In this episode of the Beyond Stocks show, Chihiro Kurokawa interviews Cory Rodriguez, a crypto and Bitcoin mining expert. They discuss the evolution of mining technology, the unique business model of NFN8, and the competitive landscape of Bitcoin mining. Cory explains the risks associated with Bitcoin mining investments and how NFN8 mitigates these risks through strategic power contracts and innovative technologies like immersion mining. The conversation also touches on the finite nature of Bitcoin and the future of mining operations.
NFN8 started in a garage and has evolved into a significant player in Bitcoin mining.
The technology for Bitcoin mining has drastically improved, with hash rates increasing significantly over the years.
NFN8's business model focuses on leasing supercomputers to accredited investors for Bitcoin mining.
Bitcoin mining is primarily focused on Bitcoin, with institutional miners largely avoiding other cryptocurrencies.
The competitive landscape includes both large institutional miners and smaller operations like NFN8.
Bitcoin mining is a finite process, with the last Bitcoin expected to be mined by 2140.
Risks in Bitcoin mining include fluctuating electricity prices and natural disasters.
Emerging technologies like immersion mining are becoming more affordable and efficient for Bitcoin mining operations.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Crypto Mining and NFN8
03:58 Evolution of Mining Technology
06:43 Business Model of NFN8
09:49 Bitcoin Mining Landscape
16:21 The Finite Nature of Bitcoin Mining
18:27 Risks and Mitigation Strategies
26:21 Emerging Technologies in Mining
31:56 Investment Opportunities and Closing Thoughts
Bitcoin, crypto mining, NFN8, investment, technology, business model, immersion mining, risks, competition, cryptocurrency
In this conversation, Chihiro interviews James Wang from Mimosa Ventures, exploring his journey into venture capital, the differences between angel investing and venture capital, and the current state of the VC ecosystem. They discuss the impact of AI on various industries, particularly healthcare, and the future of AI technology. James emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships in investment and the challenges in today's VC market due to economic uncertainties.
Takeaways
James Wang has a diverse background in finance and venture capital.
Understanding the stages of startup funding is crucial for founders.
Angel investing focuses on very early-stage companies, while VCs invest in more established startups.
The VC ecosystem is currently facing challenges due to a lack of exits.
Economic uncertainty affects investment decisions and valuations.
Smaller VCs can find unique opportunities in local markets.
AI is revolutionizing industries but has limitations in reasoning and intelligence.
Practical applications of AI can significantly improve efficiency in healthcare.
The future of AI may involve new business models and payment systems.
Investors should seek strategic partnerships that add value beyond capital.
00:00 Introduction to Venture Capital and James Wang
03:05 Understanding Investment Stages: Seed to Series A
04:28 Angel Investing vs. Venture Capital09:17Current State of the VC Ecosystem
10:57 Market Forces Behind Lack of Exits
12:52 Emerging VCs and the Power Law
14:50 The Impact of AI on Venture Capital
19:20 Limitations and Misconceptions of AI
22:24 The Future of AI and Its Business Models
27:31 Final Thoughts on Venture Capital and AIKeywords: venture capital, angel investing, startup funding, AI impact, investment strategies, market trends, VC ecosystem, seed funding, Series A, technology investments
In this conversation, Pedro De Leon asks Chihiro Kurokawa for the details from his journey in multifamily investments, discussing the reasons behind his choice of this asset class, his first experiences, and the current state of the market. He highlights the challenges faced in today's multifamily landscape, including rent growth and tenant demand, and offers predictions for the future of the market. Chihiro also emphasizes the importance of demographics in investment decisions and shares valuable lessons learned from his experiences in the field.
Takeaways
Chapters
03:10 Chihiro's Journey into Multifamily
06:03 Current Market Conditions and Challenges
08:58 Future Predictions for Multifamily Investments
11:45 Identifying Opportunities in Multifamily
14:47 Lessons Learned and Advice for New Investors
17:49 Conclusion and Upcoming Beyond Stocks Workshop in DFW
Keywords
multifamily investments, real estate, market trends, investment strategies, housing demand, economic factors, rental market, property management, investment opportunities, financial distress
In this episode of the Beyond Stocks Podcast, Pedro and Chihiro dive into the world of Private Credit — exploring how it has evolved since the Great Recession of the late 2000s and what investors need to watch out for today.
After 2008, new regulations forced traditional banks to tighten lending standards. This opened the door for private lenders to step in, offering loans to borrowers deemed too risky or undesirable for banks. While private credit has exploded in popularity, it also comes with fewer transparency requirements - leading some to consider it a financial black box. Jamie Dimon recently commented that private credit could be a "recipe for a financial crisis."
Pedro and Chihiro ask the big questions: Could a downturn in private credit trigger systemic risks similar to 2008? Or has the market matured enough to handle stress without collapsing?
Whether you’re new to alternatives or a seasoned investor, this episode will help you understand the opportunities and risks of private credit in today’s market.
How private credit emerged after the Great Financial Crisis (GFC)
The similarities and differences between 2008 subprime lending and today’s private credit boom
Why private credit portfolios can be opaque and difficult to evaluate
Potential risks if widespread loan deterioration were to occur
How accredited investors should think about private credit allocation and due diligence
Learn more about us at www.beyond-stocks.com
If you found this episode helpful, subscribe to Beyond Stocks, leave us a review, and share it with someone curious about investing beyond Wall Street.
What You'll Learn
In this episode of the Beyond Stocks Podcast, we sit down with Nic Espanet — multifamily investor, syndicator, and host of the FLEX Forward Podcast. Nic shares his journey from being a passive investor to leading large multifamily syndications, managing thousands of doors, and helping people invest as Limited Partners into commercial real estate.
If you’ve been curious about how to get started in multifamily investing, the challenges syndicators face, or what it takes to scale from a few units to thousands, this conversation is for you.
Whether you’re an accredited investor looking for passive income or an aspiring syndicator aiming to build your own portfolio, Nic’s story and strategies will give you the insights to move forward with confidence.
How Nic transitioned from passive investor to multifamily syndicator
The mindset shift required to manage thousands of multifamily units
What every first-time investor should know before wiring money into a deal
Key lessons from Nic's journey to becoming a professional investor
Why building strong partnerships is the cornerstone of success in real estate
Nic’s perspective on the future of multifamily investing and where the best opportunities may be
Connect with Nic Espanet: LinkedIn | FLEX Forward Podcast
Learn more about Beyond Stocks: beyond-stocks.com
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Beyond Stocks, leave us a review, and share it with a friend who’s ready to start investing beyond Wall Street.
Most investors have heard Buffett's expression about being greedy when others are fearful. But knowing it and doing it are entirely different.
John Bullman is the Chief Investment Officer at LGT Financial Advisors, and he has decades of investment experience including 15 years at a leading family office.
This discussion was packed with brilliant insights including John's thoughts on whether we currently have more inflationary or deflationary pressures; a story about how he and his team were rewarded for having the guts to go big after being clobbered (along with everybody else) during the Great Recession.
Beyond Stocks is the premier podcast and community for people who want to go beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds to invest in alternative assets. It's time to get out from under Wall Street!
Jared Benson with Clotine Capital is our favorite kind of investor. He started with a regular job like most other people, but at the young age of 25 he made his first investment into a private offering. He's also tried his hand in multiple businesses as an entrepreneur but wisely concluded that he should only create and run businesses that are in his area of expertise. This mindset allowed him to reach accredited investor status at a young age.
Today, he's focused on making his money grow for him through a variety of private investments.
Jared also discusses good and bad deals and the lessons learned.
Keith Blackborg and his wife Jessica did well with their businesses and real estate investing, but they eventually faced existential questions like "Why are we still doing this?"
They sold their assets and took a three year vacation, after which they formed Financial Journey. FJ serves self-directed millionaires who learn about wealth creation, wealth preservation, investments and tax strategy. Along they way they have fun through retreats and other events that foster a sense of community and giving.
Today our guest is Jeff Murphy from North Texas Angel Network. NTAN is a network of dozens of accredited investors who invest in early stage startups. They regularly meet in Dallas Fort Worth to listen to pitches from startups that are raising capital. The group setting helps investors consider outside viewpoints before making an investment.
If you think you need to have millions in investable cash to be an angel investor, you're wrong! Listen in to get the details.
Beyond Stocks is brought to you by Pedro De Leon, Jr. and today's host, Chihiro Kurokawa. Our goal is to educate high income earners and business owners about how to invest into alternative assets without going through Wall Street.
A lot of people have the means but not the awareness to invest outside of the traditional system of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, asset managers, financial advisors etc.
What if you could learn about how people invest directly into projects, cutting out all those middlemen?
Pedro and Chihiro also do some mythbusting when it comes to the tax benefits often touted by commercial real estate syndicators!
Pedro De Leon, Jr. and Chihiro Kurokawa are hosts of Beyond Stocks, a community of people interested in learning about how to invest outside of the traditional financial system. Learn more at www.beyond-stocks.com
Did you know that the United States is the world's leading oil producer? The #2 producer (Saudi Arabia) produces less than half of what the US does. With energy being such a large part of the US economy, it's no wonder that there are many private investment opportunities in oil.
Tim Pawul is an expert in oil investing, and he shares his tremendous knowledge including red flags to look out for if you're considering an investment! He also hosts the Minerals and Royalties Podcast, which is an authoritative source of knowledge.
Listen in to learn a few things about oil & gas minerals and royalties.
Beyond Stocks is hosted by Chihiro Kurokawa and Pedro De Leon, Jr. Our mission is to educate high income earners on how to invest in alternative assets beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
In this episode, Pedro and Chihiro discuss an important consideration for people new to alts.
Active investing is a job. Whether it's a stock trading strategy, buying a business through ETA or running a commercial real estate deal, it's a major time and capital investment and significantly riskier than passive investment.
For these reasons, active investing isn't suitable for most people.
We go into detail on the pros and cons around active and passive investing.
At Beyond Stocks, Pedro De Leon Jr. and Chihiro Kurokawa are on a mission to create a community where people can learn about building wealth through private alternative investments in assets that go beyond stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
Days ago, Bill Alpert of Barron's published an article claiming that by the end of 2026, Americans may have broad access to Alts through IRAs and 401ks. We discuss topics such as:
Learn more by signing up for our newsletter at www.beyond-stocks.com
Chihiro and Pedro like to attend and host in-person events in Dallas-Fort Worth. When we host, we are thoughtful about who we invite, and our events are not open to the public.
But last week, that guy showed up and he had a me-first mentality, seeking capital for his business. We won't invite him again, but this brings up the question, what's the right way to network? It's pretty simple - you can't go wrong as long as you lead with value ( ask yourself "What can I do for this person?").
We also discussed who we're trying to help. Our target audience is people who have capital to put to work and know there's something out there beyond traditional investments that can benefit their investment portfolio. If you want to learn more , DM us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook!
Pedro De Leon, Jr. and Chihiro Kurokawa are on a mission to educate high income earners on the world of alternative investments through private offerings.
The thing about alt investments is that they are generally found through private offerings. By definition, they're harder to find than stocks on Robin Hood or E-Trade. So how do you find them?
Well, you can start by joining the Beyond Stocks journey to learn what to look for, and what kind of deals are available. Our goal is to let the world know that there's a whole new world of investments out there beyond traditional assets like stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
Check out this episode to hear our thoughts on how to get in the game, as well as a discussion on a current business investing trend called Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition ("ETA").
Pedro De Leon, Jr. and Chihiro Kurokawa are on a mission to educate high income professionals and business owners about how to grow wealth through alternative investments.
What are Alts??? In short, traditional investing refers to well-known financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds. Alts are everything else!
Categories of Alts include business investing (private equity), commercial real estate, crypto, commodities, non-bank lending (private credit) and more.
Pedro & Chihiro are motivated to spread the word about Alts (particular through private offerings) because they can be a powerful way for people to build wealth via unique investments that aren't widely available.
Please subscribe to our newsletter at www.beyond-stocks.com
James Ellis is the CEO of Arundel Group Holdings, a vertically integrated firm that designs, engineers and builds commercial real estate.
James has over 4 decades of experience so he has learned what does and doesn't work in real estate development. Hear stories such as:
Chihiro Kurokawa and Pedro De Leon, Jr. are your hosts of the Beyond Stocks Show. Beyond Stocks is your inside track to alternative investing. We help high income earners learn about investing in assets beyond stocks and bonds.
In Season 1 Episode 10 last week Pedro and Chihiro talked about finding somebody who has invested in Personal Seat Licenses.
Well, we found Thien Bui! He has an inspiring immigrant story and shares how he went from being a schoolteacher to starting an energy business. He grew FirstClassUtilities.com from scratch into a seven-figure business and uses that income to invest into a variety of private offerings such as multifamily and personal seat licenses.
Thien shares how he started by owning seats at AT&T Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play, and how he is now an investor in Sunset Amphitheatre in McKinney, Texas which recently broke ground.
Pedro De Leon Jr. and Chihiro Kurokawa are two guys with a passion for alternative investments. We think that investing in assets other than stocks and bonds is a great way for people to build wealth.
Last week we:
1. Attended a public hearing for The Sunset Amphitheatre, a 20,000 seat live music venue that just broke ground in McKinney, Texas. We attended because it's an exciting development for our city, but also because they're offering an interesting investment wherein people can buy permanent tickets to firepit suites. They can sell tickets they don't personally use in order to earn a profit.
2. We attended an event hosted by Owners in Honor, a nonprofit that provides a supportive community to military veterans interested in becoming business owners via the "Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition" model. The idea with ETA is to mitigate business startup risk by buying an existing business.
Chihiro Kurokawa and Pedro De Leon, Jr. are your hosts for the Beyond Stocks show. Our goal is to provide the premier podcast and community for accredited investors interested in growing their wealth through investments other than stocks and bonds.
Pedro and Chihiro discuss a recent report from JP Morgan (linked below) and focus on two themes in particular.
1. The persistent US housing shortage will create investment opportunities. While we agree about the long term, there's still potential for significant short term capital displacement particularly in office and multifamily as a correction may be ongoing. Also, building affordable housing is always a challenge due to NIMBYism.
2. Investing in businesses may be on the rebound based on the inflection point in yearly IPO volume, as well as improving valuation multiples. Of course, at Beyond Stocks we're fans of investing in businesses via private offerings as opposed to the stock market.
JP Morgan blog post: https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/investing/investment-strategy/alternative-investments-in-2025-our-top-five-themes-to-watch
Chihiro Kurokawa and Pedro De Leon Jr. are regular dudes who love investing in and learning about alternative assets. We bring you authentic discussions and industry experts to help people understand that wealth can be built outside of investing in stocks and bonds.