We dive into some company drama that unfolded during Aqua's fundraise, especially as they opted to do an inital coin offering (ICO). In this episode Anthony's shares:

• How not to do an ICO
• How he fired his CTO
• How he made a good situation out of a bad one
• The hotel and hospitality inudstry's current problems
• How Aqua is out to solve them

We loved this story Anthony shared because it showed outright the true colours of how certain individuals can be manipulative for personal gain, and more broadly exposed the intention behind most ICOs.

Special Guest: Anthony Gelman.

Then, the hosts discuss the recent Venezuelan government move which forces citizens who wish to obtain a passport to pay using the controversial Venezuelan cryptocurrency: Petro. They explain what the Petro cryptocurrency is and they discuss the impact of such a move and how it affects the country’s citizens.

Finally, the hosts share and discuss the announcement of the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of regulating ICOs as securities. They exchange opinions on this direction and how it could foster or hinder the ecosystem’s advancement.

All of the above and more will be on this week’s episode of Encrypted!

If you liked what you heard, please do leave us a review on iTunes and the other platforms. Don’t forget to support us by spreading the word!

Sources:
The Myth of the Infrastructure Phase
Crypto Now the Only Way Isolated Venezuelans Can Buy Passports
ICOs Get a Green Light in the UAE

In this episode, a couple of interesting topics are discussed:

• Cryptocurrency becoming mainstream
• The concept of decentralization
• ICO failures and the next step
• UAE SCA recognizing crypto as securities

Ahmed starts off with the first topic of cryptocurrencies being mainstream within 10 years according to research. The evolution of money and the 3 characteristics are explored along with where cryptocurrencies stand. The timeline of 10 years is also challenged in terms of how technology and humans will work together. Some existing platforms are explored and the hosts discuss what roles they play in helping cryptocurrencies become more mainstream.

Faisal explains the concept of decentralization and its importance is discussed. They also explore the required balance and the effect of decentralization on efficiency.

The next topic discussed is the failure rate of ICOs being almost 50% last year! Amin explains what he believes should be done with ICOs and how it compares to other domains. The role of regulation and its impact on the entire journey is also explored.

Lastly, the news of the UAE SCA officially recognizing digital assets as securities is evaluated from the point of view of the guest and hosts.

All of the above and more will be on this week’s episode of Encrypted!

If you liked what you heard, please do leave us a review on iTunes and the other platforms. Don’t forget to support us by spreading the word and do not forget to subscribe!

Sources:
Cryptocurrencies Will Become Mainstream in 10 Years, Says eToro and Imperial College Research

The Long Game in Crypto: Why Decentralization Matters

46% of Last Year’s ICOs Have Failed Already

Emirates SCA is looking to label cryptocurrencies as security (in Arabic only)

Special Guest: Amin El-Kholy.