This interview has been edited and condensed. The co-director of the Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Smart Contracts (known as IC3), Emin Gün Sirer, is an associate professor at Cornell University, whose research focuses on peer-to-peer systems, operating systems, distributed systems and computer networking. He is one of the most influential scientists within the crypto and blockchain ecosystem, and his voice represents an academic view on the development of the technologies. We met with professor Emi̇n Gün Si̇rer at Deconomy in Seoul, South Korea, and talked about the future of cryptocurrencies, the potential danger of their full implementation and the reasons …

It was rumbling in the beginning of February in Swiss Zug. The Crypto Valley Association (CVA) was undergoing a major reorganization. On Thursday, Jan. 31, the General Assembly of the Association elected former Swisscom manager Daniel Haudenschild as president of the CVA and the successor to Oliver Bussmann. The former CVA’s president, Oliver Bussmann, had announced last November — together with the members Vasily Suvorov, René Hüsler and Nicolas Schobinger — not to run for reelection at the General Assembly. The former SAP and UBS manager, who runs a consulting firm in Zug, had been controversial, according to media reports. …

Sterling Witzke has been working at Winklevoss Capital — a venture capital firm set up by the famous Winklevoss twins — for five years now. As a professional investor, she is very interested in financing early stage crypto and blockchain projects. She believes that stablecoins are perfectly designed for the needs of internet payments and will steadily gain popularity as the industry evolves. We talked to Sterling Witzke about the future of fiat-pegged cryptocurrencies, the necessity of proper legal frameworks and the future of the maturing crypto industry. Clarity is always good for an ecosystem Ana Berman: How do you …

This interview has been edited and condensed. The author of the "The Bitcoin Big Bang — How Alternative Currencies Are About to Change the World," Brian Kelly calls himself an optimist when it comes to the future of the cryptocurrencies. CNBC’s prominent commentator, who is also the founder and CEO of digital currency investment firm BKCM LLC, analyzes markets on an everyday basis and tends to be 50 percent right “trading-wise.” We met with Brian Kelly at the Crypto Finance Conference in Switzerland and talked about Bitcoin ETFs, the next financial crisis, and the best and worst jobs at the …

The interview has been edited and condensed. Roger Ver is one of the most famous personas in the crypto industry. He calls himself “the first investor into the crypto industry,” being involved with it since 2011. Studying computer science and economics “as a young man” helped him understand the technology behind Bitcoin. “There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that people were going to start using it as money. And like anything, the price is set by supply and demand. “Because the supply of Bitcoin was limited, as more and more people demanded to start using it as money, …

The interview has been edited and condensed. Nouriel Roubini is a New York-based economist that famously predicted the 2008 financial crisis when only a few considered there might be a threat to the existing course of events at the time. A Harvard alumnus and now a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, Mr. Roubini has always been critical of the crypto and blockchain industry. Oct.11, 2018 he testified at the Congressional hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., warning U.S. senators about “the mother or father of all scams and bubbles," — crypto. We met with Mr. Roubini during BlockShow …

This interview has been edited and condensed. Known in mainstream media as a young “Bitcoin millionaire,” within the crypto and blockchain industry, Jeremy Gardner is a known more for what he does than how much he makes. As a serial blockchain entrepreneur, educator and investor, Gardner has founded the global educational nonprofit the Blockchain Education Network and co-founded the blockchain-based prediction platform Augur. Most recently, he launched his own impact investing fund called Ausum Ventures. Breaking down mass adoption Olivia Capozzalo: Can you walk me through what mass adoption is — not from the tech or building side of things, …

This interview has been edited and condensed. Aside from occasional blisteringly anti-crypto commentary from the likes of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, one of the crypto industry’s most consistent and vocal naysayers is IT industry analyst Jason Bloomberg. Bloomberg is a published author, Forbes contributor and president of the firm Intellyx, which helps enterprises integrate new technological developments and trends into their business models. Bloomberg also devotes a significant amount of his time to attending crypto and blockchain-related conferences and events, speaking and debating with industry leaders. His public stance, however, can be characterized as anti-crypto, but more accurately it …

Julian Zegelman, a lawyer with many years of experience, has turned into a VC — he’s now a general partner at TMT Blockchain Fund, a venture capital fund investing in blockchain technology projects. But why did he end his legal career? Catherine Ross: I was going to ask you a bunch of legal questions, but you've mentioned that you're not a lawyer anymore. How did that happen? Julian Zegelman: It's like being a recovering alcoholic, you know? When you've been drinking for a long time, people remember that you used to drink. Personally, I don't drink [Eds: this is just …

This interview has been edited and condensed. Michael Terpin is an American blockchain and crypto investor who has worked with over 100 projects running Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) since entering the blockchain space in early 2013. Terpin co-founded BitAngels in 2013 and, more recently, founded blockchain PR firm Transform Group. The investor and entrepreneur recently hit mainstream and crypto media headlines following his high profile case against U.S. telecom giant AT&T. Terpin is suing AT&T for negligence that allegedly resulted in the theft of over $24 million of Terpin’s crypto holdings. Cointelegraph sat down with Terpin at BlockShow Americas in …

It’s been close to 10 years since Bitcoin came into existence, and in that time, major financial institutions have slowly come to grips with blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Some have taken to the industry quicker than others, and some have outright turned their backs on the thought of using or investing in cryptocurrencies. However, the technology underpinning these decentralized digital currencies has been a major focal point, mainly in terms of how it can be used by traditional banking and financial institutions. A number of big name financial companies have actively developed blockchain-based systems used for different operations. JPMorgan’s Quorum …

Cointelegraph recently had the chance to speak with Pierre-Edouard Wahl, the head of blockchain digital services at PwC Switzerland, about the future potential of blockchain in the country. Wahl, who noted that PwC Switzerland worked closely with main Swiss stock exchange SIX on their announcement of a future distributed ledger-based digital asset exchange, elaborated on his beliefs that crypto must be used in order to go mainstream enough to give people back control of their digital footprints. This interview has been edited and condensed. Molly Jane: Could you tell us how you got interested in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space? …