What's on the Block?

In this special episode of What's on the Block? Wendy Charles from BurstIQ goes over some of the most important myths about Blockchain utilization in the Healthtech space, and debunks them.Talking Points:Regulation and BlockchainClinical researchFDA and research using BlockchainWendy Charles:Dr. Wendy Charles has been involved in clinical trials from every perspective for over 30 years, with a strong background in operations and regulatory compliance. She currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer for BurstIQ, a next-gen blockchain-based data management platform for the health and life science sector. She is also a faculty member in the Health Administration program at the University of Colorado, Denver. Dr. Charles augments her blockchain healthcare experience by serving on the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum Expert Panel, HIMSS Blockchain Task Force, Government Blockchain Association healthcare group, and IEEE Blockchain working groups. She is also involved as an assistant editor and reviewer for academic journals. Dr. Charles obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Science with a specialty in Health Information Technology from the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. She is certified as an IRB Professional, Clinical Research Professional, and Blockchain Professional.BurstIQ:LifeGraph® from BurstQ takes the complexity out of managing sensitive human data freeing you to build trust through hyper-personalized health, work, and life digital experiences. Powered by an innovative Web 3.0-ready blockchain platform, LifeGraphs equip your business with trusted, secure, and intelligence-driven data ecosystems.This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing and is produced by X4 Technology. https://www.x4-technology.com/

Stefan Sopic, Vice President at Parity Technologies, talks about the new and exciting changes for Polkadot.Talking Points:What makes Polkadot a Layer 0Polkadot's new governance modelXCM launchParity's mission is to enable businesses and organisations to capitalise on blockchain technology and benefit from the new opportunities it presents. We develop cutting-edge software solutions for enterprises and industries to unlock the full value of decentralised technology. We believe that decentralised technology has the power to fundamentally change and enhance the systems used by businesses, consumers, and governments every day.What's on the Block? is produced by X4 Technology and hosted by Maxine Ewing.

Evin McMullen, co-founder and CEO at Disco.xyz, talks about the future of data ownership in the metaverse.Talking Points:The pillars of data privacy Surveillance capitalism and how this relates to the next version of the MetaverseThe desire for online anonymity Evin McMullen:Evin McMullen is a Boys Club and DAO Jones Member and Co-Founder and CEO of Disco.xyz.Disco.xyz:Disco brings fun to the Metaverse with self-sovereign identity. Disco enables users to enjoy nuanced web3 reputation associated to public identifiers across chains and web2, while maintaining privacy and user autonomy. https://www.disco.xyz/What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing.

Evin McMullen, co-founder and CEO at Disco.xyz, talks about the importance of owning your own data in the world of Web3. Talking Points:Transparency of dataData PrivacyEvolution of data ownership in Web3Evin McMullenEvin McMullen is a Boys Club and DAO Jones Member and Co-Founder and CEO of Disco.xyz.Disco.xyzDisco brings fun to the Metaverse with self-sovereign identity. Disco enables users to enjoy nuanced web3 reputation associated to public identifiers across chains and web2, while maintaining privacy and user autonomy. https://www.disco.xyz/What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing.

Avery Akkineni, President at VaynerNFT, talks about how to launch a successful NFT project, and some key criteria to assess performance.Talking Points:The risks associated with creating an NFT projectMaximizing NFT hypeLong-term vs short-term projectsAvery AkkineniAvery Akkineni serves as the President of VaynerNFT. She leads the company's mission to build long-term Web 3 and NFT strategies for the world's leading intellectual property owners serving brands, celebrities, athletes, and associations looking to incentivize and reward brand advocacy and customer loyalty. Avery previously led VaynerMedia's expansion into APAC, growing a team from 0-150+, opening offices in Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Sydney, and was awarded SEA Independent Agency of the Year within years. Before joining Vayner, she worked at Google in both Silicon Valley and New York City. Avery will drive meaningful cultural relevance for others to unlock the potential of one of the technology shifts of our time. VaynerNFTVaynerNFT is a consultancy exclusively focused on building strategic Web3 and NFT integration for the world's leading intellectual property owners - personalities, athletes, celebrities, artists, brands, and associations. The company empowers its clients to be at the forefront of the NFT revolution. VaynerNFT helps clients achieve long-term value, expands new revenue streams that leverage IP and creates new value-add for NFT holders. For more information, you can visit: https://vaynernft.co/ What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing.

Sandra H, Head of Metaverse and NFTs at Zilliqa and Co-founder of Metapolis, talks about avatars and identity in the evolving Metaverse.   Discussion points: ·        How to identify ourselves in the metaverse ·        How to link physical and digital worlds ·        How avatars link to a person's identity ·        Can a single avatar be compatible across multiple platforms?   GuestSandra H is a futurist with in-depth knowledge spanning across traditional and digital platforms. Sandra leads Zilliqa's NFT and Metaverse projects across partnerships, strategy, marketing, and conceptualization perspectives. Her global experience across Australia, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East will enable her to deliver a customized suite of digital asset products to Zilliqa's existing and ever-growing global community. Sandra is committed to enriching Zilliqa's creator economy and ecosystem growth.  CompanyZilliqa is a high-performance, high-security blockchain platform for enterprises and next-generation applications. Developed through academic research and helmed by a team of experienced scientists, engineers, venture creators and leaders in the financial services, Zilliqa addresses limitations in scalability and security, enabling real-world usability across a variety of industries, including finance, digital advertising, and gaming. In 2019, Zilliqa became the first public blockchain platform to be built on sharded architecture, with smart contracts written in the platform's secure-by-design programming language, Scilla.  What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing.  

Sandra H, Head of Metaverse and NFTs at Zilliqa and Co-founder of Metapolis, talks about the endless possibilities of the Metaverse, and also the limits. Discussion Points:·        Borderless education in the Metaverse ·        How the metaverse can impact positive change ·        What can the Metaverse include?·        Predictions for the next 5-10 years  GuestSandra H is a futurist with in-depth knowledge spanning across traditional and digital platforms. Sandra leads Zilliqa's NFT and Metaverse projects across partnerships, strategy, marketing, and conceptualization perspectives. Her global experience across Australia, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East will enable her to deliver a customized suite of digital asset products to Zilliqa's existing and ever-growing global community. Sandra is committed to enriching Zilliqa's creator economy and ecosystem growth. CompanyZilliqa is a high-performance, high-security blockchain platform for enterprises and next-generation applications. Developed through academic research and helmed by a team of experienced scientists, engineers, venture creators and leaders in the financial services, Zilliqa addresses limitations in scalability and security, enabling real-world usability across a variety of industries, including finance, digital advertising, and gaming. In 2019, Zilliqa became the first public blockchain platform to be built on sharded architecture, with smart contracts written in the platform's secure-by-design programming language, Scilla. What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing. X4 Technology is a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com.

Corey Wendling, CTO of Atomyze LLC, discusses how physical assets can be stored on Blockchain, predictions for the future use and how it is changing the appeal of physical assets. Atomyze LLC is a global fintech company creating a tokenization platform and an advanced marketplace to source, trade, track, invest, and exchange ownership of commodities and other real assets. Using blockchain technology, they are digitizing and modernizing trading and investment, creating new market access and liquidity, and improving the management of ESG products and supply chain contracts.Key discussion points:  The different types of Blockchain investors The education needed to expand the usage of Blockchain technology into physical assetHow to encourage mass adoption of Blockchain technologyBlockchain's current user base and how is it shifting This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Ashumi S, Founder of MAD XR shares how the metaverse will transform fashion, how to create customer loyalty and the different type of wearables across Metaverses. MAD XR is an innovation focused full service creative production agency bringing projects to life in the Metaverse. Key discussion points: ·   Why is fashion intersecting with the Metaverse? ·   Understanding PFP Projects ·  Wearables across different Metaverses ·  How fashion creates access to a community ·  Creating customer loyalty in the MetaverseThis episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Listen as Ashumi S, Founder of MAD XR discusses the most successful way to move your business into the Metaverse and advice on finding the best Metaverse entry points. MAD XR is an innovation focused full service creative production agency bringing projects to life in the Metaverse.Key discussion points:· How to move your business into the Metaverse· The allocation of budget · What companies can gain from the Metaverse· The importance of internal structure · Where to find effective entry points This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Tristan, Co-Founder of Zeta Markets discusses his journey building a DeFi start-up from scratch, how to acquire customers and advice for attracting the best talent in an employee driven market.  Zeta is the premier DeFi futures and options platform, facilitating fast, liquid and permissionless trading.Talking points: ·        The experience of winning the Solana Hackathon ·        Finding a good co-founding team·        How to acquire loyal customers ·        Biggest advice for people thinking about starting their own protocol  This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Listen as Tristan, Co-Founder of Zeta Markets discusses the importance of community in Blockchain, how communities exist and how companies are using Twitter to build them. Zeta is the premier DeFi futures and options platform, facilitating fast, liquid and permissionless trading.Talking points:·        How communities drive innovation ·        The importance of community in the success of a Blockchain start-up·        Why Twitter is becoming a Blockchain community hub·        How Blockchain communities are built This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Joah Santos, CMO at Aldrin shares his thoughts on why crypto will have the largest social impact of our lifetime, the current landscape of crypto adoption and the difference between investing in digital vs current assets.   Aldrin's mission is to build the ultimate ecosystem to cut working time in half and make money work for their customers. This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Joah Santos, CMO at Aldrin talks about why crypto is the solution to the wealth gap, understanding how DeFi investment works and advice for people wanting to get engaged in the DeFi space. Aldrin's mission is to build the ultimate ecosystem to cut working time in half and make money work for their customers. This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Thiago Cesar, CEO at Transfero Group discusses what crypto means to Brazil and how the future of crypto currencies in Latin America is developing. Transfero Group's mission is to facilitate and foster the adoption of digital assets, offering services in payments, crypto and asset management. Discussion Points: Why is Brazil interested in crypto? The impact of Brazil on Latin America's crypto adoptionDemographic investment trendsThe biggest opportunities for fintech companies in BrazilWhy Transfero Group chose to base their headquarters in Brazil This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Thiago Cesar, CEO at Transfero Group discusses the economic impact of crypto and how to best prepare for the volatility of this globally fluid finance method. Transfero Group's mission is to facilitate and foster the adoption of digital assets, offering services in payments, crypto and asset management. Discussion Points:Liquidity in crypto marketsImpact of crypto on developing nations Rio De Janeiro investing in BitcoinCreating a globally fluid financeWhere is crypto falling short?Advice for preparing with crypto volatility This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Alexandra Hussenot, CEO at Immersionn talks about the talent needed to build the metaverse and how to start developing skills to be attractive to employers who are hiring anywhere in the metaverse.Immersionn transform 2D flat websites into 3D virtual worlds using the power of the gaming industry.This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Alexandra Hussenot, CEO at Immersionn, shares her predictions for how the metaverse will change the job market and its impact on virtual work. Immersionn transform 2D flat websites into 3D virtual worlds using the power of the gaming industry.This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Samiar Tehrani, Co-Founder at Ratio Finance, talks about weathering the crypto storm and how investors can take a more secure approach to investing in crypto during this time.Ratio Finance allow investors in the Solana ecosystem to extend the capabilities of their liquidity provisioning efforts by minting stable coins using their Raydium LP tokens as collateral.This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Samiar Tehrani, Co-Founder at Ratio Finance, talks about de-risking DeFi, the biggest opportunities in the DeFi space, and his advice for future investors.Ratio Finance allow investors in the Solana ecosystem to extend the capabilities of their liquidity provisioning efforts by minting stable coins using their Raydium LP tokens as collateral.This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Tommy Johnson, founder of PsyOptions, talks about Solana's early days to now, why Ethereum and Solana are often compared, and the biggest opportunities for start-ups in this space right now. Tommy is a serial entrepreneur and software engineer. He began following Solana in early 2020 prior to the mainnet beta. Tommy and the distributed PsyOptions team won the first Solana season hackathon. PsyOptions aim to become one of the foundational DeFi primitives on the Solana blockchain by offering completely trustless American style options for any SPL token.This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Tommy Johnson, founder of PsyOptions, explains what DeFi is, the biggest risks and rewards of investing in it, and his predictions for the future. Tommy is a serial entrepreneur and software engineer. He began following Solana in early 2020 prior to the mainnet beta. Tommy and the distributed PsyOptions team won the first Solana season hackathon.PsyOptions aim to become one of the foundational DeFi primitives on the Solana blockchain by offering completely trustless American style options for any SPL token.This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Rahul Sood, CEO of Irreverent Labs (creators of MechaFightClub), explains everything you need to know about NFT's. Rahul is a blockchain gaming creator, Bitcoin & NFT collector and an investor in Maingear, Quaze, Vrvana, & ZED. Prior to this, Rahul was CEO of Unikrn (acq'd by Entain), created Microsoft Ventures and founded VoodooPC.This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com. 

Rahul Sood, CEO of Irreverent Labs (creators of MechaFightClub), explains the metaverse and its future. Rahul is a blockchain gaming creator, Bitcoin & NFT collector and an investor in Maingear, Quaze, Vrvana, & ZED. Prior to this, Rahul was CEO of Unikrn (acq'd by Entain), created Microsoft Ventures and founded VoodooPC. This episode of What's on the Block? is hosted by Maxine Ewing from X4 Technology, a global technology and finance talent partner: www.x4-technology.com.