Financial nihilism is a common philosophy in Web3 but, ultimately, there’s no way to build long-lasting value without finding real customers for real products and services that solve actual problems, says Lex Sokolin.
How AI and DePIN Will Change Web3
The collision of Web3 services, distributed infrastructure (DePIN) and AI creates entirely new forms of internet experience and we’re just starting to see the future, says Lex Sokolin, at Generative Ventures.
How AI and DePIN Will Change Web3
The collision of Web3 services, distributed infrastructure (DePIN) and AI creates entirely new forms of internet experience and we’re just starting to see the future, says Lex Sokolin, at Generative Ventures.
The Machine Economy and the Convergence of Web3, AI and Fintech
Fintech, Web3, and artificial intelligence are one economic whole, and our ability to grow each relies on their deep synthesis, says Lex Sokolin, founder of Web3 investment fund Generative Ventures.
How 2022 Differs From 2018
The current crypto downturn seems less a failure to deliver on the promises of an innovative technology, and more like a traditional financial deleveraging across an asset class.
What Layer 1 Protocols Must Learn From the Telecom Crash
Layer 1 networks competing with Ethereum was a major investment theme in 2021.
Robinhood Can’t Democratize Finance Using Old Tools
Robinhood saw the ire of traders last week because it promised to be different. It turned out to be fancy app on top of an antiquated system.
What DeFi Has in Common With Cubism
DeFi’s innovation system is reminiscent of an art movement that passes ideas back and forth until lasting breakthroughs emerge.
How the OCC Is Building Crypto America (and Saving Banks From Extinction)
Three interpretative letters from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency lay the groundwork for banks to become crypto custodians, payment companies and miners in blockchain networks.
Valuing Open Source: Principles for Acquiring DeFi Projects
As DeFi sees its first M&A, we’re left with a big question: How do you value an open-source project in a very new industry?
The Smart Money Economy
Digital money in a crypto wallet is only the first step. The bigger shift is a new software economy anchored in programmable blockchains.
How DeFi Can Avoid the Irrelevance of P2P Lending and Crowdfunding
To avoid the fate of other p2p projects, DeFi protocols need incentives and feedback loops so users choose open-source over closed systems.
The Revolution You’ve Been Awaiting: Fintech + DeFi
Fintech and DeFi are showing new ways forward for finance. When they combine, outdated intermediaries will really be in trouble.
China’s Open Source Development Has Lessons for the US
While the U.S. complains about TikTok and Chinese IP theft, China is forging a new form of development based on open source networks.
Figure’s Mike Cagney: How to Build a Business in Blockchain
Mike Cagney, who also co-founded SoFi, is one of fintech’s most accomplished entrepreneurs. He talks to ConsenSys’s Lex Sokolin about keys to success for blockchain startups.
Weed Out the Soviet-Era Ponzi Scheme Eating Ethereum
The MMM Ponzi accounts for 10% of Ethereum’s transactions and 50% of Paxos’s. It’s time the Ethereum community did something about it.
DeFi Protocols Should Be Fiduciaries, Not Structured Product Dealers
Open protocols can help reform the financial system, says our columnist. But they need to come with safeguards consumers understand.
What Fintech Can Learn From Elon Musk and SpaceX
A decade ago, few people believed Elon Musk could pull off a manned space launch, just as skepticism surrounds fintech and crypto today. What can the financial industry learn from SpaceX, asks ConsenSys’ Lex Sokolin.
The American Empire Is in Decline. Time for a New Economic System
From debt to inequality, the U.S. economy looks like a 1930s disaster waiting to happen. No wonder gold-bugs and Bitcoiners are feeling vindicated.
Facebook’s ‘Scaled Back’ Libra Proposal Is More Dangerous Than You Think
With stablecoin announcements from China and Libra in the same week, the war over the future of money is reaching a new height, says our columnist.
