On The Margin | Boaz Sobrado & Ivan Patriki

On The Margin | Boaz Sobrado & Ivan Patriki
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Hosted by Boaz Sobrado & Ivan Patriki. We speak to the elite of the business, political, and media world. www.on-the-margin.com

  1. 5h ago

    The Man Behind Variety & Billboard Reveals How Media Controls You | Penske Media Founder Lee Caplin & Ivan Patriki

    He was alone in the Oval Office with JFK at fifteen years old, and that was just the beginning.Lee Caplin has lived several lives: Justice Department lawyer protecting free speech, co-founder of the company that became Penske Media (Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Billboard), arts administrator, and now the architect of the journalism and media school at Florida International University. He sat down with Ivan Patriki to talk about how media quietly molds public opinion, the difference between reporting and news entertainment, and why he never lets anyone in the room who's expecting a "yes" for the wrong reasons.From subwoofers that raise your tension on cable news to Chinese military money and the Paramount deal, this is a conversation about who really shapes what you think, and how AI, robotics, and rare earth mining fit into what comes next.We cover:Being alone in the Oval Office with JFK at fifteen (and the tie clip story)Why FIU is "the third world rim" gateway for immigrants chasing the American dreamProtecting free speech and wetlands as a fresh law grad inside the US governmentHow Velocity Services became Penske Media and swallowed Variety, Billboard and Hollywood ReporterThe real difference between journalism, media, and mass communications"News entertainment" vs. news: how sound design puts you on edge without you noticingHemingway and Joan Didion as journalists first, novelists secondDo governments quietly pay media to promote an ideology? (and why it's technically lobbying)Chinese military money, Larry Ellison, and the Paramount/CBS ownership questionFake news and deepfakes as an actual FIU courseWhy you still need to physically go to college in the ChatGPT eraSecret societies, Skull and Bones, and the Raven Society sold on eBayWhy he's not afraid of AI (and why it won't be Terminator)AI-controlled robots collecting samples from the sea floor off FloridaRare earth mining with a scalpel instead of a broadswordHis advice for building a "new elite": consistency, reliability, and no class consciousnessMORE OF LEE CAPLIN:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-caplin-89981666/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leecaplin/MORE OF ON THE MARGIN:Website: https://www.themargin.tv Spotify: Main Site: https://www.on-the-margin.comMORE OF BOAZ SOBRADO: Twitter: https://x.com/sobradobInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobradobWebsite: https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMORE OF IVAN PATRIKI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artiztSubstack: https://substack.com/@artiztTwitter: https://x.com/Ivan_patrikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/artizt/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ascendedTelegram: https://t.me/ivanpatrikiTimestamps:00:00 - Overseeing FIU, the gateway to the "third world rim."02:21 - From Duke and UVA law to protecting free speech inside government.04:14 - Camelot, Cronkite, and growing up around journalists.07:00 - The secret to staying present: let someone else take the credit.08:31 - Building the media empire that became Penske Media.09:43 - How media molds public opinion without you realizing.10:01 - Journalism vs. media vs. mass communications.12:56 - Short attention spans, sound design, and news entertainment.14:34 - Do governments quietly pay to push an ideology? The Paramount problem.16:21 - Teaching fake news and deepfakes at FIU.16:41 - The bridge from LA media to Florida education.18:19 - Alone in the Oval Office with JFK at fifteen.20:33 - Helping campaigns instead of running for office.21:21 - Why you still need to physically go to college.23:00 - Secret societies, Skull and Bones, and the Raven Society.26:01 - Vision for the future: AI, robots, and no Terminator.27:42 - AI, rare earth mining, and robots on the sea floor.30:27 - Advice for building a new elite.Subscribe & leave a comment if you made it this far! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

  2. 3d ago

    The Crypto $Billionaire Building Governments From Scratch | Sign CEO Xin Yan & Ivan Patriki

    What if AI ran the government, and a private company built the digital money and IDs to make it possible? Xin Yan is doing exactly that, for over a dozen countries.Xin Yan started as a crypto mining engineer and built Token Table into 40% market share of token distribution before pivoting his company into something almost no one else in crypto is doing: building sovereign digital infrastructure (stablecoins, CBDCs, and digital ID) directly for governments. He is now working with UAE, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan, Barbados, Sierra Leone, and more, with backing from the UAE government and Binance.In this episode Xin Yan and Ivan Patriki get into digital sovereignty, why governments (not Google or Palantir) might be the safer place for your data, UBI paid out like an airdrop, and the case for an AI Prime Minister.We cover:Building digital money and digital ID for over a dozen governmentsWhy crypto adoption failed: nobody worked with the gatekeeper"If an entity has all your data, better the government than Palantir"UBI distributed like claiming an airdrop straight from the TreasuryA selfie to prove you had a baby, then the government sends money?Is centralizing everything into one digital ID dystopian?How the world's payment rails are controlled by just two countriesGetting endorsed by the UAE government and Binance (sometimes CZ directly)Why governments don't get "high" on Bitcoin, they just want the problem solvedHis prediction: how soon until an AI Prime Minister existsHis crypto portfolio (mostly Bitcoin) and why his mom out-traded him on DogeReal free time: walks, smoking, and people-watching to resetWhy you should "trust blockchain more" (POW) and fear centralized AIThe yin-yang of centralization and decentralization, and why Bitcoin was born in 2008How to actually use Bitcoin privately when KYC is everywhereMORE OF XIN YAN:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-yan-658545172/Twitter: https://x.com/realyanxinMORE OF ON THE MARGIN:Website: https://www.themargin.tv Spotify: Main Site: https://www.on-the-margin.comMORE OF BOAZ SOBRADO: Twitter: https://x.com/sobradobInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobradobWebsite: https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMORE OF IVAN PATRIKI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artiztSubstack: https://substack.com/@artiztTwitter: https://x.com/Ivan_patrikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/artizt/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ascendedTelegram: https://t.me/ivanpatrikiTimestamps:00:00 - Building sovereign digital money and ID for governments.01:03 - The dozen countries he already works with.02:06 - From crypto mining geek to B2G, why crypto needed the government.05:25 - Is a government digital ID a privacy nightmare?07:22 - Digital ID and digital money: the two pillars of a digitized state.09:30 - UBI paid out like an airdrop straight from the Treasury.11:45 - "Isn't this dystopian?" Centralized control vs Palantir.15:41 - His first government contract and how trust gets built.18:43 - Getting backed by the UAE and Binance (sometimes CZ himself).22:34 - Digital sovereignty, war, and who can debank a whole country.24:05 - National stablecoins vs USDT, and why the Fed is weird.26:50 - His portfolio: mostly Bitcoin, and mom's Doge bag.27:31 - His mindset, sleep schedule, and thinking about the future.29:45 - The case for an AI Prime Minister.33:35 - Why the day-to-day is small problems, not grand ideation.35:04 - Free time: walks, smoking, and people-watching.37:12 - The future: real-time, multi-currency, P2P global payments.40:40 - Advice: travel and talk to enough people.41:31 - Trust blockchain, fear centralized AI, and the yin-yang of power.43:53 - Monero, and how to actually use Bitcoin privately.Subscribe & leave a comment if you made it this far! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

  3. Aug 4

    The $Trillion Gambling Empire Run by Crime | YieldSec's Ismail Vali & Ivan Patriki

    The number that roulette wheel lands on isn't random, it's the one you didn't bet on.Ismail Vali runs YieldSec and GCI, the intelligence platforms that map how illegal online gambling actually operates. He calls it the third largest economic flow on earth, and most of it is controlled by transnational criminal organizations that didn't come to give you good odds. They came to steal from you. In this conversation with Ivan Patriki, Ismail breaks down why "black market" is a name crime gave itself, how the pandemic turned fake amateur sports into a clickbait machine, and why the games are rigged whether you can see it or not.We cover:"Who am I harming if I place this bet?" (the answer is you)Why unregulated gambling actively avoids being regulated, audited, or checkedIllegal streaming as a window into your digital soul for 90 minutes"You are the product" and how crime uses your data to steal, not to sellThe iceberg: legal gambling is the visible tip, crime is the sea below the waterlineHow the UK went from 0% to 9% illegal share by targeting children and self-excluded gamblersHuman trafficking farms in Cambodia and Myanmar running live dealer casinos and scamsHow the pandemic killed sports and illegal gambling invented snail racing and fake cricket matchesWhy casino is the product everyone wants you in (10-50% margins vs 10% on sports)Brazil regulated gambling, then handed 60% of the market back to crime in monthsAttractive influencers flown to Miami cribs so they can't be arrested back homeThe Charlamagne tha God gambling scandal in the hip-hop communityFC Barcelona's sponsor is illegal in most markets it takes money fromWhy VPNs are a complete myth (latency kills live betting)Polymarket, Kalshi, and "it's not gambling, it's trading"How prediction markets are tanking voter turnout and getting people investigated for insider tradingWhy the "gray market" doesn't exist and Malta passed a law so you can't claw your money backRESOURCES & LINKS:YieldSec: https://www.yieldsec.com/Campaign for Fairer Gambling (Derek Webb): https://www.fairergambling.com/MORE OF ISMAIL VALI:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ismailvali/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ismailvali_/MORE OF ON THE MARGIN:Website: https://www.themargin.tv Spotify: Main Site: https://www.on-the-margin.comMORE OF BOAZ SOBRADO: Twitter: https://x.com/sobradobInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobradobWebsite: https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMORE OF IVAN PATRIKI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artiztSubstack: https://substack.com/@artiztTwitter: https://x.com/Ivan_patrikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/artizt/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ascendedTelegram: https://t.me/ivanpatrikiTimestamps00:00 - How does illegal gambling actually affect you.02:37 - Illegal streaming, and why you are the product.05:38 - What Ismail's platforms actually do to fight back.06:05 - The iceberg: the visible market vs the sea of crime below.07:00 - The UK went from 0% to 9% illegal by targeting kids and self-excluded players.09:32 - Human trafficking, live dealer farms, and how crime banks its money.11:00 - How the pandemic killed sports and crime invented fake amateur events.14:54 - Just put your logo on everything: porn, kids content, celebrities.17:11 - How do you know it's trafficking and not just paid humiliation.18:14 - Why Ismail refuses to name a single illegal gambling brand.20:14 - The Batman cave: giving governments intelligence, not policing.23:51 - Are influencers the enemy, or another victim of crime.25:00 - Brazil regulated, then gave 60% of the market back to crime.28:19 - Flown to Miami cribs: how crime owns the influencers' souls.32:05 - At what point is gambling just too much for society.37:43 - The celebrities and FC Barcelona quietly taking illegal money.41:46 - Why VPNs are a complete myth that kills live betting.47:57 - The next ten years: prediction markets and "it's not gambling, it's trading."53:43 - What it means to say consumers shouldn't be able to make certain choices.57:18 - White, gray, and black markets don't exist, there's only your jurisdiction.01:02:23 - Can you sue an offshore company that won't pay out.01:07:06 - Human beings have always bet, so control the market instead.Subscribe & leave a comment if you made it this far This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

  4. Jul 31

    The Mr Beast Deal That Built a $3 Billion Company | Surfshark CMO Regimantas Urbanas & Ivan Patriki

    How a company from a country of 3 million built a brand everybody knows, and paid Mr Beast seven figures to do it. Regimantas Urbanas is one of the first employees and now CMO of Surfshark, the Lithuanian cybersecurity company that launched into a saturated VPN market in 2018 and turned into part of a $3 billion group. He joined three months after the product went live, gave the brand its meaning, and helped scale it from the first 10,000 users to millions through Google Ads, affiliates, creator marketing, and full on guerrilla campaigns. In this conversation with Ivan Patriki, recorded inside the Surfshark office, Regimantas breaks down how you actually grow a global brand out of a tiny domestic market, why creator marketing beat traditional advertising, and how AI is quietly making everyday people the new scam targets. We cover: Why everybody and their grandma knows a company from a country of 3 million people “Why do you need curtains if you’re not doing anything shady?” (the case for a VPN) How Surfshark made cybersecurity human when every competitor looked corporate and techy Why they deliberately kept “VPN” out of the brand name from day one The seven figure Mr Beast deal, basketballs included, and how they justified it Why that Mr Beast video is still converting three years later Working WITH data brokers? What Incogni actually does (and why it’s US focused) Free VPNs and the “if you don’t pay, you’re the product” trap From demand capture to growing the pie: the full playbook for 10K to 1M+ users Who Surfshark is NOT for, and why enterprise goes to Nord The Surfshark and Nord merger, and Lithuania’s quiet takeover of the VPN market Why AI powered scams are now catching younger people, not just grandmas No logs, external audits, and why they’re legally a Dutch company Why the CMO still works customer support shifts RESOURCES & LINKS: Surfshark: https://surfshark.com MORE OF REGIMANTAS URBANAS: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regimantasurbanas/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regimantasu/ MORE OF ON THE MARGIN: Website: https://www.themargin.tv Spotify: Main Site: https://www.on-the-margin.com MORE OF BOAZ SOBRADO: Twitter: https://x.com/sobradob Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobradob Website: https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobrado MORE OF IVAN PATRIKI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artizt Substack: https://substack.com/@artizt Twitter: https://x.com/Ivan_patriki Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artizt/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ascended Telegram: https://t.me/ivanpatriki Timestamps: 00:00 - A brand everybody knows from a country of 3 million. 00:24 - Joining an early stage startup after Google. 02:20 - Entering a saturated VPN market in 2018. 03:41 - Making cybersecurity human and accessible. 05:17 - Why you need a VPN even with nothing to hide. 07:20 - Why your favorite YouTuber suddenly mentions Surfshark. 11:30 - Who Surfshark is not for, and where a VPN stops protecting you. 13:14 - Working with data brokers and what Incogni does. 15:44 - Free VPNs and the “you are the product” trap. 16:44 - The growth playbook: from 10K to a million users. 19:20 - The seven figure Mr Beast deal (with basketballs). 25:00 - How a bootstrapped company afforded huge creators. 28:30 - What comes after dominating every marketing channel. 30:04 - How AI scams now catch young people too. 32:36 - The $3 billion group and the Surfshark and Nord merger. 36:40 - No logs, audits, and why they are legally a Dutch company. 38:41 - The five year vision and staying close to your users.Subscribe & leave a comment if you made it this far! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

  5. Jul 28

    A $25M Deepfake Scam Fooled This Accountant | NordVPN CTO Marijus Briedis & Ivan Patriki

    Your Social Security number, credit card, and passport can be bought online for about 19 dollars. The CTO of NordVPN explains how. Marijus Briedis has spent nearly 10 years at Nord Security, starting as a DevOps engineer and rising to CTO of a company with over 2,000 employees and a whole suite of cybersecurity products behind the flagship VPN. In this episode, Marijus and Ivan Patriki go deep on how the dark web identity market actually works, why Nord deletes entire servers rather than hand data to governments, and what AI scams are going to look like next. We cover: Why NordVPN runs a no logs audit every year (and whether that’s normal or rare) How a full identity (email, working credit card, ID) sells for around 19 dollars on the dark web Why Nord pulled its servers out of India instead of complying with a data law “Do free VPNs sell your data?” The economics that make it likely The three pillars of the NordVPN app: connect, protect, monitor Leaked cookies: the unsolved cybersecurity problem nobody talks about Disinformation as a service, and how bot armies get built for 10 minutes of work The 25 million dollar Zoom deepfake scam that fooled a Singapore accountant Vishing: attackers calling your relatives to clone your voice How to know if the girlfriend calling for a thousand dollars is really her Why Marijus’s mom is NordVPN’s best QA tester The “human firewall” and why tools alone won’t save you Building a unicorn: why product and marketing have to go hand in hand RESOURCES & LINKS: NordVPN: https://nordvpn.com MORE OF MARIJUS BRIEDIS: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marijusbriedis/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marijusbriedis/ MORE OF ON THE MARGIN: Website: https://www.themargin.tv Spotify: Main Site: https://www.on-the-margin.com MORE OF BOAZ SOBRADO: Twitter: https://x.com/sobradob Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobradob Website: https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobrado MORE OF IVAN PATRIKI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artizt Substack: https://substack.com/@artizt Twitter: https://x.com/Ivan_patriki Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artizt/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ascended Telegram: https://t.me/ivanpatriki Timestamps: 00:00 - Inside the NordVPN headquarters. 00:40 - 10 years at Nord, from DevOps to CTO. 01:26 - More than a VPN: the full Nord Security suite. 04:16 - Does Nord sell your data? The no logs audit explained. 07:45 - When governments came knocking, Nord deleted the servers. 09:36 - Why a VPN alone won’t hide you online. 12:01 - What the dark web really is and how Nord monitors it. 14:09 - A full identity for 19 dollars: the leaked data market. 18:30 - Disinformation as a service and AI bot armies. 21:00 - Scam websites, fake bags, and the Black Friday spike. 24:17 - What scams look like in 10 years: voice, video, deepfakes. 26:54 - Is the girlfriend calling for money actually your girlfriend? 28:52 - What Nord is building to fight AI scams. 29:35 - Managing 1,000 engineers as CTO. 32:05 - Biggest lesson: product and marketing go hand in hand. Make sure to like, comment, and share, and I’ll see you in the next one. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

  6. Jul 23

    The Creator of AGI, the Sophia Robot Told Me the Future | Ben Goertzel & Ivan Patriki On the Margin

    Ben Goertzel coined the term "AGI" in a 2005 book, founded the field's first annual conference, and led the AI team that built Sophia, the humanoid robot granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia. He now runs an open-source AGI project and SingularityNET, a blockchain network built on the bet that artificial general intelligence should never be owned by a handful of Silicon Valley labs.Goertzel and Boaz Sobrado get into all of it.We cover:How Ben Goertzel coined the term "AGI" in a 2005 book that put it on the mapLeading the AI team behind Sophia, the robot granted Saudi citizenship"The creation of machines as smart as people... is almost inevitable"Why superintelligence could end in "utopia or annihilation"Ray Kurzweil's 2029 prediction, and why Goertzel thinks we're on trackWhich jobs get automated first once human-level AGI arrives (plumbers, roofers, electricians)The one category of job that may never go away: human-to-human connection"It'd be a great birthday present to get your kid" - on AI robot girlfriendsCosmism, panpsychism, and why he thinks a superintelligence could already surround usThe "longevity escape velocity" pill and living for millions of yearsWhy he'd kill a rogue AGI to save his wife and kidsWhy he thinks Sam Altman and Elon Musk both quietly abandoned "open" AIBuilding AGI on a decentralized network spanning 50 countries and 10,000 people"He was also funding Marvin Minsky and Noam Chomsky"Launching Omega Claw, his new open-source persistent AI agentRESOURCES & LINKS:SingularityNET: https://singularitynet.ioMORE OF BEN GOERTZEL:Twitter/X: https://x.com/bengoertzelLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengoertzelMORE OF ON THE MARGIN:Website: https://www.themargin.tv Spotify: Main Site: https://www.on-the-margin.comMORE OF BOAZ SOBRADO:Twitter: https://x.com/sobradobInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobradobWebsite: https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMORE OF IVAN PATRIKI:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artiztSubstack: https://substack.com/@artiztTwitter: https://x.com/Ivan_patrikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/artizt/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ascendedTelegram: https://t.me/ivanpatrikiTIMESTAMPS0:00 - Cold open: "How important is it that humans survive?".0:53 - Welcome, calling in from an island off Seattle.1:12 - Transhumanist, cosmist, AGI builder: what Ben Goertzel actually does.2:40 - Mathematics PhD to Hyperion: how his AGI project works.4:16 - Coining "AGI" and leading the team behind Sophia the robot.6:47 - "Almost inevitable": why human-level AGI is coming.7:50 - Utopia or annihilation: the existential risk case for superintelligence.12:29 - 2029 prediction, and which jobs get automated first.16:15 - What young people should study to survive AGI.19:42 - The jobs that survive: human-to-human connection.21:19 - "When do I get an AI robot girlfriend?".22:34 - Is building AGI the closest thing to building God?.29:43 - The longevity escape velocity pill and living for millions of years.34:20 - Would Putin rule for a thousand years with AGI on his side?.36:31 - Why decentralized, open-source AGI is the real safeguard.38:18 - Does humanity even need to keep existing?.43:05 - Cosmism, panpsychism, and remote viewing, explained.49:02 - Is AI doom just a scare tactic for investors?53:09 - What actually separates AGI from Claude and ChatGPT.1:02:36 - Nuclear bombs, AI governance, and a one-world government.1:08:04 - How Ben actually makes money off SingularityNET.1:11:36 - Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and the death of "open" AI.1:15:11 - Jeffrey Epstein funded his AI research for 17 years.1:18:24 - "Did you ever go to the island?".1:20:22 - Final advice: build your own AI agent army. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

  7. Jul 15

    Bhutan Just Showed Me How the King is Building a Crypto City | Jigdrel Singay, Yu Zheng, & Ivan Patriki

    Bhutan is going all-in on crypto, the city is called the Geluphy Mindfulness City. They mined their first Bitcoin in 2018, using clean hydropower, years before most governments knew what a blockchain was. Now the Himalayan kingdom of under a million people is building something no other country has attempted: a special administrative region roughly seven times the size of Singapore, with its own regulator, its own licensed bank, and a mandate to become the financial gateway for two billion people across South Asia.Jigdrel Singay sits on the board of the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority (GMCA), the body building what it calls “two systems, one country” out of the Bhutanese lowlands bordering India. Yu Dong Zheng runs DK Bank, the only bank licensed to operate inside the zone, built from day one to hold fiat and crypto in the same account, something most “crypto-friendly” banks still won’t do.We cover:Why GMCA calls itself “two systems, one country,” and what makes it legally separate from the rest of Bhutan The “Hong Kong for China, Singapore for Southeast Asia” pitch, and why South Asia’s 2 billion people don’t have a financial hub yet Bhutan has been mining Bitcoin with hydropower since 2019, years before most sovereign states paid attention Cheap, undocumented labor built Dubai. What builds a five-story-max Buddhist mindfulness city instead? Why Bhutan has no diplomatic relations with any of the five permanent UN Security Council members “We scan the wallet”: how DK Bank monitors on-chain and off-chain flows to keep bad actors out Will there ever be a “Bhutan coin”? Yu Dong Zheng’s answer: “Anything tactically is possible” “What if Bitcoin goes down and never comes back?” A banker’s contrarian answer Won’t two billion potential visitors turn Gelephu into another Delhi or Mumbai? The digital nomad visa program, still being tested, and why it isn’t rolling out to everyone yet Rent, groceries, cheeseburgers and Starlink: what life actually costs there right nowGUESTS: Jigdrel Singay: Board Member and Digital Assets & Fintech Lead for the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority (GMCA). Previously advanced blockchain and Web3 programs at Druk Holding & Investments, Bhutan’s sovereign wealth fund, and sits on the Board of the Royal Stock Exchange of Bhutan.Yu Dong Zheng (”YD”): CEO of DK Bank, the only bank licensed to operate inside Gelephu Mindfulness City, jointly regulated with Bhutan’s Royal Monetary Authority.RESOURCES & LINKS: Gelephu Mindfulness City: https://www.gmc.btDK Bank: https://www.digitalkidu.btMORE OF JIGDREL SINGAY: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jigdrelsingay/GMC bio: https://gmc.bt/people/Jigdrel_SingayMORE OF YU DONG ZHENG: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhengyudong/DK Bank on LinkedIn: https://bt.linkedin.com/company/dkbankMORE OF ON THE MARGIN: Website: https://www.themargin.tv Spotify: Main Site: https://www.on-the-margin.comMORE OF BOAZ SOBRADO: Twitter: https://x.com/sobradobInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobradobWebsite: https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMORE OF IVAN PATRIKI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artiztSubstack: https://substack.com/@artiztTwitter: https://x.com/Ivan_patrikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/artizt/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ascendedTelegram: https://t.me/ivanpatriki00:00 - Cold open: does the world need another Dubai?.00:54 - Meet the GMCA board member and DK Bank’s CEO, and why South Asia’s 2 billion people don’t have a financial hub yet.03:22 - “Two systems, one country”: Buddhism, mindfulness, and how the king got Bhutan to back a crypto free zone.07:29 - Speed without skipping oversight: inside the regulator, and Bitcoin mining since 2019.10:44 - Cheap labor built Dubai. Citizenship, mining targets, and Bhutan’s zero diplomatic ties with the UN Security Council.19:02 - Setting up a crypto company: compliance, licensing, and solving de-banking.24:15 -Will there ever be a “Bhutan coin”? DK Bank’s roadmap, and what if Bitcoin never goes back up.31:15 - What Bhutan can teach the world about mindful growth.35:02 - Won’t two billion people turn Gelephu into another Delhi? The digital nomad program.41:54 - The real cost of living, cheeseburgers and Starlink, and why choose Bhutan over Dubai, Bali or Miami.All of Jigdrel’s and YD’s links will be in the description. Make sure to like, comment, and share, and I’ll see you in the next one. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

  8. Jul 10

    SquareFi Founder: "We Have Only 6 Developers" Anton Lobintsev & Ivan Patriki On the Margin

    There’s a company processing over to $350 million in transactions that spends less on AI all year than most startups spend on it in a single month. Anton Lobintsev, co-founder of the stablecoin-based financial platform SquareFi, built it that way on purpose.His company didn’t start as a fintech at all. It started as a platform to tokenize real estate in Georgia and Indonesia, until Anton and his co-founder realized nobody wanted to tokenize their buildings. They just wanted to accept stablecoin payments for them. So they rebuilt the whole business around that instead.We cover:The $500 million AI story that kicked off the “what are people doing with all these tokens?” running joke What SquareFi actually is: stablecoin custody, crypto-as-a-service, banking accounts, and cards, all under one platform Why 95% of SquareFi’s customers aren’t crypto-native businesses at all How a company with employees scattered across the world pays salaries in crypto when banks won’t touch the corridor Why venture capital firms use SquareFi to collect capital calls from LPs on three different continents From tokenizing buildings as NFTs to realizing the market wanted payments, not tokenization Why Canada, not Dubai or the Cayman Islands, became the regulatory home base How $50 million in transactions turned into roughly $300 million Why the company spends $5,000 to $7,000 a year on AI, not $50,000 The real reason companies claim to burn “$1 billion in tokens” (and why it’s probably marketing)GUEST: Anton Lobintsev: Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of SquareFi, alongside co-founder and CEO Denis Spasibo. Serial entrepreneur since roughly 2007, having built and sold companies across telecom/internet, restaurants, and legal services before co-founding a real-estate tokenization platform that pivoted into SquareFi, a stablecoin-based financial platform now processing close to $300 million in transactions across 150+ countries.RESOURCES & LINKS: SquareFi: https://squarefi.coMORE OF ANTON LOBINTSEV: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lobintsev/MORE OF SQUAREFI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarefii/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarefi/Telegram: https://t.me/Square_FiMORE OF ON THE MARGIN: Website: https://www.themargin.tv Spotify: Main Site: https://www.on-the-margin.comMORE OF BOAZ SOBRADO: Twitter: https://x.com/sobradobInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobradobWebsite: https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMORE OF IVAN PATRIKI: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artiztSubstack: https://substack.com/@artiztTwitter: https://x.com/Ivan_patrikiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/artizt/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ascendedTelegram: https://t.me/ivanpatriki00:00 - Cold open: the $500 million AI story and the tokens joke.00:22 - What SquareFi is: stablecoin custody, crypto-as-a-service, cards, and banking accounts.03:58 - Two business models, why most customers aren’t crypto companies, and the Bangladesh remittance problem.08:43 - Getting licensed in Canada, the “umbrella license” model, and why offshore jurisdictions don’t work.14:20 - The roadmap: UAE, EU, and Singapore licenses.16:28 - The origin story: tokenizing buildings, meeting his co-founder, and where the name SquareFi comes from.23:26 - Finding early customers, and today’s transaction volume: roughly $300 million.26:24 - What to look for in a co-founder, and the painful history of past breakups.29:38 - Radical honesty as the glue of the partnership, and staying disciplined on spending.33:24 - What investors are really looking for: founder, traction, team.37:52 - How AI changed Anton’s workflow as a self-taught technical founder.42:40 - The goal: a 50-person unicorn, and his CTO’s job managing people and AI agents.46:05 - The real number: $5,000 to $7,000 spent on AI this year, and why.50:35 - Why licenses are only 10% of the work, and launching a stablecoin through Brale.54:54 - Founder advice: find people who cover your weaknesses, hire freelancers, and stay transparent.1:01:19 - Closing.Make sure to like, comment, and share, and I’ll see you in the next one. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

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Hosted by Boaz Sobrado & Ivan Patriki. We speak to the elite of the business, political, and media world. www.on-the-margin.com

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