The Scoop

Ether whale Andrew Keys on building products in an uncertain regulatory environment


Listen Later

DARMA Capital's Andrew Keys is a believer in the disruptive power of Ethereum, but he's also concerned that regulators may stand in the way of it.

Digital Asset Risk Management Advisors, or DARMA for short, is an investment firm with more than $1 billion of assets under management. DARMA currently holds over 10,000 validators at over 320,000 Ether, Keys told host Frank Chaparro on this episode of The Scoop.

“And that's staking kind of an institutional-grade, generating tremendous yield,” said Keys.

Keys talked about the firm's journey since launching with just $100 million under management in 2019. He also looked forward, saying that despite the potential use cases of Ethereum and decentralized finance, regulatory headwinds might make it difficult for institutions to engage directly with the market. 

“I think we are about to witness a regulatory environment that is excruciatingly painful and that is a result of being able to go create a wallet, go on to a decentralized exchange, have a million dollars of X and trade it for a million dollars of Y with no KYC, no accreditation at investor accreditation. And I think that until we start solving some of those problems and self-regulating and complying, the decentralized nature of blockchain is under imminent threat.”

In this episode Keys also discusses:

  • Why the cryptocurrency market is impacted by global market events such as the Evergrande meltdown
  • How the market has evolved since Keys' early days at Ethereum development studio ConsenSys 
  • Tailwinds for Ethereum and headwinds for Bitcoin
  • What's behind the market success of competitive Layer-One protocols 
  • The growth of the market for non-fungible tokens

  • Episode 63 of Season 3 of The Scoop was recorded at the 2021 Mainnet Conference with The Block’s Frank Chaparro and Andrew Keys, co-founder & managing director at DARMA Capital.

    Listen below, and subscribe to The Scoop on AppleSpotifyGoogle PodcastsStitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Email feedback and revision requests to [email protected].

    This episode is brought to you by our sponsors BakktKraken, and Exodus

    Bakkt® unlocks the $1.2+ trillion of digital assets that is currently held in cryptocurrencies, rewards and loyalty points, gaming assets and merchant stored value. We began in 2018 with the vision to bring trust and transparency to digital assets. Through the Bakkt Warehouse and Bakkt Bitcoin Futures and Options contracts, we serve institutional clients in an end-to-end regulated market with true price transparency. For consumers, Bakkt aggregates digital assets to enable instant liquidity and to empower users to trade, transfer and pay however they want. Visit Bakkt.com for more information

    About Kraken

    Whether you’re an experienced crypto trader or just starting out, Kraken has the tools to help you achieve financial freedom. With 50+ cryptocurrencies to choose from, industry-leading security and a wide variety of features to suit any investing strategy, Kraken puts the power in your hands to buy, sell and trade digital assets. Visit Kraken.com to get started today.

    About Exodus

    Exodus is leading the world out of traditional finance by building beautiful and user-friendly crypto products. Forget having to learn the nuances of different cryptocurrencies. Exodus is designed for everyone and hides the complex details behind a beautiful and intuitive interface.

     

    Buy and sell one cryptocurrency for another from the comfort of your wallet, in seconds. Funds remain under your full control.

     

    Secure, manage, stake, and exchange all of your favorite cryptocurrencies from one wallet. No account registration is required. Download Exodus at Exodus.com or directly from Google Play and the iOS App Store and you’re ready to go.

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    The ScoopBy The Block

    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6

    4.6

    104 ratings


    More shows like The Scoop

    View all
    Unchained by Laura Shin

    Unchained

    1,210 Listeners

    Real Vision: Finance & Investing by Real Vision Podcast Network

    Real Vision: Finance & Investing

    913 Listeners

    CoinDesk Podcast Network by CoinDesk

    CoinDesk Podcast Network

    638 Listeners

    Stephan Livera Podcast by Stephan Livera

    Stephan Livera Podcast

    413 Listeners

    The Pomp Podcast by Anthony Pompliano

    The Pomp Podcast

    1,836 Listeners

    The Breakdown by Blockworks

    The Breakdown

    741 Listeners

    On The Brink with Castle Island by Castle Island Ventures

    On The Brink with Castle Island

    287 Listeners

    Bankless by Bankless

    Bankless

    1,025 Listeners

    The Wolf Of All Streets by Scott Melker

    The Wolf Of All Streets

    227 Listeners

    Empire by Blockworks

    Empire

    165 Listeners

    Supply Shock by Blockworks

    Supply Shock

    112 Listeners

    Coin Stories by Natalie Brunell

    Coin Stories

    407 Listeners

    Raoul Pal: The Journey Man by Real Vision Podcast Network

    Raoul Pal: The Journey Man

    136 Listeners

    The Milk Road Show by The Milk Road Show

    The Milk Road Show

    37 Listeners

    web3 with a16z crypto by a16z crypto, Sonal Chokshi, Chris Dixon

    web3 with a16z crypto

    59 Listeners