Fintech and DeFi Research Archive — The Fintech Blueprint

The software stack powering Capital Markets and its coming transformation, with Horacio Barakat of Broadridge

In this conversation, we geek out with Horacio Barakat, who serves as the Head of Digital Innovation for Capital Markets and the Head of DLT for the Repo Platform of Broadridge, about digital transformation, capital markets, and the role of blockchain in the institutional part of the financial industry.

Additionally, we explore the embedded complexities of capital markets and how fundamental they are to the smooth functioning of our economy, determining the growth of companies, and funding expansion. Touching on everything from the engine that powers capital markets, how that engine has evolved to becoming computational, and lastly how companies like Broadridge are leading the deep work going on in making that engine better.

digital transformation, enterprise blockchain, exchanges / cap mkts, digital securities / STOLex SokolinMay 28, 2021Broadridge, DTCC, Euroclear

Bitcoin price falling doesn't mean what Paul Krugman claims

This week, we cover these ideas:

That absurd Paul Krugman article about Bitcoin. Also Jim Cramer has things to say about financial regulation.
If all the prices are down, which they are, does that mean that everything is bad and wrong?
How timing is a personal financial planning problem, not a market value problem

crypto, philosophy, macroeconomics, venture capital, exchanges / cap mktsLex SokolinMay 24, 2021Jim Cramer, Paul Krugman, Nassim Taleb, Bitcoin

Rob Leshner of Compound on creating a multi-billion DeFi lending protocol, and innovation under constraint

In this conversation, we talk with Robert Leshner of The Compound Protocol about the early days of crypto and how a fascination with Ethereum smart contracts drove him to build one of the largest DeFi projects to date.

Additionally, we explore the nuances of lending and interest rates, consumer privacy software and data monetization, floating interest rate pools of capital across different token pairs, DAO evolution and its influence on mechanism design, the role Compound plays in chain interoperability, and the discovery of yield farming as a means for user incentivisation.

DAOs, decentralized finance, fixed income, microeconomicsLex SokolinMay 21, 2021Compound, CountryWide, Facebook

Marqeta's $300MM of revenue & Ethereum's $20B in ann. transaction fees highlight opportunity and industry structure

This week, we cover these ideas:

How market structure determines the types of companies and projects that succeed
A walk through Marqeta’s economics and business model, and how Square’s Cash App and DoorDash were needed for success
The emerging $10B transaction revenue pool on Ethereum, MEV, and the changes to mining and gas

decentralized finance, paytech, monetization / commercial, entrepreneurship, IPO / SPAC, exchanges / cap mktsLex SokolinMay 17, 2021Marqeta, Square, DoorDash, Ethereum, MEV, Klarna, Flashbots, Polygon / Matic

Lessons from Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Galaxy Digital, and the emerging DAOs for building a Fintech empire

This week, we cover these ideas:

The difference between building a Fintech company, and building an empire to transform the world
How Warren Buffett is the best in the world at getting leverage through third party capital to grow
How Elon Musk is the best in the world at re-investing capital into his own judgment and view of the future
The $1.2B BitGo acquisition by Galaxy Digital, and the growing footprint of Alameda Research
DAOs as a way for all of us to participate

DAOs, venture capital, monetization / commercial, philosophy, entrepreneurshipLex SokolinMay 10, 2021Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, Galaxy Digital, BitGo, Alameda Research, FTX, Blockfolio, Solana, ConsenSys

Decentralized Identity and the Metaverse, with Michael Sena of The Ceramic Network

In this conversation, we talk with Michael Sena of uPort, 3Box Labs, and The Ceramic Network about web3.0, decentralized identity, and the various standards that he has been implicit in creating. Additionally, we explore the nuances around data ownership and identity, the journey from founding uPort to now 3Box and the Ceramic network and how the practical implementation of these ideas has changed as the decentralized web has changed from Web2.0 to Web3.0, and conclude on how the metaverse will be composed of decentralized identity and the protocols on which it travels.

metaverse, NFTs and digital objects, crypto, identity and privacyLex SokolinMay 7, 2021uPort, 3Box, Ceramic Network, Ethereum

The top 5 NFT trends for 2021, and current state of the NFT market

This week, we discuss the current state of the NFT markets, and our top 5 trends for NFTs beyond the initial hype:

Incumbent media NFTs and enterprise IP networks
Programmatic and generative art, and the blockchain medium
Digital Museums, DAOs, and the growth of the Metaverse
What it means to own the NFT: IPFS and multi chain support
Integration into DeFi and traditional portfolio management

Fintech & DeFi Research Archive🔄

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