DeFi: Revolutionizing The Future Of Finance – Galaxy Fund Management – 5.24.21

Summary:

Now On Demand. It is difficult to imagine the future of finance without the traditional intermediaries we all rely upon today. But advancements in decentralized finance (DeFi) have the potential to upend the entire financial system as we know it today. DeFi developers are reimagining and recreating the architecture of legacy financial systems with code-based digital infrastructure using blockchain technology. DeFi offers global, inclusive financial services improvements with incomparable enhancements in speed, cost, and accessibility. DeFi apps and protocols are built primarily, but not exclusively, on the Ethereum blockchain. These apps and protocols open up entirely new possibilities for both economies and individuals worldwide. DeFi is already determining the future of finance. Usage of DeFi apps and protocols continues to surpass all-time highs again and again. DeFi’s disruptive nature, and the soaring value of the crypto assets underpinning it, is attracting the attention of savvy investors eager to take part in the DeFi revolution. One of the most popular measures of DeFi’s progress is Total Value Locked (TVL), the amount of currently staked assets in DeFi protocols. DeFi’s increasing potential is clearly evident considering DeFi’s TVL tripled in Q1 of 2021. We believe that now is the time to capitalize on the most attractive investable opportunities opening up in the realm of DeFi, and we’re not the only ones. We’re confident that your clients hear chatter about crypto assets every day. We can help you prepare for discussions with your clients on how best to put money to work in the emerging and rapidly evolving digital asset class. Join Galaxy Digital’s Head of Asset Management Steve Kurz and resident DeFi expert Michael Jordan for a straightforward primer on:

• Digitization as a macro theme
• Decentralized finance and major protocols
• Gaining access to DeFi as an investment

Steve and Michael will also discuss DeFi’s role in the portfolio and how to approach client conversations about the sector. This informative presentation will provide a thorough foundation on decentralized finance and leave you feeling confident in your ability to discuss it with your clients.

Speakers:

Steve Kurz is Head of Asset Management at Galaxy Digital. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Co-Founder of Outer Realm VR, an enterprise focused immersive software company. Previously, he was a Principal and Head of Business Development at River Birch Capital, where he was responsible for raising over $1 billion in assets. Prior to that, he was a Vice President at Fortress Investment Group. He started his career in the Fixed Income Division of Lehman Brothers. Steve serves on the New York Advisory Board of a music charity called Little Kids Rock, is a Board Observer for a life sciences company called MicroCures, Inc., and is an active member of NextGen Venture Partners. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University.

Michael Jordan is Galaxy Digital’s resident Ethereum decentralized finance (DeFi) expert, and manages investments across Galaxy’s three portfolios of Macro, Venture, and Liquid strategies. Prior to investing, he wrote Galaxy’s software to help the firm adapt crypto technology to its institutional platform. Michael came to Galaxy after writing automated trading strategy algorithms, and before that spent his life engineering atoms not bits. Michael got into crypto by trying to build fintech products and learned that traditional finance wasn’t the future, which led him to Bitcoin, and Ethereum, and DeFi.