E75: Gabe Shapiro on Cyborgs, MetaLex and Building Smarter Crypto Governance

Beyond the Code

This week on Beyond the Code, Yitzy sits down with one of the most outspoken minds in crypto law: Gabriel Shapiro. Known for his deep legal chops, unfiltered takes, and pioneering work at the intersection of smart contracts and governance, Gabe takes us through his journey—from tech M&A prodigy to crypto lawyer and decentralization maxi.

We dive into:

• Gabe’s early big law career and how Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp led him down the crypto rabbit hole;

• The real reason “decentralization” became crypto's favorite legal strategy;Why current DAO structures are flawed—and how MetaLex and the Borg concept aim to fix them;

• A deep look at on-chain legal engineering: how entities, trusts, and smart contracts can blend into a new governance paradigm;

• The emergence of $GOR, a meme coin inspired by Gabe himself;

• The state of crypto regulation in the U.S., Trump’s pivot on Bitcoin, and why Gabe’s bullish on the new market structure bill;

• Big law’s limitations in crypto and the rise of agile, crypto-native legal shops;

• Anonymity in crypto—how to build trust without a legal name;

And yes—we talk politics, Israel, identity, and whiskey.