You are the founder of SmartBlocks. What made you start in the Fintech industry?
I love what crypto stands for and what we are fighting to standardize. While I am a die-hard capitalist, I don’t like the oligopoly grip the financial industry has on all of us.
Please tell how SmartBlocks DeFi fits into the modern Fintech industry?
We develop award winning marketing programs for companies that want to maximize visibility and sales for their crypto projects. Our priority right now is Tetraguard which is the first decentralized ETF (it’s similar to an ETF) for the community.
What technology exactly does SmartBlocks provide to its users?
It runs the gamut from advanced PR tools to CRM solutions that track everything we do for our clients. For Tetraguard we provided the introductions to the right people in order to properly and effectively launch the token.
What are your core offerings and how can Fintech users benefit from your product/ solutions?
Our core offerings are suit to fit and are based on your goals. Our main strengths are awareness and sales for the project through industry experts.
Also Read: FinTech Interview Series with Priti Rathi Gupta, Founder, LXME
With your knowledge of DeFi, you inspire crypto investors and developers. Can you share any one innovative project of yours in DeFi that could transform the face of Cryptocurrency in the coming years?
I like what Polkadot is doing in uniting the top blockchains> I’m very excited to see this take off.
What are cryptocurrencies? Can you briefly talk about how it is traded?
Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies in which transactions are verified and records maintained by a decentralized system using cryptography, rather than by a centralized authority.
Typically through crypto exchanges, but also through digital wallet to wallet transactions.
What comes to your mind when I say “Crypto vs DeFi Tokens”?
Crypto can be any form of digital currency, while DEFI is more about financial tokens that disintermediate traditional financial institutions and allow direct peer to peer transactions.
Also Read: Global Fintech Interview with Jitin Bhasin, Founder & CEO at SaveIN
DeFi aims to democratize finance by replacing legacy systems that can provide a full spectrum of financial services. Can you share your ideologies about this technology?
It’s the future, but we need some more safety nets and easier onboarding before it replaces the traditional institutions. Markj my words, this will happen within 10 years.
You are working on a new project called “Tetraguard”. Could you please throw some light on it
Tetraguard is the world’s first decentralized ETF (like) token that combines Bitcoin, Ethereum and PaxG along with a fee token (Quadron) that pays rewards to anyone holding it in their wallet. Think of it as a type of interest paid for holding the token.
One crypto trend that has influenced your understanding of the global DeFi ecosystem.
Borrowing and lending on Ethereum using Maker Dao. This showed you didn’t need an institution to effectively lend and borrow money.
People have been scrutinizing the ecological impact of crypto mining, as well as its potential facilitation of illegal activities targeting Fintech and customer data companies. What advice would you like to give to CIOs and CEOs to address these concerns?
Do your best to find blockchain validation methods that are green, while using industry best practies to keep scammers away from your crypto project. We take both very seriously.
Mark once you made a statement – “Cryptocurrency is no different than stocks and bonds.” Don’t you find this controversial? Could you please elaborate further on this idea?
The point here is that everything can be valued for it’s given value to the token holders. Most altcoins provide no value and should be avoided at all costs. Other’s have tremendous value and should be priced as such.
Also Read: Global Fintech Interview with Ketan Patel, CEO at Mswipe Technologies
Mark you have been featured in prominent B2B Tech domains related to Crypto and DeFi. What are your predictions for the new year 2023 in the field of cryptocurrency technology for B2B businesses?
Crypto technology still has a long way to go. It’s too hard to create, it’s too hard to trade, it’s too hard to get onboarded. 2023 will prove to be a pivotal year for addressing each of those areas.
One advice that you would like to give to the 300 million crypto investors?
Don’t invest in bad projects. Look at the team, their track history, and the value their project is providing to the community. If it’s really high, then invest.
What is your next leap in terms of the Tech Revolution in the Digital Asset space?
Programmable NFTs. Don’t invest in this current generation, wait for the next.
Thank you, Mark! That was fun and we hope to see you back on globalfintechseries.com soon.
[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]
Mark Fidelman is a Global Marketing Executive focused on Blockchain and eCommerce organizations. He is the founder of Fanatics Media and SmartBlocks, and the host of the Cryptonized! podcast where he interviews leading experts in the cryptocurrency space. With Mark’s knowledge of DeFi, he hopes to educate and inspire crypto enthusiasts about these innovative projects that are brought to the market. Mark has been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, and Business Insider and is the author of the book SOCIALIZED!
We believe DeFi is the future. We believe in a world where profitable cryptocurrency investments are easy, secure, and available to everyone, regardless of social status or geolocation. We are here to help those who want to take back control of their finances. We are committed to giving a voice to the disenfranchised and unbanked. We seek to disrupt the status quo, and by doing so, give power to the people.
