Thank you so much for doing this with us! What is your “backstory”?
I’m a blockchain engineer and I’ve launched more publicly traded cryptocurrencies than anyone else on the planet, my first being in 2013.
Can you tell me about the most interesting projects you are working on now?
My current project, the Tao Network (symbol: XTO), is a tokenized monetization solution for brands, beginning with the music industry.
I’m a blockchain engineer and I’ve launched more publicly traded cryptocurrencies than anyone else on the planet, my first being in 2013.
What are the 5 things that most excite you about crypto? Why?
1) It works. Love it or hate it, the technology has moved hundreds of billions of dollars around the world in the last nine years on rails not built by banks or corporations.
2) It’s unstoppable. The open source nature of the technology means that Pandora’s box hasn’t only been opened, it’s smashed on the floor.
3) It’s being gentrified. Cryptocurrencies are the financial Wild West, and the analogy is for some perhaps disturbingly accurate. There are folks who wear white hats, some who wear black hats, prospectors, homesteaders, businessmen, and law men.
4) It’s global. Now imagine the financial Wild West in over 100 countries and 10 languages, with no market opening, no market close and no organized media.
5) It’s flexible. Any data that has value outside of an organization may now be monetized and that point is only now being explored.
What are the 5 things worry you about crypto? Why?
1) It works. Every single financial transaction conducted in crypto is one less conducted in fiat currencies, which has a natural deflationary effect on a global scale. It may barely be measurable at this point, but that may not be the case 24 months from now.
2) It’s unstoppable. Kids can now create and monetize their own currencies.
3) It’s being gentrified. Overactive regulation could stifle innovation where it is most needed.
4) It’s global. To say that global financial regulations are uneven globally is somewhat of an understatement. There’s a danger of certain enterprises existing in a globally, extra-legal jurisdiction, which might lead to consumer abuses.
5) It’s flexible. The financial applications are limited only by human ingenuity and imagination. Without some oversight all manner of financial abuse is possible.
What 3 things would you advise to someone who wanted to emulate your career? Can you share an example for each idea?
1) Be humble in your knowledge and bold in your experience. Nobody knows everything there is to know about this stuff, but if you know something and have the data to back it up then it is fact and nobody can argue it. No matter who they are.
2) Fail often. Blockchain engineers exist at the intersection of finance, computer science and cryptography. It is an evolving science, and science requires experimentation, failure and analysis.
3) Respect the money. To you it’s a software project, to the markets it’s a financial tool. Never forget that you are working with other people’s money and respect that fact in all decisions.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this.
Elon Musk. Math is the language which we use to describe the universe, and cryptocurrencies are money made from mathematics. Wherever he is headed, we are ready to join him.
Watch the full interview bellow:
