Burning a $100K Painting for a Bigger Bet

The $100T Real World Assets Opportunity

Real world assets (RWAs) are becoming one of the most talked about ideas in crypto. In this episode of Off The Record, I sat down with Abhi Pingle, founder of Theo Network, to talk about the future of tokenizing real-world assets and what it actually takes to bring traditional financial products on-chain. Before building Theo, Abhi spent years trading global macro. That background shaped how he thinks about markets, liquidity, and why assets like gold, commodities, and other financial instruments are starting to move on-chain. We discuss the real challenges of building tokenized RWAs, how products like tokenized gold generate yield, and why this sector could become one of the largest opportunities in crypto. If RWAs are going to be one of the next major cycles in crypto, understanding how these markets work is going to matter.

Singapore and the Rise of Crypto in Southeast Asia

For years, Singapore has positioned itself as one of the most important crypto hubs in the world. But what does building in the region actually look like from inside a global exchange? In this episode, I sit down with Hassan Ahmed, Singapore Country Director of Coinbase, to unpack his journey into crypto and explore how exchanges think about trust, regulation, and market structure across Southeast Asia. From balancing retail and institutional flows to translating global strategy into local execution, this conversation goes beyond headlines into the realities of operating in one of the industry’s most regulated environments. We discuss what operating under the Monetary Authority of Singapore actually looks like in practice, the misconceptions people have about Singapore as a crypto hub, and how exchanges navigate regulation while continuing to innovate. A candid exchange-side perspective on how crypto markets are evolving across Southeast Asia and what may shape the next phase of the industry.

How Projects REALLY Get Listed on Major Exchanges

For years, getting listed on a major exchange was seen as the ultimate milestone in crypto. But what does the industry actually look like from inside an exchange? In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Lee, Chief Business Officer of Gate, to unpack his journey from traditional finance into crypto and explore how liquidity, regulation, and market structure are shaping the next phase of the industry. From navigating global market cycles to building trust in a 24/7 trading environment, this conversation goes beyond headlines into the realities of running one of crypto’s largest exchanges. We discuss the misconceptions founders have about liquidity, the challenges of operating through volatile markets, and why the intersection of AI and crypto could define the next era of innovation. A candid, exchange-side perspective on how markets evolve and what it really takes to build in this space.

Burning a $100K Painting for a Bigger Bet

What happens when you burn a $100K painting and turn it into a blockchain moment, and what does it actually take to build something real after the spectacle? In this episode of Off the Record, I sit down with Burnt Banksy (Anthony Anzalone), the founder who set fire to a Banksy, sold it as an NFT, and became one of the most talked-about figures of the early NFT cycle. We go back to the beginning: the decision to burn the artwork, the viral moment that followed, and how anonymity shaped the way he moved in crypto. But more importantly, we unpack what came next - building XION, working with mainstream brands, and trying to create infrastructure that makes crypto usable and verifiable beyond speculation. Today, as NFTs evolve and AI reshapes the digital landscape, bigger questions are emerging around trust, identity, and what ownership actually means online.

From Zero to $4B - The Aethir Playbook

What does it actually take to build infrastructure at scale and what happens when AI demand collides with decentralized compute? In this episode of Off the Record, I sit down with Mark Rydon, co-founder of Aethir, a project pushing the boundaries of decentralized GPU infrastructure and cloud computing. I was part of Aethir’s early team, and we go back to the beginning: the messy early days, the strategy behind scaling the largest node sale in crypto history, raising ~160M, and how the company evolved as AI demand accelerated faster than anyone expected. Today, Aethir sits at the intersection of AI and decentralized infrastructure, raising bigger questions about who owns compute and what a post-AI world might actually look like. This isn’t a conversation about headlines or token charts. It’s about building through uncertainty, how narratives form around real infrastructure, and what founders see when they’re operating ahead of the market.