Crypto Cast

Is your Web3 startup spending big on marketing before figuring out who you’re actually selling to? 

In this episode of Crypto Cast, James speaks with Tanya Dias, CEO and Founder of Web3 Growth Engine, a structured end-to-end GTM program built to give Web3 and AI founders the commercial foundation they need to get repeat revenue. With over 15 years of experience across startups growth, Tanya has seen the same costly patterns play out time and again - and built a framework to to prevent that from happening for new startups. 

Together, they explore what separates Web3...

Are DAOs dead or just growing up?

In this episode of Crypto Cast, Kathryn sits down with Adam Miller, CEO and Co-founder of MIDAO, the organisation behind the Marshall Islands DAO LLC framework. With over 250 DAOs registered under their model, Adam is building the legal infrastructure that on-chain organisations need to survive and scale.

Together, they explore what DAOs look like in 2025 and where they're heading next.

They cover:

→ Why early DAO models failed, and what's changed

→ Legal structure, liability protection, and why they matter more than ever

→...

In this episode of Crypto Cast, host James Burnie is joined by Tobias Van Amstel, Founder and CEO of Altitude, a DeFi protocol platform that unifies established DeFi lending rails to make borrowing more efficient. Tobias founded Altitude to create a platform that focuses on simplicity, automation, and solving real user problems whilst removing unnecessary complexity. Tobias’ own use of DeFi, experience in building successful web 2 technology companies, and his user-first approach has helped to shape Altitude into creating a DeFi platform like no other. 

James and Tobias discuss the difference between CeFi and DeFi, the latest fro...

In this episode of Crypto Cast, host Kathryn Dodds is joined by Karl-Martin Ahrend, Founding Partner of Areta, a leading Web3-focused investment bank, to explore the rapidly accelerating world of crypto M&A.

Kathryn and Karl uncover the current state of crypto M&A, revealing the trading infrastructure and sectors that are driving the deals reshaping the crypto landscape. Kathryn and Karl-Martin dig into the negotiation dynamics between buyers and sellers, explaining why crypto founders often find themselves at a disadvantage and how the right advisory can level the playing field. Karl-Martin also discusses the emerging...

In this episode, host PK is joined by Laura K. Inamedinova, Principal at Gate Ventures and CGEO at Gate.com, to unpack what investors are really looking for in the crypto market. Together, they explore how crypto fundraising has shifted away from tokens and into a far more practical phase where traction and revenue speak louder. PK and Laura also dig into the crossover between AI and Web3, and why not every AI startup has a future. Laura explains why VCs are prioritising real adoption and distribution, and why this isn’t a tough market - it’s tough for...

Crypto Cast is back! Host PK kicks off the new series with an interview with Marco Morazzoni, CEO and Founder of Semoto, the largest B2B ecosystem in Web3. PK and Marco ask the big question of how we know who to trust in crypto, and why Marco created Semoto to build a community of vetted and approved service providers. From wannabe ‘blockchain experts’, to a potential pending apocalypse when it comes to market abuse, they breakdown how to know if people really do know their stuff and the fundamental services crypto businesses actually do need. There’s pressure on fou...

What is a market maker, and why does every crypto project need one?

In this episode of Crypto Cast, James Burnie talks with Tim Meggs, CEO and Co-founder of Lo:Tech, to explore the evolving role of market makers in the digital asset space and why transparency and ethics are becoming central to the conversation.

James and Tim discuss why liquidity matters, how to pick the right market maker, and why transparency and ethics are becoming non-negotiables. Tim also shares why he founded Lo:Tech and what the future could look like when capital markets...

In this episode of Crypto Cast, Financial Services Regulation & FinTech Partner James Burnie is joined by Marco Suvillaga Schönenberg, Associate Lawyer and Blockchain Consultant for Accelerate Law Firm and Lead Project Manager of Tokenization for ECIJA, to uncover the true effects of El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption.

They dive into key questions such as is crypto really being used on the ground, are businesses moving in, and which industries are leading the charge what should companies consider before entering the El Salvador market and what’s next for crypto in the country?

In this episode of Crypto Cast, Uldis Teraudkalns, Chief Revenue Officer at Paybis, joins James Burnie, Partner at gunnercooke, for an engaging discussion on the ever-evolving world of fintech and crypto.

Together, they explore, who Paybis are and what they’re doing to revolutionise the crypto space, the rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and their potential impact on the industry and some of the key fintech trends that are currently shaping the EU market.

Tune in for valuable insights from leaders at the forefront of the crypto and fintech industry.

Laurynas Spangevicius, General Manager of Robinhood Crypto Europe, joins gunnercooke Partner James Burnie in this exciting episode of Crypto Cast.

Together, they delve into the global regulation of the crypto market, exploring the challenges and nuances of navigating regulatory landscapes across the US, UK, and EU. The discussion highlights the EU's groundbreaking Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), unpacking its implications for crypto-asset trading, transparency, disclosure, and transaction supervision.

Simon McLoughlin, CEO of leading digital assets trading platform Uphold, joins gunnercooke Partner James Burnie in the latest episode of Crypto Cast. 

James and Simon discuss the future of crypto banking; more specifically what Gen Z are expecting from a crypto-enabled neo-bank in 5-10 years. Additionally, as Uphold are FCA regulated, they highlight the pros and cons of operating under the FCA and in the UK market. 

In this episode of Crypto Cast James Burnie chats with Scott Thiel, CEO and Co-founder of Tokinvest, a marketplace that connects real-world asset issuers with investors around the globe. 

James and Scott discuss the origins of Tokinvest, why the company was created and why people should consider tokenising their assets. They also go through what difficulties people can face when seeking to do so, how they can overcome this and what the future has in store for the tokenisation.

In this episode of Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Yagub Zamanov, Director, FinTech Division, Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA). 

The AFSA is the independent regulator of financial services and related activities in the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), established under the Constitutional Statute of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
 
James and Yagub explore the country's history with Web3, how they welcome businesses from other countries, and what kinds of tech companies are moving in. Plus, find out how Kazakhstan is handling the rules and regulations around finance and crypto. 
 
They also cover tips...

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Katryna Hanush, Managing Director of BD and Partnerships at Wintermute, a leading liquidity provider.

Katryna discusses the evolving dynamics between TradFI and Web3, and shares valuable advice for first timers engaging with liquidity providers.

This episode of Crypto Cast features James Burnie in conversation with Gavin Smith and Marcie Terman from DataFort, a prominent player in data management solutions. 

Gavin and Marcie explore the present AI landscape, addressing crucial questions about its capabilities for businesses. They offer valuable insights into the ongoing AI debate, addressing concerns and illuminating the tangible impact AI can make across different industries.

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Karine Seguin, Head of Business Development at Fund Services, Europe and Aaron Sammut, Director – Head of Fund Services at Trident Trust, a global corporate, fiduciary and fund administrator.

Karine and Aaron share a little bit of background on what Trident Trust do and the role of the administrator for a fund, sharing the common mistakes that fund managers make regarding fund administration and the specific issues that crypto funds face with audit compared to traditional funds.

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Mohamed Ezeldin, Head of Tokenomics at Animoca Brands, and one of the most active investors in Web3, with a portfolio of over 450 Web3 investments.

Mohamed discusses the factors contributing to the volatile nature of emerging cryptoassets, offers valuable advice for individuals interested in the field of tokenomics for their digital assets, and shares his enthusiasm for the future of tokenomics development.

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Matthew De La Fuente, CEO at KYAX.

Matthew gives an overview of KYAX, a company which assists businesses with their financial records through the integration of a data aggregator plugin. He also discusses the impact on FTX on compliance, and the importance of a proof of reserve.

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Ania Szpak, Chief Legal Officer at Nexus Mutual.

Ania delves into the role of Nexus Mutual as an insurance alternative for the crypto sector. She addresses the major obstacles encountered by companies seeking insurance coverage and provides valuable advice on assessing coverage requirements and managing coverage-related risks. Furthermore, Ania provides insights into the future prospects of insurance platforms like Nexus Mutual.

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Yuliya Prokopyshyn, Associate at gunnercooke. 

Yuliya explores the influence of NFTs on intellectual property (IP) rights and addresses potential challenges that could emerge. Additionally, she provides insights into safeguarding IP rights for those dealing with NFTs and shares her perspectives regarding the future of NFTs.

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Simon Scharber, Chief Commercial Officer at Spool DAO.

Simon delves into the subject of decentralised autonomous organizations (DAOs) and explores why Spool is hailed as a "true" DAO. Additionally, he examines the inner workings of platforms like Spool DAO and sheds light on the prominent hurdles that DeFi platforms currently face.

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Ella Shen, Research Writer at Monad, a new EVM L1 blockchain. 

Ella discusses how developers distinguish between diverse blockchains, unravel the biggest challenges faced in this field, and gain insights into the exciting future of blockchain technology.  

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Alex Elkrief, Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Fractal, a collateral management platform.

The conversation revolves around on-chain finance and its significance, as well as the primary challenges confronted by participants involved in this field. Furthermore, they delve into an exploration of forthcoming developments within on-chain finance.

This week on Crypto Cast Kathryn Dodds, a Web 3 Senior Associate, is joined by Kevin Brown, CEO of FanCircles. The two discuss making NFTs easier for consumers, including knocking down the barriers of entry. They talk about the importance of making access to NFTs as easy as possible, and how Web 2 companies can incorporate aspects of Web 3.0 to make a hybrid company. They go on to discuss how social media followers aren’t an indicator of how well you’ll sell NFTs. 

On this episode of Crypto Cast, Web 3 Senior Associate Kathryn Dodds is joined by Matt Bond, the CEO of PopEx to discuss all things music in crypto. They discuss how to make the barriers to entry easier for consumers wanting to get into NFTs and how music NFTs can be made simpler for fans. They go on to discuss the steps that can be made to reduce your carbon footprint and whether or not the environmental impact of Crypto has been hyped up by the media. 

 | Join James Burnie and Julian Sawyer, CEO of Zodia Custody, as they discuss all things regulation in crypto. They discuss the importance of a custodian in crypto and the different between self-custody and third party custodians. They go on to discuss what you should look for when picking your third party custodian and what the future of crypto regulation is. 

This week on Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Ali Khan, Founding Associate at AS Legal as they discuss crypto in Dubai. They discuss the approach taken by Dubai in order to regulate crypto, the type of companies moving to Dubai and what you should be looking for if you’re making the move. Ali goes into detail on the Virtual Asset Regulation Authority and how it shows the governments support of web 3.0. Ali also gives his personal insight into living and working in Dubai. 

Join James Burnie and Jason Tucker-Feltham, Head of Crypto Sales at IDnow, as they discuss finance in crypto on this weeks episode of Crypto Cast. They discuss the importance of KYC (know your customer) in crypto and how it is important for any legitimate business. They go on to talk about current issues in crypto, including the issue of decentralised finance. 

In the latest episode of Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by Adam Bialy, founder of Fiat Republic. Adam is on a mission to help crypto break into the mainstream and discusses with Adam how banks don’t currently have the knowledge or expertise to properly understand or dig into crypto. They go on to discuss the fear that banks have of crypto and if crypto will always be reliant on mainstream banks. 

In this episode of Crypto Cast, James Burnie is joined by sculptor and web3 creative consultant Lydia Smith. They discuss Lydia’s journey into blockain and NFTs, how web3 impacts physical world artists and how the resale value of artwork is protected through the use of NFTs. Lydia discusses her recent collaboration with painter Evie Mae Jacobs and the process of wrapping her sculpture in another artists painting. 

Join James Burnie as he meets with Dr Christina Yan Zhang, Dean of the Metaverse Institute. In this episode they discuss the history and future of the Metaverse, its potential impact on society and the changes its already made. 

Old Street Digital is a crypto asset advisor that is building a range of active, fundamental research-driven, investment funds for institutional investors.

James Burnie meets with CEO Paul Ridley to discuss Old Street Digital's approach.

Join Kathryn Dodds and Colin Anderson, COO of Reforged studios as they meet on the latest episode of cyptocast. They cover in the integration of Crypto and gaming, how to overcome the issue of transferring value between current game ecosystems, and the pros and cons of introducing digital currency in the real world. 

In this episode, James speaks to Alex Gonzalez, Partner at Orange Clover. Alex and James discuss the legal and regulatory framework in The Netherlands for crypto and blockchain companies. They discuss the future of crypto, what businesses are currently there and what specialisms The Netherlands is suited to and how MiCA is likely to impact. 

 Alex specialises in a broad range of financial markets regulation and investment management work, including advising on the legal and regulatory framework in The Netherlands for crypto,  blockchain and fintech companies.

In the latest episode of Cyrptocast James meets with Harry Horsfall Founder and CEO of Zebu Digital, a marketing agency who focus on Web3 Brands. In Zebu’s first year they have raised over $50 million for client projects, had over 35 Successful token & product launches and have over 2 million community members. Harry speaks with James to discuss Zebu’s first year, its plans for the future and Zebu can work alongside your business. 

In this episode, James speaks to George Chisuse, Managing Partner at VC Law. George and James discuss the legal and regulatory framework in Bulgaria for crypto and blockchain companies. They discuss the future of Bulgaria with crypto, what businesses are currently there and what specialisms Bulgaria is suited to and how MiCA is likely to impact. 

George Chisuse is attorney-at-law, registered with Sofia Bar Association and King’s College London International Business Law LL.M. Prior to becoming co-founder of Evedo Co. and Scalator OOD, George was a member of the Banking and Finance team of t...

The Martian Premier League is a collection of 10,000 unique human and Martian characters living on the Ethereum blockchain. These characters are your route into the Martian Premier League game: a ‘football manager’ style game where holders can train, trade and compete in the MPL league. Over time there will be further application for these genesis characters outside of the first MPL game. 

In this episode host, James Burnie is joined by the Founder of The Martian Premier League, Corey Dixon. The pair discuss what the Martian Premier League is and how it works to combine NFTs and Video...

Swapsicle understands that those within their community have varying degrees of experience and understanding of Decentralised Finance (DeFi) exchanges. They try their best to appeal to the novice, intermediate and experienced enthusiast.

Swapsicle’s goal is to build a comprehensive decentralized trading platform for the future of finance.

In this episode, host, James Burnie is joined by the CEO at Swapsicle, Tom Wardle. The pair discuss why Tom started Swapsicle, the main challenges he faces, and what he sees for the future evolution of DEX. 

gunnercooke has a market-leading blockchain, cryptoasset, smart contracts and DeFi team. They are uniquely able to advise DeFi networks, token designers and developers, blockchain platforms, crypto-exchanges, exchanges run using DLT, crypto-custodians, crypto-brokers, crypto-funds, and other participants in the blockchain ecosystem.

In this episode of CryptoCast, host James Burnie is joined by gunnercooke Competition Law Partner Alex Waksman. The pair discuss one of the first antitrust cases to be brought in the UK. What are the impacts this could have to the way this industry is regulated?

You can contact Alex at alexander.waksman@gunnercooke.com<...

gunnercooke has a market-leading blockchain, cryptoasset, smart contracts and DeFi team. They are uniquely able to advise DeFi networks, token designers and developers, blockchain platforms, crypto-exchanges, exchanges run using DLT, crypto-custodians, crypto-brokers, crypto-funds, and other participants in the blockchain ecosystem.

In this episode of CryptoCast, host James Burnie is joined by gunnercooke Competition Law Partner Alex Waksman. The pair discuss one of the first antitrust cases to be brought in the UK. What are the impacts this could have to the way this industry is regulated?