Crypto Token Talk

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 begin

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 happ

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

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

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

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://ly

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 te

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 blockcha

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

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

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

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 fi

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 interopera

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 pe

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 entr