Proof-of-PR

Welcome back to season 2 of Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of Public Relations for Bitcoin and Web3. Alongside the market, we’re so back!!

Kelley Weaver, CEO at Melrose PR, sits down with the legendary Founder of Up Top Search, Dan Eskow, to dive into all things hiring in the crypto landscape, effective networking, how he utilizes his podcast to source talent, and so much more! 

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

Welcome back to season 2 of Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of Public Relations for Bitcoin and Web3. Alongside the market, we’re so back!!

Kelley Weaver, CEO at Melrose PR, sits down with Ty Smith, CEO of Coinbound to discuss all things marketing and PR for Web3 projects, why you shouldn’t sleep on SEO, biggest marketing mistakes, and so much more! 

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

Welcome to Season 2 of Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of Public Relations for Bitcoin and Web3. We’re so excited to be back! 

Nikki Brown, Chief Strategy Officer at Melrose PR, kicks off our first episode of season 2 with Molly Jane Zuckerman, Opinion Editor at Blockworks. They dive into what it takes to break into the opinion section at Blockworks, Molly’s experience covering the FTX trial, how Molly utilizes social media to source content, and so much more! 

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of Public Relations for Bitcoin and Web3. 

In our tenth episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR sits down with PR and communications maven Aubrey Strobel to discuss her journey to Bitcoin, how she’s grown her social and editorial networks, the need for more robust social strategies in the digital age, the humanitarian side of Bitcoin, and so much more!  

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR.

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of Public Relations for Bitcoin and Web3. 

In our ninth episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR sits down with fellow entrepreneur Josh Hubberman, CTHDRL Co-Founder / Partner to discuss building the bridge between Web3 tech that can solve Web2 problems, visual identity for a brand, how blockchain tech is like a new paintbrush, the creative intersection of tech and digital design, and so much more! 

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of Public Relations for Bitcoin and Web3. 

In our eighth episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR sits down with Jacquelyn Melinek, Senior Crypto Reporter at TechCrunch to chat through the importance of knowing what makes a good story versus being assigned a story, why having a good read on people is paramount in journalism, being a free bird when it comes to social media, and so much more! 

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of public relations for Bitcoin and Web3.

In our seventh episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR, sits down with Joe Nakamoto, Bitcoin journalist at Cointelegraph. Kelley and Joe dive into his old-school approaches to journalism, why trust between reporters and PR professionals is paramount, the ethical fine lines of using ChatGPT/other AI tools, and why loads of salt water is the key to great hair. You won’t want to miss this one!

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of public relations for Bitcoin and Web3. 

In our sixth episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR, sits down with Kelsey McGuire, CGO at Shardeum. Kelsey started her Web3 journey in 2018 at Consensys, where she led experiential marketing efforts before joining Shardeum. Kelley and Kelsey dive into the challenges of marketing and PR in an ever-changing media landscape and how titles can pigeonhole career trajectories. 

Tune into this episode to also hear how to successfully cut through the noise of chaotic media cycles and why Kelsey feels the title CGO better encompasses the role of a marketer in Web3.

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR.

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of public relations for Bitcoin and Web3. 

In our fifth episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR sits down with Cory Klippsten, CEO of Swan.com who has been featured in CNBC, Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance, NYT, WSJ, and more. Kelley and Cory dive into how he’s developed strong relationships with reporters and become a go-to resource when there’s breaking news across the crypto and Bitcoin industries.

Tune into this episode to also hear how Cory leverages his Twitter presence, navigates time sensitive media cycles and has grown an exceptional team. 

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of public relations for Bitcoin and Web3. 

In our fourth episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR sits down with Isabel Foxen Duke, Ordinals Advisor and previously Comms Director for the Ordinals Core team to discuss the unique PR tactics Isabel leveraged to make Ordinals the most talked about Bitcoin story in years. Kelley and Isabel discuss how to harness the power of passionate communities on both sides of the crypto divide, how to hook a reporter, the latest trends in mass adoption messaging, plus much more! 

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR.

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of public relations for Bitcoin and Web3. In our third episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR sits down with Cam Thompson, Web3 Reporter at CoinDesk.  

Kelley and Cam discuss objective reporting, crypto being here to stay, why you shouldn’t ghost reporters who DM you, the importance of maintaining reporter relationships, and much more!

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of public relations for Bitcoin and Web3. In this episode, our host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR sits down with Hailey Lennon, Partner at Brown Rudnick, President of Crypto Connect and renowned crypto Twitter persona.

Kelley and Hailey discuss working in the Bitcoin space for several years, navigating challenges on a professional and personal level, and the opportunities associated with building a strong personal brand on Twitter. 

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR.

Welcome to Proof-of-PR, your passport into the world of public relations for Bitcoin and Web3. In our first episode, host Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR, sits down with Abram Smith,  Vice President at Greenbrier Partners, who leads their crypto division. 

Kelley and Abram discuss common mistakes and PR tips for navigating a crisis, how social media plays an important role in crisis comms, devising policies to navigate new territory presented by AI, and much more!

To stay up-to-date on upcoming guests and news follow us on Twitter at @ProofOfPR. 

In today’s episode, Nikki Del Principe is joined by guests Evan Shapiro and Izaak Meckler. CEO Evan and CTO Izaak are both Co-Founders of O(1) Labs, the team behind Mina. 

Mina (formerly Coda Protocol), the world's lightest blockchain powered by participants, deploys recursive zk-SNARKs to ensure the blockchain remains the same size—22 kb—enabling anyone to sync the chain in seconds, ushering in a new era of blockchain accessibility.

We hear how Evan and Izaak became interested in cryptocurrency and the technology behind it in high school and collaborated together on coding projects before bringing O(1) Labs to life. We learn about the transformation of the Coda Protocol to Mina and the importance of community input on the project. Evan and Izaak hope to solve the problems inherent to today’s internet and bring back creative expression through providing developers with the foundation and tooling they need to build Snapps, verifiable SNARK-powered smart contracts. They take us through the technology behind Mina and end the episode by discussing their predictions for the crypto sphere.

Topics covered:

- How Evan and Izaak became involved in cryptocurrency

- Creating O(1) Labs to solve the architectural issues of the crypto space

- The technological and societal impacts of crypto

- The transformation of Coda to Mina

- Formulating Mina's core values

- What it means to be the world’s lightest blockchain-powered by participants

- How Evan and Izaak aim to address the issues of today’s internet with Mina

- Shoutout to the Mina community

- Mina's implementation of Snapps

- The importance of verifiability and transparency

- Predictions for the crypto sphere in 2020 and beyond

Links to Resources:

Mina: https://minaprotocol.com/

Mina on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MinaProtocol

Mina on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/RDQc43H

Join Genesis program: https://minaprotocol.com/genesis

In today’s episode, Nikki Del Principe is joined by Tram Vo. Tram is Founder and COO of MOBI (Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative), a company dedicated to improving and supporting the development of an efficient digital, multi-sided mobility marketplace.

With a varied background in academics and non-profit, Tram came to blockchain in 2015 when she and her husband began to consider the possibilities of tracking and tracing using the nascent technology. In 2018, MOBI was founded and Tram began her mission to build the new economy of movement while utilizing blockchain to create greener cities.

We hear how Tram left her position at the Getty Conservation Institute to create MOBI and the company’s mission to establish standards for the mobility space. We learn how blockchain, along with a convergence of other technologies, can create security for data and the importance of seamless background processes. Tram goes on to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted the digitization of cities and how MOBI is contributing to the mitigation of carbon emissions in mobility.

Topics covered:

- How Tram’s varied background led her to the blockchain space

- The importance of tracking and tracing

- Building the new economy of movement and what that means

- Creating standards for a decentralized mobility ecosystem

- How a convergence of technologies, including blockchain and AI, can create more secure systems

- Impacts of COVID-19 on cities now and in the future

- Increasing digitization and smart contracts post-COVID

- How MOBI hopes to help mitigate carbon emissions in mobility

- Explaining the importance of digital ID for an effective mobility system

- What is on the horizon for MOBI

- Tram’s predictions for the future of blockchain and crypto

Links to Resources:

MOBI: https://dlt.mobi

Tram on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tram-vo-6abba310/

In today’s episode Kelley Weaver is joined by Carol Van Cleef, Founder and CEO of Luminous Group and pioneer in legal issues involving cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Additionally, she is Chair of the Blockchain and Digital Assets practice with Bradley, based in Washington, D.C.

With Luminous Group, Carol offers general blockchain consulting with a speciality in compliance. As a certified AML specialist, Carol’s expertise is invaluable to her clients, which include banks, securities firms, and money services businesses.

We hear how Carol entered the cryptocurrency market and her 20-year experience working with alternative payment systems. She discusses the modernization efforts in the banking industry and the hurdles it faces. Carol goes on to take us through what she believes have been the pivotal regulatory advancements in the crypto space and the biggest setbacks. Wrapping up the episode, Carol tells us what she is excited about in regulatory advancements and the new wave of crypto adopters.

Topics covered:

- How Carol began her career in blockchain

- What excites Carol about cryptocurrency and blockchain

- Modernization of the banking industry and the hurdles it has faced

- The services provided by Luminous Group

- Overcoming negativity towards the industry as an early adopter

- Why criminals are often early adopters on new payment systems

- Pivotal regulatory moments

- How the introduction of the BitLicense in NYC impacted the space

- The tension between regulators and wanted anonymity of crypto users

- Future regulatory changes

- The new wave of crypto adopters

Links to Resources:

Luminous Group: https://luminousgroup.io

Carol at Bradley: https://www.bradley.com/people/v/van-cleef-carol-r

In today’s episode, Kelley Weaver is joined by Sunayna Tuteja, Head of Digital Assets at TD Ameritrade. Sunayna begins by telling us her background in finance and how she ended up in the cryptocurrency sector.

TD Ameritrade aims to aid clients with adoption of cryptocurrency and lead the industry in technological innovations. We hear how Sunayna joined TD Ameritrade to spearhead their digital transformation while looking at emerging technology to continually add value for customers and the company. We learn how client demand drives adoption of crypto and blockchain technology. Sunayna takes us through the company’s three-pronged approach to services, partnerships, and education and how every aspect is tailored to the TD Ameritrade's core clientele. Sunayna wraps up the episode by discussing custody solutions and what she is excited about for the future of crypto and blockchain technologies.

Topics covered:

- What got Sunayna into crypto

- TD Ameritrade’s background in innovation within the financial sector

- Why commercializing next-gen tech along with current solutions drives growth

- The importance of delivering value to customers and the company

- Creating a dedicated digital asset and DLT practice

- How client demand drove adoption of digital assets at TD Ameritrade

- The impact of May Day on the financial sector

- Utilizing lessons from the May Day rule changes for current adoption strategies

- TD Ameritrade’s three-pronged approach

- The necessity of scalability in any process

- Empowerment and safety of the consumer through education

- Solving the issue of custody through choices

- The future of the cryptocurrency industry

Links to Resources:

TD Ameritrade: https://www.tdameritrade.com/

TD Ameritrade on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TDAmeritrade

Sunayna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunaynatuteja

Sunayna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sunayna

Subscribe to the show: Cryptotokentalk.io

Find us on twitter: https://twitter.com/cryptotokentalk

Today, guest host Nikki Del Principe is joined by Dave Jevans, CEO of CipherTrace. Dave begins by telling us how he first discovered crypto in 1999 when he got involved in the Cypherpunk movement and how that led him to become a founder of CipherTrace. The goal of CipherTrace is to make cryptocurrencies globally available and safe for everyone, including banks and other financial institutions. CipherTrace provides services to crypto exchanges to ensure that their customers are not using their platforms to launder money or engage in other criminal activities.

CipherTrace recently launched a Central Bank Digital Currency Initiative, and Dave discusses the initiative's prioritization of security, privacy, and compliance. When it comes to mass adoption of digital currencies, Dave emphasizes the need for a contactless solution, such as debit cards, that doesn't require a smart phone with internet connectivity to use. Summarizing the findings from CipherTrace's Spring 2020 Cryptocurrency Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Report, Dave conveys that the cryptocurrency space is much more safe now than it was in the past. CipherTrace has been participating in regular meetings with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and Dave provides an overview of the FATF's proposed Travel Rule guidelines that may go into effect for cryptocurrency transactions this June.

Dave predicts that this year we will see more large banks supporting cryptocurrency businesses, which is encouraging for mass adoption. He also believes debit and credit cards that allow users to spend cryptocurrencies are on the rise. Finally, Dave debunks the myth that blockchain analytics involves spying on people when the reality is blockchain analytics helps keep the cryptocurrency ecosystem safe.

Topics covered:

- What got Dave interested in cryptocurrency

- Overview of CipherTrace's services

- CipherTrace's Central Bank Digital Currency Initiative

- Technical hurdles to crypto implementation and mass adoption

- How COVID-19 has influenced adoption rates

- What has happened in 2020 regarding crypto crime so far

- Ensuring industry compliance with regulations

- The necessity of pushing technology to catch up to compliance standards

- Predictions about adoption and the need for wider consumer accessibility

- Making easier onramps into the crypto space to facilitate adoption

- Blockchain analytics and privacy: why you don’t need to worry

Links to Resources:

CipherTrace website: https://ciphertrace.com/

CipherTrace blog: https://ciphertrace.com/blog/

CipherTrace Spring 2020 Cryptocurrency Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Report: https://ciphertrace.com/spring-2020-cryptocurrency-anti-money-laundering-report/

TRISA website: https://trisa.io/

Today we’re joined by three very talented ladies from Hercode: Nicky Campa, Avalon Barrie, and Heidi Pease. The three begin by telling us their backgrounds and what led to their involvement in the blockchain industry, each bringing unique qualities and experiences to the team.

Hercode is an initiative within LA Blockchain Lab that focuses on women and diversity in the blockchain space. Over the past year, Hercode has worked with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering to provide courses to teachers in Afghanistan so that they will be equipped to educate young girls about blockchain technology and coding in Solidity. Another program launched by Hercode focuses on educating high school girls in Los Angeles about blockchain. 

As difficult as the coronavirus pandemic has been, it has made the Hercode team realize the importance of online education, which is an area they are now focusing on closely. Nicky, Avalon, and Heidi speak to what can come from educating women worldwide on emerging technologies and their excitement to move forward with their vision. They also believe that the pandemic can allow people to recognize the incredible value of blockchain technology, especially as the need for verification and trust becomes that much more pronounced.

Overall, Hercode believes strongly that where you live or your gender should not limit your access to education, and the team hopes to close the gender gap when it comes to participation in the current technological transformation.

Topics covered:

- What our three guests were doing before discovering crypto

- Heidi's journey founding LA Blockchain Lab

- Giving women all over the world the opportunity to learn about blockchain

- The initiatives that Hercode is driving

- Working with partner schools in the Los Angeles area

- Closing the gender gap in the blockchain industry

- Dealing with the global COVID-19 pandemic

- Thinking more strategically to give a quality education to everyone

- Problems in other countries that are not seen in the United States

- Blockchain use cases envisioned by students in Afghanistan

Links to Resources:

LA Blockchain Lab Website: https://www.lablockchainlab.org/

LA Blockchain Lab on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lablockchainlab

Hercode Website: https://www.lablockchainlab.org/hercode

Hercode on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hercodeglobal

Hercode on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hercodeglobal/

Nikki Del Principe, Director of Content Strategy at Melrose PR, hosts this special episode of Crypto Token Talk focused on "Communications During Crisis" in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Kelsey McGuire, Co-Head of Experiential Marketing at ConsenSys, and Kelley Weaver, CEO of Melrose PR and usual host of Crypto Token Talk, join this episode as guests.

We begin with Kelley and Kelsey sharing best practices for PR and marketing during periods of crisis. Key points include:

Next, Kelsey shares how her team has tweaked tactics pertaining to virtual events to add value. She discusses the ETH2 virtual summit and how they are adding gamified components and working with partners to make this online event community-oriented. Kelley shares how Melrose PR had to make strategic adjustments at the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the announcement of Fold's Visa-powered bitcoin rewards card garnered the press coverage it deserved, which ultimately included stories in Bloomberg, Fortune, and Forbes, among a slew of business and crypto outlets.

With so many companies shifting to remote work, Kelley and Kelsey discuss how their leadership styles have changed. This leads to a conversation about the long-term impacts of COVID-19. The guests share final thoughts on how to handle communications during this time of uncertainty, reminding us to reflect in addition to looking to the future and moving forward with your goals.

Topics covered:

-Best practices for PR and marketing during crisis and periods of uncertainty

-PR and marketing success stories during the COVID-19 pandemic

-Kelsey discusses the importance of building community and how her team is adding value to virtual events through gamification 

-Kelley shares her experience running communications for Fold's recent Visa-powered bitcoin rewards card announcement

-Predictions for the future, including long-term impacts of the coronavirus crisis

-Adjustments in leadership during this time of uncertainty

-The benefits of remote work

-Long-term shifts in workplace culture

Links to Resources:

ConsenSys: https://consensys.net/

Melrose PR: https://www.melrosepr.com/

Kelley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cryptokelley

Kelley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cryptokelley

Kelsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseykmcguire

Ethereal Virtual Summit: https://www.etherealsummit.com/

Story on Fold's Bitcoin Rewards Card in Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-09/visa-teams-with-startup-fold-for-bitcoin-rewards-on-new-card

Kelley's Recent Webinar on BrightTALK: https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/18050/395242?utm_campaign=communication_viewer_followup&utm_medium=email&utm_source=brighttalk-transact&utm_content=webcast

In today’s episode Melrose PR Director of Content Strategy Nikki Del Principe guest-hosts Emre Tekisalp. Emre is the Head of Business Development at O(1) Labs, the team behind Coda Protocol. Before joining O(1) Labs, Emre was at Coinbase, the largest exchange in the U.S., and found his way into crypto back in 2015 through roles at Ripple and a few other projects.

When you look at blockchains in general, starting with Bitcoin, one of the biggest struggles is how to make these virtual machines more accessible, personal, and powerful. Emre describes this dilemma as the "infamous scaling debate." Coda addresses this problem by deploying zero knowledge proofs to keep the blockchain at a tiny fixed size. At Coda, the data needed to download the blockchain is only about 20 kilobytes, which, when compared to other blockchains that require hundreds of gigabytes, is incredibly small and lightweight. Coda recently introduced a new term, ScaDe ScaDe (Scalability-per-unit-of-Decentralization), that incorporates decentralization into the measure of scalability rather than only focusing on throughput (transactions per second). With its Genesis token program underway, Coda is well on its way to being highly decentralized for its upcoming mainnet launch.

Topics covered:

- The problem Coda Protocol addresses and the solution it offers- Emre’s view on blockchain’s scalability problem and the introduction of a new term for measuring scalability- Emre's thoughts on Libra and how it familiarizes people with the concept of digital money- How blockchains can scale for mobile and why that is so important- More about Coda’s milestones and the recently launched Genesis token program- Coda’s ultimate vision for the future- Emre’s predictions and hopes for the blockchain industry- The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Coda and crypto in general- Emre’s recommendations on resources for people to dive deeper into the blockchain space

Links to Resources:

Coda Protocol website: https://codaprotocol.com/

Coda Protocol on Twitter: https://twitter.com/codaprotocol

Coda Protocol on Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/Vexf4ED

Apply to the Genesis token program: https://codaprotocol.com/genesis

Solving the Scalability Trilemma Blog Post: https://codaprotocol.com/blog/solving-the-scalability-trilemma

Coinbase video on Cryptocurrency and the Future of Money: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWeCQkIJNkY

Hash Power Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/is/podcast/hash-power-ep-1-understanding-blockchains/id1154105909?i=1000392721406

"Why Decentralization Matters" via OneZero Medium: https://onezero.medium.com/why-decentralization-matters-5e3f79f7638e

In today’s episode of Crypto Token Talk our guest is Michelle Chuang, COO of Asensys. She spent 20 years in marketing consumer brands before moving into crypto and blockchain. The lack of data security online is what originally sparked her interest in uses of blockchain technology to improve the digital economy. She discusses why decentralization is key to the security of blockchain systems, but that, historically, these networks have had difficulty achieving high performance while retaining decentralization and security. This problem is called the "blockchain trilemma."

Asensys addresses blockchain's scalability problem head-on by introducing the concept of asynchronous consensus zones to reduce redundancies across the network. She uses the analogy of opening up more check-out lines at the grocery store to explain how it works. The consumer awareness about the need for data privacy is there, and so, in terms of mass adoption, Michelle believes that it's a matter of operationalizing blockchain technology to provide consumers with real solutions.

Topics covered:

- Michelle’s background and what led her to join Asensys

- How Asensys works and why it is unique

- Example use cases for blockchain solutions

- How Asensys solves the Blockchain Trilemma

- Predictions for the future of blockchain technology and mass adoption

- The appetite of implementing technology like Asensys at the enterprise level

- Recommended approaches for learning more about blockchain technology

Links to Resources:

Website: www.asensys.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/asensyschain

Our guest for today is Tongtong Gong, COO and Co-founder of Amberdata. She moved to the U.S. from Beijing, China when she was 17 years old, and her inability to speak English properly influenced her to choose Computer Science as an area of study because programming languages actually felt less intimidating to her. She started learning about crypto in 2013 and kept diving deeper from there.

Amberdata is a data infrastructure company that provides blockchain network data and market data in a single API, which allows people to build on top of it. During the ICO boom, it seemed like a necessity that could help contribute from a data infrastructure perspective. Amberdata’s customers fall into three categories: developers, traders, and major institutions moving into the digital assets space. In the following five years, Tongtong believes the industry will be growing and, based on financial history, she thinks that it won’t be in a linear, predictable fashion. Rather, it will be a punctuated equilibrium because new players will come in and be critical in the development of digital assets.

Topics covered:

- What Amberdata is and how it came to be

- Examples of Amberdata’s customer types

- Fears of major market manipulation

- Recommended resources for people who have questions about crypto

- Anecdotes that surprised Tongtong from analyzing data sets

- Things that Tongtong has seen go miraculously wrong

- Internal transfers that hide information

- Predictions for the next five years in the crypto industry

-Biggest threats to the cryptocurrency and blockchain space

Links to Resources:

Website: https://amberdata.io/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amberdataio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amberdata/

Medium: https://medium.com/amberdata

Email: tongtong(at)amberdata(dot)io

In the Season 2 finale, CEO of Fold Will Reeves is our special guest. Prior to dedicating himself full-time to Fold, he worked in consumer tech and payments in Silicon Valley. He has experienced the challenges and rewards involved with both running his own startups and working for massive companies.

Will credits his first time hearing about bitcoin to a friend he met when he was living in Argentina who explained why it could be useful as a global currency. Will organized a pilot called Lightning Pizza that set out to prove bitcoin’s use as a payment method, and he fills us in on its ongoing impact. Will then describes how Fold is changing behavior through incentives and explains why bitcoin cashback is better than airline miles. Thanks to his work in traditional payments, Will is very knowledgeable with the problems of legacy payment systems and discusses why bitcoin is superior. Regarding user privacy, Will feels that data collection is out of control and speaks to the risk it poses for consumers. He reveals the percentage of Fold users that choose bitcoin as their payment method and articulates why he expects the number to grow even more. Additionally, Will shares his thoughts on what roadblocks stand between cryptocurrency payments and mass adoption.

Topics covered:

- A background of Will and what he was doing before crypto.

- How bitcoin can immediately improve the lives of consumers and merchants.

- The Lightning Pizza project and its results.

- Fold’s target market of crypto enthusiasts and newcomers.

- What sets Fold apart from other crypto cashback programs.

- Promotions that Fold offers for the holiday season and a new feature.

- Payment problems that Will witnessed in his endeavors before crypto.

- The importance of data privacy.

- Big changes to e-commerce and payments on the horizon in 2020.

- Consumer behavior that Will observes from mobile users versus desktop users.

- Where Fold users spend their rewards.

- Hurdles facing Fold and bitcoin on the adoption journey.

Links to Resources:

Fold: https://foldapp.com/

Will on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wlrvs

Fold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fold_app

Lightning Pizza: https://ln.pizza/

Andreas Antonopoulos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJWCJCWOxBYSi5DhCieLOLQ

Jameson Lopp: https://www.lopp.net/bitcoin-information.html

What Bitcoin Did: https://www.whatbitcoindid.com/

The Founder of GiveBitcoin, Cory Klippsten, is our guest on today’s podcast. He has had a long career in big technology, having worked for the likes of Microsoft and Google. After leaving Google in 2013, Cory became involved with startups as an investor, advisor, and occasionally an operator.

Cory got involved with Bitcoin in May of 2017 and recalls that the price and social signaling from his professional network were large factors in attracting him. There is a lot of noise in the cryptocurrency space, so Cory gives advice on what newcomers should do to properly inform themselves. When he received his first bitcoin, Cory made a mistake that he aims for GiveBitcoin to solve. He explains that GiveBitcoin is great for new users because it provides education on Bitcoin while keeping it stored safely. The mission of the company is to allow for the giving of bitcoin in a safe and easy way. Cory talks about why the process some people have gone through when receiving bitcoin using other methods has been annoying to them. In the beta phase of GiveBitcoin, Cory was excited to see a large amount of bitcoin being sent and then shares his thoughts on how bitcoin will evolve. He also says that GiveBitcoin’s take is not to be the only resource for the Bitcoin community. Ending this episode, Cory describes his sentiment on Bitcoin in both the short- and long-term.

Topics covered:

- What initially got Cory excited about Bitcoin.

- Finding a mentor to steer you in the right direction.

- The first bitcoin Cory received in January 2014 and what this inspired.

- GiveBitcoin and some of its features, such as time locking.

- Directing users to educational resources from a user perspective.

- Kelley’s experience of gifting her friends and family bitcoin a few years ago.

- The custodian that GiveBitcoin uses to protect funds.

- Limits and fees on the GiveBitcoin platform.

- Cory’s thoughts on bitcoin not being ideal for use as a currency.

- A tease of GiveBitcoin’s new referral program.

- Some resources that Cory likes sending to new bitcoin users.

- Cory’s rationale for being bullish on bitcoin long-term.

- Education before accumulation.

Links to Resources:

GiveBitcoin: https://givebitcoin.io/

GiveBitcoin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/give_bitcoin

Nakamoto Institute: https://nakamotoinstitute.org/

Jameson Lopp’s Bitcoin Information: https://www.lopp.net/bitcoin-information.html

The Bullish Case for Bitcoin: https://medium.com/@vijayboyapati/the-bullish-case-for-bitcoin-6ecc8bdecc1

Stephan Livera Podcast Episode 71: https://stephanlivera.com/episode/71/

Kevin Ting, Co-founder of CryptoCanary, joins us in this episode. He is a crypto entrepreneur who has a background in engineering. After graduating, Kevin went to Silicon Valley to join the startup space and got involved on the business side tech before diving into crypto.

After first discovering Bitcoin in 2013, Kevin learned about Ethereum in 2017 and all of its possibilities. These days, Kevin educates new crypto users through the media group, Bitcoin For Beginners. On the YouTube channel, people can learn everything about Bitcoin and blockchain on the tech and financial side. Most recently, Kevin started working on a new project called CryptoCanary, which is akin to Yelp for the crypto world in which users can rate and comment on token projects. A beta version was launched a few months ago and the site is growing every day.

In response to Kelley’s question about the biggest misconceptions in cryptocurrency, Kevin discusses the early days of bitcoin being used on the dark web. Now, the reality is that illicit activities comprise a very small percentage of all the ways crypto is used. Instead, Kevin and others in the space are using crypto in e-commerce. He mentions crypto.com as a way to easily use crypto in day-to-day purchases. Additionally, Kevin and Kelley discuss volatility as attractive in a thrill-seeking way but also as an obstacle to mass adoption. The ethos of decentralization and open-source project development are the aspects of the industry that excite Kevin the most. 

Before buying any crypto, Kevin recommends doing plenty of research, including watching YouTube videos and reading articles. Finally, Kevin reminds people to always ask questions and to take all advice with a grain of salt. Bitcoin and Ethereum are top of Kevin’s list when it comes to projects that he is most enthusiastic about, but he also believes gaming has great potential for crypto integrations.

Topics covered:

- What Kevin was doing prior to crypto.

- What CryptoCanary does and why Kevin likens it to Yelp.

- How Bitcoin For Beginners built its impressive audience.

- The difficulty of finding reliable information and why this inspired CryptoCanary.

- Monetization of Bitcoin For Beginners and CryptoCanary.

- The most common misconceptions of cryptocurrency.

- Concerns about volatility in the crypto market.

- What excites Kevin about blockchain, both now and in the future.

- Extra layers of friction that don’t make for a good user experience.

- First steps for new users who want to get involved in crypto.

- Resources that Kevin recommends for learning about this space.

- Developments in blockchain gaming.

Links to Resources:

CryptoCanary: https://cryptocanary.app/

To get in touch with Kevin, visit CryptoCanary’s Telegram: https://t.me/cryptocanaryapp/

Bitcoin For Beginners Website: https://www.bitcoinforbeginners.io/

Bitcoin For Beginners on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bitcoinforbeginners/

Bitcoin For Beginners Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cryptoforbeginners/

Bitcoin For Beginners Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/realbtcforbeginners

Andreas Antonopoulos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJWCJCWOxBYSi5DhCieLOLQ

Buy, Sell, and Pay with Crypto: https://crypto.com/en/

In this episode, Kelley Weaver chats with Dennis Lewis, author of Behold the Cryptopreneurs: How to thrive in the new blockchain economy without feeling slimy. Dennis got into the space a few years ago when a friend called him up who needed help marketing an initial coin offering (ICO).

Dennis has seen many projects fail, prompting him to identify areas in which crypto companies should improve. He expresses changes that need to be made so that cryptocurrency doesn’t end up as a speculative backyard to the financial industry. Dennis is excited about blockchain technology in general but reveals one use case in particular that he sees as a huge opportunity. A distributed ICO is one way that can prevent a problem that Dennis identified, and he explains how it can help. We hear about Dennis’ belief that every entrepreneur, even those not directly involved in this space, should educate themselves on crypto, beginning by accepting it as a form of payment. He also gives his thoughts on the touchy subject of developers titling themselves as CEOs. Finally, he stresses the importance of putting in an effort to understand this revolutionary technology.

Topics covered:

- How Dennis made his way into this industry.

- Fundamental reasons that Dennis saw leading to the failure of projects.

- Helping the industry begin solving real problems facing real people.

- Providing projects with the funds that they need.

- Dennis’ definition of a cryptopreneur, as outlined in his book.

- The value in deciding whether to share our data or not.

- The ability of distributed ICOs to raise funds over time.

- Advice for entrepreneurs in and out of the blockchain industry.

- Trends in fundraising today and what the future holds.

- Skills to design a blockchain versus skills to run a business.

- Bridging the skills gap by focusing on the problem that blockchain solves.

Links to Resources:

Crypto Trader News: https://cryptotradernews.com/

Dennis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dennishlewis

Dennis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennishlewis

Download the first 4 chapters of Behold the Cryptopreneurs: https://cryptopreneurs.club/

Behold the Cryptopreneurs: How to thrive in the new blockchain economy without feeling slimy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/107806363X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Today’s episode was recorded on-site at the Crypto Mondays LA meetup co-hosted with crypto consulting, business solutions, and investing firm BitPros. At this event, Crypto Token Talk Host Kelley Weaver and other attendees set out to break the record for most women to ever attend a crypto meetup. An all-star panel drew a packed room of both women and men, leading the group to shatter the existing record. Kelley fills listeners in on the context of the event before launching into a panel featuring illustrious female guests in the crypto sphere:

Guests include:

- Najah Roberts, Founder and CEO of Crypto Blockchain Plug, one of the first brick and mortar cryptocurrency over-the-counter help desks and education centers. They are focused on bringing affecting change and fostering mass adoption in every area of the crypto space.

- Crystal Rose, CEO and Co-founder of Sense.Chat, a decentralized messenger that allows for a crypto-friendly messaging experience that doesn’t spy on you.

-  Barbara Bickham, Founder and CTO of Trailyn Ventures, a blockchain advisory company. She also works with the Women’s Innovation Fund Accelerator which helps advance women in blockchain.

- Zayi Reyes, Partnerships & Marketing Lead at Unstoppable Domains, which offers easy-to-remember addresses and domains for sending cryptocurrencies. Zayi is also a board member of The Rabbit Hole Network.

- Kseniya Lifanova, Co-Founder, Partner, and Smart Contract Developer at Upstate Interactive LLC, a tech consultancy which began offering smart contracts as part of its services.

Topics covered:

- How each guest first got involved in the cryptocurrency/blockchain sphere.

- Najah’s educating of young people.

- Crystal’s thoughts on the importance of privacy.

- How Barbara’s work helps foster and grow the blockchain industry.

- Why Zayi thinks good marketing is often underestimated in the crypto space.

- How we can avoid repeating the mistakes of the dot com boom in Kseniya’s opinion.

- Breaking the record for most women to ever attend a crypto meetup.

- Hopes for blockchain as we head into 2020.

Links to Resources:

Crypto Blockchain Plug: https://www.cryptopluginglewood.com/

Sense.Chat: https://www.sense.chat/

Barbara Bickham: https://www.barbarabickham.com/

Unstoppable Domains: https://unstoppabledomains.com/

Upstate Interactive: https://upstateinteractive.io/

BitPros: https://www.mybitpro.com/

CryptoMondays L.A.: https://www.meetup.com/Crypto-Mondays-L-A/

The Rabbit Hole Network: https://www.rabbithole.network/

Dan Conway is our guest in this episode. He is the author of Confessions of a Crypto Millionaire: My Unlikely Escape from Corporate America. Dan discovered Ethereum when he was working as an executive with a large company at a time when his job was unstable.

When first reading about Ethereum, Dan believed that it had the power to take on big corporations someday. He shares his views on what Ethereum will become but admits that it is not ready for scaling yet. In the future, Dan believes there will be projects that can plug into a distributed project like in the original concept of DAOs. Dan and his wife gained around $100,000 thanks to various fortunate events, all of which they invested in Ethereum. His wife never wanted to talk about money but understood how much better their life became thanks to this investment. Dan instills that a good amount of research should be done before making a crypto investment and talks about the dishonesty of some projects.

Topics covered:

- Dan’s life before getting into cryptocurrency.

- Use cases that Dan saw for Ethereum when he first invested and now.

- The financial pressure that Dan’s family was under during the recession.

- Dan’s giant investment into Ethereum.

- Being confident and certain about investing in cryptocurrency.

- What Dan’s life looked like after Ethereum began rising in value.

- Dan getting fired from his job and how it affected his life.

- Critics of Dan and his story.

- Recommended activities before investing in cryptocurrency.

- Sell pressure on Ethereum because of previous ICOs.

- Pitches that Dan has received from crypto companies.

Links to Resources:

Confessions of a Crypto Millionaire: https://amzn.to/2OshJ43 

Dan Conway: https://danconwaywriter.com/

Dan Conway on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanConway650

Should You Invest in Crypto Now?!: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2019/09/09/should-you-invest-in-crypto-now/#10ee6d0bca0f

Two guests from the AnthemGold and Hercules projects join us for this episode. Cynthia Blanchard is the Co-Founder and President of these companies, while Julie Mei is the Chief Technology Officer.

Cynthia’s husband, Anthem Blanchard, was adopted into a family with a deep history involving gold. She shares the story of how her father-in-law, James U. Blanchard III, led the charge in lifting laws restricting ownership of gold in the United States. AnthemGold aims to build on Blanchard’s vision with its gold-backed asset token that enables easy transactions using gold, one of history’s most widely trusted and universal mediums of exchange.

Julie explains the technology behind Hercules, a blockchain-based supply chain solution, and its use to track the purchase, movement, and ownership of gold bars represented by AnthemGold tokens. Cynthia believes that as Hercules demonstrates its utility as an enterprise supply chain solution, various industries will wake up to the value of blockchain technology as a data verification and tracking tool. Julie says that the big changes in crypto are coming from the small players and that the current aim for AnthemGold and Hercules is to stay small enough to easily meet the needs of clients. Cynthia and Julie share their predictions of where bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general are headed in the coming years.

Topics covered:

- The vastly different ways that Cynthia and Julie discovered crypto.

- Cynthia’s ties to Anthem Blanchard and companies, AnthemGold and Hercules.

- An explanation of AnthemGold and how it stores gold reserves.

- How the Hercules software applies to AnthemGold.

- An example of blockchain use in a supply chain.

- Industries and applications that will really benefit from blockchain.

- Cost benefits of Hercules compared to Ethereum.

- Scaling dilemmas in the cryptocurrency space.

- Resources that Cynthia and Julie use to stay up-to-date on news and developments.

- The future of cryptocurrency.

Links to Resources:

AnthemGold: https://anthemgold.com/

Hercules: https://herc.one/

Julie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sudobangbang

Anthem Blanchard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/anthemhayek

Hercules on Telegram: https://t.me/joinchat/E_FZdg4HNKlqnxKXEEeYxw

AnthemGold on Telegram: https://t.me/anthemgold

Today’s guest is Michael Seitz, Marketing Manager at Dash Core Group. He lives in San Diego and first learned of cryptocurrency in 2012. Dash is a payment-focused cryptocurrency whose team introduced the idea of master nodes to the crypto landscape. Master nodes work by having major stakeholders park their Dash on a second server and earn Dash for providing the essential network service of verifying transactions.

Michael began researching crypto seriously in 2014, and actually made his first purchase with the help of the Second Life game. He explains the path he took to eventually end up working with Dash and provides reasons why Dash is superior to other cryptocurrencies. Unique among cryptos, any amount of Dash can be sent to anyone, anywhere in the world, in just one second and for about a penny in fees. Dash’s low fees and speedy transaction times creates a sharp contrast with bitcoin, whose fees increase in-line with the price of the currency. Research suggests Dash would scale well as a global payments network. 

The biggest market for Dash thus far has been Venezuela and surrounding countries because of the hyperinflation experienced there. We also hear about how partner businesses, such as Crypto Mobile, have been instrumental in Dash adoption in Latin America. We return to the topic of why Dash is referred to as the “granddaddy of governance,” and Michael does a deep-dive into the distinction between Dash Core Group and the Dash cryptocurrency. Impressively, Dash is one of the most decentralized cryptocurrencies with on average between 4800 and 5000 master nodes operating at any given time. To the question of how to learn more about crypto projects, Michael underlines the importance of doing your own research and reading white papers.

 Topics covered:

- How Michael first discovered cryptocurrency.

- The crypto miner that Michael built using a milk crate.

- An explanation of master nodes.

- Aspects that make Dash superior to other cryptocurrencies.

- Where Dash can be bought, and which wallets can be used to store it.

- Markets that Dash has gained traction in and why.

- Cell phones that come with the Dash wallet pre-installed.

- Dash’s approach to helping vendors accept their cryptocurrency.

- The adoption of Dash compared to other cryptocurrencies.

- Governance in the Dash network.

- Deep-dive into Dash Core Group and how it works.

- Learning about cryptocurrency projects.

Links to Resources:

Dash Website: https://www.dash.org/

Dash Blog: https://blog.dash.org/

Buy Dash on: https://uphold.com/

To Learn More About the Dash Core v0.14.0.3 Release: https://blog.dash.org/overview-of-mainnet-stress-test-and-dash-core-v0-14-0-3-release-db6b978da42c

Michael on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdseitz

Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdseitz

Sam Radocchia is back for her second appearance on the podcast in today’s episode. She is part of the Chronicled team, a company which builds blockchain protocols for supply chain management in the pharmaceutical industry.

 Because of the misinformation that exists in the blockchain space, Sam wrote the book Bitcoin Pizza to educate newcomers about it. She says that writing this book was one of the hardest things she has ever done. We hear about an interesting method that Sam used to write some parts of her book. While Bitcoin is ever-changing, Sam discusses how she attempted to write Bitcoin Pizza as a timeless piece that focused on culture. This means that there are several Bitcoin cultural references in the book, and Sam shares a few with us. With privacy concerns on the internet growing, a conversation begins about how blockchain can help with big data. Aside from her book, Sam knows a lot of good blockchain informational resources which she shares. Bitcoin Pizza presents insight on the different segments of people involved in the space, so Sam provides a brief overview of some. Sam then discusses the benefits of meeting up with like-minded cryptocurrency users.

Topics covered:

- Sam’s background and how Chronicled has grown.

- Reasons why Sam wrote Bitcoin Pizza.

- The difficult process of writing the book after blogging for so many years.

- Intimidation that some people feel when entering the cryptocurrency space.

- The different feelings of publishing something on the internet versus publishing a book.

- Headings used in the book and some sneak peeks.

- The story behind the name Bitcoin Pizza.

- Reliving the internet’s past with Bitcoin.

- Dangers of automation and false data.

- Resources that Sam recommends learning about cryptocurrency from.

- A live directory that Sam is working on.

- The Twitter culture surrounding blockchain.

- How Sam’s attitude of storing cryptocurrency has evolved.

Links to Resources:

Buy Sam’s Book, Bitcoin Pizza, on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YnJ3GL

Sam’s first appearance: https://cryptotokentalk.io/podcast/episode-120-sam-radocchia-talks-non-finance-blockchain-use-cases/

Chronicled: https://www.chronicled.com/

Bitcoin Pizza: https://samantharadocchia.com/bitcoin-pizza-book

The Collective Future: http://collectivefuture.io/

Sam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/samradofficial

The Bitcoin Standard: https://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Standard-Decentralized-Alternative-Central/dp/1119473861

Debt: The First 5,000 Years: https://www.amazon.com/Debt-First-5-000-Years/dp/1612191290

Sir John Hargrave, author of the book Blockchain for Everyone, is here on today’s episode. He is also the CEO of Media Shower, a blockchain media company that publishes Bitcoin Market Journal for about 100,000 readers each month.

Media Shower is all about explaining cryptocurrency in simple terms and having fun with it. Because of John’s focus on helping new users get started with crypto, he is able to provide insight on the best way to join the community and begin investing. John explains how the industry is creating “the internet of money” and speaks more to why this is a critical period in human history. With so many cryptocurrencies out there, John recommends that newbies start by buying a little bit of bitcoin; by having skin in the game, they will be inspired to learn more and expand their portfolios from there. These days, everyone is required to reinvent themselves and their careers to keep up with the pace of technological change. John’s book tells the story of his personal journey of reinvention and how that mirrors what is happening in blockchain financial system. In a groundbreaking move for the publishing industry, John was able to negotiate a deal with Coinbase so that purchasers of Blockchain for Everyone can scan a QR code that opens a Coinbase wallet preloaded with $25-worth of Dai, a stablecoin by Maker that is native to the Coinbase platform. So, in essence, the book is free and furthers the case for mass adoption of crypto.

Topics covered:

- How John first discovered blockchain.

- Teaching people how to get started in crypto.

- What makes blockchain technology so revolutionary.

- Choosing which cryptocurrencies to invest in as a new user.

- John’s journey writing his book Blockchain for Everyone.

- The story of reinventing his company Media Shower.

-How to redeem $25-worth of Dai stablecoins by purchasing the book.

- An ironic scene from the book that takes place in the Federal Reserve.

-Talking blockchain with the CEO of a Polish Energy Drink company

Links to Resources:

Buy the book and redeem Dai for: blockchainforeveryone.com 

Blockchain for Everyone on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LXrbMz

Media Shower: https://mediashower.com/

Bitcoin Market Journal: https://www.bitcoinmarketjournal.com/

John on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sirjohnhargrave

John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhargrave

Rate & Review Crypto Token Talk on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/crypto-token-talk/id1342460763?mt=2

Today’s guest is Colin Fausnaught, the founder of Zuck Bucks. He is a recent graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and worked on JP Morgan’s Quorum blockchain for his senior project.

 Colin begins by giving an overview of issues that Facebook has come under fire for this year. He believes that political advertising practices on the social network are being taken advantage of by malicious parties. This brings up Facebook’s announcement of their own cryptocurrency, Libra. Colin gives his thoughts on what this cryptocurrency can do for Facebook and why so many large companies are involved. Facebook will have all private keys to Libra wallets, and Colin describes why he finds this so scary. Colin created Zuck Bucks originally as a joke targeting the new Facebook cryptocurrency but now says that it has a great community movement behind it. He does think that a few positive outcomes may happen because of Libra, but affirms that the crypto space will probably be worse off because of the announcement. Some tips are given by Colin about how to protect your privacy while browsing the internet and regarding cryptocurrency.  He also gives advice about starting out with cryptocurrency and discusses various exchanges.

 Topics covered:

- How Colin first discovered cryptocurrency.

- Privacy concerns regarding Facebook and its advertising.

- Why Facebook is launching their own cryptocurrency.

- The target market of Libra and why Facebook has chosen this demographic.

- An explanation of private keys and Facebook’s controlling of them.

- How Colin came up with Zuck Bucks.

- The community of Zuck Bucks opposing Facebook and its privacy concerns.

- Potential positives of Facebook’s crypto announcement.

- Mark Zuckerberg’s feud with the Winklevoss twins.

- Serving ads through artificial intelligence.

- Advantages of using a hardware wallet to store cryptocurrency.

- Colin’s recommendations for getting involved with cryptocurrency.

 Links to Resources:

Zuck Bucks: https://zuckbucks.cash/

Email Colin: info@zuckbucks.cash

Zuck Bucks on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZuckbucksToken

Rebecca Rettig and Marc Boiron, both partners at FisherBroyles, join us for this episode. The two work together on a daily basis, with Rebecca having more litigation expertise and Marc having more technical expertise.

Rebecca discusses how the origins of crypto were based in anarchist/cypherpunk ideas but that crypto is now becoming much more mainstream. She says crypto functions like cash but is better than gold. Marc adds that he thinks one of the best aspects of crypto is that it brings people together from different fields and that this type of collaborative learning advances the industry. Marc goes on to explain how the United States is a leader on the STOs front because of the nation’s focus on regulations, while any entity involving utility tokens is moving off-shore. Rebecca believes that coordinated lobbying efforts, as well as education for judges, should be priorities for the crypto community. Marc talks about the challenges that come with applying murky regulations to technology with thousands of possible iterations. As an unofficial tip to crypto startups, Rebecca recommends protecting your IP, having insurance, and making sure you’re complying with all laws. Marc adds that companies should think more about governance beyond the protocol layer and ask questions like, “What should my board look like?” And “What should I do with equity?” Finally, Marc and Rebecca agreed that the best way to get started in crypto is to go through the process of on-boarding onto an exchange, buying a small amount of crypto, and taking it off the exchange and into a wallet.

Topics covered:

- How Rebecca and Marc first got into crypto.

- What excites them about the future of crypto and the law.

- Bitcoin functioning like cash and being better than gold.

- Regulation’s effect on the industry.

- Educating judges about cryptocurrency and blockchain.

- What Rebecca and Marc still find daunting about blockchain.

- Things that start-ups in the space should consider

- How to get started in crypto.

- Which resources to look into to learn more.

Links to Resources:

FisherBroyles: https://www.fisherbroyles.com/

Marc on Twitter: https://twitter.com/boironattorney

CoinDesk: https://www.coindesk.com/

The Block: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/

Decrypt: https://decrypt.co/

Today Rena Shah, Head of Operations at Ember Fund, joins the podcast. Ember Fund, a mobile investment app where you essentially can invest like a crypto hedge fund, aims to provide outsized returns for everyone with little money and a few steps. Ember Fund is the only mobile, non-custodial, managed cryptocurrency portfolio on the market. 

Rena believes she got into crypto in the weirdest possible way, so she takes us through how that happened, which started with evaluating a deal for a peer-to-peer energy trading platform. Though bitcoin mining is often reported to require a lot of energy, Rena asserts that this is over-exaggerated and explains why. This leads into a discussion on cryptocurrency’s link with developing cleaner energy sources. We then hear about Ember Fund and how it’s completely non-custodial, meaning no one at Ember Fund controls any user private keys, keeping in the true spirit of decentralization and user empowerment. Despite the cryptocurrency market having been in a long-term bear market, Rena speaks to the rising interest in crypto. She recommends to anyone new to the space to start with a small investment and keep a diverse portfolio. Ember Fund is excited to be looking into adding a quant fund, which would trade algorithmically everything between bitcoin and a stablecoin without any human interference. One challenge with being non-custodial is that users expect transactions to be instantaneous, but the benefit is that everything is on-chain and transparent, so there are no surprise fees. Ember Fund is also looking into enabling users to on-ramp using different coins, perhaps a stablecoin, and developing new product features. We conclude by hearing about Rena’s favorite resources to learn about crypto and how Ember Fund is staying true to the reason cryptocurrency exists.

Topics covered:

- How Rena first discovered cryptocurrency.

- Energy consumption of crypto mining and state of the crypto industry.

- Using MinerGate to mine cryptocurrency as a beginner.

- What Ember Fund is and its non-custodial operation.

- Tips on getting started with Ember Fund and cryptocurrency investments in general.

- Challenges and Advantages of Ember Fund as a non-custodial investment fund.

- Objectives that Ember Fund is currently pursuing.

- How Rena likes to keep up on news from the cryptocurrency world.

Links to resources:

MinerGate: https://minergate.com/

Ember Fund’s Website: www.emberfund.io

Ember Fund App download: link

Ember Fund Telegram: https://t.me/EmberFund/

Rena’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/renapshah

Rena’s blog: www.hellorena.com

Shea Newkirk, also known as “The Stache” in the cryptocurrency world, is today’s guest. He is a crypto educator and enthusiast, and the founder of The CryptoStache, which began in 2017 about four years after Shea first invested in bitcoin.

Shea brings us through his beginnings in cryptocurrency, starting with when he first heard about bitcoin but did not invest. He was later inspired to begin blogging because his friends didn’t want to listen to his thoughts about this emerging currency and technology. We hear about the bitcoin classes that Shea began teaching in 2017 because of all the emails he was receiving asking for advice. Shea compares his excitement for bitcoin to his excitement for the internet in its early days and talks about potential use cases. With cryptocurrency currently in an extended bear market, Shea remarks that this is a great time to buy. He shares his thoughts on investing in bitcoin versus other cryptocurrencies and parses out common misunderstandings. Shea has arranged a bus to take people from LA to the 2019 Bitcoin Conference in San Francisco and discusses why he decided to do this while hardly making any profit. We finish with Shea revealing some of his favorite blockchain projects including Enjin Coin, IOST, WAX, and Brave. 

Topics covered:

- Shea’s background and story of buying his first bitcoin.

- How The CryptoStache blog was formed and when it began gaining popularity.

- What excites Shea about the present and future of bitcoin.

- A story about Shea getting locked out of his bank account.

- Shea’s opinion on the current crypto bear market.

- Some current use cases of bitcoin.

- Arranging a bus to drive from LA to the 2019 Bitcoin Conference in San Francisco.

- Notable cryptocurrency projects that Shea finds promising.

Links to resources:

Bitcoin 2019 Conference: https://www.bitcoin2019conference.com/

Crypto Bit Bus: https://www.fomohunt.com/events/crypto-bit-bus-trip-to-bitcoin-2019-conference-la-sf/

The CryptoStache: https://www.cryptostache.com/

Shea on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cryptostache

Shea on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cryptostache

In this special joint episode recorded with Crypto Token Talk host Kelley Weaver and guest-host Nikki Brown with The Coin Boys hosts Andy Steig and Daniel Gutierrez, the podcast hosts come together for a lively discussion of all things blockchain and crypto. Each host tells the story of how he/she got into crypto in the first place and shares thoughts on how blockchain can achieve mass adoption. As a first course of action, crypto enthusiasts need to use decentralized applications. Equally essential are developments pertaining to making dapps and crypto payments easier. Finally, we need more education as to the value of being empowered with increased control over one’s own value, data, and governance. The hosts also talk about layers of trust in blockchain applications as well as the reality that not everything needs to be decentralized. Everyone agreed that it’s essential for the community to maintain open arms when it comes to welcoming those who are new to crypto into this space. One day we won’t necessarily distinguish between dapps and apps; they will all just be “apps.” Over the course of the last three years, we’ve seen a transition from the theoretical to the actual. Some projects with fully-functional blockchain applications include MetaX’s adChain Registry of community-approved ad-supported websites, Breaker’s movie streaming dapp, and Pyrofex’s crypto payment processor Numifex.

Topics covered:

-Stories of how each host got into crypto

-Paths to mass adoption

-Not everything needs to be decentralized

-Maintaining a welcoming crypto community

-Danger of Corporations developing their own cryptocurrencies

-The transition from apps to dapps (eventually we’ll call them all “apps”)

-Fully-functional blockchain applications

Links to resources:

This episode on The Coin Boys: https://thecoinboys.com/index.php/2019/05/28/special-joint-podcast-the-coin-boys-with-crypto-token-talk/

The Coin Boys on Twitter: https://twitter.com/coinboyspodcast

The Coin Boys Featured in a Crypto Token Talk Medium Story: https://medium.com/cryptotokentalk/the-best-use-case-for-blockchain-technology-is-still-within-our-own-financial-systems-says-cca12a6be348

Episode 202: Make Bitcoin Fun Again with David Bailey

Sitting down with us today is David Bailey, Co-founder and CEO of BTC Inc. Kelley describes him as one of the original lovers of bitcoin and one of the first people that got her interested in the currency. 

David starts by telling us how he discovered bitcoin and his transition from skeptic to proponent. His company began as a publication under a different name but became BTC Inc after multiple acquisitions and now becoming the blockchain media entity it is today. BTC Inc has been involved in many different projects, which David cites as the reason the company has gained so much traction in the blockchain industry. In this episode, we learn about the different position that bitcoin takes compared to other cryptocurrencies and David’s belief that bitcoin will form a foundational layer for the entire crypto economy. David describes bitcoin as digital gold and believes that, because of the economic principles backing the currency, the price of bitcoin has the potential to grow astronomically. In light of the current bear market, BTC Inc will be holding a conference this summer with a focus on making bitcoin fun again.

Topics covered:

-David’s initial belief that bitcoin was a scam and subsequent 180 degree turn.

-The formation of BTC Inc and the different market cycles it has been through.

-Bitcoin’s foundational value for entire crypto ecosystem.

-Advantages and disadvantages of Ethereum.

-Unfortunate toxicity and division around bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies

-The Bitcoin 2019 Conference happening in San Francisco on June 25 and 26.

-Focus of the conference is how to make bitcoin fun again.

Links for resources mentioned:

Bitcoin 2019 Conference: https://www.bitcoin2019conference.com/

BTC Inc: https://b.tc/

BTC Store: https://store.b.tc/

Bitcoin Magazine: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/

yBitcoin: https://www.ybitcoin.com/

David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidfbailey

Kicking off season two, this episode was recorded at the Crypto Invest Summit 2019 in Los Angeles. Joining Kelley Weaver are Tijana Damjanovic Gertner (Chief Marketing Officer of Anchor), Nash Foster (CEO of Pyrofex), and Ken Brooke (CEO of MetaX). The panel gives an explanation of their projects before getting into the focus of the discussion: mass adoption of blockchain technology.

The three guests are first asked about what their favorite use cases of blockchain are and how they are applying it to their own projects. Nash talks about what needs to happen to get cryptocurrency used in day-to-day transactions, including the social aspect implemented by some applications. With Ken’s project focusing on digital advertising, he explains why blockchain is so disruptive to the ad tech ecosystem. Next, Tijana discusses stablecoins, which aim to resolve the issue of volatility currently plaguing the crypto ecosystem. Tijana introduces Anchor as a non-flationary stablecoin indexed to global GDP. Ken offers his thoughts on when it makes sense to use blockchain technology versus when is it unnecessary. Tijana comments on issues pertaining to the current regulatory landscape. The panel finishes with guests talking about how long it will take for mass adoption to be achieved.

Topics covered:

- Introductions of Tijana, Nash, and Ken, plus their projects.

- The best use cases of blockchain technology and how each guest’s project contributes.

- Improvements that need to be made in the space to encourage mainstream adoption.

- Applications of blockchain to advertising.

- An explanation of the various types of stablecoins.

- Creating a better understanding of cryptocurrency for end users.

- When blockchain is required and when it is not.

- The biggest problems facing blockchain today.

- Issues faced by each guest in developing their own blockchain projects.

Links for resources mentioned:

https://cis.la/

https://metax.io/en/

https://pyrofex.io/

https://theanchor.io/

This week we feature Bryce Bladon, Founding Team Member of CryptoKitties and Director of Communications at Dapper Labs. For the past decade, he has been a communications consultant specializing in finding use cases for emerging technology. Bryce tells us about the launch of CryptoKitties in 2017, explains the game and its significance. He discusses the possibility of CryptoKitties being interoperable with other blockchain-based games in the future and how CryptoKitties may improve adoption generally. He then discusses what he hopes the long-term impact of this technology will be and informs us of how to get involved with CryptoKitties.

Topics covered:

- Bryce’s role at CryptoKitties and an explanation of what it is.

- How the idea of CryptoKitties came to be.

- The need for blockchain when it comes to CryptoKitties and their limited supply.

- The trillions of visual combinations possible with CryptoKitties.

- The latest innovations in CryptoKitties.

- The challenges of achieving mass adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency.

- Revenues in the gaming industry

Links to Resources:

https://www.cryptokitties.co/

https://twitter.com/cryptokitties

https://twitter.com/dapper_labs

https://twitter.com/brycebladon

Our guest today is Ian Balina, a full-time cryptocurrency investor who has travelled to 20 countries this year alone to research blockchain projects. He first became interested in blockchain while working at IBM. After making a humble investment into Bitcoin and Ethereum, Ian conducted additional research into blockchain, before finally quitting his job to invest full-time. He began by creating a spreadsheet of investment requirements to help him choose projects, a skill he had garnered in tech. The spreadsheet was a success and allowed Ian to make his first $1,000,000 within his first year as a full-time investor. Ian shares with us some key insights that he gained in the process and which current projects he is excited about. Looking forward, he describes how we will know when cryptocurrency has entered mainstream use.

Topics covered:

- Ian’s work history.

- IBM’s involvement with blockchain while Ian worked there.

- Ian’s growth as a cryptocurrency influencer.

- Finding patterns in ICO data.

- Investing in 0x and district0x.

- Investing in charitable causes.

- Establishing an investing system.

- Recent blockchain projects that Ian is a fan of.

- Issues facing the blockchain community and Ian’s experience of getting hacked.

- Ian’s return to his home country and giving back.

Links to Resources:

The Age of Cryptocurrency

Digital Gold

https://chromaway.com/

https://metahash.org/

https://phantasma.io/index.html

https://ianbalina.com/

In this week’s episode we share a recording of a panel discussion featured on the Women of Crypto stage as a part of LA Blockchain Week. This discussion is moderated by our Crypto Token Talk host, Kelley Weaver. The guests are Crystal Rose (CEO and co-founder of Sensay), Emily Bush (co-founder of shEOS), Sarah Austin (CMO and co-founder of SOMA Open Network), and Jessica VerSteeg (CEO and founder of Paragon).

The entrepreneurs share their journeys into blockchain. The group represents a diverse range of projects and each woman provides insights into the challenges that each industry has and is facing. They discuss current technological innovations that will develop blockchain and mass adoption.

The entrepreneurs each advise on key features of a startup and give recommendations for beginner entrepreneurs. To conclude, the women hypothesize about the future impact of crypto and blockchain.

Topics covered:

- Introductions to Crystal, Emily, Sarah, and Jessica.

- How each guest got involved in technology and blockchain.

- Unique problems that each woman faces in the projects they are a part of.

- Difficulties for blockchain and speculation towards it.

- Initial coin offerings (ICOs).

- Tips for anyone who wants to start a blockchain project.

- Having a team, an idea, coding, a product, and a mission.

- How to encourage the mass adoption of blockchain and the government trying to    prevent it.

- Visions of where the blockchain industry is headed from here.

- The creation of a global economy.

Jeremy Musighi, founder of Immutable Capital, joins the show today. He is an entrepreneur who began investing in Bitcoin in 2013 and has founded several companies. Immutable Capital started as a consultancy but is in the process of adding an investing branch. Jeremy shares with us how he thinks blockchain will change the way that society and government operate. He explains how blockchain can be used in developing countries to give individuals more financial freedom. Although he concedes that there will be roadblocks, he argues that the benefits will outweigh the difficulties. He concludes by sharing which educational resources have helped him build a foundational knowledge of crypto and blockchain.

Topics covered:

- Jeremy’s background and how he got started in crypto.

- What excites Jeremy about blockchain.

- Blockchain affecting developing countries.

- Why it matters for people in developing countries to have access to crypto.

- Barriers for cryptocurrency in developing nations.

- Smartphone and bank account access in these countries.

- Mobile money networks.

- Recommended resources.

Links to Resources:

Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond

Digital Currency Online Course

http://www.immutablecapital.fund/ (site coming soon)

https://medium.com/profoundaf

We are joined by Ana De Sousa who leads operations at FalconX, a cryptocurrency fintech company. Ana shares her vetting process for clients and how execution is perhaps the most important point of the process. She proposes the idea that the blockchain and crypto will continue to succeed and grow as industries because there are so many talented teams working to improve current industries or build new ones specifically for the blockchain. For Ana, however, her deep interest lies in applications dealing with privacy. She adamantly believes that any current issues or criticisms related to privacy in bitcoin or crypto exchange will be solved with time. Furthermore, she is optimistic that the ongoing regulation of crypto will not affect its followership. Ana is hopeful that the crypto space will advance greatly in the next decade. She finishes with advice for people who want to get involved with crypto.

Topics covered:

- Ana’s background and an introduction to FalconX.

- Differentiating good projects from great ones.

- Looking at the team vs. looking at the idea.

- Excitement for projects that promote mainstream adoption and onboarding.

- A project that Ana is excited about that involves privacy.

- Recent breaches in privacy leading to technological change.

- The privacy concerns of Bitcoin.

- The large number of projects trying to address blockchain transaction speed.

- Regulation concerns regarding cryptocurrency.

- Ana’s thoughts about how the cryptocurrency space is growing and welcoming new people.

- Advice for people who aren’t yet involved with crypto, such as encouraging discovery.

Links to resources:

https://falconx.io/

https://twitter.com/falconxnetwork

https://twitter.com/aptsousa

This week we are joined by Arthur Gervais, the CEO at Liquidity Network. Liquidity Network uses off-chain payments enabling high volume of fast trading and purchasing. Arthur explains that blockchain’s impact on the banking and finance industries can lead to revolutionary changes in the way that business is conducted, especially shifting who will be given access to participate in trade. He dives in to the use cases for these types of payments and explains how this off-chain system is different from current exchanges. Arthur concludes by asking our listeners to reach out with questions, advice and comments.

Topics covered:

- Arthur’s early days of cryptocurrency involvement.

- Financial uses of blockchain.

- The hourglass model.

- What Liquidity Network does.

- The transaction potential of Liquidity Network.

- Off-chain payments vs. on-chain payments.

- Use cases for micropayments.

- The volatility of transaction fees.

- The audience of Liquidity Network.

- Liquidity Network’s upcoming decentralized exchange.

- Why being decentralized is important.

- What’s next for blockchain in general.

Links to Resources:

https://t.me/liquiditynetwork/

Video Explanation of Offchain

Liquidity Network White Paper

Revive: Rebalancing Blockchain Payment Networks

Kevin Beauregard joins us today to discuss AUX-Augmented Exchange. Kevin began in blockchain and crypto in 2013 when he founded GoCoin, which processes fiat-to-crypto payments. Then in 2017, after working with various start-ups, he and a co-worker founded AUX. AUX is a decentralized auction that uses smart contracts and allows users to set their own values for tokenized assets. The platform is in beta stage and ready for use. Kevin shares with us the barriers he has faced in building the company and what he believes to be the greatest barriers to the expansion of crypto. He concludes the episode with resources for newcomers to the crypto space.

Topics covered:

- Kevin’s history in crypto.

- What AUX does.

- Fungible vs. non-fungible assets and how smart contracts work.

- Problems with auctions that have led to creating AUX.

- The types of assets that should be tokenized.

- The ongoing AUX beta and how to get started.

- The future of blockchain and its liquidity.

- What needs to happen in the crypto space to allow growth.

- The need for decentralization.

- The next steps that AUX is taking.

Resource Links:

Nick Szabo's explanation of Smart Contracts

Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond

https://www.auxplatform.com/auctions

https://www.auxplatform.com

https://www.facebook.com/auxtoken

https://twitter.com/auxtoken

https://medium.com/@auxtoken

Today we are joined by Simona Pop, Head of Marketing & Community for The Bounties Network. This network created and uses the Bounties protocol, which enables users to create tasks across any vertical business. The user pays in ETH or any ERC20 token in order to incentivize behaviour. The protocol allows people to impart change in global communities and shift cultural norms all together. Some use cases of Bounties Network include broadening access to blockchain for people with non-technical backgrounds and for non-English speakers, cleaning up oceans and providing free education. Simona is passionate about using blockchain to strengthen a global sense of community. She discusses how blockchain is so much more than an investing tool; she believes the technology can change our world. She wraps up by encouraging listeners to contact her with social impact suggestions and sharing some advice about blockchain.

Topics covered:

- How Simona discovered crypto and started the Bounties Network.

- Use cases for the Bounties Network, both live and hypothetical.

- The technological barrier to blockchain.

- Incentivizing and organizing actions.

- Changing the current lack of sense of community in the world.

- Blockchain’s ability to level the playing field.

- Challenges facing the Bounties Network.

- Rewarding people for getting educated.

- The Bounties for the Oceans campaign.

- Examples of ideas for the Bounties Network.

Links to Resources:

https://bounties.network/

https://twitter.com/ethbounties

https://medium.com/bounties-network/bounties-for-the-oceans-sustained-verifiable-plastic

https://twitter.com/sim_pop

Joining us today is Dylan Dewdney to talk about Mimblewimble. Mimblewimble protocol was started anonymously and allows cryptocurrency transactions to be conducted without sharing any previous transaction history. He explains that this element of security is what will enable crypto be truly fundgible. With exchanges becoming increasingly targeted by regulation, Dylan proposes that this security feature of Minblewimble will eliminate the need for most centralized exchanges altogether. Dylan concludes with advice for newcomers who want to get involved with crypto.

Topics covered:

- Dylan’s discovery of cryptocurrency.

- How the idea for the Mimblewimble protocol came to be.

- What things can be powered by Mimblewimble.

- The anonymity of the protocol.

- Potential government regulation of Mimblewimble and the whole crypto space.

- The dominance and future of exchanges.

- A closer look at the term “fungible” and how it relates to crypto.

- Completing a mass volume of daily transactions.

- Dylan’s specific involvement with Mimblewimble.

- Advice for newcomers.

Resource Links:

https://www.beam-mw.com/

https://t.me/BeamPrivacy

https://twitter.com/beamprivacy

Our guest today is Sloane Trugman, an advisor and activist in blockchain. Sloane focuses her work on social impact and believes that blockchain can assist in solving the 17 sustainable goals that the UN intends to fix by 2030. She explains that cryptocurrency functions better than fiat in trying to solve global issues because crypto does not belong to any of the current geo-political economies; it lies outside of the current practiced industries. She expounds by providing examples of how blockchain can be used to track resources so that items such as food will not get wasted, and how voting can be democratized.

Topics covered:

- How Sloane first got involved with cryptocurrency.

- Advising companies and using cryptocurrencies creatively.

- Blockchain for Impact.

- Why fiat won’t work to solve all the problems in the world.

- The 20th century models of investment and growth.

- Blockchain’s use in delivering information.

- How measurable success regarding the UN’s 17 goals can be achieved with crypto.

- Tracking resources and creating new governance models.

- Using blockchain in the democratic process.

Resources Links:

IG: @SloaneJoieTrugman

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

http://katapultaccelerator.com/

http://www.sloanetrugman.com

https://www.updatadproject.org/

http://www.amunetinsights.com

http://www.cybersatsummit.com

mailto:hello@sloanetrugman.com

This episode welcomes Micah Winkelspecht, Founder and CEO of Gem. Micah first discovered blockchain while working as a programmer. Today Gem is launching a new user friendly wallet designed specifically for non-blockchain-saavy users. Gem has undergone several iterations and released multiple blockchain related products, but Micah maintains that the goal for him has always been to give access and power back to the individual.

The newest product launch from Gem does just this. It’s a wallet and portfolio tracker, that manages all of a user’s activities in one space. The wallet goes live in 2019.

Outside of making blockchain more accessible to the public, Micah is an enthusiast who is passionate about the industry and speaks openly about the need for security. More specifically, he comments on a recent article about the security risks associated with cell phone carriers and how they can be avoided.

Topics covered:

- Micah’s programming background and discovery of Bitcoin.

- Creating a crypto wallet library.

- The bear market of 2015.

- Gem aids large corporation with blockchain security.

- Moving towards a decentralized society.

- Gem’s portfolio tracker and upcoming wallet.

- The adoption rate of cryptocurrency and building products for the next wave.

- Best security practices.

- Leaders in blockchain.

- Getting involved with cryptocurrency as a newcomer.

Resources Links:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2016/12/20/hackers-have-stolen-millions-of-dollars-in-bitcoin-using-only-phone-numbers/

https://blog.kraken.com/post/219/security-advisory-mobile-phones/

https://www.youtube.com/aantonop

https://twitter.com/brockpierce

https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf

https://gem.co/

mailto:micah@gem.co

https://twitter.com/winkelspecht

Our guest today is Zayi Reyes, VP Marketing at MetaX. She began working at MetaX in in it’s early stages when the company was first transitioning to blockchain. Now MetaX is partnered with ConsenSys and Microsoft for the adChain Registry project. Adchain Registry is a community-curated whitelist on the Ethereum mainnet for the advertising industry.

Zayi explains how websites can apply to be added to the whitelist and acceptance is decided on by participant voting. She emphasizes that marketing is key to enabling mainstream adoption of blockchain.

To conclude, Zayi shares some of her favorite potential applications and shares resources on expanding blockchain knowledge and awareness.

Topics covered:

- Zayi’s responsibilities at MetaX.

- How Zayi got involved with cryptocurrency.

- adChain Registry and what it wants to accomplish.

- Applying domains on adChain.

- Marketing strategies for adChain.

- Marketing in relation to mainstream cryptocurrency adoption.

- The blockchain applications that Zayi is excited about.

- Zayi’s recommended resources.

Resource Links:

https://metax.io/

https://publisher.adchain.com/

mailto:hello@metax.io

https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/blockchain/

http://www.weekinethereum.com/

https://epicenter.tv/

http://unchainedpodcast.co/

Steve Beauregard is founder and chairman at GoCoin and chief revenue officer at Bloq. Steve shares his experiences starting out GoCoin and explains to us the premise behind the platform. GoCoin lets merchants safely and easily accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as payments.

After GoCoin, Steve transitioned to Bloq which is a B2B that delivers comprehensive, blockchain solutions to businesses. He shares with us the roadblocks that he’s faced in working with the evolving technology in the past and local projects that excite him now. Steve concludes the interview by sharing some personal relationships in the space that have helped him grow.

Topics Covered:

-   How GoCoin came to be and what purpose it serves.

-   GoCoin helps mitigate the risk of crypto price volatility.

-   Bloq is tackling challenges in the blockchain application space.

-   Opportunities and challenges seen today with blockchain networks.

-   Tax complications caused by using crypto.

-   Steve’s favorite applications of blockchain technology.

Resources Links:

https://www.cointaxes.com/

https://lucidity.tech/

https://kodakone.com/

https://www.auxtoken.com/

https://www.coindesk.com/

https://old.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/

https://www.academytoken.com/

https://twitter.com/GoBloqSteve

Susan Brazer is a digital and mobile transformation exec. She has launched disruptive digital media and mobile platforms globally and has worked for companies such as Apple, DirecTV, Viacom, and Nokia. Currently, Susan is an investment advisor with Decentralized Global and the CEO of LionShare Media.

LionShare is a platform that integrates video streaming and blockchain tech to create a decentralized distribution platform.

This episode gives us an inside look into both businesses and uncovers various aspects of investing in blockchain.

Topics covered:

- How Susan and Decentralized Global evaluate companies to invest in.

- Investment strategies: long-term hold, quick exit, or a mix? Every deal is unique.

- Evolving security laws, Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML).

- Countries fostering innovation and welcoming ICOs.

- Negative and positive experiences working globally.

- The excitement around blockchain space and how the speed of change is faster than other technologies in the past.

- How blockchain tech is changing the media space, including media delivery apps for content creators, helping to make way for “frictionless media.”

- Advice for people who want to get involved in the blockchain industry.

Resources Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbrazer

https://twitter.com/sbrazer

http://www.lionsharemedia.com

https://www.thundercore.com

https://zilliqa.com

susan@lionsharemedia.com

This episode of Crypto Token Talk was recorded live with Arun Kalaiselvan, co-founder and CTO of Blockdaemon; Niki Williams, Community Curator of ConsenSys; and Cyrus Taghehchian, co-founder and CEO of Splyt at the General Assembly camplus in Santa Monica.

The panel focuses on how blockchain applies and can apply to various industries such as gaming and e-commerce. All three guests give their take on how far away they think we as consumers are from interacting with blockchain technology, how we should make sure it is user friendly, and the extent of awareness the general public may have about the technology.

The guests discuss various career routes that can lead to involvement with the blockchain community and share how people can begin interacting with crypto and learn from trustworthy news sources.

Topics covered:

- A brief background of each guest’s company.

- How blockchain will affect gaming.

- The industries that ConsenSys is influencing.

- The problems with present-day e-commerce.

- An open discussion about how far away we as consumers are from interacting with blockchain technology, how it     should be kept user friendly, and how noticeable it will be to users.

- How to get involved in blockchain no matter what your professional background is.

- How to tell if a company is just using “blockchain” as a buzzword for publicity.

- Ways that beginners can interact with blockchain and cryptocurrency.

- Recommendations of where to get news about cryptocurrency and blockchain.

- Various databases that could be used instead of blockchain.

- Who would be responsible for a bug on the blockchain.

Resource Links:

https://blockdaemon.com/

https://consensys.net

https:/spl.yt

https://metamask.io/

https://www.uport.me/

https://old.reddit.com/r/ethereum/

https://old.reddit.com/r/ethdev/

https://old.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/

https://trezor.io/

https://mycrypto.com/account

http://www.reinventingorganizations.com/

https://steemit.com/

https://blockchainweekly.net/

https://medium.com/@ConsenSys

mailto:arun@blockdaemon.com

mailto:niki.williams@consensys.net

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikiah

mailto:cyrus@spl.yt

https://twitter.com/cyrusinc

http://blocktune.io/

Today’s guest is Kirill Bensonoff from Caviar, a crypto trading platform. Kirill shares how he transitioned from working for a web hosting company to becoming an early investor in Bitcoin. Since his initial investment in 2013, Kirill has become a blockchain advisor and the host of the Boston Crypto Meetup, founder of the Boston Blockchain & AI Angels group. Recently, Kirill wrote about the advantages of bear markets and discusses with us strategies to get through one. He segues to discuss the current shift from crowdfunding to private capital and his assessment of the role of venture capitalists in crypto investing. The episode closes with some advice and resources to entrepreneurs and people who want to get more involved in the space.

Topics covered:

- Kirill’s diverse background in technology.

- How Kirill is currently involved in crypto.

- Buying a Bitcoin in-person in 2013.

- Kirill’s recent article about bear markets.

- Strategies that can be used during bear markets.

- Investment from venture capitalists (VCs) vs. crowdfunding.

- What Caviar does.

- Tokenizing real estate.

- Advice for other entrepreneurs involved with crypto.

- Advice for beginners in crypto.

Links:

https://caviar.io/

mailto:kirill@caviar.io

https://twitter.com/prankstr25

https://www.linkedin.com/in/prankstr25

https://www.tradingview.com/

Cryptoassets: Innovative Investors Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond

Anita Motwani is the head of business development for Celsius in North America. Celsius is a new way to deposit, borrow, and earn interest with crypto. The platform allows users to earn up to 5% interest while they HODL, or borrow fiat at 9% against crypto stored in a Celsius wallet.

 They’re aiming to get the next 100 million people into cryptocurrency, and offer an option for those who want to HODL but need cash right away. By taking a loan rather than selling the crypto, users can also avoid large capital gains hits.

Currently, Celsius is only lending to institutions, but their goal is to have the protocol available to everybody. The hope is to provide crypto banking services on the international scale.

Topics covered:

- How Celsius works and why people would want to borrow against their crypto.

- What happens if the price of crypto fluctuates during your loan period.

- Technology behind the Celsius platform and how it’s secured.

- How Celsius earns and pays interest.

- What happens if you want your crytpo back.

- Blockchain technology and adoption around the world.

- Types of business partnerships Celsius is currently looking for.

- Following Akon and acoin development.

Links:

https://celsius.network/

https://medium.com/search?q=cryptocurrency

https://cointelegraph.com/

https://bitcoinnews.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/advancedcryptoassettrading/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitamotwanidean

This episode’s guest is Juan Hernandez, CEO of OpenFinance Network. Juan introduces us to the OpenFinance trading platform and explains why there is a high demand for security token trading. He offers up information about the different types of security tokens and why he believes they are the key to attracting more mainstream users for crypto trading. We conclude with Juan’s recommendations for first-timers hoping to get involved in crypto.

Topics covered:

- Juan’s eighteen years of experience in technology and finance.

- What OpenFinance Network does.

- The difference between a security token and a utility token.

- Investing in STOs (security token offerings) and the four different types.

- Juan’s entry point into the crypto space.

- The recent launch of the OpenFinance Network trading platform.

- The user interface of the platform.

- Tasks that Juan sees as a struggle for crypto users.

- The next six months-one year in cryptocurrency and an upcoming buzzword.

- OpenFinance Network’s partners and advisors.

- What’s on the horizon for OpenFinance Network.

Resource Links:

https://www.openfinance.io/

OpenFinance Telegram Link

https://www.securitytokenacademy.com/

@OpenFinanceIO

Tricia Martinez is Founder & CEO at Wala and Director at Dala Foundation. In this episode, Tricia explains how her research led her to use blockchain to encourage financial growth in emerging markets. The foundation Dala and company Wala are able to operate on a no-fee model and aid consumers and small business owners who are often left out of the current financial markets.

Wala is a no-fee financial app for emerging markets, and Dala is a multi-chain open-source crypto asset. Wala is the first major contributor to Dala’s open source development, and the first open source application to allow the use of Dala for transactions and peer-to-peer transfers.

Tricia discovered that emerging parts of the world were hungry for a financial system that worked for users and small business owners. It may come as a surprise, but even in emerging countries, cell phones are quite popular, so the idea to use them for peer-to-peer transactions makes complete sense. Adoption has been extremely fast, providing even more evidence that there’s a demand for this type of service and that people can be empowered in a sometimes unbalanced economy.

Topics covered:

-   Crypto in emerging markets.

-   Financial challenges in emerging markets.

-   Creating a system that’s fair, borderless, and geared towards ignnored consumers.

-   Research findings on universal basic income.

-   How Dala and Wala are have experience fast adoption and  growth.

-   Why decentralization is key in creating financial support in a growing economy.

-   Multi-chain cryptocurrencies.

-   The relationship between Dala and Wala, and how they’re able to operate on a no-fee basis.

-   What’s coming next for Dala and Wala.

Links:

https://dala.org/

https://www.bitwala.com/

https://twitter.com/TriciaTita

https://twitter.com/GetWala

Telegram: t.me/getwala

David Bleznak is the founder and CEO of Totle, a game-changing ERC-20 token trading platform. The idea for Totle sprung from several challenges that David encountered when he first started trading crypto. He wanted to make everything from balancing his portfolio to dealing with multiple exchanges, and using spreadsheets streamlined, accessible and simple.

Totle aims to provide the very best possible user experience to its users. In developing the Totle platform, the user interface was designed before moving on blockchain integration, making Totle a user friendly, decentralized trading platform for everyone-even non aficionados.

Currently in beta, Totle’s decentralized exchange platform brings a host of benefits for users, making crypto trading accessible to anyone.

Topics covered:

Links

https://www.totle.com/

http://medium.com/totle

https://t.me/totleinc

http://www.facebook.com/totlecrypto

mailto:david@totle.com

Bailey Reutzel, one of the editors at CoinDesk, joins us this week. She shares with us her journey into the counterculture crypto community and the various projects and stories that eventually led her to her current role at CoinDesk.

Bailey divulges the types of stories she is interested in covering and that most often her goal is to follow the interests of her readers. Analyzing the needs of the reader is the key for Bailey. Her years of experience and knowledge in the crypto scene have eased the challenge of uncovering the core events of the crypto communities. Bailey encourages entrepreneurs and communications teams to similarly consider the needs and interests of the reader when pitching to reporters. We conclude by hearing what resources Bailey likes to use to keep up on crypto, how Twitter may not always be the best resource and her advice for newcomers to the space.

Topics covered:

- Bailey’s background and how she first discovered crypto.

- Writing about the initial coin offering (ICO) boom of 2017.

- Figuring out which projects are legitimate and which aren’t.

- Choosing which coins and tokens to report on.

- What entrepreneurs should be mindful of when emailing CoinDesk for coverage.

- Industries that Bailey thinks blockchain can disrupt and her skepticism.

- Who Bailey looks up to in the cryptocurrency world.

- Having to read everything to get the right information.

- Bailey’s recommendations for learning about the industry.

- How Bitcoin has changed over the years.

Links:

https://www.coindesk.com/author/baileyreutzel/

https://twitter.com/blr13

https://twitter.com/_kevin_pham

https://twitter.com/lopp

The Internet of Money by Andreas M. Antonopoulos

Today’s guest is Gavin Douglas, CEO of iPowow and founder of the HIT protocol, the media company’s blockchain initiative for empowering all players in the ecosystem. iPowow is a participation TV platform which has been experimenting with the use of blockchain and their own token. From the beginning of Gavin’s career, he sought to further engagement between viewers and the content they watched. It wasn’t until 2010 when the technology caught up to his dream and he was able to found iPowow with a group of engineers and TV producers. iPowow founded the idea of “Participation TV” by developing the technology to connect viewers directly to TV content through their second screen device (i.e. smart phones, iPads, etc.). The next iteration in iPowow’s mission to deepen connections between viewers and content providers is to tokenize content viewing by moving iPowow onto the blockchain. In this episode, Gavin delves into this journey, explaining that surrounding himself with experts in storytelling and emerging technology has been key to his success.

Topics covered:

- Gavin’s background in television and creating iPowow.

- Hiring producers for iPowow when everyone was telling Gavin to hire engineers.

- What excites Gavin about the HIT protocol.

- Where iPowow has been used.

- How Gavin first discovered blockchain and crypto.

- Adding value to iPowow with a points system.

- The HIT token and monetizing people’s attention.

- Rewarding people for sharing their data and redeeming HIT tokens.

- Seeing the opportunity in blockchain and transitioning into it.

- Building a business in crypto.

- Feedback that iPowow has received about using blockchain.

- Advertising on iPowow and maintaining trust with users.

- How people will interact with HIT tokens.

 Links

http://www.ipowow.com/

https://twitter.com/ipowow

https://medium.com/@HitProtocol

mailto:gdouglas@ipowow.com

Nisa Amoils is a venture capital investor with experience as an entrepreneur, a media executive, and a corporate lawyer. She also writes for Forbes and Blockchain Magazine. Nisa tells us about how being part of an Angel Group in New York first got her interested in crypto back in 2013. Today, in addition to investing in blockchain companies, she also works closely with new companies to build communities and raise capital. Nisa educates us about all the industries that blockchain can change, ICO controversies and the adoption rate of cryptocurrency. She shares with us how to create more crypto adoption. To close, Nisa recommends her favorite blockchain literature, with a special focus on a recent book that a colleague of hers wrote.

Topics covered:

- Nisa’s previous investments in technology.

- How Nisa discovered crypto and her interest in disruptive technology.

- The tools that Nisa used to discover more about crypto and blockchain.

- Nisa’s day-to-day involvement with cryptocurrency companies.

- Projects that have the potential to change the world.

- Use cases for blockchain in a variety of industries and why Nisa likes them.

- People that Nisa respects in the crypto space.

- Things that even Nisa find complicated and intimidating in the crypto space.

- How adoption of the industry can be accelerated.

- Recommendations on how people can get started with cryptocurrency.

- The relationship between internet of things, artificial intelligence, and blockchain.

- The openness of the blockchain community.

Links for resources mentioned:

http://nisaamoils.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nisaamoils

https://twitter.com/amoilsnisa

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nisaamoils/ https://www.blockchainmagazine.net/author/nisaamoils/

Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin & Other Cryptocurrencies Is Changing the World

The Business Blockchain: Promise, Practice, and Application of the Next Internet Technology

Masters of Blockchain & Initial Coin Offerings: The rise of Bitcoin, Ethereum, ICOs

Today we chat with Kunal Desai, a crypto millionaire and the CEO of Bulls on Crypto Street. He tells us about his background in trading stocks and how he began trading cryptocurrency, reflecting on how few websites hosted trading back then. Kunal describes Bulls on Crypto Street as a one-stop-shop for crypto, containing news, blogs, and classes. He advises us about the best ways for beginners to get involved in cryptocurrency. This segues into which exchanges he uses the most and a discussion on Alt coins, their volatility and growth potential. He mentions that many coins on the market have no use and are not a viable investment. Kunal discusses the importance of having a plan in trading. He closes by sharing his methods on teaching students with varied levels of knowledge in trading and in crypto.

Topics covered:

- How Kunal began as a trader of cryptocurrency. - The difference in terminology between crypto and stock trading.

- What Bulls on Crypto Street does.

- How to start with cryptocurrency as a beginner.

- Differences between various exchanges.

- Alt coins and finding the right alt coin to invest in.

- Trading vs. investing.

- The change in sentiment from last fall’s bull market to the current bear market.

- How to trade in a bear market.

- Bulls on Crypto Street offerings and prices.

- Kunal’s present involvement with the stock market.

- Advice for getting through the bear market.

https://bullsoncryptostreet.com/

https://bullsonwallstreet.com/

https://twitter.com/kunal00

https://www.instagram.com/kunal00/

https://www.youtube.com/user/BULLSONWALLSTREET

https://www.youtube.com/channel/Tone Vays

https://www.tradingview.com/

https://coinmarketcap.com/

https://www.coinbase.com/

https://www.binance.com/

https://bittrex.com/

Today we welcome Jacqueline “JK” Kwok. JK has a background in finance, with most of her career spent in private equity. Now, she is Head of Business Development for Arcana, which is envisioned to be the “cryptocurrency home” for consumers. JK tells us about the Arcana Wallet’s Smart Vault Technology, which will store users’ cryptocurrency offline. She describes the issues with hardware wallets and how features of Arcana will be superior, including passive income and automatically claiming forked coins. JK then discusses the use of insurance and know-your-customer processes to keep Arcana legally compliant for the long-term. We hear about Arcana’s minimum viable product launch and device compatibility, along with uses for its token. The Arcana Wallet will support Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, ERC20, NEO, and NEP-5 tokens initially, but JK tells us what lies in the roadmap for further support. This leads us into hearing about what else Arcana wants to accomplish this year. Finally, JK tells us what needs to happen next for blockchain and cryptocurrency to grow and how Arcana is helping in that.

Topics covered:

- How JK first got introduced to Bitcoin in China.

- What Arcana aims to be.

- The Arcana Wallet and Smart Vault Technology, which uses cold storage.

- How Arcana can help earn passive income.

- An explanation of forked coins and claiming them.

- Arcana’s legal compliancy.

- The wallet’s minimum viable product launch and token.

- Future coin support.

- What Arcana will do in 2018.

- Paid vs. non-paid features of the Arcana Wallet.

- JK’s thoughts on what will bring crypto to the next level.

Links:

http://unchainedpodcast.co/

https://www.ccn.com/

https://medium.com/

https://arcanawallet.com/

https://t.me/arcanawallet

https://twitter.com/arcanawallet

https://medium.com/@arcanawallet

https://steemit.com/@arcanawallethttps://t.me/notjk

Today’s guest is Peter Kirby, CEO of Kuvera. Peter and his co-founder Mahesh Paolini-Subramanya were first involved with the Factom project, before they stepped away to pursue Kuvera. They did this because they saw an interesting opportunity to move real-world assets on to the blockchain. Peter explains how Kuvera will be useful in solving real-world problems like the process of getting a mortgage and buying property. We learn that selling mortgages is even more complicated because of the data that is attached to them. Peter says that blockchain can simplify these systems by allowing all parties to look at the same, untampered mortgage data. He explains the status of Kuvera today and what the future holds for Kuvera. As Peter and his team move forward, he shares some of his insights into gathering additional educational information about the industry.

Topics covered:

- Success with Factom and starting Kuvera.

- Moving the mortgage market into the 21st century with Kuvera.

- The archaic use of a large amount of paper when getting a mortgage.

- The current process of selling a mortgage and data verification.

- The stage that Kuvera is in and transferring mortgages to the blockchain.

- Working with institutions and demonstrating value.

Links:

https://www.kuvera.network/

mailto:peter@kuvera.network

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-kirby-50034a6

The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money Are Challenging the Global Economic Order

The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and the Future of Everything

Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor's Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond

https://multicoin.capital/

https://www.usv.com/

https://www.meetup.com/Austin-Bitcoin-Meetup/

We sit down with Chitra Ragavan, Chief Strategy Officer of Gem. She tells us about how she first got involved with cryptocurrency, including having to get clearance from the US government before investing. She worked with colleagues who were interested in cryptocurrency and they played a large role in making the space attractive to her. Having a background in journalism, she gives insight on the drama and unreliable sources often associated with crypto. That leads into Gem, which is focused on being an all- encompassing platform in which users can buy new tokens, learn about them, view all digital assets in one place, and more. Chitra talks about what sets Gem apart from the rest of the crowd, with a heavy focus on user interface. She then lets us know which news sources she trusts and people in her life who send her questionable crypto news articles. To finish, Chitra gives advice about how beginners should start investing in cryptocurrency and recommendations for people who are interested in a career in cryptocurrency.

Topics covered: - Chitra buying her first bit of Bitcoin. - How she evolved from being just a beginner. - Thoughts on untrustworthy crypto news and controversy. - What Gem offers to people and what else it has in mind. - Key features that make Gem unique. - Chitra’s favorite places to get cryptocurrency news. - What to do when you want to start investing in cryptocurrency. - Obtaining a career in cryptocurrency.

Links:

https://unconfirmed.libsyn.com/ http://unchainedpodcast.co/ https://tim.blog/2017/06/04/nick-szabo/ https://www.wsj.com/ https://www.nytimes.com/ https://www.economist.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-blockchain-crypto-books-list-wont-let-you-down-kelley-weaver https://gem.co/

chitra@gem.co https://www.linkedin.com/in/chitraragavan

Jason and Cyrus are co-founders of Spl.yt, which is focused on reinventing e-commerce and displacing the major players in the space. They believe in providing equal opportunity in online marketplaces. Cyrus describes how Spl.yt will be able to work with affiliate marketing, while Jason shines a light on the problems that exist with affiliate marketing today. We then learn about the fractural ownership possibilities with using Spl.yt, its target market, competitor limitations and the benefits of Spl.yt to sellers. Jason and Cyrus tell us about how Science Inc., a successful start-up investment firm, has worked alongside Spl.yt. Cyrus then discusses what it’s like to build a company from the ground up. We finish off by getting some recommendations of who to follow in the blockchain space.

Topics covered:

- What Spl.yt wants to accomplish and how.

- How affiliate marketing will work with Spl.yt.

- What is wrong with affiliate marketing in its current state.

- How Spl.yt makes it possible for multiple people to buy and share items.

- How Shopify can be complimented with Spl.yt.

- Science Inc.’s involvement.

- Cyrus’ transition from consulting for other businesses to starting his own.

- How an average person can start to get involved in blockchain.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=richie+etwaru

Matchmakers: The New Economics of Multisided Platforms

https://old.reddit.com/r/ethereum/

https://old.reddit.com/r/CryptoCurrency/

https://theinternetofmoney.info/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl8OlkkwRpc

https://www.splyt/

https://t.me/splyt

https://twitter.com/cyrusinc

https://twitter.com/jasonthehealer

Ada Jonušė, a former politician, is the CEO and co-founder of Lympo. Lympo is creating a healthy lifestyle ecosystem beginning with the Lympo app, which motivates people to exercise. The app launches in September and will be tested soon in Lithuania by approximately 15,000 marathon runners. Testing in South Korea and the USA is expected as well. Ada discusses Lympo’s recently announced partnership with the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and the excitement and results that Lympo has already created before the launch of the app. She tells us about her involvement with W@Tech and her experience of being a female founder in the blockchain industry, including some struggles she’s faced.

Topics covered:

- Ada’s background and how she first discovered crypto.

- The problems that Lympo solves.

- Upcoming events that Lympo will be working with.

- Dallas Mavericks partnership.

- How to get involved with Lympo pre-launch.

- The W@Tech platform.

- What it’s like to be a female involved with blockchain.

Links:

https://lympo.io/

https://www.mavs.com/dallas-mavericks-lympo-app-announce-multi-year-partnership-promote-health-fitness-tech/

https://www.womenat.com/w-tech-events

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ada-jonuse-9766364b

Digital Gold/ Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money

http://unchainedpodcast.co/

https://cryptonews.com/

Saul Hudson is a co-founder of Angle 42 which is a consulting agency that acts as a communications directorate for blockchain start-ups. Angle 42 completes tasks such as finding the right PR agency or Community Manager for the start-up. Saul, who has a background in journalism, tells us how he explains blockchain technology to people who are brand new to it. He discusses at what point Angle 42 begins to collaborate with start-ups and the need for various professionals in the blockchain space, then tells us what the biggest changes in the space have been since he got involved. We gain insight on if he thinks any certain projects will be game-changers, along with how he selects worthy projects to partner with. Saul lets us know who he admires in the blockchain space and why some technological people are not great at communication. He then provides advice on how to get involved in crypto for anyone who wants to start and the skeptical bias that mainstream media outlets may have towards this new industry. Saul tells us why going to cryptocurrency conferences is a great way to get educated.

Topics covered:

- Jobs that are often overlooked by start-ups.

- How being in journalism and finance led Saul to blockchain.

- The way Saul explains blockchain to beginners.

- What stage a start-up can benefit from using a consulting agency.

- The growing scope of blockchain technology and how quickly it is changing.

- Criteria that projects should meet before teaming up with Angle 42.

- Distinguishing a legitimate project from lesser ones.

- Who impresses Saul in this emerging space and how it is welcoming to newcomers.

- The approach that should be taken when being exposed to cryptocurrency news.

Links:

https://www.coindesk.com/

https://cointelegraph.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/saul-hudson-2ab9228

Kim LaFleur is the Director of Client Services for Security Token Academy, which is the first video platform focused on security token offerings (STOs). Security Token Academy provides insights to security token enthusiasts, investors, and issuers. Kim takes us through the process of how she vets the tokens that are featured on the platform, from reviewing partners to social media presence.

In addition to Security Token Academy, Kim recommends other legitimate resources of cryptocurrency information. She talks about the platform’s Regulatory Review, which informs viewers of new things happening in the US and all over the world, and about the upcoming Security Token Academy Summit in New York City on June 11. We are informed about what exactly will be taking place at the summit as Security Token Academy continues to pioneer this space. Kim then discusses what traits she looks for when determining a good interviewer and interviewee and some of the specific issues that apply to the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. The episode concludes with Kim telling us how she thinks blockchain can change the journalism industry.

Topics covered: - A background of Kim LaFleur and Security Token Academy, including how she entered this industry. - How projects are vetted at Security Token Academy and how issuers can differentiate themselves from other projects. - What Kim thinks is required for good reporting on crypto, including her own recommendations of who to follow. - If there are any projects that Kim is particularly excited about. - The Security Token Academy Summit - Desired traits of a good interviewer and good interviewee. - Issues that are specific to the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. - The future of journalism in relation to blockchain.

Links:

https://www.securitytokenacademy.com/

While working abroad, Felipe Huicochea had his pay blocked by both a bank and PayPal. Next, he tried Bitcoin, and it worked perfectly. As a software engineer, from this moment, Felipe became extremely interested in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

He started Criptomonedas after noticing that Spanish-language crypto and blockchain resources were scarce.

In this episode, Felipe talks about the uses for crypto in developing countries that we rarely see discussed, why the current financial system will have a serious problem with future generations, the bitcoin lightning network, and innovations in mining.

Topics covered: 

- How cryptocurrencies benefit developing countries in ways that  most of us never hear discussed.

- The main issue big banks and the existing financial system will    face with future generations. 

- Ease of sending money internationally and across borders. 

- Bitcoin lightning network functionality and benefits.

- Innovations being driven by incentive, particularly in the area of mining.

Links for resources mentioned:

https://criptomonedas.org/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbK6Awel1-o-9JDVMFq808Q

Andreas M. Antonopoulos

Leigh Cuen is a journalist at Coindesk and joins us today to talk about the intersection of cryptocurrency and the sex industry.

Both of these spaces have many misconceptions from people outside of the industries, and Leigh is here to help quash them.  

One of the most important things Leigh points out is that if the service is lawful, using crypto to pay is lawful. Pornography, exotic dancing, escorting, and other adult services are perfectly legal and regulated in many areas, therefore they should not carry a negative connotation, and nor should cryptocurrency simply for being a method of payment.

In fact, cryptocurrency can help the end workers in these industries become more financially independent. Despite being legal, one issue that adult services sometimes face is discrimination from banks and payment processors simply because of a stigma or moral grounds.

Leigh explains the challenges faced by those in the sex industry, and how blockchain and cryptocurrencies can help - all while remaining completely legal and compliant with regulations.

Topics covered:

- Misconceptions surrounding the sex industry and cryptocurrencies.

- The need to reduce stigmas surrounding the sex industry.

- It is lawful to pay with crypto for any lawful service.

- Challenges faced by those in the adult and sex industry.

- How blockchain and cryptocurrencies can help sex industry workers with decentralized payments and platforms.

Links:

https://www.coindesk.com/author/lcuen/

https://twitter.com/La__Cuen

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighcuen/

The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and the Future of Everything

https://swop.org.au/

Parker McCurley

Parker McCurley is an Ethereum programmer and co-founder of the company Decent. He is a firm believer in open source software, access to free education materials, and the general sentiment of the decentralization movement. He hopes by focusing on the technical, hard facts of how blockchain systems function and can be applied to practical problems, him and his company Decent can promote a focus on technical innovation and real value in the blockchain community.

Show Highlights:

- Parker’s experience in the crypto industry.

- What got him industry in blockchain tech.

- How Decent helps others adapt to a decentralized world.

- Why open source software is so important to Blockchain tech.

- Services offered by Decent: software development, crowd sales, smart contracts, security audits, consulting, mining.

Links:

mailto:parker@decentcrypto.com

http://www.decentcrypto.com

Emma Channing is the founder and general counsel of Statis group, a premier ICO advisory group. The Satis Group provides end-to-end ICO advisory services including token and offering structuring, legal and tax advice coordination, token / smart contract creation, and investor outreach.

Statis is able to be selective in the companies they decide to work with, so Emma explains what they look for when making these decisions, along with her thoughts on ICOs including recent trends and advantages vs. disadvantages.

Regulations on ICOs in the U.S. have been encouraging most to go offshore. Emma tells us whether she thinks this will continue, shares about her experience as a female leader in the blockchain space, along with advice for people looking for a career in blockchain or crypto.

Topics covered:

- How Statis Group chooses which companies to work with.

- Recent trends in ICOs.

- Advantages and disadvantages to ICOs.

- Predictions for the blockchain and crypto industry.

- Regulations surrounding ICOs in the U.S.

- Emma’s experience as a female leader in the blockchain industry.

- Advice for people looking to get a career in the blockchain & crypto space.

Links:

http://satisgroup.io/

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Gold-Bitcoin-Millionaires-Reinvent/dp/0062362496

https://www.nytimes.com/by/nathaniel-popper

https://www.wsj.com/news/author/7296

https://www.coindesk.com/

John Wise is the CEO & Chairman of the Board of Loci, software is the poised to be the leader of the next generation of search engines, specifically allowing the claim and discovery of patents, inventions, and ideas using the Ethereum blockchain.

John has extensive technical and engineering management experience and is also an experienced inventor in auto racing technologies with around 1000 inventions.

Show Highlights:

- When and where John encountered cryptocurrencies for the first time.

- What is the company Loci and what does it do?

- How using Blockchain can make IP discovery of patenting smoother.

- What is “Invent”

Links for resources mentioned:

www.loci.io

Loci Linkedin

Loci Twitter

John Wise Linkedin

Holochain is a team full of ambition, with the goal of reinventing the internet so there’s no company sitting between us or supporting us and anything we want to do. They believe in the power of a truly peer-to-peer internet, and are building a distributed cloud.

Joining us today from Holochain are Matthew Schutte, director of communications, and Sami Van Ness, director of digital marketing.

Topics covered:

- Holo’s vision and how the “Crowd is the Cloud.”

- How something like Amazon Web Services compares to what Holo is trying to achieve.

- Efficiency and cost of Holo Fuel compared to Ethereum Gas.

- Details on the Holo ICO and how you can get involved.

- Why they believe that the way companies work will be fundamentally different in coming years.

Links for resources mentioned:

https://holo.host/

Tim Lloyd is a crypto journalist, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) expert, and CEO of Rogue Capital Media, a content marketing consulting firm with a core focus on Fintech.Tim joins Kelley for an in-depth, technical discussion focusing on ICOs and regulations in the crypto space. A previous knowledge of ICOs would be a good thing before listening to this episode, so if you’re a beginner, you may wish to check out some of our previous episodes first!AML is an extremely important element to financial services compliance. It ensures criminals are unable to bring illicit proceeds into the legitimate financial system. With the new and rapidly changing crypto space, digital technology and old-school financial crime can blend, but regulators are trying to keep up. Tim explains how ICO crowdfunding works, the favorable jurisdictions that ICOs are gravitating towards, securities law, regulatory attitudes of different countries, and more. Whether you’re considering launching an ICO or would like to invest in one, you’ll find this episode full of valuable content. Show highlights: - How much bitcoin and crypto use is linked to crime? - How crowdfunding and raising capital through an ICO works.- The skyrocketing amount of money being raised through ICOs and the challenges that come with it.- Characteristics of favorable jurisdictions for launching ICOs.- Global regulatory attitudes towards crypto & ICOs.- Things to know whether you’re thinking about launching an ICO or investing in one.- Challenges keeping up with such a rapidly expanding space.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/timoalloyd/https://cryptovalley.swiss/codeofconduct/http://novumcoin.com/https://www.technologyreview.com/

Samantha Radocchia is a Serial Entrepreneur, Technologist, Founder of Two Previous Supply Chain Companies. Forbes 30 under 30 List. MA Symbolic Systems and Human Computer Interaction, NYU. Her current project is Chronicled, a San-Francisco based supply chain company, one of the most prominent blockchain-based companies outside of the cryptocurrency space. Chronicled was founded in 2014 with the early idea of using a blockchain for non-financial assets. Samantha tells us about the experience of securing funding for a blockchain company in the early days, blockchain use-cases for supply chains, and how Chronicled has been applying blockchain tech in the real world.Topics covered: - The story of securing funding for Chronicled as a blockchain company in 2014.- Using a blockchain for non-financial assets and supply chains.- How blockchain can help verify authenticity with valuable and luxury goods. - The importance of infrastructure for blockchain use cases to actually work.- Considerations regarding interoperability between blockchains and algorithms.- What needs to happen for blockchain tech to go mainstream.- Room for improvement to user-friendliness in cryptocurrency.- Samantha’s’ experience in the crypto and blockchain community as a woman.Links: https://chronicled.comhttps://twitter.com/iamsamsterdam

Ira Herman joins us from WeAreLATech podcast.  Ira discusses all things podcasting, including WeAreLATech’s new segment, Crypto Fridays, which Crypto Token Talk host, Kelley Weaver was a recent guest on. Ira is a teacher, CTO of Coinbot, crypto enthusiast, and has a special knack for explaining tough to understand concepts in this confusing industry! Thanks for joining us Ira!

Topics Discussed Include:

-LA’s growing crypto and blockchain industry

-Silicon Beach is out.  Welcome in Blockchain Beach.

-Simple explanations of blockchains most confusing terminology

-Incentives for miners and nodes

-Mining and Servers

Links for resources mentioned:

https://coinbot.co/

http://wearelatech.com/connect

@IraHerman

www.IraHerman.com

Diana Adachi is the CEO of Pegasus Fintech, a full-service blockchain, technology, and token accelerator that supports regulatory compliant public initial blockchain offerings. Since the late ‘90s, she has worked in the development and launch of multiple payment innovations, including blockchain and distributed ledgers.Today, Diana shares her expertise on ICOs, their regulations and challenges, and the importance of launching an ICO with the proper guidance.

Continuing with our interviews from UCLA Cyber Days, this episode packs 4 interviews with some brilliant minds from the crypto space!Chris Eberle is with Swarm Fund, which uses blockchain to facilitate access to investment opportunities that are traditionally less accessible. Les Borsai’s career started in the music business, and has since evolved into a plethora of tech-related activities, including being an advisor to Ripple Labs and other blockchain projects. Jason Robert is another person in the crypto space who comes from a background in the music industry. He taught himself some coding, and got more into the tech space. Now he’s the co-founder and CEO of HelloSugoi, a smart contract protocol for the live entertainment industry. Piper Moretti is the CEO of Crypto Realty Group. She originally came from the entertainment industry, moved into real estate, and things changed when she got a client who wanted to buy a house using bitcoin. Since then, Piper has started a business that specializes in helping people buy and sell property using cryptocurrency, and her phone is ringing constantly with other people looking to learn from her experience.Show Highlights:- Swarm: the first security token blockchain.- Legality of using Swarm in the U.S. and other areas.- Swarm’s time period for returns.- Recommendations for getting started in crypto.- Industries blockchain has the potential to disrupt.- Blockchain use cases for music industry and artists.- Problems with present event ticking models and how HelloSugoi hopes to solve them.- Dealing with constraints of building on the Ethereum platform.- How a real estate agent worked with her first client wanting to use Bitcoin.- Dealing with home sellers who are fearful of accepting bitcoin.- Current state of bitcoin and crypto acceptance in the real estate industry.Links for resources mentioned:Chris:https://www.linkedin.com/in/creberle/ https://www.swarm.fund/https://twitter.com/theswarmfund http://unchainedpodcast.co/https://a16z.com/category/blockchain-cryptocurrencies-bitcoin-ethereum/ https://www.theinvestorspodcast.com/ Les: https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-borsai-3560398/ https://twitter.com/lesborsai https://www.rightmesh.io/https://www.propsproject.com/ Jasonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hello-jason-robert/ https://www.hellosugoi.com/https://twitter.com/hellosugoi https://www.youtube.com/user/aantonop https://twitter.com/crypt0snews Piper Morettihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/pipermoretti/ https://bitpay.com/http://www.thecryptorealtygroup.com/about/

Jalak Jobanputra is Founding Partner of Future/Perfect Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund in NYC focused on next generation technology such as blockchain and machine learning. Prior to starting the fun, Jalak’s career included lots of experience with tech, communications, and investing. When Jalak originally began investing in blockchain projects, she was met with skepticism from many. Bitcoin had been associated with Silk Road and cybercrime, the market wasn’t looking great, and Jalak was one of few investors who saw its potential. In this episode, Jalak shares some of the early projects she invested in, what their second fund is looking to invest in, and what they look for when deciding which companies to fund.Topics covered:- How Jalak became interested in the crypto space.- What it was like being one of the first early-stage investors to fund blockchain projects.- What Future/Perfect is looking to invest in now, and what they look for when deciding what to invest in.- Important things for entrepreneurs to know who are looking to get into the blockchain/crypto space.- Weekend for women in blockchain.- Recommendations for people looking to get started in crypto.Links for resources mentioned:http://futureperfectventures.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jalak https://twitter.com/jalakhttp://thebarefootvc.com/https://www.wired.com/story/for-women-in-cryptocurrency-a-new-effort-to-grow-their-ranks/ https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Machine-Blockchain-Future-Everything/dp/1250114578 https://www.amazon.com/Age-Cryptocurrency-Blockchain-Challenging-Economic/dp/1250081556 http://unchainedpodcast.co/https://www.coindesk.com/

RightMesh is an inspirational Canadian success story in the making. John Lyotier, co-founder and CEO, joins us today to talk all about what RightMesh is doing, how they got started, and the secrets to running a great organization.

RightMesh empowers developers to retrofit existing mobile applications and build new P2P mesh applications using its ad hoc mobile mesh networking protocol secured with blockchain technology. What does all this mean? Tune in to find out. Whether it’s communication during a natural disaster or region suffering from lack of traditional infrastructure, there are a ton of use cases for this technology.

This episode features interviews with 2 separate guests; Mike Morgan of McDermott Will & Emery, and Amy Wan, CEO of Sagewise. Mike Morgan leads the Global Privacy and Cybersecurity practice at McDermott Will & Emery, specializing in data breaches, data protection compliance counseling, and other legal issues arising from advanced technologies. With the rise of blockchain, companies are asking him questions about what blockchain can do for them, and the effect it can have on their business. Amy Wan is the CEO of Sagewise, a dispute resolution platform and borderless, digital jurisdiction for smart contracts. She points out that smart contracts are vulnerable due to coding errors, hacks, incorrect data entry, and parties wanting to change or terminate a contract.

Here are another two fascinating interviews recorded during the recent UCLA Cyber Days event. Rajiv Phougat, IBM, is leading a transformation of the automotive industry using AI, blockchain, IoT, and cloud. You may be surprised to know how long IBM has been involved with blockchain, and Rajiv talks about some of the very cool use cases that blockchain can have, including with autonomous vehicles. Ben Taylor is the CEO of LedgerDomain, a blockchain-based Communal Trust Platform delivering blockchain-based solutions to global-scale enterprises. Ben talks about the ways companies can use blockchain technology, both behind the scenes and for customers, while ensuring a fast and secure experience. His company is attempting to stay ahead of the curve, and they’re helped in doing this simply by listening to questions that clients are asking.Show Highlights: - How long IBM has been involved with blockchain tech and what they are doing with it in the automotive sector.- The future of self-driving autonomous cars; regulations, adoption, infrastructure, and the roll blockchain can play.- How blockchain and IOT can affect and transform the automotive industry.- Uses for public vs private blockchains.- Practicality of blockchain security vs consumer expectation.- Progress towards mainstream consumer adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.- Hyperledger.- Importance of realizing problems on existing transactional systems when comparing to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.- How companies can use blockchain properly and efficiently; on chain vs off chain.- Types of blockchain solutions businesses may be able to benefit from.

Taylor Monahan is the CEO and founder of My Crypto. She was one of the minds behind MyEtherWallet.com, a site built out of personal need, which quickly exploded in popularity, playing an integral role in the Ethereum ecosystem, making it easy to interact with the blockchain. In this episode, Taylor shares what it was like growing into a CEO, the challenges of scaling to keep up with massive growth, 2018 plans for My Crypto, and advice for newcomers to crypto.Show highlights: - The story of starting MyEtherWallet and the challenges of scaling to keep up with exponential growth.- Security advantages and disadvantages of crypto and blockchain technology, such as understanding that a user is solely responsible for their private keys.- Recommended first steps for newcomers wanting to get into crypto.- My Crypto’s business model and plans for 2018.- What Taylor’s past year looked like from a personal development standpoint.- Breaking free of the traditional way of thinking to finally enter the world of crypto.- What Taylor is learning as a new CEO.- Taylor’s experience as a woman in the blockchain and crypto community.Links: https://mycrypto.com/https://twitter.com/tayvano_https://twitter.com/mycrypto

Matt Leising is a Market Structure Reporter who covers blockchain and cryptocurrencies for Bloomberg. Having his finger on the pulse of blockchain and crypto, Matt offers some great insights into the market, the relationship between crypto and the traditional financial market, why banks are interested in blockchain, and more. Show Highlights: - Realizing that blockchain technology could change everything.- Why and when Wall Street started paying attention to blockchain and crypto.- How blockchain can help banks and traditional financial markets.- Why the traditional financial world started warming up to crypto after initially not wanting to be involved. - Similarities between crypto markets and traditional markets.- A big reason why crypto won’t go away.- Model of how applications based on blockchain would work and how the company/developers would earn money.- Massive amounts of money in the crypto world chasing gains and funding nonsense ideas.- Will fiat go digital?- Infrastructure needed for crypto to go mainstream.- Responsibility as a crypto reporter who can affect the market.

Amanda B Johnson, a “Crypto Queen” and figurehead for women within the space joins us to talk all about Dash! We first learn about Amanda’s foray into crypto, how she came to be a crypto writer and YouTuber, and how she ended up as a Dash super fan - exclusively promoting Dash. Show Highlights: - Why fast and cheap aren’t the only things required for a successful cryptocurrency payment system.- Reasons why crypto would be avoided as a payment method, and how to change that.- Why user experience is so important.- Can a cryptocurrency function like PayPal for the user, but still be cryptocurrency under the hood? - Paying via usernames- Staking and masternodes

Episode 109: Crypto During Tax Season:

What On Earth to Do with Chris Kovalik of Cointaxes

It’s a hot and confusing topic: taxes and crypto. Chris Kovalik, CEO of Cointaxes, is here to answer every question you’ve ever had (and some you didn’t have) about the laws surrounding crypto taxation in the U.S. Chris and his team saw a dire need to establish confidence in cryptocurrency through consumer education and guidance. Confusion around taxes and crypto led them to create Cointaxes, an affordable software that makes tax prep super easy. Cointaxes supports all exchanges, can scan your public addresses, and calculates your full crypto tax liability - not just capital gains.

Show Highlights:  - Are cryptocurrencies taxed? How does the IRS expect you to file taxes relating to your crypto holdings?- When do you have to pay taxes on your crypto? - Why it’s important to get off on the right foot filing taxes now.- Calculating capital gains and capital losses.- Determining which specific coin you’re selling when you sell. Buying at different times and different prices can get confusing. FIFO, LIFO, and HPFO make this manageable. - How to use the tax system as best possible.- Do you have to pay taxes on airdrop and hardfork currencies?- Donating or gifting cryptocurrencies.- FinCEN requirements  and what to know before using foreign exchanges. - An outline of Cointaxes features.

Links for resources mentioned in this episode:

Cointaxes Website: bit.ly/CTTcointaxes *(affiliate link)

Cointaxes Twitter: https://twitter.com/cointaxes

Coincenter Website: https://coincenter.org/

Digital Chamber Website: https://digitalchamber.org/

Note: The information contained in this episode is for general guidance only. It is not providing any legal, accounting, tax, or any other professional advice. Do not use this podcast as a substitute for consultation with a professional accounting, tax, legal, or other competent advisor. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a tax, legal, or accounting professional

Episode 108: Kavita Gupta of ConsenSys Kicks Off UCLA Cyber Days with Veronica Reynolds

During the UCLA Cyber Days we were able to catch up with many bright minds, and you’ll hear two of them during this episode. Kelley talks with Veronica Reynolds, UCLA student and one of the co-founders of the UCLA Blockchain Lab, and Kavita Gupta, founding managing partner at Consensys.UCLA Cyber Days was a blockchain & cryptocurrency conference where attendees got to meet investors and learn more about the state of the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. Veronica tells us more about the event, and why the UCLA Blockchain Lab was started. ConsenSys is a major player in the blockchain ecosystem. Kavita Gupta, founding managing partner, is here to blow your mind and explain the many facets of their business. Some of these include: - ConsenSys Academy: Education for both developers and non-developers, bridging the Ethereum knowledge gap and revolutionizing education through blockchain technology.- ConsenSys Labs:  A venture studio providing world-class resources, tools, and talent to entrepreneurs and developers around the world.- ConsenSys Solutions: A consulting arm which helps organizations across the globe build, test, and deploy public and private blockchain solutions. Kavita explains these and more in detail and outlines what’s to come from ConsenSys in the future at their fast-growing company.

Links for resources mentioned:

ConsenSys Website: https://consensys.net/

ConsenSys Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consensussystems

Kavita Gupta Twitter: https://twitter.com/KavitaGupta19

Veronica Reynolds LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicareynolds/

Veronica Reynolds Twitter: https://twitter.com/vlectronica

Episode 107: Talking with Tim Draper:

Crypto Legend and Bitcoin’s Biggest Fan

Tim Draper is a well-known venture capital investor and early adopter of bitcoin and cryptocurrency. We were super fortunate to have Tim sit and chat with us recently at the Bitcoin Super Conference in Dallas.

Having the foresight to get into bitcoin in the early days, it’s fascinating to hear Tim’s outlook and predictions for the future of cryptocurrency and the financial industry. He tells us about how he first became interested in bitcoin, whether or not he thinks bitcoin will hold its dominance in the future, and why countries should remain mostly hands-off in terms of regulating the cryptocurrency space.

Tim is a firm believer in bitcoin and the entire crypto space, making an argument for why bitcoin is the best store of value. There’s no FUD here! This episode is sure to instill confidence in the exciting future that cryptocurrencies and blockchain tech will bring.

Show Highlights:

Links and resources mentioned:

Tim Draper Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimDraper 

Ledger Nano S Wallet: http://amzn.to/2FsaQcy

Coinbase: To earn $10 of bitcoin, sign up for Coinbase using Kelley's referral link: https://goo.gl/Be2Pkz

Melissa Quinn, RightMesh Corporate Development Manager and Director of the Blockchain Users Group in Canada, joins us for a discussion on blockchain, mesh networks, and expanding opportunities for connectivity for people around the globe.

To kick-off our conversation, Melissa gave a brief overview of the technology RightMesh is harnessing to achieve their mission of expanding global connectivity. She explains that mesh networks allow devices, like smartphones and IoT devices, to connect directly peer-to-peer rather than relying on traditional Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Mesh networks allow devices to communicate with one another without being directly connected to the internet or cell service. This type of peer-to-peer connectivity allows users to interact in challenging circumstances, like when internet and cell service are disrupted due to natural disasters (like the recent hurricane in Puerto Rico), or in dense metropolitan areas in emerging markets where connectivity is unaffordable for the majority of the population. It can also benefit developed regions struggling with network congestion, which can happen at large conferences and sporting events.

For RightMesh, blockchain technology comes into play for several reasons. First, traditional means of online identification (like an IP address) don’t work on a mesh network because a mesh may not always be connected to the internet.  Integrating the protocol and platform with the Ethereum blockchain, provided a way to assign a unique identifier, or a MeshID, to each device in the network.  Secondly, RightMesh uses blockchain to incentivize network participation to build density. With their ERC20 token, RMESH, users are able to buy and sell data to connect meshes located in different cities (i.e. New York and Beijing) and reward nodes routing data in between.

Beyond RightMesh’s mission to connect the world through mesh networks, Melissa also hopes to foster continued participation in the blockchain community, especially by people who are new to the technology. When asked about how to encourage more women to get involved in the crypto space, Melissa reminds us that because the blockchain industry is still a nascent industry, no one should be too intimidated to jump in and learn.

Links for resources mentioned in the podcast:

https://twitter.com/melissa_aquinn

https://twitter.com/Right_Mesh

https://www.rightmesh.io/

https://www.youtube.com/user/aantonop

http://unchainedpodcast.co/

Richard Jacobs knows a thing or two about cryptocurrency and blockchain. He’s interviewed over 200 people from blockchain companies through his Future Tech podcast and written about them in his book Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Blockchain: Surprising Insights from 200+ Podcast Interviews of Industry Insiders. Richard is also hosting the Bitcoin, Ethereum & Blockchain SuperConference coming up in Irving, Texas near Dallas, featuring John McAfee, Tim Draper, Erik Voorhees, and more.

From his wealth of knowledge, Richard shares with us some of his favorite use cases and companies in the blockchain space, such as Mint Health, Factom, and ShapeShift.

Kelley and Richard also tackle questions for beginners such as if it’s too late to get into cryptocurrency and the learning curve. It’s important to know that while it does take time to learn, this is a welcoming community and there’s no need to be intimidated! Richard

believes that there’s plenty of space left for cryptocurrency and blockchain tech to grow.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

Richard’s book:

https://www.amazon.com/Bitcoin-Ethereum-Blockchain-Surprising-Interviews/dp/1946481351

Bitcoin Superconference (Feb 16-18): https://bitcoinsuperconference.com

Future Tech Podcast: https://www.futuretechpodcast.com/

How Money Got Free: Bitcoin and the Fight for the Future of Finance:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Money-Got-Free-Bitcoin/dp/178074658X

https://www.coinbase.com

https://localbitcoins.com

http://shapeshift.io

https://www.minthealth.io

https://gem.co

https://www.factom.com

https://prism.exchange

Our guest today is Chris Castiglione, professor at Columbia University Business School, teaching coding and cryptocurrency in a class called Digital Literacy. He’s also the CEO of Learn to code in 30 days! Chris explains how he first heard about Bitcoin and then subsequently got into the crypto space.

Cryptocurrency can be compared to the birth of the Internet. It can be difficult to comprehend and thus difficult to explain. Chris feels that explaining the use cases is one of the best ways to help people understand. We also hear about public and private keys, transaction fees, privacy issues with centralized systems, and more.

It’s an exciting space, in its infancy, but Chris does find some things daunting about blockchain technology, plus, there’s also a lack of education in the area of crypto and blockchain. In the grand scheme, this tech will change the world, and there’s so much more to come. Chris enlightens us with some of his favourite use cases for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

Resources:

https://onemonth.com/ - Learn to Code in Just One Month

https://www.amazon.com/Internet-Money-Andreas-M-Antonopoulos/dp/1537000454

https://tim.blog/2017/06/04/nick-szabo/

chris@onemonth.com

Two talented women in the blockchain space join in for a discussion focusing on ICOs, women in blockchain, securities, and more.

Alexandra is an advisor to several companies. She’s typically hired by investors and advisors to teach them about how blockchain, crypto, and ICOs work.

Kim Miller-Anderson is the President and Founder of MSK Consulting Services and a FinTech Connector Community Partner (LA).

It’s important for a company considering an ICO to do so for the right reasons. It’s becoming common for some to want to incorporate a token or blockchain tech simply to try and get money. This is one of the reasons ICOs draw criticism from the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

Kim and Alexandra are advocates for more women in the blockchain space. One thing helping is the fact that many people from finance are coming to the space, as opposed to just those with a technical background, and there are many women working in finance as opposed to tech which is more male-dominated.

Links:

https://cointelegraph.com/

http://www.nathanielpopper.com/about-digital-gold.html

https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf

https://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/White-Paper

https://twitter.com/MSK_Kimla

https://www.mskconsultingservices.com/

Welcome to the first episode of Crypto Token Talk, a “Crypto 101” podcast exploring how blockchain technology applications could change the world.

Today, Byron Yee joins us to dive into Bitcoin at an entry level. Byron has an incredible way of telling stories to introduce people to Bitcoin, and has been involved in the crypto space since 2013. He has a background in chemical engineering, computer science, and finance. He’s also a comedian and filmmaker!

After missing out on a number of emerging technologies over the years, when Byron heard about Bitcoin, he was determined to learn more. He spent months researching, and felt that Bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrency would be the next big thing.  

Worried that you may have missed the boat? Hear some great stories from Byron as he explains trying to sort out valid information, the benefits of getting in sooner, use cases, the effects Bitcoin could have on the world, and why it’s important to look at the big picture.