E18: Niural's Nabin Banskota - Simplifying Payroll for Web 3 Firms
Niural is a payroll and treasury management platform that aims to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and easier using stablecoins. Nabin Banskota, President and Co-founder of Niural has a background in traditional finance and tech, and he and his co-founder saw the potential of blockchain and stablecoins in revolutionizing the payments industry. They built Niural to bridge the gap between Web 2 and Web 3 customers, offering a seamless user experience for both. The platform allows companies to pay employees and contractors globally, with the option to pay in stablecoins or fiat currencies. Niural also provides HR and payroll tools, automating processes and ensuring compliance.
Nabin discusses the challenges and roadblocks faced in the adoption of cryptocurrency payments, particularly in the US. He highlights the regulatory hurdles and the discomfort banks face when working with crypto companies. Nabin emphasizes the need for common sense regulations and expresses hope for passing bills supporting the crypto industry. He also shares insights on the comprehensive solutions offered by Niural, including payroll processing, benefits administration, and real-time payments. Nabin advises founders to focus on solving real problems, build a support system, and be passionate about their mission.
E17: Decentralizing AI with David Johnston - A Dive into Morpheus and the MOR Token's Fair Launch
David Johnston discusses the Morpheus project, which aims to build a decentralized AI platform. He explains that the project responds to impending regulations that could restrict AI development and control. Johnston emphasizes the importance of open source and decentralization in achieving freedom and avoiding regulatory capture by big tech companies.
He highlights the progress made by Morpheus since its inception, including the development of a decentralized compute network and the introduction of the MOR-20 fair launch model. Johnston also discusses the potential applications of Morpheus beyond AI, such as recurring payments in Web 3. The conversation discusses the importance of coordination and open-source code in competing against nation-states. It highlights the ease of use and ethical considerations of the decentralized AI platform, Llama 3.
The conversation also explores the concept of smart agents and their ability to act on users' behalf in the Web 3 ecosystem. The upcoming token launch of Morpheus on May 8th is discussed, including the liquidity distribution and starting price.
E16: Onboarding the Next Billion - How Entendre Finance Tackles Real Gaps to Widespread Crypto Adoption
Kareem Khattab, founder of Entendre Finance, discusses the importance of AI accounting for crypto businesses. He shares his background in fintech and how his experiences at companies like Workday and WeWork highlighted the need for efficient financial management in the crypto space. Khattab explains how Entendre Finance automates accounting processes for crypto businesses, including parsing blockchain transactions and generating financial reports. He also discusses the challenges of navigating the regulatory environment and the importance of proper financial hygiene in the crypto industry.
Entendre is the first crypto-native balance sheet, PNL, and trial balance tool that generates accounting records from double-entry journals. They aim to be the accountant for all digital assets and automate the implementation process. The team emphasizes the importance of accounting in the crypto industry and the fact that businesses need proper bookkeeping. They also discuss the challenges of building a startup and the importance of discipline and consistency.
E15: Building the Quai Network - Solving the Blockchain Trilemma with Alan Orwick
In this episode, Alan Orwick, the CEO and founder of Dominant Strategies, the development company behind Quai Network, discusses the background and development of Quai, a blockchain platform. He talks about his journey in the crypto space, including his involvement in the Texas Blockchain organization at the University of Texas. Alan explains how Quai solves the blockchain trilemma using a sharding approach and merged mining. He also discusses the future of Quai, including its plans for ecosystem growth and partnerships with other blockchains.
Quai is the only scalable Proof of Work blockchain with EVM-compatible smart contracts. It aims to tap into the compute economy and revolutionize Proof of Work. The project has a global community, with active participation from miners in Vietnam, Europe, and Texas. Quai is focused on making mining more accessible, particularly with GPUs, and aims to utilize renewable energy sources for mining. The team is committed to building a decentralized and freely accessible system that provides an alternative to government-controlled currencies.
E14: Superstate Strategy - Pioneering Institutional Asset Tokenization with Jim Hiltner
Jim Hiltner, Head of BD at Superstate, discusses the launch of their first product, a tokenized money market fund called USTB. The fund allows investors to tokenize shares and hold them in their own wallets, providing a more streamlined and composable experience. Hiltner explains that the fund is backed by ultra-short T-bills and offers a safe and high-yield investment option. He also highlights the importance of onboarding crypto-native investors and gradually expanding to other audiences. The goal is to educate and provide a comfortable and secure experience for institutional investors looking to enter the crypto space.
Superstate is focused on tokenizing traditional assets and building a bridge between traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi). They are working on bringing highly liquid instruments, such as treasury bills, onto the blockchain to provide investors with exposure to these assets. Superstate has formed the Superstate Industry Council, comprised of industry experts, to collaborate on expanding the availability of tokenized assets. They are also exploring advancements in the tech stack to create more compliant infrastructure in DeFi protocols, making it easier for institutions to interact with these protocols. Superstate is committed to building products that align with regulatory objectives and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the space.