eXponential Finance

WebX 2025 - Blockchains are Cities (S4E3)

Once again, we're coming to you live from WebX Tokyo, where the future of decentralized technology is being debated, designed, and deployed. Our next guest needs little introduction. He’s one of the sharpest, most influential minds in the entire space: Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly, a four-billion-dollar crypto fund that has backed some of the most iconic projects in the industry. Haseeb is famous for his foundational thesis: Blockchains are Cities. He argues that just as no single city can house everyone, no single blockchain can rule them all. Instead, we’re witnessing the rise of a digital world with multiple, competing metropolises—each with its own unique culture, economy, and purpose. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore: - Why Japan, despite its regulatory head start, has fallen behind in the global crypto race. - The fundamental difference between blockchains and traditional networks, and why it changes everything for investors. - And finally, we dive into the inevitable collision of the two biggest technologies of our time: Blockchain and AI. Haseeb argues that AI models will become so powerful, and so politically important, that decentralized, censorship-resistant systems will become not just an option, but a necessity. This is a masterclass on first-principles thinking from one of crypto’s leading investors. 👉 Subscribe to our weekly LinkedIn newsletter, the "Japan FinTech Observer", here:  https://lnkd.in/gNjUuSxG [https://lnkd.in/gNjUuSxG]

WebX 2025 - Following the Crypto Money (S4E2)

While the main stage at WebX Tokyo buzzes with talk of billion-dollar ETFs and institutional adoption, there’s another, shadow economy at play—one that operates on the very same rails we’re trying to build. Hacks. Scams. Sanctions. It’s a multi-billion dollar problem. Just last year, over forty-one billion dollars in on-chain value was transferred to illicit addresses. So how do we build a transparent, trustworthy financial system on a technology that’s so often associated with the shadows? How do you police a borderless world? To answer that, we have the perfect guide. Not just an expert, but someone who has seen this world from both sides. Our guest today is Chengyi Ong, Head of Policy for APAC at Chainalysis, the world's leading blockchain intelligence platform. Before diving into crypto, she spent over a decade as a regulator with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. She’s gone from making the rules to helping enforce them in the wild west of Web3. 👉 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the "Japan FinTech Observer", here: https://www.fintechobserver.com

WebX 2025 - Building Institutional Grade Digital Asset Rails (S4E1)

Live from WebX 2025 in Tokyo, we bring you this panel featuring: Betty Sun-Lucas, Stellar Development Foundation, Regional Director, APAC Qin En Looi, Saison Capital, Partner Matt Harrop, Figment, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder 👉 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the "Japan FinTech Observer", here: https://www.fintechobserver.com

Michinori Kanokogi, Nissay Asset Management - ChatGPT and GenAI: What They Mean for Investment Professionals (S3E50)

Michinori Kanokogi, CFA, is Head of Solution Research at Nissay Asset Management. He leads the research and development of digital investment solutions for investors. Previously, he led the launch of AQR Capital Management’s Japan business as head of investment management. He also has experience in multi-manager investment at Russell Investments, equity portfolio management at UBS, and management consulting at PwC and Deloitte. He translated several finance/AI books, including Advances in Financial Machine Learning, Expected Returns, and Beyond Diversification. He holds a bachelor's of English from the University of Tokyo, a master's of English from Kyoto University, and an MBA from INSEAD. He is a CFA charterholder. Produced in collaboration with Tokyo FinTech. If you have an interesting story to share with our audience, and would like to appear on the podcast, please contact us via  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@tokyofintech.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [podcast@tokyofintech.com] We also publish a weekly newsletter, the "Japan FinTech Observer", which we invite you to subscribe to:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fintechobserver.com⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7048203270833524736/] You can also find us on.... Home Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tokyofintech.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://tokyofintech.com/] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tokyofintech/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tokyofintech/] Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/TokyoFinTech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TokyoFinTech] Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fintechobserver.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.fintechobserver.com] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/tokyofintech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/c/tokyofintech] Meetup: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lu.ma/japanfintechobserver?utm_source=spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.meetup.com/tokyofintech/]

Drew Robbins, Microsoft - When No One's Keeping Score (S3E49)

Drew Robbins is the author of the book “When No One's Keeping Score: The Meaningful Moves That Build a Fulfilling Career”, a practical, story-rich guide to finding meaning, building resilience, and making real progress at work—without burning out or waiting for permission. Drew is a seasoned leader and mentor with over 20 years of experience guiding professionals through the real-world challenges of building meaningful careers. He has led teams at Microsoft and shaped how organizations adopt and apply emerging technologies like Generative AI.  Produced in collaboration with Tokyo FinTech. If you have an interesting story to share with our audience, and would like to appear on the podcast, please contact us via  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@tokyofintech.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [podcast@tokyofintech.com] We also publish a weekly newsletter, the "Japan FinTech Observer", which we invite you to subscribe to:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fintechobserver.com⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7048203270833524736/] You can also find us on.... Home Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tokyofintech.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://tokyofintech.com/] LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tokyofintech/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tokyofintech/] Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/TokyoFinTech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/TokyoFinTech] Blog: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.fintechobserver.com⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.fintechobserver.com] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/tokyofintech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/c/tokyofintech] Meetup: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lu.ma/japanfintechobserver?utm_source=spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.meetup.com/tokyofintech/]