Talking Tokens: Crypto, Onchain Finance, Investing

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Dom & Phil Kwok, co-founders of EasyA, a platform that teaches developers and consumers how to actually build and use blockchain technology. 

The brothers also run some of the biggest hackathons in the space at events like Consensus Miami and Consensus Hong Kong. 

Dom & Phil explain why so much of crypto's top talent drifted to AI over the past few years, why they think the sentiment around crypto is starting to shift, and how their new Kickstart product is trying to do for funding what AI did for building. 

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Sibling Entrepreneurs: The Journey Begins

02:31 Identifying Market Gaps in Blockchain Education

05:22 Trends in Consumer and Developer Interest

09:24 The Shift from AI to Crypto: A New Era

12:40 AI's Impact on the Workforce and Startups

15:50 Long-Term Vision: Balancing Roadmaps and Market Cycles

18:09 The Importance of Founder-Led Marketing

23:25 Getting Started on Social Media

24:38 Overcoming Fear of Posting

26:47 The Impact of AI on Content Creation

28:07 The Evolution of Startup Development

31:55 The Role of AI in Lowering Barriers to Entry

33:09 Bridging the Gap Between Wall Street and Crypto

35:45 The Growing Interest in Crypto on Wall Street

39:08 The Future of Tokenization and On-Chain Finance

43:11 Advice for Navigating the Crypto Landscape

Today’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com. 

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.

On today's Talking Tokenization, Jacquelyn sits down with Suzy Singh, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Securitize, to pull back the curtain on what institutional tokenization interest looks like day to day.

Suzy outlines why everything you're seeing announced publicly has been in the works for six to twenty-four months behind the scenes, then breaks down why Securitize tokenized its own equity on day one of going public. 

Then Suzy gets into what its recent Cantor Fitzgerald partnership is really trying to unlock for blockchain-based IPOs, and why she thinks the next major wave of adoption in this space isn't going to come from institutions. 

TIMESTAMPS:

0:01 What tokenization means and why it matters

01:03 Why more institutions are talking about tokenization

03:25 Where demand is coming from across financial firms

05:28 The long timeline from first conversation to launch

09:11 How going public changed Securitize’s credibility

14:20 Why issuer-sponsored tokenized equities matter

19:56 IPOs, retail adoption, and the future of onchain markets

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Anchorage Digital’s CEO and Co-founder Nathan McCauley and Head of Policy Kevin Wysocki to talk about what the post-GENIUS Act world of stablecoins looks like from the inside.

They think most of the market isn't paying enough attention to the banks racing to tokenize their deposits and explain why all 5,000+ US banks are eventually going to need stablecoin rails, how DC has done a near complete 180 on crypto, and why agentic banking is tracking almost exactly like the early crypto industry did in 2017.

TIMESTAMPS:

02:00 The Current State of Institutional Adoption

03:55 Understanding Stablecoins and Digital Dollars

06:04 Global Perspective on Dollar Dominance

10:04 Future of Cross-Border Commerce and Global Payments

12:07 Building Infrastructure for Stablecoins

13:59 The Role of Policy in Stablecoin Adoption

20:50 Conversations Behind Closed Doors

23:01 Fed Master Accounts and Regulatory Clarity

27:23 The Rise of Tokenized Deposits

39:10 Building Trust in the Crypto Industry

41:49 The Future of Agentic Banking

49:34 Advice for the Future

Today’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com. 

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Joseph Chalom, CEO of Sharplink to talk about why he and a group of Ethereum stewards including Joe Lubin and Tom Lee decided now was the moment to go back on offense for the Ethereum ecosystem.

Joseph breaks down why he thinks the Ethereum institutional supercycle is already here, how Ethereum will win even amid bad price action and why the long term holders are the ones who will win this decade.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 The Evolution of Ethereum's Narrative

03:38 Ethereum’s Institutional Supercycle

05:23 Why Ethereum’s Narrative Is Changing

07:48 Building Ethereum for Institutional Adoption

09:56 The Trillion-Dollar Tokenization Opportunity

16:46 Why the Institutional Supercycle Is Already Here

23:17 From Experimentation to On-Chain Finance

30:33 Investing in Ethereum’s Long-Term Future

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 

On this edition of Strata Research, Jacquelyn sits down with our Institutional Research Analyst Alex Beaudry to dig into the OUSD announcement that resulted in Circle's stock dropping and had the crypto world convinced a new stablecoin competitor had arrived.

After looking into the details, Alex argues this is just Stripe's stablecoin wrapped in a consortium for competitive cover, then he walks through why the 140 company list is largely a marketing move before getting into which of the two paths to success for OUSD he actually thinks will play out. 

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction to OUSD and Its Impact

02:46 The Role of Stripe in OUSD

05:33 The Consortium of 140 Companies

08:00 Market Dynamics and Competition

10:15 Investor Reactions and Market Implications

13:20 Paths to Success for OUSD

Check out the associated Strata Research report for more details: https://www.token-relations.com/p/who-really-owns-ousd

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with CZ, founder and former CEO of Binance, on the exchange's ninth anniversary to talk about what he got right, what he missed, and why he thinks AI handling payments in crypto is coming within months, not years. 

CZ breaks down why he once thought stablecoins were a temporary patch job, how he sees blockchain technology as one of three foundational technologies alongside the internet and AI, and why crypto wealth penetration is still well under 1%. 

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 AI, Crypto, and the Future of Payments

00:33 Building Binance in 2017 and Moving Faster

03:44 How Binance Reached the Top

05:48 Building a Community-Driven Platform

08:27 Creating Products People Return To

10:31 Crypto as Foundational Technology

11:33 Where AI and Crypto Intersect

14:26 Using AI as a Productivity Tool

18:37 The Next Opportunities in Crypto

21:21 Building at the Intersection of Skills and Value

21:53 The Future of Traditional and On-Chain Finance

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Roger Bayston, Head of Digital Assets at Franklin Templeton, to discuss his 35-year journey at the firm and how tokenization became the focal point to his career there today.

Roger breaks down how he sees blockchain less as a new financial system and more as a long overdue infrastructure replacement, why BENJI’s ability to transfer and accrue interest in real time is a bigger deal than it sounds, and why investors should stop sleeping on a specific asset class with $25 to $30 trillion in activity. 

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction to Tokenization and Franklin Templeton

03:02 Roger Bayston's Journey in Finance

05:45 The Vision for Tokenization in Asset Management

09:11 State of Tokenization Today

11:46 The Evolution of BENJI and Its Impact

15:01 Future Outlook for Tokenization

17:57 The Integration of Traditional Finance and Blockchain

21:05 The Future of Investment Products

21:59 Resurrecting SPVs and Trust in Finance

25:07 Building Trust in Digital Assets

28:21 Institutional Interest in Blockchain

30:46 Investing in Networks and Blockchain Opportunities

33:45 Tokenization and New Asset Classes

39:31 The Future of Banking and Tokenization

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Theo Golden, Head of Digital Assets at Baillie Gifford, to talk about BAGEY — the firm's newly launched tokenized bond fund on Solana and Ethereum that yields around 7% and settles in USDC.

Theo breaks down why he sees tokenization as an operating system upgrade rather than a reinvention of finance, how pension funds and private banks are already showing real interest in its new tokenized fund, and why he thinks AI democratizing insight and tokenization democratizing access are two themes that will collide into something nobody has fully figured out yet.

DISCLAIMER: Although our guest this week works at Baillie Gifford, nothing in this podcast should be considered an offer of its investment advisory services or should otherwise be confused for investment, tax, legal or other financial advice.

This episode is a part of the Solana Sessions campaign that Token Relations and the Talking Tokens podcast are doing, diving into founders' journeys and startups building on Solana. Check out the accompanying newsletter on www.token-relations.com

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 His Journey to Digital Assets

03:33 From Journalism to Investment Theses

06:05 Learning from Successes and Failures

10:15 The Role of Independence in Baillie Gifford’s Innovation

15:19 Gradual Growth in Tokenization

20:57 Tokenization as an Operating System Upgrade

23:57 Convincing Clients of Tokenization's Value

24:50 Operational Leverage and Risk Management

27:12 The Origin of Baillie Gifford’s BAGEY Tokenized Fund

32:18 Initial Response and Market Interest

34:43 Choosing Solana and Ethereum for the Fund Launch

38:33 Solana and The Future of Internet Capital Markets

43:09 Trust and Adoption Among Institutional Investors

46:07 The Role of Traditional Institutions in Tokenization

47:59 AI and Tokenization: A Future Intersection

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Zaheer Ebtikar, Chief Strategy Officer at Plasma, to talk about why the recent wave of DeFi exploits is forcing a necessary reset and Plasma’s decision behind building a stablecoin-optimized chain around USDT. 

Zaheer also dives into the recent OpenUSD launch and how it can fit into an institutional stablecoin infrastructure world,, and why he thinks the biggest unlock still ahead is making it invisible enough that billions of people just use it without knowing it's there.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:36 - Thoughts on DeFi Exploits & Reconsolidation 

3:59 - Plasma's Stablecoin Strategy 

5:48 - Investor Pushback & Conviction 

9:07 - Lessons Since Launch 

12:46 - USDT & OpenUSD 

17:29 - The Stablecoin Landscape 

21:31 - What Makes a Durable Team 

24:55 - DeFi's Future 

30:49 - Advice for Founders 

40:57 - Plasma's Big Bets & Token Strategy 

45:53 - Long-Term Vision for DeFi

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 

On this edition of Strata Research, Jacquelyn sits down with institutional research analyst Alex Beaudry to dig into crypto cards, which many assumed were built for consumers but are actually seeing most traction from institutions. 

Alex breaks down why the developed market consumer card is basically a feature in search of a need, what Visa is building that could change the equation, and why onchain credit could be the piece of this stack that makes or breaks the whole argument. 

Check out the associated Strata Research report for more details: https://www.token-relations.com/p/the-real-story-behind-crypto-cards

TIMESTAMPS:

01:21 - What a crypto card actually is and how it works under the hood 

03:04 - Why the developed market consumer card hasn't taken off — and may never

07:22 - Where the real value actually is: B2B and institutional usage 

08:39 - The acquisition wave and why infrastructure is the real prize

11:46 - Onchain credit: what works and what's still broken 

14:01 - What to watch over the next 6–24 months

You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens 

Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   

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Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.