Crypto Hipster

Thomas Chen is the CEO of Function, where he leads the transformation of Bitcoin into a productive yield-bearing asset. With a background in traditional finance and fintech, Thomas previously helped BitGo grow to over $100 billion in assets as its Global Head of Sales.At Function, he is spearheading the development of institutional-grade architecture for bitcoin yield. Backed by partners like Galaxy Digital, Mantle and Antalpha, Function has reached over $1.5b in TVL.Thomas is focused on bridging the risk management rigor of traditional finance with blockchain’s programmable infrastructure to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential in the next generation of financial systems.

Thomas Chen is the CEO of Function, where he leads the transformation of Bitcoin into a productive yield-bearing asset. With a background in traditional finance and fintech, Thomas previously helped BitGo grow to over $100 billion in assets as its Global Head of Sales.At Function, he is spearheading the development of institutional-grade architecture for bitcoin yield. Backed by partners like Galaxy Digital, Mantle and Antalpha, Function has reached over $1.5b in TVL.Thomas is focused on bridging the risk management rigor of traditional finance with blockchain’s programmable infrastructure to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential in the next generation of financial systems.

Zayn Kalyan - AdvisorZayn Kalyan is an experienced investment banker and business development executive. Starting his career as a software engineer, his background in the “ground-up” development of startup technology companies serves as his foundation in finance. Zayn has been involved in the digital asset space since 2014, beginning with small scale Bitcoin mining, and the startup of a centralized in exchange in 2017. He is currently the CEO of Hummingbird W3 Capital, an active digital asset holding company with multiple investments in the crypto space. As a partner at Altus Capital Partners, Zayn has played an instrumental role in the origination of over $100 million in financing for start-ups and digital asset companies as well.

Zayn Kalyan - AdvisorZayn Kalyan is an experienced investment banker and business development executive. Starting his career as a software engineer, his background in the “ground-up” development of startup technology companies serves as his foundation in finance. Zayn has been involved in the digital asset space since 2014, beginning with small scale Bitcoin mining, and the startup of a centralized in exchange in 2017. He is currently the CEO of Hummingbird W3 Capital, an active digital asset holding company with multiple investments in the crypto space. As a partner at Altus Capital Partners, Zayn has played an instrumental role in the origination of over $100 million in financing for start-ups and digital asset companies as well.

Tristan Thoma, Managing Director @ Impera Strategywww.imperastrategy.comTristan Thoma led the implementation of the first and only operating national crypto system in the world, in El Salvador. His firsthand experience in system & business design, technical architecture and policy creation applies to both creative high-level strategic initiatives and the execution of precise tactical decisions. Working throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Tristan has built more than two dozen Blockchain-integration models for Fortune500 companies, governments and startups. His current focus is supporting governments and financial institutions develop National Digital currencies with the objective of increasing financial inclusion and resilience.Since 2016, Tristan has pioneered innovative strategic solutions for private and public sector implementing blockchain and advanced technology. Working throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe, he has led executive blockchain strategy for Fortune500 companies and Startups for industries including Banking, Payments, Asset Management, Supply Chain, IOT, Biotech, Transportation, Gaming, Agriculture, Real Estate and Trading.With a background in Organizational Psychology and IT Systems Management, Tristan bridges the gap between technology and sustainable human-centric design. He is passionate about Blockchain’s potential for social impact and sustainability. Tristan is an avid speaker at Universities and conferences around the world.

Tristan Thoma, Managing Director @ Impera Strategywww.imperastrategy.comTristan Thoma led the implementation of the first and only operating national crypto system in the world, in El Salvador. His firsthand experience in system & business design, technical architecture and policy creation applies to both creative high-level strategic initiatives and the execution of precise tactical decisions. Working throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Tristan has built more than two dozen Blockchain-integration models for Fortune500 companies, governments and startups. His current focus is supporting governments and financial institutions develop National Digital currencies with the objective of increasing financial inclusion and resilience.Since 2016, Tristan has pioneered innovative strategic solutions for private and public sector implementing blockchain and advanced technology. Working throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe, he has led executive blockchain strategy for Fortune500 companies and Startups for industries including Banking, Payments, Asset Management, Supply Chain, IOT, Biotech, Transportation, Gaming, Agriculture, Real Estate and Trading.With a background in Organizational Psychology and IT Systems Management, Tristan bridges the gap between technology and sustainable human-centric design. He is passionate about Blockchain’s potential for social impact and sustainability. Tristan is an avid speaker at Universities and conferences around the world.

Samantha Yap, Founder and CEO of YAP Global ⁠Samantha⁠ is the Founder and CEO of ⁠YAP Global⁠, an international PR and communications consultancy that works with meaningful companies and organizations in the cryptocurrency, decentralized finance (DeFi) and web3 sector. With her expertise and stewardship, she has built YAP Global to be the link between complex cryptocurrency technology and mainstream press.Since establishing YAP Global in 2018, Samantha has grown the team across continents and launched ⁠YAP Cast⁠ (a podcast series exploring the history of money, in turn allowing listeners to make sense of the world of crypto and DeFi), and⁠The Context ⁠(a newsletter that provides a grounded perspective on developments in crypto, DeFi and web3 industries).Prior to delving into PR, she worked as a broadcast journalist and producer for Channel NewsAsia Singapore. Samantha also gained extensive international journalism experience in Melbourne, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

Samantha Yap, Founder and CEO of YAP Global Samantha is the Founder and CEO of YAP Global, an international PR and communications consultancy that works with meaningful companies and organizations in the cryptocurrency, decentralized finance (DeFi) and web3 sector. With her expertise and stewardship, she has built YAP Global to be the link between complex cryptocurrency technology and mainstream press.Since establishing YAP Global in 2018, Samantha has grown the team across continents and launched YAP Cast (a podcast series exploring the history of money, in turn allowing listeners to make sense of the world of crypto and DeFi), andThe Context (a newsletter that provides a grounded perspective on developments in crypto, DeFi and web3 industries).Prior to delving into PR, she worked as a broadcast journalist and producer for Channel NewsAsia Singapore. Samantha also gained extensive international journalism experience in Melbourne, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

Stacy Spikes is a disruptor and visionary entrepreneur who has spent his career breaking barriers in entertainment. He founded Urbanworld Film Festival to amplify underrepresented voices in film, bringing new stories to light that Hollywood often overlooked. He later launched MoviePass to revive in-person moviegoing by making theaters and ticket prices more accessible. When he was ousted from his own company and MoviePass collapsed due to poor leadership and business decisions, Stacy bought it back and rebuilt it from the ground up.Now, with Mogul, Stacy is disrupting Hollywood again – this time, by creating a platform where fans will be able to actively engage in shaping entertainment. His mission has always remained the same: democratize accessibility, elevate new voices, and revolutionize how stories are made.

Stacy Spikes is a disruptor and visionary entrepreneur who has spent his career breaking barriers in entertainment. He founded Urbanworld Film Festival to amplify underrepresented voices in film, bringing new stories to light that Hollywood often overlooked. He later launched MoviePass to revive in-person moviegoing by making theaters and ticket prices more accessible. When he was ousted from his own company and MoviePass collapsed due to poor leadership and business decisions, Stacy bought it back and rebuilt it from the ground up.Now, with Mogul, Stacy is disrupting Hollywood again – this time, by creating a platform where fans will be able to actively engage in shaping entertainment. His mission has always remained the same: democratize accessibility, elevate new voices, and revolutionize how stories are made.