. Flavia shares her unique experiences, including her pivotal role as General Counsel at Circle, where she navigated the complexities of the USDC sta…
Description: In this special episode of Beyond the Code, host Yitzy welcomes back previous guests Brian L. Frye and Jason Gottlieb, along with new guest Jonathan Mann, to discuss their recent lawsuit against the SEC. Jonathan and Brian, both prominent artists in the NFT space, have teamed up with superstar securities lawyer, Morrison & Cohen's Jaso…
In this riveting episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy is joined by Erin West, the dynamic Deputy District Attorney from Santa Clara County. Erin takes us on a deep dive into the murky waters of cybercrime, revealing the chilling realities of modern digital scams. From the sinister practice of SIM swapping to the elaborate and heart-wrenching pig butch…
Episode Description:In this riveting episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy welcomes Jamie Bartlett, acclaimed author and technology journalist, to explore the enigmatic world of the "Crypto Queen" and the OneCoin scandal. Jamie shares his in-depth investigation into Dr. Ruja Ignatova’s infamous Ponzi scheme, providing listeners with an insider’s perspe…
Summary - In this episode of "Beyond the Code," Yitzy hosts Jason Gottlieb, partner and head of the digital assets department at Morrison Cohen, for an insightful discussion on the complexities and challenges of crypto regulation and litigation. They delve into Jason's unique journey from tech enthusiast to legal expert, the intricacies of the Howe…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, host Yitzy Hammer engages in an enlightening conversation with Alex Davis, founder of Mavryk Dynamics, about the fascinating world of Real World Assets (RWAs) and their tokenization. This episode offers a comprehensive exploration of how blockchain technology is revolutionizing asset ownership and investment. Key…
Arye Schreiber, an Anglo-Israeli privacy lawyer and the founder of Armadillex, discusses the challenges faced by data privacy professionals and how his platform aims to address them. Armadillex is an AI-powered platform that helps organizations manage their data privacy relationships and provides business insights based on data processing agreement…
In this episode, Yitzy discussed the impact of cryptocurrencies on globalization, global economics, and governance with Prof. Ilan Alon, dean of the School of Economics at the College of Management. We also explored regulatory challenges and the role of the United States in the crypto industry. The conversation delves into the concept of sovereig…
In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy Hammer sits down with Ari Redbord, the Global Head of Policy at TRM Labs, to discuss the intersection of cryptocurrency and national security. Ari shares his journey from a federal prosecutor focusing on local crime and national security cases to his current role at TRM Labs. They delve into the complexitie…
In this enlightening episode of "Beyond the Code," Yitzy hosts Tal Mimran, a professor of international law and a pioneer in the field of military legal advisory. Together, they delve into the complex world of artificial intelligence in military operations, focusing on the IDF's use of AI and its implications under international law. Join us as we …
Justin Wales is Head of Legal For The Americas at Crypto.com. He is also something of an OG in the crypto legal world and recently published his first and greatest work yet: "The Crypto Legal Handbook" - an excellent guide for anyone curious about the intricate world of crypto regulations in the US. Wheather your a nube or an OG, this book has some…
Alon is a legit crypto OG investor - having made over 30 crypto-centric investments through multiple funds. He is also an ape...his Bored Ape Yacht Club alter-ego (BAYC #5011) is called Punk Apestrong and is a perfect example of the IP creativity spawned by NFTs and the BAYC in particular. Love to see it! Make sure to follow him on X, LinkedIn and …
Teresa is a Panamanian lawyer and co-founder of the Panamanian law practice, Pacífica Legal. She is also a mother of 2 and an avid horse rider 🐎. In this episode, Teresa and I discussed her journey into crypto law and why Panama has become a popular jurisdiction for companies with crypto products. Our episode airs shortly after Panama was officiall…
Freeman Lewin is a New York-based [ex]-attorney and entrepreneur, with a specialization in blockchain and crypto-assets. He has founded (in the past 12-months alone) several technology start-ups and is passionate about building tools to solve big complex problems. He is the best kind of entrepreneur in the sense that he is building to find a soluti…
Join us on Beyond the Code as we welcome Zada Haj, a visionary entrepreneur who defied odds to forge her own path in the tech world. From humble beginnings in Kfar Yasif village to co-founding the DANA Accelerator and Future Holders, empowering women in desert tech, Zada's journey is a testament to resilience and innovation. Discover how she overca…