blockCAST PODCAST

by Anton Golub and Dr Demetrios Zamboglou

Season 1

Tribe, Sebastian Agren, COO and Co-Founder, with Anton Golub and Demetrios Zamboglou – 27

Sebastian Agren, COO and Co-Founder of Tribe, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for a deep dive into real estate tokenization, regulated digital assets, and what it really takes to build a trusted RWA platform in the UAE. Sebastian explains how Tribe was built around one core idea - making real estate ownership more accessible by lowering price barriers, simplifying structure, and creating a real community around investing. He also unpacks why people, trust, and regulation sit at the center of Tribe’s model, and why building a regulated business in a new asset class is far harder than most founders expect. We discuss Dubai’s tokenization opportunity, why real estate remains gold standard for asset-referenced virtual assets, and why distribution is not the same thing as liquidity. Sebastian explains how title-level tokenization works, why old crowdfunding structures fall short when it comes to real secondary trading, and why Tribe chose to build from zero inside the regulatory framework instead of retrofitting an old model later. We also covers VARA, purpose-built compliance, structure design, valuation, secondary-market mechanics, and why 75% of Dubai residents still do not own real estate in the city. We also go beyond product and regulation into Sebastian’s own path - venture building, moving to Dubai, building teams, internal culture, offsites, hiring, and what it means to actually create a “tribe” inside a startup. A practical and forward-looking episode on tokenization, community, trust, regulation, and where real-world assets are heading next in the UAE and beyond.

S1 · E27

Jul 18, 2026

51:12

dYdX Foundation, Charles d'Haussy, CEO, with Anton Golub and Demetrios Zamboglou – 26

Charles d’Haussy, CEO of dYdX Foundation, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for a conversation on entrepreneurship, Ethereum, DeFi, and why decentralized trading is pushing global markets toward a 24/7 future. Charles shares his journey from building companies in Hong Kong, to helping shape fintech strategy inside the Hong Kong government, to working with Consensys during Ethereum’s early rise, and now leading one of the most important decentralized trading ecosystems in crypto. He explains how dYdX represents a real shift in market structure: users keep control of their assets, trading moves onto decentralized rails, and derivatives expand beyond crypto into equities, commodities, and FX wrappers. We also covered why traditional exchanges are now moving toward 24/7 trading, how blockchain changes ownership and trust, and why appchains, infrastructure, identity, and custody all matter if DeFi is going to scale. We also go deep on Ethereum’s early days, central banks and CBDCs, why builders matter more than hype, how Charles thinks about risk, opportunity, and entrepreneurship, and why UAE is emerging as one of the most important hubs for digital assets, innovation, and global ecosystem building. A practical and forward-looking episode on market structure, decentralization, entrepreneurship, and what comes next for onchain finance.

S1 · E26

Jul 5, 2026

1:04:23

PRYPCO, Joseph El Am, General Manager, with Anton Golub and Demetrios Zamboglou – 25

Joseph El Am, General Manager of PRYPCO, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for a deep dive into what Real-World Asset tokenization actually looks like when it leaves theory and starts touching title deeds, liquidity, regulation, and real investors in Dubai. Joseph explains how PRYPCO became the first platform in the region to tokenize a title deed in partnership with Dubai Land Department, why old SPV-heavy structures were too slow and too operationally complex, and how direct title-deed tokenization changes ownership, access, and investor experience. We unpack marketplace liquidity, seller flows, onboarding, KYC, fiat rails, and why tokenized real estate should not be confused with high-volatility crypto trading. Joseph walks through ownership limits, investor voting after five years, yield expectations, property sourcing, and how PRYPCO is building a broader real-estate stack around mortgages, fractional ownership, and digitized access to property in the UAE. We also get into why XRP was chosen at this stage, why long-term vision is chain-agnostic, and how other Emirates and international jurisdictions are now watching closely. A practical and forward-looking episode on tokenized real estate, investor protection, liquidity design, and why Dubai is setting the pace for real-world asset infrastructure.

S1 · E25

May 2, 2026

51:21

Deribit, Luuk Strijers, CEO, with Anton Golub & Demetrios Zamboglou – 24

Luuk Strijers, CEO of Deribit, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for an inside look at building crypto’s leading options venue and what Coinbase’s acquisition means for product, scale, and institutional trust. We unpack Deribit’s 85% institutional mix, $266B monthly volumes, why BTC options dominate, how DVO (Deribit Volatility) and vol futures fit market structure, and what it takes to quote thousands of strikes in real time. We go deep on matching engines, co-lo, market-maker dynamics, roadmap cadence, and the integrations now underway across custody, KYC/AML, wallets, and AI-driven tooling as Deribit aligns with Coinbase’s “most trusted” mandate. A sharp, trading-first conversation on liquidity, risk, and where derivatives go next.

S1 · E24

Jan 12, 2026

57:06

Innovation City (ex RakDAO), Paul Dawalibi‏, CEO, with Anton Golub & Demetrios Zamboglou – 23

Paul Dawalibi‏, CEO of Innovation City in Ras Al Khaimah, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou on blockCAST podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on how free zones are evolving and why the next chapter of tech, AI, digital assets, Web3, gaming, robotics, and health tech in the UAE may be written in RAK. Paul explains why free zones, rather than tourism, have historically been the UAE’s economic engine and why the traditional free zone model is due for disruption. He outlines Innovation City’s ambition to build a Silicon Valley style hub driven by ecosystem building, density of intensity, and sector specific enablement, moving beyond the standard license, visa, and desk formula to actively support founders and scale ups. The discussion covers competition and collaboration across free zones, what founders actually need to succeed including bankability, compute, labs, publishing, and streamlined compliance, how AI is changing entrepreneurship by lowering barriers while increasing noise, and why gaming, virtual worlds, and digital experiences may become one of the fastest growing parts of the economy as automation expands. A practical and forward looking episode on innovation ecosystems, founder success, and why Ras Al Khaimah is emerging as one of the most compelling growth stories in the region.

S1 · E23

Jan 2, 2026

1:12:26

Laser Digital, Jez Mohideen, Co-Founder & CEO with Anton Golub & Dr Demetrios Zamboglou – 22

Jez Mohideen, Co-Founder and CEO of Laser Digital, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for an in-depth conversation on building institutional-grade digital-asset infrastructure. Beginning his career in investment banking and quantitative trading, Jez brings decades of experience across fixed income, hedge funds, and global capital markets into the digital-asset space. He shares how Laser Digital was built with a clear institutional focus; spanning custody, liquidity provision, financing, asset management, tokenization, and DeFi, backed by strong governance, risk management, and regulatory alignment. The discussion explores market structure, derivatives, tokenized funds and RWAs, stablecoins, AI-driven trading, and the balance between transparency and liquidity. A focused and insightful discussion on institutional adoption, regulation, and why the UAE has emerged as a global hub for digital assets and on-chain finance.

S1 · E22

Dec 15, 2025

1:09:23

ROSTRO Group, Michael Ayres, Group CEO & Partner with Anton Golub & Demetrios Zamboglou – 21

Michael Ayers, Group CEO and Partner of Rostro Group, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for a sharp conversation on building and scaling a modern brokerage group. Starting his career in the City of London during the 2008 financial crisis, Michael’s trajectory led him to lead a global, multi-asset firm spanning CFDs, securities, futures, and prime-of-prime solutions. He shares how Rostro expanded from small teams to a 260-person international organisation through strategic acquisitions, a strong people-first culture, and clear leadership principles. The discussion also covers automation and AI, multi-asset growth, digital-asset ambitions, and why Dubai has become a magnet for fast-growing financial institutions. A concise and insightful look at the mindset, culture, and execution behind building a resilient financial group.

S1 · E21

Nov 21, 2025

1:09:18

Coin Routes, Ian Weisberger, CEO, with Anton Golub & Demetrios Zamboglou – 20

Ian Weisberger, CEO & Co-Founder of CoinRoutes, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for an insightful conversation on building institutional-grade trading infrastructure for digital assets. The discussion explores Ian’s journey from software engineer to leading a global fintech and how CoinRoutes delivers best execution across fragmented liquidity spanning CEXs, perps DEXs, futures, and equities through advanced order-routing and risk technology. He shares how the firm’s recent acquisition strengthens its vertical integration and how stablecoins are transforming both trading and cross-border payments. The conversation also examines AI’s impact on engineering, recruitment, and trading systems, while highlighting Dubai’s role as a strategic hub for serving Europe and Asia. Offering practical insights on product-market fit, partnerships vs. build/buy strategies, and institutional adoption as regulation matures, this episode provides a forward-looking view on the future of execution, regulation, and leadership in a 24/7 market.

S1 · E20

Nov 12, 2025

44:21

ADI Foundation, Andrey Lazorenko, CEO, with Anton Golub & Demetrios Zamboglou – 19

Andrey Lazorenko, CEO of ADI Foundation, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for a dynamic conversation on building blockchain infrastructure in the UAE. The discussion explores Andrey ’s leadership journey and career path, while highlighting the ADI Foundation’s pivotal role in launching the Dirham stablecoin - set to be regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE. He shares insights on how ADI Chain and key regional stakeholders are driving digital asset innovation, strengthening financial infrastructure, and fostering trust in stablecoins. The conversation also examines the intersection of regulation, technology, and adoption, offering a forward-looking perspective on how the Middle East can position itself as a global hub for digital finance.

S1 · E19

Nov 3, 2025

46:38

Zand Bank, Michael Chan, CEO, with Anton Golub and Demetrios Zamboglou – 18

Michael Chan, CEO of Zand Bank, joins Anton Golub and Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou for a compelling episode on the evolving role of banking in the digital asset ecosystem. The conversation delves into Michael’s journey to becoming a bank CEO, exploring the education, career path, and leadership qualities required to reach the top. He shares insights into Zand Bank’s pivotal role in the UAE as a trusted partner for digital asset firms, and highlights key innovations shaping the future of financial services. The discussion also examines how banks can adapt to rapid technological change, support industry growth, and contribute to building a secure and efficient digital finance infrastructure.

S1 · E18

Nov 3, 2025

42:01

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