Inside the Hutt

In this episode, Brooke Pollack interviews Ben Forman, founder of ParaFi Capital. Ben shares his journey from traditional finance to founding ParaFi, an early leader in decentralized finance (DeFi). They discuss the evolution and future of DeFi, the tokenization of real-world assets, and the importance of regulatory clarity in crypto. Ben also highlights ParaFi's strategies, proprietary tools, and how they support portfolio companies.Key Points From This Episode:Overview of Ben Forman’s background, including pitching bitcoin at KKR early on, and why he started ParaFi (+ what was the firm's original name)Overview of ParaFi, its strategies, team, and focus areasParaFi’s proprietary tools: Trask and AlexandriaOverview of tokenization of real world assets, why it is interesting, and what Ben is seeing from large asset managers interested in this spaceWhy Ben is excited about stablecoinsImportance of regulatory clarity for DeFi and building systems that institutions can interact withHow DeFi landscape has evolved over the past several yearsFundamental investing - does the market care about fundamentals?How ParaFi supports portfolio companies and measures its impactLinksBen Forman on LinkedInParaFi CapitalBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital

Evgeny Gokhberg from Re7 Capital discusses DeFi risk curators, liquidity provisioning, technical diligence, and launching MetaMorpho vault. They explore the evolving role of lending protocols, operational setup at Re7, and lessons learned in DeFi investments.

Join Brooke Pollack as he sits down with Kenny Rowe and Nick Simmons, co-summoners of Octu Ventures. This episode explores their transition from the early stages of the crypto landscape to founding Octu Ventures, a member-led venture DAO focused on the Urbit ecosystem. Kenny and Nick elaborate on Octu's strategic approach to investments, highlighting the potential of Urbit as a foundational technology. The conversation also uncovers how Octu Ventures utilizes its technical knowledge and extensive connections within the Urbit community to support groundbreaking projects.Key Points From This Episode:- Overview of Kenny Rowe's and Nick Simmons's backgrounds- Strategy and focus areas of Octu Ventures within the Urbit ecosystem- Benefits of operating as an investment DAO vs a traditional GP/LP fund- The three primary technology pieces of the Urbit stack and its market potential- What are Urbit Galaxies and why would someone want to buy one?- Insights as to why so many blockchain and crypto people are intrigued by Urbit.LinksOctu VenturesBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital

Join Brooke Pollack as he sits down with Regan Bozman, the co-founder of Lattice, an early stage venture fund known for working with crypto founders from day one. This conversation delves deep into Bozman's journey from his early days at AngelList and CoinList to founding Lattice, exploring the firm's unique strategy, the challenges inherent in the space and what matters most, valuation wise, in crypto now.  Key Points From This Episode:- The three “chapters” of Regan’s investing journey in crypto- The categories that excite Lattice and their overarching thesis - What attracts founders to work with Lattice- Why Regan is being more active on social media now and the art form that works for him- The risks of chasing market narratives- The importance of being authentic, empathetic and relatable- The only thing that matters valuation wise in crypto now- Why being early in this business is the same as being wrong- The challenge of understanding embedded risks, distilling down exact view on the market, and getting as close as you can on taking that one singular bet- How Lattice built Crypto Peaks into one of the preeminent conferences in the space and the value it brought to their firm.- Applications vs. infrastructure investments in blockchainLinksRegan Bozman on TwitterLatticeKarate CombatBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital

In this episode, Brooke Pollack speaks with Banafsheh Fathieh (“B”), the Co-Founder and General Partner of Faction VC, who shares why being from Iran first ignited her interest in crypto, how the idea of separating state from money continues to fuel her passion in this space and what she envisions for the future.  B delves into the unique value proposition that Faction’s joint partnership with Lightspeed offers founders and what excites her today.  Key Points From This Episode:- Level of awareness around crypto in countries where the banking system is broken-Faction’s partnership dynamics with Lightspeed and its value proposition for founders-The global nature of Faction’s investments-Why infrastructure continues to be an area of focus -The importance of applications building on the right chain for its use case- Do we really need all these Ethereum Layer 2 blockchains?- Is Bitcoin Defi becoming a category of interest for Faction?- The two traits Faction is not willing to compromise on when adding a team memberLinksBanafsheh Fathieh on LinkedInFactionBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital

In this episode, Brooke sits down with Logan Jastremski, co-founder and managing partner of Frictionless Capital, a thesis-driven fund investing from first principles backing world-changing entrepreneurs. Logan shares his transition from leading Product for Tesla's supercharging network to diving deep into blockchain technology, emphasizing the significance of high-throughput blockchains and the specific properties and features that will lead to increased adoption and developer activity.  Key Points From This Episode:- Overview of Logan Jastremski’s background- Transition from Tesla to blockchain enthusiast- Focus on next generation blockchains and scalable applications- Why Logan thinks we are nearing the end of the infrastructure wars- His excitement and view on synchronizing the world’s information- Sneak preview of how Frictionless will partner with the Solana Foundation - And the importance of being open minded and presentLinksLogan Jastremski on LinkedInFrictionless Capital WebsiteBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital

In this episode of Inside the Hutt, Brooke Pollack speaks with Soona Amhaz, a pivotal figure in blockchain venture capital. Soona shares her rich journey within the blockchain space, shedding light on her venture firm's strategic approach to fostering innovation and growth. Soona discusses why crypto investing is different than general tech investing, why it is critical to embrace “net newness”, why you want to let founders tell you where the future is going and how Volt Capital is always looking for great opportunities and founders to back in this space.Key Points From This Episode:- Overview of Soona Amhaz's background- Soona's entry into the blockchain space- The strategic focus of Soona's venture firm- Key investments and portfolio highlights- Trends shaping the blockchain industry- Challenges in the blockchain venture space- Soona's vision for the future of blockchain- And Volt Capital’s most current need - recruiting great research engineersLinksSoona Amhaz on LinkedInVolt CapitalBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital

In this episode of Inside the Hutt, Imran Khan, co-founder of Alliance DAO shares his extensive experience in the crypto industry. He discusses the inception of the Alliance in 2019, its impact on the DeFi ecosystem through mentoring over 175 startups, and its unique approach as a crypto accelerator. The episode also covers Alliance's global cohort diversity, investment strategies, and Khan's insights into future crypto trends.Key Points From This Episode:- Overview of Imran Khan's background- Imran’s early involvement in crypto and journey to Microsoft- Alliance DAO: The formation, mission, and success stories- Insights into the Alliance's accelerator, back-office, and product teams- Unique strategies in supporting startups for market fit- Alliance's focus and philosophy on startup investments- Khan's perspective on stablecoins and asset tokenization- The diversity and reach of Alliance's cohorts worldwide- Imran’s aspirations to be a leading crypto acceleratorLinksImran on TwitterAlliance DAOBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital

In this episode, Brooke Pollack interviews Ash Egan, the founder of Archetype, an early-stage blockchain venture capital firm. Ash shares his journey from the Ethereum white paper to founding Archetype, focusing on the firm's mission, team growth, investment strategy, and the operational challenges of running a VC firm in the dynamic crypto world. They discuss various topics, including major themes in this space for 2024 and what it takes to truly be an outsourced team member to portfolio companies.Key Points From This Episode:- Overview of Ash Egan’s background- Archetype's mission and team growth- Investment strategy and portfolio construction- Founder support post-investment- Complexities of investing in a space with evolving regulations- M&A activity and portfolio highlights- Operational challenges of running a VC firm- Team building, leadership, and future aspirationsLinksAsh Egan on LinkedInArchetypeBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital

In this episode, Brooke interviews Matt Walsh, co-founder of Castle Island Ventures, a venture capital firm carving a niche in the blockchain industry. Matt Walsh shares his compelling journey from traditional finance to the cutting edge of blockchain technology. He details the inception, vision, and strategic focus of Castle Island Ventures, illuminating their unique approach to early-stage blockchain investments. The conversation provides an insider's perspective on navigating the complex regulatory landscape, strategies for dealing with market fluctuations, and the firm's content and community engagement initiatives. Reflecting on past deals and the road ahead, Matt offers insights into the evolution and prospects of the blockchain space.Key Points From This Episode:- Overview of Matt Walsh’s background- Transition to Blockchain and formation of Castle Island Ventures- Regulatory environment and challenges, including the three bills that, if passed, Matt thinks would be tremendously positive for the crypto industry- Dealing with market trends- Content strategy and community engagement- Reflecting on investment decisions- The future of Blockchain and cryptoLinksMatt Walsh on LinkedInCastle Island VenturesBrooke Pollack on TwitterBrooke Pollack on LinkedInHutt Capital