The Crypto Explorer - by Sygnum Bank AG

Switzerland and blockchain: This episode is part of a limited series produced in partnership with Switzerland Global Enterprise and Home of Blockchain.swiss , which aims to highlight the successful implementation of blockchain technology across finance, industry, and NGOs. In this episode, we talk to Sandro Knöpfel, Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Cardano Foundation, and Alvaro Cosi, Communi...

Every year Sygnum publishes a Digital Asset Outlook report, explaining events of the last year and the banks outlook for the year ahead. Understanding that not everyone can access or consume a full 28-page report, this year, we decided to summarize it down to a quick, simple 30 minute podcast to highlight key takeaways.  Read the disclaimer here: https://www.sygnum.com/disclaimer  

Thinking about investments in a bear market can be challenging!  To address the fallout from the events of 2022, and how they changed the approach to risk management and portfolio strategy, we were happy to sit down with AM experts, Charles-Henry Monchau (Syz Bank) and Fabian Dori (Sygnum) to break it all down.  We looked at questions like:  Why do you think crypto needs to be a part of your portf...

The events of 2022 have emphasized the need and growth for truly decentralized, Web 3 solutions. However, the success of Web3 solutions is heavily reliant on community, which is largely driven by marketing. So, it was a pleasure to sit down with Massimo Moretti (CEO and Founder of Signvm accelerator) and Dom Castley (CMO, Sygnum) to understand what it takes to build a successful brand in Web3. We...

Managing your own crypto assets is challenging enough in a calm market. As the crypto world faces waves of turbulence this November, we were happy to sit down with Christoph Simmchen (Safe ecosystem) and Martin Burgherr (Sygnum) to make sense of how to assess and use different custody solutions.   In this new background of FTX market events, how has your view of custody solutions in the market cha...

The Layer Two wars are heating up! Across the crypto ecosystem are rumblings of cutting edge Zero-Knowledge technology being developed and when they officially hit the market.  So we were delighted to sit down with Omar Azhar from Matter Labs (zkSync) and Rico Muller (Sygnum) to understand Layer 2s, and the evolution from plasma chains, side chains and optimistic roll ups to zero knowledge proofs...

Have you ever wondered why crypto projects are valued the way they are? Or how VCs make decisions in a sea of interesting projects? Tune in, as we sit down with David Toh from Mirana Ventures and Luca Burlando from Sygnum Bank to figure out how VCs deploy capital, and how this changes in a bear market.  We explore questions like: When considering crypto investments, what are the key factors you co...

Right now, all everyone cares about in crypto is the MERGE. When the second largest blockchain transitions from PoW to PoS, people argue that this is the largest development in crypto since the advent of smart contracts in 2014!  So of course, we had to sit down with Francesco Andreoli and Matt Nelson from Consensys and the Ethereum Foundation and Admir Opardija from Sygnum, to unwrap what exactly...

What is the point of a DEX aggregator? How do they work? why are they useful? and how could this become a big driver for institutional adoption?  Listen in, as we sit down with Mounir Benchemled from Paraswap and Martin Burgherr from Sygnum Bank, as we explore opportunities for optimizing trades in the crypto world.  We look at questions liek:  What differentiates a CEX and DEX? Between a DEX and...

In times of market turbulence, its nice to hear it straight from the experts.  What explains the movements we see, how are investments valued and what possibly could be the way forward.  It was a pleasure to sit down with Daniel Egger and Katalin Tischhauser to make some sense of all the noise.  Read the disclaimer here: https://www.sygnum.com/disclaimer  

Bear season = Build season.  As the crypto universe recovers from recent turbulence - it is a good time to revisit the power of the tech stack. In discussion with Ralf Kubli from Casper Labs and Dominic Lohberger from Sygnum Bank, we dig into the interesting applications for blockchain in the finance world, and the power of smart financial contracts: far beyond defi as we know it today! This is un...

In a turbulent market environment, it seems wise to revisit the fundamentals. Thinking about investing in crypto is already challenging during exciting bull markets - and when we see  multiple black swan events play out, things get a lot harder.  So, it made sense to sit down with Mike Taormina from Indexcoop and Stefan Edelman from Sygnum Bank, to look at different ways the megatrend can be asses...

At its origins, crypto was designed to live outside of government regulation. However, the last decade has seen slow but clear frameworks evolve in regulating with Web3. At the forefront of this evolution has been Luka Mueller (MME) - starting from the set up of the Ethereum foundation in Zug back in 2014. In our new episode, we speak to Luka and  Magdalena Boskic (Head of Regtech at Sygnum) about...

Have you also been a bit bewildered by all the big headlines about major luxury brands engaging with NFTs?  Seeing Dolce and Gabbana, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Burberry all jumping into the fray, we decided it was time to sit down with Kelly Vero and Elena Baltaga, to understand the market opportunity, how NFTs are standardized, and what kind of role NFTs can play in the luxury market, exploring...

NFTs have created whole new world of possibilities for a series of new use cases: from the worlds of gaming and art to product and brand engagement. There is something here for everyone, and so to learn more about it, we sat down with Jan Albers from Tezos and Nigel Fillep from Sygnum Bank, to explore the idea of NFTs and the opportunities they create.  We dove into questions like:  What is an NFT...

With all the exciting opportunities around of the Metaverse, it was about time to sit down with Adam DeCata from Decentraland and Darius Mouktarzadeh, and dive into it.  Exploring its origin and evolution, we take a look at how  Web 3 impacts applications and use cases for the metaverse, considering questions like: How would you define the metaverse? How is this different from SIMs / WoW (open wor...

What are stable coins? and why does an ecosystem so determined to achieve decentralisation still rely on them? In conversation with Nadia Alvarez from Maker Dao, and Nestor Palao from Sygnum Bank we dive into the role of stable coins in def and how the market is evolving, particularly with the rise of CBDCs and governments experimenting with crypto.  What is the role of stable coins in the crypto...

What is yield farming? Why might this be a game changer in managing your money? In conversation with Julien Bouteloup (Founder of StakeDao) and Graham Nelson (Defi at Sygnum) we look at yield farming in the world of Defi, diving into questions like:  1. How is the yield actually generated? what opportunities exist beyond simple lending pools?   2. People are able to make higher yields using ineffi...

What is "Custody" really,  in the world of crypto? In conversation with the Founder and CEO of METACO, Adrien Treccani and Sygnum Custody expert Thomas Brunner, we look at the world of crypto custody, and why choosing where to hold your crypto assets isn't as simple as you think.  This episode looks at questions like:   What does custody mean in crypto? How does it differ from tradi...

How does Asset Management work in the world crypto?  In conversation with the Founder of 21shares and Amun AG, Hany Rashwan and Sygnum AM expert Katalin Tischhauser, we look at how crypto Asset Management differs from the traditional world, how the two can be combined, and the quest for alpha when markets are increasingly democratised. This episode looks at questions like:   How does crypto AM dif...

What is a DEX!? Why do Decentralised exchanges matter?  A conversation with the founder of CURVE, Michael Egorov and Sygnum CCO Martin Burgherr, looking at the origins of defi and DEXs, their impact in the world today. Simplifying  concepts like Bonding Curves, impermanent loss and composability from the world of Defi, this episode dives into questions like:   What are Dexs and why do they matter?...

A conversation with Peter Wuffli & Mathias Imbach, two pioneers of the crypto and banking world, exploring the origins of crypto banking, the evolution of financial services and experiences at the edge of industry-changing innovation.  Why Crypto Banking?   Crypto banking environment vs traditional banking Institutionalisation and evolution of financial services Personally changing perceptions...

A conversation with Patrick Heusser & Dominic Lohberger, two experts in the crypto trading world, discussing the emergence of a new asset class, exploring how it differs from the traditional finance space and the challenges involved on what has been an eventful journey.  What's exciting about this space? Why do you choose to be here?  Crypto trading vs brokerage in the traditional world T...