Top of the Block

Who else could have convinced the Saudi Prince to buy Bitcoin, but NY's very own Talal Tabbaa, COO of Jibrel Network? With a name derived from biblical scripture, Jibrel is out to take the world of finance to Satoshi's promised land. No really, these guys are creating a bridge of legal compliance for startups entering the world of digital securities. Not just that, but they're a true example of the technological age we live in, when they successfully completed a raise for their startup before the founders ever met in person. What a time to be alive!

This episode's guest is probably too amazing of a person to have spent time with us. But she did! And oh, did we appreciate her time. We discuss Jemma's background at JP Morgan, being a mother of two, and Chairwoman of Power Ledger. This project is so cool, and out to advance the efficiency and transparency of energy trading. Have a listen!

What happens when you drink a can of CBD water and try to do podcast? Everything becomes interesting, and everything that's already interesting becomes amazing. Check out our interview with Thomas's entrepreneurial journey, starting from his teens and leading to his current endeavor with The Plantae.

For real? Listen to Boyan Donev of Alpha Trade Zone speak of his travels, leaving his stable job to pursue trading full time, and new friends & opportunities along the way. To learn more about Boyan's project, visit AlphaTradeZone.com. Mention "Top of the Block" for a 10% discount on all products. *Disclaimer - This is not financial advice. Everything disclosed in this podcast is for entertainment purposes only.

This week we answer the question: what are Security Tokens (STO's)??? We discuss the amazing potential of STO's but with caution...is now the best time to invest in them, or wait?

There's a whole market for art in the blockchain economy that few know about. This episode we speak with one of the artists on the front lines of making a whole new industry in the crypto space. Jessica Angel works with Truebit, an open source community committed to appreciation, understanding, and implementation of cryptoeconomic protocols and scalable, blockchain infrastructure. Her work encompasses the management of operations and the direction of the#artproject initiative. Find current project information here: http://artproject.io/ Her recent art projects take over architectural interiors, exploring the possibility of visual illusion and space transformation with the use of perspective. She address a nontraditional experience of space, using mural painting, large scale drawing interventions and wallpapering, creating immersive environments that bring people closer to imagination and to the experience of unconventional sensations, enabling a disorienting encounter with reality. Find more info about her work here: www.JessicaAngelArts.com

A lot of blockchain startups use phrases like "community management," but fail when it comes to providing good customer service. This week we talk to Charles Read, CEO and Founder of Servamps, who aims to change that. He created Servamps to help build compelling narratives that attract investors, craft committed user bases and then retain them through a humanistic approach to social media and reputation management. He also serves as an advisor for several other startups including PVLSE, which is a mobile app that encourages people to interact offline through interest based-activities, such as food and sport, by rewarding them through a blockchain value based-economy.

Chul Kwon is a product engineer for several different startups, and has worked his to becoming a seasoned early-stage product designer and strategist. We hear his thoughts regarding where products in the crypto space are going, and some of his favorite upcoming projects.

We finally have a developer on the podcast! Where's the ideal part of the world for cryptocurrency? Many would say where ever you can get the best signal, but some see the power of crypto to improve the lives of people who need it the most. Ori Shimony, the Research and Technical at Atlas Holdings Group, has made it his mission to bring cryptocurrency to the masses. Atlas has over 50,000 clients in West Africa alone, transforming money hidden under beds to a safe, stable coin.

Ever wonder how to predict the fluctuating crypto market with 87% accuracy? Or find a messaging app without the ads and fees? Nicholas Mancini is working on the solutions. Nicholas is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of the CryptoSyndicate, which is a collective of business analysts, traders, and crypto enthusiasts. The community is known for its quality discussion of fundamental, technical, and sentiment analysis of crypto markets. They also created their own free communication platform called SynQ. SynQ is an advanced communication platform built specifically for crypto communities that offers multi-functional chat messaging, enhanced community management tools, and integration with a supporting suite of crypto applications.

SPECIAL EDITION EPISODE: For weeks we've talked about MBYS here and there, and we've learned a bit about our co-host Omar Zaki. But this week we thought we'd sit down with Omar to get to know him better, and talk about exactly what MBYS is. Omar Zaki is the CEO of MBYS, and also serves as the CEO and Chief Portfolio Manager of Armitage Capital, a hedge fund focused on investing in biotechnology companies. Prior to this, he was a software developer at several large hedge funds focused on biotechnology investing, as well as Morgan Stanley’s Institutional Equities Division. He is also a biologist researching the Golgi under the advisory James Rothman, attempting to elucidate the structural mechanisms behind intra-Golgi protein trafficking. He was an early investor in the crypto space and continues to remain passionate about the space. He studied Computer Science, Physics and Economics at Yale University.

One of the most brilliant minds in the Crypto/Blockchain worlds, Florian Reike literally gave his blood, sweat, and tears in order to buy bitcoin. Florian is Research Analyst at Advanced Blockchain AG and CVO of nakamo.to. A self-proclaimed technophile, Florian’s interests lie in the opportunities being created by the emerging worlds of AI, blockchain and the IoT. Florian began investing in cryptocurrencies over four years ago, and has developed a refined research skill-set since, making him a valuable asset to the nakamo.to project. He was an early IOTA adaptor and crypto-community member.

We normally wouldn't think of many grandparents using blockchain technology, but Amanda Cavaleri believes that the blockchain should be usable for everyone. Amanda is a technologist and entrepreneur working as Chief Marketing Officer & VP of Business Development at Elixxir (David Chaum's new blockchain project). She has worked on consumer-facing technology products ranging from machine learning and VOIP technologies to smart home and new media (AR/VR) technologies for the past decade. An expert in working with the elderly and aging, was recently recognized as a Top 50 Influencer in Aging by PBS, and has been involved as a Thought Leader and Advisor with Carnegie Mellon University and UPMC's Quality of Life Technology Center and Innovation and Business Partner with University of Denver's Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging.

This week, we talk to Ksenia Semenova, the Chief Business Developer Officer at Cindicator. She has a record of growing companies as a blockchain enthusiast, business developer and communications expert. At TheQuestion, she was responsible for global growth, from 2.3 million unique users to 5.5 million in 5 countries. At the educational IT startup GlobalLab, she spearheaded the launch of this online collaborative laboratory and gained 90 000+ registered users in one year from more than 80 countries. Notably, at Cindicator, potential investors had to send in an application to invest, which narrowed the pool to people who genuinely cared about the company, and raised their target goal of $15 million. Ksenia is an addict business traveller and communicator, spreading ideas of the better future of symbiosis of technology and the human beings around the globe.

Mike Rogers, commonly known as 'Millennial Mike' is a thought leader within the cryptocurrency and blockchain community. He is best known for his belief that Web 3.0 will empower the individual by realigning incentive based systems. Mike is the Founder and CEO of Millennials In Blockchain and currently serves as the VP of Crypto Education & Research for Tradebits Exchange. He also serves as a strategic advisor to the charitable cycling event Tour de Crypto, a bike-ride across the country to raise $1 million in crypto currency for good causes.

Robert Kufner is one of the largest names in both the crypto and blockchain worlds. He was one of the first to mine Bitcoin in 2010, and later shifted toward Blockchain as the founder of the first publicly-listed company in Europe to focus solely on Distributed Ledger Technology. He is the founder and CEO of Nakamoto, and CVO of Advanced Blockchain AG.

Going to court to resolve a dispute takes a lot of time, and even more money. This week we talk to Jenny Vatrenko, a licensed attorney in New York and Co-Founder of Oath Protocol, a blockchain-community dispute resolution and governance protocol modeled on the common law jury system.

The co-founder of The Bushwick Generator, William Bear, is in our studio this week! He's here to talk about creating a crypto mall and hotel in the heart of Brooklyn, how to network to make your life better, and how Chuck E Cheese is a good model for cryptocurrency.

For our very first episode, we talk to Ingamar Ramirez. Ingamar raised $50 Million as the the head of marketing at Celcius, a blockchain startup disrupting the banking industry. We talk marketing, networking, and how to get a job in crypto.