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


Markets

21.co CEO Sees ‘No Material’ Impact on Bitcoin Following Silvergate’s SEN Platform Closure

Hany Rashwan, co-founder of the Zug, Switzerland-based ETP provider, says bitcoin’s price is being driven by more macroeconomic factors, including inflation and East Asian traffic.

(White.Rainforest ™︎ ∙ 易雨白林./Unsplash)

Tech

Neal Stephenson Says AI-Generated ChatGPT Is ‘Simply Not Interesting’

The author, who coined the term "metaverse" in his science-fiction novel “Snow Crash,” says the algorithm-based tool doesn't resonate the way a book written by a real person does.

Neal Stephenson, the writer who came up with the terms "metaverse" and "avatar," seen here in 2016  (Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch)

Web3

Former NBA Player Baron Davis Says Celebs Will Focus More on 'Utility' Tokens

Celebrities and athletes will be more picky about the kinds of tokens they endorse after an SEC crackdown on promotions, he said.

Former NBA player Baron Davis is trying his hand in blockchain technology with an NFT-based project. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

Markets

First Mover Asia: ConsenSys Chief Cryptoeconomist Sees Little Drama Ahead for Bitcoin

ALSO: In an appearance on CoinDesk TV, Tron founder Justin Sun discussed Huobi's potential unveiling of a new Hong Kong exchange, and said the city's evolving approach to digital asset licensing could shift attitudes in mainland China.

Bitcoin options traders are betting the market waters will stay calm.

Policy

Justin Sun Says Hong Kong’s New Licensing Regime Could Shift Policy in Mainland China, Eventually

In the interim, if granted a VASP license, the Tron founder says Houbi will launch a new exchange, Huobi Hong Kong, to comply with regulators.

(DALL-E/CoinDesk)

Markets

Crypto’s Next Move Depends on the Next Fed Rate Hike: Options Trader

Options Insights founder Imran Lakha thinks bitcoin could fall to $16,000 before rising again.

(Melanie Magdalena/Unsplash)

Finance

Crypto Crime Hit All-Time High of $20.6B in 2022: Chainalysis

Kim Grauer, the blockchain sleuthing firm's head of research, told CoinDesk TV sanctioned activity and hacking were the driving forces behind the rise in illicit transaction volumes last year.

(Adam Levine/CoinDesk)

Policy

SEC’s Coinbase Insider Trading Case Is ‘Backdoor Rulemaking,’ Trade Association’s CEO Says

The regulator “piggybacked” off the Justice Department's insider trading case and is using it as a way to define some tokens as securities, Perianne Boring, the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s founder, told “First Mover.”

Chamber of Digital Commerce founder and CEO Perianne Boring (CoinDesk archives)

Finance

Kraken’s Head of OTC Options Trading: Investors Are Still Interested In Crypto, Staking

“What we’ve seen is that the trading interest remains really strong both for proof-of-work networks as well as proof-of-stake networks,” Juthica Chou told “First Mover.”

Juthica Chou (CoinDesk TV)

Finance

What Coinbase's Q4 Earnings Mean for Crypto Adoption

Anthony Georgiades, co-founder of Pastel Network, said investors are right to be wary but “digital assets are certainly here to stay.”

(Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)