Larry Cermak, CEO of The Block, joined us for a frank conversation about crypto's evolution. He played around with BTC to buy NBA accounts to watch basketball and got hooked on understanding how it all worked. Later, he turned down Binance and missed ~300x gains on BNB. Fast forward to 2023, and he was handling layoffs and M&A as the CEO of the leading research and news company in the industry. Larry's journey mirrors crypto's maturation.

In this episode, we get real about:

- Why running a crypto project in 2024 is "pure suffering"

- The death of 100x opportunities (unless you're gambling on memecoins)

- How Ethereum maxis are repeating Bitcoin maxis' mistakes with Solana

- The real problem with the "50M Americans in crypto" stat

- Why UI/UX still matters more than elegant technology

- The brutal reality of private market valuations

- Predictions for crypto under different presidencies

- Essential advice for analysts: become obsessed, find your niche, master SQL

- Tips for developers entering crypto in 2024

Larry lays it all out—how crypto has become more corporate, how DeFi and Layer 1s are facing tougher competition, and what it takes to get noticed and funded. He also shares practical advice for aspiring analysts, emphasising the importance of building a strong Twitter presence to grow professionally and open doors in the industry.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to navigate the trenches, this episode is packed with real talk and a glimpse into why Larry keeps building despite the challenges. Don't miss it!

Follow Larry Cermak on Twitter: @lawmaster Follow the host on Twitter: @desh_saurabh