DeFi Decoded DeFi Decoded - Rewriting the Rules of Wall Street with Carlos Domingo of Securitize
Dec 23, 2024
Carlos Domingo, Founder and CEO of Securitize, shares his fascinating transition from telecommunications to the Web3 and DeFi space. He dives into his experiences with SPiCE VC and discussions with financial giants like BlackRock. The conversation explores the evolving regulatory landscape, the legitimacy challenges of crypto asset management, and the innovative potential of real-world assets. Domingo also touches on the emerging differences between compliant and non-compliant DeFi projects, shedding light on the future of capital markets.
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From Telco R&D To Tokenized VC
- Carlos Domingo moved from Telefonica R&D to blockchain after discovering ICOs and realizing tokens could make traditionally illiquid investments liquid.
- He launched SPiCE VC as a friends-and-family tokenized VC to test the idea and later founded Securitize to offer tokenization to others.
SPiCE VC: A Seven-Year Liquid Experiment
- SPiCE VC raised roughly $15 million mostly from friends, family, and early crypto supporters in 2016–2017 and invested in early crypto startups.
- The fund traded on secondary markets and returned capital as positions liquidated over seven years.
Regulation Unlocks Institutional Interest
- Traditional asset managers ignored tokenization until firms like Securitize obtained licenses and regulatory approvals.
- Being regulated and having institutional backing (e.g., Morgan Stanley) unlocked conversations with major asset managers.