Riding Bears: Dad Ledger Episode Recap – Blood in the Streets, Utility Wins, and Game-Changing Regulatory Moves
Dec 15, 2025
December 15, 2025 By the Dad Ledger Team
Gentlemen (and ladies who tolerate us), welcome back to the ledger.
If you caught our latest live stream, you know we were in full “riding bears” mode — the market is bleeding, the bubble charts are a sea of red, and yet we’re more excited than ever. Why? Because this is exactly where fortunes are made. The weak hands shake out, the manipulators load up, and the guys who understand utility and real-world adoption keep stacking.
This episode was a banger: market analysis, viewer Q&A, altcoin picks, DeFi talk, and two absolutely massive regulatory developments that flew under the radar while everyone was panicking about price. We also shouted out the Tom Luongo episode that brought in 500 new subs (thank you!), teased upcoming guests like Brie Terese and Levi, and closed with the Prayer of Jabez as always.
If you missed it, here’s the full recap. Grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s break it down.
The Intro: New Buffer, Silver Hair, and Peak Timo
We kicked off with the reveal of our new animated buffer — courtesy of Google Gemini and some Nano Banana magic. Trent called Ryan’s gray hair “wisdom silver,” Timo got roasted for his kids, and we all laughed about the off-camera chaos that somehow never makes the final cut.
Quick shoutout: the Tom Luongo episode absolutely exploded. Timo and Tom went deep on macro, geopolitics, and crypto, and the response was overwhelming. 500 new subscribers in a matter of days. If you haven’t watched it yet, fix that. Tom’s coming back in Q1 2026 — mark your calendars.
Upcoming guests? Brie Terese (gorgeous model and sharp crypto mind with 1.5M followers) drops soon. Levi’s interview (dad survival, DAG deep dive) is out tomorrow morning. And we’ve got more heavy hitters lined up. Stay subscribed — you don’t want to miss this pipeline.
Market Reality Check: 2025 in Review (So Far)
Crypto Bubbles up on screen: everything red. XRP, HBAR, Algo, Atom, Salon, Pingu — you name it, it’s down double digits YTD. Some coins are down 60-80%.
Trent’s take: we’re right on timeline. We called a possible end-of-year pullback months ago. Add the ongoing Japan carry trade unwind and you get amplified selling pressure. But this isn’t panic territory for OGs — we’ve seen worse.
Key point: if you’re in utility tokens and you actually own the assets (no leverage), this is a buying opportunity, not a crisis. Trent scooped XRP three times in six days as it broke below $1.90. HBAR down 61%? Still a network with real enterprise adoption. Algo down 73%? Same story.
Timo’s warning: “There are no atheists in a foxhole… and no atheists at 50x leverage.” If you’re margined up, you’re sweating. If you’re holding self-custody utility, you sleep fine.
Regulation Deep Dive: Clarity Act Stalls, But Bigger Things Are Moving
The Clarity Act hit a snag in Senate markup — specifically around how to define “sufficient decentralization” for utility status. This isn’t just about today’s tokens; it’s about creating (or killing) a roadmap for thousands of projects.
Trent’s prediction: natural attrition ahead. We’re heading into the first true utility run in crypto history. Projects without real use cases will wither. The bubble chart a year from now? Maybe 12 coins left standing.
Timo laid out the regulatory tug-of-war: innovation-friendly CFPB vs. heavier SEC oversight. Elizabeth Warren pushing tight controls, Tim Scott pushing innovation. The outcome will decide winners and losers for a decade.
Big picture: public-private partnerships are accelerating. Banks and blockchains are merging. Fraud like FTX burned trust, but legitimate projects with real use cases are earning seats at the table.
The News Nobody’s Talking About (Because Price Is Down)
While headlines scream “Bitcoin/Ethereum/XRP Crash,” the real story is institutional adoption marching forward.
Exhibit A: JP Morgan — yes, the same bank that used to trash crypto — just launched tokenized money market funds on-chain. $4 trillion AUM portfolio. Their own JPM Coin runs on Ethereum. They’re building on the EVM. This is not a drill.
Trent: “When there’s blood in the streets, watch what the big boys are building.”
Exhibit B: Manipulation mechanics. Bitcoin drives the market. Who holds the most outside the U.S. government? Michael Saylor. Reports suggest support lines are being defended to keep him solvent and prevent forced liquidation of 650,000+ BTC. Classic whale games.
Ryan: “The manipulation is nuts right now. Industry and market makers are buying it all up. That’s why we’re dropping.”
Viewer Q&A: Top Altcoins We’re Accumulating This Dip
Crispy asked the question on everyone’s mind: “What are your three top altcoins to accumulate this week?”
Disclaimer (as always): we are not financial advisors. Do your own research.
Ryan’s picks:
- Cardano (ADA) — Charles Hoskinson’s year-in-review was impressive. Utility focus.
- Constellation (DAG) — Enterprise-grade, government contracts, innovative structure.
- Chainlink — Oracle king. Essential infrastructure.
Trent’s picks:
- XRP (multiple buys this week)
- XDC — Leading real-world asset tokenization. Follow Andre Casterman on LinkedIn.
- Flare — DeFi powerhouse (more on this below). Honorable mention: HBAR, XLM (great prices).
Timo’s take: Less about individual coins this week, more about strategy.
- Programmatic weekly buys (DCA).
- Reading white papers over the holidays.
- Watching the Senate calendar closely (remember 1913 Federal Reserve vote over Christmas break?).
- Tracking global macro: EU, Russian Central Bank vs. Euroclear, etc.
Timo: “I’m not just looking at the roulette table. I’m looking at who’s heading for the exit and what’s happening in the whole casino.”
DeFi Masterclass: If You’re Not Participating, You’re Missing Out
Lion’s Den Daniel asked about DeFi on Meta Blockchain and Flare in 2026.
Trent’s answer was fire: If you own utility tokens and you’re not participating in DeFi (staking, delegating, providing liquidity, voting), you’re leaving money and influence on the table.
Flare example: We’ve been early. We vote on every proposal. Signal providers, payout structures, network fairness — your holdings give you real governance weight.
New development: Flare’s XRP-Fi. Wrap your XRP, delegate or stake, earn yield. Same model as Bifrost wallet for Flare tokens. Low risk compared to some DeFi protocols. 4% yield in self-custody beats bank savings accounts all day.
Trent: “We’ve got all our tokens deployed right now.”
The Bombshells: DTCC Bridge + Ripple National Trust Bank Charter
These two stories dropped over the weekend and barely made headlines because price action sucked all the oxygen.
- DTCC authorized full tokenization bridge for all assets. We’re talking quadrillions in annual flow. Every major financial asset class can now settle on-chain.
- Office of the Comptroller of the Currency conditionally approved national trust bank charters for several entities — including Ripple National Trust Bank.
Translation: Ripple is on the cusp of becoming a federally chartered bank. Separate from XRP, but the network implications are enormous. Liquidity provision, cross-border rails, commodity classification for tokens — this is foundational infrastructure for the next financial system.
Timo went macro: “This sounds like the first conception of a Federal Reserve Bank pre-1913.” New payment rails are emerging. In 5-10 years, your bank account might hold your bank’s stablecoin, not raw USD. FDIC insured, but tokenized.
Yen Carry Trade Unwind: How Much Does XRP Matter?
Chris asked: How much weight do you put on XRP unwinding the Yen carry trade?
Short answer: It’s possible, but don’t bet the farm on a 2025 moonshot. Jake Claver’s thesis requires a major catalyst (oil spike, geopolitical shock) to force aggressive Japanese rate hikes. Fundamentals are still insanely bullish long-term, but timing is uncertain.
Final Thoughts: Patience, Family, Faith
We’re taking a break for Christmas — family first. Pre-recorded interviews will drop, so stay subscribed.
Bottom line: 75% of Ryan’s crypto portfolio is red YTD. But Tesla and ETH kept him green overall, and he’s optimistic. This dip is engineered. Institutions don’t buy at all-time highs.
2026 is going to be massive. New rails. Utility run. Real adoption.
We closed with the Prayer of Jabez — our tradition:
“Lord, bless us and expand our territory. Keep Your hand upon us, and keep us from evil.”
Dads, this channel is for you: better finances, better families, better men of faith.
If this recap fired you up, drop a comment below. What’s your top accumulation coin this dip? Hit subscribe, turn on notifications, and we’ll see you in the next one.
Merry Christmas, gentlemen. Stack accordingly.
— Ryan, Trent, & Timo The Dad Ledger
