The Applied Edge Podcast

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari (Founder, CEO of Applied Blockchain) speaks with Patrick Hennes , a blockchain and digital assets servicing expert based in Luxembourg, specialising in tokenization, MiCA, and digital asset operating models. Patrick has spent 26 years in Luxembourg's fund industry — from transfer agency and fund migrations to six years as Director at P...

Episode description In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari (Founder, CEO) speaks with Charles Adams, Head of Investor Relations at Nickel Digital Asset Management, one of Europe's leading digital asset hedge funds, about what a decade inside crypto actually looks like, and where the industry is heading next. Charles is a true crypto native who has never worked in traditiona...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Ziv Keinan, Tokenization & RWA expert and Curator of the STG-3 RWA Community, about why real-world asset tokenization is entering its institutional phase, and what that means for global capital markets. With over 17 years of experience spanning law, private equity, digital securities, and blockchain infrastructure, Ziv...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast , Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Julian Kwan , Co-Founder & CEO of IXS and InvestaX , about why real-world asset tokenization is moving from “security token experiments” into a global race to rebuild capital markets on-chain. Drawing on Julian’s experience building licensed RWA platforms across Singapore and the Bahamas , the conversation explores how...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast , Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Emma Landriault , Executive Director, Product - JPM Coin, about what it actually takes to move regulated, institutional money onchain, and why deposit tokens may become the backbone of programmable payments for banks and their clients. Drawing on Emma’s background as a blockchain and digital asset product lead across major...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Jay Wilson, Partner at AlbionVC, one of the UK’s leading venture capital firms investing in B2B fintech, enterprise software, and data infrastructure, about how digital assets are moving beyond hype, and why institutional-grade infrastructure and proven ROI are now defining the market. Drawing on a career spanning capital m...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Clarisse Hagège, CEO & Co-founder of Dfns, board member of the MPC Alliance, and one of Europe’s leading voices in digital asset security, about the future of wallet infrastructure and why the next decade of blockchain will be defined by secure, programmable digital custody. With a background spanning Goldman Sachs, Mer...

In this episode of the Applied Edge Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Geoff Kendrick (Global Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered ), about how stablecoins are reshaping global financial infrastructure and why their adoption is accelerating faster than many expect. Drawing on deep macroeconomic and market expertise, Geoff explains how stablecoins have evolved from simple dollar trac...

In this episode of the Applied Edge Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Tony McLaughlin — founder of Ubyx, former Citi payments leader, and leading voice in the stablecoin movement — about why we are entering the Stablecoin Epoch and what it means for financial services worldwide. With three decades in payments, Tony has seen the industry shift from being “boring” to becoming the frontline of digital...

In this episode of the Applied Edge Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Bernhard Schweizer, Head of the SAP Digital Currency Hub, about how large enterprises are beginning to adopt stablecoins for B2B payments - and what that means for the future of financial operations. Bernhard shares insights from over 30 years at SAP, explaining how his team is bridging traditional ERP systems with blockchain-bas...

In this episode of the Applied Edge Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Julien Bouteloup - serial builder, investor, and contributor to some of DeFi’s most pivotal projects - about the journey from hackathons to helping shape the foundations of decentralised finance. Julien reflects on a decade of bold experimentation - from building ID systems in Papua New Guinea and AI tools for coconut farms, to c...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast,   Adi Ben-Ari  speaks with  Vikram Seth , Head of Blockchain & Web3 at  Shell , about how blockchain, privacy, and decentralised infrastructure are shaping the energy transition and the future of value exchange. Vikram shares insights from his work at Shell and beyond, exploring how distributed technologies can enable cross-ecosystem data shar...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Andrew O’Neill, Head of Digital Assets and Blockchain Analytics at S&P Global Ratings, about the evolution of financial infrastructure through tokenisation, stablecoins, and decentralised finance. Andrew shares insights from over 15 years in the financial sector, covering how traditional risk frameworks are being reshap...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, ⁠Adi Ben-Ari⁠ speaks with ⁠Pedro López-Belmonte⁠, former Head of Technology Innovation at Richemont (parent company of Cartier, Montblanc, and IWC), about blockchain’s real-world applications in the luxury and retail sectors. Pedro shares deep insights from nearly a decade at the forefront of blockchain, Web3, and emerging technologies - including...

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, ⁠ Adi Ben-Ari ⁠ speaks with ⁠ Rita Martins ⁠, Head of Ecosystems at the  London ⁠Stock Exchange Group ⁠ (LSEG) and former Fintech Partnerships Lead at ⁠ HSBC⁠ , about the evolving intersection of finance, fintech, and blockchain innovation. Rita shares her journey from consulting to banking, offering first-hand insights into the challenges of big...

In this episode of the  Applied Blockchain Podcast , Adi Ben-Ari speaks with  Katie Evans , Chief Business Development & Communications Officer at  Swarm , about tokenising real-world assets with blockchain. Swarm, a platform at the forefront of bridging TradFi and DeFi, enables the digitisation and trading of assets with features like instant settlement and self-custody. Katie highlights Swar...

In this episode, ⁠⁠ Adi Ben-Ari ⁠⁠ talks to Ron Bodkin, founder and CEO of @chainml about the positive convergence of AI and blockchain technologies. Ron draws on his extensive experience with AI, from pioneering large-scale machine learning systems to leading ChainML’s development of innovative AI agents. He highlights the transformative potential of large language models and the revolutionary im...

In this episode, ⁠ Adi Ben-Ari ⁠ sits down with Simon Jones, Chief Commercial Officer at Baanx to explore the transformative power of blockchain in financial services. Simon shares his journey from finance to marketing to his current position at Baanx, highlighting the inefficiencies in legacy banking systems and the potential of blockchain to overhaul these processes. Baanx is a leader in custodi...

In this episode, Adi Ben-Ari is joined by Daniela Barbosa, General Manager, Blockchain and Identity at The Linux Foundation, to explore the evolution of blockchain technology and its impact across various industries. Daniela shares her journey from working on Web 2.0 at Dow Jones to leading the growth of Hyperledger projects at The Linux Foundation. She emphasises the significance of open-source c...

In this episode, Adi Ben-Ari is joined by Luc Falempin, CEO and founder of Tokeny, ‬ a leading firm in the issuance and management of tokenised securities. Luc graciously shares his journey with Tokeny. Luc addresses the need for privacy specifically with payments, currently taking place off chain, reducing efficiency and talks about the creation of the ERC-3643 standard, which facilitates secure...

In this episode, ⁠ Adi Ben-Ari is joined by Ronit Ghose, Head of Future of Finance at CitiBank and Chair of MFTA Future of Finance Working Group. Ronit shares a unique perspectives on the evolution of financial systems in different regions of the word and the rise of blockchain technology and digital assets, drawing from his extensive expertise in the industry. Ronit also sheds a light on the comp...

In the latest episode of the  ⁠ Applied Blockchain Podcast , Adi Ben-Ari is joined by John Hallahan, Director of Business Solutions & Advisory at Fireblocks . John talks about their range of custody wallet solutions and other service-offerings in the Web3 space including tokenisation and smart contracts. John also delves into his career journey in blockchain. Fireblocks is an enterprise-grade...

In the latest episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast , Adi Ben-Ari   is joined by Chris Brummer , Law Professor at Georgetown’s Institute of International Economic Law . Chris dives deep into the intricate relationship between technology, finance, and regulation within the dynamic landscape of the crypto space. From the historical parallels of trading technology advancements to the challenges r...

In the latest episode of the  Applied Blockchain Podcast ,  Adi Ben-Ari  is joined by Houman Haddad, Head of Emerging Technologies at United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) . Applied Blockchain started working with the United Nations in 2017, initially with World Food Programme (WFP) and subsequently UNICEF . Projects include “ Building Blocks ” the world’s largest humanitarian application of b...

In the latest episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast , Adi Ben-Ari is joined by Boris Spremo from Polygon . During the discussion, Boris ⁠ emphasizes Polygon’s ⁠ impressive capability to connect with Ethereum’s developer community and create a seamless, interoperable blockchain ecosystem. Discover the exciting roadmap of Polygon , featuring the revolutionary zkEVM technology and the highly anti...