Vinter Podcast

In this episode, Jacob has a conversation with Steve Kurz, Global Head of Asset Management at Galaxy Digital. He is a founding partner and member of the management committee. They talk about Steve's multifaceted background and how it led him to Galaxy, Galaxy's strategic approach to crypto asset management, the importance of adaptability in crypto market cycles, and insights on the Bitcoin ETF and its role in bringing crypto to the mainstream. Finally, they talk about meditation, training, and health.

In this episode of the Vinter podcast, Jacob speaks with Blake Heimann from WisdomTree Asset Management. They dive into the dynamic world of crypto asset market trends, innovative indexing strategies, and the future of investment in the industry.

In this episode, Jacob speaks with Kenny Estes, CEO and fund manager at Diffuse Funds. They dive into the dynamic partnership between Diffuse and Vinter, showcasing Diffuse Digital 30, LP (DD30) - a publicly-listed index fund featuring the top 30 digital assets* by market capitalization. Kenny shares his candid perspective on Bitcoin and delves into some fascinating insights from his previous podcast guests.

In this episode, Jacob interviews Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, which manages over $1.5 billion in crypto assets. They discuss the convergence of ETFs and crypto assets, highlighting Bitwise's role in this evolving space. Matt shares his expertise, rooted in his previous roles at ETF.com and Inside ETFs, and his co-authored publications for the CFA Institute Research Foundation.

In this episode of the Vinter Podcast, Jacob welcomes Kilian Richter, the Regional Director at Global X ETFs. Bringing an extensive track record in institutional sales and a passion for ETFs and ESG investing, Kilian provides insightful commentary on the burgeoning growth of the ETF wrapper across Europe. They also delve into the crucial role of digital transformation in shaping the future of investment strategies. Kilian's expertise, informed by his broad geographical exposure spanning the Nordics, Switzerland, Benelux, UK, Germany, and Austria, offers an invaluable perspective on the dynamic and rapidly evolving European ETF market.

In this episode, we're joined by Theodore Rozencwajg, co-founder and CEO at D2X. Theodore brings a mathematics and financial analysis background from London Business School and experience as an equity derivative sales and trader in London and Amsterdam. He co-founded D2X, a regulated company enabling institutions to trade crypto derivatives. Our discussion dives into mathematics and volatility trading, defining dispersion trading and the link between implied volatility and price. We also explore the creation of D2X and the demands of building a regulated trading platform for futures, options, and other derivatives. Reviewing the crypto trading landscape for financial institutions, we spotlight D2X's role in establishing a European alternative to the CME built on regulation, risk management, and technology.

In this episode, Jacob interviews Friedrich W. Herzog, Head of Research and Senior Portfolio Manager at Crypto Finance Asset Management. With experience from Goldman Sachs and degrees from the University of Zurich and Princeton, Herzog shares his journey into crypto. This episode covers Herzog's role and company, current and future products, including two indices developed with Vinter. We discuss the FINMA-regulated private funds and the expansion into exchange-traded products. Throughout, Friedrich emphasizes the importance of reliable data and its proper use.

In this episode, Jacob chats with Adam Sze, Head of Digital Assets Product at Global X. With over 15 years of experience in product development and management, Adam shares his insights on the evolving institutional cryptoasset industry. They discuss the benefits of being a crypto issuer backed by a traditional finance company, the philosophy behind digital assets, and the significance of excellent customer service. They also explore Adam's journey, from his early days at New York Life Investment Management to his current work at Global X. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Adam's passion for philanthropy and volunteering shines through as he shares stories about his favorite hobbies and interests outside the world of crypto and capital markets.

In this podcast episode, Jacob Lindberg interviews Torbjörn Bull Jenssen, the CEO of K33, on research and decentralization. With years of experience in the industry, Torbjörn shares his insights on the growing mainstream adoption of crypto and its role in finance. Jacob and Torbjörn also touch on their recent partnership, which has resulted in the smart beta K33 Vinter Quality Index. The K33 Vinter Quality Index utilizes a quality filter and framework to assess the top 30 crypto assets systematically. It is available on financial platforms like Bloomberg, Refinitiv, and the Vinter API. In addition, K33 will develop and offer financial products and portfolios tracking the index, and Vinter will calculate, maintain and distribute the index.

This episode revolves around the world's first staking basket ETP. Jacob Lindberg dives into the world of crypto investment products with Arthur Krause, a seasoned professional in the ETF industry. He worked at BlackRock as VP of iShares ETF product development, designing and delivering innovative new products for over 13 years. Arthur is now leading the design and development of crypto investment products for 21Shares in Europe and the US. Jacob and Arthur discuss the latest addition to the 21Shares portfolio, STAKE. Arthur describes the mechanics of staking and the underlying thesis behind the product.

In this episode of the Vinter podcast, Laurent Kssis and Jacob Lindberg discuss his relationship with Vinter, his experience at firms like Hashdex, 21Shares and Coinshares, trading, and how being unusually clear and upfront affects working relationships. In addition, they briefly mention the FTX debacle. Laurent Kssis had a successful career in the traditional ETF industry before entering crypto. He was a partner at Bluefin Trading LLC, head of ETF market maker sales and trading at Labranche & Co, head of ETF trading & co-head of portfolio trading at Societe Generale, and FX transition manager at State Street, to name a few. Laurent was a board member at Vinter from mid-2019 to early 2022, and few people have contributed to Vinter's success like him.

In this episode, Jacob interviewed Marcelo Sampaio on his 42nd birthday. Marcelo is the CEO and co-founder of Hashdex. He was formerly the chief growth officer and co-founder of the tech firm Endless based in San Francisco. Before Endless, he worked at Rios, the official investment agency of Rio De Janeiro. He spent seven years at Oracle in Brazil, where he became the company's youngest country head of sales. Marcelo was an early adopter of Bitcoin. He has given several talks on crypto, one of which Jacob attended at the Ethereum Rio Conference in 2022. In this conversation, they talk about marketing, index investing, the Vinter Hashdex Risk Parity Momentum Index, and his role as co-founder and CEO. They also briefly touched on other important things like kite surfing, meat and time-restricted feeding. For more information, please visit https://vinter.co/hashdex

Bitcoin and Gold have recently suffered along with everything else, but some say the signs are that we've seen the worst. US$ strength looks exhausted, which is a relief for risk assets, but can we be complacent about the inflationary outlook?Jacob Lindberg from Vinter and Charlie Morris from ByteTree Asset Management discuss the newly released BOLD Chart Pack, which is updated and distributed monthly. In it, they look at the drivers behind ByteTree's BOLD1 Index, which combines gold and bitcoin on a risk-weighted basis. The pack includes BOLD's long- and short-term performance against other asset classes, as well as ByteTree's fair valuations. Also included are charts that highlight the major macro issues of the day. Video of this episode is available at vinter.co/bytetree

Marc Powers is currently an adjunct professor at Florida International University College of Law, where he leads the courses Blockchain & the Law and Fintech Law. He recently retired from practicing at an Am Law 100 law firm, where he built both its national securities litigation and regulatory enforcement practice team and its hedge fund industry practice. Marc started his legal career in the SEC's Enforcement Division. During his 40 years in law, he was involved in representations including the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, a recent presidential pardon and the Martha Stewart insider trading trial.

In this episode, Jacob Lindberg meets with Jean-Charles Dudek, co-founder and Managing Director of Napoleon Group, a crypto asset management company that CoinShares recently acquired. Jean-Charles is an experienced banker with over 15 years in several Tier 1 banks. As a former Head of Active Protected Funds at BNP Paribas, he has a long-standing experience on both buy and sell sides (sales, structuring, and fund management) and a deep knowledge of the structured, quant & crypto business. Jacob and Jean-Charles discuss what it takes to list a crypto ETP in Europe, how having ICO experience has shaped Napoleon Group, and where the next inflow of capital to crypto will come from.

In this episode, Jacob Lindberg meets with Hector McNeil, Co-CEO of HANetf. Featured in The Times, Financial Times, and other publications, Hector was recently recognized as one of the most influential ETF experts in the industry. He was instrumental in establishing Susquehanna's ETF desk in Europe as head of business development. Hector then joined ETF Securities as Joint Managing Partner, before going on to found BoostETP with Nik Bienkowski in 2011. BoostETP was purchased by US ETF provider WisdomTree in 2014 and following the completion of this buyout in 2016 Hector stepped down as Co-CEO of WisdomTree Europe. He has since set up Europe's first independent ‘white label' ETF platform, HANetf, with business partner Nik Bienkowski, which will provide asset managers with a turnkey solution to enter the European ETF market. Hector, a Fellow of the Securities Institute, holds a BA in Economics and received an MBA from Warwick Business School. Jacob and Hector talk about crypto assets' role in a portfolio, inflation, and what makes a good index and ETF respectively.

In this episode, Jacob Lindberg meets with Bradley Duke, CEO of ETC Group, a European provider of exchange-traded crypto products. Bradley has spent most of his career in regulated Financial Services as well as young technology companies. He worked for investment bank Jefferies at their offices in New York, Paris and London, and then at the trading powerhouse KCG in London where he headed the team at Knight Direct Europe. Bradley co-founded fin-tech and payments company Zapper and most recently was CEO of the UK branch of the investment bank BCS Global Markets. Jacob and Bradley talk about crypto exchange-traded products, the quality of carbon credits, and Bitcoin's energy consumption. They also exchange views on ESG and the importance of staying innovative in the increasingly competitive crypto ETP industry. Lastly, they discuss why the message behind Bitcoin and crypto-assets is important but easy to forget if you are from a developed country.

In this episode, Jacob Lindberg speaks with Charlie Erith, the CEO of ByteTree Asset Management. Erith spent 25 years in equity sales, hedge funds, and long-only fund management before joining ByteTree. They both talk about being a value investor in crypto, viewing bitcoin as a network, having a clear investment thesis, and which skills you as a traditional asset manager can bring into crypto. They also talk about ByteTree's current products including newsletters, a private fund, and an exchange-traded product tracking a bitcoin and gold index.

Vinter's Jacob Lindberg and Safello's Frank Schuil (founder and CEO) spar in this episode on everything from how Frank discovered crypto, the times when the entire crypto community would fit in a room, stories on investments, investors and how Safello ensures proper pricing and custody on their platform. They discuss the current DeFi vs Bitcoin debate, and what problems crypto can solve or create.