In this episode I talk with Ryan from Toroa Group, a New Zealand-based founder building across tokenised funds and vault strategies, title-backed property tokens, and NZD/AUD stablecoins.

We cover why stablecoins are still the clearest product-market fit, why non-USD stablecoins matter for smaller countries, how to tokenize title instead of fund units, and how they work with existing funds to offer tokenized fund access to DAOs, foundations and on-chain natives.

Ryan also shares his “follow the demand, don’t force education” philosophy and how tokenised assets are now able to provide utility over and above the legacy versions which is supercharging mainstream adoption.

Key Timestamps

[00:00:00] Tokenization reality: Tokens don’t create liquidity by magic – the product still has to solve a real problem.

[00:02:00] Ryan’s background: From med tech and audiology into educating NZ on Web3 and then full-time tokenization.

[00:05:00] Toroa’s focus: On-chain financial products, NZD/AUD stablecoins, property tokens and tokenized funds.

[00:07:00] Non-USD stablecoins: Why NZD/AUD stables matter for cross-border flows and monetary sovereignty.

[00:10:00] Title-based property: Tokens tied to property title, not shares, avoiding financial-product status and paying rent in stablecoins.

[00:17:00] Tokenized feeders: Letting funds offer regulated exposure in token form to DAOs, foundations and family offices.

[00:20:00] Demand > preaching: They focus on inbound demand from funds already being asked for tokenized access.

[00:26:00] Roadmap & raise: Moving group structure to the UK, aiming for a future listing, and raising a £500k pre-Series A.

Connect

https://www.toroa.xyz/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/toroagroup/

https://x.com/toroagroup

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjohnsonhunt/

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

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L1 blockchains have gone through every hype cycle: ICOs, NFTs, gaming, metaverse, now AI. But what actually survives?

In this episode, I speak with Alexander Zahnd, CEO of Zilliqa, an L1 that launched in 2017 and recently became fully EVM-compatible. Alex shares his journey from a decade in Swiss TradFi and treasury/regulatory projects into DeFi, and how that shaped his views on financial rigor, regulation and long-term blockchain adoption.

Key Timestamps

[00:00:00] Mercenary DeFi users: Alex explains why liquidity follows the highest incentives and why this is a problem for long-term protocol sustainability.

[00:01:00] From Swiss banks to Zilliqa: A decade in TradFi, treasury and regulation, discovering DeFi as “finance without intermediaries,” and joining Zilliqa four years ago.

[00:05:00] L1 landscape today: How Zilliqa moved from sharding-focused scalability to full EVM compatibility, and why EVM + SVM gravity is consolidating general-purpose L1s.

[00:08:00] Narrative chasing vs. building: ICOs, gaming, NFTs, metaverse, AI—all tried at Zilliqa; why chasing every hype is fragile and a clear, durable North Star matters.

[00:11:00] AI x blockchain: Alex uses AI tools daily but is skeptical of forced “AI + chain” narratives until real, organic use cases emerge.

[00:13:00] Real institutional adoption: Institutions aren’t allergic to crypto; they’re allergic to operational and regulatory uncertainty. Why audit-ready, compliant infra will be a major driver.

[00:14:00] Where DeFi still has upside: Derivatives, perps, structured products, on-chain treasuries, RWAs, and permissioned DeFi rails for institutions and KYC’d wallets.

[00:17:00] Token design lessons: Tokens should coordinate and power utility flows, not exist purely for price appreciation or quick fundraising.

[00:20:00] Price vs fundamentals: How token price is the easiest visible metric, but often detached from real usage—unlike equities, where mature analyst coverage helps.

[00:24:00] Lowering dev friction: Why Zilliqa’s EVM compatibility and AI-assisted tooling matter for non-engineer builders to prototype and ship ideas faster.

[00:28:00] On-chain LEIs with Liechtenstein: A government-backed initiative for blockchain-verifiable legal entity identifiers as a bridge between TradFi and Web3.

[00:29:00] Alex’s ask: Strategic partnerships, institutional integrations and long-range alliances around regulated, EVM-based infrastructure.

Connect

https://zilliqa.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/zilliqa/

https://x.com/zilliqa

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.

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AI demand for GPUs is exploding – and most of that capacity is locked inside underused data centers.

In this episode, I talk with Mark from Aethir, a decentralized GPU cloud that aggregates idle, enterprise-grade GPUs into a global network. We discuss how Aethir feels like AWS on the front end but works like “Airbnb for data centers” behind the scenes, why compute demand outpaces supply, and how they keep latency low across 90+ countries.

Mark also explains Aethir’s token and revenue model, their work with EigenLayer, and why he believes solo founders now have superpowers in an AI-native world.

Nothing in this episode is financial or investment advice.

Key timestamps

[00:00:00] Intro: Sam introduces Mark and Aethir’s decentralized GPU cloud.

[00:01:00] Mark’s journey: From oil and gas infra and biotech to building GPU infrastructure for AI.

[00:04:00] What Aethir is: AWS-style GPU cloud on the front end, “Airbnb for data centers” on the back end.

[00:06:00] Enterprise-only GPUs: Why they only use data-center-grade hardware and no consumer devices.

[00:07:00] Exploding demand: GPU demand 6–8x supply, with inference-heavy apps driving the next wave.

[00:14:00] Global coverage: 90+ countries and routing users to nearby nodes for low latency.

[00:31:00] Business model: 20% protocol fee, 80% to GPU hosts, plus token rewards and staking for large clusters.

[00:39:00] Solo founder era: Why one-person AI-native companies will be extremely powerful.

[00:41:00] Mark’s message: Focus on projects with strong fundamentals and keep building through cycles.

Connect

http://aethir.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/aethir-limited/

https://x.com/AethirCloud

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrydon/

https://x.com/MRRydon

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
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Bitcoin isn’t just something you buy and hold anymore – it can be an engine for a real on-chain economy.

In this episode, I’m joined by Hunter from Terahash, a true crypto OG with a decade in the industry and a past life as Justin Sun’s right hand on ecosystem development at Tron. We talk about his journey from Oculus and VR to traveling the world for Tron, seeing firsthand how stablecoins and Bitcoin are helping people escape inflation in places like Turkey.

Hunter then breaks down how Terahash is tokenizing Bitcoin hash rate (THS) to give individuals and institutions direct exposure to the “engine” of Bitcoin, generating daily BTC yield while helping miners secure upfront capital and stay efficient – even in bear markets. We also dive into energy, AI’s growing demand for power, building sustainable mining incentives, and his candid advice for founders on community and ecosystem growth.

Key Timestamps

[00:00:00] Why Hunter stayed in crypto: From chasing profits to believing in decentralization and “power to the people.”

[00:02:00] Oculus & the early Metaverse: Working at Meta/Facebook demoing VR before “metaverse” was even a buzzword.

[00:03:30] From extra money to a mission: How Telegram/Discord communities shifted his mindset from trading to ideology.

[00:04:30] Tron, Tether & Turkey: Seeing people use USDT on Tron as an inflation hedge and safe haven from collapsing fiat.

[00:06:00] Bitcoin as a museum piece: Why just “buy, hold, pray, sell” is not enough for the future of Bitcoin.

[00:07:00] What Terahash does: Turning Bitcoin into an economy by tokenizing hash rate and opening access to BTC’s “engine.”

[00:08:30] Hype vs real yield: Why most DeFi yields are inflationary and unsustainable – and how hash rate–backed yield is different.

[00:11:00] THS token explained: 1 THS = 1 terahash of real BTC hash rate, on-chain transparency and Chainlink oracles.

[00:14:00] Daily BTC payouts: How buying THS routes mining rewards to your wallet while miners get upfront capital and stability.

[00:17:00] Energy, geography & expansion: US-based mining today, plus interest in El Salvador, Bhutan and global low-cost energy hubs.

[00:19:00] AI vs Bitcoin for energy: Why AI and data centers are driving an energy and metals (silver, gold) crunch.

[00:21:00] Fixing mining: Tokenized hash rate as a way to support miners, create yield, and reduce fear of 4-year cycles and bear markets.

[00:23:00] Ecosystem dev 101: Hunter’s advice to founders – be present, be transparent, live in Telegram, and mix fun with progress.

[00:26:00] Roadmap: Dual-token model (THS + HASH), going multi-chain, BTC L2s, Solana, Tron and upcoming launches in 30–60 days.

[00:28:00] The ask: Mission-aligned investors, hires, partners and community members – “there’s a place in Terahash for everyone.”

[00:29:30] Wrap-up & call to founders: How to connect with Terahash and why we’ll revisit their journey in 6–12 months.

Connect

https://terahash.xyz/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/terahash-xyz/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibeatwallstreet/

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
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In this episode I talk with Wes from Technotainment, who’s building what he calls Streaming 2.0 — a new model for Hollywood that combines content, community, and commerce, powered by Web3 and AI.

We break down why the traditional subscription/ads model is failing in an infinite-content world, how micro-casting lets each show own its audience and revenue, and how tokens can route value directly between advertisers, creators, and fans.

Wes also shares how AI-generated films, live experiences, and gamified fan engagement could reshape both studios and creators over the next decade.

Key Timestamps

[00:00] What’s Broken in Hollywood Wes explains why the 1970s subscription/ads model doesn’t work in a world of infinite content, channels, and attention fragmentation.

[00:02] Wes’ Journey into Web3 & Entertainment From bootstrapping in Malta, ICO days, and Quizando to meeting the founder of MTV/Nickelodeon and starting Technotainment.

[00:09] “Bringing Hollywood On-Chain” Explained Not just putting video on-chain: routing value directly between advertisers, content, and fans via tokens, and cutting out layers of middlemen.

[00:11] New Revenue Stack for Content Freemium first episodes, pay-per-episode, affiliate sales from clickable items in scenes, merch, live events, digital assets, and gamification.

[00:17] Micro-Casting & Decentralized Streaming Each show as its own “mini Netflix”: owning audience, data, and revenue while plugging into many distribution platforms instead of one gatekeeper.

[00:20] Competing with TikTok & UGC Why Technotainment bakes community directly into the viewing experience: feeds, second screens, and rewarding fans who create content around shows.

[00:23] AI Content, Live Experiences & Commerce AI-generated movies, content as a commerce engine, and why live experiences and stage shows become even more valuable in an AI world.

[00:36] Roadmap & AskToken generation plans, launch timeline, university partnerships, and what Technotainment is looking for: creators, game builders, IP, and Web3 communities.

Connect

https://www.technotainment.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/technotainment-streaming-media-inc/

https://x.com/_technotainment

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleyellul/

https://x.com/SurWess

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.

Get featured

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In this episode, I sit down with Giel from kpk (formerly karpatkey) live at Devconnect Buenos Aires. KPK has quietly managed billions for major DAOs such as ENS, DYDX, Arbitrum, and Balancer — operating with an institutional-grade risk framework while staying fully non-custodial.

We talk about institutional adoption heading into 2025–2026, why traditional funds and family offices now want safer access to DeFi yields, how risk curation actually works, and what institutions should look for when evaluating partners. Giel also breaks down KPK’s new vault + curator system and how automation allows them to adjust positions in under 30 seconds.

Key Timestamps

[00:00] What KPK Actually Does — managing billions for top DAOs with non-custodial infrastructure.

[00:02] Institutional Demand — family offices & funds looking for safe DeFi exposure.

[00:04] Banks & DeFi — how banks may adopt on-chain yield directly.

[00:06] The Curator Model — risk frameworks, due diligence, and automated vaults.

[00:09] What Institutions Should Look For — track record, risk discipline, zero loss history.

[00:12] Roadmap — becoming a leading risk curator with focused, low-risk vaults.

[00:14] Biggest Challenges — moving from behind the scenes to public institutional visibility.

[00:16] The Ask — connecting with funds, aggregators, and institutions seeking safe, automated yield.

Connect

https://kpk.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/kpk-io/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/giel-detienne/

https://x.com/kpk_io

https://x.com/deepcryptodive

Disclaimer

If you enjoyed this, I’d love you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share the episode with a friend.
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In this episode, I speak with Marcos from Parfin/Rayls, live at Devconnect Buenos Aires, where their new finance-focused L1 is already seeing explosive use: 30K wallets in 24 hours, 3M+ transactions, and 800K addresses on testnet.

We discuss how stablecoins are shifting from crypto-native tools to bank-issued, institution-grade payment rails, why Brazil now has several sovereign stablecoins, and why U.S. banks may soon launch their own. Marcos breaks down real institutional adoption—credit receivables, real estate tokenization, commodity payments, and bank integrations—and what it takes to build a chain designed specifically for financial infrastructure.

He also shares Rails’ TGE plans, their biggest challenges, and why 2026 could be the breakout year for regulated crypto adoption.

Key Timestamps

[00:00] Testnet Surge — 30K wallets in 24 hours, 3M+ txns, 800K addresses.

[00:02] Hackathon & Devconnect Insights — real use cases emerging.

[00:04] Institutional Adoption — banks warming up after regulatory clarity.

[00:06] Stablecoins in Brazil — multiple BRL coins, cross-currency swaps.

[00:08] Real-World Payments — stablecoins in commodity trading, FX, settlements.

[00:10] Rails’ Customers — Brazil’s largest FMI, credit card acquirer, real estate tokenization.

[00:11] Why TGE Now — fundamentals, utility, timing.

[00:13] What Marcos Would Do Differently — build faster without sacrificing safety.

[00:14] Stablecoin Reality — why stablecoins are becoming the settlement layer.

[00:16] Global Stablecoin Future — fragmentation into hundreds of fiat-native coins.

[00:18] Challenges & Asks — finish TGE, onboard banks, grow community.

Connect

https://parfin.io/

https://parfin.io/en/rayls

https://www.linkedin.com/company/parfin/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcosviriato/

https://x.com/parfin_io

https://x.com/mcvviriato

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.

It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.

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In this episode, I speak with Xin from Sign Global, a company building sovereign blockchain infrastructure for governments — from national stablecoins and CBDCs to digital identity and real-world asset systems.

Xin explains why crypto struggles to reach real adoption: we build great tech but rarely solve problems for banks, regulators, or everyday users. Sign Global works directly with governments to modernize payments, identity, and asset rails — aiming to cut international settlement from 1–3 days to 2 minutes and unlock massive economic velocity.

We discuss global stablecoin trends, why USD stablecoins won’t dominate long term, how sovereign digital ID actually works, and why countries like Kazakhstan and the UAE are moving fastest.

A rare, practical look at the future of national-scale blockchain systems.

(Nothing here is financial advice.)

Key timestamps

[00:00:00] Cold Open: Xin on why crypto people don’t talk to the real world

[00:01:00] Intro: Sam introduces Xin and Sign Global’s mission for sovereign infrastructure

[00:03:00] Origin Story: Mining, hardware, VC and founding Sign in 2021

[00:05:00] From App to Nations: Pivoting from Web3 contract signing to CBDCs and stablecoins

[00:08:00] Crypto vs Real World: Why good tech without real users doesn’t create value

[00:11:00] Digital ID: Sovereign credentials vs centralized government databases that keep getting hacked

[00:15:00] Progressive States: Kazakhstan, UAE and how ambitious governments think about crypto

[00:19:00] Future of Stablecoins: Why Xin believes stablecoins win but USD stablecoins won’t dominate everyday money

[00:24:00] Tokenizing Nations: Governments as gatekeepers for fiat, oil, land and RWA on-chain

[00:30:00] Business Model: From government infra contracts to global payment rails

[00:33:00] Bandwidth of Money: 1–3 day SWIFT vs 2-minute settlement and the impact on global GDP

[00:34:00] Roadmap & Ask: 25+ countries, global payment network and who Xin wants to work with

Connect

https://sign.global/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethsign/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-yan-658545172/

https://x.com/ethsign

https://x.com/realyanxin

Disclaimer

Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/