E53: DAO Roundtable – Tariffs, TradFi & the Market Ahead

In this episode of the ATX DAO Podcast, we sit down with founding member Clifton and DAO and community members, Vardo and Scott for a wide-ranging roundtable on crypto, macroeconomics, and the evolution of ATX DAO. Clifton shares his journey from building EdTech startups to working at Bridgewater and launching a market-neutral hedge fund—before diving deep into crypto and helping start ATX DAO. The group discusses what it takes to bootstrap a community from scratch, why Austin continues to attract Web3 builders, and how life, family, and finance all collide in the world of crypto.

We also unpack major economic and policy trends: U.S. tariff strategies, the dollar’s outlook, and what “reciprocal tariffs” really mean. Clifton offers sharp insights on why DeFi infrastructure still outperforms TradFi in key areas—despite regulatory headwinds—and how institutional players are approaching crypto adoption behind the scenes. Whether you’re DAO-curious or deep into the macro weeds, this episode offers an unfiltered look at the people and policies shaping crypto’s next chapter.