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Co-hosted with ACG Silicon Valley.

Is cryptocurrency the next transformative enabling breakthrough technology (like the “internet” before it) or just a hyped-up scheme on ponzi-like steroids?   Or is it something else (or both)?   Cryptocurrency has been a “real” part of the capital ecosystem for a decade now and has, in many spheres, entered the mainstream of commerce.  And yet in regulatory and non-tech/non-finance circles, the rise of cryptocurrency is viewed with skepticism or, in some cases, outright hostility.  Yet now even the skeptics are (sometimes) softening their criticism and tip-toeing into the crypto arena.  In reality, the noise surrounding the speculative excitement of Bitcoin and certain other similar cryptocurrencies might be distracting from the more relevant disruption underway.    Should you and your company care about cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, blockchain, or other “tokenized” innovations?   How can you sort the signal from the noise and the fraud from the real opportunities?   GlobalData analytics company predicted that revenue from blockchain platforms and services will increase from $4 billion in 2020 to $199 billion in 2030.  While most pundits and advisors focus on whether cryptocurrencies are a wise (albeit high-risk) investment, the better discussion is whether the underlying technology that powers cryptocurrencies can be used by today’s companies to create a competitive advantage.  In 1999, for the average director the wrong question was “will Webvan be a good or bad investment?” and the better question was, “will e-commerce matter very much over the long run and, if so, how can I position my company to take advantage?”   Move beyond discussing crypto as an asset class and join this panel to evaluate what, if any disruptions and innovations related to crypto might impact the future of your industry.

SPEAKERS

NICK BIRNBAUM

Nick Birnbaum is a Partner and Analyst at Alpha Sigma Capital where he oversees the research and portfolio management. He is a dedicated and detail-oriented entrepreneur with a diverse background in both finance and film. Prior to joining Alpha Sigma Capital Nick worked for Prudential Financial where he developed key relationships with individuals and business owners to understand their financial goals and risk tolerance. While at Prudential Nick also passed his Series 7 and Series 66 licensing exams. Earlier in his career Nick ran a successful media production business for five years where he oversaw the scheduling and production of commercial and documentary projects for both regional and Fortune 500 companies. His advisory experience in financial services and management consulting helped to shape his unique perspective. A native of Los Angeles, Nick earned his MBA from California State University, Monterey Bay.

AMY CAIAZZA

Amy Caiazza is a securities, fintech, and blockchain partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati who advises clients on regulatory and transactional matters involving the securities and commodities laws. Her clients include AngelList, Blockstack, YouNow, PeerStreet, RealtyShares, NASDAQ Private Markets, Bitwise, Prime Trust, Stockpile, and other firms. Amy advises her clients in connection with the following issues, among others: Investment Platforms, Cryptocurrencies and other Crypto-Assets, Securities Law Regulatory Advice. Prior to joining the firm, Amy was an associate in the investment management practice at K&L Gates. Before attending law school, Amy spent 10 years developing and directing a research program on political engagement and women's political participation at a think tank.

AMIT PRADHAN

Amit is a seasoned startup founder, investor and speaker, who spends his time creating, evangelizing and investing in the future of responsible AI and decentralization. A 22-year veteran of Silicon Valley, he specifically focuses on technology, startups and systems that have a positive impact on the humans they serve. Amit travels around the world speaking at events, to evangelize the need and the path to future society that is driven by responsible AI, around Privacy, decentralization of power/control, recognition of bias and the economic agency in a world that is losing jobs to AI-driven automation at a rate and scale that is faster than ever before.

As the Executive Chairman at Zero AI & Rainfall (rainfall.one), he and his team are pioneering the idea of privacy focused AI – thereby changing the way the world thinks about and monetizes the digital existence of humans around the world, powered by a 16-year effort at the Zero AI Research Lab that he setup and ran to use the principles of human cognition and biomimicry to create multi-sensory, edge-based AI algorithms.

Amit is the President of the Silicon Valley Blockchain Society (SVBS), a network of some of the largest Investors, Thinkers, Practitioners and Creators, with Chapters around the globe – with a core mission to ‘Fund the Revolution’ and bring with it a thoughtful and responsible approach to the impact, value and culture in the Decentralized Ecosystem and its convergence with AI and other exponential tech. The SVBS approach is built on the principle that a 10-year lens should be applied to any endeavor in this space, whether for Consensus and Governance, the underlying technology stack, models of financing or tokenization.

Through JetVentures, a cross-stage international fund, Amit invests in startups that use the power of exponential technology, to become a positive part of the daily life of humans around the world.

Amit serves on multiple Boards, including the Norwegian Refugee Council (nrc.no), on the BMW Mobility Council Advisory Board and acts as a mentor to startup founders around the world. He is also a Responsible Leader at the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. In his spare time, he’s often found playing, talking or writing about his love for football or on his bicycle riding the beautiful trails around San Francisco. 

CHET SILVESTRI

Chet Silvestri is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Icoin Technology, Inc., a blockchain infrastructure company focused on developing an advanced hardware wallet system for cryptocurrency.  He has 30+ years of experience in the high-tech industry as a corporate executive and a serial entrepreneur.  His former roles include Corporate Executive Officer at Sun Microsystems, Inc. and VP/GM at Silicon Graphics, Inc.  He has also served as CEO/COO at 4 previous startup companies with 3 successful exits and 1 pending.  Chet holds BS/MS degrees in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

F. DANIEL SICILIANO, moderator

F. Daniel Siciliano is a successful technology CEO-founder and entrepreneur, as well as Chairman of the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and a recognized expert in corporate strategy and governance, capital financial markets, executive compensation, and technological disruption (including fintech, AI and cybersecurity). He is currently Chairman of SVDX and a fellow at Stanford University.