High Stakes with Alex Nwaka | Blockchain, Crypto, and Web3

Alex Nwaka
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  • TECHNOLOGIE

Welcome to High Stakes, the podcast for institutional investors, Web3 founders, SaaS leaders, and anyone serious about the future of technology. Hosted by Validation Cloud CSO Alex Nwaka, we go beyond the hype to explore the real-world adoption of blockchain and AI in enterprise environments. Each episode features unfiltered conversations with operators, investors, and technologists driving change at the frontier. Get direct insight into what’s working (and what’s not) in blockchain infrastructure, from Layer-2 rollups and blockchain interoperability to AI-powered SaaS and zero-knowledge proofs. Discover how legacy systems are adapting to decentralized tech, where asset tokenization is creating new markets, and how autonomous AI agents are reshaping workflows. If you’re tired of trend-chasing and want strategic clarity around risk, regulation, and returns in Web3 and AI, this is your edge. 🎙 Smart, practical, and always human.🎧 Listen in and stay ahead of the mainstream noise. New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

  1. What Happens When Fintech Meets AI? | High Stakes Ep. 20

    26. AUG.

    What Happens When Fintech Meets AI? | High Stakes Ep. 20

    On this episode of High Stakes, host Alex Nwaka is joined by Lex Sokolin, co-founder of Generative Ventures, for an unfiltered conversation on how AI and blockchain are reshaping economic systems. Lex brings a rare blend of Wall Street experience, startup grit, and futurist vision to explore the infrastructure, incentives, and capital flows behind the emerging machine economy. From agentic payments to self-incorporating robots, this episode unpacks what’s hype, what’s investable, and what’s already here. Key Takeaways: • Generative Ventures is built on the thesis that robots will create future GDP and crypto is their native financial system • There are three core fintech business models: money in motion, money at rest, and money at risk • AI labor will increasingly generate digital outputs that require blockchain-based ownership and transaction layers • DeFi marks a fundamental shift from digital storefronts to on-chain financial manufacturing • AI agents will eventually perform labor, custody assets, and manage economic activity on behalf of users • Web3 is best positioned to enable financial systems for autonomous machines • Crypto's strength lies in building new native systems, not replacing legacy infrastructure • Institutions adopt blockchain when there’s revenue, not just cost efficiency • Productivity gains are being realized today in AI, especially around software and content creation • Lex predicts a future where chains host intelligent bots transacting value with minimal human input Best Moments: 00:00:00. “There's three business models in fintech. One is money in motion, two is money at risk, and three is money at risk.” 00:04:02. “I’ve just chased the frontier. I’ve chased novelty and curiosity on this topic.” 00:10:00. “Robo-advisors brought web2 experience to finance, digitized distribution of finance.” 00:16:38. “DeFi was the first sign you can manufacture financial products on architecture that isn’t just the old bank stuff.” 00:20:06. “Robots will create all of the GDP in the future and crypto is robot money.” 00:29:04. “If I tell MidJourney to do something on my behalf, that’s giving away some of my utility function.” 00:35:46. “The real productivity gains are happening at Web2. Crypto is not there yet.” 00:41:40. “We can go from a couple hundred AI agents to millions of agents with commercial capability.” 00:44:05. “The reason institutions are coming in now is because they’re making money.” 00:45:35. “What I’m looking forward to the most is crypto figuring out how to get involved in the humanoid robot wave.” 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation. 📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights: • Website: validationcloud.io • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud • X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3 • YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud 👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud. Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market. This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    47 Min.
  2. How Blockchain Lending Will Drive Stablecoin Adoption | High Stakes Ep. 19

    19. AUG.

    How Blockchain Lending Will Drive Stablecoin Adoption | High Stakes Ep. 19

    How Blockchain Lending Will Drive Stablecoin Adoption In this episode of High Stakes, host Alex Nwaka sits down with Sidney Powell, CEO of Maple Finance, to explore how blockchain lending is shaping the future of stablecoins and institutional finance. Sid unpacks Maple’s evolution, product strategy, and unique position between CeFi and DeFi, while laying out a bold vision for trillion-dollar stablecoin markets. With deep insights into risk management, global expansion, and AI's emerging role, this conversation delivers a comprehensive look at the future of on-chain finance. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Maple Finance operates as an institutional lender and on-chain asset manager • All loans are issued via smart contracts, ensuring full transparency • Borrowers are institutional and include exchanges, funds, and high net worth individuals • Loans use crypto as collateral, primarily BTC and other top 50 assets • Maple's model blends CeFi and DeFi advantages for strategic differentiation • Credit risk, not capital, is the primary threat to lending businesses • Net interest margin (NIM) is a critical metric for platform revenue • DeFi partnerships and the syrup token have boosted AUM and reach • Custodial integrations enable large-scale borrowing from regulated players • AI is being piloted to enhance risk analysis and operational efficiency BEST MOMENTS 00:00:01. “I think we will cross. 500 billion in stablecoin issuance before the end of this year.” 00:01:35. “We call ourselves an institutional lender or an on chain asset manager.” 00:03:51. “That's where I one met my co-founder, Joe. And then two, we had the original idea for Maple.” 00:05:09. “Maple acts as an intermediary. We borrow from certain people... and lend to institutional borrowers.” 00:07:07. “Every 30 years or so, you get a new technology that allows someone to run away with the prize.” 00:09:27. “We're able to access more kinds of funding or DeFi funding specifically, and have transparency.” 00:12:12. “The way that every lending company goes bust is they don't run out of money, they incur too many credit losses.” 00:15:18. “Our loan book is growing so fast that we need to be looking at assets where we can do 50 or 100 million loans.” 00:20:52. “It's now much more open to innovation and is very much set on making the US a leader in digital assets.” 00:37:07. “I don't see why all of that business can't be done on a blockchain using stablecoins over time.” 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation. 📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights: • Website: validationcloud.io • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud • X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3 • YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud 👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud. Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market. This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    40 Min.
  3. How Decentralization Is Reshaping The World | High Stakes Ep. 18

    12. AUG.

    How Decentralization Is Reshaping The World | High Stakes Ep. 18

    How Decentralization Is Reshaping the World In this episode of High Stakes, host Alex Nwaka sits down with Yinal Ozkan, Principal Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services, to unpack how decentralized technologies, blockchain, and AI are changing the institutional landscape. From AWS’s early bets on cloud and AI to today’s breakthroughs in Web3, Yinal shares firsthand insight into adoption curves, enterprise readiness, and the future of autonomous agents. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Early cloud skepticism mirrors today’s AI adoption hurdles • AWS growth from $1B to $100B reflects deep infrastructure scaling lessons • Startups excel through pragmatism and clear, short-term goals • Web3 realization phase is driving rapid decentralized application adoption • Public chains dominate institutional Web3 activity over private chains • AWS balances emerging tech with core infrastructure via customer-led innovation • Trading and exchange activity are fueling wider Web3 ecosystem growth • Security, scalability, and integrated data management are core to AWS AI offerings • AI adoption journeys typically move from off-the-shelf tools to fine-tuned models • Web3 and AI converge in decentralized autonomous agents and on-chain transactions BEST MOMENTS 00:02:21. “I was building data centers, infrastructure, main security consulting, and one of my friends said, have you ever heard of AWS?” 00:04:25. “When I started building online banks in 1995, everyone told me this will never happen.” 00:05:59. “Same thing with AI, nobody assumed it was happening until now.” 00:08:16. “In my past life, I built low latency, high frequency trading infrastructure, a lot of it on premise.” 00:12:20. “Now we are in the actual realization phase where decentralized applications are changing the world.” 00:17:18. “We came up with a service and solution set providing the most comprehensive infrastructure for our customers.” 00:20:32. “Today, retail users can directly interact with the largest centralized and decentralized exchanges, 24/7.” 00:48:45. “My agent says I can spend $0.50 today, instant transaction, and the remote agent tells my agent it’s sunny.” 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation. 📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights: • Website: validationcloud.io • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud • X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3 • YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud 👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud. Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market. This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    51 Min.
  4. Behind the Rise of Ethereum’s Most Strategic Infrastructure Bet | High Stakes Ep. 17

    5. AUG.

    Behind the Rise of Ethereum’s Most Strategic Infrastructure Bet | High Stakes Ep. 17

    Behind the Rise of Ethereum’s Most Strategic Infrastructure Bet  In this episode of High Stakes, host Alex Nwaka is joined by Alon Muroch, CEO and co-founder of SSV Labs, to explore how Ethereum’s most strategic infrastructure layer is evolving. With over a decade of crypto experience, Alon shares how SSV Labs has become a leader in Ethereum staking, now operating 11% of all validators using Distributed Validator Technology (DVT). Alon reveals why validators are more than just network participants. They are the foundation for Ethereum’s future scalability, decentralization, and economic alignment. From base rollups to institutional staking, SSV Labs is driving the next chapter of real enterprise adoption on Ethereum. KEY TAKEAWAYS • DVT will power the majority of Ethereum staking within 2 to 5 years  • SSV Labs runs 11% of Ethereum validators with industry-leading performance  • Incentives and rewards are accelerating validator adoption  • Staking infrastructure is precision-critical, measured in milliseconds  • Validators will shape Ethereum’s future, from transaction ordering to scaling  • Institutions are entering staking and even launching rollups  • Ethereum’s edge is its user base and developer ecosystem  • Rollups offer a new model to capture Ethereum transaction volume  • SSV Labs is focused entirely on Ethereum, compounding infrastructure value  • Ethereum’s narrative must shift to reflect real-world value flow BEST MOMENTS 00:01:31 “I got into crypto in 2012 after reading the Bitcoin whitepaper. Then Ethereum came along, and we started building.”  00:03:02 “SSV lets validators coordinate across independent operators. We’re now 11% of Ethereum validators, about 4 million ETH.”  00:07:08 “Rewards are the accelerant for DVT adoption. That’s why we’re focused on creating base apps that drive extra yield.”  00:08:10 “Most people don’t realize staking is incredibly sensitive to time. A 100-millisecond delay can break Ethereum.”  00:11:21 “We outperform Coinbase and Binance in staking performance, even though they run in-house operations.”  00:13:18 “Validators are Ethereum’s biggest asset. Imagine them running not just staking, but scaling, confirmations, and rollups.”  00:16:59 “If SSV succeeds, centralized sequencers become less relevant. We want validators to power the next evolution of Ethereum.”  00:20:18 “Validators decide what Ethereum is. If they expand services, Ethereum evolves with them.”  00:24:22 “Institutions now have crypto-native people inside. They’re not outsiders anymore, they understand staking deeply.”  00:25:31 “Ethereum’s narrative needs work. Bitcoin has 21 million. Ethereum’s edge is its user base and real-world value flow.”  00:30:07 “Rollups let anyone own a slice of Ethereum. That business model doesn’t exist anywhere else.”  00:34:19 “Our toughest decision? Pivoting hard into staking and DVT. We lost team members, but it made us stronger.”  00:35:22 “Rollups will grow 150 to 300 percent in 12 months. Ethereum needs to double blob space to keep up.” Stay tuned as we uncover how Ethereum’s validator infrastructure is unlocking the next wave of blockchain innovation. 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation. 📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights: • Website: validationcloud.io • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud • X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3 • YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud 👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud. Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market. This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    37 Min.
  5. From Deloitte to Betting Big on Blockchain: Inside Eric Piscini Playbook | High Stakes Ep. 16

    29. JULI

    From Deloitte to Betting Big on Blockchain: Inside Eric Piscini Playbook | High Stakes Ep. 16

    In this episode, Alex is joined by Eric Piscini, the CEO of Hashgraph. Eric brings decades of enterprise innovation experience, from launching Deloitte’s blockchain practice to leading AI strategy at IBM Watson Health. Today, he’s spearheading real enterprise adoption of blockchain at Hashgraph by making tokenization and decentralization usable and scalable. Eric breaks down how Hashgraph is navigating regulation, integrating AI agents with blockchain, and helping enterprises unlock the next wave of digital transformation with technologies like Hashstia and decentralized AI. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Blockchain has matured from a crypto experiment to an enterprise-grade trust layer. • Enterprise blockchain adoption is accelerating, driven by real ROI, not hype. • Hashgraph offers fair ordering, predictable costs in USD, and low energy usage. • Tokenization is no longer a tech problem. The real blockers are regulatory and structural. • AI and blockchain intersect across three layers: decentralization, transparency, and payments. • Private blockchain environments are still critical for enterprise clients, which is why Hashgraph launched Hashstia. • Blockchain will become as invisible and integrated as cloud computing. • Most un-tokenized assets will soon feel outdated. • AI is advancing through consumer adoption, but its enterprise impact is just beginning. • Abstraction layers are key to onboarding enterprises into blockchain ecosystems. BEST MOMENTS 00:01:50 “I was very fortunate to have the right sponsors within Deloitte telling me, you should push for this a few years and see what happens.” 00:04:52 “We used to be called Fourth Labs. It meant ‘share the wealth.’ But aligning our brand to Hedera and Hashgraph helps the market understand what we do.” 00:10:59 “Back then, we were talking to innovation teams. Today, we are engaging CFOs and CEOs trying to revamp supply chains and capital markets.” 00:14:42 “The surprise to me was that the change with AI happened as a consumer-led shift first. We expected enterprise adoption to lead.” 00:22:44 “We will hire AI agents to work for us. And they’ll need to transact value. Blockchain is the best way to enable that.” 00:25:02 “Many blockchains will be good enough in 5 to 10 years. The differentiator will be usability and value to enterprises.” 00:27:01 “Enterprises aren’t adopting because they think blockchain is too hard. We need to build abstraction layers, like the cloud did.” 00:32:13 “Tokenization is not a technology problem. It’s about regulation and access. The technology is ready today.” 00:36:42 “You can tokenize agents and let others use them. Every time they get used, you earn tokens. You’re investing in AI utility.” 00:39:16 “Hashstia is for clients who need privacy, data residency, or compliance. Over time, they may shift to the public ledger.” 00:44:31 “Forget about crypto. Blockchain is a trust layer for all human and corporate activity.” 00:45:41 “In five years, any asset that isn’t tokenized will feel like a fax machine.” 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation. 📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights: • Website: validationcloud.io • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud • X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3 • YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud 👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud. Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market. This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    48 Min.
  6. Inside Mezo: The Future of Bitcoin | High Stakes Ep. 15

    22. JULI

    Inside Mezo: The Future of Bitcoin | High Stakes Ep. 15

    In this episode of High Stakes, Alex sits down with Brian Mahoney, VP of Business Development at Thesis and Founding Team Member at Mezo, to explore the next evolution of Bitcoin. From Bitcoin mortgages to stablecoins like MUSD, Brian shares why the future of on-chain finance is Bitcoin-native. You will learn: • Why Bitcoin-backed stablecoins are gaining momentum • How Mezo is building a circular Bitcoin economy • What makes Bitcoin staking possible (without Proof of Work) • How global demand for Bitcoin financing is growing • Why macro trends and regulation are creating massive tailwinds • How institutions and retail investors are unlocking new Bitcoin use cases If you care about the future of digital assets, real world use cases for crypto, and Bitcoin’s next decade, this episode is for you. 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation. 📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights: • Website: validationcloud.io • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud • X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3 • YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud 👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud. Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market. This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    43 Min.
  7. The Future of AI, Blockchain, and Regulation with Morgan McKenney | High Stakes Ep. 14

    12. JUNI

    The Future of AI, Blockchain, and Regulation with Morgan McKenney | High Stakes Ep. 14

    Alex Nwaka sits down with Morgan McKenney, former CEO of Provenance Blockchain Foundation, longtime Citi executive, and tech-led global operator, to discuss the convergence of blockchain and AI and what it means for the future of finance, blockchain infrastructure, and innovation. Morgan also announces her new role as advisor to Validation Cloud, bringing decades of leadership in finance, blockchain, and AI to help power the future of Web3 infrastructure. In this episode, Morgan discusses: The return of blockchain IPOs- The rise of stablecoin regulationWhy blockchain creates the perfect dataset for AI Why 2025 could be the year of the AI agent Learn more about Validation Cloud: https://validationcloud.io Watch more High Stakes episodes: https://validationcloud.io/highstakes 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation. 📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights: • Website: validationcloud.io • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud • X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3 • YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud 👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud. Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market. This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    48 Min.
  8. Crypto is Macro Now: Bitcoin, Stablecoins, and Global Shifts with Noelle Acheson | High Stakes Ep. 13

    22. MAI

    Crypto is Macro Now: Bitcoin, Stablecoins, and Global Shifts with Noelle Acheson | High Stakes Ep. 13

    Alex Nwaka sits down with Noelle Acheson, crypto-macro analyst and author of Crypto is Macro Now, for a conversation on the intersection of crypto and macroeconomics. With a career spanning traditional finance, entrepreneurship, and research leadership at CoinDesk and Genesis Trading, Noelle shares her expertise on the crypto-macro environment. Together, they explore institutional adoption, the evolving role of stablecoins, Bitcoin’s place in a fractured global system, and how crypto is now shaping macro trends. Noelle Acheson is the author of Crypto is Macro Now, a leading newsletter on crypto and macro trends. Noelle was previously Head of Research at CoinDesk and Genesis Trading, and began her career in corporate finance and fund management before launching one of Spain’s early e-commerce startups. Today, she is widely regarded as one of the most insightful voices bridging macro and crypto. 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation. 📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights: • Website: validationcloud.io • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud • X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3 • YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud 👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud. Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market. This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

    42 Min.
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Info

Welcome to High Stakes, the podcast for institutional investors, Web3 founders, SaaS leaders, and anyone serious about the future of technology. Hosted by Validation Cloud CSO Alex Nwaka, we go beyond the hype to explore the real-world adoption of blockchain and AI in enterprise environments. Each episode features unfiltered conversations with operators, investors, and technologists driving change at the frontier. Get direct insight into what’s working (and what’s not) in blockchain infrastructure, from Layer-2 rollups and blockchain interoperability to AI-powered SaaS and zero-knowledge proofs. Discover how legacy systems are adapting to decentralized tech, where asset tokenization is creating new markets, and how autonomous AI agents are reshaping workflows. If you’re tired of trend-chasing and want strategic clarity around risk, regulation, and returns in Web3 and AI, this is your edge. 🎙 Smart, practical, and always human.🎧 Listen in and stay ahead of the mainstream noise. New episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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