yWhales

Navigating Web3 Responsibly and Collaboratively with Liat Aaronson of Horizen Labs Ventures

In this episode, Jay speaks with Liat Aaronson, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Horizen Labs Ventures. HLV aims to break down the barriers to mainstream adoption of Web3 technologies by making them safe, easy-to-use, and aligned with the way companies are doing business. Liat discusses the unique aspect of collaboration in Web3 and the launch of Horizen Labs Ventures. She stresses the importance of being compliant, legally sound and responsible, and believes Web3 is a long game. Liat also talks about the need to advise and build next gen tools that help clients navigate the Web3 space. 
 
yWhales Website: www.ywhales.com 
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LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn  
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter  
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium  
 
HLV's Social Links:
HLV's Website: https://www.hlv.xyz/ 
HLV's Medium: https://hlv-xyz.medium.com/ 
HLV's Twitter: https://twitter.com/hlv_xyz 
HLV's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/horizen-labs-ventures/ 
 
Guest Socials:
Liat Aaronson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liataaronson/?originalSubdomain=il  
Liat Aaronson’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/liataaronson  
 
About Guest
 
Liat is co-founder and Managing Director of Horizen Labs Ventures (HLV), a Web3 advisory and venture investment company that was launched out of Horizen Labs. Liat co-founded and served as COO of Horizen Labs from its inception as a blockchain technology company until 2022. Before joining the Web3 space, Liat was the COO of Selina, a high growth start-up in the hospitality space. Before that, she was a Partner at Marker LLC, a leading Israel-New York based venture capital firm, where she continues to oversee their follow-on annex fund and legacy investments. 
 
Her years at Marker LLC were preceded by serving as the Executive Director of the Zell Entrepreneurship Program at IDC, the innovative venture creation program she helped grow and develop, that enables undergraduates in their final year of study at Reichman University to experience entrepreneurship hands-on; forming teams, developing ideas and launching them into funded startups. Many successful companies, including Gift’s Project, Wibiya, Wibbitz, Bizzabo, Argus, Loox and Overwolf were founded out of the program. Today she continues her involvement by serving as the chairperson of the program and as managing director of the ZEP Fund LTD. that invests in Zell alumni companies. 
You’ll learn about:
Horizen Labs Ventures' ethos: advise - build - invest
How bear markets bring creativity and entrepreneurship
Accessibility and the path to mass adoption
Liat’s thoughts on the future of Web3
Timestamps
[0:32 - 2:04] Jay’s intro
[2:04 - 5:30] Liat’s background
[5:30 - 9:50] The importance of governance in Web3
[9:50 - 20:10] YugaLabs and the ApeCoin launch
[20:10 - 26:44] Horizen Labs Ventures
[26:44 - 30:33] Where we are in the adoption cycle
[30:33 - 37:00] The thesis behind Horizen Labs Ventures
[37:00 - 40:50] Current opportunities
[40:50 - 46:19] The path to mass adoption
[49:56 - 52:16] On the future of Web3
[52:16 - 53:28] Contact Liat
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allows for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

Intellectual Property and Law in the Emerging Web3 with Peter Willsey

In this episode, Jay speaks with Peter Willsey of Brown Rudnick, and Roanie Levy of Access Copyright. They discuss the challenges of emerging technology, law, and intellectual property. Peter Willsey shares his optimism about the future of blockchain and advises best practices for buying and selling NFTs. He talks about anonymity and decentralization in Web3 and how it makes enforcing laws challenging. He also discusses the need to educate legislators so that alternatively congress can focus on how to better enforce the current laws versus creating new laws.
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
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LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn 
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter 
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium 
 
Brown Rudnick Links:
Brown Rudnicks’ Website: brownrudnick.com 
Brown Rudnick’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063607070014 
Brown Rudnick’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6WoCd43UGypgz6I3FrUOxw 
Brown Rudnick’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brown-rudnick/ 
Brown Rudnick’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/brownrudnickllp   
 
Guest Socials:
Peter Willsey’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-willsey-530160189/ 
About Guest
 
Peter Willsey is a partner in the Firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group and the Global Chair of the Trademark, Copyright & Advertising Practice Group, based out of the Washington, D.C. office. His practice is split between (1) the selection of company and product names, the development of comprehensive trademark and branding strategies, and formulating strategic approaches for the licensing and enforcement of intellectual property rights, and (2) serving as lead counsel in trademark, copyright and false advertising cases in federal courts and before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Peter is recognized by Chambers USA in the District of Columbia Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets category. In the 2022 guide, clients have commented that he is “a rock star” and that he “accomplishes one of the rarest feats in our world: “He makes everything easy for us.”
You’ll learn about:
Challenges of emerging technology, law, and intellectual property
Current gaps in law and the biggest misconceptions concerning NFTs
Congress and looking ahead to future challenges of the blockchain 
Peter’s current views on the NFT market and how embedding royalties clauses within the smart contract are possibly the path forward
Timestamps
[0:44 - 2:50] Jay’s Intro
[2:50 - 3:48] Roanie’s Intro
[3:48 - 9:00] Peter’s Background
[9:00 - 19:12] Challenges of emerging technology, law, and intellectual property
[19:12 - 24:03] Enforcing the law in Web3
[24:03 - 30:02] NFTs in the world of law
[30:02 - 39:32] Use case examples
[39:32 - 42:32] Educating legislators
[42:32 - 46:26] Future challenges
[48:39 - 52:54] View on the current NFT market
[52:54 - 57:22] Best practices for buying and selling NFTS
[57:22 - 58:10] How to contact Brown Rudnick
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allows for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

The Future of Web3 with Khori Whittaker of Ethereum Name Service

In this episode, Jay speaks with Khori Whittaker, Executive Director of Ethereum Name Service, a distributed, open, and extensible naming system based on the Ethereum blockchain. Khori shares his journey into web3 and talks about ENS’ future projects, its DAO, and the main differentiator from the competition. Khori discusses the need for securing the stablecoin and establishing solid regulation. He also talks about why he believes web3 is a movement of dreamers working to lay the foundation for the coming age of cooperative decentralization. 
 
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
YouTube: https://links.ywhales.com/YouTube 
Vimeo: https://links.ywhales.com/Vimeo 
LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn 
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter 
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium 
 
ENS Links:
ENS Website: https://ens.domains/
ENS Medium: https://medium.com/the-ethereum-name-service
ENS GitHub: https://github.com/ensdomains
ENS Twitter: https://twitter.com/ensdomains
ENS Forum: https://discuss.ens.domains/
ENS Discord: https://chat.ens.domains/
 
Guest Socials:
Khori Whittaker’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khoriwhittaker/
Khori Whittaker’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/khoriwhittaker
 
About Guest
Mr. Whittaker is the Executive Director of True Names Ltd. (Ethereum Name Service). He currently serves on the boards of directors of Excelsior College (higher ed distance learning pioneer) and the Central Florida Urban League. Previously, he served on the board of Lighthouse Academies (multi-state chain of public charter schools) and Global Glimpse (international). He has served on several advisory boards including the Global Committee of the Virtual Advisory Board and Drug Free America Foundation. Mr. Whittaker was a NACD Board Governance Fellow for several years. Mr. Whittaker started his career as a fifth-grade teacher in Long Beach, California through the Teach for America movement. He was an early employee at InsideTrack, Inc. working to improve college access and completion for students across the country. Mr. Whittaker led recruiting at InsideTrack (Ed-Tech) during a critical growth phase and led InsideTrack’s Community College Impact Initiative team, a major, multi-year business. His areas of expertise include executive leadership, board governance, web3, blockchain technology, strategy, sales, business development, government relations, recruitment, organizational health, workforce development, and K – 12 and postsecondary education. Mr. Whittaker earned a BA in Economics from Princeton University, an MA in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach. 
You’ll learn about:
ENS’ goal to be a foundational protocol for the future of web3
Khori’s thoughts on the FTX crash and the effect of the collapse on the web3 industry
Solving the generational gap and web3 education
Current and future ENS projects
Timestamps
[1:02 - 3:04] Jay’s Intro
[3:04 - 8:53] Khori’s Background
[8:53 - 12:36] Comparing web1 to web3
[12:36 - 19:15] About ENS
[19:15 - 22:25] ENS Stats
[22:49 - 25:15] Projects beyond wallet identification
[25:15 - 28:32] The ENS DAO
[28:32 - 31:08] Competition Differentiator
[31:08 - 38:09] On FTX collapse
[38:09 - 43:45] Regulation in web3
[45:36 - 52:50] The future of web3
[52:50 - 54:45] How to contact ENS
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allows for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

Merging the Music Industry with the Metaverse with Jeff Burroughs and Jeff Vaughn

In this episode, hosts Jay and Sue Marks speak with Jeff Vaughn, Founder and CEO at Signal Records, and Jeff Burroughs, Co-CEO of WHTWRKS Inc. and former Senior Vice President of Marketing & Brand Partnerships at Def Jam Records. Vaughn and Burroughs share their incredible career journeys and how web3 could solve many of the current distribution and royalties issues for artists, through smart contracts and NFTs. They discuss how the music industry and the metaverse are creating immersive and accessible experiences and the need to optimize hardware for mass adoption to occur. Burroughs and Vaughn also talk about the potential for AI to help augment human creativity and help songwriters and producers make even better music. 
 
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
YouTube: https://links.ywhales.com/YouTube 
Vimeo: https://links.ywhales.com/Vimeo 
LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn 
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter 
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium 
 
Guest Socials:
Jeff Burroughs’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-burroughs-265b6a5/ 
Jeff Vaughn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffvaughn/ 
 
About Guests
Jeff Burroughs integrates brands and award-winning superstars into the cultural conversation, but he also champions social justice and equity at every turn. As SVP of Marketing & Brand Partnerships at Def Jam Recordings, he magnified the impact of roster artists throughout the marketplace, working with the likes of Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and Jhené Aiko. Simultaneously, served as Chairman of the Universal Music Group's Task Force for Meaningful Change-subcommittee on Policy Legislation and Voting. His ability to effectively communicate with both inspiration and empathy drives him as an executive and industry change agent.
 
Jeff Vaughn is a Virginia native and Duke University graduate. He began his music career in the mailroom at UTA and eventually joined Artist Partner Group. During his time at Artist Partner Group, he signed and worked with artists Kehlani, Kevin Gates, Rico Nasty, and many others. After two years at CMG, he advanced from president of Capitol Records to CEO. In 2021 he was featured in Billboard’s annual 40 Under 40 list. In the same year, Vaughn launched Signal Records, a joint venture with Columbia Records, where he is now nurturing the next generation of creative and executive talent. 
 
You’ll learn about:
 
How web3 could solve current distribution and royalties issues for artists through smart contracts and NFTs
Why smaller entrepreneurs are more adventurous in adopting web3 technology
How NFTs can build communities and unlock experiences
AI and the music industry 
Timestamps
[0:41 - 1:54] Jay’s intro
[1:54 - 3:00] Sue’s intro
[3:00- 7:34] Jeff Vaughn’s background
[7:34 - 12:00] Jeff Burroughs’ background
[12:00 - 22:07] The music industry and web3
[22:07 - 28:17] Use cases
[28:17 - 40:00] Web3 and communities
[40:00 - 45:33] The music industry and the metaverse
[45:33 - 50:26] The music industry and social media
[50:26 - 54:32] Supporting emerging artists and social issues
[54:32 - 1:00:50] Using AI for discovery
[1:00:50 - 1:05:48] Outlook on the future 
[1:05:48 - 1:07:41] Sue’s takeaways
[1:07:41 - 1:08:40] Jay’s closing remarks
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allow for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

Developing a Creative Economy and Making Art Accessible with Toni Sikes and Marc Aptakin

In this episode, Jay speaks with Toni Sikes, Co-Founder and CEO at CODAworx, and Marc Aptakin, Co-CEO of CODAMADE and President at MAD Studios. CODAMADE, a project born out of CODAworx and MAD Studios, empowers artists and communities to create artworks that bridge the physical public art world with the digital art sphere. Toni and Marc share what led them to launch a new creative economy and build an NFT ecosystem based on creativity, collaboration, and mutual support. Toni and Marc discuss the value of public art and share the importance of making tools available to artists, and making art accessible to people around the globe. 
 
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
YouTube: https://links.ywhales.com/YouTube 
Vimeo: https://links.ywhales.com/Vimeo 
LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn 
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter 
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium 
 
Guest Socials:
Toni Sikes’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-sikes-5816049/ 
Toni Sikes’ Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/sikestoni
Marc Aptakin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-aptakin-6b90034/ 
Marc Aptakin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maptakin/?hl=en
CODAMADE’s Socials: 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAHvIYRRMkks1t8OOc21y0Q/f
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codamadeofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/codamade
About Guests
Toni Sikes has spent over 30 years developing companies and products that marketed the work of artists, first through sourcebook directories, then through e-commerce and catalogs, and currently with an online showcase that connects artists with design professionals. Along the way, her companies raised over $50M in investment capital and helped many artists make a living with their artwork.
 
Marc Aptakin began his career as a fine art photographer in the early 90’s. He then fell into printing and graphic design which led him to start a creative agency and print shop. He’s always had a love for technology and began to work in mobile applications. Using AR and VR as a marketing tool, the agency grew in clientele and continued to take on diverse projects. While working with an artist who had an interest in NFTs, Marc’s agency took a step into the Defi space. Shortly after, he met Toni and the two created CODAMADE
You’ll learn about:
The CODAMADE journey and creating an art ecosystem
Why education is placed at the core of CODAMADE
Changing the way we fundraise and support causes artists care about
The power of NFTs to enable a better sense of community 
Timestamps
[00:34-01:38] Jay’s Intro 
[01:38-06:13] Marc’s Background
[06:13-09:33] Toni’s Background
[09:33-16:18] Why NFTs?
[16:18-18:56] Managing communities
[18:56-22:30] The value of public art 
[22:30-28:50] CODAMADE’s business model
[28:50-30:00] Technology behind CODAMADE
[30:00-32:48] Curating and validating
[32:48-41:30] Favorite NFT projects
[41:30-47:15] Where is the Web3 space headed?
[47:15-47:56] How to contact Toni and Marc
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allow for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

Helping Investors Transition to deFi with Brad Yasar of EQIFi

In this episode, Jay speaks with Brad Yasar, CEO of EQIFi, a global DeFi gateway on a mission to become the Financial Hub of the Metaverse. Brad Yasar is an entrepreneur, investor, mentor, and advisor with a global focus on blockchain and innovative technologies. He has conceived and bootstrapped several companies to maturity over the past 30 years. Brad shares how EQIFi is addressing two pain points: tradfi’s reluctance to crypto and helping investors transition to deFi. Brad and Jay also discuss the vision and tokenomics of EQIFi, current issues that blockchain can solve, and the need for regulation and codifying blockchain today. 
 
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
YouTube: https://links.ywhales.com/YouTube 
Vimeo: https://links.ywhales.com/Vimeo 
LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn 
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter 
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium 
 
Guest Socials:
Brad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradyasar 
Brad’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyasar/?hl=en 
Brad’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/yasarcorp 
EQIFi’s Socials:
EQIFi’s Website: https://www.eqifi.com/
EQIFi’s Telegram: https://t.me/eqifi
EQIFi’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/eqifi_finance
EQIFi’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EQIFi/
EQIFi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eqifi_finance/
EQIFi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eqifi
EQIFi’s Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/EQIFI/
EQIFi’s Medium: https://eqifi.medium.com/
EQIFi’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3U6AdHPO1Wr71_eZkGDqBQ
 
About Guests
Brad is currently the CEO of EQIFI, the premiere decentralized global banking platform. He is also the Founder of Beyond Enterprizes, offering strategic and technical leadership, advisory, and support to projects in all blockchain implementation and development stages. As the co-founder of Blockchain Investors Consortium (BIC) with over 5 billion dollars allocated to blockchain/cryptocurrency projects, Brad has access to extensive deal flow with experience analyzing disruptive technologies. He has participated in dozens of successful crowd sales, raising billions from hundreds of thousands of investors since 2016.
 
Brad also serves as the President of Yasar Corporation, where he mentored, advised, and invested in more than 100 companies. Brad’s expertise and enthusiasm for the intersection of technology and world markets make him a sought-after speaker. He is frequently invited to speak at events on entrepreneurship, angel investing, and business strategy. He has presented at EBAN, WBAF, d10e, NexChange, and CoinAgenda to name a few, and was most recently featured on TRT World, CNN International, and Spectrum News.
You’ll learn about:
How EQIFi aims to connect the metaverse 
EQIFi’s roadmap
Helping investors transition to DeFi
Blockchain and the importance of compensating for human job loss 
The need for the global financial system to agree on regulating and codifying blockchain
Timestamps
[1:22 - 6:40] Brad’s Background
[6:40 - 10:21] Entering web3
[10:21 - 15:46] Building EQIFi
[15:46 - 18:26] EQIBank & EQIFi
[18:26 - 26:18] Issues blockchain solves
[26:18 - 34:04] The pros and cons of self custody
[34:04 - 38:38] Where we are in the cycle
[38:38 - 45:00] Over 100 blockchain investments
[45:00 - 48:07] On regulation
[50:00 - 57:32] Brad on best practices 
[57:32 - 58:54] How to contact Brad
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allows for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode were done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

Solving The World’s Social Problems with Web3 with Keir Finlow-Bates of Chainfrog

In this episode, Jay speaks with Keir Finlow-Bates, CEO and Founder of Chainfrog, a Finnish startup researching and developing blockchain intellectual property. Chainfrog Oy conducts research and innovates in the blockchain space. Founded in 2016, it is Finland's first blockchain technology company. With a decade of experience in blockchain and a background in mathematics, Keir Finlow-Bates joins yWhales and explains that ultimately web3 solves a social problem, not a technical problem. 
 
Dive into this episode to hear Keir’s view on L2s, the future of innovation, and the importance of marketing new, great ideas.
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
YouTube: https://links.ywhales.com/YouTube 
Vimeo: https://links.ywhales.com/Vimeo 
LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn 
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter 
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium 
 
Guest Socials:
Keir’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keirf/ 
Chainfrog Socials: 
Medium: https://kf106.medium.com/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvVohTt-jDfjbeIeVKv7LbQ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_chainfrog_ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chainfrog 
Thinklair: https://www.thinklair.com/ 
About Guests
 
Keir is currently an inventor and entrepreneur in blockchain technologies , living in Finland with his Finnish wife and their large happy family. He was born in Australia but grew up in Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands.
 
​​He went to Cambridge University to study mathematics and switched to information engineering in his final year, mainly because half the course was a repeat of the second-year mathematics course and it seemed like an easier option. He then moved on to London South Bank University where he gained a Ph.D. in mathematics and education.
 
​​He has spent most of his career as a software test engineer and quality assurance manager. He used to have hobbies such as foraging for wild mushrooms, brewing his own beer, and writing bad poetry, but these days he splits his time equally between working on new blockchain concepts, looking after his kids, and when he gets the chance, sleeping
 
You’ll learn about:
Keir’s introduction to bitcoin
The consensus problem and Satoshi
The predictability of software vs. the unpredictability of people
Current challenges of making systems that enable utility
The journey toward mass adoption and reinventing financial services processes
 
Timestamps
[00:34-01:36] Jay’s Intro 
[01:36-04:24] Keir’s Intro
[07:30-12:36] Keir on the Satoshi paper
[12:36-16:39] The switch to ETH
[16:39-24:27] The view on regulation
[24:27-32:40] Keir’s work on patents
[32:40-36:08] Where we are in the cycle
[36:08-40:22] On Proof of Stake
[40:22-44:25] The road to mass adoption
[49:18-55:52] Solving reliability, trust, and speed
[55:52-57:51] The next phase of innovation
[58:24-1:01:46] How people should perceive web3
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allow for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

Solana Addresses FTX Implosion with Kuleen Nimkar of Solana

In this episode, Jay speaks with Kuleen Nimkar, who works in Business Development at the Solana Foundation. The Solana Foundation is a non-profit organization headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, dedicated to the decentralization, growth, and security of the Solana network. 
This episode features a dive into Solana’s history with FTX, their working relationship with Alameda, and the path forward following the FTX collapse.
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
YouTube: https://links.ywhales.com/YouTube 
Vimeo: https://links.ywhales.com/Vimeo 
LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn 
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter 
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium 
 
Guest Socials:
Kuleen Nimkar’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/knimkar
Kuleen Nimkar’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuleen-nimkar-a0941716/
Solana’s Socials: 
- Solana’s Forums: https://forums.solana.com/
- Solana’s Discord: https://solana.com/discord
- Solana’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/solana
- Solana Foundation’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SolanaFndn
- Solana Beach Dashboard: https://solanabeach.io/
About Guests
Kuleen Nimkar - Business Development at Solana Foundation
 Kuleen focuses on growing the ecosystem of high quality web3 applications being built on Solana, with a particular focus on games.
Prior to joining the Solana Foundation, Kuleen worked briefly in Strategy and Operations at DoorDash leading up to its IPO, and before that in Corp Dev at the quantitative investment manager Two Sigma Investments. Kuleen started his career in management consulting.
You’ll learn about:
History of Solana Labs
DeFi protocols collateral value
Half of SOL getting unstaked
Concentration of ownership 
Performance and throughput of Solana Chain
What’s next, in spite of FTX
Timestamps
[00:34-02:25] Jay’s Intro 
[02:25-04:16] Background on Kuleen
[04:16-7:03] Journey into Crypto 
[7:03-12:30] Current FTX & History of Solana Labs / Foundation
[12:30-14:18] Direct impact 
[14:18-18:20] SOL unstaked
[18:20-22:55] Technology of Solana Chain
[22:55-25:28] How Solana works
[25:28-26:52] Defining success for Solana 
[26:52-31:00] The dev team’s involvement
[31:00-34:39] When will Solana reach full decentralization
[34:39-38:34] About Solana Reboots[38:34-41:57] Working with NFTs[41:57-44:57] Forecast for Solana[44:57-49:35] Solana nodes[49:35-53:47] Kuleen’s web3 deep thoughts
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allow for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

Blockchain Diversification and Transparency with Yoni Assia of eToro

In this episode, the yWhales team speak with Yoni Assia, CEO of eToro, one of the world’s leading social investment networks that aims to revolutionize the way people invest and enhance investors’ financial education. Co-founded by Yoni in 2007, eToro pioneered bitcoin trading in 2013 and expanded its digital asset offering, enabling clients to trade and invest in Ethereum, XRP (by RippleLabs), Litecoin, and other popular cryptos. Yoni discusses blockchain transparency and the value of blockchain-based multi-party contracts in the metaverse. He also shares his excitement about the innovative nature of the crypto realm and why he believes blockchain technology and diversification are part of an internet revolution.
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
YouTube: https://links.ywhales.com/YouTube
Vimeo: https://links.ywhales.com/Vimeo
LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium
 
Guest Socials:
Yoni’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoniassia/?originalSubdomain=il
 
eToro Socials: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eToro
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eToro
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/etoro/ 
 
About Guest
Yoni Co-Founded eToro in 2007, with the vision of opening the global markets for everyone to trade and invest in a simple and transparent way. His two biggest passions are finance and computer science and he was able to merge them both along with the social revolution in order to develop eToro’s investment network. He is a great believer in global markets and in every person’s right to engage, learn and invest responsibly in order to shape one’s future and make a difference in the world. 
 
In 2018 he established the GoodDollar Foundation, a non-profit initiative determined to create a sustainable and scalable framework for bringing global universal basic income to the world through new digital asset technologies. He is a member of the YPO Global Leadership Community and was honored to be chosen by the Financial News in its Fintech 40 ranking and their Rising Stars in Asset Management ranking, as well as listed in Fortune’s 40 under 40 and in City A.M’s fintech 100 top influencers. 
You’ll learn about:
Yoni’s passion for helping people manage their money and investments.
eToro’s origins and how it helps users succeed.
The importance of diversification for investors.
How eToro balances commodities and crypto trading.
Why the crypto market cap will begin to increase significantly.
How GoodDollar is addressing wealth inequality.
 
Timestamps
[00:28 - 1:30] Jay’s Intro
[1:30 - 07:00] Yoni’s Background
[07:00 - 12:30] About eToro
[12:30 - 18:54] Blockchain technology
[18:54 - 23:26] Biggest success stories
[23:26 - 30:34] What makes eToro successful
[30:34 - 33:38] Educating users
[33:38 - 44:00] The crypto market and innovation
[44:00 - 52:46] What is next for eToro
[52:46 - 1:01:15] GoodDollar
[1:01:15 - 1:03:30] Final thoughts
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allow for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.

Normalizing Crypto & Running the Largest ETH Event in the World

Russell Castagnaro is a Crypto Advocate, Blockchainer, and one of the entrepreneurial masterminds behind SporkDAO, Bufficorn Ventures, and ColoradoJam. From educating the government on the benefits of blockchain to launching the largest, longest running ETH event in the world, ETHDenver, Russell is here to shed light on why and how he’s doing it all.
 
Russell shares how ETHDenver’s 100% community-owned SporkDAO makes a difference in the world of crypto and blockchain technology. He highlights a few problems around crypto we should be aware of, how he’s advancing blockchain adoption and technologies, and how you can get involved in the future growth of ETHDenver.
 
yWhales Website: ywhales.com
Podcast Library: ywhales.com/podcasts
YouTube: https://links.ywhales.com/YouTube 
Vimeo: https://links.ywhales.com/Vimeo 
LinkedIn: https://links.ywhales.com/LinkedIn 
Twitter: https://links.ywhales.com/Twitter 
Medium: https://links.ywhales.com/Medium 
 
Guest Socials:
Russell’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-castagnaro-6231553  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rcastag  
 
Company Socials: 
ETHDenver’s Website: https://www.ethdenver.com  
ETHDenver’s Medium: https://medium.com/ethdenver
ETHDenver’s Telegram: https://t.me/ETHDenver 
ETHDenver’s MeetUp: https://www.meetup.com/Ethereum-Denver/ 
ETHDenver’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ETHDenver 
ETHDenver’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/EthereumDenver 
ETHDenver’s Instagram: http://instagram.com/ethdenver 
SporkDAO’s Discord:https://discord.gg/sporkdao 
About Guests
Russell Castagnaro is leading the way to a new type of eCommerce, one that supports ALL businesses. He believes that Web3 and Blockchain technology can transform and improve the way business, government, and individuals get things done. He helps ColoradoJam, Bufficorn Ventures, and ETHDenver community teams go from 0 to 1 in a way that makes the whole ecosystem better. Before that, he was the State of Colorado's Director of Digital Transformation, where he was tasked with championing solutions, processes, and technologies that make
government more accessible, usable, and responsible to the public, business, and
internal agencies.
 
You’ll learn about:
Russell’s journey into crypto: From web2 to e-government to creating his own crypto payment platform.
Why ETHDenver is a life-changing event.
Top problems around crypto & How we can begin to overcome them.
Normalizing crypto and blockchain technology.
The future growth of ETHDenver & How to attend.
 
Timestamps
[00:35-01:47] Jay’s Intro 
[01:47-10] Russell’s background & The creation of ColoradoJam and Bufficorn Ventures
[10:48-13:45] Opportunities in crypto regulation
[13:45 21:31] About ETHDenver & Why we need regulation.
[21:31-25:46] Educating government officials, simplifying language, and proving real life benefits to leveraging blockchain technologies.
[25:46-32:45] Blockchain Technology: L2s 
[32:45-38:17] Issues around Crypto
[38:17-45:02] The future of ETHDenver.
DISCLAIMER: yWhales is not affiliated with YPO but at this time only allow for YPO, YPO Gold, and YNG members due to privacy & confidentiality. Support and production for today’s episode was done by Truth Work Media. Nothing in the podcast constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the podcast constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto.