What Crypto VCs Want Now | Aryan Sheikhalian
The Defiant10 Okt 2025

What Crypto VCs Want Now | Aryan Sheikhalian

Crypto’s next chapter isn’t a shinier coin—it’s invisible rails. In this episode, we sit down with Aryan Sheikhalian, Research Lead at CMT Digital, to unpack the shift from “crypto as an asset” to crypto as infrastructure: 24/7 markets, instant clearing and settlement, and new structured products that couldn’t exist before.

We talk about tokenized equities (wrappers vs. native tokenization and why dividends/governance matter), how identity layers and ZK proofs unlock mainstream distribution through banks and fintechs, and where regulation is pushing builders toward partnerships and licensed rails.


Chapters

00:00 Hook: crypto as infrastructure, not asset

01:15 Guest intro and research focus

02:06 Incentives, psychology, and mechanism design

04:03 ICO lessons, maturity, and red flags

07:09 CMT Digital’s thesis and “strictly better”

10:27 Tokenized equities drivers and demand

13:40 Wrappers vs native: dividends, governance

16:06 Fintech rails, velocity, cost efficiency

18:26 Banks, distribution, and competitive incentives

20:29 New assets: GPUs, data, energy tokens

23:23 Identity layers and ZK proofs for scale

25:55 State of crypto VC and fund trends

27:51 Overlooked sectors: DePIN and decentralized data

31:26 Prediction markets and resolution design

34:18 Regulation, licenses, and partnerships

39:45 Market outlook: TVL, stables, volatility

42:45 Founder advice: conviction and user focus

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(335)

Saylor Selling BTC: Strategy Lifeline or Betrayal?

Saylor Selling BTC: Strategy Lifeline or Betrayal?

Michael Saylor built his entire identity around one promise: he would never sell Bitcoin. Last week, that promise ended.Strategy's board voted to authorize selling Bitcoin to cover dividend payments a...

7 Juli 10min

Inside the Ethereum Foundation Overhaul: is a Multi-Node Structure Bullish?

Inside the Ethereum Foundation Overhaul: is a Multi-Node Structure Bullish?

The Ethereum Foundation just cut 20% of its staff and 40% of its budget. Two co-executive directors are gone. And the talent exodus has been quiet but real. But the community didn't wait. In a matter ...

1 Juli 13min

"Bazooka in Every Hand" Do We Really Want Unstoppable AI? w/ Jake Brukhman, Haseeb Qureshi, Jesus Rodriguez

"Bazooka in Every Hand" Do We Really Want Unstoppable AI? w/ Jake Brukhman, Haseeb Qureshi, Jesus Rodriguez

Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Commerce forced Anthropic to shut down Fable V for the entire world. One government, one decision, zero global access. Is this the definitive case for decentralized...

19 Juni 26min

DeFi's Near-Death Moment | Mike Silagadze on Ether.fi, Security, and What Comes Next

DeFi's Near-Death Moment | Mike Silagadze on Ether.fi, Security, and What Comes Next

How close did DeFi come to a real systemic collapse?In this episode, Camila Russo sits down with Mike Silagadze, co-founder and CEO of Ether.fi, to break down the Kelp exploit, the DeFi United rescue ...

8 Juni 45min

DeFi Hacks Happening Every Day; Institutions Are Still Coming

DeFi Hacks Happening Every Day; Institutions Are Still Coming

April saw some of the worst DeFi losses in recent memory, and even OpenZeppelin co-founder Manuel Aráoz warned people to get out. But while CT feels gloomy, institutions are not stepping back - they'r...

1 Juni 56min

Top Talent Is Leaving the EF. What Happens to ETH Now?

Top Talent Is Leaving the EF. What Happens to ETH Now?

Top Ethereum talent is leaving. The Ethereum Foundation is shrinking. And one question now hangs over the entire ecosystem: what happens to ETH if the EF steps back?In this livestream, Camila Russo is...

25 Maj 52min

DeFi Yields Are Too Damn Low! Here's Why

DeFi Yields Are Too Damn Low! Here's Why

DeFi is approaching a breaking point.After a wave of hacks and growing concerns around smart contract risk, liquidity risk, and hidden dependencies, the biggest question in crypto is no longer just ho...

14 Maj 56min

The $300M DeFi Bailout: Heroic or Unsustainable?

The $300M DeFi Bailout: Heroic or Unsustainable?

Explosive debate: after one of DeFi's biggest attacks left Aave facing bad debt, DeFi United raised more than $300M to stop the contagion. But did the ecosystem prove its strength - or expose hidden t...

30 Apr 58min

Populärt inom Teknik

uppgang-och-fall
elbilsveckan
market-makers
rss-uppgang-och-fall
skogsforum-podcast
natets-morka-sida
developers-mer-an-bara-kod
rss-elektrikerpodden
allt-du-behover-veta-om-ny-teknik
bli-saker-podden
rss-en-ai-till-kaffet
rss-veckans-ai
rss-technokratin
rss-podden-om-dronare
rss-heja-framtiden
rss-laddstationen-med-elbilen-i-sverige
rss-inet-patch-notes
snacka-bil-med
hej-bruksbil
rss-upplyst-entreprenordirektor