Diogo Mónica on building company 'cult-ure' and lessons for startup founders

Vishal Gupta is the co-founder and CEO of TrueX — a new stablecoin-native trading platform. In this episode, Gupta unpacks how TrueX aims to provide a "stablecoin-native" trading experience with segregated custody, primarily targeted at institutional clients in the United States. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 04:50 TrueX Overview 11:13 Exchange Innovation 14:42 Institutional Client Trading Needs 17:52 Stablecoin Collateral 19:21 TrueX Matching Engine 23:11 Segregated Service Offerings 25:52 TrueX Funding 27:41 Broker Adoption 31:06 Crypto's Credit Market 33:51 True Markets Roadmap 35:50 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Steve Kurz is the Global Digital Head of Asset Management at Galaxy Digital. In this episode, Kurz and Chaparro discuss the current state and future of crypto asset management, including the challenges and opportunities in the industry. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:53 Refining Market Structure 03:36 Galaxy Strategy 06:31 TradFi Capital Allocators 09:17 Future Products 13:26 Galaxy PMF 15:05 Crypto Lending 17:11 Regulatory Climate 19:40 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

David Ripley is the CEO of Kraken. In this episode, Ripley discusses Kraken's strategic expansion into institutional services, including custody and lending. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 03:57 Institutional Crypto Services 07:22 FTX Fallout 11:02 Institutional Adoption 15:25 Crypto Credit Crisis 17:10 Crypto Banking 19:14 Regulatory Environment 22:39 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

This episode of The Scoop was recorded with former chairperson of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton. Chaparro and Clayton discuss how the crypto industry has evolved since Clayton's tenure as head of the SEC. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:54 Crypto's Evolution 03:42 Crypto Securities & Crypto Commodities 07:02 Token Fundraising 09:57 US Crypto Exchanges 11:12 2022 Crypto Credit Crisis 12:47 The Future of Finance 15:05 Short Selling 16:08 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

This episode of The Scoop was recorded with US Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Falcon X Global's Head of Revenue and Business Austin Reid live at the SALT Conference in Jackson Hole. Senator Scott and Reid discuss the growing political interest in crypto and digital assets in the United States, and the need for better education that clearly conveys the value proposition of this new form of technology. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Crypto's Political 03:05 Trump's Crypto Shift 04:23 US Regulatory Landscape 08:06 Crypto's 'Branding' 16:23 Bipartisan Crypto Support 18:23 Harris' Crypto Policy 19:48 SEC Leadership Change This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Carlos Domingo is the founder and CEO at Securitize. Earlier this year, Securitize partnered with BlackRock to launch the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL). In this episode recorded live at last week's SALT Conference, Domingo discusses the successful launch of BUIDL and highlights the growing institutional adoption of tokenized treasuries over stablecoins. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:03 Blackrock & BUIDL 02:13 Strengthening Crypto Collateral 05:50 Tokenization Evolution 09:04 Crypto UX 11:16 BUIDL Target Audience 13:53 TradFi in Crypto 17:03 Tokenization Value Prop 19:05 Securitize Roadmap This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Anthony Scaramucci serves as both the founder and managing partner of Skybridge Capital, as well as the founder and chairman of SALT Conferences.  In this episode recorded live at last week's SALT Conference in Jackson Hole, Chaparro and Scaramucci discuss the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election and the rising importance of the 'crypto vote.' OUTLINE 00:00 Intro 04:16 2024 Election 14:19 Presidential Crypto Policy 15:58 Donald Trump 19:59 China Policy 25:05 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Caitlin Cook is the director of growth at the onchain fitness platform Moonwalk Fitness. In this episode, Cook shares how Moonwalk is attempting to build a consumer crypto app that helps people hit their health goals through daily step competitions. Moonwalk plans to tap into fitness communities, influencers, and corporate wellness programs to attract a broader non-crypto audience. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 02:12 Moonwalk Overview 02:56 Consumer Crypto Apps 21:44 Moonwalk's GTM Strategy 23:32 Moonwalk's Roadmap 27:17 Daily Exercise 32:16 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more, head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Diogo Mónica is the founder and executive chairman of Anchorage Digital, and a general partner at Haun Ventures. In this episode, Chaparro and Diogo discuss how culture and intensity are crucial in building successful teams and companies in the crypto industry. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 03:44 Macro & Geopolitical Risks 04:39 Buying the Dip 06:20 VC Conviction 09:20 Mónica's Background 18:19 Startup Culture 23:58 Building Crypto Companies 26:13 Advice for Founders 33:44 2024 VC Landscape 38:19 Consumer Crypto Apps 41:31 Crypto x AI 47:11 Predictions This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Smokey the Bera is the pseudonymous co-founder of Berachain — a Layer 1 network that raised $100 million in a Series B back in April. In this episode, Chaparro and Smokey discuss how memetics influences community building, and unpack Berachain's innovative 'proof of liquidity' consensus, where users earn governance tokens by contributing liquidity to the ecosystem. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 04:42 Berachain Conception 14:08 Ecosystem 'Politics' 15:58 The Power of Memetics 20:31 Tri-Token Model 27:43 Layer-1 "BD War" 32:39 Smokey's Inspiration 35:02 Aligning Incentives 39:17 Identifying Passion 42:49 Berachain Roadmap This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters