Beyond the Code

In this episode, Yitzy is joined by Yehuda Lindell —founder of Unbound Security (acquired by Coinbase), longtime professor and one of the earliest researchers in secure multiparty computation (MPC) . We trace his journey from Australia to Israel and from theory to industry, then dive into how Coinbase secures customer assets using layered cryptography: MPC, secure enclaves, HSMs, cold elements, an...

In this episode of Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with Steve Epstein — a distinguished systems/cybersecurity & AI engineer with roots at Bell Labs (alongside Peter Shor & Lov Grover), decades at NDS/Cisco/Synamedia, and currently working at Rafael, in Israel’s defense sector. Steve explains, in plain English, why quantum computing threatens today’s internet (RSA, ECDH, ECDSA), what Q-Day...

In this episode, investigative journalist Jake Adelstein ( Tokyo Vice ) joins Yitzy to discuss his newly published book, The Devil Takes Bitcoin , a front-row narrative of the Mt. Gox collapse, where ~850k bitcoin went missing, and the cast of characters that shaped crypto’s formative years—from exchange founder Mark Karpelès to law-enforcement sleuths and the corrupt agents who derailed the Silk...

In this episode, Yitzy sits down with Jake Chervinsky — currently Chief Legal Officer at Variant , and previously Chief Policy Officer at the Blockchain Association - one of the most recognizable voices in crypto law and policy.  From his early days as a litigator at Baker McKenzie to his transition into crypto Twitter threads, DeFi, and policy advocacy in Washington, Jake’s journey offers an insi...

In this episode of Beyond the Code , Yitzy is joined in-studio for the very first time by Ido Bar-On — defense-tech investor, former CBO at XTEND, IDF reservist, and ex-VC at LOOL Ventures. From scaling a startup to $40M in sales to deploying capital from a bomb shelter during the Iran attack, Ido shares a candid, deeply informed perspective on the intersection of defense, venture capital, and inn...

In this rollercoaster episode of Beyond the Code , Yitzy Hammer sits down with Samuel Cardillo to uncover the jaw-dropping journey of a self-taught prodigy who went from selling computer viruses at age 9 to co-founding RTFKT , the NFT sneaker company acquired by Nike. What starts with microphone troubles quickly spirals into a high-speed chronicle of early cybercrime, international arrests, milita...

This week on Beyond the Code , Yitzy sits down with one of the most outspoken minds in crypto law: Gabriel Shapiro . Known for his deep legal chops, unfiltered takes, and pioneering work at the intersection of smart contracts and governance, Gabe takes us through his journey—from tech M&A prodigy to crypto lawyer and decentralization maxi. We dive into: Gabe’s early big law career and how Face...

In this episode of Beyond the Code , Yitzy sits down with Aaron Payas — partner at Hassans International Law Firm in Gibraltar, CFA charterholder, and former international footballer. From the early days of Gibraltar’s DLT licensing regime to holding a Bored Ape and co-leading one of the first fully SEC-approved token offerings, Aaron brings a unique blend of legal precision, mathematical logic, a...

In this episode of Beyond the Code , I’m joined once again by Justin Wales , Head of Legal for the Americas at Crypto.com and author of the Crypto Legal Handbook — now in its newly released second edition. Justin and I dive into: The real-world impact of the SEC's changing posture on crypto enforcement; Why version 2 of the Crypto Legal Handbook is more than just a light update — and how it was re...

In this episode of Beyond the Code , I sit down with the brilliant and trailblazing Joni Pirovich — a lawyer, entrepreneur, and the mind behind Crystal , an AI-powered legal tool tailored for the crypto industry. We trace Joni’s remarkable journey: from growing up on a mango farm in Australia to becoming one of the most forward-thinking crypto lawyers in the space. She shares how her passion for t...

In this unforgettable episode of Beyond the Code , Yitzy Hammer sits down with Bitcoin OG and serial entrepreneur Charlie Shrem for a raw, unfiltered journey through the birth of Bitcoin, the collapse of early crypto infrastructure, and the deeply personal trials that shaped one of the industry's most iconic—and controversial—figures. Charlie opens up about how a small Israeli charity called Tikvo...

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 of his practice, and how he went from Big Law b...

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 Ministry’s landmark report on digital asset regulation...

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 Building Blocks 2025.  Adam recounts his journe...

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 decentralized systems. Josh shares his journey from Wall...

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 blockchain community, and Ben's personal jou...

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 , an innovative self-custody solution for bit...

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 rewards while shopping. They discuss the unique...

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 Eva's journey from management consulting to...

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 mules" caught in crypto fraud sc...

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 transactions," introducing the first undo button...

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 media pioneer, running BOLT (pre-MySpace) and nearly...

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 blockchain in 2014. He dives into the vibrant Dubai t...

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 Gold.

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 track major crypto criminals such as those respon...