One of the things that is very important for the editorial team at Disruption Banking is to ensure that we bring our readers the most valuable stories. Many of these stories are interviews. These interviews are with business leaders in the banking space, portfolio managers, or founders of startups. Many of those interviewed are leading figures in their own industry. And many of them were from the U.S. in 2023.
In 2022 you may recall interviews with AllianceBernstein, La Hoja Capital Management, or the Digital Opportunities Group. These companies were based in Tennessee, Florida and Georgia respectively. In 2023 the focus has been Texas, with Tennessee and Florida again featuring.
This year our editorial team has been able to attend three major events that took place in Texas. The largest one by far was SXSW. And it was against this backdrop that we brought you one of the most innovative ideas of 2023. The idea of a city-based decentralized autonomous organization or DAO.
ATX DAO
Texas is undoubtedly at the forefront of digital assets regulation. When you hear of a project being developed by a group of super smart young individuals in Austin, TX. You know that it will be a bit special. The special importance of the story is how instead of issuing tokens to those who want to get involved with building a Web3 community. In Austin, the founders of ATX DAO decided to issue NFTs.
Using NFTs to grow ATX DAO addresses a concern about the way that DAOs work. The community is represented through individuals who own 150 NFTs. This in turn eradicates the risk of a whale upsetting the way that the ecosystem is going to evolve.
The project has proved so successful that the next project, DTX DAO, was announced in November 2023. The new token represents the Dallas ecosystem.
The Network Firm
The Texas legislature passed a new bill in 2023. The bill mandates crypto exchange platforms to maintain an amount sufficient to fulfil all obligations to digital assets customers.
The Proof of Reserves concept is not be the panacea of transparency in digital assets. But what the team at the Network Firm have created is something that is clearly needed.
Similar to a normal audit, the new product created by the team at the Network Firm is not the same. One of the distinctions is how the companies’ Auditor-attested Proof of Platform Reserves engagements include procedures to test 100% of assets or accounts within the scope of the engagement. Something that will be normal in Web3, but today is something unattainable for most traditional auditors.
Alto
In the U.S. there has been a rise in popularity of digital assets in retirement planning. And one of the firms at the front line of this new product is Alto. Alto offers a platform that enables the use of tax-advantaged retirement funds for investments in alternative assets. These alternatives don’t just include digital assets.
One of the things that we discussed in the interview was the fate of the 60/40 investment model. Both high inflation as well as the rise of digital assets have affected investment strategies in 2023. But its not enough to just offer alternative investments, a lot of education of investors is needed. Something that is at the heart of everything they do at Alto.
Importantly at Alto investors assets are held ‘under administration’ and not ‘under management’ like investors are more used to seeing. Working with Coinbase the leading startup has created a safe and transparent product for those looking to protect their future.
BankSocial®
Another big event that our editorial team participated in this year was the North American Blockchain Summit. Leading fintech BankSocial®’s team were also in attendance. The company aims to revolutionize the member experience in credit unions through decentralized finance (DeFi) and open banking. And powered by the Hedera hashgraph.
The Hedera hashgraph is a solution that can seamlessly integrate with credit unions’ existing core infrastructure. Additionally, the Hedera Consensus Service (HCS) is used to provide additional features and benefits to distributed ledger technology.
There will be a new type of banking service that will operate in Web3. Fintechs like BankSocial® are at the forefront of delivering this service today.
Hedera
Hedera is known for its enterprise-focused blockchain platform. Recently Avery Dennison used the Hedera hashgraph to enhance sustainability in supply chains. The Hedera platform’s governance model is designed to address the needs of large enterprises. It offers a reliable and cost-effective solution for developers and businesses.
At Hedera tokens are used to represent raw materials, products, and energy consumption in a supply chain. Hedera creates tokens as a transformative force in creating value across the entire supply chain.
Tokenization of supply chains is already being looked at by companies such as SAP. Coupling ERP with blockchain can decentralize value creation. Visualizing how supply chains might look in Web3 is one thing. Implementing the Hedera hashgraph today actually gives you some insight into how this future may look.
Wise
Over the years many companies have established a presence in Texas. Not only that, but many companies have relocated their corporate headquarters to Texas. Think Charles Schwab, Tesla, or Hewlett Packard for instance.
Another company that has been developing a ‘Full Stack’ hub in Texas is Wise. The darling of the London Stock Exchange has chosen Austin as a future global hub. The company has sent resources to the state capitol to take on the likes of Apple, Dell and Oracle. The level of talent in Texas is remarkable. More importantly, they all have local knowledge of customer expectations.
Investing in Austin reflects Wise’s commitment to growth in the U.S. market. And, despite global economic challenges in 2023, Wise has thrived. In fact, in 2023 the U.S. became the largest market for the Estonian / British Fintech. 21% of all global users are now based in the U.S. And the record profits at Wise this year highlight a market strategy that is clearly working.
SineCera Capital
The highest amount of traffic of any of our interviews in the U.S. in 2023 was SineCera Capital. A family office located in Austin, TX. With well over 1,000 views our readers are clearly interested in the investment strategies of ultra-high-net-worth individuals in the U.S.
More than half of the biggest family offices are based in the U.S. And there are over 200,000 family offices in the world today. Texas, particularly Austin, is becoming a hotspot for family offices. Partially driven by the influx of tech entrepreneurs including Elon Musk and Michael Dell.
SineCera Capital, based in Austin, assists ultra-high-net-worth individuals focus on diversification and long-term investment strategies. The firm works to align investments with clients’ goals in a changing investment landscape.
This list of stories doesn’t represent all the stories that we have undertaken with U.S. leaders in 2023. But it does rank the general appetite of our readership. In 2018 we undertook one of our first ever interviews with BitPesa and their charismatic leader Elizabeth Rossiello. Little did we know what a celebrity Elizabeth would go on to become. Going into 2024 we will be looking for more ground-breaking stories to bring to our readers. Many of them from the U.S.
We hope you enjoy our summary. And we wish all our readers a Happy New Year from the Editorial Team at Disruption Banking.
Author: Andy Samu
See Also:
Alternatives in your Retirement Plan with Alto | Disruption Banking
The Rise in Popularity of the Family Office in Austin, Texas | Disruption Banking
The 7 Biggest Capital Markets Disruptors of 2023 | Disruption Banking
