Crypto Prime The Investment Case for Solana
Aug 28, 2025
Leah Wald, CEO of SOL Strategies, and Max Kaplan, CTO, provide insights into the dynamic crypto ETF landscape and the investment potential of Solana. They discuss their journey from traditional finance to the crypto world and the importance of bridging decentralized and traditional finance. The duo explores the role of blockchain validators, Solana's market advantages, and the burgeoning opportunities for tokenizing traditional securities. Their conversation highlights the strategic importance of thorough research in a fast-evolving digital asset treasury market.
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Career Pivot To Full-Time Crypto
- Leah Wald transitioned from traditional asset management (Valkyrie) to lead Sol Strategies after a strategic pivot from Cypherpunk Holdings.
- She recounts moving from ETFs and Bitcoin-focused public company work into running a Solana-focused treasury and validator business.
From Reddit DM To Crypto CTO
- Max Kaplan described getting into crypto via open-source contributions and landing an early engineering job at Kraken from a Reddit DM.
- He later founded Orangefin, a Solana validator that Sol Strategies acquired, before becoming CTO.
Regulation Shift Opened Crypto Floodgates
- Leah says DC's regulatory shift has rapidly opened doors for varied crypto products and ETF filings.
- She frames current policy changes as a turning point enabling broader institutional engagement and innovation.