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Vision & Philosophy


Bitcoin, Boring Wealth, and the Case for Thinking in Decades
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, to discuss why Bitcoin may be worth millions per coin, why Solana has one of the strongest setups he has ever seen, and why the most reliable path to wealth in crypto is also the least exciting one. Hougan is not a chain maximalist. He comes from traditional finance, spent more than a decade in ETFs, and now sits at the intersection of institutional capital and digital as

Kevin Follonier
6 hours ago5 min read


Kostas Chalkias On Why Sui Is Betting On Quantum Safety, AI Agents, And Robots, Not Just Faster Transactions
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Kostas Chalkias to discuss why the next decade of blockchain won’t be defined by faster transactions, but by quantum-safe cryptography, AI-native infrastructure, and systems designed for machines and humans. Chalkias is the co-founder and chief cryptographer at Mysten Labs, best known for building the Sui Network after leaving Facebook’s Libra project. With over 15 years in cryptographic research and security, he brings

Kevin Follonier
Jan 284 min read


Why Andrej Majcen Thinks Bitcoin, Not “Crypto”, Is the Only Bet That Matters
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Andrej Majcen, co-founder and Group CEO of Bitcoin Suisse, to unpack one central idea: we are living through a narrow, five-year window that may define who preserves and compounds wealth, and who doesn’t. As pension systems strain, trust in institutions erodes, and inflation quietly eats away at savings, Andrej argues that Bitcoin is no longer a speculative trade but a structural response to a broken financial system. Th

Kevin Follonier
Jan 214 min read


How to Make It in Crypto in 2026 Without Getting Lucky
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Raoul Pal for the 2nd time this year to discuss how to survive and succeed in crypto in 2026 without relying on luck, perfect timing, or constant trading. At the centre of the conversation is a deceptively simple framework: hold the right assets, understand your risk tolerance, and do absolutely nothing. Beneath that simplicity, however, lies a demanding discipline shaped by time horizons, liquidity cycles, and a thoroug

Kevin Follonier
Dec 24, 20255 min read


Building the Google of Finance: Meow’s Web4 Vision for Jupiter
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Meow, founder of Jupiter, to unpack how a decision made in a ramen shop turned into one of crypto’s most important DeFi platforms, why he thinks crypto desperately needs an “iPhone moment,” and what he really means by Web4 and “social money.” From ramen shop to Jupiter Meow’s “cat” persona comes across as a meme, but it’s actually a metaphor for adaptability. Cats survive in any environment, and he wants to be “whatever

Kevin Follonier
Dec 10, 20254 min read


Self-Custody Or Nothing: Matej Zak On Why 98% Of Crypto Users Are Still At Risk
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Matej Zak to discuss why self-custody matters, how Czech history shaped his worldview, and what it really takes to build Trezor, the world’s most trusted hardware wallet. From a brutal 1953 monetary reform in Czechoslovakia to today’s billion-dollar exchange hacks, Matej explains why most people in crypto still do not truly own their money, and what would need to change for that to become the norm. A Czech History Lesson

Kevin Follonier
Dec 3, 20254 min read


The Hard Truths Behind Building Coinbase — Brian Armstrong on Burnout, Determination, and Thinking Bigger
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Brian Armstrong to discuss what it really takes to build something that lasts. We talk about the myth of the “smartest founder in the room,” the unglamorous muscle of unreasonable determination, and the emotional cost of scaling Coinbase over more than a decade. Brian opens up about burnout, loneliness, ambition, and the mindset shifts that helped him keep going when things felt heavy. We also get into why he believes ca

Kevin Follonier
Nov 27, 20255 min read


Decentralised Exchanges Are Becoming the New Financial Centres: How Paradex Is Building Zero-Fee On-Chain Markets
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Anand Gomes to discuss why decentralised exchanges are becoming the new systemically important financial centres, how Paradex can offer zero fees without breaking, and what it really takes, mentally and structurally, to build the rails of a new on-chain economy. Built Different: The Reality Behind “Eating Glass” Anand is very clear: running a crypto exchange is not glamorous. When Paradex processed $5.4 billion in 24 hou

Kevin Follonier
Nov 20, 20255 min read


Why Stablecoins Change Everything: Paolo Ardoino on Tether’s Mission, Financial Access in a Fractured World, and What Comes Next
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Paolo Ardoino to discuss how Tether became one of the most profitable businesses per employee in history, why stablecoins matter most to people outside the West, and what it means to build a “stable company” in an unstable world. Ardoino, CEO of Tether and CTO of Bitfinex, is matter-of-fact about the numbers. Tether earned $13.7 billion last year and expects similar performance this year. Some of that windfall reflects m

Kevin Follonier
Oct 24, 20255 min read


Inside Arthur Hayes’ Bitcoin Thesis: Liquidity, Cycles, and the Road to $1M
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Arthur Hayes to discuss why he keeps most of his wealth in Bitcoin, his framework for turning “shitcoins” into more BTC, the stablecoin meta he thinks will reshape finance, and the human routines like skiing, tennis, and discipline that anchor his risk-taking. The Bitcoin Standard Hayes is the CIO of Maelstrom, co-founder and former CEO of BitMEX, and the inventor of the perpetual swap. Across an hour of fast exchanges

Kevin Follonier
Oct 15, 20254 min read


“Build Wealth Without Luck”: Mark Moss on Bitcoin, Compounding, and the New Path to Freedom
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Mark Moss to discuss how to build lasting wealth without gambling or luck, why...

Kevin Follonier
Oct 8, 20255 min read


Why Bitcoin at $1M Is Just the Beginning and How David Bailey Got Donald Trump Into Bitcoin
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with David Bailey, Chairman of Bitcoin Magazine, the man behind the world’s largest...

Kevin Follonier
Oct 1, 20254 min read


“Money That Works”: Lily Liu on Bitcoin, Solana, and Banking the Internet
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation, to discuss why Bitcoin and Solana...

Kevin Follonier
Sep 17, 20254 min read


$10m Isn’t Enough To Retire: Jordi Alexander On Survival, Wealth, And Building Judgment
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Jordi Alexander, founder of Selini Capital, to unpack one of the most pressing...

Kevin Follonier
Sep 3, 20254 min read


The Boring Strategy That Beat 96% of Fund Managers: Matt Hougan on Crypto’s Real Edge
In this episode of When Shift Happens, I sit down with Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Asset Management, to discuss why his “boring”...

Kevin Follonier
Aug 21, 20255 min read


"The Flat Earth Theory of Crypto": Evgeny Gaevoy on Market Myths, Trading Truths, and Mars
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Evgeny Gaevoy, founder and CEO of Wintermute, to unpack some of the most...

Kevin Follonier
Aug 6, 20255 min read


“I think DeFi will never work.” – Diogo Mónica, Anchorage’s cofounder on Entrepreneurship, VCs, and Crypto’s Next Chapter
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Diogo Mónica, General Partner at Haun Ventures, the $1.5 billion firm known for...

Kevin Follonier
Jul 31, 20254 min read


Bitcoin Is Going to $1 Million: What 25 Years on Wall Street Taught Dan Tapiero About Risk, Conviction, and Crypto
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Dan Tapiero to explore his journey from Wall Street to crypto. We talk about the...

Kevin Follonier
Jul 17, 20254 min read


Why 2025 Is Bitcoin’s Most Important Year Yet — Hunter Horsley
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise, to unpack why he believes 2025 is the best year...

Kevin Follonier
Jul 10, 20254 min read


Playing the Long Game: Chris Larsen on Ripple’s Approach to Growth
In this episode of When Shift Happens , I sit down with Chris Larsen, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple, to unpack how he and...

Kevin Follonier
Jul 4, 20254 min read
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