Episode 15
John D'Agostino from Coinbase reveals why cryptocurrency and Bitcoin are reshaping institutional adoption, hedge funds, and bitcoin trade strategy. Is crypto risky? Here's the truth. John shares his personal journey from a catastrophic hedge fund failure to becoming a senior leader at Coinbase, one of the most trusted names in digital assets. He explains why Bitcoin is a proven long-term inflation hedge, how stablecoins are growing at a pace rivaling the smartphone, and why blockchain is the next evolution of financial infrastructure. Whether you're exploring your first bitcoin trade or managing institutional portfolios, this episode will change how you think about money, risk, and the future of finance. Produced by GLORION MEDIA.
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About The Money Signal: From Main Street to Wall Street
Hosted by consumer intelligence expert Tsvetta Kaleynska and veteran NYSE trader Peter Tuchman, The Money Signal explores how consumer sentiment, market psychology, and real-time cultural trends shape business and investing. Each episode connects Main Street behavior with Wall Street insight through conversations with leading founders, investors, and global thinkers.
Produced by GLORION MEDIA, a media and distribution company focused on business storytelling, digital growth, and audience amplification.
ABOUT THE GUESTS

John Dagostino
John D'Agostino is Head of Strategy for Coinbase Institutional. He is the Former Head of Strategy of the New York Mercantile Exchange. John is the subject of two NY Times bestselling books, and lectures in Fintech at Oxford, MIT and Columbia Universities. John is Chair of the UK Consulate Financial Services Working Group, an AIF Global Financial Innovation Institute Fellow, Research Affiliate at MIT CSAIL, and the co-founder of the AIMA Digital Asset Working Group.
We show you what people are really doing with their money and how those shifts hit the markets. No noise, no jargon, just the insights Tsvetta and Einstein track every day on Main Street and Wall Street.

From Selling Art on the Streets to a Money Bear Empire: King Saladeen's Journey
From West Philly to Wall Street, King Saladeen's story is proof that dreams manifest at your lowest points. In this episode of the Money Signal Podcast, self-taught artist King Saladeen (born Raheem Saladin Johnson) opens up about turning a childhood love of drawing on his bedroom walls into a multi-million dollar art career without ever setting foot in art school. He shares the raw, emotional story of quitting his job on July 4th, 2011, and vowing to never work for anyone again, a decision fueled by his late best friend JP, whose belief in him gave birth to the now-iconic JP the Money Bear. King Saladeen walks us through the entire journey: hustling hand-painted t-shirts out of his trunk, negotiating his first $250 art sale on the streets of Philadelphia's First Fridays, working behind the scenes for streetwear brand Mesquine (and meeting LeBron James along the way), and eventually landing a gallery inside the New York Stock Exchange thanks to legendary NYSE trader Peter Tuchman. He also opens up about the influence of Takashi Murakami's artwork for Kanye West's College Dropout, which helped inspire the Money Bear concept. The conversation covers his major brand collaborations, including Nike, Jordan, Under Armour, Netflix, and Lotto, and his latest partnership bringing his art to the global stage through Visa's FIFA World Cup campaign, with pieces set to appear on billboards, buses, and major advertising across the country. King Saladeen gets candid about imposter syndrome, grief, self-belief, and why he thinks "sports mentality" is the secret ingredient behind entrepreneurial success. If you've ever doubted your own creative gift or wondered what it really takes to go from broke to a 6-figure art career, this episode is your sign to bet on yourself. Produced by GLORION MEDIA.