Today's guest is Nik “The Carny” Lentz. It's not every day you talk to a UFC fighter-turned-trader, and this conversation is both intense and insightful. We start by talking about Nik's journey from a difficult childhood to a UFC career and his philosophy on fighting, parenting, and life. We then cover his move to trading derivatives full-time and his approach to position sizing, risk management, and more. Please enjoy this unique kind of episode with Nik Lentz. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Making Markets is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Markets, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @makingmkts | @ericgoldenx  Show Notes  (00:01:39) - (First Question) - Nik’s childhood and how he got into ultimate fighting (00:08:54) - Nik’s mentality when in the cage fighting (00:10:37) - Links between traumatic childhood and becoming a UFC fighter (00:11:48) - How Nik feels about his children potentially fighting in the future (00:13:29) - Nik’s earliest UFC fights and the importance of storytelling in the sport (00:21:35) - Insecurity and work ethic, getting the balance right to be able to perform at the top (00:26:35) - The relationship between drive and motivation and the kind of upbringing you have (00:28:52) - How Nik got into finance and his first moves in the market  (00:33:00) - Nik’s development of his own investment process and how he manages risk (00:36:00) - Determining position sizes, when to get in, when to get out. The ratio between Nik’s low-risk trades versus his big swings (00:38:16) - The similarities between gambling and investing, Nik’s opinion on the apparent lack of differentiation  (00:40:19) - Nik’s advice to young people looking to get started in investing (00:41:32) - Comparing the ups and downs of UFC fighting versus trading in the markets (00:43:32) - The process of walking away from fighting and whether Nik thinks he will ever walk away from investing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest this week is by Corey Hoffstein, the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Newfound Research. Corey offers a fascinating and distinctive take on investing, which we delve into during our discussion. We cover topics like portfolio allocation, diversification and the innovative approach known as Return Stacking. We wrap up with lessons learned from 15 years of running an Asset Management firm. Please enjoy this conversation with Corey Hoffstein For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Making Markets is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Markets, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @makingmkts | @ericgoldenx Show Notes  (00:02:00) - (First Question) The origins of the 60/40 portfolio (00:04:30) - How to tackle the allocation problem when it comes to 60/40  (00:08:15) - How Corey deals with the doubters when the strategy doesn’t work  (00:12:00) - Reasons why it makes sense to continue to participate even when there have been periods of underperformance (00:15:00) - Diversification in futures and stocks to create a less volatile investment journey (00:19:15) - The origins of return stacking (00:28:00) - Skepticism, evolution, and potential risks associated with portable alpha (00:33:30) - The need for careful risk management and the importance of rebalancing when using leverage to amplify investment returns (00:36:30) - Using historical data to determine the funding rate (00:40:00) - Implied funding rates and the spread between futures markets and spot markets (00:44:45) - The complexity of measuring market positions and strategies when it comes to futures and bonds (00:46:30) - The challenges Corey faced when starting an asset management firm (00:52:45) - The importance of presenting products in an understandable way for investors (00:54:30) - Examples of products or investment ideas that Corey got wrong (00:58:30) - The competitive nature of the ETF landscape and the importance of branding (01:02:00) - Corey’s success navigating the challenging landscape of the ETF space (01:05:15) - Fee competition and brand differentiation have led to firms exploring regulatory grey areas (01:06:30) - The distinction between speculation and investing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm thrilled to welcome you all to the first episode after the rebranding to Making Markets. This is a wide-ranging discussion on the economy with Samuel Rines - economist, author and managing director of Corbu LLC. We cover where we are in the economic cycle, 'excuseflation', the state of the consumer and the different sectors of the American economy. I hope you enjoy the kick off of "Making Markets" with Sam Rines. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Making Markets is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Markets, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @makingmkts | @ericgoldenx  Show Notes (00:02:00) - (First question) - What Sam believes The Fed is likely to do based off the current economic cycle (00:05:00) - The inflationary pressure on The Fed even though tech is replacing the workforce (00:06:40) - His explanation of price over volume (00:09:30) - How temporary price over volume is and its impact on consumer spending  (00:13:40) - Current consumer spending money and where it's coming from  (00:16:15) - Ignoring the coastal markets and focus on middle America (00:18:30) - What he thinks is slowing consumers (00:20:00) - The revenge of the middle and its meaning for economic stability    (00:21:15) - His view on soft landings in the market and which sectors are affected   (00:23:30) - His take on the travel and leisure sector  (00:25:30) - A look at the current residential and commercial real estate markets    (00:30:00) - Red flag market areas he thinks people should be weary of  (00:32:00) - Contagion risk caused by potential private sector collapses     (00:34:00) - Whether he thinks The Fed missteps or not  (00:36:15) - Global turmoil and its impact on market portfolios   (00:39:30) - How he positions his portfolio building based off of global risk (00:41:00) - Sam's favorite out-of-consensus bet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In place of our usual quarterly market recap, we have a special announcement to make. The scope of this show, Web3 Breakdowns, will expand and rebrand to Making Markets. Eric and Matt discuss what is changing, why, and, importantly, what will stay the same.  For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:01:27) - (First question) Rebranding from Web3 Breakdowns to Making Markets (00:06:08) - Why fixed-income investors are obsessed with markets (00:10:28) - The analysis of companies versus applying analysis to asset classes (00:12:42) - What it was like to cover the volatility of the cryptocurrency market (00:20:40) - Why you should have confidence in the cryptocurrency market  (00:26:09) - What type of guests will appear on the Making Markets podcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden. Today we're replaying my conversation with William Quigley. He co-founded one of the earliest consumer VC funds, wrote the first institutional check for PayPal, and helped build the first major stablecoin, Tether. This is a favorite episode of the year, as William combined his lessons from his decades in technology with a strong first-principle understanding of blockchains. I hope you enjoy my conversation with William Quigley. We will be releasing new episodes along with an exciting update about the show within the next few weeks. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:01:57) - (First question) - His career in VC and gaming prepared him for the world of crypto (00:11:25) - Exploring the potential of blockchain and crypto (00:16:04) - Blockchain's ideal applications (00:22:43) - Tether's origin story and its role in enabling arbitrage trading (00:30:28) - Building trust, tokenization, and Tether's reserves in stablecoin development (00:38:09) - Tether's redeemability, trust, and market dynamics in cryptocurrency (00:43:44) - Trust, convenience, global risks, and regulatory considerations in stablecoins (00:48:30) - US banking dominance, Tether's struggle with banking relationships in regulation (00:53:25) - Tether's growth reflects demand for freedom and challenges with banking (00:57:00) - WAX's purpose-built blockchain facilitated NFT growth and trust in collectibles (01:06:34) - What he is most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and today we’re going to break down the mechanics behind three major blockchains: Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. Blockchain is a term you hear a lot, both in this show and in Web3 more generally. But what do they actually mean and how do they work? That is the subject we’re going to cover today and something I’ve wanted to do for sometime. My guest for this episode is Keone Hon. Keone is a Math Prodigy who spent close to a decade building systems for high-frequency trading. Today, he is the co-founder and CEO of Monad Labs and is building a blockchain alternative to Ethereum and Solana. He has that rare blend of deep technical knowledge and the ability to communicate clearly, so he is the perfect guest for this episode. Please enjoy my conversation with Keone. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:47) - (First question) - An analogy to explain how crypto and blockchain work (00:11:20) - Scenarios to further explore his schoolyard analogy for Bitcoin (00:17:03) - The reality of the math and power balance surrounding blockchain technology (00:23:28) - Expanding the analogy to explain Ethereum (00:25:26) - The broad impact of Ethereum on smart contracting and proof of staking (00:29:08) - Major differences between proof-of-work versus proof-of-stake models (00:31:09) - Comparing Solana’s stateless design to the older chains (00:34:44) - The added privacy and speed advantages enabled by Solana (00:35:56) - The real security and risk profiles of these major chains (00:38:09) - Explaining Solana’s parallel transactions  (00:40:52) - Why the creation of new chains and further chain optimization still matters (00:42:27) - Why he got interested in the problem of chain efficiency and accessibility (00:44:54) - How crypto tech continues to build upon itself and expand to new use cases (00:48:34) - How Monad is building their blockchain to solve inefficiencies in crypto markets (00:50:09) - How he thinks about competition given the open-source nature of the space (00:52:12) - The process of actually building and testing a new chain (00:55:49) - What motivates him to continue building (00:56:53) - Diffusing a new blockchain innovation to users and coders (00:58:38) - What he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden, and today we’re replaying one of my favorite conversations with 0xFoobar. Foobar is a developer and investor who writes a must-read newsletter called The Variable. We discuss the tradeoff between privacy and compliance, how culture and law shape each other, and his views on crypto regulation. When I interviewed 0xfoobar 11 months ago, the crypto world couldn’t have been more different. Today, as the industry moves toward court cases and regulation, the issues raised in this episode remain as relevant as ever. I hope you enjoy listening, and we’ll be back soon. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes [00:02:02] - [First question] - How he built such a robust technical background in his career that lead him to crypto  [00:04:42] - The trade off between compliance and privacy and his take on it writ large [00:07:27] - Whether or not people have given up on the idea that privacy of transaction matters  [00:11:17] - The current technical framework for what exists in privacy today for crypto [00:14:07] - Defining a zero knowledge proof and explaining the process to do one  [00:18:55] - The public ledger incentivizing other economic models and the ways crypto will be used in the future that might not be what we imagine today  [00:20:14] - People want to experiment but doing so can involve blind risk unless they’re familiar with the space  [00:22:00] - Reversible transactions and why they’re harmful  [00:26:37] - Opensea’s flagging involvement and whether or not we’ll have a cash-like layer built on top of the irreversible chain    [00:29:26] - Minimizing crypto purchase risk and protecting participants with a transaction cooling process or holding period  [00:32:46] - The ways in which law and culture shape each other  [00:34:14] - Examples of how culture affects crypto in ways that laws don’t yet  [00:36:31] - DeFi protocol hacks and how the culture should handle that kind of behavior  [00:40:49] - His thoughts on the current takes of trying to bring regulation by enforcement to the crypto space [00:43:18] - His current area of focus is lately and what he enjoys doing the most  [00:46:50] - What he’s most excited to see built in the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we're continuing our series of replays this week with the first episode we ever published. Almost two years ago to the day, I sat down with Patrick to talk about the Bored Ape Yacht Club. I hope you enjoy listening back to this episode as much as I did recently and I'll be back with new episodes, including our Q3 recap, very soon. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus Show Notes [00:02:30] - [First question] - What the Bored Ape Yacht Club is [00:03:39] - Motivations for owning a Bored Ape compared to traditional art  [00:07:46] - The scope of prices, hierarchy, turnover, and trading overview of these NFTs [00:09:51] - Distribution of rarity and why it matters  [00:11:29] - How the project roadmap is managed by the member community [00:16:23] - Who are the members and the key stewards of steering the ship [00:18:08] - An example of a project where the owners don’t own the IP of their NFT [00:20:56] - Underlying fundamentals and utility behind owning a Bored Ape  [00:26:36] - Thoughts on fungible tokens inside of non-fungible projects [00:29:06] - Ways to think about the value proposition of owning an Ape and an Ape token  [00:30:36] - Different options for minting NFTs and their pros and cons [00:34:36] - Literal mechanics of the minting process [00:36:59] - Smart contract mediating of combining NFTs to generate rare ones [00:39:20] - Building a bottom up brand and other examples of this trend [00:41:50] - Are NFTs just gambling, or will they become investable assets like physical art [00:46:09] - Blockchain infrastructure of the NFT space and whether it’ll stay on Ethereum [00:48:48] - What makes the Bored Ape Yacht Club so innovative compared to other projects Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are revisiting my conversation with Austin Campbell. After my interview with Mike Dudas, I had asked, who is the smartest person I can talk to about Stablecoins? He instantly responded, you need to speak with Austin, and as you'll hear, I think he's right. Austin spent 15 years in traditional finance before managing $22bn of Stablecoin reserves for Paxos. Today, he's an Adjunct professor at Columbia Business School and the managing partner at Zero Knowledge Consulting. In this conversation, Austin helps me break down the nuts and bolts of how Stablecoins work. We also discussed the lessons crypto should learn from the traditional finance world and how the current US regulatory crackdown will shape the ecosystem going forward. Please enjoy this Stablecoin primer with Austin Campbell. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes [00:03:21] - [First question] - What can be learned from TradFi and applied to crypto [00:05:13] - The basics of Stablecoins and why they are important [00:07:39] - The logistics and mechanics of Stablecoins from the ground up [00:17:14] - Time-delay and infrastructure problems when trading with Stablecoins [00:21:18] - Liquidity, time sensitivity, and credit risk for issuers and buyers of Stablecoins  [00:24:59] - The roles, challenges, and faults of regulators in the space  [00:33:04] - The extent to which he sees regulators favored versus fouled by crypto natives [00:34:50] - The SEC’s imposition that qualified custodians are needed to exchange crypto assets [00:37:53] - His takes on news regarding Paxos and the BUSD [00:43:01] - Concerns regarding Binance and its Stablecoin consolidations [00:46:30] - Aspects of global Stablecoin regulation he’s optimistic about [00:49:01] - Why the US may not be a promised land for crypto [00:50:21] - The positives and potential impact of Stablecoins broadly, despite the pushback [00:54:03] - The possibility of traditional assets using crypto rails [01:00:04] - What he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Web3 listeners, this is a special episode drop. Earlier this year, Eric joined Matt Reustle and Dom Cooke on their Making Media podcast to talk about his experience hosting Web3 Breakdowns. In this episode, you'll hear about the art of interviewing, how long it takes to get better, and a behind-the-scenes look at hosting this show. Making Media is another podcast in the Colossus network. So, if you enjoy it, check out that feed, and Eric will be back as your host in the coming weeks. Learn more about Capital Camp. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.  ----- Making Media is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Media, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @ReustleMatt | @domcooke | @MakingMediaPod | @JoinColossus  Show Notes (00:03:48) - (First question) - Who has inspired him as an interviewer  (00:05:13) - How he approaches interviews now compared to when he started   (00:06:48) - Changes in the early days that were game changers for him  (00:09:06) - Comparing his preparation process now to what it was early on   (00:11:44) - Reframing common questions in a thought provoking way   (00:14:10) - Probing a guest before hitting record to get a sense of where the conversation could go  (00:16:55) - Podcast episodes he’s found inspirational and what makes an episode great (00:27:20) - The art and difficulty of interrupting a guest without breaking the flow (00:30:20) - Pushing in when a guest says they want to come back to something later (00:32:36) - Managing the types of guests the Web3 and crypto space attracts  (00:36:08) - What makes an episode successful  (00:41:40) - The greatest looking things are often very well prepared  (00:44:10) - Comparing Joe Rogan to Howard Stern  (00:45:10) - Where his inspiration comes from  (00:46:55) - Pitching download data to guests as relatively scaled sports stadiums   (00:48:18) - Advice for people who want to get into podcasting  (00:50:42) - Wanting to change the name of Web3 Breakdowns  (00:52:34) - Other changes he’d like to make and his process for sourcing guests (00:54:06) - The migration from the fixed income community into crypto    (00:56:52) - A lot of hard work for a labor of love  (00:59:46) - Judging the quality of an episode after conducting the interview   (01:02:35) - Lessons learned and surprising things about exploring the media space Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Nick Neuman, the CEO of Casa. Casa offers crypto users a secure and straightforward way to self-custody their assets, and today, we dive into this critical topic. We talk about the problems of self-custody, Casa’s solution, the recent addition of Ethereum to their platform, and the trade-off between security and usability. This is Nick’s second time on a Colossus Podcast after first appearing on an Invest Like the Best episode called “Becoming your Own Bank”, which I highly recommend. Please enjoy my conversation with Nick Neuman. Web3 Breakdown listeners can use code WEB3BREAKDOWN23 for 20% off your first year of a Casa Standard membership. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This show is brought to you by OKX. Want to stop paying trading fees? You can now trade for free for two months with OKX. Over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. And you can join them by signing up at okx.com/landingpage/okxtraderseries to start your two months of fee-free trading today. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes  (00:02:09) - (First question) - Introduction to Casa: simplifying self-custody for secure storage of Bitcoin and Ethereum (00:05:13) - The risks of overestimating security among even experienced crypto enthusiasts (00:06:01) - Private keys, single points of failure, and Casa's multi-key approach to security (00:11:44) - Mobile key security: SIM swapping and securing funds through layers (00:14:28) - Balancing security and convenience with different security levels (00:17:32) - Spikes in interest during moments of fear or price volatility (00:19:53) - Offering video calls to simplify setup for hardware wallets (00:21:18) - Transitioning to Ethereum while maintaining security and usability for users (00:27:07) - Future challenges of balancing security and ease in interacting with smart contracts (00:29:54) - The importance of self-custody, simplifying the process for mass adoption (00:34:07) - Anxiety and laziness often delay sign-up, eased by simplified processes (00:36:49) - Blending user understanding with an effortless product experience (00:38:56) - Self-custody, like setting up a will or life insurance, brings relief and security (00:40:59) - What he is most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Jack Neureuter. Jack is a Senior Research Analyst at Fidelity Digital Assets where he helps institutions make sense of the crypto ecosystem. Our conversation centers on three main themes - Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the institutional view on Crypto. We start by talking about where we are in the Bitcoin Cycle. We then cover the Taproot upgrade, the XRP court case, and how institutions think about allocating to crypto. Please enjoy my conversation with Jack Neureuter. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.  ----- This show is brought to you by OKX. Want to stop paying trading fees? You can now trade for free for two months with OKX. Over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. And you can join them by signing up at okx.com/landingpage/okxtraderseries to start your two months of fee-free trading today. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:00) - (First question) - Exploring Bitcoin cycles, regulatory challenges, macro factors, and future potential outcomes (00:05:40) - Bitcoin's price tied to supply drop impact versus narrative-driven price changes (00:08:19) - Ethereum's technology fuels apps, while Bitcoin's scarcity enhances worth (00:13:37) - Harmony of Ethereum's tech and Bitcoin's simplicity (00:16:53) - Bitcoin scales while preserving decentralization, Ethereum offers diverse applications (00:19:42) - Bitcoin's Ordinals sparked debate between change and preservation (00:22:37) - Considering ETFs for Bitcoin in 2023 amid legal challenges (00:26:30) - Institutional interest in ETFs could impact crypto governance (00:28:24) - XRP's legal outcome surprised many, impacting altcoins, but industry's understanding is evolving (00:30:49) - Allocations vary based on macro views and investor type, with Bitcoin and Ethereum leading (00:34:18) - Asia leads crypto adoption due to currency norms, digital payments, and regulatory differences (00:37:11) - How allocating crypto in portfolios can be tricky due to limited data for future returns (00:38:5) - How valuing crypto can be tough due to lack of data, diverse use cases, and speculation (00:42:43) - Ethereum's potential for real-world assets on chain and the evolving tech landscape  (00:45:20) - What Jack is most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guests today are Adam Zarazinski and Cameron Smith of Inca Digital. Inca is a Crypto Data and Analytics company that serves clients ranging from DARPA to banks to crypto exchanges, making Adam and Cameron well versed on a wide variety of topics. Our conversation covers how Inca built a business model on top of open-source data, the government’s view on Crypto and their work together, BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF, and much, much more. Please enjoy my conversation with Adam and Cameron. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This show is brought to you by OKX. Want to stop paying trading fees? You can now trade for free for two months with OKX. Over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. And you can join them by signing up at okx.com/landingpage/okxtraderseries to start your two months of fee-free trading today. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:25) - (First question) - An inside look at what Lazarus is and what they do (00:04:10) - Whether the attacks on crypto are aimed at organizations or individuals  (00:06:35) - Inca’s roll in national security (00:08:55) - A walk through of what Inca has to offer  (00:10:15) - The difference between forensic investigation and data analytics  (00:12:45) - Becoming a crypto data conglomerate in the future (00:15:30) - Changing client bases through evolving crypto cycles (00:17:45) - The government's reaction to Inca’s data analytics  (00:22:00) - How crypto's rails could potentially impact traditional assets  (00:23:45) - Whether decentralization is here to stay (00:24:50) - Proving markets are not being manipulated for future SEC approvals (00:28:55) - Predictions on the Inca ETF approval  (00:30:45) - Comparing crypto to traditional assets today (00:33:10) - Potential startups or clients that would benefit from Inca’s data (00:34:30) - How DEX regulation works (00:36:45) - The investment bodies looking for the cross exchange liquidity pockets (00:37:20) - Firms moving off-shore and its potential impact on the US market (00:41:05) - What Adam & Cameron are most excited to build over the next six month and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden, and my guest today is Luca Netz. Luca grew up with nothing but made millions before his 25th birthday by building and selling multiple businesses. Two years ago, he spent $2.5M to buy the Pudgy Penguins NFT project and has since turned it into one of the best-run NFT projects in the world. In the episode, Luca explains why the $2.5M purchase price was a bargain and why he believes Pudgy Penguins could be the face of NFTs in the future. We also talk about the overall NFT landscape, whale management, the strategy for Pudgy Penguins, and much more. Please enjoy this conversation with Luca Netz. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.  ----- This show is brought to you by OKX. Want to stop paying trading fees? You can now trade for free for two months with OKX. Over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. And you can join them by signing up at okx.com/landingpage/okxtraderseries to start your two months of fee-free trading today. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:45) - (First question) - When he first learned about Pudgy Penguins (00:05:19) - The original project owners and what lead to the community forcing them out (00:09:53) - Bidding high on Pudgy Penguins based on a bigger understanding of its potential (00:15:03) - His background before crypto and his skills as an elite marketer (00:21:44) - Thoughts on risk aversion when he first started amassing wealth  (00:24:28) - The relationship between a brand and its founder  (00:28:08) - How building in public has elevated his game (00:30:38) - Overview of the whale management thesis (00:35:30) - Marketing for niches versus expanding to multiple communities (00:40:36) - Early things he’s most proud of that helped grow Pudgy Penguins (00:43:20) - Planning for the future versus being spontaneous and reactive (00:46:17) - What the industry needs to help move it forward (00:52:45) - What he’s excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden, and my guest this week is Alex Thorn. Alex was an early Bitcoin evangelist and former Director of Blockchain Research and Crypto VC at Fidelity. Today, he is the head of research at Galaxy Digital where he consistently publishes some of the most insightful work in the space. Alex starts by telling us how he went from working at a children’s summer camp to becoming the head blockchain researcher at Fidelity. We then talk about the Blackrock Blockchain ETF, why the time was right, the probability of its approval, and its impact on the asset class. Finally, we dive into the XRP case and its many implications. Please enjoy this conversation with Alex Thorn. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This show is brought to you by OKX. Want to stop paying trading fees? You can now trade for free for two months with OKX. Over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. And you can join them by signing up at okx.com/landingpage/okxtraderseries to start your two months of fee-free trading today. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:13) - (First question) - Why Alex started rapping on his podcast (00:05:38) - Going from a teenage rapper to a career at Fidelity  (00:06:22) - A walkthrough of Alex's journey into crypto currencies  (00:10:11) - Meeting Matt Walsh and whether or not his convictions about crypto made him feel isolated (00:11:32) - Transitioning into Galaxy and what the crypto landscape felt like at that time  (00:13:06) - Public sentiment on the mutually exclusive TradFi and DeFi ecosystems merging  (00:18:03) - How trading Bitcoin without understanding it could hurt its growth potential  (00:20:30) - How Blackrock’s ETF could positively or negatively impact crypto  (00:25:28) - The mechanics of Coinbase being a custodian of Blackrock’s ETF (00:27:01) - SEC applications and how Blackrock managed to position themselves to get so close to an approval   (00:32:26) - The odds we actually get a Blackrock ETF (00:37:01) - XRP’s victory over the SEC and the potential of Ripple going forward  (00:42:24) - Overview of the Coinbase lawsuit and the delisting backdoor for exchanges (00:44:48) - Whether or not regulation will increase the risk for bad actors and scams  (00:47:37) - Growing uncertainty as the court battles wage on (00:49:53) - The Howey test and potential of a supreme court ruling over crypto   (00:52:13) - What Alex is excited to see built in the future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Matt Reustle and we are back with another quarterly review. I joined Eric to talk about everything that happened in the second quarter of 2023—most of this quarter seemed to focus on regulatory headlines, scrutiny from the SEC, and unexpected rulings in the Ripple case. So we dive into what those mean and what it looks like on the horizon. Then we cover some interesting developments like the BlackRock ETF, Eric shares a few applications that get him most excited about blockchain in the future, and we talk about what development is like in the industry as a whole. Please enjoy this short but action-packed conversation with me and Eric. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.  ----- This show is brought to you by OKX. Want to stop paying trading fees? You can now trade for free for two months with OKX. Over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. And you can join them by signing up at okx.com/landingpage/okxtraderseries to start your two months of fee-free trading today. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:03:36) - (First question) - Cryptocurrency Q2 performance steady despite headline volatility (00:04:43) - Crypto sentiment is highly volatile, influenced by headlines and deep analysis (00:08:27) - Regulatory actions on Binance expected, Coinbase surprising, timing caught people off guard (00:11:06) - Coinbase sentiment impacted by regulatory uncertainty (00:12:56) - XRP's lawsuit reveals debate over security classification for institutional vs. retail sales (00:16:06) - The XRP ruling highlights the need for new cryptocurrency regulations (00:13:54) - Crypto's focus shifted to AI, but some still build projects (00:24:50) - Blockchain's global appeal and potential as a listed currency excites investors (00:27:44) - The potential of blockchain to streamline finance and ownership (00:29:46) - BlackRock ETF approval could propel Bitcoin's adoption  (00:32:21) - Closing thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Gary Coover. Gary spent 8 years building Samsung’s innovation arm, Samsung Next, before he was drawn into the Web3 world. Today, he is the Chief Operating Officer of Superlayer, a venture studio focused on building Crypto startups. We start this conversation by analyzing what went wrong in the industry over the past 2 years, and why Gary advocates “Burying the Rails”. We then talk about Superlayer’s attempt to build an economically sustainable and inflation-resistant token model within their products, Hotline and Trophy. Please enjoy my conversation with Gary Coover. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:01:35) - (First question) - Things he got wrong while trying to launch his new business (00:03:27) - His view on NBATopShots as an inflation failure versus a crypto failure (00:05:48) - How his businesses differ from previously attempted token based companies  (00:09:50) - Determining whether a founders business in capable of tokenization (00:11:54) - He tells us why a token is necessary for these businesses to be successful (00:13:52) - Examples of returning value to the wrong group of people (00:18:32) - He explains how users pay for content on the platform (00:19:33) - Using tokens for in platform purchases instead of centralized currency (00:21:18) - How the inflation economics work behind the token model (00:22:58) - Handling content on the platform that is deemed illegal or unethical  (00:24:40) - Developing trust with creators that feel jaded from the past  (00:27:00) - How he sees the business developing from a tokenless model to one with tokens (00:28:46) - How he approaches building the right tokenized economic structure (00:30:41) - The ability to charge by preference in either tokens or dollars (00:32:58) - Pros and cons of not having control over market volatility  (00:34:49) - Which of his companies are currently using token based currency (00:37:48) - A look back at things he is proud he got right and still believes in (00:40:28) - What he sees in the space today that gets him excited (00:42:11) - What he is most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is William Quigley. William has had a fascinating career working on the frontier of technology. He co-founded one of the earliest consumer VC funds, wrote the first institutional check for PayPal, and helped build the first major stablecoin, Tether. We start with a quick tour of his career and then dive into the history of Tether, the design choices that made it the most traded cryptocurrency in the world, and how digital assets have been around a lot longer than you may have thought. From my experience working in traditional finance, I have been a bit obsessed with stablecoins and enjoyed the opportunity to dive this deep into Tether. I hope you enjoy my conversation with William Quigley. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This show is brought to you by OKX. Want to stop paying trading fees? You can now trade for free for two months with OKX. Over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. And you can join them by signing up at okx.com/landingpage/okxtraderseries to start your two months of fee-free trading today. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:01:57) - (First question) - His career in VC and gaming prepared him for the world of crypto (00:11:25) - Exploring the potential of blockchain and crypto (00:16:04) - Blockchain's ideal applications (00:22:43) - Tether's origin story and its role in enabling arbitrage trading (00:30:28) - Building trust, tokenization, and Tether's reserves in stablecoin development (00:38:09) - Tether's redeemability, trust, and market dynamics in cryptocurrency (00:43:44) - Trust, convenience, global risks, and regulatory considerations in stablecoins (00:48:30) - US banking dominance, Tether's struggle with banking relationships in regulation (00:53:25) - Tether's growth reflects demand for freedom and challenges with banking (00:57:00) - WAX's purpose-built blockchain facilitated NFT growth and trust in collectibles (01:06:34) - What he is most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is CL207, also known as CL or Cat, one of the most popular anonymous accounts on crypto Twitter. I have followed him since I got into crypto and, like many, have always wanted to learn more about the person behind the account. CL is academically trained in chemistry and had no finance background before he began trading crypto. He made no money for 2 years but over time has evolved into an extremely thoughtful and intelligent trader. We start this conversation with one of the weirdest and most fun back stories we've ever had on the show. We then dive deep into CL's trading journey and bring this process to life with examples. We end the conversation on a variety of topics like fashion, anonymity, virtual reality and more. Cat is a highly original and interesting thinker. Talking to him was an absolute blast.  For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This show is sponsored by OKX. Want to stop paying trading fees? You can now trade for free for two months with OKX. Over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. And you can join them by signing up at okx.com/landingpage/OKXtraderseries to start your two months of fee-free trading today. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:23) - (First question) - Who Cat was before he started trading crypto and where his avatar came from (00:06:48) - Where his convictions came from to stick out trading crypto with no experience (00:10:21) - Finding an edge using intuition and mentally quantitative processes (00:12:53) - Putting together behavior and patterns to find market opportunities  (00:14:49) - Where he would start to get a sense of the market if he stepped away for a while (00:16:25) - His average holding period and whether or not he trades based on news (00:18:13) - What his trading day looked like today  (00:19:23) - His trading track record and how what he’s learned as changed his relationship with risk   (00:22:07) - Never working a job and being risk averse after becoming successful  (00:24:22) - Digging deep until you find an edge in the market  (00:26:13) - Sources of information and where the most alpha is amongst them  (00:28:02) - Whether or not narratives and chats have influenced his trading  (00:29:17) - How his focus has changed as he’s accumulated wealth  (00:31:33) - Having a passion for fashion and what captivates him about it (00:33:41) - Thoughts on anonymity and the pros and cons of it in the digital age (00:37:10) - Engaging with an avatar that has expressive emotions  (00:39:21) - Becoming Twitter famous and befriending Edward Snowden (00:41:59) - Whether or not he misses being a chemist  (00:45:07) - Giving your kid money to trade online hoping they get rugged  (00:47:35) - The Vision Pro and being incredibly bullish on virtual reality  (00:55:24) - The crossover of meeting someone in a virtual world that you’re interested in  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest this week is Lubo Smid, the CEO and co-founder of STRV, a successful design and engineering agency. Lubo has lots of experience in the Web3 space, building both client and in-house projects. In our conversation, we talk about the balancing act of building a Web3 game, why he’s excited about ticketing as a mainstream use-case for blockchains, and why it is not Web3 technology but applications that should get all the hype. Please enjoy my conversation with Lubo Smid. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:01:23) - (First question) - What he’s learned about brands moving from Web2 to Web3 (00:03:44) - His viewpoint on the agency business model (00:07:50) - Signs that a new customer will be difficult to work with (00:08:56) - What sparked his interest into the Web3 crypto space (00:10:15) - The purpose of STRV Labs both internally and for Web3 partners   (00:12:57) - They dive into Scavengers Land and Web3 gaming (00:14:44) - The downsides of Web3 gaming   (00:16:38) - Current gaming business models and how things could evolve with Web3 (00:19:06) - Whether or not Web3 will survive without centralization  (00:22:31) - The potential for Web3 to change the ticketing industry  (00:27:47) - Convincing event holders to use the Web3 ticketing model (00:29:29) - How to handle abstraction and reduce friction between event holders and ticket buyers (00:32:26) - Feedback received from previous ticketing customers (00:34:11) - Overview of how Live Penalty works (00:36:34) - Lessons learned that help Web2 customers transition into Web3 (00:39:37) - Who he admires within the Web3 space (00:41:37) - What he is most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest this week is Dan Matuszewski, the co-founder of CMS Holdings. It’s been a busy few weeks in Crypto and Dan joins us today for a quick check-in on the view from his seat as a trader. This episode is shorter than usual but it’s action packed as we discuss how the markets have digested the cases against Binance and Coinbase. This is the second time I've spoken to Dan on the show, who I think is one of the wittiest and smartest voices in the industry. Please enjoy my conversation with Dan Matuszewski. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:02) – (First Question) – He checks in on the current stock market climate and its overall performance   (00:03:29) – His take on the large drop that occurred recently once the market closed Friday      (00:05:05) - The change in liquidity environment due to banks exiting the space (00:05:54) - Possible replacements for two major firms pulling back from the market  (00:06:22) – Players who still have leverage to create markets  (00:06:30) – The outcome for the liquidity of books moving forward  (00:07:09) – A look into institutional trading and international expansion   (00:09:17) – Hypothetical American market isolation and its effects on global liquidity (00:09:57) – Comparing prior actions of government involvement    (00:11:00) – He tells us why listed tokens are being traded differently than non-listed tokens  (00:11:24) – A look at what he is trading  (00:11:56) – He talks to us about DeFi versus centralized training (00:13:18) – Opinions about the scale of the case and outcomes expected  (00:14:45) – His presumed timeline on a resolution and how it could happen (00:16:22) – NFT market performance and the problems with cryptocurrency   (00:20:34) – His take on the private market (00:21:29) – Possible successful business model of prime brokers (00:21:59) – The parts of DeFi that he’s interested in  (00:22:55) – What he tells people who’ve just gone through their first boom bust cycle (00:23:20) – Things in the market he’s keeping an eye out for in the future (00:23:44) – The positive things he’s seeing globally writ large Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Scott Johnsson. Last week, the SEC declared war on Crypto by formally filing charges against Coinbase and Binance. Scott’s background as a finance lawyer and investor make him the ideal guest to unpack this. We go deep into the weeds on this one, talking about the SEC’s complaint against Binance and Coinbase and why Scott thinks most tokens are not a security. We also talk about how this might play out, the limits of the SEC’s powers, and why the industry should flex its political muscles in light of this existential threat. This is an important discussion at a critical time for the industry. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Scott Johnson For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:10) - (First question) - Changes in SEC's approach to crypto compared to traditional finance (00:07:06) - SEC's complaint against Binance (00:10:28) - Binance's case highlights the importance of securities trading registration (00:12:30) - Inflexible registration requirement of the SEC hinders innovation in crypto (00:14:31) - Coinbase case exposes SEC's contrasting approach and Coinbase's good-faith (00:16:49) - Why the timing of Coinbase's testimony is significant (00:19:26) - Potential impact of finding one token as a security among a group (00:21:23) - The role of burn mechanisms, presales, and primary/secondary transactions (00:28:00) - Analogy of trading cards in a securities transaction (00:32:58) - Equity and token ownership do not necessarily classify tokens as securities (00:35:38) - Staking and earn programs blur the line between service and investment (00:38:07) - Years-long litigation expected between SEC and major crypto companies (00:40:46) - SEC faces pressure as internal court cases weaken its position (00:47:58) - Politics shapes crypto regulation, narrative building influences policy and elections (00:53:31) - Democrats' anti-crypto stance protects banks but alienates pro-crypto voters (00:57:19) - What legal or regulatory resolution he is most excited to see over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guests today are Jason Yanowitz and Michael Ippolito, the co-founders of Blockworks. While starting Blockworks, Jason and Michael were sharing a single room in NYC to save money. Today, they are leading a profitable Crypto Media company worth $135 Million. In this episode, they take us behind the scenes on their journey. We cover the struggle of the early days, get their views on the crypto ecosystem, and dive into each of the three segments of their business - digital media, events and SaaS. Blockworks is a wonderful example of a thoughtfully built media company. This episode is filled with insightful nuggets about media business models, the tension between companies and creators, betting on niches, and so much more. Please enjoy my conversation with Jason and Michael from Blockworks. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:22) - (First question) - How they hustled to build up their business, Blockworks (00:04:16) - Why embracing the fear of failure is crucial for professional growth (00:06:30) - The bold bet they made on the crypto industry when starting Blockworks (00:07:43) - Their recent raise and transition to venture funding (00:11:34) - How they approach new idea generation for their podcasts (00:18:11) - Why they prefer sponsor partnerships instead of the race-to-the-bottom CPM model (00:20:00) - Individuals, not brands, drive media consumption through personal connections (00:25:51) - Focusing on niche events and content allows them to attract a dedicated audience (00:29:51) - Creating exceptional events that make memorable experiences for attendees (00:32:23) - Implementing a unique ticketing model for their events (00:35:17) - A look into their business model (00:36:50) - Identifying gaps within the crypto industry to address unmet needs (00:40:52) - Navigating the challenges and lessons of building in a bear market (00:45:02) - Who they admire in the crypto media industry (00:46:42) - What they are most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we are replaying one of my favorite episodes of the show from the last couple of years. This conversation is with gmoney, who is an influential builder, collector, and investor in the NFT community. Have a great weekend and we’ll be back with more next week. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes [00:02:54] - [First question] - Context and inspiration for GMoney’s famous Twitter thread [00:08:42] - Why he dove into NFTs so aggressively [00:10:30] - All-in crypto diversification as opposed to closed-minded crypto trading [00:14:36] - NFT collecting in the mainstream [00:16:03] - The potential of an NFT as a “digital flex” [00:18:55] - The sharp increase in NFT values and the volatility of NFTs [00:22:03] - Distinctions between NFT technology and the NFT market [00:25:49] - How he landed his deal with Adidas [00:28:29] - His transition from traditional trading to the NFT market [00:29:57] - His early goals with NFT trading and adaptation as the space evolves [00:32:11] - The role of brand deals and influencer marketing in GMoney’s business model [00:35:35] - Helping clients and partners understand the NFT space [00:37:56] - Incentivising buyers to pay royalties to NFT artists [00:40:08] - The future of NFT royalties technology [00:41:12] - Divisions of the GMoney empire [00:44:38] - Explaining POAPs and their potential in the crypto community [00:48:30] - Why he gives out POAPs for free [00:49:25] - About 9dcc, the crypto-native fashion brand for real-world gamification [00:53:01] - How a POAP transfer works using a 9dcc t-shirt [00:54:35] - The communal success of the POAP pop-up event in Miami [00:56:34] - Why your net worth equals your network in the crypto universe [00:58:02] - Figuring out the optimal volume of POAPs to distribute [00:58:52] - What he is most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Stevie Cline. Guests on this show usually have unique backgrounds, but having gone from dairy farming to earning multiple law degrees to founding a biotech startup to a partner at Vol 1. Ventures today, I think Stevie beats most of them. We start this episode with her unique backstory and the problems she saw in the VC world. We then talk about why the banner at Vol. 1 Ventures says ‘Let’s keep you out of Jail’, the regulatory and political landscape, and the potential of Crypto in rural America. Please enjoy my conversation with Stevie Cline. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:15) - (First question) - How she went from milking cows to having three law degrees (00:05:47) - The burnout from law that lead to the pivot of becoming a founder  (00:09:08) - Key takeaways from being a founder trying to launch a biotech company  (00:11:54) - Positive takeaways from being a female founder that inspired her  (00:13:53) - Thoughts about venture capital and why she thought she’d be good at it (00:17:25) - The thesis behind Vol.1 Ventures and ‘let’s keep you out of jail’  (00:21:05) - Scaling down rates to make legal representation available to a variety of founders (00:25:15) - Her current take of the regulatory landscape today writ large (00:30:45) - Securities versus non-securities and the ever changing status of cryptocurrencies (00:33:02) - The problems with making the Bitcoin and Ethereum statements so early  (00:36:55) - Public narratives and why crypto matters in light of government control  (00:41:58) - Regulatory outlook around cryptocurrency in the short and long term  (00:44:44) - The government’s use of power potentially impacting the SEC and thoughts on the current state of the federal reserve (00:50:03) - Alan G’s paper on the creation of the federal reserve (00:52:01) - The debt ceiling and the economic cost of maintaining the status quo  (00:53:49) - What she’s excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Jessica Neer McDonald, an attorney focused on intellectual property rights and the head of global trademark services at Midjourney. The rise of NFTs and AI generated artwork has opened up all sorts of interesting questions about IP and ownership. Jess is my go-to knowledge base for this topic. In this episode, Jess takes us through the nuances of IP law and how it might apply in Web3. We discuss major NFT lawsuits like Yuga Labs, Hermes, and Nike, and the precedent they set in this transition from physical to digital property rights. Finally, we talk about AI art and its opportunities and unique challenges. Please enjoy my conversation with Jessica Neer. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:01:44) - (First question) - How her transition from the traditional world to the digital one has shifted her thinking on IP and protections (00:03:21) - Overview of the MetaBirkins lawsuit during the peak of the NFT surge  (00:06:14) - The Tom Sachs rockets and where the legal line is drawn for them versus MetaBirkins (00:09:01) - Differences between copyright and trademark law (00:09:37) - How using logos is fair use and not teetering on a lawsuit like Tom Sachs’ rockets (00:13:21) - Overview on the Yuga Labs and Ryder Ripps trademark dispute  (00:17:03) - Analyzing the nature of the court case and the precedent it set  (00:20:45) - Whether or not it’d be possible to sue someone for making a brand out of your Bored Ape or a similar NFT (00:23:47) - The pros and cons of the different licensing options a project could choose (00:28:41) - Matt Furie’s Pepe the Frog being memed and when he could take legal action (00:30:27) - The seventy years after death protection and IP becoming public domain (00:32:38) - Defense, patents, and being on to something when Nike tries to sue you  (00:36:00) - Being the head of global trademark services for MidJourney and Tarantino’s dream project that never took off (00:40:41) - AI generated art and the complex legal models behind them (00:43:28) - What she’s excited to see unfold over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Jordi Alexander. Jordi is a poker player turned quantitative trader. While Jordi was trained in high-frequency trading, he has a deep passion for macro and taking fundamental positions that computer models may disagree with. We take full advantage of Jordi's breadth of knowledge in this wide-ranging conversation. We first dive into the mysterious world of high-frequency trading and Jordi's experience at GETCO, Tower, and then leaving to build his own firm, Selini Capital. We discuss Crypto's product market fit, how Jordi assesses the value of Bitcoin and Ethereum, the Balaji bet, and more. Please enjoy my conversation with Jordi Alexander. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:00:32) - (First question) - Exploring how high-frequency traders (HFTs) have generated profits in recent years (00:02:50) - The utilization of technology to forecast the movement of asset classes (00:04:24) - Why he focuses on prediction over speed in trading strategies (00:05:36) - Methods for evaluating the effectiveness of a trading strategy (00:06:42) - The aggressive tactics that HFT firms employ to protect their advantages (00:09:27) - How COVID-19 changed the landscape of news trading (00:11:13) - The importance of talent and finding niches in HFT (00:12:37) - His decision to pursue an entrepreneurial path and establish Selini Capital (00:13:47) - How culture and incentives in the HFT industry impacted the genesis of Selini (00:20:17) - Finding an edge as a smaller team against giants with more resources (00:21:30) - Why he and his team started to transition to crypto (00:24:41) - His perception of other trading firms as Selini moved into the crypto space (00:27:17) - A breakdown of how the team at Selini Capital is structured   (00:29:40) - Why Selini avoids taking outside capital from LPs  (00:30:29) - How Selini operates in both the crypto and fixed-income asset classes   (00:31:11) - Why his non-technical background positions him to approach the market differently (00:36:09) - Using the dog and the fox parable to describe his view of crypto in the long term    (00:38:06) - The roles human psychology and survival strategies play in the crypto landscape (00:40:25) - Drawing comparisons between financial markets and gambling (00:43:11) - Advice on what exposure newcomers should have in the crypto space (00:45:07) - His thoughts on Balaji’s outlook on Bitcoin (00:47:43) - Creating new money in a way that is globally accepted and fair for everyone (00:50:04) - His thoughts on crypto regulation and international adoption abroad (00:54:32) - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Eric Koziel, better known as Omnigamer in the gaming world. I was debating Web3 gaming as a use case, and my good friend told me that Eric knows more about gaming than anyone he has ever met, and I think he lives up to the billing in this conversation. Eric has worked in gaming and cybersecurity since 2012 and is now a game designer at Azra, a Web3 gaming studio. We start this conversation with a tour through the fascinating world of speed gaming before moving into the intersection of gaming and Web3, covering topics like balance between players, speculators, and collectors, the hostility of traditional gamers and Eric's thoughts on play to win. Please enjoy my conversation with Eric Koziel, Omnigamer. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.  ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:01:44) - (First question) - An explanation of speed-running in gaming (00:04:59) - The mechanics of speed-running and choosing an appropriate game (00:07:43) - Finding games with limited pre-existing knowledge to start the process  (00:12:11) - Reverse-engineering games to gather data (00:13:58) - How individuals take pride in the process despite it being a public pursuit (00:15:41) - The balance between maintaining a game’s integrity and exploiting its shortcomings (00:17:22) - The participation ratio of hard core gamers versus trained software engineers (00:18:42) - Finding patterns in programmed randomness, often linear congruential generators (00:21:19) - An example of risk versus reward when improbable situations happen in games (00:22:27) - Speed-running in modern gaming (00:23:00) - Easter eggs,developer errors, and unintentional use of game tools (00:24:59) - The adversarial relationship between the designer and the player (00:28:19) - The negative reaction to web3 gaming from the traditional gaming industry (00:32:55) - Comparing and contrasting the goals of gamers and crypto enthusiasts (00:33:57) - How the Pokémon franchise has catered to speculators, players, and collectors simultaneously (00:37:50) - Determining Web3 asset value and the current need for in-game asset ownership for a better experience  (00:42:10) - How gamers should aim to extract value from time invested in games, based on economies of scale (00:44:20) - The added complexity for developers with real-world economics in Web 3 games (00:50:28) - How developers balance exclusivity and inclusivity to maximize returns (00:52:07) - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Frank Chaparro. Frank is Editor-at-large at The Block and host of The Scoop podcast. Many of you know him as Fintech Frank on Twitter. This episode is a little different as we dive into what it’s like to be a journalist covering frontier technology that moves at such a rapid pace. We cover the challenges of reporting in crypto, lessons learnt from the FTX saga, and Frank’s views on the overall ecosystem. Please enjoy my conversation with Frank Chaparro For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:23) - (First question) - Some of the biggest groups he’s had fun reporting on (00:05:59) - How he processes the incredible volume of information in the crypto space and decides on which story he’d like to write and why (00:08:11) - The ways crypto Twitter serves as a source and the village center for information (00:11:19) - How it feels as a journalist navigating the crypto space   (00:12:23) - Developing relationships and handling building them as a reporter  (00:14:35) - Whether or not it’s hard to just turn off in his news-centric relationships (00:15:28) - Some of the things he thinks about given the nature of the FTX fallout  (00:17:14) - The balance between being funny online and a hardnose journalist (00:19:35) - His initial reaction to the news about the FTX fraud and becoming a part of it (00:22:38) - What he’d write if he could write the Wikipedia page for The Block  (00:23:19) - Comparing this bear market to other bear market cycles  (00:24:47) - Where we go from here and thoughts on regulation  (00:28:42) - Traditional media covering crypto versus crypto-specific media outlets (00:31:22) - The anti-crypto media and motives for someone like Elizabeth Warren (00:33:55) - The Block’s global offering to clients beyond just writing and reporting  (00:38:44) - His preparation process for interviewing guests on their podcast (00:40:08) - What he’s most focused on over the next six months and six years  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back, a year after our first quarterly recap, to talk through the big ticket items from the past three months. We go in depth on the banking problems that affected crypto and traditional markets, tie that back to Bitcoin’s performance, and close with some thoughts on NFTs. Enjoy. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by OKX. You may have seen OKX on McLaren’s Formula 1 race car or Manchester City’s football kit. But what is OKX? OKX has over 730 spot trading pairs, 280 derivatives markets, and 1000 options markets. It processes 400,000 requests per second with 99.95% uptime. That’s why over 20 million traders and institutions choose OKX when they want to trade. Visit okx.com to learn more. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:12) - (First question) - The general feel and landscape of crypto in Q1 of 2023 (00:04:53) - The fallout Eric sees for the crypto space from recent bank collapses and more generally, risk in the industry (00:18:12) - How 24/7 markets and the broader banking system will function going forward (00:27:09) - An argument for the international stability of DeFi as enforced by bond vigilantes (00:29:38) - Balaji Covid tweet (00:34:55) - Why Ethereum now seems to be underrepresented in mainstream discourse (00:38:33) - The importance of Ethereum and the state of Solana as a competitor (00:41:04) - The state of the NFT market and why it seems so volatile and elusive (K2 NFT Collector) (00:46:24) - Matt’s recent NFT purchase (00:47:27) - How NFT creators are shaking up the art industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Christian Dittmeier. A former financial analyst, Christian was pulled into the crypto world after the wild and unexpected success of one of his side projects. Today, Christian is the co-founder of Evaluate, a platform for trading and swapping NFTs like Top Shot trading cards and Doodles wearables. In this episode, he talks about his insights and experiences in the world of NFTs. We discuss the different types of users, the value of swapping, and the decision to build on the Flow blockchain over Ethereum. Please enjoy my conversation with Christian Dittmeier. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:33) - (First question) - How the founding team of Evaluate came to be (00:04:23) - What it was like for Evaluate to gain popularity so suddenly in the NFT boom (00:05:39) - How they made decisions about their business model and image (00:07:08) - How they think about collaborating with other builders in the space and branching out from their small niche market (00:09:51) - Dealing with the fast-moving and cut-throat nature of this nascent market (00:11:32) - Building a defensible and profitable business in an open-source world (00:13:35) - The nuances and challenges of deciding which chain to use for an NFT platform (00:16:14) - The irony of re-centralizing DeFi on an NFT platform (00:17:51) - His perspective on the community built around NFT capital (00:19:51) - Evaluate’s direct NFT-swapping system (00:23:28) - How sentimental value and “the endowment effect” play in to NFT valuations (00:25:40) - How NFTs can unlock new levels of fandom (00:27:37) - Key factors in building successful NFT systems and infrastructure (00:30:13) - Weathering volatility and staying innovative in the wake of the NFT boom (00:37:43) - The difficulties of avoiding speculators and securing a stable customer base  (00:39:48) - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Itai Turbahn. MIT, BCG, Harvard - Itai has had the pick of blue chip institutions in his career; throughout it all, he has been passionate about Crypto. As Co-Founder and CEO of Dynamic Labs, Itai is focused on improving online identity and authentication. He paints a compelling vision where multiple wallets enable rich and deep interactions across the internet. We talk about the current methods of logging onto a website, the promise and challenge of crypto wallets, and how Dynamic Labs is trying to build an authentication system for everyone. Please enjoy my conversation with Itai Turbahn. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:23) - (First question) - What it was like to be the project manager of the Israeli Defence Force (00:03:27) - At what point in his career crypto became a curiosity (00:04:54) - Some of the main drivers around crypto that captivated his attention (00:06:20) - Defining what a wallet is and what it can do  (00:07:52) - What problems with wallets Dynamic Labs set out to solve   (00:10:03) - Who built the wallet integration on OpenSea (00:11:31) - Why the ease of signing in with Google is different than with your wallet  (00:13:18) - Whether or not Google profits from the auto-login feature for websites and apps (00:16:10) - Thoughts about segregation of information as we navigate the web with wallets (00:19:20) - The redundancy of existing identity, KYC, and real estate title infrastructure (00:24:24) - Whether or not Dynamic Labs will exist once the wallet wars are won  (00:27:13) - How much users might feel overwhelmed if everything becomes a wallet (00:29:15) - The auto-approval power wallets can eventually offer consumers (00:32:30) - Problem prioritization amidst a multi-chain thesis and limited resources (00:34:32) - Top themes and requests users are making of Dynamic Labs (00:36:42) - Whether or not they spend any time with Web2 companies   (00:37:32) - Economic models and building their products with them in mind  (00:40:28) - The power owning our own data would unlock even though it may never happen (00:45:13) - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest this week is Kevin Miao, Partner and Head of Credit at BlockTower Capital. I’ve been excited for this conversation because while a lot of people in crypto seem to be focused on building a brand new financial system from scratch, this conversation focuses on how crypto rails can improve the traditional finance world. After nearly a decade at Citi, Kevin straddles both the TradFi and the DeFi world, and at BlockTower, he is working on bringing the multi-trillion dollar securitization market on-chain. We go deep into the weeds in this one, first getting into the nuts and bolts of how credit and securitization traditionally work, before diving into BlockTower’s approach to transform this entire process, moving it on chain, which will reduce friction, errors. and consequently fees. Enjoy. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:04:00) - (First question) - The impact of TradFi shifting towards crypto infrastructure (00:14:00) - How crypto could drastically reduce friction in credit markets and mortgages (00:28:29) - Building crypto rails in parallel to legacy systems to prove their power and destabilize those traditional structures (00:37:15) - The gravity of competing with the most entrenched American industry and how Blocktower’s system addresses this (00:45:22) - How they cooperate and compete with different TradFi and DeFi players (00:47:38) - Considerations for privacy and reversibility with crypto-based banking (00:55:41) - How blockchain in banking can eliminate much of the human error in the system (00:58:57) - What he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and today we’re going to break down the mechanics behind three major blockchains: Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. Blockchain is a term you hear a lot, both in this show and in Web3 more generally. But what do they actually mean and how do they work? That is the subject we’re going to cover today and something I’ve wanted to do for some time. My guest for this episode is Keone Hon. Keone is a Math Prodigy who spent close to a decade building systems for high-frequency trading. Today, he is the co-founder and CEO of Monad Labs and is building a blockchain alternative to Ethereum and Solana. He has that rare blend of deep technical knowledge and the ability to communicate clearly, so he is the perfect guest for this episode. Please enjoy my conversation with Keone. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:47) - (First question) - An analogy to explain how crypto and blockchain work (00:11:20) - Scenarios to further explore his schoolyard analogy for Bitcoin (00:17:03) - The reality of the math and power balance surrounding blockchain technology (00:23:28) - Expanding the analogy to explain Ethereum (00:25:26) - The broad impact of Ethereum on smart contracting and proof of staking (00:29:08) - Major differences between proof-of-work versus proof-of-stake models (00:31:09) - Comparing Solana’s stateless design to the older chains (00:34:44) - The added privacy and speed advantages enabled by Solana (00:35:56) - The real security and risk profiles of these major chains (00:38:09) - Explaining Solana’s parallel transactions  (00:40:52) - Why the creation of new chains and further chain optimization still matters (00:42:27) - Why he got interested in the problem of chain efficiency and accessibility (00:44:54) - How crypto tech continues to build upon itself and expand to new use cases (00:48:34) - How Monad is building their blockchain to solve inefficiencies in crypto markets (00:50:09) - How he thinks about competition given the open-source nature of the space (00:52:12) - The process of actually building and testing a new chain (00:55:49) - What motivates him to continue building (00:56:53) - Diffusing a new blockchain innovation to users and coders (00:58:38) - What he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Avery Akkineni. As President of Vayner3, Avery has been at the forefront of guiding CMOs, brands, and corporations into Web3. This conversation is a little different for me as we focus on marketing and how to both connect and grow audiences in Web3. I’m fascinated by Avery’s work on Super Bowl commercials and learning what it is really like to work with creative brands such as Budweiser and Pepsi. To start this episode, I asked Avery to teach me about how traditional marketing works, before diving into case studies of how brands successfully leverage blockchain technology like NFTs. We then go behind the scenes with Vayner Media and their rapid testing of ideas on Gary Vee himself and her personal experience with their VeeFriends. Please enjoy my conversation with Avery Akkineni.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here   ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes (00:02:36) - (First question) - How her background in marketing informs her work at Vayner3 (00:07:12) - The competitive and dynamic nature of the marketing industry (00:10:55) - How Vayner3 leverages agility and keeps up with trends (00:14:00) - Her pivot from corporate marketing to Web3 brand-building (00:16:24) - What attracted her to the NFT space in the early days (00:19:48) - Balancing risk aversion versus early adoption in marketing (00:22:30) - How different brands have come online to Web3 and how Vayner3 enables them (00:25:55) - Common mistakes made by brands trying to enter the space (00:29:00) - What she learned from the launch of VeeFriends (00:33:29) - How VeeFriends came to be and how it keeps momentum up (00:36:27) - How she approaches brands following the recent crypto downtown (00:39:59) - The aspects of Web3 adoption and growth that she’s most excited about (00:41:56) - What she’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Austin Campbell. Between my time working at Fidelity on money market funds and my passion for blockchain technology, I became obsessed with the idea of Stablecoins. Stablecoins can serve as a means of payment and a store of value for transactions. They also act as the bridge between the traditional finance system and the digital world. After my interview with Mike Dudas, I asked, who is the smartest person I can talk to about Stablecoins? He instantly responded, you need to speak with Austin and as you'll hear, I think he's right.  Austin spent 15 years in traditional finance before managing $22bn of Stablecoin reserves for Paxos. Today, he's an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School and the managing partner at Zero Knowledge Consulting. In this conversation, Austin helps me break down the nuts and bolts of how Stablecoins work. We also discuss the lessons crypto should learn from the traditional finance world and how the current US regulatory crackdown will shape the ecosystem going forward. Please enjoy this Stablecoin primer with Austin Campbell.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here   ----- Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes [00:03:21] - [First question] - What can be learned from TradFi and applied to crypto [00:05:13] - The basics of Stablecoins and why they are important [00:07:39] - The logistics and mechanics of Stablecoins from the ground up [00:17:14] - Time-delay and infrastructure problems when trading with Stablecoins [00:21:18] - Liquidity, time sensitivity, and credit risk for issuers and buyers of Stablecoins  [00:24:59] - The roles, challenges, and faults of regulators in the space  [00:33:04] - The extent to which he sees regulators favored versus fouled by crypto natives [00:34:50] - The SEC’s imposition that qualified custodians are needed to exchange crypto assets [00:37:53] - His takes on news regarding Paxos and the BUSD [00:43:01] - Concerns regarding Binance and its Stablecoin consolidations [00:46:30] - Aspects of global Stablecoin regulation he’s optimistic about [00:49:01] - Why the US may not be a promised land for crypto [00:50:21] - The positives and potential impact of Stablecoins broadly, despite the pushback [00:54:03] - The possibility of traditional assets using crypto rails [01:00:04] - What he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Dan Finlay, the co-founder of MetaMask and Chief Web3 Ethos Officer at ConsenSys. MetaMask is a crypto wallet and has become a critical piece of web3 infrastructure, with over 30 million users around the world. We've likely all used MetaMask at some point, so I was excited to understand Dan's philosophical approach and long-term vision for the product, as well as talk to him about the challenges of securing digital assets and how they combat those with MetaMask. Please enjoy my conversation with Dan Finlay.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes [00:02:17] - [First question] - His view of hyperlinks and self-security [00:05:38] - What’s happening when you’re signing a smart contract with MetaMask [00:10:33] - An elevator pitch of what MetaMask Learn is  [00:12:45] - Thinking about adoption when building general purpose tools in a technical space [00:15:21] - How people feel about computer security versus Web3 security  [00:18:38] - Whether or not he wishes the stakes were lower for perfecting MetaMask [00:20:03] - Stepping into crypto and the founding story of MetaMask [00:23:12] - What their intentions were for building MetaMask in the first place [00:27:13] - Some examples of what they tried to solve that didn’t pan out  [00:29:11] - Dealing with asset co-location and the pros and cons of it  [00:35:24] - Whether or not MetaMask will deploy the first ‘revoke all’ button   [00:41:32] - Users generally being displeased with the program’s UX [00:44:40] - Thoughts about what to prioritize as they improve MetaMask  [00:46:34] - The account abstraction without a protocol change proposal  [00:49:27] - An example of someone building on SNAPS and how it is beneficial to users   [00:53:14] - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest this week is Andrew Parish. Andrew's Twitter account @AP_Abacus has grown based on his access to rumors and information about crypto. He is no stranger to controversy and getting information flow. Andrew is aware his views and tweets can upset some, especially those in power he may be calling out. Andrew's background and information gathering helped him identify several high-profile issues with businesses like FTX and Gemini, and his Twitter account has become a go-to source for breaking rumors. Andrew is the co-founder of Arch Public, which is building automated trading algorithms and blockchain authentication for brands and alternative assets. We dive into the Gemini-Genesis and DCG Saga before raising an alarm on the coordinated actions of crypto regulators. Please enjoy my conversation with Andrew Parish.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.    -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes [00:02:40] - [First question] - His look behind the curtain at DCG Genesis and Gemini  [00:05:46] - The connections he discovered between DCG and Gemini [00:07:40] - The special circumstances that led to Gemini’s unique exposure and platform [00:09:45] - How external lending by Genesis led to cascades of trouble in crypto markets [00:13:27] - DCG’s problematic transactions associated with Three Arrows [00:16:19] - The unraveling of DCG’s integrity following the collapse of FTX [00:17:27] - How Gemini tried to hang on to its image and win over public opinion [00:21:25] - A basic overview of the DCG-Gemini deal as it stands today [00:23:37] - His correction of the mainstream story about Grayscale (GBTC) [00:29:04] - His process of sourcing information and separating signal from noise [00:35:11] - How regulators are choking out crypto-based businesses using banking infrastructure [00:44:22] - The potential for legal escalation between banks and federal regulators [00:45:59] - A deeper look at circumstances that may point to conspiracy by regulators [00:49:25] - Additional concerns he has that he hasn’t shared yet on Twitter [00:50:54] - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Will Weinraub. Will is the CEO and co-founder of OnChain studios, which is building Cryptoys. Cryptoys is a digital toy company that embraces different elements of web3 innovation, from collectible NFTs to play-to-earn gaming. We discuss the evolution of Cryptoys, how kids are increasingly used to digital products, and we have a really interesting discussion on the importance of different blockchains to build upon. Please enjoy my discussion with Will Weinraub.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.    -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes [00:02:18] - [First question] - The success of Cryptoys brand deals despite crypto downturns [00:04:23] - The basics of IP licensing deals in the crypto industry [00:05:49] - The kind of external partners he typically deals with for toyetic brand deals [00:07:02] - Rewinding to the company’s genesis and how people reacted early on [00:14:50] - The prototype design for Cryptoys [00:16:06] - A closer look at the Cryptoys business model then and now [00:18:37] - How kids are increasingly attracted to digital products [00:21:05] - Why they can’t buy and sell their NFTs to kids today  [00:23:13] - What stops a child from joining Opensea and buying an NFT  [00:25:26] - His take on digital ownership and the pushback from the gaming community [00:29:31] - Where Cryptoys on their timeline for developing a gaming component   [00:30:24] - What building on different blockchains means for the competitive landscape  [00:35:19] - Blockchains aren’t a one size fits all solution for application development  [00:38:36] - Why Cryptoys needs a blockchain at all compared to being hosted on a server  [00:40:41] - Potential risks to owning an asset on a newer blockchain  [00:43:00] - His take on going from a tech startup to a toy-focused startup  [00:44:47] - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Nikolai Yakovenko. Nikolai is the founder and CEO of DeepNFTValue, which uses machine learning to price blue chip crypto assets like CryptoPunks and Bored Apes. He has spent his career working on deep learning at some of the most notable firms in the world, including Google, Nvidia, Twitter, and Point72. Our conversation starts with AI’s potential and Twitter’s mishaps and then turns to Nikolai’s investment experience and why he most recently decided to build a business that prices NFTs. Please enjoy my conversation with Nikolai Yakovenko.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag  Show Notes [00:02:23] - [First question] - His impressions of recent innovations by ChatGPT [00:03:51] - A rundown of the technical breakthroughs that led to today’s most cutting-edge AI [00:06:08] - The types of questions he asks to test and evaluate new AI like ChatGPT [00:08:13] - Questions or requests that would stump ChatGPT [00:09:02] - Intuitive human tasks that would deeply confuse chat-based AI [00:11:42] - Impressive R&D spend at OpenAI to optimize machine learning [00:13:27] - The prospect of ChatGPT as competition for major search engines in the future [00:15:27] - How his time at Google and Twitter informed his understanding of algorithms  [00:17:20] - How social media algorithms work and how users reverse engineer them [00:22:44] - His take on the amount of people it takes to run tech companies like Twitter [00:26:39] - How protocols like Twitter Spaces factor into the modern tech ecosystem [00:28:23] - His transition from big tech to Wall Street and how the two career paths intersect [00:30:35] - How proximity to the investing side of the tech industry boosted his finance skills [00:32:16] - The degree to which AI tech shows promise for universal applications [00:34:01] - How his affinity for poker led him to crypto and NFTs [00:35:55] - What inspired his jump to creating an NFT-based startup [00:38:23] - The comparative value of powerful machine learning models versus the data itself [00:40:03] - How he thinks about different NFT value models and their tradeoffs [00:42:14] - The criteria that tend to make a given NFT more valuable than other similar ones [00:43:48] - How his model for NFTs valuations actually works [00:47:44] - Feedback he gets from users about his model [00:48:55] - High valuations associated with both minimalistic and cluttered NFT visuals [00:49:38] - The NFT liquidation auctions of FTX and Three Arrows [00:51:09] - The proportion of NFT profits from instant buying versus bidding [00:52:08] - How NFT traders make use of the model through the DeepNFTValue open API [00:53:59] - The future of their profitability given that their goal is widespread distribution [00:55:38] - The potential for lending and levering in future NFT markets [01:00:24] - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest this week is Mike Dudas. Mike started his career at Disney, helped build Google’s payment business, and worked at Venmo before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship and crypto full-time. He co-founded two businesses and is now an early-stage investor at the firm he started, 6th Man Ventures. We cover his career arc and dig into the highs and lows along the way before discussing what has him most interested in Web3 at the moment. Please enjoy my conversation with Mike Dudas.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag    Show Notes [00:02:11] - [First question] - Why it seems like he’s so connected across different networks  [00:04:51] - Whether or not he always wanted to be an entrepreneur [00:06:30] - When crypto entered the picture for him   [00:09:19] - Why he didn’t jump in earlier after being fully aware of the potential of crypto [00:10:44] - What taught him the skills he needed to confidently step into the startup space [00:13:29] - Being in the business of manufacturing courage  [00:15:01] - The transition from Button to The Block in 2018 [00:20:54] - Recruiting people to the journalistic side of cryptocurrency  [00:22:24] - Promise-driven sales and having strong convictions that are loosely held   [00:29:34] - Things he said as a Bitcoin maximalist that he regrets [00:30:33] - Selling The Block and what happened in the aftermath   [00:38:11] - What lead him from The Block into venture capital  [00:41:47] - Going from a 7 million dollar fund to a 140 million dollar fund  [00:43:27] - How he sees the pre-seed and seed stage focus in crypto playing out  [00:48:04] - What the most exciting area is today and the deals that come across his desk [00:49:51] - How much of Twitter is a personal outlet for him and how he handles it  [00:54:05] - What he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Magdalena Kala, or "Mags" as she's better known. Mags has an incredible back story, which involves immigrating from Poland on her own to attend boarding school in the United States. Admission to Harvard and Stanford, working for Bain Capital, and even running a notorious female blackjack ring. She's now the founder of Double Down, an early-stage investor focused on Web3 companies. We discuss her story, how she learned to invest in the consumer space, and why people like the owner of Boston Celtics trust her with their capital. Please enjoy my conversation with Mags.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag    Show Notes [00:02:23] - [First question] - Her surprising and unique background [00:04:31] - To what she attributes her drive and ambition [00:05:25] - Her big move from Poland to the US at 16 years old [00:07:42] - Challenges in adapting to American culture [00:08:57] - Her analysis of the world as a game [00:10:44] - How she approaches both failure and risk [00:14:10] - Her time with a group of all-female card-counting blackjack hustlers [00:16:14] - Her most memorable blackjack game [00:17:29] - Getting a start in consumer investing at Bain Capital [00:20:24] - Criteria she looks for in consumer investment targets [00:23:27] - Analyzing the stickiness of identity-driven consumer brands [00:25:58] - Using customer demographics to pinpoint long-lasting brands [00:28:18] - Why she goes after cheap partnership arbitrage [00:29:44] - The push-pull between exclusivity and mainstream success of a brand [00:31:38] - Her transition from Bain Capital to striking out on her own [00:34:13] - Why she chose to pursue early-stage VC investing [00:36:57] - What drew her to Web3-integrated consumer products [00:40:02] - Her focus on mainstream adoption of crypto and blockchain tech [00:43:00] - How both traditional brands and crypto natives are impacting the space [00:46:34] - The gestation period of a crypto-native brand compared to traditional big brands [00:48:46] - Venture pitch deck characteristics she’s seeing in 2022 and 2023 [00:52:22] - The eccentric non-crypto-native people that back her fund [00:54:14] - How she managed to close her fund right before the FTX collapse [00:57:35] - Her philosophies for handling both early adopters and mainstream consumers [01:00:28] - Her current hot takes on the venture market [01:01:42] - How LPs are handling committing their capital in 2023 [01:03:57] - What she looks for when evaluating founders [01:06:06] - Why a founder might want to avoid picking her as an investor [01:06:46] - What she’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden, and my guest today is Matt Walsh. Before we start, in addition to our opening disclaimer, I wanted to share that I have known Matt for many years. I’m an investor in his fund, and currently, or in the future, could work with some of the companies he mentions during this episode. With that said, Matt is one of the founding partners of Castle Island Ventures, which invests exclusively in the crypto industry. Including monetary networks, financial services infrastructure, and Web3. Before founding his VC firm, Matt worked at Fidelity, where he led a number of the companies crypto initiatives. In our discussion, which is far ranging, we discuss how his early experiences in crypto led to building a crypto VC, what themes his fund focuses on, his take on the 2022 collapse, the comparison of prior cycles, and his personal view on the appropriate regulatory response. Please enjoy my conversation with Matt Walsh.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag    Show Notes [00:02:38] - [First question] - Being labeled as one of the first people to understand Bitcoin [00:06:20] - Partnering with Nick Carter and how they came together  [00:07:14] - What drove his decision to finally take the leap and become an entrepreneur [00:08:40] - Lessons learned from setting up and deploying his first fund [00:10:20] - Comparing the crypto space in 2022 to what it was in 2018  [00:14:15] - How regulation serves customers better than a libertarian outlook [00:16:04] - Thoughts on the best way forward given crypto’s regulatory shortcomings  [00:18:13] - Commissioner Hester Peirce - A Regulator’s View of Crypto  [00:18:47] - How far away we are from having an active congress involved in crypto  [00:20:57] - The notion of retail and yield generating products and why that part of the industry imploded on itself  [00:23:22] - Whether or not he’d invest in crypto again given its current state of affairs [00:24:14] - Areas and macro trends he’s most excited about today  [00:27:26] - How the concept of crypto is more enticing for brands than a public database  [00:32:38] - The difficulty of figuring out the real market value of any given project  [00:36:20] - How he would approach handling privacy and KYC in DeFi  [00:38:31] - Defining financial service infrastructure and where they invest in it  [00:40:01] - Some of the market structure bets they’ve made over the years  [00:42:17] - How a prime broker would have helped in light of the FTX scandal  [00:44:05] - His view on where things stand with Genesis and FTX and how they’ll unfold  [00:52:14] - Why some countries and governments will push back against stablecoins  [00:53:26] - Some of the craziest ideas that have come across his desk  [00:54:23] - Trying to get to the base of an idea when it comes to due diligence  [00:55:57] - What he’s most excited to build over the next six months and six years  [00:57:09] - Whether we’ll get regulation in crypto or a migration of traditional assets to crypto rails first  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our final quarterly recap to close what’s been an eventful year in the crypto industry. We thought Q2 was full of carnage but Q4 may have topped it. We cover the FTX collapse, the implications for the broader funding and building landscape, and close with Eric’s high-level state of the union. Enjoy.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag    Show Notes [00:02:10] - [First question] - His reaction to market fallout following the FTX collapse [00:09:12] - How crypto tech and infrastructure can outlast its disgraced figureheads [00:11:38] - His response to the notion that bad actors are weakening the crypto space [00:17:33] - How widespread negative perception of the crypto industry might affect innovation [00:24:11] - The impact of this crypto washout on future investment in eccentric founders [00:28:22] - Speculations on the magnitude of the domino effect from FTX’s downfall [00:35:06] - The precariousness and subjectivity of legal agreements in the space [00:37:10] - The level of risk the remaining big personalities of crypto are responsible for [00:43:59] - His closing thoughts on the state of crypto in Q4 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Jared Klee. Jared is Director of Web3 at Vouch Insurance and was previously blockchain project manager at IBM. Our conversation starts with Jared's crypto experience at IBM and how they use blockchain technology to help move mangoes around the world. Yes, mangoes. We then dive into insurance, how Vouch underwrites Web3 startups, and what mistakes most founders make. Please enjoy this conversation with Jared Klee.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag    Show Notes [00:02:11] - [First question] - What IBM was working on when he was the Director of Blockchain [00:04:00] - How an enterprise blockchain works compared to popular blockchains [00:05:17] - What it means to secure a network like an enterprise blockchain [00:06:30] - Whether or not their process is displacing databases   [00:08:01] - Making the jump from a manilla envelope system to a blockchain  [00:09:27] - A thumbnail sketch of the insurance world and policies one might need [00:13:28] - How the old model of insurance compares to the insurance market today [00:17:11] - Strong underwriting practices that ensure policies generate a profit  [00:19:59] - Adding risk to their balance sheet when they underwrite projects   [00:21:21] - Thinking about underwriting risk as the insurer  [00:24:40] - Key factors that allow their model to work    [00:25:28] - How founders work through the policy price, coverage, and terms [00:28:22] - Why Vouch considers Web3 an opportunity and not a risk  [00:32:08] - How the crypto downturn has impacted their underwriting process  [00:34:57] - Handling the uncertainty of the future when their clients add leverage  [00:38:41] - Base level insurance packages startups should have and when to step it up  [00:44:08] - Some of the greatest mistakes he’s seen while working with founders [00:47:07] - Examples of smart contract risk going well and badly   [00:49:31] - Whether or not more insurers will enter this space over time   [00:51:44] - A risk they’ve encountered that was too big for them to engage [00:54:09] - What he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is gmoney. Gmoney is an influential builder, collector, and investor in the NFT community. He shot to fame with a tweet thread explaining why he bought a CryptoPunk for 140 ETH in January 2021 and has since transitioned from full-time equities trainer to builder with Admit One and 9dcc, his crypto native luxury clothing brand. To show just how far he has come in this space, Adidas teamed up with gmoney to bring their brand into Web3. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag    Show Notes [00:02:23] - [First question] - Context and inspiration for GMoney’s famous Twitter thread [00:08:11] - Why he dove into NFTs so aggressively [00:09:59] - All-in crypto diversification as opposed to closed-minded crypto trading [00:14:05] - NFT collecting in the mainstream [00:15:32] - The potential of an NFT as a “digital flex” [00:18:24] - The sharp increase in NFT values and the volatility of NFTs [00:21:32] - Distinctions between NFT technology and the NFT market [00:25:18] - How he landed his deal with Adidas [00:27:58] - His transition from traditional trading to the NFT market [00:29:26] - His early goals with NFT trading and adaptation as the space evolves [00:31:40] - The role of brand deals and influencer marketing in GMoney’s business model [00:35:04] - Helping clients and partners understand the NFT space [00:37:25] - Incentivising buyers to pay royalties to NFT artists [00:39:38] - The future of NFT royalties technology [00:40:41] - Divisions of the GMoney empire [00:44:07] - Explaining POAPs and their potential in the crypto community [00:47:59] - Why he gives out POAPs for free [00:48:54] - About 9dcc, the crypto-native fashion brand for real-world gamification [00:52:30] - How a POAP transfer works using a 9dcc t-shirt [00:54:04] - The communal success of the POAP pop-up event in Miami [00:56:03] - Why your net worth equals your network in the crypto universe [00:57:31] - Figuring out the optimal volume of POAPs to distribute [00:58:21] - What he is most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Jay Stolar. Jay is a musician, songwriter, and producer whose songs have been streamed over 200 million times and recorded by artists ranging from Selena Gomez to John Legend. Jay is also the co-founder of Hume Collective, a Web3 record label that creates music and virtual artists in the metaverse. We discuss Jay’s songwriting process and music career, the challenges he faced as a songwriter in the existing music industry, the creation of virtual pop star angelbaby, and what Web3 will do for songwriters in the future. Please enjoy this conversation with Jay Stolar.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag    Show Notes [00:02:20] - [First question] - His background and what it’s been like to live the life of an artist  [00:06:52] - How good the songs are that he tries to write every single day  [00:08:52] - When you know you have a hit on your hands  [00:10:58] - Persevering through writer’s block and the origin of the word genius [00:14:27] - How he went from being a musician to writing for Selena Gomez and pop stars [00:22:47] - Starting from a position of opportunity not disrupting an existing industry  [00:25:40] - What a virtual artist or metastar is and how to create one [00:27:30] - Transitioning from a digital project to Web3 [00:29:55] - Overview of angelbaby their origin story [00:33:52] - How the mechanics of angelbaby as an artist works  [00:37:02] - Organizing and engaging with a community that has influence over the project [00:40:10] - How community voting impacts songwriting  [00:43:01] - Visions for HUME as a platform and label [00:45:56] - What he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Eric Golden and my guest today is Adam Brotman. Adam was the former Chief Digital Officer of Starbucks, where he built out their immensely successful rewards program and digital platform. Today he is the co-CEO of Forum3, and he recently helped Starbucks design their new web3 experience called Starbucks Odyssey. In our conversation, we discuss how consumer loyalty programs are a quid pro quo, why NFTs are great engagement tools for brand marketers, and why digital collectibles should be decentralized. Please enjoy this conversation with Adam Brotman. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Web3 Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Web3 Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @Web3Breakdowns | @ericgoldenx | @patrick_oshag    Show Notes [00:01:57] - [First question] - A background sketch of his early career in the digital world working with Starbucks [00:03:47] - How Starbucks felt about moving to digital back in 2008   [00:06:25] - The vision to turn a coffee company into a tech platform company  [00:08:55] - Moments where they felt they were pushing the edge of what digital could be [00:11:04] - Going from digitizing Starbucks to stepping into the crypto space  [00:16:33] - Consumer brand loyalty is a quid pro quo and loyalty program economic tuning [00:19:09] - Early thoughts on consumer brand loyalty and NFTs colliding  [00:22:23] - The initial reactions to an augmented loyalty program  [00:23:55] - What Starbucks Odyssey is and what they plan to do with it [00:26:29] - The ideal customer that Starbucks Odyssey is designed for  [00:28:29] - Why use a blockchain for Odyssey instead of a central database  [00:31:20] - Big brands concerns about moving their customers onto public blockchains [00:34:37] - Competitive brand perceptions in a memetic sense [00:35:45] - Other exciting projects he’s working on currently [00:37:25] - A good example of collaboration that benefited the customer [00:39:29] - What’s he’s most excited to see built over the next six months and six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices