Institutional Perspectives on Cryptocurrency

Christine Sandler, head of sales and marketing at Fidelity Digital Assets, talks about how 30 years in traditional finance and an early retirement led her to Coinbase, and, eventually, Fidelity Digital Assets. She discusses the history of Fidelity's involvement in crypto, how they became one of the first to enter the space, and what the future holds. Topics include:

• what Fidelity Digital Assets is and Christine's role there
• Christine's background in traditional finance, how she was drawn into the world of cryptocurrencies, eventually working at Coinbase, and how she found her way to Fidelity Digital Assets
• the role Fidelity sees itself playing in the digital asset space
• how the client base for digital assets has changed over time
• how Fidelity approaches the difficulties around explaining what bitcoin and crypto is, and the most common questions they receive
• how the pandemic has changed the conversation around digital currencies
• the types of services and products Fidelity is considering for the future
• the differences Fidelity sees in how international investors are approaching digital currency
• Fidelity's plans for a Bitcoin index fund and whether they are considering offering futures
• how financial institutions and institutional investors fit into a world of decentralized finance founded with the ethos of excluding them
• the regulatory improvements Fidelity is hoping to see
• what a Bitcoin ETF would mean for Fidelity
• how Fidelity might use a central bank digital currency in its business
• Fidelity's thoughts on offering proof of stake services
• whether a more deflationary Ethereum might attract more institutional investors
• and whether Fidelity will offer Ethereum in the future

Thank you to our sponsor! 

Crypto.com: https://www.crypto.com

Episode links: 

Christine Sandler: https://twitter.com/shoegalnyc

Fidelity Digital Assets: https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/overview

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DigitalAssets

Christine leaves Coinbase for FDAS: https://www.coindesk.com/fidelity-poaches-coinbase-institutional-sales-head-christine-sandler

Fidelity Center for Applied Technology: https://fcatalyst.com/overview

Fidelity Digital Assets looking to become prime broker: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/daily/68920/fidelity-digital-assets-eyes-service-for-introducing-crypto-funds-to-big-investors

How the client profile has changed: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/daily/42342/the-client-profile-is-changing-fidelity-digital-assets-exec-says-new-players-are-entering-the-crypto-fold

How to Explain Cryptocurrencies and Blockchains to the Average Person

Unchained episode: https://unchainedpodcast.com/how-to-explain-cryptocurrencies-and-blockchains-to-the-average-person/

Fidelity expands crypto business to Europe: https://www.coindesk.com/fidelity-to-expand-institutional-crypto-business-to-europe

Fidelity obtains New York Trust Charter: https://www.coindesk.com/fidelity-gets-a-new-york-trust-charter-to-custody-bitcoin-for-institutions

Bitcoin Index Fund: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeldelcastillo/2020/08/26/fidelity-president-files-for-new-bitcoin-fund/?sh=13aa335445c9

Fidelity survey of 800 institutional investors: https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/bin-public/060_www_fidelity_com/documents/FDAS/institutional-investor-study.pdf

FDAS hiring: https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/articles/engineering-hiring-initiative?ccmedia=owned&ccchannel=social&cccampaign=hiring_blog&cctactics=twitter

Kingdom Trust: 

https://www.coindesk.com/fidelity-digital-assets-to-custody-bitcoin-in-kingdom-trust-retirement-accounts

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