In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari (Founder, CEO of Applied Blockchain) speaks with Patrick Hennes, a blockchain and digital assets servicing expert based in Luxembourg, specialising in tokenization, MiCA, and digital asset operating models.

Patrick has spent 26 years in Luxembourg's fund industry — from transfer agency and fund migrations to six years as Director at PwC Luxembourg, where he co-founded one of the earliest blockchain initiatives in European asset management. He is a speaker, author, and one of the genuine pioneers of tokenization in the institutional finance world.

Together, Adi and Patrick explore, but not limited to:

• How Patrick first encountered blockchain at a PwC management meeting in 2015 — and what immediately clicked
• The Fund Chain initiative: building the first Ethereum-based tokenization pilot for investment funds back in 2016
• Why digitalization must come before tokenization — and what that means in practice for the full asset servicing value chain
• The two missing pieces from the early days: digital custody and on-chain cash
• Stablecoins, deposit tokens, and the payment rail that will finally enable atomic settlement

Resources Mentioned & Themes Discussed

• Fund Chain initiative — PwC Luxembourg white paper: "The Genesis of a New Business Model for the Asset Management Industry"
• Forge stablecoin (accepted as settlement currency by Clearstream)
• Larry Fink's "era of tokenization of all assets"
• ERC standards & Polygon
• DORA, AML directives, MiFID2, GENIUS Act
• Atomic Habits – James Clear
• The 5 AM Club – Robin Sharma

This podcast is brought to you by Applied Blockchain, a leading blockchain development company shaping the future of Web3 infrastructure and privacy-preserving blockchain solutions.

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Disclaimer

This podcast is strictly for educational purposes and does not constitute financial or tax advice. It is not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or make financial decisions. Always consult with a professional and do your own research.

Episode description

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari (Founder, CEO) speaks with Charles Adams, Head of Investor Relations at Nickel Digital Asset Management, one of Europe's leading digital asset hedge funds, about what a decade inside crypto actually looks like, and where the industry is heading next.

Charles is a true crypto native who has never worked in traditional finance. He bought a Bitcoin miner and a book on blockchain off eBay in 2013, set up a mining rig in his school dorm, and has been in the space ever since — through ICOs, DeFi, institutional adoption, and now the convergence of AI and digital assets.

Together, Adi and Charles explore, but not limited to:

• Why Charles started mining Bitcoin in his school dorm in 2013 — and why he originally planned to sell it all immediately
• Why utility tokens remain the most under-appreciated innovation in the ecosystem
• How Uniswap and automated market makers represent one of the few genuinely original innovations in digital assets
• Why autonomous AI agents may be the natural native users of crypto infrastructure
• The risk management challenges of deploying AI agents in a regulated investment environment
• Why hackathons are no longer just for coders — and what's coming up at Applied Blockchain's AI Hackathon

Resources Mentioned & Themes Discussed

• Uniswap and automated market makers
• Hyperliquid — decentralised perpetuals trading
• Stablecoins and the GENIUS Act
• KYC/AML friction in institutional fund operations

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The episode also covers Applied Blockchain's upcoming AI Hackathon, where participants can build AI-powered solutions, with Dan Brockwell (Portfolio Manager, Directional Digital Liquid Venture, Nickel Digital Asset Management) serving as a judge.

Register for the AI Hackathon → https://luma.com/5m9c16x4

This podcast is brought to you by Applied Blockchain, a leading blockchain development company shaping the future of Web3 and decentralized technologies.

Listen & subscribe

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Thank you for tuning in, Applied Blockchain ⁠⁠⁠appliedblockchain.com⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠silentdata.com⁠⁠⁠

Disclaimer

This podcast is strictly for educational purposes and does not constitute financial or tax advice. It is not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or make financial decisions. Always consult with a professional and do your own research.

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, Adi Ben-Ari speaks with Ziv Keinan, Tokenization & RWA expert and Curator of the STG-3 RWA Community, about why real-world asset tokenization is entering its institutional phase, and what that means for global capital markets.With over 17 years of experience spanning law, private equity, digital securities, and blockchain infrastructure, Ziv has been at the forefront of security token offerings, interoperability platforms, and institutional RWA initiatives. As founder of STG-3, one of the leading global communities for digital securities and real-world asset professionals, he brings a uniquely institutional lens to the conversation.Together, Adi and Ziv explore, including but not limited to:• Why ICOs and early STOs created two parallel financial worlds• How “security tokens” evolved into “digital securities” and now “RWAs”• Why tokenization is an efficiency play for capital markets — not just innovation theatre• Why stablecoins are the first true product-market fit in crypto• Why private credit and tokenized funds are emerging as major RWA pillars• Why privacy is not optional for institutional adoption• The convergence of regulation, capital, and technological maturity• Why tokenization is about rethinking processes — not just putting assets on-chain• How London and global financial centres are positioning for digital capital markets• Why the conversation has shifted from “What is blockchain?” to “How do we deploy this at scale?”The episode also covers the upcoming RWA London Summit, a curated gathering of institutional leaders, infrastructure providers, and senior decision-makers shaping the next phase of tokenized finance.Resources Mentioned & Themes Discussed• Regulation D and early security token offerings• Institutional adoption cycles vs crypto-native experimentation• Stablecoins as settlement infrastructure• Tokenized private credit and funds• Institutional privacy requirements on public blockchains• Interoperability and capital markets modernisation• The UK’s positioning in digital asset regulation• The role of curated communities like STG-3 in accelerating adoptionThis podcast is brought to you by Applied Blockchain, a leading blockchain development company shaping the future of Web3 infrastructure and privacy-preserving blockchain solutions.Listen & subscribeSpotify ○ ⁠spoti.fi/43AjliC⁠Apple Podcasts ○ ⁠apple.co/4izThbC⁠Amazon Music ○ ⁠amzn.to/41RVTfz⁠Anchor ○ ⁠bit.ly/4hufmY9⁠YouTube ○ ⁠bit.ly/3QZl2i8⁠Follow us for more blockchain insightsLinkedIn ○ ⁠bit.ly/3DsSNp3⁠X ○ ⁠bit.ly/4iCKhCB⁠YouTube ○ ⁠bit.ly/3QZl2i8⁠Medium ○ ⁠bit.ly/3R16Mp2⁠GitHub ○ ⁠github.com/appliedblockchain/⁠Linktree ○ ⁠linktr.ee/appblockchain⁠Thank you for tuning in, Applied Blockchain⁠⁠⁠appliedblockchain.com⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠silentdata.com⁠⁠⁠DisclaimerThis podcast is strictly for educational purposes and does not constitute financial or tax advice. It is not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or make financial decisions. Always consult with a professional and do your own research.