Justin Sun says his WLFI tokens have been frozen, despite being one of the project’s top investors (1:03). France’s GIGN rescues a kidnapped Swiss man after a ransom demand in crypto (4:04). Brazilian asset giant Itaú launches a dedicated crypto unit, signaling deeper institutional commitment (5:36). We also break down what it really means to be blacklisted on-chain and what it says about how centralized crypto can still be (2:40).

More on stories and articles discussed or referenced in this episode:

Bertolucci, Gustavo. “Itaú cria primeira divisão focada em criptoativos.” [“Itaú Creates Its First Division Focused on Crypto Assets.”] Livecoins (Brazil), 4 September 2025, https://livecoins.com.br/itau-cria-primeira-divisao-focada-em-criptoativos/.

“France Indicts Seven Suspects in Swiss Cryptocurrency Kidnap.” Swiss Info, 5 September 2025, https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/various/swiss-man-kidnapped-in-france-for-cryptocurrency-kidnappers-indicted/89954673.

Howcroft, Elizabeth and Lawrence Delevingne. “Top Trump Crypto Backer Justin Sun Says His World Liberty Tokens 'Unreasonably' Frozen.” Reuters, 5 September 2025, https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/top-trump-crypto-backer-justin-sun-says-his-world-liberty-tokens-unreasonably-2025-09-05/.

“Le GIGN libère un Suisse retenu en otage sur fond de cryptomonnaies.” [“GIGN Frees Swiss Hostage Over Cryptocurrency Scandal.”] Le Dauphiné Libéré, 4 September 2025, https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2025/09/04/un-jeune-suisse-retenu-en-otage-plusieurs-jours-sept-personnes-en-garde-a-vue.

Rodrigues, Francisco. “Brazil’s Largest Private Asset Manager Itaú Launches Crypto-Focused Division.” CoinDesk, 6 September 2025, https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/09/06/brazil-s-largest-private-asset-manager-itau-launches-crypto-focused-division.

The music in this episode was composed by Liborio Conti, and you can find more of his fantastic work at his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/liborioconti.