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.

Recent

Bored Apes (OpenSea, modified by CoinDesk)

Policy

Nfts

Trial Lawyer Breaks Down Legal Considerations for NFTs and Trademark Law

David Leichtman, a managing partner at law firm Leichtman Law PLLC, said what a brand is protecting “is the value of the brand,” including its name or logo. That's the key iss...

By Fran Velasquez

Feb 7, 2023 at 8:28 p.m. UTC

Feb 7, 2023

NFTsTrademarkCopyrightCoinDesk TVLeichtman law pllc

Markets

Inflation

‘Disinflation’ Trends Will Soon ‘Hit a Brick Wall’: Oanda’s Edward Moya

However, the senior market analyst told CoinDesk TV investors should price in at least one to two more interest rate hikes.

By Fran Velasquez

Feb 6, 2023 at 8:55 p.m. UTC

Feb 6, 2023

InflationFederal ReserveJerome PowelloandaCoinDesk TV

Policy

Mango markets

Legal Expert Says Mango Markets Exploit Case Is Wake-Up Call for DAOs

Benjamin Bathgate, partner at Canadian-based law firm McMillan LLP, says the lawsuit against Avraham Eisenberg, the alleged Mango Markets exploiter, could impact how DAOs impl...

By Fran Velasquez

Feb 3, 2023 at 8:45 p.m. UTC

Feb 3, 2023

Mango MarketsAvraham EisenbergMcmillan llpCoinDesk TVDAO

Tech

Dmv

Crypto Software Firm President: We're Trying to Make California’s DMV More Efficient With Blockchain

Andrew Smith, president of Oxhead Alpha, discusses why his firm is using the Tezos blockchain to build out the protocol.

By Fran Velasquez

Feb 2, 2023 at 9:26 p.m. UTC

Feb 2, 2023

DmvOxhead alphaCoinDesk TVCaliforniaBlockchain Applications

Miles Fisher (left) and Tom Cruise (Tiktok/@DeepTomCruise; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

Tech

Deepfake

AI Company Co-Founder Addresses Ethics of Tom Cruise 'Deepfake' Videos

Celebrities have lawyers “but what about regular people” who find their images altered by AI without their consent? Tom Graham of AI software company Metaphysic says blockchai...

By Fran Velasquez

Feb 1, 2023 at 9:01 p.m. UTC

Feb 1, 2023

DeepfakeMetaphysicTom grahamCoinDesk TVTom cruiseAI

CFTC Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson (CoinDesk TV)

Policy

Ftx

Commissioner: CFTC Needs More Dialogue With Market Participants to Modernize Regulation

"It’s important for us to know certain facts, information [and] data about the company acquiring a registered market participant” to avoid another FTX debacle, Kristin N. John...

By Fran Velasquez

Jan 31, 2023 at 5:59 p.m. UTC

Jan 31, 2023

FTXLedgerXCFTCKristin N. JohnsonCoinDesk TVRegulation

The European Union flag (Vincenzo Lombardo/Getty Images)

Policy

Bitcoin suisse

Bitcoin Suisse Chairman Says EU Won’t Ban Crypto, but It May Seek to Contain It

Luzius Meisser, chairman of the Swiss crypto firm, weighs in on why the bloc is likely to try to build a firewall around crypto rather than prohibit its use altogether.

By Fran Velasquez

Jan 30, 2023 at 11:01 p.m. UTC

Jan 30, 2023

Bitcoin SuisseLuzius MeisserCoinDesk TVEuropean Union

Finance

Coinbase

Coinbase Exec Says Institutional Investors Still Into Crypto Post-FTX

David Duong, head of institutional research at the exchange, says the collapse of Sam Bankman Fried's platform didn’t lead to a pullback.

By Fran Velasquez

Jan 30, 2023 at 6:22 p.m. UTC

Jan 30, 2023

CoinbaseInstitutional AdoptionCoinDesk TVDavid duongCrypto

Tech

Aptos labs

Aptos Labs CEO Says NFTs Will Push Boundaries of Previous Generation Blockchains

Mo Shaikh, co-founder of the layer 1 blockchain, predicts NFTs will be used as a means of payment and will also go mainstream via big brand partnerships.

By Fran Velasquez

Jan 27, 2023 at 7:22 p.m. UTC

Jan 27, 2023

Aptos LabsMohammad shaikhCoinDesk TVNFTs

Consensus Magazine

Stablecoin regulation

Stablecoin Regulation Is First on New Subcommittee’s To-Do List, Says Chairman

Rep. French Hill said the digital assets subcommittee plans to use its stablecoins draft as a model for how it will approach digital asset regulation moving forward.

By Fran Velasquez

Jan 26, 2023 at 6:14 p.m. UTC

Jan 26, 2023

stablecoin regulationCFTCSECCoinDesk TVCongressHouse of Representatives