#433: Leah Wald, CEO of SOL Strategies, on Becoming More Than the MicroStrategy of Solana, TradFi Crypto Investments, and Solana ETFs

Apr 24, 2025

Leah Wald, CEO of SOL Strategies and co-founder of Valkyrie Investments, talks about her shift from Bitcoin to the Solana ecosystem. She shares insights on how her company intends to surpass being just the MicroStrategy of Solana, emphasizing its recent partnerships and strategic acquisitions. The discussion explores the growing popularity of Solana, the significance of branded validators, and the importance of diversifying investments beyond crypto, notably through ETFs. Tune in for her vision of bridging consumer brands with blockchain infrastructure!

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ANECDOTE

Leah's Transformation of Soul Strategies

Leah Wald took helm of Soul Strategies in 2024, transforming it from a Bitcoin holding company to a Solana-focused infrastructure firm.
They acquired top Solana validators and built a solid operational business, causing a 30x stock rise.

INSIGHT

ETFs vs Company Stocks in Crypto

ETFs and company stock play complementary roles in crypto investing, appealing to different investor preferences.
Investing in a company with operational leverage offers potentially higher returns than simply holding the token via an ETF.

INSIGHT

Generation Gap in Crypto Investing

Younger investors often seek higher upside with more risk, unlike boomers who prefer ETFs and stability.
Publicly traded companies like Soul Strategies can appeal to boomers if educated on risk and reward differences.

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Leah Wald is CEO of SOL Strategies (CSE: HODL), a publicly traded Canadian company actively investing in, supporting, and providing infrastructure for the Solana blockchain ecosystem. Prior to Sol Strategies, Leah co-founded and was the CEO of Valkyrie Investments, leading the firm to over $1.3 billion in AUM through cryptocurrency trusts, hedge funds, and ETFs. Valkyrie’s advisory business was acquired by CoinShares, and its private trust division by Abra Capital in 2024. Previously, Leah worked at the World Bank Group in the sub-Saharan African region and served as a Partner at Lucid Investment Strategies, one of the first RIAs to allocate GBTC for their clients. Ms. Wald is a contributing writer for Forbes and co-authored the book Hyperwave Theory: The Rogue Waves of Financial Markets.

In this conversation, we discuss:
- Becoming more than the MicroStrategy of Solana
- Acquiring OrangeFin Ventures + Laine Validators (Stakewiz)
- The difference between SOL Strategies and SOL ETFs
- Investing in ETFs vs companies
- Why investment advisors don’t push public crypto companies + ETFs
- Partnership with Pudgy Penguins
- The future of the Solana ecosystem
- Pudgy penguins securing a SOL validator
- Investing in crypto via publicly traded companies
- Launching a Solana staking mobile app
- Bridging consumer brands with institutional blockchain infrastructure:
- Branded validators

SOL Strategies
Website: solstrategies.io
X: @solstrategies_
LinkedIn: SOL Strategies Inc.

Leah Wald
X: @LeahWald
LinkedIn: Leah Wald

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