Moneyneversleeps

In this special year-end episode, Pete Townsend is joined by returning guest co-host Alejandro Gutierrez for a wide-ranging conversation about what the future may hold in 2025. Together, they explore transformative ideas, emerging trends, and groundbreaking technologies that could shape industries, disrupt norms, and redefine global innovation. From traditional finance’s embrace of tokenization to the rise of AI agents, the duo covers it all—including a bonus prediction from a mysterious contributor. Tune in for an exciting glimpse into 2025 and get ready to peer into the crystal ball with Pete and Alejandro. What You’ll Learn: Tokenization Takes Center Stage: How traditional finance is poised to fully embrace tokenization, opening up new markets and investment opportunities. Stablecoins in E-commerce: The role of stablecoins in reshaping online payments and the potential for major adoption by e-commerce giants. Decentralized Identity: Why verifiable credentials and self-sovereign identity could become

This week, I interviewed serial entrepreneur Nigel Eccles. Known for his role as co-founder and former CEO of FanDuel, Nigel shares his incredible journey of launching and scaling multiple ventures, including his latest projects BetHog and BetDex. Nigel dives into the pivotal moments that defined his career, lessons learned from raising over $450 million in venture funding, and his insights into the evolving landscapes of crypto, Web3, and gaming. Nigel’s candid reflections on timing, co-founder dynamics, and building resilient startups are a must-hear for founders, investors, and anyone curious about how to stay ahead in the world of tech and entrepreneurship. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: A speedrun through Nigel’s backstory  The early days of FanDuel and lessons from building a billion-dollar business. Insights into raising capital—from seed rounds to $450M in funding. Why timing and market dynamics matter more than ever. The role of ethics and trustworthiness in choosing co-founders and in

This week, I’m joined by the brilliant Mai Santamaria for a far-ranging discussion inspired by Ian Goldin’s concept of The Butterfly Defect — a thought-provoking take on the risks and interconnectedness of our global systems. We dive into how this idea resonates with the evolution of crypto, web3, and the financial markets, and explore how the convergence of traditional and decentralized systems could reshape the future. Mai, an award-winning fintech and financial policy expert, has been a trailblazer in shaping regulatory and strategic frameworks in Ireland. With deep expertise in digital finance and a passion for innovation, Mai brings her unique perspective to our conversation, exploring the challenges—and opportunities—of hyper-connectivity in our global economy. It's a deep and engaging conversation that offers insights into how globalization, technology, and finance intertwine IN THIS EPISODE: - The Butterfly Defect: How hyperconnectivity increases systemic risks and the lessons for crypto and globaliz

This week. I sat down with Timo Lehes and Philipp Pieper, the co-founders of Swarm, the RWA (or Real World Assets) platform that brings unique digitization and trading solutions to the world of traditional and decentralized finance. Swam is the first organization in the world to offer digitized US treasury bills and Apple stock via a compliant and decentralized platform From their personal journeys into crypto to the challenges of integrating TradFi with DeFi, Timo and Philipp unpack Swarm's evolution, their focus on compliance, and their vision for the tokenized financial markets of tomorrow. Along the way, they share stories about formative moments in their careers, including Philipp’s time in New England during the fall of the Berlin Wall and Timo’s early coding days. Plus, we dive into: Swarm’s focus on making blockchain-based assets accessible and tradable globally. Insights from the initial coin offering (ICO) and security token offering (STO) waves of the mid-2010s. The importance of regulatory c

This week, we’ve got an exclusive interview with Manu, the founder and CEO of Sponstar, the fractional sponsorship marketplace that’s leveling the playing field for small and mid-sized brands to access high-profile sponsorship opportunities. Manu’s entrepreneurial journey, from traditional finance to web3, led to the creation of Sponstar—a game-changing platform that bridges physical events and digital experiences while redefining the sponsorship ecosystem. Manu shares her insights on fractional sponsorship, the intersection of blockchain, AI, and event marketing, and the unique challenges women founders face in the tech and crypto worlds. We also explore her guiding principles of spirituality, surrender, and how giving more strengthens a startup’s potential. Manu previously co-founded Alpha’a and alphaa.io where she changed the way companies connect with their fans, using web3 to help enterprises connect people, content and experiences.  She has been in the tech and collectibles sector for the past 10 years

We're diving deep into the fundamentals of fundraising for Web3 startups and early-stage ventures navigating their first capital raise. Fundraising is always challenging, but in web3, it’s a whole new frontier with unique hurdles. This session, originally presented at a Techstars Web3 Accelerator event, is packed with actionable insights that apply to most tech startups, especially those aiming to raise their first round. IN THIS EPISODE: The Art of Readiness: Fundraising is a high-stakes campaign that requires focus, preparation, and a solid plan. I’ll walk you through the basics of getting yourself – and your co-founders – ready to tackle your first fundraise head-on. Investor Pipeline Strategy: Building and managing an investor pipeline is critical to success. Learn about identifying the right investors, setting up warm intros, and the nuances of pitching to both web3 and web2.5 investors. Legal Matters and Structures: In web3, navigating the legal landscape is a must. I cover key considerations for struct

René Pinnell is the founder of Artizen, a match-funding platform for human creativity, helping creators match fund new projects at the frontier of art, science, technology and culture. With over two decades of experience, René has helped creators raise more than $50 million for groundbreaking projects, including securing the first seven-figure VR film deal at the Sundance Film Festival. As an executive producer, René has worked on acclaimed projects like BATTLESCAR, starring Rosario Dawson, and SPHERES, featuring Jessica Chastain, Millie Bobby Brown, and Patti Smith. Additionally, René has directed the feature documentary The King of Texas, sold a TV pilot to MTV, and founded two companies, reflecting his deep commitment to supporting and elevating creative talent.  In this episode, I sat down with René to explore his transformative journey from filmmaker to startup founder. Delving into the evolution of creative funding, René discusses Artizen's innovative model, which blends traditional match funding with c

Niall Dennehy is an Irish entrepreneur and the co-founder and COO of AID:Tech, who are bringing traceability and transparency to the flow of funds for governments, NGOs and charities with their payments and digital identity infrastructure bridging web2 to web3.  In this episode, Pete Townsend reconnects with Niall to explore the groundbreaking journey of their mission-driven company since Niall was last on MoneyNeverSleeps in 2018 (episode 11 linked here and below). The conversation spans the company's digital identity and payments innovations, especially through their Kare Wallet which accelerates financial assistance to disaster survivors. Leveraging blockchain technology, the platform ensures transparent, traceable, and secure distribution of relief funds, partnering with entities like Walmart to prevent misuse. Niall reflects on the emotional impact on both survivors and AID:Tech employees, underscoring the mission that deeply resonates with their team. The discussion delves into strategic approaches to

Luca Franchi is the CEO and a co-founder of Ambient, a decentralized network of air quality sensors.  Luca brings to Ambient over two decades of leading growth at several startups and large corporations in the US and Europe (O2 UK, Telefónica, Sky) across enterprise and consumer verticals.  In this episode, Luca shares his fascinating journey from working in startups and corporates like Sky in Silicon Valley to leading a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN). The conversation delves into Ambient's strategic pivot from Algorand to Solana, their $2 million seed round led by Borderless Capital, and the operational challenges of launching a decentralized network. Luca elaborates on how Ambient’s air quality sensors and the AmbiGo! app aim to engage the community and commercialize data. We also discuss the importance of founder experience, particularly in recruiting industry experts to navigate enterprise sales and legal structuring in DePIN projects. The episode concludes with Luca reflecting on t

Luis Ramirez is the Founder and CEO of Mawari, a pioneer in cloud rendering and streaming technology.  The Mawari team got started in Tokyo in 2017, and since then, the team has effectively built the foundation for the 3D internet. Mawari enables real-time 3D content streaming to spatial computing devices like the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 through a global network of GPUs, leveraging Web3 elements such as DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) to overcome the limitations of traditional centralized networks. Uniquely positioned to address one of the core challenges in the spatial computing industry, formerly known as XR (eXtended Reality), Mawari focuses on delivering scalable infrastructure for real-time 3D applications. Mawari has since launched the Mawari Network — a DePIN and the only full-stack spatial computing platform offering decentralized compute and storage resources optimized for AR/VR experiences.  As a side note and in the spirit of transparency, Mawari recently announce

Linda Jeng is the Founder and CEO of Digital Self Labs, and she joins me in exploring the evolving landscape of stablecoins. Our discussion focuses on our key takeaways from Castle Island Ventures' latest stablecoin report, 'Stablecoins: the Emerging Market Story'. Linda shares her background in financial regulation, blockchain, and AI, and offers critical insights into how stablecoins are reshaping financial systems in emerging markets. Through a detailed analysis of the Castle Island Ventures report written with Brevan Howard Digital, the conversation reveals the growing use of stablecoins for cross-border payments, currency conversion, and as a stable store of value, reflecting their importance beyond crypto trading. We also touch on regulatory perspectives, why non-dollar stablecoin volumes are so meager, and the potential impact of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) on the stablecoin market. Linda Jeng, is a trailblazing leader in the digital economy through ‘shaping a self-empowered future through

Alejandro Gutierrez, CEO of npayme Labs and co-founder of ETH Dublin joins me again as guest co-host this week. In this episode, we recap our recent panel on ‘Finding Web3 Talent’ at Dogpatch Labs, touching on market sentiment, the cyclical nature of crypto investments, and strategies for early-stage startups. We delve into the concept of real-world asset tokenization, highlighting key initiatives by firms like Provenance, PayPal, Circle and Centrifuge. The conversation also covers the evolving landscape for content creators in Web3, emphasizing the use of tokenization for new revenue streams and the role of AI in content creation. STORIES WE COVERED: Recap of ‘Finding Talent in Web3’ last week at Dogpatch Labs (Owen Healy on LinkedIn, 15-Sep-24) Friday Fund Tokenization Update (Eoin Motherway on Linkedin, 13-Sep-24) Provenance Blockchain Labs launches Fund Issuance platform, to tokenize, list, & lend RWA funds on Figure Markets (Marketwatch, 20-Aug-24) PayPal's stablecoin hits $1B market cap (Coin

Garvan Callan is the founder of OneZero1, a company that’s redefining how startups and enterprises alike can navigate the complex world of digital strategy and transformation. Garvan is a strategist, innovator and transformation advisor whose career spans leadership roles in major corporations and working hands-on with startups, giving him a unique perspective on both sides of the entrepreneurial divide. Garvan is also a lecturer and the author of Digital Business Strategy, a must-read for anyone serious about innovation and growth in today’s fast-moving world. We explore lessons from Obama's quote 'We are the change that we seek,' the significance of adaptability, the concept of the 'three V's: vision, values, and velocity,' and their application in both large corporations and startups. The episode also covers the challenges and strategies for fostering innovation, the importance of building strong, adaptive teams, and practical advice for startup founders looking to scale. So, whethe

Mark McLaughlin is an Irish entrepreneur who has been at the forefront of the ticketing industry since 2006. Mark is the co-founder and CEO of Coras, a company that's been revolutionizing the ticketing landscape with its powerful API solutions, boasting clients like Ryanair. But Mark’s journey doesn’t stop there—he’s now leading Coras into a new frontier with Fida, a cutting-edge loyalty platform that's merging the best of web2 and web3 worlds. In this episode, we’ll explore Mark’s entrepreneurial journey from founding Ticket Text and Ticket ABC to building Coras, and now, innovating with Fida. We’ll dive into the recent €1.3 million funding round led by Irish VC DataOp and the unique challenges of navigating the web2 and web3 investment landscape. Mark will share insights on balancing traditional and forward-thinking approaches for those straddling the web2 and web3 worlds, and what it means for getting these businesses funded. 00:36 Meet Mark McLaughlin: Revolutionizing Ticketing 03:24 The Ticketmas

Returning from our summer hiatus, Laura Walsh joins the show again this week as guest co-host as we dive into Crypto Politics by unpacking Donald Trump's campaign promises involving bitcoin and crypto. Laura and I worked together closely in the first two years of the Techstars Web3 accelerator, and she is a Techstars All-Star Mentor, advisor, founder, web3 O.G. and friend.   In this episode, Laura and I are diving into a hot topic that's been making waves in both the political and crypto spheres. As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Donald Trump has been making some bold promises regarding the future of crypto in the United States—from boosting Bitcoin mining to shaking up the regulatory landscape. We take a close look at each of Trump's crypto promises, evaluating their feasibility and potential impact. We explore his claims about ending the so-called ‘crypto crackdown,’ his controversial pledge to fire SEC Chair Gary Gensler, and his ambitious goal of making the U.S. a dominant player in Bitc

Pranav Kanade, Portfolio Manager of VanEck's Digital Assets Alpha Strategy joins the show this week. VanEck is an American investment management firm headquartered in New York City with over $100bn in assets under management. Although they’re well known for their passive exchange-traded funds or ETFs, they also manage active portfolios such as Pranav’s Digital Assets Alpha Strategy.   Pranav Kanade joined VanEck in 2022 from Millennium Management where he was a Credit Portfolio Manager working closely with a team of six investment professionals. Prior to Millennium, he was the founding member of the Head of Research for the Liquid Credit investing business at Angelo, Gordon & Co. and also spent time with Hutchin Hill Capital focused on technology and energy. In this episode, Pranav and I dig into his transition from traditional finance (TradFi) to the crypto world, his investment philosophy, and the catalysts for growth in digital assets. Pranav details his journey, the differences between traditional

Rita Martins joins the show to discuss her new book, Web3 in Financial Services, which explores how blockchain, digital assets, and cryptocurrency are disrupting traditional financial services.  In this episode, Rita and I riff on her inspiration for writing Web3 in Financial Services and how she tackled the process of writing a book for the first time.  We also talk about the present and the future of Web3 technologies in finance, the book’s key messages, and how Rita aimed to make the content evergreen with the fast pace of change in web3. Rita was kind enough to feature a conversation with me in the book, so thank you Rita for including my thoughts.  Rita Martins is a strategic senior leader with a distinguished track record in financial services, fintech and Web3. She serves on the advisory boards of a range of startups at the intersection of finance and DeFi, blockchain, digital assets and crypto, and is a mentor for the Techstars Web3 accelerator. Previously, Rita was the Global Head of Fintech Partners

This week, we dive into decentralization with Kenny Ezeji-Okoye and Stella Dyer from Millicent, Ilya Orlov from FileMarket, alongside Rita Martins, author and Techstars Web3 mentor. The discussion covers the journey from centralized to decentralized models, the impact of decentralization on users and developers, and insights into decentralization in financial services. The episode also includes a sneak peek into Rita Martins' new book, Web3 in Financial Services. Decentralization generally refers to the transfer of control of an enterprise from a small group of stakeholders to a distributed network. At the earliest stages of a startup’s life, the co-founders usually put a plan in motion to keep the control of the business within the hands of the co-founders as a centralized business.  With many web3 projects, however, the project leads or co-founders decide to create a distributed network, where the enterprise value accrues to a token rather than to the equity of a centralized operating company. Decentral

Alejandro Gutierrez, CEO of npayme Labs and co-founder of ETH Dublin joins me again as guest co-host this week. We start with Alejandro's Token2049 Dubai ‘tsunami-in-a-yacht’ story, the upcoming ETH Dublin 2024, and the Techstars Web3 demo day on June 6th in NYC. We then cover the challenging venture capital funding market for Web3 projects, political and regulatory developments in the U.S. concerning crypto, and the in-flight approval of Ethereum ETFs. As we recorded this episode a few hours before the SEC took the first step in authorizing Ethereum ETFs, we unpacked the political and legislative climate towards crypto in the U.S., and how things like SAB121 and the FIT21 Act are driving real change.  We also touch on the broader impact of blockchain technology on financial markets and the context of tokenization, consumerization, and infrastructure improvements in the crypto space. TIMESTAMPS: 01:53 Alejandro's Dubai Adventure at Token 2049 04:40 ETH Dublin 2024 Preview and Techstars Web3 Demo Day 0

This week, we dive into Aleph Zero, a privacy-enhancing layer one blockchain renowned for prioritizing scalability, security and speed, with co-founder Antoni Zolciak and Head of Investments Piotr Saczuk.  Antoni discusses his transition from technology marketer to blockchain, emphasizing the humanist aspect of technology and the broad scope of blockchain's potential applications. Piotr shares his journey from TradFi to blockchain investments, highlighting the importance of values and adaptability in the fast-paced crypto industry.  The discussion explores the challenges and strategies involved in building the Aleph Zero community, driven by transparency, support, and a user-focused approach. We also talk about the nuances of ecosystem investing, the importance of UX, and the integral role of a strong community in fostering innovation and adoption. Additionally, we look inside Aleph Zero’s relationship with the Techstars Web3 accelerator, and the related benefits to web3 founders. 00:24 Introducing Aleph