Crypto Hipster Podcast

Chen Feng is the Head of Research at Autonomys and an Associate Professor and Principal's Research Chair in Blockchain at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus). His research focuses on applying advanced theories from information and coding theory, stochastic processes, and optimization to develop more effective communication networks, with a special emphasis on blockchain technology.

Chen Feng is the Head of Research at Autonomys and an Associate Professor and Principal's Research Chair in Blockchain at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus). His research focuses on applying advanced theories from information and coding theory, stochastic processes, and optimization to develop more effective communication networks, with a special emphasis on blockchain technology.

Ian Smith is CEO & CTO at Quantum EVMIan is a seasoned technologist with 21+ years of experience spanning blockchain, cryptography, cloud microservices, and AI-driven solutions.Proficient in 20+ languages, including Golang, Python, and C++, he has led groundbreaking projects across industries. Ian has worked with major organizations like NASA, Oracle, VISA, and Boeing, contributing to secure, scalable systems in finance, IoT, and blockchain.With deep expertise in cryptography and post-quantum security, Ian has designed advanced blockchain architectures and smart contract platforms. His blend of technical depth and leadership makes him a key innovator in next-generation digital ecosystems.Social:https://x.com/IanSmith_HSAWebsite:https://quantumevm.com/

Ian Smith is CEO & CTO at Quantum EVM.Ian is a seasoned technologist with 21+ years of experience spanning blockchain, cryptography, cloud microservices, and AI-driven solutions.Proficient in 20+ languages, including Golang, Python, and C++, he has led groundbreaking projects across industries. Ian has worked with major organizations like NASA, Oracle, VISA, and Boeing, contributing to secure, scalable systems in finance, IoT, and blockchain.With deep expertise in cryptography and post-quantum security, Ian has designed advanced blockchain architectures and smart contract platforms. His blend of technical depth and leadership makes him a key innovator in next-generation digital ecosystems.Social: https://x.com/IanSmith_HSAWebsite: https://quantumevm.com/

Jean Criss is an author, columnist, digital media-preneur, tech innovator, and fashion designer who thrives on bringing engaging community, content development, emerging techand communications to life. A 5X author, 4X award-winning e-commerce, digital creator, fashion designer, and global leader in support of emerging tech and women empowerment. Contact Jean for writing, speaking and creative content engagements info@jeancrissmedia.com. Contact: info@jeancrissmedia.com Websites: JeanCrissMedia.com and CRISSCROSSIntimates.comSocial sites:Linktr.ee/JeanCrissBooks: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BR2RQTH9/allbooks?LinkedIN: https://linkedin.com/in/jean-criss

Jean Criss is an author, columnist, digital media-preneur, tech innovator, and fashion designer who thrives on bringing engaging community, content development, emerging techand communications to life. A 5X author, 4X award-winning e-commerce, digital creator, fashion designer, and global leader in support of emerging tech and women empowerment. Contact Jean for writing, speaking and creative content engagements info@jeancrissmedia.com. Contact: info@jeancrissmedia.com Websites: JeanCrissMedia.com and CRISSCROSSIntimates.comSocial sites:Linktr.ee/JeanCrissBooks: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BR2RQTH9/allbooks?LinkedIN: https://linkedin.com/in/jean-criss

Joanna Zeng is the co-founder and CEO of SOON Network. Before establishing SOON, Joanna used to be a currency trader on Wall Street and has since held significant roles in business development and product management at Aleo, Optimism, and Coinbase. She also served as a founding board member of CryptoNYC and is an active angel investor.

Joanna Zeng is the co-founder and CEO of SOON Network. Before establishing SOON, Joanna used to be a currency trader on Wall Street and has since held significant roles in business development and product management at Aleo, Optimism, and Coinbase. She also served as a founding board member of CryptoNYC and is an active angel investor.

Vakeesan Mahalingam, CFA is Founder & CEO at Torram.Ex-institutional trader turned VC turned founder, Vakeesan blends 8 years of investment industry expertise with deep experience in startups and emerging technologies. As the CEO and co-founder of Torram, he's leading the charge in Bitcoin-native DeFi, pioneering solutions that bridge traditional finance with the decentralized economy.More than just an innovator, Vakeesan thrives at the intersection of strategy, execution, and disruption. His expertise in business development, partnerships, and capital raising—combined with a sharp focus on crypto assets and blockchain technology—positions him as a leading voice in the future of finance. Through Torram, he's breaking down barriers to unlock Bitcoin's full potential, making DeFi more accessible, scalable, and ready for institutions.https://www.linkedin.com/in/vakeesanm/Website:https://torram.xyz/

Vakeesan Mahalingam, CFA is Founder & CEO at TorramEx-institutional trader turned VC turned founder, Vakeesan blends 8 years of investment industry expertise with deep experience in startups and emerging technologies. As the CEO and co-founder of Torram, he's leading the charge in Bitcoin-native DeFi, pioneering solutions that bridge traditional finance with the decentralized economy.More than just an innovator, Vakeesan thrives at the intersection of strategy, execution, and disruption. His expertise in business development, partnerships, and capital raising—combined with a sharp focus on crypto assets and blockchain technology—positions him as a leading voice in the future of finance. Through Torram, he's breaking down barriers to unlock Bitcoin's full potential, making DeFi more accessible, scalable, and ready for institutions.https://www.linkedin.com/in/vakeesanm/Website:https://torram.xyz/

David Materazzi is CEO & Founder of ⁠Galileo FX⁠ and Orion Software Development Srl. headquartered in Italy with offices in New York and Tokyo. Since 2020, his firm has specialized in developing automated trading software that eliminates the need for constant manual monitoring. The company's flagship product, Galileo FX, uses advancedalgorithms and customizable strategies to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and operates 24/7, providing a significant advantage over traditional manual trading. With over 15 years of executive experience in the equity and currency markets, he previously handled Partner Acquisition at an investment fund in Canada. David uses his forward-thinking approach to create innovative software solutionsthat make trading simpler, transforming complexity into clarity, challenges into opportunities, and traders into confident investors. He is a recognized thought leader and frequent contributor to Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, Reuters,MSN.com, Benzinga, USA Today, NASDAQ, The Epoch Times, The Street, US News & World Report, and other business media. Connect with him on LinkedIn at ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaterazzi/⁠

David Materazzi is CEO & Founder of Galileo FX and Orion Software Development Srl. headquartered in Italy with offices in New York and Tokyo. Since 2020, his firm has specialized in developing automated trading software that eliminates the need for constant manual monitoring. The company's flagship product, Galileo FX, uses advancedalgorithms and customizable strategies to enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and operates 24/7, providing a significant advantage over traditional manual trading. With over 15 years of executive experience in the equity and currency markets, he previously handled Partner Acquisition at an investment fund in Canada. David uses his forward-thinking approach to create innovative software solutionsthat make trading simpler, transforming complexity into clarity, challenges into opportunities, and traders into confident investors. He is a recognized thought leader and frequent contributor to Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, Reuters,MSN.com, Benzinga, USA Today, NASDAQ, The Epoch Times, The Street, US News & World Report, and other business media. Connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmaterazzi/

After growing up surrounded by over 20 struggling artists, performers, and art historians in his family and a decade long career as a creative director in NYC ad agencies, Jaime Schwarz filed the world's first NFT patent, "A system and method for identifying virtual goods," to advance the creative industry's security, accessibility, expression, and equity. Now that this patent has been granted, Jaime is the founder of MRKD.dj, the world's only grouped asset NFT music format that carries the rights to the splits and samples as well as the remixes themselves so everyone can truly the music because everyone can now remix, rights included. Jaime is honored to have Keith Shocklee of The Bomb Squad and Public Enemy as the front man and co-founder of MRKD.dj, set to lead the next generation of DJing, collabing, and remixing.As a serial startup co-founder, Jaime has focused on self, company, and system betterment for the past decade while living with his wife and two boys in Hastings on Hudson, NY, serving as a marketing adjunct at CUNY's CCNY and on the board of Wayfinders on the Hudson.

After growing up surrounded by over 20 struggling artists, performers, and art historians in his family and a decade long career as a creative director in NYC ad agencies, Jaime Schwarz filed the world's first NFT patent, "A system and method for identifying virtual goods," to advance the creative industry's security, accessibility, expression, and equity. Now that this patent has been granted, Jaime is the founder of MRKD.dj, the world's only grouped asset NFT music format that carries the rights to the splits and samples as well as the remixes themselves so everyone can truly the music because everyone can now remix, rights included. Jaime is honored to have Keith Shocklee of The Bomb Squad and Public Enemy as the front man and co-founder of MRKD.dj, set to lead the next generation of DJing, collabing, and remixing.As a serial startup co-founder, Jaime has focused on self, company, and system betterment for the past decade while living with his wife and two boys in Hastings on Hudson, NY, serving as a marketing adjunct at CUNY's CCNY and on the board of Wayfinders on the Hudson.

Pavel Altukhov is the co-founder of TAC, a Layer 1 blockchain that enables Web3 developers to seamlessly deploy Hybrid dApps accessible to Telegram's 950M+ users. Prior to TAC, he founded and built bemo, the first liquid staking protocol on TON, and co-developed a TVM version of a CDP stablecoin. Pavel has a strong background in traditional finance with extensive experience in portfolio asset management and development of systematic trading strategies. He founded vlg.digital, a crypto asset management firm that initially operated as a tradfi asset management company before transitioning to digital assets in 2020. Pavel's experience from investor to TON builder gives him a rare edge, positioning him to drive the development of novel technologies that empower developers and accelerate innovation across Web3.Pavel's X | TAC Website | TAC X | TAC Telegram

Pavel Altukhov is the co-founder of TAC, a Layer 1 blockchain that enables Web3 developers to seamlessly deploy Hybrid dApps accessible to Telegram's 950M+ users. Prior to TAC, he founded and built bemo, the first liquid staking protocol on TON, and co-developed a TVM version of a CDP stablecoin. Pavel has a strong background in traditional finance with extensive experience in portfolio asset management and development of systematic trading strategies. He founded vlg.digital, a crypto asset management firm that initially operated as a tradfi asset management company before transitioning to digital assets in 2020. Pavel's experience from investor to TON builder gives him a rare edge, positioning him to drive the development of novel technologies that empower developers and accelerate innovation across Web3.Pavel's X | TAC Website | TAC X | TAC Telegram

Max Giammario is the CEO and Founder of Kindred, pioneering the world's first IP-powered agentic AI protocol. He is developing emotionally intelligent AI companions that seamlessly integrate across devices. With a background in Human-AI interaction (Master's & PhD researcher), two successful startup exits, and extensive work with Web3 leaders like Filecoin, Tezos, and Ronin, Max is at the forefront of AI and decentralization.

Max Giammario is the CEO and Founder of Kindred, pioneering the world's first IP-powered agentic AI protocol. He is developing emotionally intelligent AI companions that seamlessly integrate across devices. With a background in Human-AI interaction (Master's & PhD researcher), two successful startup exits, and extensive work with Web3 leaders like Filecoin, Tezos, and Ronin, Max is at the forefront of AI and decentralization.

David Schwartz has been in the cryptocurrency space since mid-2017 and is currently both a Board Director and Director of Strategic Partnerships for Litecoin Foundation, a non-profit entity whose sole purpose is to promote the awareness and adoption of Litecoin (and Bitcoin) to the world. David has worked with class organizations within and outside of the crypto ecosystem on everything from Litecoin integrations to partnerships with the UFC, Miami Dolphins and others.

David Schwartz has been in the cryptocurrency space since mid-2017 and is currently both a Board Director and Director of Strategic Partnerships for Litecoin Foundation, a non-profit entity whose sole purpose is to promote the awareness and adoption of Litecoin (and Bitcoin) to the world. David has worked with class organizations within and outside of the crypto ecosystem on everything from Litecoin integrations to partnerships with the UFC, Miami Dolphins and others.

Yaroslav Writtle is a Core Contributor at Yelay, a leading multichain yield infrastructure protocol redefining DeFAI accessibility and efficiency. With a background in banking and a deep understanding of financial markets, Yaroslav has been an active angel investor in the crypto industry since 2017. Yaroslav is also a partner at The Faculty Group, a Web3 venture builder specialising in incubating and scaling blockchain projects.

Yaroslav Writtle is a Core Contributor at Yelay, a leading multichain yield infrastructure protocol redefining DeFAI accessibility and efficiency. With a background in banking and a deep understanding of financial markets, Yaroslav has been an active angel investor in the crypto industry since 2017. Yaroslav is also a partner at The Faculty Group, a Web3 venture builder specialising in incubating and scaling blockchain projects.

Kony is the CEO and Co-founder of GAIB, the economic layer transforming AI infrastructure investment. Prior to GAIB, Kony worked in asset management and investment banking, with experience across private equity, credit research, and SPACs. He later joined a crypto exchange, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. Combining his expertise in finance and technology, Kony founded GAIB to reshape investment opportunities in AI infrastructure, making it more accessible and opening doors to the technologies that will drive the future.

Kony is the CEO and Co-founder of GAIB, the economic layer transforming AI infrastructure investment. Prior to GAIB, Kony worked in asset management and investment banking, with experience across private equity, credit research, and SPACs. He later joined a crypto exchange, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. Combining his expertise in finance and technology, Kony founded GAIB to reshape investment opportunities in AI infrastructure, making it more accessible and opening doors to the technologies that will drive the future.

Neil Twa is the CEO and Co-Founder of Voltage Holdings, acompany specializing in launching, consulting, selling, and acquiring brands, with a focus on e-commerce channels such as Amazon FBA and multi-channel. Over fifteen years of experience selling private label products on Amazon and in his company. For over 17 years, Mr. Twa has been constructing businessesboth online and offline after departing his senior IBM role. Since 2012, he has launched over five personal brands, generated tens of millions in revenue as an eight-figure seller, and assisted in the growth of over 1,000 others throughconsulting, coaching, and mentoring alongside partner Reed and their Voltage team. Neil, together with Reed Larsen, published a new book titled"Almost-Automated Income with FBA: Build a Profitable Lifestyle-Driven Amazon Business. Exit for Millions. Even with no E-commerce Experience". The book is a groundbreaking guide that has swiftly claimed the #1 spot amongnew release books. This manual is the key to building a lucrative lifestyle-driven Amazon business expertly guided by Twa and Larsen through the intricacies of Amazon FBA, offering invaluable insights and strategies to pave the way for a profitable venture. The Crypto Hipster audience can claim free copies of hisbook by going to this link:⁠https://www.voltagedm.com/freebook⁠ Enter the discount code CRYPTOHIPSTER there and obtain yourfree copy.

Neil Twa is the CEO and Co-Founder of Voltage Holdings, acompany specializing in launching, consulting, selling, and acquiring brands, with a focus on e-commerce channels such as Amazon FBA and multi-channel. Over fifteen years of experience selling private label products on Amazon and in his company. For over 17 years, Mr. Twa has been constructing businessesboth online and offline after departing his senior IBM role. Since 2012, he has launched over five personal brands, generated tens of millions in revenue as an eight-figure seller, and assisted in the growth of over 1,000 others throughconsulting, coaching, and mentoring alongside partner Reed and their Voltage team. Neil, together with Reed Larsen, published a new book titled"Almost-Automated Income with FBA: Build a Profitable Lifestyle-Driven Amazon Business. Exit for Millions. Even with no E-commerce Experience". The book is a groundbreaking guide that has swiftly claimed the #1 spot among newrelease books. This manual is the key to building a lucrative lifestyle-driven Amazon business expertly guided by Twa and Larsen through the intricacies of Amazon FBA, offering invaluable insights and strategies to pave the way for aprofitable venture. The Crypto Hipster audience can claim free copies of his book by going to this link:https://www.voltagedm.com/freebook Enter the discount code CRYPTOHIPSTER there and obtain your free copy.

Josh Bowen is co-founder and CEO of Astria, a decentralized sequencing layer for Celestia rollups. He was previously a Software Engineer at Celestia and Google. 

Josh Bowen is co-founder and CEO of Astria, a decentralized sequencing layer for Celestia rollups. He was previously a Software Engineer at Celestia and Google. 

David Weisberger,  Co-Founder Emeritus of CoinRoutes, has over 40 years' experience as a capital markets executive focused on equity market structure, quantitative finance, and trading automation.  He has worked either directly or alongside all aspects of the investment ecosystem from asset owners through investment managers, investment banks as well as exchanges and other market centers.   This included development of portfolio trading and transition management businesses, impact and trading cost modelling, statistical and index arbitrage strategies, institutional and retail market making, smart order router and algorithm optimization, and the development of statistically valid measurement for analyzing trading effectiveness.   Mr. Weisberger started his career at Morgan Stanley, in technology, where he built their first program and electronic trading systems before moving to the sales and trading business. He subsequently started the non-dollar program trading desk for Salomon Brothers, was the global architect of the firm's equity trading platform where he designed their first trading algorithm and quantitatively managed central risk book before becoming responsible for the statistical arbitrage trading business.  He later ran their smart order routing business before joining Two Sigma to develop their wholesale market making business, which he ran for several years.  Next, Mr. Weisberger was the global head of equity market structure and quantitative equity products for IHS Markit befores co-founding CoinRoutes Inc, which is a market leading provider of algorithmic trading products for institutional crypto market makers, funds and trading firms.

David Weisberger,  Co-Founder Emeritus of CoinRoutes, has over 40 years' experience as a capital markets executive focused on equity market structure, quantitative finance, and trading automation.  He has worked either directly or alongside all aspects of the investment ecosystem from asset owners through investment managers, investment banks as well as exchanges and other market centers.   This included development of portfolio trading and transition management businesses, impact and trading cost modelling, statistical and index arbitrage strategies, institutional and retail market making, smart order router and algorithm optimization, and the development of statistically valid measurement for analyzing trading effectiveness.   Mr. Weisberger started his career at Morgan Stanley, in technology, where he built their first program and electronic trading systems before moving to the sales and trading business. He subsequently started the non-dollar program trading desk for Salomon Brothers, was the global architect of the firm's equity trading platform where he designed their first trading algorithm and quantitatively managed central risk book before becoming responsible for the statistical arbitrage trading business.  He later ran their smart order routing business before joining Two Sigma to develop their wholesale market making business, which he ran for several years.  Next, Mr. Weisberger was the global head of equity market structure and quantitative equity products for IHS Markit befores co-founding CoinRoutes Inc, which is a market leading provider of algorithmic trading products for institutional crypto market makers, funds and trading firms.

Butian Li is CEO of Bless, pioneering the world's first shared computer—a decentralized network where everyday consumer devices power the internet. Under his leadership, Bless is reshaping internet infrastructure by enabling laptops, smartphones, and tablets to contribute their compute power collectively.Bless' first-generation product, Tap Compute, allows users to seamlessly share their device's computing resources through a web browser, supporting AI inference, data processing, and web hosting. By decentralizing these essential services, Bless is shifting control away from large corporations with massive data centers and back into the hands of everyday people.A seasoned entrepreneur and investor, Butian's expertise spans technology, finance, and strategic growth. He was previously COO of Wabi (Binance ‘17), an Investor at Lightspeed Venture Partners and NGC Ventures, and Founding Partner of Access Crypto hedge fund. His early career includes management consulting at Deloitte Consulting, where he advised Fortune 500 companies on IPOs and M&A transactions.Butian holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA in Quantitative Finance from Wharton.Previous media features:Universal Basic Compute can Combat the Future AI Divide 

Butian Li is CEO of Bless, pioneering the world's first shared computer—a decentralized network where everyday consumer devices power the internet. Under his leadership, Bless is reshaping internet infrastructure by enabling laptops, smartphones, and tablets to contribute their compute power collectively.Bless' first-generation product, Tap Compute, allows users to seamlessly share their device's computing resources through a web browser, supporting AI inference, data processing, and web hosting. By decentralizing these essential services, Bless is shifting control away from large corporations with massive data centers and back into the hands of everyday people.A seasoned entrepreneur and investor, Butian's expertise spans technology, finance, and strategic growth. He was previously COO of Wabi (Binance ‘17), an Investor at Lightspeed Venture Partners and NGC Ventures, and Founding Partner of Access Crypto hedge fund. His early career includes management consulting at Deloitte Consulting, where he advised Fortune 500 companies on IPOs and M&A transactions.Butian holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA in Quantitative Finance from Wharton.Previous media features:Universal Basic Compute can Combat the Future AI Divide 

Ryan Levy, Head of Business Development at DataHaven;Ryan Levy is a seasoned executive with nearly 20 years of startup experience across Web2, Web3, blockchain, and data. A master at “connecting the dots,” Ryan leads business development, partnerships, and go-to-market strategies, building ecosystems across DeFi, Blockchain Networks, Data, RWAs, DePIN, Gaming, and more.Currently Head of BD & Partnerships at Moonbeam and DataHaven, Ryan previously held leadership roles as VP of Business Development at SKALE Labs (SKALE Network), Head of Protocols & Partnerships at Chainstack, and Head of Partnerships at Kadena.Born and raised in South Africa, Ryan resided in Australia for many years and now calls California home. He greets each dawn with an espresso and a workout, which sets a tone of clarity and energy for the rest of his day. His guiding mantra, “Never Give Up,” drives his relentless pursuit of success in both his personal and professional life.

Ryan Levy, Head of Business Development at DataHaven;Ryan Levy is a seasoned executive with nearly 20 years of startup experience across Web2, Web3, blockchain, and data. A master at “connecting the dots,” Ryan leads business development, partnerships, and go-to-market strategies, building ecosystems across DeFi, Blockchain Networks, Data, RWAs, DePIN, Gaming, and more.Currently Head of BD & Partnerships at Moonbeam and DataHaven, Ryan previously held leadership roles as VP of Business Development at SKALE Labs (SKALE Network), Head of Protocols & Partnerships at Chainstack, and Head of Partnerships at Kadena.Born and raised in South Africa, Ryan resided in Australia for many years and now calls California home. He greets each dawn with an espresso and a workout, which sets a tone of clarity and energy for the rest of his day. His guiding mantra, “Never Give Up,” drives his relentless pursuit of success in both his personal and professional life.

Jake Claver is a pioneering force in digital assets and family office innovation, serving as Managing Director of Digital Ascension Group, a multi-family office specializing in digital wealth strategies for clients. He is the co-author of "Wealth in Numbers: The Ultimate Dealmaker's Guide to SPVs, Syndication, and Private Investment" and founder of both Digital Wealth Partners and Syndicately, a Special Purpose Vehicle investment management platform. As a Qualified Family Office Professional and R3 Corda Certified Business Professional in tokenization, Jake combines traditional wealth management expertise with cutting-edge blockchain implementation. His work focuses on transforming family offices for the digital age, creating sustainable multi-generational legacies that are digitally savvy and anti-fragile. A respected thought leader, Jake has been featured in MarketWatch, Bloomberg, and Yahoo! Finance. He studied Finance at the University of North Texas and has developed world-class educational programs for family offices and digital asset professionals.

Jake Claver is a pioneering force in digital assets and family office innovation, serving as Managing Director of Digital Ascension Group, a multi-family office specializing in digital wealth strategies for clients. He is the co-author of "Wealth in Numbers: The Ultimate Dealmaker's Guide to SPVs, Syndication, and Private Investment" and founder of both Digital Wealth Partners and Syndicately, a Special Purpose Vehicle investment management platform. As a Qualified Family Office Professional and R3 Corda Certified Business Professional in tokenization, Jake combines traditional wealth management expertise with cutting-edge blockchain implementation. His work focuses on transforming family offices for the digital age, creating sustainable multi-generational legacies that are digitally savvy and anti-fragile. A respected thought leader, Jake has been featured in MarketWatch, Bloomberg, and Yahoo! Finance. He studied Finance at the University of North Texas and has developed world-class educational programs for family offices and digital asset professionals.

Meg Lister is a leading voice in Web3 funding, transforming capital allocation as a Managing Director at Gitcoin Labs to drive financial returns for ecosystems and builders while ensuring long-term, sustainable growth. She specializes in designing multi-layered funding strategies that support every stage of a project's lifecycle—quadratic funding for onboarding, retroactive funding for retention, and direct grants for scaling—empowering Ethereum ecosystem participants to achieve more.Gitcoin (May 2023 – Present): Leads Grants Lab, the core business unit powering Gitcoin's multi-mechanism funding infrastructure. She initially joined to oversee Grants Stack, one of Gitcoin's flagship products, and was quickly promoted to lead its consolidation and strategy.Flipside Crypto: As VP of Product & Ops, she launched a flagship analytics product that secured a $50M Series A, making on-chain data more accessible and actionable for ecosystem builders.WordStream: Scaled the company post-Series A, earning five promotions, launching a $1M ARR business unit, and contributing to its acquisition by Gannett.Meg is reshaping Web3 funding models by creating efficient capital distribution mechanisms that support ecosystem-wide goals, ensuring Ethereum builders and enterprises have the resources needed to innovate, scale, and succeed.Why VC Funding Model Fails Web3 ProjectsExperience driving Web3 capital efficiency: Media mentions: 

Meg Lister is a leading voice in Web3 funding, transforming capital allocation as a Managing Director at Gitcoin Labs to drive financial returns for ecosystems and builders while ensuring long-term, sustainable growth. She specializes in designing multi-layered funding strategies that support every stage of a project's lifecycle—quadratic funding for onboarding, retroactive funding for retention, and direct grants for scaling—empowering Ethereum ecosystem participants to achieve more.Gitcoin (May 2023 – Present): Leads Grants Lab, the core business unit powering Gitcoin's multi-mechanism funding infrastructure. She initially joined to oversee Grants Stack, one of Gitcoin's flagship products, and was quickly promoted to lead its consolidation and strategy.Flipside Crypto: As VP of Product & Ops, she launched a flagship analytics product that secured a $50M Series A, making on-chain data more accessible and actionable for ecosystem builders.WordStream: Scaled the company post-Series A, earning five promotions, launching a $1M ARR business unit, and contributing to its acquisition by Gannett.Meg is reshaping Web3 funding models by creating efficient capital distribution mechanisms that support ecosystem-wide goals, ensuring Ethereum builders and enterprises have the resources needed to innovate, scale, and succeed.Why VC Funding Model Fails Web3 ProjectsExperience driving Web3 capital efficiency: Media mentions: 

Patrick Camuso is a CPA and the Founder of Camuso CPA, an industry-leading firm working closely with cryptocurrency investors and web3 businesses that was among the first CPA firms to specialize in crypto taxes back in 2016. As a pioneer in the field, Camuso CPA was also the first firm to accept cryptocurrency as payment, setting a forward-thinking example in the accounting profession. Patrick is the host of The Financial Frontier podcast, where he explores the latest trends in crypto, tax, and finance. He also runs the Digital Asset Digest, a newsletter delivering insights on blockchain, digital assets, and tax compliance. Patrick is also the author of Navigating the NFT Sales Tax Maze, Wayfair 2.0 for Web 3.0, an essential resource for navigating sales tax in the digital asset space In addition to his publications, Patrick frequently produces content across his channels and teaches CPE events, courses, and training sessions alongside other industry professionals. Patrick Camuso, CPACamuso CPACamusoCPA.comPatrick.camuso@camusocpa.com Office: 704-249-3179

Patrick Camuso is a CPA and the Founder of Camuso CPA, an industry-leading firm working closely with cryptocurrency investors and web3 businesses that was among the first CPA firms to specialize in crypto taxes back in 2016. As a pioneer in the field, Camuso CPA was also the first firm to accept cryptocurrency as payment, setting a forward-thinking example in the accounting profession. Patrick is the host of The Financial Frontier podcast, where he explores the latest trends in crypto, tax, and finance. He also runs the Digital Asset Digest, a newsletter delivering insights on blockchain, digital assets, and tax compliance. Patrick is also the author of Navigating the NFT Sales Tax Maze, Wayfair 2.0 for Web 3.0, an essential resource for navigating sales tax in the digital asset space In addition to his publications, Patrick frequently produces content across his channels and teaches CPE events, courses, and training sessions alongside other industry professionals. Patrick Camuso, CPACamuso CPACamusoCPA.comPatrick.camuso@camusocpa.com Office: 704-249-3179

Dr. Karl Huber is the co-founder of Quai Network, a new Layer 1 network of blockchains that scales to handle all human commerce while maintaining true decentralization. Dr. K's vision for a trustless decentralized replacement for money began in 2018 with a National Science Foundation Research Grant. Dr. K has a PhD in engineering, formerly worked at ConsenSys, and has been active in crypto since 2012. He has authored or co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and papers and has contributed to many ground-breaking developments in the crypto space.

Dr. Karl Huber is the co-founder of Quai Network, a new Layer 1 network of blockchains that scales to handle all human commerce while maintaining true decentralization. Dr. K's vision for a trustless decentralized replacement for money began in 2018 with a National Science Foundation Research Grant. Dr. K has a PhD in engineering, formerly worked at ConsenSys, and has been active in crypto since 2012. He has authored or co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and papers and has contributed to many ground-breaking developments in the crypto space.

"Daniel Anthony leads Developer Relations at ZKcandy - a mobile-first Ethereum Layer-2 gaming chain. As a former journalist, Daniel has immersed himself in the many aspects of web3 from decentralised storage to censorship-resistant publishing. Today, his role at ZKcandy is bolstered by being an avid gamer in his spare time, resonating with the gripes of today's gamers and game developers to build an ecosystem that is engineered to scale web3 gaming for the masses.ZKcandy emerged from a groundbreaking collaboration between ZKsync and the award-winning game studio iCandy Interactive. It's the first gaming-centric L2 in the ZKsync Elastic Chain ecosystem, aiming to enhance the gaming experience with a very fast network and low gas fees using roll-up technology and a strong market-driven gaming ecosystem.iCandy Interactive is an ASX-listed game developer with over 300 mobile game titles and 400M+ downloads. As the largest game developer in Southeast Asia and Australia, iCandy is supported by a strong network of strategic shareholders, including Animoca Brands, Fatfish Group, Baidu, Singtel, SK Square, AIS, IncubateFund, as well as several Australian and international funds. Their clientele includes industry giants such as Electronic Arts, Naughty Dog, Square Enix, Blizzard Activision and many more."

"Daniel Anthony leads Developer Relations at ZKcandy - a mobile-first Ethereum Layer-2 gaming chain. As a former journalist, Daniel has immersed himself in the many aspects of web3 from decentralised storage to censorship-resistant publishing. Today, his role at ZKcandy is bolstered by being an avid gamer in his spare time, resonating with the gripes of today's gamers and game developers to build an ecosystem that is engineered to scale web3 gaming for the masses.ZKcandy emerged from a groundbreaking collaboration between ZKsync and the award-winning game studio iCandy Interactive. It's the first gaming-centric L2 in the ZKsync Elastic Chain ecosystem, aiming to enhance the gaming experience with a very fast network and low gas fees using roll-up technology and a strong market-driven gaming ecosystem.iCandy Interactive is an ASX-listed game developer with over 300 mobile game titles and 400M+ downloads. As the largest game developer in Southeast Asia and Australia, iCandy is supported by a strong network of strategic shareholders, including Animoca Brands, Fatfish Group, Baidu, Singtel, SK Square, AIS, IncubateFund, as well as several Australian and international funds. Their clientele includes industry giants such as Electronic Arts, Naughty Dog, Square Enix, Blizzard Activision and many more."

Kyle Reidhead is Co-Owner & Head of Research at Milk Road, a leading crypto investing media company and Founder of Impact3, a crypto-native marketing agency helping top protocols and brands in crypto grow.

Kyle Reidhead is Co-Owner & Head of Research at Milk Road, a leading crypto investing media company and Founder of Impact3, a crypto-native marketing agency helping top protocols and brands in crypto grow.

Ian EstradaProduct builder by trade, memecoin and stablecoin enjoyer by passion.Currently advancing the development of DefAI infrastructure.Built enterprise-grade financial products for multiple publicly-listed corporations and scaled a cross-border crypto-to-fiat solution across 5 countries, achieving

Ian EstradaProduct builder by trade, memecoin and stablecoin enjoyer by passion.Currently advancing the development of DefAI infrastructure.Built enterprise-grade financial products for multiple publicly-listed corporations and scaled a cross-border crypto-to-fiat solution across 5 countries, achieving

Alex Botte, CFA, CAIA is a Partner focused on investor relations and research at Hack VC, a crypto-native venture capital firm. Previously, she was the Head of Client and Portfolio Solutions at Runa Digital Assets, a liquid token investment manager. Prior to Runa, she spent eight years in quantitative investment management, holding product specialist and business development roles at Two Sigma and AQR. She started her career in prime services at Barclays. Alex holds a BS from Cornell University.

Alex Botte, CFA, CAIA is a Partner focused on investor relations and research at Hack VC, a crypto-native venture capital firm. Previously, she was the Head of Client and Portfolio Solutions at Runa Digital Assets, a liquid token investment manager. Prior to Runa, she spent eight years in quantitative investment management, holding product specialist and business development roles at Two Sigma and AQR. She started her career in prime services at Barclays. Alex holds a BS from Cornell University.

Dr. Shruti Shankar Gaur is a polymath and thought leader working at the intersection of education, inclusion, diversity, policy, and innovation. Holding a Ph.D. in Inclusive Education, she has been honored with a University Gold Medal and the Certificate of Academic Excellence by India's Ministry of Human Resource Development, reflecting her commitment to transformative change.As founder of Research & Innovation in Education (RIEDU), she leads initiatives like the Young Editors Program, fostering young global writers focused on inclusion and diversity. Inspired by UN SDG 4.5 and 4.7, her work includes teacher training workshops, academic publishing, and her poetry collection, Four Decades.At The Digital Economist, till recently she served as Program Director at the Center of Excellence, managing the fellowship program and interdisciplinary collaborations. She has represented the organization at G20 India, the World Economic Forum in Davos, and Cannes Lions, contributing to global discussions on AI, policy, and socio-economic transformation.Beyond policy, she is a Creative Partner, Mentor, and Strategist at Sankarsingh-Gonsalves Productions in Canada, advocating for culturally inclusive storytelling. In New Delhi, she is Director of Research, Innovation, and Inclusion at ae-research, leading the launch of its first DEI Lab.Dr. Gaur's work spans education, policy, and creative industries, ensuring a lasting impact on global inclusion, equity, and innovation. Whether mentoring young writers, shaping policy, or driving research, she remains a catalyst for transformative change.https://linktr.ee/dr.shrutishankargaurhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drshrutishankargaur/https://drshrutishankargaur.com/https://www.amazon.in/Four-Decades-Prose-My-Life-ebook/dp/B0B4K8B4M5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1673179228&sr=8-1https://www.thedigitaleconomist.com/