Fran Velasquez

Fran is CoinDesk's TV writer and reporter. He is an alum of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, where he earned his master's in business and economic reporting. In the past, he has written for Borderless Magazine, CNBC Make It, and Inc. He owns no crypto holdings.

Fran Velasquez

Latest from Fran Velasquez


Policy

Kim Kardashian's EthereumMax Promotion Was a 'Gift' to the SEC

Lisa Braganca, former SEC enforcement branch chief, joined “First Mover” to discuss the implications for celebrities after Kardashian was fined for promoting a crypto token.

Kim Kardashian (Mike Cohen/Getty Images)

Finance

Binance to Train Law Enforcement on How to Stop Crypto Crime

Matthew Price, an executive at the crypto exchange, told CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover" that his firm will work with authorities from around the world.

Binance exec Matthew Price said the crypto exchange has a new program to train authorities on how to prevent crime that involves cryptocurrencies. (Binance)

Finance

Data Firm Inca Digital CEO: Crypto Innovation Is a Matter of National Security

Adam Zarazinski joined “First Mover” to discuss why crypto developers must stay in the U.S. and his company’s recent contract from the Defense Department.

(NASA/Unsplash)

Finance

Strike CEO: El Salvador’s Bitcoin Experience ‘Doesn’t Hurt My Company at All’

Jack Mallers joined CoinDesk TV’s "First Mover" to discuss El Salvador, bitcoin and how the mobile payments app is working to change the payment system for merchants and consumers globally.

Strike CEO Jack Mallers speaks at the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Finance

Kraken's Incoming CEO on Jesse Powell's Departure, IPO Plans and Crypto Winter

Dave Ripley joined CoinDesk TV’s “The Hash” to discuss the future of the crypto exchange amid a leadership change.

Dave Ripley joined CoinDesk TV’s “The Hash” to discuss the future of the crypto exchange, possible talks of an IPO and whether he’s a bitcoin maximalist. (CoinDesk TV)

Layer 2

Web3 Education Can Help Creators ‘Own a Piece of the Internet': Nas Company Exec

Alex Dwek joined CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover” to discuss the education technology platform Nas Company and how Web3 can help creators “make a living off the internet.”

"We see Web3 as this amazing opportunity for creators to own a piece of the internet," said Alex Dwek, chief operating officer at Nas Company. (Gaspar Uhas via Unsplash)

Markets

‘There Are No Safe Havens' When the Dollar Is Strong, Veteran Trader Says

The U.S. dollar is soaking up global liquidity, so “everything else is starved,” Glen Goodman, eToro crypto consultant, said on CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover.”

The U.S. dollar is soaking up global liquidity, so “everything else is starved,” said Glen Goodman, a longtime trader, on CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover.” (CoinDesk TV)

Policy

Crypto Is Capitol Hill’s Last ‘Bipartisan Issue,’ Coinbase Exec Says

Faryar Shirzad, chief policy officer at Coinbase, joined CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover” to discuss the state of crypto in the U.S. and a need for clear regulation.

Coinbase CPO Faryar Shirzad (CoinDesk)

Policy

SEC Wants to ‘Remake the Law,’ Rather Than ‘Apply it,’ Says Ripple General Counsel

After two years of litigation, Stuart Alderoty, general counsel at Ripple, told CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover” he sees “the beginning of the end” because the SEC’s case has fallen short.

Stuart Alderoty, general counsel at Ripple, joined CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover” to discuss why the years long case could be “the beginning of the end,” as the SEC’s efforts to identify any contract of investment appear to have fallen short. (CoinDesk TV)

Finance

New Crypto Exchange Aims to Bring What Old Crypto Hates: Wall Street Intermediaries

Jamil Nazarali, CEO of EDX Markets, joined CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover” to discuss what his new exchange means for institutional investors and why crypto’s philosophy of being an asset class without a middleman is unlikely to last.

“The reality is, you’re going to have an intermediary either way,” Jamil Nazarali, CEO of crypto exchange EDX Markets, said on CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover." (CoinDesk TV, modified by CoinDesk)