Crypto Savvy: The Essentials

NFTs were the hottest thing in crypto in 2021, and its craze sees no signs of stopping in 2022. With the sheer number of NFT items and collectibles currently available on the marketplace, how do we differentiate between a good and a bad NFT project? What are some indicators to evaluate projects before making any sort of investments? In this episode we caught up with Subvert.eth, the Community Lead of the new NFT project, Delirious Minds Travelers (DMT). DMT made headlines in Hong Kong earlier this month with a huge billboard advertisement situated in the middle of the city’s busiest underground railway station. Hear how Subvert.eth describes the story behind the creation of DMT, how the project’s avatar designs relate to health and wellness, and how its marketing model differs from other similar projects.

Following the mint we talk to Timothee Semelin, a senior marketing professional for global media and luxury brands for 15 years. Timothee, who became an NFT trader in 2021 and is also a consultant for several NFT projects in Asia, shares what investors should look out for in an NFT project and how to gauge its success.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world of decentralised finance (DeFi) may be new and intimidating to some, yet it offers numerous opportunities for crypto holders to earn passive income on different DeFi protocols and get the most out of their holdings. In this episode we caught up with John Patrick Mullin, Co-Founder of DeFi savings and lending platform MANTRA DAO, as he explains the most common methods such as staking, lending and yield farming etc. We also explore the concept of “Decentralised Autonomous Organisation”, or DAO, which has formed the backbone of all the major DeFi applications we see today.

John Patrick Mullin co-founded MANTRA DAO and SOMA.finance, a US-regulated decentalised exhange (DEX). Prior to that he served as the Managing Director of Tritaurian Capital, a regulated boutique investment bank focusing on providing financial services and capital raising solutions for start-ups and SMEs. Hailing from a traditional investment banking background, as an educator, he has spoken at leading universities across the world, including Harvard, London Business School, and Peking University.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in January 2021, HashKey Group’s very own Michel Lee called that 2021 will be the “tipping point for institutional adoption in digital assets”. One year later, how has Michel’s prediction panned out? In this episode, we caught up with our Executive President to revisit this. Originally trained as a computer scientist and started his career as a Quant, Michel also shares his journey from traditional finance to crypto, HashKey’s core businesses, capital investments and upcoming roadmap, as well as why it’s a great time now for financial institutions to get into digital assets.

Michel Lee is the Executive President at HashKey Group. With 25 years of international investment banking experience, Michel leads the Group's activities in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo, bringing deep expertise in capital raising and M&A transactions to the digital asset management business. Prior to HashKey, he was Head of APAC Capital Markets at UBS, where he pioneered numerous new derivatives and alternative investment products and business models.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you’re an investor or a project team member, to excel in the crypto game, you have to know crypto law. What are the listing criteria for a security token offering (STO)? How should I legally approach a token sale? What does it mean to be “regulated”? In this episode, we caught up with two experienced lawyers, Machiuanna Chu and Anna Liu, to answer some of the most burning questions you need to know.

Machiuanna Chu is a Partner at law firm Deacons who specialises in cross-border M&As and investments. Her practice has a particular focus on new economies tech sector, and she advises on projects involving virtual assets including ICOs, subscriptions of future tokens and cryptocurrency exchanges. Machiuanna was ranked among the leading lawyers in Corporate M&A in China by Chambers Asia-Pacific from 2019 to 2021.

Anna Liu is Head of Legal at HashKey Group. With a focus on financial innovation, FinTech and telecommunications, Anna has practiced in investment funds, Hong Kong & Overseas Capital Markets. Before joining HashKey, she was a Senior Legal Counsel at tech conglomerate Tencent.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucy Gazmararian’s venture into crypto is unlike no other. After spending years in investment banking and private wealth management in London and Hong Kong, she joined PwC’s crypto team during the tail end of the ICO boom, and had to advise traditional financial institutions during a time when the word “crypto” essentially meant “scam” in the eyes of many. In early 2021, she decided to strike out on her own and founded Token Bay Capital, an early-stage venture fund for digital assets. Her first fund closed in July 2021.

In this episode, we spoke to Lucy to understand how VC funding actually works in crypto, the types of projects Token Bay Capital invests in, and how she uses her experience in TradFi to advise her portfolio companies. Also the Founder of Women in Crypto Hong Kong, she lays out her mission to foster collaboration and education among women in the crypto ecosystem.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite people being well aware of the prevalence of unlawful behaviours in the crypto space, the sheer number of frauds and scams is seeing no sign of slowing down. Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is a global law firm that has developed a unique approach using blockchain technology and data analytics to pre-empt and investigate crypto fraud. We sat down with Henry Chambers and Jay Kim from A&M to unpack the most common categories of crypto fraud, techniques used to prevent them, and how can the institutions and retail participants protect themselves from rug pulls and scams.

Henry Chambers heads up Alvarez & Marsal’s crypto and digital asset practice in Hong Kong, specialising in fraud, corruption and regulatory investigations. Henry has worked all over the world on numerous major fraud and corruption investigations and has also spent time working at the UK’s Serious Fraud Office.

Jay Kim is a Director with Alvarez & Marsal. Jay leads the firm’s data analytics and digital asset investigations practice in the Asia region on investigations, performance improvement and insolvency matters.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blockchain takes on its own form in the enterprise space, yet most adoption stories and use cases of blockchain we hear are mainly in the retail sector. In this episode, we caught up with Charles d’Haussy, Managing Director APAC of ConsenSys, the company best known for developing the Metamask browser wallet and various Ethereum infrastructure software. Charles breaks down the different types of enterprise blockchains, how companies should properly incorporate blockchain into their business operations, as well as ConsenSys’ involvement in one of 2021’s most talked about subjects – CBDC.

Charles d’Haussy is Asia’s Managing Director at leading blockchain engineering company ConsenSys. He spearheads ConsenSys’ projects on central-bank digital currencies with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank of Thailand. Before that, he served as Head of FinTech with the Hong Kong government and was the main driving force behind the founding and scaling of Hong Kong FinTech Week, Asia’s flagship fintech conference. He is also the author of Block Kong, a book about blockchain leaders shaping the Hong Kong blockchain ecosystem.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cryptocurrency and FinTech are two rapidly changing sectors, and it can be hard to keep abreast with the latest happenings. There’s no better person to ask about trends and development in this market than Jame DiBiasio, the Founder and Editor of leading FinTech and digital asset publication DigFin, which was recently acquired by AMTD Digital. In this episode, he details his journey from crypto apprentice to guru, why blockchain and FinTech matters, how he writes about digital assets as well as other stories and projects that have stuck with him. 

Jame DiBiasio is the Founder and Editor of DigFin, a leading publication covering digital finance, fintech, and digital assets in Asia. Jame has been a financial journalist in Hong Kong since 1997, arriving from New York. In 2000, he founded AsianInvestor, the region’s top asset management publication, and led it for many years. He is the first journalist in Asia Pacific to be honored for “outstanding contribution to institutional journalism” in State Street’s Institutional Press Awards. He is also the author of “Cowries to Crypto: The Story of Money, Currency and Wealth”.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As start-up hubs in Asia go, Hong Kong has a strong appeal. Despite economic challenges brought by the pandemic, the city’s start-up ecosystem has demonstrated remarkable resilience, and saw the growth of numerous up-and-coming crypto and blockchain companies.

In this interview, we chat with Karena Belin, who co-founded the first regulated tech investment platform in Hong Kong. Karena talks about her ongoing mission to help start-ups, the start-up scene in Hong Kong, and how she hosted a crowdfunding round for a rising star in blockchain gaming.

Karena Belin is a start-up expert in Hong Kong and a technology and innovation visionary. She is the Co-Founder of AngelHub, Hong Kong’s first and only SFC-regulated tech investment platform. She also heads up sister company W Hub, a community builder and a power-connector for the start-up community. She is a member of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong, and a nominee of the America Chamber’s Women of Influencer 2021.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s leading hubs when it comes to FinTech innovation and opportunities, and a major driver of the city’s Fintech initiatives is InvestHK, the department under the Hong Kong Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment. On the backdrop of Hong Kong FinTech Week 2021, we caught up with King Leung, Head of FinTech at InvestHK, as he details InvestHK’s mission to foster a vibrant FinTech ecosystem and community in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. An engineer turned entrepreneur, King also shares why start-ups and scale-ups should come to Hong Kong and the support services and schemes his department offers.

As the Head of FinTech at InvestHK, King has the privilege to work closely with major financial service institutions, FinTech companies, accelerators, innovation labs, investors, regulators and universities. Recognised for his industry domain experience, King has been invited to serve in leadership roles at the FinTech Association of Hong Kong, The Marketing Society Asia and the Asia America Multi-technology Association. Prior to his FinTech immersion, King’s tech entrepreneurial career included his role as angel investor in start-ups involving AI, Big Data and InsurTech.

Notices & Disclaimers

• Views, information and opinions expressed in the Podcast are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent that of the HashKey Group. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

• This Podcast should not be considered as an offer or solicitation to sell, buy or subscribe to any financial instruments or product, securities or any derivative instrument, or any other rights pertaining thereto.

• Any decision made by a party after listening to this Podcast shall be on the basis of its own research and not be influenced or based on any view expressed in this Podcast or otherwise. This Podcast does not address all risks. This Podcast does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation and has been prepared without regard to individual financial circumstances, objectives or particular needs of listeners. Listeners should seek their own financial, tax, legal, regulatory and other advice regarding the appropriateness or otherwise of investing in any investments and/or pursuing any investment strategies. The HashKey Group does not express any opinion as to the present or future value or price of any instruments referred to in this Podcast.

• By accessing this Podcast, listeners acknowledge that the HashKey Group makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.