Crypto's Hidden Power: Inside Private Markets & Bitcoin ATMs with Nick Cote, Omar-Shakeeb & Michelle Weekley

Nick Cote & Omar Shakeeb - Second Lane - Crypto Private Markets

Michelle Weekley, ByteFederal Bitcoin ATM's 

Welcome back my friends! In this episode, I’m joined by Nick Cote and Omar Shakeeb from Second Lane, and we’re digging deep into the guts of the crypto world. These guys are like the switchboard operators of private markets, connecting top-tier investors, service providers, and liquidity providers. We talk about the importance of due diligence in secondary markets—because who wants to throw money into something without knowing all the details, right? Data plays a massive role in making smart investment moves, and Nick and Omar give us the lowdown on that.

We also chat about where crypto is heading, especially with decentralized models on the rise, plus how AI and energy procurement are shaking things up in this space. Nick has this cool story about going from oil and gas to becoming a passive investor and operator in crypto, while Omar tells us how he got into OTC brokering. These guys have seen it all.

Michelle Weekley from Byte Federal, who jumps in towards the end. She’s their Director of Product Development and shares how Byte Federal is tackling regulatory obstacles, expanding globally, and pushing for more Bitcoin adoption. Michelle talks about why awareness and action are so important right now, and why she’s optimistic about where things are headed for Bitcoin and crypto.

We touch on some of the challenges and opportunities in crypto—transparency, education, and building community are huge. And we spotlight innovative projects like Helium and HiveMapper, which are using decentralized models to really give power back to the people.

I also take a moment to reflect on a recent Bitcoin meetup I spoke at in Naples. The community there was hungry to get why crypto is so exciting. We go over some of the regulatory challenges our industry is facing, why political engagement is crucial, and what we need to do to keep pushing for hyper-Bitcoinization.

Thanks for hanging with us, and as always, keep fighting for that decentralized future!

Charlie