# Laura Shin

> Laura Shin is the leading voice in crypto journalism - host of the Unchained podcast, author of The Cryptopians, and founder of Unchained Crypto. A Stanford and Columbia-educated journalist, she was the first mainstream reporter to cover cryptocurrency full-time, amassing 25+ million downloads and solving one of crypto's biggest mysteries: the 2016 Ethereum DAO hack.

- **Role:** Founder & Host at Unchained Crypto
- **Organizations:** Unchained Crypto, Forbes (former)
- **From:** Ohio, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. Modern Thought and Literature (Phi Beta Kappa, honors), Stanford University, M.A. Journalism, Columbia School of Journalism
- **Known for:** First mainstream journalist to cover cryptocurrency full-time, 25+ million podcast downloads and video views, 2016 Blockchain Award: Most Insightful Journalist

## Career timeline

- **1997-2008** — Freelance journalist covering business, tech, personal finance, environment, energy, arts, fitness, health, and travel
- **2008-2009** — Producer at The New York Times on the Web
- **2015** — Joined Forbes as Senior Editor; spearheaded the Fintech 50 list; became first mainstream journalist to cover crypto full-time
- **2016** — Won Blockchain Award for Most Insightful Journalist; launched Unchained podcast
- **2018** — Left Forbes to focus full-time on Unchained Crypto
- **2022** — Published The Cryptopians (PublicAffairs/Hachette); conducted landmark interview with Do Kwon while he was on the run
- **2022** — Uncovered evidence identifying the perpetrator of the 2016 Ethereum DAO hack
- **2025-2026** — Continues producing twice-weekly Unchained podcast and daily newsletter; covering AI-crypto fusions, quantum threats, and DePIN

## Achievements

- First mainstream journalist to cover cryptocurrency full-time
- 25+ million podcast downloads and video views
- 2016 Blockchain Award: Most Insightful Journalist
- Author of The Cryptopians (2022, PublicAffairs/Hachette)
- Uncovered evidence identifying the 2016 Ethereum DAO hack perpetrator
- Conducted ~200 interviews with Ethereum community members for The Cryptopians
- Speaker at TEDx San Francisco, IMF, Singularity University, Oslo Freedom Forum
- Featured at World Economic Forum
- Unchained newsletter reaches tens of thousands of subscribers

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Continuing twice-weekly Unchained podcast and daily newsletter with focus on AI-crypto fusions and quantum threats to blockchains
- **2025-12** — Featured discussions on blockchain security landscape evolution and long-term security planning
- **2025** — Sharp analysis of regulatory overhauls and market developments; community grounding during volatile crypto periods
- **2022-02** — Published The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze (PublicAffairs)

## Links

- Website: https://laurashin.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurashin
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/laurashin
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurashin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unchainedwithlaurashin/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/laura-shin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-22