In this episode of Inside the Hutt, Brooke Pollack interviews Alex Witt, founding general partner of Verda Ventures. Alex shares his path from traditional finance and crypto mining in China to launching Verda, a stablecoin infrastructure fund focused on emerging markets. The discussion explores Verda’s strategic partnerships with Tether and MiniPay, the evolving role of stablecoins in cross-border payments, and how regulatory developments and geopolitical dynamics are shaping the future of stablecoin adoption.

Key Points From This Episode:



Alex Witt’s background in traditional finance and early crypto ventures in China

His transition to Silicon Valley and the founding of Verda Ventures and APF

Verda’s focus on stablecoin infrastructure in emerging markets

Strategic partnerships with Tether and MiniPay to support portfolio companies

The utility and impact of stablecoins in cross-border commerce and remittances

Differences in stablecoin adoption across the U.S., Europe, and the Global South

Rationale for USD dominance and expectations for non-USD stablecoin growth

How stablecoins support U.S. dollar dominance and treasury demand

Investment opportunities in stablecoin infrastructure and cross-border rails

Regulatory clarity in the U.S. and its implications for Circle and big banks

Outlook on Ethereum as the foundational blockchain for stablecoins

Role of Tether and MiniPay in Verda’s investment and growth strategy

Future trends in stablecoin adoption: FX usage and private B2B transactions

Geopolitical implications of stablecoin use in unstable currency regions

Projections for global stablecoin supply over the next decade

Market impact of Circle’s IPO and Stripe’s stablecoin-related M&A activity

Exit dynamics and acquisition appetite from major fintechs and banks

Alex’s hypothetical career path outside crypto and tech

Links

Alex Witt on X: https://x.com/alexlwitt

Alex Witt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwitt

Verda Ventures: https://verda.ventures/

Brooke Pollack on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhpollack

Brooke Pollack on LinkedIn: https://twitter.com/bhpollack

Hutt Capital: https://www.huttcapital.com/

In this episode of Inside the Hutt, Brooke Pollack interviews Jason Kam, founder of Folius Ventures. Jason shares his journey from traditional finance to launching a hybrid crypto hedge fund, focusing on both liquid and private investments with a strong presence in Asia. He explains the structure of Folius, his evolving views on fund models, the importance of flexibility in crypto investing, and the challenges of navigating the Asian founder landscape. Jason also introduces BidClub, a platform to improve idea-sharing and transparency in liquid token investing.

Key Points From This Episode:

Jason Kam’s background in investment banking and hedge funds before entering crypto.

The launch of Folius Ventures and its hybrid fund structure.

Why Jason prioritized APAC and Chinese founders for early investments.

The rationale behind Folius’ mix of liquid and private investments.

Views on the advantages of a permanent capital or HoldCo structure in today’s market.

Jason’s approach to diligence for liquid vs. private crypto investments.

Observations on crypto regulatory landscapes in Asia and challenges for Chinese founders.

Sectors Folius is focused on: trading, stablecoins, and asset issuance.

Discussion on token governance, transparency, and long-term fundamentals in liquid markets.

Overview of BidClub and its role in surfacing investment ideas for liquid tokens.

Links

Jason Kam on LinkedIn: https://hk.linkedin.com/in/jason-kam-35080625

Folius Ventures: https://www.folius.ventures/

BidClub: https://www.bidclub.io/

Brooke Pollack on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhpollack

Brooke Pollack on LinkedIn: https://twitter.com/bhpollack

Hutt Capital: https://www.huttcapital.com/

Jason Kam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MapleLeafCap

BidClub on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BidClubio

In this episode of Inside the Hutt, Brooke Pollack speaks with Andy Kangpan, co-founder of Metalayer Ventures. Andy shares his journey from ff Venture Capital and Two Sigma to founding Metalayer, a firm focused on the future of finance moving on-chain. The conversation explores Metalayer’s investment thesis, the evolving crypto infrastructure landscape, and what Andy believes are the most exciting opportunities across stablecoins, market infrastructure, and asset tokenization. He also discusses the firm’s data-driven sourcing platform, founder support strategy, and broader views on DeFi and blockchain adoption.

Key Points From This Episode:

Andy Kangpan’s career path from ff Venture Capital to Two Sigma and into crypto.

The origins of Metalayer Ventures and its spinout from Two Sigma.

Metalayer’s thesis: the global financial system will be on-chain within the next decade.

Breakdown of Metalayer’s three investment categories: market infrastructure, stablecoins, and tokenized assets.

Rationale behind early-stage equity and token investments in crypto.

Evolution of exit opportunities for equity-based crypto businesses.

Regulatory improvements accelerating institutional crypto adoption.

In-depth analysis of stablecoin investment categories and use cases.

Challenges and opportunities in crypto market infrastructure.

Comparison of competition dynamics across stablecoins and infrastructure.

Insights into real-world asset tokenization, especially in private credit.

Metalayer’s approach to investing in DeFi and institutional-focused protocols.

Blockchain ecosystems gaining traction among financial institutions (Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche).

Metalayer’s data-driven sourcing engine, Morai, and how it supports the investment process.

What differentiates Metalayer as a capital partner for founders.

Geographic investment focus by category across the Metalayer portfolio.

Highlight of Station 70, a recent investment in digital asset security infrastructure.

Andy’s past ambition to become a professional skateboarder and his continued passion for skating.

Links

Andy Kangpan on Twitter: https://x.com/kangpandabear

Andy Kangpan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkangpan

Metalayer: https://www.metalayer.vc/

Brooke Pollack on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhpollack

Brooke Pollack on LinkedIn: https://twitter.com/bhpollack

Hutt Capital: https://www.huttcapital.com/