In this VALR Podcast episode, Farzam Ehsani interviews Adam Levi of Backed, issuer of xStocks, tokenised equities launched in June 2025. Comparable to stablecoins, xStocks track underlying equities like Tesla, offering fractionalisation, instant settlement, and 24/7 trading. Levi predicts tokenised equities surpassing stablecoins’ value by 2033. Backed leverages The vision? A financial system democratising wealth creation, countering fiat erosion.
In this episode of The VALR Podcast, host Farzam Ehsani, VALR’s Co-Founder and CEO, engages Jameson Lopp, Co-Founder and Chief Security Officer at Casa, in a compelling discussion on Bitcoin security and privacy.A Bitcoin pioneer and self-proclaimed cypherpunk, Lopp shares insights from over a decade in the space, emphasising self-custody as a cornerstone of financial sovereignty.
Are we witnessing the end of fiat money? Could cryptocurrencies replace traditional currencies? And what role will central banks and governments play in the future of finance?
In this thought-provoking episode of The VALR Podcast, host Farzam Ehsani sits down with Dawie Roodt, one of South Africa’s most referenced economists, to explore the history, flaws, and future of money.
As the Chief Economist of the Efficient Group, Dawie has spent over 30 years analysing financial systems. He shares his bold views on the fate of fiat currency, the rise of digital money, and the potential impact of Bitcoin and CBDCs on the global economy.
Don’t miss this insightful conversation on the shifting world of money, financial freedom, and economic sovereignty.
📢 What do you think? Will fiat money still exist in 10 years? Share your thoughts in the comments.
#VALRPodcast #DawieRoodt #Bitcoin #Economy #Inflation #CBDC #Money #Crypto #FinancialFreedom #Economist #South Africa #Fiat #Cash
The question is no longer ‘should South Africa adopt Bitcoin?’ but rather, ‘how soon can we make it happen?’ 🇿🇦
In the latest episode of The VALR Podcast, Farzam Ehsani sits down with Stafford Masie - tech entrepreneur, Bitcoin advocate, and Chairman of Altvest Capital, now the first publicly traded African company to adopt a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
This historic move follows in the footsteps of Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy (now Strategy) and Japan’s Metaplanet, marking a major milestone for Bitcoin adoption in Africa.
But this episode isn’t just about Altvest’s big move.
Masie goes into depth about why Bitcoin is more than just "number go up and down" - and how Bitcoin, particularly Bitcoin mining, could transform South Africa’s economy and potentially help solve both the country’s and the world’s energy crisis, setting an example for the entire continent 🌍
#bitcoinmining #bitcoin #southafrica #eskom #energy #energycrisis #reserve #strategic #reserves #crypto #blockchain #mining #cryptomining #bitcoinminer #bitcoinminingexplained #bitcoinexplained #microstrategy #michaelsaylorbitcoin #metaplanet #strategy #microstrategy #saylor #michaelsaylor #jse #easyequities #public #company
Tune in to the latest episode of The VALR Podcast with Farzam Ehsani, featuring Michael Jordaan, CEO of Montegray, early VALR investor, and former CEO of FNB.
In this episode, Michael shares his thoughts on Bitcoin, banking, and finance, including whether South Africa should hold Bitcoin as a strategic reserve.
They discuss how crypto is changing traditional banking, how banks might adopt digital assets, and what this means for South Africa’s economy. The discussion also covers the role of AI, blockchain, and key steps for South Africa to drive economic growth.
In this thought-provoking episode of The VALR Podcast, Farzam Ehsani sits down with Anthony Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge Capital, to tackle bold questions and explore critical topics at the intersection of crypto and politics. Could Bitcoin serve as a strategic reserve asset and help solve the U.S. debt crisis? What role might the Trump administration play in shaping crypto’s future? Scaramucci also opens up about revising the final chapter of his upcoming book, The Little Bitcoin Book, after insights from Michael Saylor. The conversation spans everything from Solana’s meteoric rise to the importance of resilience and optimism in navigating today’s complex world.
In this episode of The VALR Podcast, Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg, shares insights on the rise of Bitcoin ETFs, their impact on the market, and whether they truly deliver on their promise. Tune in as we explore the pros, cons, and controversies surrounding crypto ETFs.
Tune in to the latest episode of The VALR Podcast with Farzam Ehsani, featuring Circle's Co-Founder and CEO, Jeremy Allaire.
In this discussion, Jeremy shares his high-level views on the future of Circle, the digital dollar, regulation around the world, and risk management.
Why does the price of Bitcoin matter so much? In this episode of The VALR Podcast, Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, sits down with VALR’s CEO Farzam Ehsani to discuss his journey into Bitcoin, his unique perspective on economics, and why he believes Bitcoin’s price is crucial to the future of money. Learn how Bitcoin is reshaping the financial world, the significance of its fixed supply, and the common misconceptions that prevent people from seeing its true potential.
Meow is the pseudonymous founder of Jupiter, a decentralized exchange and liquidity aggregator on Solana. In this episode, VALR’s CEO Farzam Ehsani talks with Meow about his peculiar name and journey into the crypto space, his past achievement, Meow’s approach to growth and his upcoming plans for Jupiter. A deep, at times personal, conversation with one of the most interesting people in crypto today.
In this 6th episode of The VALR Podcast, VALR's CEO, Farzam Ehsani sits down with Dan Held, GP at Asymmetric Investing and former Head of Marketing at Kraken. Dan brings over a decade of experience in the crypto space, sharing his insights on the current state of #Bitcoin, the impact of macroeconomic trends, and the various phases of Bitcoin’s growth and adoption.
In this 5th episode of The VALR Podcast, host Farzam Ehsani sits down with Matěj Žák, the CEO of Trezor, to discuss the nuances of self-custody in cryptocurrency. They explore Trezor's role as a pioneering hardware wallet, its impact on the industry, and the pros and cons of self-custody vs custodial services like VALR. Matěj shares insights on his career journey, Bitcoin security, and his aspirations for Trezor’s future.
In this episode of the VALR Podcast, host Farzam Ehsani and Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation, discuss Solana's relatively recent but quick rise as a Layer-1 protocol, its various features and current developments. Lily shares her views on #bitcoin, and its original use case, the prospect of a multi-chain future, as well as her own journey into crypto and work at the helm of the #solana Foundation.
In this 3rd episode of The VALR Podcast with Farzam Ehsani, Yat Siu shares his views on Web3, digital property rights, and creating a more equitable world through blockchain technology. The discussion includes his background, the transformative potential of tokenisation, and predictions for the growth of the Web3 ecosystem. 00:00 Introduction 01:14 From Austria to the World: A Journey Through Technology and Ideologies 03:18 The Vision for a More Equitable Future Through Web3 and Blockchain 08:01 Tackling Wealth Inequality via Tokenisation 28:09 Digital Property Rights: New Economic Foundation 39:11 Future of Digital Assets 47:06 Geographical Hotspots for Web3 Adoption Connect with Yat Siu on X: https://x.com/ysiu Follow Yat Siu on Medium: https://ysiu.medium.com/ #web3 #blockchain #nfts #tokenization #blockchaintechnology #nft #digitalassets
You may know Arthur Hayes as the Co-founder of BitMEX, the originator of the Bitcoin perpetual swap, but did you know he might be a "gold bug" in a crypto disguise? In this episode of the VALR Podcast, host Farzam Ehsani and Arthur Hayes discuss the evolution and future of the crypto industry, global economy, and the role energy plays in financial systems. Hayes shares his journey from being fired at Citibank to co-founding BitMEX, pioneering perpetual contracts, and eventually venturing into his family office 'Maelstrom', focusing on crypto trading and advising. The discussion also covers geopolitical dynamics, the likelihood of central banks adopting Bitcoin, and the enduring value of physical gold in a digital age. 00:00 Introduction 01:47 Arthur Hayes: From TradFi to Crypto Pioneer 05:13 The Genesis of BitMEX and the Perpetual Swap 07:58 Arthur's Journey to Asia 12:59 The Evolution of Money 18:08 The Longevity of the US Dollar and the Role of Bitcoin 27:39 The Fed's Strategy and Economic Impacts 35:53 The Future of Global Currency and Trade 44:36 Energy as the Ultimate Currency 49:18 Lessons from Running a Crypto Exchange About Arthur Hayes – Chief Investment Officer, Maelstrom Arthur Hayes is an entrepreneur, a crypto trader and advocate, and a fintech pioneer. He is the co-founder of BitMEX and the originator of the perpetual swap, a popular derivatives trading product unique to the digital assets space. He is passionate about helping spread financial literacy and educate investors regarding cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Arthur began his career as a market maker for Deutsche Bank and Citibank’s ETF businesses. He holds a BA in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Connect with Hayes on X: https://twitter.com/CryptoHayes Subscribe to his blog: https://cryptohayes.substack.com/ #arthurhayes #bitcoin #cryptofutures #cryptocurrency #cryptoadoption #federalreserve #gold #currency #money #valr #valrpodcast #farzamehsani
In this engaging conversation, Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder and CEO of VALR, and Blake Player, Head of Growth at VALR, explore the evolving role of USDT in global finance. They discuss Tether's origins, Paolo's journey into crypto from a passion for decentralisation and technology, Tether's resilience amid criticism, and its strategic positioning in emerging markets. They also explore the impact of USDT on traditional finance, its adoption as a store of value in regions with volatile currencies, and Tether's innovative approach to supporting the US dollar globally.