WSJ The Future of: Money

by Cindy Chin, CEO CLC Advisors, LLC

Earlier this evening, I attended an event upon invitation by the Wall Street Journal on The Future of Money that explored how cryptocurrencies are changing finance, from regulation and investment opportunities to commercial capabilities. The room was filled with many people in the fintech industry, some of whom are influencers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency investments space. The two guests this evening are familiar in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space and one could even venture to call them veterans, Polychain Capital’s Olaf Carlson-Wee and Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse.

Olaf Carlson-Wee, Founder & CEO of Polychain Capital

Olaf Carlson-Wee was recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal in an article highlighting his entry into bitcoin back in 2011 to the creation of the world’s largest cryptocurrency hedge fund and his investment strategy. He turned $14,502 into a $150 million personal fortune by investing it all into cryptocurrencies right before they became mainstream for retail investors. Part of the monies invested was from compensation paid exclusively in bitcoin for over three years and a instinct on long-term strategy, not hedging. Olaf has brought that investment thesis along to Polychain and the knowledge that there will be an expectation that cryptocurrencies are volatile investment strategies whenever there is nascent complicated technology that at times gets infiltrated by “tourists who want to speculate and who are more about the opportunity rather than the technology.”

Who should be investing in cryptocurrencies?

Cryptocurrencies are high-risk investments and investors have to “get comfortable with reading like all of us did by reading about it on the internet,” says Carlson-Wee referring to the first growth rise in internet companies. He encouraged the audience to do their research, read about it online, in forums, chat groups, articles, etc.

What he’s most excited about is not the fluctuations, valuations, or trading volumes of cryptocurrencies, but rather programmable, permission less, digital money that is not…