Crypto Hipster

Miguel Buffara, Lead Financial Engineer at RACE As Lead Financial Engineer at RACE, Miguel blends his technical acumen with financial expertise to build the infrastructure that supports investor onboarding, designs effective governance structures, and models tokenomics structures. Miguel's introduction to the finance industry began as a credit research analyst for Banco BOCOM BBM in 2019, which served as a springboard into investment management. He later honed his skills in managing investments and navigating the complexities of financial markets at METRIX and Apollo Capital. Leveraging the experience gained from the traditional financial sector, Miguel became involved in the decentralized finance space as a portfolio manager, where he strategized user onboarding and modeled investor behavior.

Benedetto Biondi is the CEO of Folks Finance, a premier cross-chain DeFi protocol that delivers a comprehensive suite of services, including lending, borrowing, trading, and liquid staking for digital assets. Driven by a passion for innovation, Benedetto serves as a mentor in Techstars Web3 and various other accelerator programs, where he nurtures emerging talent in the blockchain space. He is also a DeFi advisor at Climatecoin and shares his extensive knowledge as a lecturer on DeFi in the Economics and Law for Digital Assets course at the University of Florence.Socials: Personal:https://www.instagram.com/benedetto___/https://x.com/BenedettoBiohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/benedetto-biondi-030248199/Folks:https://www.linkedin.com/company/78074359https://x.com/FolksFinancehttps://www.instagram.com/folksfinance/?hl=en

Kurapika, Founder & CEO of [Factor](https://factor.fi/), has been channeling his passion into changing the way we view on-chain asset management. Under his leadership, Factor is realizing his vision by abstracting complexities to simplify sophisticated DeFi strategies for the Web3 world. With a career spanning over a decade in fintech and crypto, Kurapika’s expertise includes developing ML-based analysis solutions for stock exchanges, hedge funds, government agencies and other financial institutions. In 2017, he launched a pioneering crypto analysis platform. Kurapika is also an advisory to several prominent Web3 protocols.

Brendan Playford is the co-founder of Masa, a leading innovator in decentralized AI and blockchain technology. With a dynamic background in the tech industry, Brendan has founded multiple successful ventures, including Constellation Labs, where he served as CEO, and Pngme, where he was the co-founder and CEO. He also held significant roles at The Bureau, a blockchain incubator, and DroneDeploy, where he led demand generation. Brendan’s journey into web3 began with a personal exploration of Bitcoin mining in 2013, which led him to recognize the transformative potential of decentralized technologies. He utilized his self-taught computer science skills and a Physics education from Berkeley to build a credit score platform for Africa, demonstrating his commitment to using technology for social good. At Masa, Brendan focuses on creating a decentralized data network that empowers users by compensating them for their data contributions while providing developers with private-by-default user data to build innovative applications. Masa's vision of an open and Fair AI ecosystem  is  making AI applications accessible and equitable to everyone. About Masa Masa is building the largest zero-knowledge user data network in the world. Masa is architecting the “decentralized Google'' for the AI era: A scalable, secure, and resilient global data marketplace, where billions of users get compensated by their data contribution, and millions of developers build innovative applications using private-by-default user data. Masa has amassed more than 1 million user wallets through exponential growth since launch in August 2022. It was incubated by Coinlist’s Seed Program and Binance’s Most-Valuable-Builder Accelerator. Profile Links: - Twitter: https://x.com/BrendanPlayford- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanplayford/

Ganesh Swami is a co-founder of Covalent – the leading modular on-chain data infrastructure network. He has been leading the Covalent Network to build the most robust organization, improving data accessibility and empowering blockchain innovation since 2019. With a background in building protein simulation algorithms to solve cancer, Ganesh is a serial entrepreneur and has over a decade of experience in big data analytics. Ganesh's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ganswami/ Ganesh's X: https://x.com/gane5hCovalent Website: https://www.covalenthq.com/ Covalent X: https://x.com/Covalent_HQ

Jameel Qeblawi is Founder & Chief Architect at myqubator. Jameel is a visionary leader in the startup ecosystem with a proven track record of founding, scaling, and successfully exiting multiple businesses across diverse sectors. As the Founder and ChiefArchitect of myqubator, Jameel specializes in nurturing early-stage ventures by providing strategic guidance, refining go-to-market strategies, and delivering market value. His extensive experience in ideation, development, and execution ensures that the startups he works with not only survive but thrive in competitive markets. Throughout his career, Jameel has built and led teams, developedinnovative solutions, and forged impactful partnerships that have redefined market boundaries. His entrepreneurial journey includes holding key positions such as CEO, Chairman, and Director across varioushigh-growth companies. Jameel consistently demonstrates an ability to balance data-driven insights with people-focused leadership, believing that while metrics and KPIs are essential, it is ultimately thepeople—teams, stakeholders, and partners—who drive exceptional business results. At myqubator, Jameel fosters an environment that encourages innovation, challenges the status quo, and champions honest dialogue. His emotionally intelligent leadership style, combined with a strong commitment to ethical business practices, creates the foundation forunlocking the full potential of any business endeavor. His strength lies in combining visionary thinking with execution, blending market realities with innovative strategies, and empowering talented teams to deliver game-changing results. With a passion for identifying market-redefining opportunities and supporting emerging entrepreneurs, Jameel continues to invest in andmentor promising startups, helping them navigate complex challenges and unlock their full potential. His ultimate goal is to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those he works with and, in turn, create lasting value in the global marketplace.

AKA LEUNG Regional Director MENA Bitget Crypto Exchange    Aka Leung is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the cryptocurrency industry. With a background in operations and business development, Aka has played a pivotal role in driving growth and expanding market reach for leading digital asset platforms.   Previously, Aka served as the Senior Operations Manager at Bitget, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange. In this role, Aka demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic acumen, overseeing operations and driving user growth across multiple regions. Aka's responsibilities spanned diverse territories, including CIS, Latam, and English-speaking regions such as the UK, Canada, Australia, India, Pakistan, Africa, and the Philippines. By implementing targeted initiatives and fostering strong relationships, Aka successfully propelled Bitget's market presence and user base in these regions. Currently, Aka holds the position of Country Manager at Bitget, where the focus is on driving business growth and enhancing user engagement in the Middle East. Aka's expertise in understanding local markets and cultural nuances has been instrumental in formulating effective strategies tailored to the unique needs and preferences of the MENA region. Through fostering strategic partnerships and implementing localized marketing initiatives, Aka continues to spearhead Bitget's expansion and solidify its position as a leading cryptocurrency platform in the Middle East.   Before joining Bitget, Aka held a significant role at Huobi Global (HTX), where they focused on user growth in the Latam and CIS regions. Aka's contributions at HTX were instrumental in establishing a strong foothold in these markets, driving user acquisition, and fostering a vibrant cryptocurrency community.   With a proven track record of success, Aka Leung exemplifies a dynamic leader who combines a deep understanding of the cryptocurrency industry with a global perspective. Aka's passion for driving innovation, fostering strategic partnerships, and delivering exceptional results continues to shape its journey as a key player in the ever-evolving world of digital assets.   Established in 2018, Bitget is the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 25 million users in 100+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more. Bitget inspires individuals to embrace crypto through collaborations with credible partners, including legendary Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi and Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team).

Firdosh Sheikh is Founder and CEO of DRIFE, an industry-disrupting decentralized ride-hailing platform built on the principles of Web3 technology. Firdosh believes it has been an incredible journey leading the charge in the DePin space, shaping DRIFE into a game-changer with an engaged user base of over 300,000 riders and a network of more than 30,000 drivers using the innovative DRIFE application.Being at the helm of the first decentralized ride-hailing company has been both an honor and a challenge for her. But it's this pioneering spirit that drives Firdosh to constantly redefine the norms of the mobility industry. By integrating blockchain technology into its platform, DRIFE has created a system that champions fairness, transparency, and user autonomy, setting a new standard for the entire industry.DRIFE isn't just a ride-hailing app; it's a testament to the potential of Web3 and a testament to the power of a community-driven vision. Firdosh is proud to have spearheaded this endeavor and to continue shaping the future of decentralized transportation. Website: drife.io

KATHY ROBERTS is CEO of Switch Reward Card - a blockchain finance ecosystem. Kathy started her career with Sears and then transferred over as an early executive (or Dawner as they called them) when Sears started Discover Card. Kathy went on to become the President of Discover Bank and served as the first female Chair of the Delaware Bankers Association. Current member of Salt Lake Chamber’s Board of Governors. Kathy Roberts’ charitable endeavors include but in no way are limited to the following organizations: Delaware Junior Achievement (Board of Directors), New Mexico Museum Foundation, WHOlives (Board of Directors), https://wholives.org/ - Providing clean water in the developing world using the innovative Village Drill. The History Makers, https://www.thehistorymakers.org/ - Documenting video oral histories of influential and sometimes unsung African Americans heroes. Kathy currently splits her time between Santa Fe, NM and Salt Lake City with her son Malachi, who is a musician. Website: www.SwitchRewardCard.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyrobertsswitch/ X: https://x.com/switch_rewards Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/switch.rewardcard

Johnny is founder and lead developer at Empyreal SDK. He is a seasoned Systems Engineer with a wealth of experience in enterprise-level technology. Prior to starting Empyreal, Johnny worked as a Software Engineer at a FAANG company. He brings a strong passion for programming, particularly in Rust, Python, and Functional Programming.