The hidden business behind the ads you see every day. feat Ben Putley, Alkimi

The hidden business behind the ads you see every day. feat Ben Putley, Alkimi

Marcus and Tim sit down with Ben from Alkimi to talk about the businesses behind the ads you see every day, why digital advertising is still full of inefficiencies, and what it would look like to rebuild that market properly. They get into how Ben went from early startup roles in ad tech to building Alkimi, why so much of the online advertising system is still fragmented and opaque, and how Alkimi is trying to bring more transparency, better pricing and faster payments to a market that still takes huge fees at every layer. The conversation also covers Google and Meta’s grip on ad markets, why attention has become one of the internet’s most valuable assets, and what happens when you start thinking about ads more like financial markets.   Also in this episode: * How Ben went from product design and startup life into building Alkimi * Why online advertising is still one of the highest-value markets with some of the worst fee extraction * How Google and Meta came to dominate the ad marketplace * Why so many intermediaries take a cut before value reaches the people creating it * How Alkimi works as a marketplace matching buyers and sellers of attention * Why blockchain appealed as infrastructure for transparency, instant settlement and better data flow * How Alkimi is approaching ad inventory more like a market-making problem * Why delayed payments are such a big issue in digital advertising * What “AdFi” means and how Alkimi is using liquidity to solve payment delays * Why the future of digital advertising may depend on better market structure, not just better targeting   Subscribe for new episodes every week: @TheLocalWMC Also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your fix.

Is this the smartest business strategy right now? feat. blocmates

Is being more human the smartest business strategy right now? In this episode, Marcus and Tim sit down with Grant and Alex from Blocmates to talk about brand, personality, trust, and why sounding more institutional is not always the same thing as being more credible. They get into how Blocmates grew from a scrappy blog into a media and research business, why personality and taste matter more in an AI world, and why both Blocmates and LO:TECH have tried to build businesses that feel human first rather than wrapped in the usual industry theatre. The conversation also covers crypto’s convergence with traditional finance, the challenge of building authentic brands at scale, and why distinct positioning matters more when everything starts to feel interchangeable. Also in this episode: * How Blocmates evolved from editorial into podcasts, events, video, newsletters and media campaigns * Why personality, taste and character matter more as AI makes everything feel interchangeable * Why authenticity is not just for small brands, and can still scale if the foundations are right * How LO:TECH and Blocmates think about trust, brand and credibility in a noisy market * Why brand building is hard to measure, but still one of the most important things a business can do * How crypto and TradFi are starting to converge around speed, access and financial infrastructure * Why being “institutional” can become a costume if there is nothing real underneath it * The realities of building B2B businesses in crypto, from client expectations to remote team dynamics * Why more firms are realising they need media, narrative and personality, not just distribution   Subscribe for new episodes every week: @TheLocalWMC Also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your fix. Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheLocalWMC [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblRNU3REaVRBdmRoNTFBdjU2ZVF0X0ZQM0Jid3xBQ3Jtc0trZFNzeVI1dkR6V3Q4Qlp4ajR1aXptemVLaUllQnFaZlBLNk5HSzdxa0lOZUI5LURmT1RIUHVucS1PRVBvTFYwb0ZZTU5rUUtBeENLRmZLal9laUpMeHF3d1ZPS2tnMnhTN3dpSk52Ulp6OXE0eXVvUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FTheLocalWMC&v=vGszJUhu_eY]

Can you actually live on stablecoins? feat. Itamar, CEO Ready

In this episode, Tim sits down with Itamar Lesuisse, founder of Ready, to talk about building an on-chain alternative to a bank, why stablecoins are becoming a real financial primitive, and what it would take to actually use crypto in everyday life. Itamar explains how a frozen multi-million dollar payment after selling his previous company pushed him deeper into crypto, why that led him and his co-founders to start Argent, and how that original vision has evolved into Ready. The conversation covers self-custody, spending stablecoins, crypto cards, global payment rails, and why banks still make it so hard for people to move and use their own money. Also in this episode: * How a six-week frozen payment helped spark the idea for Argent / Ready * Why self-custody matters, and why seed phrases were never going to work for most people * The early vision for an on-chain bank, long before DeFi fully existed * The highs and lows of building through multiple crypto cycles * Why stablecoins are already solving real problems in places like Argentina * How crypto is shifting from speculative asset to real financial infrastructure * Why London is a bigger crypto city than people think, but still struggles to connect itself Subscribe for new episodes every week: @TheLocalWMC Also on Spotify, Youtube, and wherever else you get your fix. Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheLocalWMC [https://x.com/TheLocalWMC]

Can Crypto Help Solve Real Problems?

In this episode, Tim and Marcus are joined by Ramiro from Strata for a conversation that starts with Argentina, inflation and stablecoins, and ends up somewhere much bigger: what crypto looks like when it is solving real problems, not just being traded.   Ramiro explains how growing up around broken monetary systems shaped his view of Bitcoin, private money and why stablecoins make immediate sense in places where local currency does not. From there, the conversation moves into DeFi, structured risk and what Strata is building on-chain.   Also in this episode: * Why crypto feels very different in countries where money does not work properly * How stablecoins are used in places like Argentina, Bolivia and beyond * Why private money becomes attractive when the public system breaks down * What Strata is building and how senior and junior tranches work on-chain * Why DeFi yield is often misunderstood as “free” when risk still sits underneath it * Whether crypto is maturing from simple yield products into real financial infrastructure * Why conferences matter so much in a remote, globally distributed industry * The overlap between crypto, risk, structured finance and real-world use cases Subscribe for new episodes every week: @TheLocalWMC Also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your fix.   Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheLocalWMC [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUdrVWJBdTdpamxibFdnNWNNdFRwXzEtanpoUXxBQ3Jtc0trUnhUNHR1cHFOTEd2M1FvMTdVUkYta3VtVmpfLVNrQUZ0SkplR2dqU2pfNUJycEdCbWJjakhlel9SQk0yMXh6N3BEbTk4TUtoYTRtMkxIZjU3c2g0T0h4aVNnQ01PX3J1c09YdkczWWRKS2UxbVdVbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FTheLocalWMC&v=HDsnOHc3bk8]

Is London as Bad as the Internet Says?

People are being nice about... London?! In this episode, Tim and Marcus do something a little different and go guest-free to unpack the recent wave of “Londonmaxxing” posts, the wider doom narrative around the UK, and why they still believe London remains one of the best places in the world to build. From crypto and AI to talent, infrastructure, culture and the city’s weird ability to layer Roman walls next to glass skyscrapers, this is a conversation about what London gets wrong, what it still gets very right, and why the bull case for the city is stronger than people think. Also in this episode:   * The difference between doom-posting about the UK and the reality of building in London * Why London still has one of the strongest talent pools in crypto and tech * The role of time zone, language, finance and law in keeping London globally relevant * Whether the city is being unfairly compared to Dubai and the Gulf * Why London’s mix of history, culture and constant reinvention still matters * The frustrations, trade-offs and reasons Tim and Marcus are still backing the city Subscribe for new episodes every week: @TheLocalWMC Also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your fix. Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheLocalWMC [https://x.com/TheLocalWMC]