DiffuseTap Podcast

Is the NFT hype crazy or are we crazy for not riding the hype to killer returns? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Dip Majumder , CEO of Alpha Trend , about what hype means to the world of DeFi and NFTs, how to spot early signs of hype waves in the markets, and what the common hype misconceptions are that limit investors’ upside.

Crypto’s oversight might move from the SEC to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and industry players are cautiously optimistic. But what is the CFTC’s actual stance on regulation? Last time on DiffuseTap, we ask Jeff Bandman , Principal at Bandman Advisors , formerly with the CFTC crypto taskforce, about how the department works, who’s part of it, where the power lies, and what the CFTC co...

Time to optimize your DeFi tax accounting ahead of the year-end close! Last time on DiffuseTap, we ask Mackenzie Patel , CPA and Senior Revenue Accountant at Figment , and Joe Dillon , Director of Customer and Partner Success at Bitwave , about the complexities of DeFi and NFT taxes, how the IRS deals with defaulting investors, and how you can be more tax efficient with your DeFi investing.

How can investors bet on the future of digital identity, from Zero Knowledge to Soulbound Tokens? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Scott Mandel , CEO of Complex Labs , about the technology behind protecting digital identities on the blockchain, emerging concepts like zero proof and soulbound tokens, and concerns about the commercialization of digital identity data.

We all feel our declining purchasing power, what is the broader impact of inflation on alternative asset classes? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Igor Gonta * – Angel Investor Emerging Tech (crypto, blockchain, energy, AI) – about which assets are surprisingly appreciating in spite of inflation, whether crypto is an inflation hedge, and whether inflation is a natural part of any financial cycle....

Crypto traders are getting more exotic by the minute… why are DeFi derivatives the pinnacle of their trading excitement? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Cole Kennelly , Founder and CEO at Volmex Labs , about what DeFi derivatives are, why it took so long for them to enter the market, and some of the biggest opportunities we can see with DeFi derivatives.

Institutional interest in crypto is on the rise. How does the large allocator’s capital deployment process differ between crypto and traditional asset classes? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked James Lavish , Co-Founder of The Looking Glass , about how institutional investors are deploying their capital into crypto, what is keeping some institutions from buying into this asset class, and how insti...

The future of crypto is retail. How can mainstream investors build a personal portfolio that takes into account both market volatility and personal risk parameters? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Ric Edelman , Founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals , about the importance of intelligent portfolio construction especially in a crypto winter, the biggest personal finance l...

When the SEC is still finding its feet in crypto… how does it impact innovation in the space? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Pat Daugherty , Partner at Foley & Lardner LLP , about the SEC’s crypto regulation frameworks, whether the current approach is professionalizing or hampering the crypto industry, and how innovative digital asset companies can build the SEC’s crypto approach into their...

There is no shortage of new (and sometimes promising) coins in the market. Can you use data to pick a winning altcoin? Last time on DiffuseTap, we invited Salahuddin Khawaja , CEO of Hypermode , to discuss what date is available to investors betting on altcoins, what metrics can be used to separate the wheat from the chaff, and which coins have surprisingly skyrocketed or tanked right under everyo...

How do you find the next hot alt coin that is poised to challenge Ethereum and Bitcoin with its innovative utility and revenue generating applications? Last time on DiffuseTap, we ask Robert Mowry , Venture Partner at Altcoin Accelerator , about early indicators of a successful new altcoin, what it takes to foster a sustainable alt coin ecosystem (#noTerrameltdowns), and how to spot “copy and past...

They say AI is to trading what fire was to the cavemen. While that might be true for the stock market, is there enough data to make AI trading in crypto work? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Manu Choudhary and Chris Park, Founders of DeFinity, about how traders are using AI to win in crypto, how institutions vet an AI algorithm before using it in their trading strategies, and what technical chal...

What if you could buy shares in collectibles – from vintage cars to baseball cards and mint condition comic books? That’s exactly what Rally was built for. Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Christopher Bruno , Founder and President of Rally , about how his company is giving retail investors a novel opportunity to invest in collectibles, which assets have become surprisingly valuable, and why colle...

DAOs are growing popular fast among crypto companies. What would scale this structure commercially? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Brendan Kissane , CEO and President of Drumin Management Advisors, and Jason Myers , CEO and Co-Founder at CXO Equity Partners , about how a DAO can be integrated into a commercial business model, how using a DAO structure can hamper or accelerate commercial growth,...

Retail and institutional investors alike flock to the widely accessible exchange-traded funds. Where do ETFs intersect with DeFi? Last time on DiffuseTap, we ask Dan Weiskopf and Michael Venuto of Toroso Investments how ETFs can take off in the DeFi space, what it would take for the SEC to approve a multi-coin ETF, and how ETFs might survive the volatility of decentralization.

Diversifying one’s portfolio used to be a complex exercise, but no longer. What modern, tech-enabled advancements have made this possible? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Wittney Rachlin , Chief Marketing Officer at Yieldstreet , about how technology has opened the doors to diversification at scale, how alt fund investors are diversifying today (especially in a turbulent market), and how much ca...

Has crypto held up its promise of democratizing financial access to all humans regardless of their social or economic standing? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Elena Obukhova , Co-founder and CEO of FlashBack , about how crypto can change people’s lives by unlocking financial access, how DeFi solutions are helping unbanked and low income individuals grow wealth, and why the social and economical...

Does a CBDC enable a digital-first economy or is it just another avenue for regulators to control our financial freedom? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Christian Kameir , Managing Partner at Sustany Capital , about the main purpose of CBDCs, what rolling out these currencies means overall for the financial industry and the economy at large, and what the risks and opportunities of this new finan...

How do protocols make decisions? Who calls the shots? Can anyone sway them? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Park Feierbach , Protocol Onboarding Lead at Figment , about how users can influence protocols and nudge them in a specific direction, when and when not to touch a protocol based on their decision-making mechanisms, and what inter protocol politics really look like.

Crypto is considered one of today’s riskiest investments. But… is it actually as risky as the popular narrative tells you it is? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Greg Foss , Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Validus Power Corp , about the correlation between Bitcoin and the S&P 500, whether Bitcoin can be a hedge against broader financial collapses, and how much Bitcoin an invest...

In this age of NFTs and digital asset classes, is there space for old-fashioned art in an investor’s portfolio? Last time on DiffuseTap, we asked Allen Sukholitsky , Chief Investment Officer at Masterworks , about how investing in art has changed over the years, what the returns look like in this vertical, and how traditional art pieces are surviving and thriving in the competition with NFTs.

Last time on DiffuseTap, we invited Michael Iseman , Director of Operations at AcreTrader , to discuss how virtual farm investing turns farming into an asset class, the positive social impact as a direct result of funding this sector, and why buying a slice of farms across the globe can become the new steady-yield investment strategy.

Centralized crypto exchanges vs DEXs – what is the dominant exchange of the future? Last time on DiffuseTap, we invited Douglas Colkitt, Founder of Crocodile Labs, to discuss what a DEX is and how it differs from regular centralized exchanges, which trading opportunities can be found on DEXs that aren’t possible with your average exchange, and which regulatory limitations of DEXs investors need to...

Is the hype real or is it the same bubble with a different flavor? Last time on DiffuseTap, we ask Keith Black , Managing Director of the Financial Data Professional Institute , about the similarities and differences between the dot com era and crypto today, why some people have called both a “bubble”, and what the future of our crypto ecosystem could look like if we take the dot com era as a refe...

What does a DAO look like under the hood? Last time on DiffuseTap, we invited Dane Lund , Core Contributor at Alliance DAO , to talk about the technical infrastructure that decentralized autonomous organizations are built on, which technical challenges can make or break a DAO, and how investors should due diligence their DAO bets from a tech perspective.