What Unchained Podcast does

Unchained Podcast, legally Laura Shin Media LLC, is a privately held crypto media company founded in 2016 by Laura Shin, a former Forbes senior editor and the first mainstream journalist to cover cryptocurrency full-time. The company operates a network of five podcast shows — Unchained (the flagship interview program), The Chopping Block, Bits + Bips, Uneasy Money, and DEX in the City — distributed globally through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. As of June 2026, the network had published over 1,156 episodes and accumulated more than 20 million downloads and views across its ten-year operating history. The primary audience is crypto investors, traders, and industry professionals seeking independent, no-hype analysis of Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, NFTs, and regulatory developments, with a secondary audience of crypto-curious beginners served through educational "Learn" and "Guides" content.

The underlying technology stack is standard digital media infrastructure: podcast RSS distribution, a Beehiiv-powered newsletter platform managing both free and premium subscription tiers to 17,000+ subscribers, and a conventional content management system for web properties (unchainedcrypto.com and unchainedpodcast.com). No proprietary technology, patents, AI/ML capabilities, mobile applications, or APIs are disclosed in available sources. Adjacent offerings include a merchandise shop, a video content library, and the founder's published book "The Cryptopians" (PublicAffairs, 2022).

The business model combines free, ad- and sponsorship-supported content distribution with a paid premium newsletter tier offering exclusive interviews, transcripts, and subscriber-only chat access. Pricing for the premium tier is not publicly disclosed. The company is bootstrapped with no institutional funding rounds, parent company, or board disclosed, and operates with a 1–10 person team from New York City. Revenue is not publicly reported.

Name

Unchained Podcast

Legal name

Laura Shin Media LLC

Website

https://unchainedpodcast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cryptocurrency Media

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Trading Cards & Collectibles NFT Marketplaces (FSADANAI)

Keywords

• Crypto podcasts
• Cryptocurrency news
• Blockchain media
• Digital asset analysis
• Crypto education

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Newsletter Subscription (Free Tier): Free newsletter delivering daily crypto updates including news, episodes, market updates, recommended reads, and memes.
2. Newsletter Subscription (Premium): Premium tier offering exclusive interviews, subscriber-only chat group, and show transcripts. The premium subscription model provides recurring revenue from engaged community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Unchained is a crypto-focused digital media company that produces and distributes a network of five podcast shows (Unchained, The Chopping Block, Bits + Bips, Uneasy Money, Dex in the City) covering Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, NFTs, regulation, and crypto markets. The core offering is supported by a daily free newsletter, a premium subscriber-only newsletter tier, educational Learn/Guides content, video programming, and branded merchandise, all geared toward individual crypto investors, enthusiasts, and industry professionals seeking no-hype, journalist-led analysis.

Product overview

Unchained Podcast is a multi-platform crypto media company offering multiple podcast shows as its core offering. The portfolio consists of five distinct podcast shows: Unchained (main flagship show), The Chopping Block, Bits + Bips, Uneasy Money, and Dex in the City. Supporting the podcast network are additional services including a daily newsletter (17,000+ subscribers), educational Learn and Guides sections, video content, and a merchandise shop. The shows are distributed through major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Chopping Block: Crypto news podcast covering topics such as SpaceX IPO, AI privacy, and regulatory developments
• Bits + Bips
• Uneasy Money
• DEX in the City

Products and services

• Unchained (Flagship Podcast) The flagship twice-weekly crypto podcast show hosted by Laura Shin, featuring interviews with key crypto thinkers and builders, discussions on crypto news, and analysis of regulatory and market developments. Targeted at crypto investors, enthusiasts, and industry professionals.
• The Chopping Block Secondary podcast show in the Unchained network covering a range of crypto topics including SpaceX IPO, AI privacy, crypto market analysis, and regulatory developments. Targeted at crypto enthusiasts and industry professionals.
• Bits + Bips Podcast show focusing on crypto market analysis, trading instruments, Bitcoin strategy, and the intersection of TradFi and crypto. Targeted at active crypto traders and market participants.
• Uneasy Money Podcast show hosted by ex-Ethereum Foundation researchers, focusing on MEV (maximal extractable value), crypto trading apps, and DeFi topics. Targeted at technically engaged crypto professionals and enthusiasts.
• DEX in the City Podcast show focused on decentralized exchange topics, AI censorship, Reg NMS, and crypto market analysis. Targeted at crypto traders and DeFi participants.
• Unchained Newsletter (Free Tier) Free daily crypto newsletter delivering news, episode updates, market updates, recommended reads, and memes to 17,000+ subscribers via Beehiiv. Targeted at crypto enthusiasts and investors seeking a daily curated briefing.
• Unchained Premium Newsletter Subscription Paid premium tier of the Unchained newsletter offering exclusive interviews, subscriber-only chat group access, and show transcripts. Targeted at the most engaged community members and crypto industry professionals.
• Unchained Shop (Merchandise) Branded merchandise store offering podcast-related products and apparel. Targeted at listeners and fans of the Unchained podcast network.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BeehiivcoreTechnology or IntegrationBeehiiv is the newsletter platform powering Unchained's email distribution. The platform is used for delivering the daily newsletter to 17,000+ subscribers and managing both free and premium subscription tiers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Defiant: DeFi-focused news and podcast outlet catering to the same crypto-native investor and builder audience, with editorial coverage that overlaps substantially with Unchained's DeFi and regulatory beats.
• The Block: Crypto-native news and research outlet covering markets, regulation, and protocol developments — directly competing for the same crypto investor and professional audience as Unchained's flagship show and newsletter.
• CoinDesk: The largest crypto news outlet, operating podcasts (e.g., The Scoop), newsletters, and editorial coverage across the same topics (BTC, ETH, DeFi, regulation) that anchor Unchained's programming.
• Bankless: Crypto podcast and newsletter network focused on Ethereum and DeFi — the most format-comparable peer, with a flagship podcast, premium newsletter tier, and sub-brands (Bankless Premium, Rollup) mirroring Unchained's structure.
• Blockworks: Crypto media company producing multiple podcasts (e.g., The Daily Gwei, 0xResearch) and a research subscription business, directly comparable to Unchained's five-show network and premium content model.
• Decrypt: Crypto news publisher with podcasts, newsletters, and educational content aimed at both beginners and professionals — closely matching Unchained's mix of news, Learn/Guides educational verticals, and newsletter offering.
• Cointelegraph: Established crypto news outlet with editorial coverage of markets, regulation, and DeFi, plus a YouTube presence — competing with Unchained for the same global crypto audience on overlapping beats.
• Messari: Crypto research and media company producing newsletters, podcasts, and the annual 'State of Crypto' report — a peer for both the editorial/newsletter business and the premium research/subscription tier.
• Epicenter: Long-running crypto podcast network interviewing protocol founders and developers — a format-comparable peer in the dedicated long-form crypto podcast category alongside Unchained's flagship and sub-shows.
• Bitcoin Magazine: Bitcoin-focused media outlet producing editorial content, podcasts, and events — a comparable vertically-specialized crypto publisher with a similar audience profile to Unchained's BTC-heavy programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Unchained_pod
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/unchainedpodcast
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnchainedPodcast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unchained-podcast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unchained Podcast