In this episode of FYI – For Your Innovation, ARK's CEO Cathie Wood hosts a wide-ranging conversation with Marco Santori, CEO of Solmate, and Dr. Arthur Laffer, renowned economist and longtime ARK advisor. Together, they explore the evolving crypto landscape, regulatory shifts, and why Solana is emerging as a powerful foundation for next-generation financial infrastructure. Santori, previously Chief Legal Officer at Kraken and General Partner at Pantera, shares why he’s now focused on building Solmate atop the Solana blockchain—and why the Middle East is a critical part of that strategy. He explains Solana’s technical advantages, from base-layer speed to support for smart contracts, and its potential to become the platform of choice for high-frequency trading, AI-driven transactions, and decentralized financial services. Dr. Laffer brings historical context to the conversation, contrasting private and government-controlled currencies and making the case for innovation in monetary systems. He also reflects on why he joined the board of Solmate and what excites him about its approach to financial infrastructure and economic growth.
Key Points From This Episode:
● [0:00] Meet the guests: Marco Santori’s legal background and early Solana investment
● [4:45] Regulatory whiplash: How the U.S. landscape shifted under a new administration
● [7:16] Dr. Laffer’s crypto “aha” moment and the history of private money
● [13:30] Why Marco chose Solana: performance, smart contracts, and AI readiness
● [18:05] Ethereum vs. Solana: decentralization, speed, and Wall Street applications
● [23:27] Solmate’s board and Middle East connections
● [30:14] Why the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is betting on Solana
● [37:09] The evolution of Solmate from digital asset treasury to infrastructure company
● [42:38] Revenue strategy: building cash flow, not just holding tokens
● [46:23] The Middle East as a geographic and latency hub for blockchain innovation
● [51:06] High-frequency transacting: the next frontier in trading
● [52:31] Solana and on-chain prediction markets
