Talking Tokens

In this episode of Talking Tokenization, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Mary Gooneratne, Co-Founder of Loopscale, about how tokenization, credit markets and asset mobility are converging into the next major wave of onchain finance. Mary explains why only a tiny fraction of the financial system exists onchain today, why future assets will look nothing like governance tokens or digital gold, and what traits are required for the “next 99 percent” of assets to become composable in DeFi.They discuss tokenized private credit, payment streams, real world lending, and why credit not trading is where crypto offers the biggest step-function improvement. Mary breaks down RWA looping, why liquidity and duration risk matter, how fixed-rate lending unlocks institutional use cases, and why collateral mobility is the missing piece for onchain credit markets to flourish. She also shares Loopscale’s roadmap, the evolution of issuer demand, and why institutions are finally getting comfortable with digital credit rails.This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io.Timestamps(00:00) – Intro (02:13) – Only 1% of future tokens exist today (03:14) – What future assets need: mobility, redemption (04:20) – RWAs behave differently than crypto-native assets (05:03) – Tokenized payment streams and new asset classes (06:11) – Should we tokenize everything? (07:17) – Why institutions hesitate on tokenization (08:28) – Fixed rate lending and predictable collateral (09:38) – Loopscale bridges credit and mobility (11:03) – Onchain securities lending (12:31) – RWA looping explained (13:45) – When looping works (or doesn’t) (15:30) – Who uses looping and why (17:04) – Why issuers love looping (18:02) – Looping as institutional gateway (19:12) – Credit markets should live onchain (21:05) – Onchain credit = visible cash flows (22:27) – How credit institutions see tokenization (24:21) – Cutting intermediaries, boosting investor revenue (26:12) – New product creation vs porting old ones (27:11) – Loopscale’s new RWA launch (28:26) – Beyond crypto-native: macro-resistant yield (29:06) – Is crypto getting safer? (30:22) – Fast-growing RWAs: yield + T+0 (31:05) – Niche RWAs like reinsurance outperform (32:27) – Evolving underwriting expertise (34:17) – Institutions are already coming (35:15) – Mary’s advice: slow down, build right EssentialsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube.If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on XJacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinekTalking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokensFollow us on InstagramTalking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned.

Parker White, Chief Investment Officer at DeFi Development Corporation, discusses how digital asset treasuries (DATs) could evolve into the banking backbone of Solana's economy. He shares his journey from traditional finance to crypto, fueled by his belief in non-sovereign money and the resilience of DeFi post-FTX. Parker dives into the mechanics of Solana's growth, liquidity provisioning, and the mission to make money fairer. He also envisions DATs as crucial players in onchain credit and yield generation, hinting at a bright future for Solana.

In this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Nick O’Neill, Co-Founder and CEO of BoDoggos. Nick shares how years of running The Nifty, one of the largest NFT media companies, shaped his understanding of community behavior, storytelling and internet culture  and how that experience ultimately led to BoDoggos.Nick reflects on the psychological cost of operating as a character, how satire bleeds into reality, the tension between being informative and being entertaining, and why mixing humor with truth is harder (and more effective) than playing either side cleanly. Nick also shares stories behind his most famous stunts including staged scandals, yacht controversies, fake breakups, and sketch-comedy girlfriends and why narrative arcs outperform standalone posts.Timestamps(00:00) – Intro (03:25) – Dating life, fake girlfriends and how his online persona affects relationships (06:52) – Virality, trolls and how attention works on X (09:04) – Screen time habits, muting posts and handling backlash (11:27) – Comedy versus news, satire runs and experimenting with formats (13:33) – Filming in public and New York being ideal for chaotic content (15:38) – What makes a crypto capital city (16:13) – Origin of “Choose Rich” persona and the run that blew him up (18:06) – Quote tweet culture, algorithm changes and why narrative arcs matter (21:02) – The Dubai meme, stereotypes and how jokes spread through quote tweets (22:05) – Community notes, gaming, satire, yachts and how stunts go viral (27:45) – When fans think the character is real and dealing with public reactions (33:10) – The emotional and creative load of playing a character long term (36:07) – The famous Avalanche yacht stunt, how it was staged and how the narrative exploded (41:03) – Reputation risks, brand concerns and the line between humor and harm (44:08) – His view on crypto culture, memes, trading identity and what web3 became (46:57) – Technical versus cultural crypto, NFTs, and educational content (49:20) – Why serious content doesn’t perform well and blending humor with truth (51:32) – BuzzFeed era, ads in the feed, and the collapse of journalistic integrity (53:02) – The MicroStrategy subway rant and his opinion on the company (54:46) – Bitcoin, institutional flows and how he thinks about investing (55:32) – What he wants next in life including family, audience growth and coding (56:26) – Final advice on consistency, surviving the content cycle and momentum You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube.If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on XJacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinekTalking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokensFollow us on InstagramTalking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned.

Mert Mumtaz, Co-founder and CEO of Helius, discusses Solana's evolution from NFTs to memecoins and its vision as the internet's capital markets chain. He emphasizes the need for robust infrastructure to make Solana legible and accessible. Mert introduces Orb, a next-gen block explorer aimed at enhancing data transparency while highlighting the importance of privacy. He shares insights on exponential growth strategies for startups and reflects on how meme coins have shaped Solana's infrastructure and user experience.

In this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with MacBrennan Peet, Founder of Project 0, about why DeFi has reached a point where unified margin, solvency guarantees and onchain prime brokerage are finally possible. MacBrennan explains why risk systems and smart contract securities have matured, how Project 0 unifies margin across multiple venues, and why serious DeFi users inevitably create fragmented risk when they trade across swaps, perps, lending platforms and prediction markets.They also discuss the evolution of Solana market microstructure, the shift toward institutional capital using onchain strategies, and how Project 0’s credit engine works under the hood. MacBrennan shares insights from founding multiple companies, his time at MarginFi, Temporal and MRGN Research, and why transparency, auditability and open liquidity make onchain prime brokerage structurally better than off-chain models.Timestamps(00:00) – Intro (01:07) – MacBrennan’s background in finance, trading, health tech, and DeFi (02:12) – From MarginFi to MRGN to Temporal: why prime brokerage needs persisted (03:37) – Solana’s market structure, HFT insights & liquidation solvency (04:48) – The DeFi turning point: staying power and better risk systems (06:23) – Why DeFi users create fragmented portfolios across venues (07:19) – DeFi’s inflection point: staking, onchain capital & looping (08:14) – Project 0’s two user groups: left curve vs right curve power users (10:03) – Unified margin for retail yield seekers and delta-neutral traders (11:30) – Why Solana is viable for venture-scale financial infrastructure (16:01) – Lending market risks today: isolated pools & vault disclosures (18:24) – Onchain solvency, shared liquidity & why P0 beats offchain brokers (20:11) – Prime brokerage explained & why retail users benefit too (22:18) – Anyone can use Project 0 — even if they don’t realize they need it (23:47) – Unifying credit, lending & liquidity across Drift, Camino, Jupiter (28:33) – How P0 evaluates risk: volatility, depth, liquidity, counterparties (31:42) – What real behavioral change in DeFi would look like (34:42) – Why “Project 0” means priority zero and building from first principles EssentialsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube.If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on XJacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinekTalking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokensFollow us on InstagramTalking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned.

Yat Siu, Co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands, is a key player in the web3 landscape. He shares insights on why he believes altcoins will soon surpass Bitcoin, and how tokenization will revolutionize global markets by 2026. Yat discusses the emergence of utility tokens from memecoin culture, and the need for regulatory clarity to unlock mass tokenization. He delves into Animoca's public plans, the complexities of gaming and crypto performance, and why Gen Z views trading as a form of entertainment. He wraps up with advice for navigating crypto volatility.

In this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Marco Santori, CEO of Solmate, about the company’s shift from a pure digital asset treasury model into an infrastructure business. Marco explains why Solmate decided to build bare metal validators in the UAE, how geography affects production, and why the region is becoming strategically important for Solana’s global footprint.They also discuss Solmate’s planned acquisition of RockawayX, how it intends to integrate the firm’s liquidity, asset management and infrastructure, and why tokenization represents the biggest near term opportunity on Solana. Marco shares insights from his career across law, Kraken and venture, and explains why the long term vision is to turn Solmate into an operating business driven by revenues and not market cycles.Timestamps(00:00) – Intro (01:16) – Abu Dhabi Finance Week vs Breakpoint and Solmate’s strategic presence in the region (02:21) – How institutional investors think about high frequency trading and blockchain mechanics (04:13) – Marco’s background across law, exchanges and venture — and how he navigated the industry (06:37) – Why Solmate merged its DAT with infrastructure after investor feedback (08:30) – RockawayX acquisition and integrating infrastructure with liquidity services (11:02) – What real infrastructure means: UAE’s first bare metal validator (14:03) – Why UAE’s geography is critical for latency, block production, and global connectivity (19:16) – Expansion plans, regional market differences, and focus on UAE (20:00) – Messaging to institutional allocators and pitching Solana as onchain finance exposure (24:35) – Moving beyond DATs: Solmate’s shift toward an earnings-driven business (29:08) – Tokenization as the next era of commerce and everyday HFT-style transactions (33:31) – Solmate’s long-term vision and Marco’s final advice for navigating crypto cycles EssentialsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube.If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on XJacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinekTalking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokensFollow us on InstagramTalking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

Nitesh Nath, Founder and CEO of DFlow, discusses how his company is building trading infrastructure on Solana by connecting the prediction market Kalshi to its users. He reveals how tokenizing predictions as SPL tokens can enhance DeFi composability and create deeper liquidity. Nitesh highlights the importance of bridging off-chain liquidity on-chain and shares insights on local-market use cases for prediction tokens. He also tackles the challenges high-frequency traders face on Solana and outlines ambitious goals for 2026, promoting the platform as the ideal space for developing financial tools.

In this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Matt Luongo, Founder of Thesis and Co-Founder of Mezo, and Nathan McCauley, Co-Founder and CEO of Anchorage Digital. They discuss how Bitcoin collateral, institutional borrowing, and onchain lending are becoming core parts of modern finance.They dive into why institutions increasingly want to borrow against Bitcoin, how regulatory clarity and qualified custody make these markets possible, and why products like Mezo’s lending and staking are giving BTC holders new ways to access yield, without selling their assets. The conversation also explores the recent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac signals around crypto collateral, how Bitcoin mortgages work today, the rise of BTCfi, and why DeFi lending has historically outperformed centralized lenders through past market blowups.They also break down volatility management, backtesting, risk frameworks, why conservative collateral ratios matter, and how Bitcoin’s “forever asset” narrative changes long-term financial behavior for both institutions and individuals.Timestamps(00:00) – Why Bitcoin is becoming a long-term collateral asset (01:27) – Institutions prefer Bitcoin, altcoins lack institutional traction (02:21) – Why institutions borrow against BTC and rely on qualified custody (03:34) – Fannie and Freddie exploring crypto for mortgage eligibility (05:19) – Bitcoin mortgages today with second homes, investment properties, and growing demand (06:36) – How Mezo helps users borrow using BTC and why guidance matters (07:26) – BTCfi is emerging: borrow, earn, or stake Bitcoin onchain (09:06) – Treasury companies, native yield and why lending is Bitcoin’s true yield mechanism (10:59) – Transparent, onchain lending vs black-box centralized lenders (12:00) – Managing volatility, collateral ratios and conservative risk design (15:26) – Bitcoin staking: short lockups, capital efficiency and borrowing against staked BTC (19:03) – Why DeFi lending has outperformed centralized platforms across cycles (22:04) – Bitcoin eating the “monetary premium” of gold and real estate (32:25) – What success looks like: BTC finance becoming “just finance” (37:04) – What they’re watching next: treasury companies, UX leapfrogging, AI and machine economies EssentialsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on X Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokensFollow us on Instagram Talking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

In this episode of Talking Tokenization, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Greg Di Prisco, Co-Founder of M0, about how stablecoins are reshaping global finance, why banks are losing their grip on deposits, and how the next monetary layer will be built directly into applications instead of traditional banking rails.Greg explains why stablecoins may ultimately fulfill parts of Satoshi’s original vision, how M0 enables companies to launch their own branded stablecoins, and why the “vertically integrated issuer” model of USDC and USDT will give way to a broader, more decentralized ecosystem. He also breaks down tokenized treasuries, regulatory clarity under the “Genius Act,” and why fintechs are already routing balances to stablecoins without users realizing it.They discuss how banks will be forced to compete again, what tokenization actually means in practice, why stablecoins could add billions of new users overnight through distribution partners, and what risks or geopolitical shocks could slow down adoption.This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io.Timestamps(00:00) - Intro (01:05) - Defining tokenization & why the term is often misused (02:24) - Greg’s background: MakerDAO, early stablecoin development & founding M0 (03:09) - Why “everyone becoming their own bank” was 50 years too early (04:22) - How stablecoins push banks to compete again for deposits (05:28) - Building M0 and branded stablecoins, issuers & white-label infrastructure (06:29) - Real client examples like GPU financing & MetaMask’s stablecoin (07:33) - Why builders want their own stablecoin & capturing yield (08:17) - The difference between lending USDC vs treasury-backed stablecoins (09:36) - The biggest shift: fintechs routing balances to stablecoins instead of banks (11:02) - Greg’s controversial take: stablecoins may fulfill Satoshi’s vision (12:27) - Algorithmic stablecoins as “tokenized Ponzi schemes” (13:57) - Why stablecoins, not Bitcoin, will disintermediate commercial banks (15:24) - Tokenized funds, BUIDL (BlackRock), and onchain treasury management (17:03) - M0 governance, issuers & risk frameworks (19:25) - Why one issuer cannot control the money supply (21:33) - How stablecoin adoption can jump from 200M to billions (32:20) - Institutional adoption in 2026 and why every financial institution will join (37:12) - Macro risks, regulation and events that could derail the growth curve (40:11) - Greg’s final advice EssentialsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on X Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokensFollow us on Instagram Talking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned.