Crypto Hipster

William Herkelrath is the CEO, and co-founder of K3 Labs,  a drag and drop platform for automating common Web3 tasks. With more than 20 years in both product and sales roles in the FinTech industry, William has been an early executive at 3 separate start-ups that were acquired by Fortune 500 firms. Since 2017, William has been exclusively focused on helping blockchain firms recognize and capitalize on mainstream uses-cases for the technology. He was the Chief Revenue Officer for Curv, which was acquired by PayPal in early 2021, and the Head of Business Development for Chainlink.

Steven Pu, Co-Founder of Taraxa, a purpose-built, fast, scalable, and device-friendly Layer-1 public ledger designed to help democratize reputation by making informal data trustworthy. Prior to Taraxa, Steven launched multiple ventures and products in IoT and mobile healthcare. He was also a Partner at Monitor Deloitte’s strategy practice, spearheaded their digital strategy line of business serving Fortune 500 companies with hundreds of millions in upside impact. Steven also had the honor of co-authoring the book “Next Blockchain” with Makoto Yano, vice-minister of Japan’s Ministry of Economics, Trade, and Industry. Steven holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

Steven Pu, Co-Founder of Taraxa, a purpose-built, fast, scalable, and device-friendly Layer-1 public ledger designed to help democratize reputation by making informal data trustworthy. Prior to Taraxa, Steven launched multiple ventures and products in IoT and mobile healthcare. He was also a Partner at Monitor Deloitte’s strategy practice, spearheaded their digital strategy line of business serving Fortune 500 companies with hundreds of millions in upside impact. Steven also had the honor of co-authoring the book “Next Blockchain” with Makoto Yano, vice-minister of Japan’s Ministry of Economics, Trade, and Industry. Steven holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

Dr. Nikhil Varma is an Associate Professor of Management at the Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, and a globally recognized expert in blockchain technology, operations, and sustainability. With over 20 years of academic and professional experience, he bridges the gap between research and practice in emerging technologies and management. Dr. Varma serves as the Senior Fellow and Chair of the Blockchain Workgroup at The Digital Economist and is the Technical Lead for the Algorand Foundation in India, where he supports blockchain diffusion and adoption across the country. His work focuses on leveraging decentralized technologies to drive innovation and sustainable growth. Holding a Ph.D. in Business Administration and an MBA from HEC Montréal, along with advanced engineering credentials, Dr. Varma has published extensively on supply chains, sustainability, and blockchain applications in top-tier journals and global conferences. He is also a sought-after advisor, having supported ventures like Aten Ventures and Qbrics. At Ramapo College, he designs and teaches cutting-edge courses in Business Analytics, Data Visualization, and Sustainability, equipping students with real-world skills in data-driven decision-making. A certified Scrum Master and SAP professional, Dr. Varma combines technical expertise with strategic insight to advance the adoption of blockchain and emerging technologies globally.

Michael Wasyl, co-founder and CEO of Bracket, shares insights from his extensive background in fintech and digital assets. He discusses his transition from traditional finance to blockchain, highlighting key moments from his career, including impactful experiences at Bloomberg. The conversation dives into Bracket's focus on liquid staking and its responses to market fluctuations. Wasyl explores the innovative future of staked assets, emphasizing the need for structured DeFi strategies, while addressing the regulatory challenges in the evolving crypto landscape.

Michael Wasyl is a business development professional with 10+ years across fintech, digital assets, and entrepreneurial ventures. Michael has sourced and evaluated fintech investment opportunities for ConsenSys Capital, managed go-to-market for influential startups in the space and supported message compliance and forensic trade reconstruction analytics for some of the largest banks while at Bloomberg. Michael is also a managing partner at DeerCreek, a strategy advisory for top blockchain foundations.Bracket is a leading DeFi platform focused on liquid-staked assets and strategy management. It is designed to simplify and improve the use of Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs) and Liquid Restaking Tokens (LRTs). The platform provides users with tools to maximize yields while maintaining exposure to ETH. Bracket’s innovative token, brktETH, creates fungibility among various LSTs, making them more flexible and efficient as collateral.

Ricardo JohnsonRicardo Johnson is the founder of Oases, a pioneering platform revolutionizing real estate investment through blockchain technology. By leveraging tokenized co-ownership, he is unlocking access to income-generating luxury properties, allowing investors to build diversified portfolios of tangible assets with the flexibility, security, and lifestyle benefits of digital innovation.With a strong background in finance, real estate, and emerging technologies, Ricardo specializes in:✅ Real Estate Tokenization – Transforming traditional property ownership into accessible, fractionalized assets.✅ Web3 & Blockchain Integration – Bridging the gap between decentralized finance and real-world real estate opportunities.✅ Digital Asset Strategies – Creating new pathways for wealth-building in a shared economy.Passionate about reshaping traditional ownership models, Ricardo is on a mission to make real estate investing more accessible, enabling investors to generate passive income and participate in the future of digital-first property ownership.Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-c-johnson/Website: https://ownoases.ioEmail: info@ricardocjohnson.com

Ricardo JohnsonRicardo Johnson is the founder of Oases, a pioneering platform revolutionizing real estate investment through blockchain technology. By leveraging tokenized co-ownership, he is unlocking access to income-generating luxury properties, allowing investors to build diversified portfolios of tangible assets with the flexibility, security, and lifestyle benefits of digital innovation.With a strong background in finance, real estate, and emerging technologies, Ricardo specializes in:✅ Real Estate Tokenization – Transforming traditional property ownership into accessible, fractionalized assets.✅ Web3 & Blockchain Integration – Bridging the gap between decentralized finance and real-world real estate opportunities.✅ Digital Asset Strategies – Creating new pathways for wealth-building in a shared economy.Passionate about reshaping traditional ownership models, Ricardo is on a mission to make real estate investing more accessible, enabling investors to generate passive income and participate in the future of digital-first property ownership.Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-c-johnson/Website: https://ownoases.ioEmail: info@ricardocjohnson.com

Evan Owens is an experienced entrepreneur, operator, and investor with over 15 years of expertise in business development, sales, and strategic partnerships. As a former startup founder, he has a proven track record of building and scaling businesses across various industries. Evan's involvement in the blockchain space began in 2016 with his early investment in Ethereum, demonstrating his forward-thinking approach to technology and innovation. In addition to his business pursuits, Evan is an accomplished sailboat captain, having successfully sailed across the Atlantic Ocean.

Evan Owens is an experienced entrepreneur, operator, and investor with over 15 years of expertise in business development, sales, and strategic partnerships. As a former startup founder, he has a proven track record of building and scaling businesses across various industries. Evan's involvement in the blockchain space began in 2016 with his early investment in Ethereum, demonstrating his forward-thinking approach to technology and innovation. In addition to his business pursuits, Evan is an accomplished sailboat captain, having successfully sailed across the Atlantic Ocean.