Navigating Finance: From Wall Street to Bitcoin

This chapter explores the multifaceted journey of an individual through traditional banking and into the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. It highlights key contributions to establishing legal frameworks for digital assets in Wyoming, the implications of ownership in financial systems, and the historical context of property rights. The discussion also includes the evolving dynamics of banking regulations, the corporate adoption of Bitcoin, and the impact of recent Federal Reserve actions on the economy.

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Transcript

Episode notes

Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Avanti Financial Group, talks about the issues plaguing the current state of technology in traditional finance and how her background as a 22-year Wall Street veteran, gubernatorial appointee to the Wyoming Blockchain Task Force, and crypto pioneer is helping her shape Avanti into a bridge between conventional banking and crypto. Tune in to hear Caitlin discuss:

the current state of crypto adoption on Wall Street (1:09)
how her entrepreneurial spirit galvanized a career spanning Wall Street, the Wyoming Legislature, and, now, crypto banking (2:07)
why Caitlin fell in love with Bitcoin (4:57)
fractional reserves and why the current financial system is a “violation of property rights” (7:00)
how stablecoin technology will change banking leverage and what effects faster settlement times will have on inflation (11:30)
why corporate treasurers have been using BTC since 2014 in foreign exchange transactions (17:14)
what issues Wyoming is trying to solve through crypto legislation and why banks might be closing down customer accounts linked to crypto exchanges (19:18)
a proposed Wyoming bill that would prohibit judges from disclosing private cryptographic keys (28:32)
where the idea for Avanti came from and how it will be different than other banks (32:50)
existing problems with stablecoin regulation and a deep-dive into GAAP accounting for crypto (46:51)
why Wall Street’s accounting system is to blame for the GameStop and Robinhood situation (52:32)
whether or not a blockchain could work for settling securities (52:32)
her thoughts on pension funds and endowments directly owning crypto (59:54)
what it is going to take for Avanti to successfully bridge the gap between traditional finance and crypto (1:02:38)