LabTalks

What does it take to run 25 million ad transactions a day, on-chain? In this episode, Alkimi CEO Ben Putley sits down with Rebecca Simmonds from Walrus Protocol to break down how Alkimi uses Sui’s full stack to power real-time advertising at scale. They unpack: 1.How Walrus enables sustainable and permanent storage for ad data 2. Why verification and transparency, not just speed, are redefining Ad...

Real Vision's Raoul Pal just EXPOSED the shocking truth about how Platforms have been extracting YOUR attention while you get NOTHING in return... Former Goldman Sachs executive and macro investing legend Raoul Pal sits down with our CEO Ben Putley to reveal the dark secrets behind the $750 billion digital advertising industry and why blockchain technology like Alkimi's solution is about to change...

In this episode, Ben Putley speaks with Matt Wilke, Head of Digital Partnerships at Mediaplus UK and former programmatic leader who's worked across the Omnicom stack and WPP GroupM side of the industry. For the past three years, he's been working at independent agencies, bringing a unique perspective from both sides of the industry divide, from large holding companies to independents. As someone w...

In this episode, Ben Putley speaks with Nic Cary, founder of Blockchain.com , one of the pioneering cryptocurrency companies established in 2011. Nic built the first popular blockchain explorer ( blockchain.info ) and has grown Blockchain.com into one of the world's largest crypto platforms, serving millions of users globally. As someone who's witnessed Bitcoin's evolution from the early days to t...

In this episode, Ben Putley speaks with Amy Williams, founder and CEO of Good-Loop, a company embedding social impact directly into digital advertising. From her love-hate relationship with the ad industry to pioneering media that’s respectful, effective, and sustainable, Amy shares how Good-Loop is redefining what it means to advertise with purpose. They unpack how the digital ad ecosystem became...

In this episode, Ben sits down with Eleanor Hudson, Head of Ecosystem at Fabric Ventures, one of Europe's leading Web3-native VC firms. Together, they explore Eleanor’s journey into the Web3 space, her experience supporting founders to find product-market fit, and her unique perspective on the convergence of blockchain and AI. Ben and Eleanor dive deep into what it takes to build in Web3, the chal...

In this LabTalks episode, Ben Putley sits down with Katie Narain, Web3 Member Experience Lead at Serotonin, the Web3 powerhouse helping brands navigate and thrive in the space. Katie breaks down how Web3 companies are moving beyond traditional marketing playbooks and why community-driven engagement is key. She also shares how Serotonin’s platform is reshaping industry connections and the future of...

In this LabTalks episode, Ben Putley sits down with Robby Yung, CEO at Animoca Brands—one of the most active investors in Web3, with a portfolio spanning 550+ companies. Robbie discusses the growing importance of stablecoins, token interoperability, and the shift from traditional Web2 models to decentralised platforms. He also explores how brands and gaming companies are utilising blockchain and N...

In this LabTalks epiosde, Ben Putley sits down with Dr. Lisa Cameron, Chair and Founder of the Global Legislators Forum in Digital Assets and the first Crypto Parliamentary Group Chair, for an insightful discussion on blockchain, regulation, and the UK’s role in the digital revolution. Dr. Cameron shares her journey from addressing a cryptocurrency scam in her constituency to leading the charge fo...

Ben Putley sits down with Michaël van de Poppe, a crypto expert and venture capitalist, to uncover the opportunities and challenges shaping blockchain, AI, and Web3. From Michaël's journey to becoming a Key Opinion Leader to the rise of tokenized digital advertising, they explore how these technologies are transforming industries and creating smarter, more efficient systems. Together, they discuss...

In this episode, we chat with Simon, managing partner from UM, about the critical balance between AI and human creativity in media planning. Discover how human insights add value to data-driven decisions and why relying solely on algorithms can lead to generic content. We also explore UM's Full-Colour Media philosophy, which emphasises using AI to enhance, not replace, creativity. Additionally, we...

In this episode, we sit down with Harry Horsfall, the CEO & co-founder of Flight3, a Web3 marketing agency. He reflects on his journey from organising music festivals to diving into the world of Web3. We explore the unique challenges and opportunities in marketing for web3 projects, from go-to-market strategies to community building. Tune in as we discuss the evolution of web3 marketing, the i...

In this episode of LabTalks, Ben sits down with Chris Geils, Associate Director at Kinesso UK, to explore the evolving landscape of biddable and addressable media. Chris breaks down how programmatic media has shifted from a focus on automated bidding to audience targeting and why understanding identifiers like first-party data is critical in a cookieless world. We also dive into the role of blockc...

In this episode of LabTalks, Ben and John Helm dive deep into the world of biddable media, exploring its crucial role in the digital marketing funnel. They discuss the importance of programmatic, paid social, and paid search in reaching audiences where they spend their time. Learn how Mars and Essence MediaCom are shifting their strategies to embrace transparency and efficiency in media buying, wh...

In this episode of LabTech, we delve into the crucial role of validators in the Alkimi ecosystem. Validators are at the heart of Alkimi's decentralised ad exchange, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in the ad supply chain. We discuss how validators validate every ad impression, helping maintain the integrity and decentralisation of the network. Learn about the balance between d...

In this episode, Chorley and Chandru explore Alkimi's latest innovations, including the shift from traditional DSPs to our AI-powered DSA. This evolution enhances targeting, bidding, and reporting, making digital advertising more efficient and effective. We also introduce our new Reward Estimator, a tool designed to help users make informed decisions about staking and validating within the Alkimi...

Hello Alkimists! Chorley and Chandru have been on the move, attending key industry events and expanding our horizons. In this episode, they recap their exciting excursions to Cannes, where they discussed SPO and AI in ad tech, and India, where they connected with our team, hosted our first hackathon and explored new market opportunities. They also cover their experiences at ECC in Brussels and MAD...

In our latest LabTalks episode, Ben sits down with Flaminia Sapori, Inventory Product Development Lead at Magna IPG. Flaminia shares her insights on the evolving ad tech landscape, the importance of Supply Path Optimisation (SPO), and the challenges of achieving transparency and sustainability in the ad supply chain. Flaminia discusses the crucial role of SPO at Magna IPG, emphasising the need for...

Join Mark and Chandru in this episode as they unravel the concept of circulating supply within the cryptocurrency ecosystem. In this episode, circulating supply is discussed both from a crypto and legal perspective. They further explore the terms vesting, vested, allocated, unallocated, locked and unlocked.

In this episode of LabTalks, Ben Putley is joined by Nathan Taylor-Billings, Head of Addressable Activation at Kinesso. They discuss Nathan's background in ad tech and programmatic advertising across trading desks, publishers, tech companies, and agencies. Nathan shares insights into campaign setups, brand safety practices, addressing ad fraud, made-for-advertising sites, optimising towards goals,...

We had the pleasure of hosting Chris Twining, Head of Integrated Media at Stone Island for a fireside chat where he discussed with Raman insights into how brand marketers are approaching new and emerging technologies to combat the changing media landscape, whilst airing on the side of caution what these changes mean.

LabTalks Live had the pleasure of hosting the panel "Shining a Light on Ad Tech Transparency". Our panelists included: James Trott - Senior Director, Global Addressable Media at The Coca-Cola Company Flaminia Sapori - Marketplace Lead, EMEA at MAGNA Global Lanre Agbetayo - Executive Director, Audience Solution OMD EMEA Laurie O'Riordan - Head of Programmatic at Digitas UK Moderated by Adam Chorley...

Ben's keynote takes us on a journey through the evolution of the ad-funded internet and the transformative role of blockchain technology in the ad tech industry. Ben explores the history of the internet, the rise of blockchain, and its impact on ad tech. From the challenges of outdated infrastructures to the promise of transparency and efficiency with blockchain, this session delves into pivotal m...

In part 2 of the second episode of LabTech, we delve into the programmatic ecosystem, examining the technology and roles within the legacy AdTech industry and how Alkimi is revolutionizing it. Join Chandru and Chorley as they discuss the programmatic advertising landscape and Alkimi's unique approach. They explore the ethos and purpose behind Alkimi, addressing key concerns in legacy digital adver...

In the second episode of LabTech, we delve into the fundamentals of programmatic advertising & the legacy AdTech industry. Join Chandru and Chorley as they break down what programmatic advertising is, starting with the role of publishers. They discussed the evolution from traditional ad placements to real-time bidding, detailing how ad units are sold through a complex ecosystem, Supply Side Pl...