Medici Level Up – Live at LA 26

Medici Level Up – Live at LA 26

In this special LA 26 conference edition of Level Up, David and Sean sit down with three leading voices across institutional investing, blockchain infrastructure, and enterprise fintech. Cambridge Associates' Joe Marenda shares an allocator's perspective on blockchain venture, valuations, institutional adoption, and liquid strategies. Eigen Labs founder Sreeram Kannan discusses why blockchain is foundational to the AI agent era, the security challenges AI introduces to DeFi, and how Eigen is positioning itself for agentic commerce. Finally, Knova founder Natalya Thakur explains how financial institutions can unify traditional and tokenized assets through enterprise infrastructure designed for scalable digital asset operations.  View the Full Level Up Podcast Disclaimer Here: https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/ [https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/]  Key Points From This Episode: 00:00 Introduction & live from Medici LA 01:21 Joe Marenda (Cambridge Associates): allocator perspective 02:36 Blockchain venture valuations and market outlook 04:32 Why blockchain venture looks attractive today 06:42 Digital money as blockchain's clearest use case 08:47 Common institutional misconceptions about tokens 10:50 Institutional interest in liquid digital asset strategies 13:45 The future of institutional digital asset allocations 14:28 Sreeram Kannan (Eigen) 15:02 Building for the AI agent era 18:35 AI-driven security risks in DeFi 23:20 Restoring trust through security and settlement design 24:40 Eigen's business model and infrastructure roadmap 27:12 Natalya Thakur (Knova) 27:51 Simplifying digital asset operations for financial institutions 31:51 Enterprise adoption and key use cases 33:06 Distribution strategy and regulatory considerations 36:39 Knova’s business model 37:58 Closing remarks Links:  The Medici Network: https://www.medici.network/ [https://www.medici.network/]   Podcast Site: https://levelup.medici.network/ [https://levelup.medici.network/]   Cambridge Associates: https://www.cambridgeassociates.com/ [https://www.cambridgeassociates.com/] Eigen Labs: https://www.eigenlabs.org/ [https://www.eigenlabs.org/] Knova: https://www.knova.finance/ [https://www.knova.finance/]   Interested in being a Guest? Connect with Elmira on X: https://x.com/elmira_yilham [https://x.com/elmira_yilham]     Co-Hosts  David Grider, Finality Capital - https://x.com/David_Grid [https://x.com/David_Grid]  Sean Farrell, Fundstrat Global Advisors - https://x.com/SeanMFarrell [https://x.com/SeanMFarrell]    Guests  Joe Marenda, Cambridge Associates LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-marenda [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-marenda] Sreeram Kannan, Eigen X - https://x.com/sreeramkannan [https://x.com/sreeramkannan?lang=en] Natalya Thakur, Knova LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nthakur9 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nthakur9?trk=public_post-text] Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant  - https://thepodcastconsultant.com/ [https://thepodcastconsultant.com/]

Medici Level Up with Will McEvoy, CIO of Cypherpunk

Will McEvoy, CIO of Cypherpunk Technologies, joins David Grider and Sean Farrell to discuss why privacy is becoming one of the most important investment themes in crypto. The conversation explores Cypherpunk's thesis around Zcash, how AI is accelerating the need for privacy-preserving technologies, the evolution of digital asset treasury companies, and what could drive the next wave of adoption for private digital money. View the Full Level Up Podcast Disclaimer Here: https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/ [https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/]  Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Preview: Why AI could make financial privacy more important than ever [00:00:14] Introduction and podcast disclaimer [00:00:56] Meet Will McEvoy and his background [00:01:59] From Winklevoss Capital to launching Cypherpunk Technologies [00:04:18] The investment thesis behind privacy and Zcash [00:06:29] Is Cypherpunk more than a digital asset treasury company? [00:09:13] Building a broader privacy technology ecosystem [00:11:30] Will consumers actually pay for privacy? [00:15:30] Why Zcash instead of Bitcoin or other privacy coins? [00:18:36] Measuring adoption: key Zcash metrics and user base [00:21:00] Bitcoin's institutionalization and the renewed appeal of cypherpunk ideals [00:23:26] Cypherpunk's public company strategy and capital allocation [00:26:08] PIPE financing, ATM activity, and treasury growth [00:29:42] Why Cypherpunk partnered with Leap Therapeutics [00:32:55] Long-term approach to accumulating Zcash [00:34:26] Thoughts on Zcash mining economics [00:35:52] Zcash supply schedule and the next halving [00:37:17] Valuing Zcash as a private store of value and payment network [00:39:47] Scaling challenges for private digital money [00:41:32] Zcash versus competing privacy solutions [00:42:42] Quantum resistance and the development roadmap [00:44:03] Governance and ecosystem development [00:45:02] Regulatory considerations for privacy-focused cryptocurrencies [00:47:43] Key catalysts and risks for Zcash and Cypherpunk [00:49:32] AI, privacy, and the future of financial freedom [00:50:22] Final thoughts and closing remarks Links:  The Medici Network: https://www.medici.network/ [https://www.medici.network/]   Podcast Site: https://levelup.medici.network/ [https://levelup.medici.network/]   Cypherpunk: https://cypherpunk.com/ [https://cypherpunk.com/]    Interested in being a Guest? Connect with Elmira on X: https://x.com/elmira_yilham [https://x.com/elmira_yilham]     Co-Hosts  David Grider, Finality Capital - https://x.com/David_Grid [https://x.com/David_Grid]  Sean Farrell, Fundstrat Global Advisors - https://x.com/SeanMFarrell [https://x.com/SeanMFarrell]    Guests  Will McEvoy, Cypherpunk LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmcevoy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmcevoy]  X - https://x.com/will__mcevoy [https://x.com/will__mcevoy]   Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant  - https://thepodcastconsultant.com/ [https://thepodcastconsultant.com/]

Live from LA 26 with Barry Silbert, Founder of Digital Currency Group

Recorded live at Medici LA 26 and released as a special episode, David and Sean sit down with Barry Silbert, founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group (DCG), to discuss his journey from discovering Bitcoin in 2011 to building one of the most influential companies in digital assets. Barry reflects on the early days of Bitcoin, the creation of Grayscale and GBTC, the maturation of institutional digital asset investing, and the regulatory milestones that helped pave the way for Bitcoin ETFs. The conversation also explores the future of tokenization, the convergence of public and private markets, Bitcoin mining economics, financial privacy through Zcash, and why Barry believes decentralized AI networks like Bittensor represent the next major frontier for crypto innovation.  View the Full Level Up Podcast Disclaimer Here: https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/ [https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/]  Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Barry’s vision for a blockchain-based financial system [00:01:27] Discovering Bitcoin in 2011 and meeting early pioneers [00:03:22] Buying Bitcoin under $10 and investing in blockchain infrastructure [00:04:50] The origins of GBTC, Grayscale, and Digital Currency Group [00:06:58] Institutional adoption and the evolution of crypto investing [00:08:08] Why Bitcoin is becoming a permanent asset class [00:09:30] Barry’s perspective on quantum computing risks for Bitcoin [00:10:56] Grayscale’s legal battle with the SEC and Bitcoin ETFs [00:11:28] Capital formation, tokenization, and regulatory progress [00:13:00] Why public and private markets may eventually merge [00:14:09] Foundry, Bitcoin mining, and the impact of AI infrastructure demand [00:15:03] The changing economics of Bitcoin mining [00:16:03] Why DCG is investing in Zcash mining through Fortitude [00:17:46] Barry’s investment thesis for Zcash and financial privacy [00:20:58] Comparing Zcash and Monero [00:24:21] Zcash adoption, market opportunity, and long-term outlook [00:26:41] Introduction to Bittensor (TAO) and decentralized AI networks [00:27:33] How Bittensor’s subnet ecosystem creates incentives for innovation [00:29:14] Privacy infrastructure, regulation, and institutional adoption [00:31:17] How DCG evaluates investment opportunities and emerging trends [00:32:25] Why financial privacy and blockchain-AI convergence matter [00:33:35] Investing across the Bittensor ecosystem [00:34:46] Building DCG with a long-term investment horizon Links:  The Medici Network: https://www.medici.network/ [https://www.medici.network/]   Podcast Site: https://levelup.medici.network/ [https://levelup.medici.network/]   Digital Currency Group (DCG): https://dcg.co/ [https://dcg.co/]   Interested in being a Guest? Connect with Elmira on X: https://x.com/elmira_yilham [https://x.com/elmira_yilham]     Co-Hosts  David Grider, Finality Capital - https://x.com/David_Grid [https://x.com/David_Grid]  Sean Farrell, Fundstrat Global Advisors - https://x.com/SeanMFarrell [https://x.com/SeanMFarrell]    Guest  Barry Silbert, DCG LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrysilbert/ X - https://x.com/BarrySilbert [https://x.com/BarrySilbert] Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant  - https://thepodcastconsultant.com [https://thepodcastconsultant.com/]

Medici Level Up with Jack Platts, Co-Founder of Hypersphere

In this episode of Level Up, David Grider and Sean Farrell sit down with Jack Platts, Founder, CEO, and CIO of Hypersphere, to discuss how digital asset investing has evolved over the last market cycle. Jack shares lessons from launching funds during the 2020 bull market, adapting investment strategies after the 2022 downturn, and expanding beyond crypto into broader technology themes like AI, rare earths, and brain-computer interfaces. The conversation also examines portfolio construction, concentrated investing, crypto AI opportunities, Bitcoin’s evolving macro role, and how institutional appetite for digital assets is changing.     View the Full Level Up Podcast Disclaimer Here: https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/ [https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/]     Key Points From This Episode:  [00:00:00] Introduction to Jack Platts and Hypersphere  [00:02:32] Jack’s early crypto background and launching Hypersphere  [00:03:16] Evolution of Hypersphere’s investment strategies since 2020  [00:06:45] Breakdown of Hypersphere’s fund structures and liquid strategies  [00:08:33] Identifying thematic opportunities and developing investment edge  [00:09:34] Research process, information gathering, and idea generation  [00:10:41] Team structure and incorporating LLMs into portfolio analysis  [00:13:04] Portfolio construction through concentration and conviction  [00:15:56] Risk management and continuously re-underwriting positions  [00:18:30] Balancing liquid and illiquid investments across technology sectors  [00:20:18] Investments in SpaceX, Neuralink, and rare earth supply chains  [00:22:24] Expanding beyond crypto while maintaining dedicated crypto exposure  [00:25:17] Comparing crypto performance to broader technology markets  [00:27:18] Historical fund performance and managing through the 2022 downturn  [00:28:47] Recognizing changing market conditions and reducing exposure in 2021  [00:31:20] Macro market outlook and Bitcoin’s geopolitical relevance  [00:33:44] Crypto sectors with potential upside including lending and exchanges  [00:36:02] Crypto AI opportunities and key projects under evaluation  [00:37:49] How LP appetite for crypto funds has evolved since 2021  [00:41:02] Why investors should remain engaged with the crypto asset class  Links:   The Medici Network:  [https://www.medici.network/]https://www.medici.network/ [https://www.medici.network/]    Podcast Site:  [https://levelup.medici.network/]https://levelup.medici.network/ [https://levelup.medici.network/]    Hypersphere: https://www.hypersphere.capital/     Interested in being a Guest? Connect with Elmira on X:  [https://x.com/elmira_yilham]https://x.com/elmira_yilham [https://x.com/elmira_yilham]       Co-Hosts   David Grider, Finality Capital -  [https://x.com/David_Grid]https://x.com/David_Grid [https://x.com/David_Grid]   Sean Farrell, Fundstrat Global Advisors -  [https://x.com/SeanMFarrell]https://x.com/SeanMFarrell [https://x.com/SeanMFarrell]      Guests   Jack Platts, Hypersphere  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-platts-b0407360 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-platts-b0407360]  X - https://x.com/jackbplatts [https://x.com/jackbplatts?lang=en]    Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant  -  [https://thepodcastconsultant.com/]https://thepodcastconsultant.com/ [https://thepodcastconsultant.com/]

Medici Level Up with Illia Polosukhin, Co-Founder of NEAR Protocol

In this episode of Level Up, David and Sean sit down with Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol and co-author of the Transformer model. Illia shares his journey from AI research at Google to building NEAR, a blockchain designed to integrate artificial intelligence with financial infrastructure. The conversation covers NEAR’s architecture, Intents, chain abstraction, and the role of AI agents in commerce. Illia also addresses security risks, token dynamics, and how NEAR is positioning itself as a full-stack platform for coordinating digital and real-world resources.  View the Full Level Up Podcast Disclaimer Here: https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/ [https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/]     Key Points From This Episode:  [00:00:00] Illia on the growing security risks in software and AI-driven vulnerabilities  [00:00:53] Introduction to NEAR Protocol and overview of the episode  [00:01:21] NEAR's token fundamentals, market positioning, and AI-focused thesis  [00:02:33] NEAR’s product stack including AI, Intents, and blockchain infrastructure  [00:03:29] Network metrics, fees, and value capture mechanisms  [00:05:21] Token supply dynamics and comparison to other layer one ecosystems  [00:07:01] Market performance and AI-driven narrative around NEAR  [00:08:46] Illia’s background in AI and role in developing the Transformer model  [00:12:16] NEAR’s vertically integrated vision: AI front end and blockchain back end  [00:14:43] Technical architecture: sharding, accounts, and chain abstraction  [00:20:58] Key applications including payments, trading, and financial infrastructure  [00:23:37] Traction in cross-chain trading and growth of Intents  [00:25:41] DeFi use cases including lending, borrowing, and yield aggregation  [00:27:44] Rethinking “native” activity in a chain-abstracted environment  [00:29:32] Fee structure and how Intents drive value to the NEAR token  [00:31:14] AI agents as primary users of blockchain infrastructure  [00:35:17] Competitive landscape across blockchain and AI ecosystems  [00:39:50] AI-driven cybersecurity risks and the rise of automated exploits  [00:42:56] Formal verification and mitigating smart contract vulnerabilities  [00:45:12] Separating real vs. speculative AI + crypto use cases  [00:50:18] Token supply, inflation reduction, and distribution maturity  [00:52:08] Path toward deflation through Intents and ecosystem growth  [00:54:15] Governance structure including House of Stake and validators  [00:57:52] Validator economics and impact of reduced inflation  [01:00:37] Key risks including cybersecurity, market dependence, and AI adoption  [01:03:28] Final thoughts on privacy, confidential transactions, and user adoption      Links:   The Medici Network:  [https://www.medici.network/]https://www.medici.network/ [https://www.medici.network/]    Podcast Site:  [https://levelup.medici.network/]https://levelup.medici.network/ [https://levelup.medici.network/]    NEAR Protocol: https://www.near.org/     Interested in being a Guest? Connect with Elmira on X:  [https://x.com/elmira_yilham]https://x.com/elmira_yilham [https://x.com/elmira_yilham]       Co-Hosts   David Grider, Finality Capital -  [https://x.com/David_Grid]https://x.com/David_Grid [https://x.com/David_Grid]   Sean Farrell, Fundstrat Global Advisors -  [https://x.com/SeanMFarrell]https://x.com/SeanMFarrell [https://x.com/SeanMFarrell]      Guests   Illia Polosukhin, NEAR Protocol   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/illia-polosukhin-77b6538/  X - https://x.com/ilblackdragon [https://x.com/ilblackdragon]    Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant  -  [https://thepodcastconsultant.com/]https://thepodcastconsultant.com/ [https://thepodcastconsultant.com/]