Entrepreneur – Startup Fortune

Blockchain Maestro: Insights from Billionaire Investor Stelian Balta

News Desk — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 17:07:30 +0000

In his recent interview on Investing, Billionaire Investor Stelian Balta talks about Fantom, Bitcoin ETF, and other Layer 1 ETFs

With a profound understanding of the blockchain industry and a proven track record of successful investments in Ethereum, Fantom, block.one, Cosmos, Polkadot, and more, billionaire investor Stelian Balta is recognized for his strategic insights and contributions to the growth of the blockchain ecosystem, boasting over 150 investments in the space. Since his humble beginnings as a game developer, Stelian Balta has evolved into a prominent figure in the blockchain and web 3.0 industry since 2013.

Best known as the founder and CEO of HyperChain Capital, one of the earliest digital assets management companies dedicated to investing in blockchain projects and decentralized protocols, Mr. Balta’s leadership at HyperChain Capital underscores his expertise in identifying and nurturing innovative digital asset ventures. This highlights his unwavering commitment to the advancement of blockchain technology.

As a seasoned investor with a solid track record, how do you view the role and impact of cryptocurrency both as a technological innovation and as an investment option in today’s financial landscape?

I always see crypto in two ways: as a technology and as a novel asset class. From a tech standpoint, it represents a groundbreaking shift, offering decentralization, transparency, and security through blockchain technology. On the other hand, as an asset class, crypto offers a unique investment opportunity, uncorrelated with anything previously seen in traditional finance. It’s a new frontier in the financial world that attracts investors for its high growth potential, though it also carries greater risks. So, crypto is not just about making transactions or investments; it’s about shaping the future of how we deal with money and technology.

Can you summarize the most significant developments in the crypto market over the past year, and how they have impacted investor sentiment?

Recently, the cryptocurrency sector has experienced a notable upswing, influenced by favorable U.S. macro trends and augmented institutional participation. This progress is exemplified by the anticipated approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF, marking a significant milestone that could bring hundreds of billions into the market. At the same time, improvements in blockchain technology and clearer regulations have strengthened investor confidence.

What are the key factors driving institutional investors towards cryptocurrencies, and how do you foresee this influencing the overall stability and growth of Web3.0?

I think institutional investors are increasingly attracted to cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, for diversifying their portfolios with uncorrelated novel assets. The growing interest from institutional investors in these digital assets is fueled by clearer global regulations for crypto, making it a safer bet for their investments. Plus, new products based on cryptocurrencies, like ETFs, will be introduced, making it more accessible and familiar for these investors to get involved.

How do you foresee the evolution of DeFi impacting traditional financial systems in the coming year?

DeFi makes financial services more accessible, especially to those who are unbanked or underbanked around the world. The use of blockchain technology in DeFi can lead to faster, cheaper, and more efficient financial transactions. Traditional financial systems might adopt similar technologies to speed up their processes and reduce costs. As DeFi grows, it will likely attract more regulatory attention, which is welcomed, and this could lead to new efficient regulations that might improve both DeFi and traditional finance, possibly leading to a more secure and stable financial environment.

What are your market predictions for cryptocurrencies in 2024?

Forecasting the direction of the cryptocurrency market is not a precise discipline, and a few of my past attempts at forecasting have often been off the mark. What I’ve learned in the past 10 years is that the crypto market is highly dynamic and influenced by a myriad of unexpected factors, making accurate predictions challenging. However, one aspect I am confident about is the continuous innovation within the crypto space. This is leading to the creation of new and exciting products in the cryptocurrency space, as fresh minds bring in new ideas and technologies. I have never seen so much innovation in crypto as I see now.

As we anticipate interest rates to start declining in 2024, lower rates typically make traditional investments less attractive, leading to a search for alternative opportunities, such as in the innovative realms of crypto.

I am optimistic about the prospects of Layer 1 blockchains like Ethereum and others following the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs in the US. The approval of an Ethereum spot ETF in the US, for instance, could serve as a gateway for traditional investors to explore a new asset class, diversifying their portfolios and introducing them to the innovative world of blockchain technology and digital assets. This development may signify a major shift in investment strategies, as it bridges the gap between conventional financial markets and the emerging digital economy and could potentially bring hundreds of billions into the market. In summary, while the exact trajectory of market behavior in 2024 is uncertain, the crypto ecosystem is likely to experience a surge in creative and technological advancements, driven by an expanding pool of developers and innovators entering the field.

What blockchain initiatives are you currently most enthusiastic about?

One of the projects that I have immense admiration for is Fantom, a prominent layer-1 network with a reliable 99.5% uptime, even amidst the latest trends. A key differentiator for Fantom is its innovative approach to accelerators. The current Sonic Labs program, featuring mentorship from Andre Cronje and offering unique go-to-market support, stands out in this space. Additionally, ecosystem developers have the opportunity to earn more on Fantom than on any other blockchain platform, thanks to gas monetization. With the upcoming Sonic stack upgrade in 2024, Fantom is poised to scale up to over 200 million transactions per day. Looking ahead, with more than 40 years of runway and continuous technological and business model improvements, I expect Fantom to increasingly dominate the blockchain space and become a well-established name in the industry.

Considering the changing world of digital currencies and their growing global acceptance, how do you view the chances of countries and large companies adopting Bitcoin as part of their formal financial plans in the future?

Looking ahead, I wouldn’t be surprised to see nation-states adding Bitcoin to their financial strategies. As Bitcoin gains global recognition and stability, it’s becoming an increasingly viable asset for diversified portfolios. This trend could extend to national governments seeking to hedge against traditional financial market volatility and strengthen their economic positions. The potential for Bitcoin to serve as a reserve asset, much like gold, may become appealing to forward-thinking countries exploring new economic paradigms. Additionally, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has decided to use Fair Value Accounting for Bitcoin starting from fiscal years after December 15, 2024. This change in accounting rules will facilitate the adoption of Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset by global companies.

Source: CoinMarketCap https://coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/658311d2c34ded0f8c2ec4c7/

The CEO of Defiolio on Creating DeFi Access and the Benefits of Asset Organization

Elroy Fernandes — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 09:44:44 +0000

A few years ago, the DeFi boom took place, ushering in a new era of blockchain-based investments. During that time, we saw all sorts of developments in token swapping, lotteries, and so on which centred around different DeFi platforms. And there were certainly many of these platforms and just as many protocols.

While this meant that investors were spoiled for choice for where and how to invest their money, it also caused a bit of confusion. Those who wanted to invest had to painstakingly decide where to put their money and even after the investments, had to track their performance across many different platforms.

And this is exactly the problem that Defiolio is working to solve. Defiolio is a platform that allows for the tracking of multiple DeFi projects from a single dedicated dashboard. This dashboard shows DeFi investments on different protocols and up to 20 chains at a glance. As such, rather than a user visiting the multiple projects individually to determine how well they are doing, all of this can be done at once.

Ahead of Defiolio’s expansion to include new features like NFTs we speak to Julian Wells, CEO of Defiolio.

Why was it so important that Defiolio allow for tracking across multiple chains?

If you look at this space, there are several aspects that are missing and several people trying to enter this space. But most are hesitant because they don’t have a way to track their assets, or they are completely overwhelmed with managing all their investments, which essentially turn into a full-time job. There are other tools out there that do perform tracking services; however, they either take too long to integrate new projects or they collect data without users knowing. Since some are collecting data and selling it, what is the purpose or use of being in decentralized if data collected is centralized? Most of us on the Defiolio team are or were investors in the DeFi space, and the biggest issue was managing everything in one location and speeding up management. Which was what we aimed to solve, however, now the whole project has evolved, and we are aiming to become the next face of DeFi for both new and veteran users alike.

How does your new NFT program work? What is the benefit for NFT holders?

Our new NFT program gives plenty of benefits and as we grow, we plan to expand on those benefits. A few of the benefits are but not limited to lifetime access to our hub, priority project onboarding, 25% profit-sharing, Private RPC points which are only available for NFT holders, Monthly giveaway only for NFT holders, and a few other things that are in discussion but not disclosed just yet.

Moreover, if users are looking to flip our NFTs to make a profit that could also be a smart move, especially since there will only be 12k NFTs total that will get the benefits mentioned above. As far as we are aware, these are the first cross-chain NFTs that are available.

The blockchain investment space has only expanded in the last few years. What do you see coming next?

Honestly, once things settle down, we see a strong adoption by corporations and other giants and see a massive boom in blockchain technology. Think about it, transparency is key in any business and if that transparency is legalized and adopted across considerable companies and corporations, foul play will be reduced tenfold because now everyone can see what every company is spending and making. So many new ideas are yet to be discovered and at this point we are just at the start of the movement. If you give it a few more years based on what technology has done in the last 20 years we are about to enter a new era in the next 5-10 years blockchain technology will be in the center of it. We will do and see things most of us as kids dreamed about.

What informed Defiolio’s decision to launch a wallet?

One of the major reasons we decided on launching a wallet in this space was because of how complicated most of these wallets are and cumbersome it is to set a wallet up. If you think about it, most of the wallets in this space are skins of the same primary wallet service (not naming a product in specific) offering the same features and functions not may offer different functionality. So, our goal with Olio Wallet is to be the outlier, a completely different wallet that not only encompasses an easy way to find what you hold as investments but track them directly from the app. Moreover find a better way to add discover tokens, networks, RPCs, and even new projects (with a full rating system that is influenced by users themselves). However, the twist between us and other wallets will be there will be a free version that will be limited heavily and a paid version that is a subscription model which will also provide access to the Defiolio Hub both on the web and by doing so, access to the wallet app. If a user holds an NFT, they will automatically have access to the feature and most likely be part of our beta testing group.

Tell us a bit more about your incoming wallet. Besides the wallet and NFTs, what else does Defiolio have in store?

There are lots of things that are happening and being built out. Most of which we do not want to share mainly because of how the space is we do not want others to jump ahead and steal any ideas giving us more competition. But to say the least look at our roadmap we have thus far and definitely expect close to double that for our upcoming features, most of which will be influenced and governed by our users. But one thing I would like to say is we are not like other projects who raise funds then start the project we have been developing day in and day out making this somewhat presentable before we even brought it to the public and from what we can tell everyone that has seen this idea loves it and everything that is coming up will be done in the same manner. Always under promise and overdeliver!

Billionaire Stelian Balta Says Bitcoin Could Go Over $100k By The End Of 2023 If Not Earlier

Elroy Fernandes — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 13:16:08 +0000

In a recent article on the Entrepreneur Magazine, Billionaire investor Stelian Balta talks about the possibility of Bitcoin to finally hit the $100k mark.

“Despite the loss in value that has been seen in 2022, the ecosystem as a whole has never been stronger in terms of the number of projects launched, technological advancements and interest from institutional investors. It’s highly likely the price of bitcoin will go over $100,000 by the end of 2023 if not earlier.”

Read full article here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/430634

Tagged with: Stelian Balta

The Luxury Asset Club (TLAC) Brings Exclusivity to the Metaverse

Contributors — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 15:55:44 +0000

One of the biggest consumer markets in the world is the luxury goods sector. Stretching across every continent, the luxury goods sector often procures and sells some of the rarest and most exclusive items to buyers.

But with this exotic market of cars and purses comes an age-old problem; ensuring authenticity. As long as there is a market willing to pay top dollar for exclusive items, there are people who will create and sell fakes.

This issue, however, seems to be getting a solution thanks to blockchain. This comes as the Luxury Asset Club (TLAC), a metaverse-based luxury goods community, has announced the launch of the first ever meta-raffle that promises iconic prizes.

A Piece of Luxury

This meta raffle will see its users vie to win a 3D wearable Hublot watch which was signed by sports legend Kobe Bryant. This is part of a larger bluechip offering by the platform in which an 18k Rose Gold Hublot watch designed and signed by Kobe Bryant, a signed Nike Zoom VIII sneaker, and a 3D equivalent of the watch are up for grabs.

Three winning tickets will be randomly generated by an algorithm and one member will win the physical watch in the end.

The items being offered are very high in demand, with Bryant-related memorabilia being some of the most valuable in the world. Some of the proceeds from the raffle will also be given to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which Bryant was very active with during his life.

But more than just offering luxury goods and a chance to do some good, TLAC is leveraging the power of blockchain to make sure that the items it offers are authenticated. Luxury brands have, for decades, developed different means to make sure that their authentic products can be spotted by buyers.

With blockchain and the use of NFTs, this process is made much simpler for all involved.

As German Carmona, a successful entrepreneur & senior advisor to TLAC explains, “As a collector of rare artwork, timepieces, luxury real estate and foreign vehicles leveraging NFT’s to authenticate such assets seemed like the next logical progression as the Web3 world evolves.”

Welcome to the Club

Luxury collector clubs have existed in the past, but TLAC takes this to the next level. By providing online access to users from around the world, more people can easily connect to others who share their passions.

Not only this, the members can pool together resources and access some of the rarest assets in the world. The assets they will be given access to will also be properly authenticated, sparing members the trouble of having to do this themselves.

“Authenticating and liquidating such rare items can be costly and quite difficult, these factors are what led us to create TLAC, The Luxury Asset Club, the world’s first Meta-Raffle,” Project

Co-Creator Diamonte Zarba adds.

Over the next few years, we can expect to see more of these luxury clubs pop up across the internet like TLAC and follow its model. And as certain digital assets become luxury goods in themselves, communities around them will continue to thrive.

Adam Ferrari Talks About Why T-Shapes and Jigsaws Enhance Innovative Problem Solving

Julian Lim — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 17:40:40 +0000

Today, enterprises face complex problems for which business resiliency and company growth are dependent on innovative solutions. In this article, successful entrepreneur Adam Ferrari explains how a unified team can solve complicated business problems with diverse backgrounds and how T-shaped skills and a Jigsaw strategy can help.

Innovation is critical to your company. It is the process whereby your teams conceive new products, creative services, and better ways of doing things. Innovation is also the process by which you can solve your most challenging business problems. Without innovative ideas, your business will stagnate as competitors leave you behind.

To create a unified problem-solving team does not mean that everyone on the team is the same. Diversity among the team members is crucial and a strength that can help companies make better decisions and be more productive and innovative.

A diverse workforce inherently provides new perspectives and distinct experiences—the fuel of innovation. Business leaders that see diversity and unity as incompatible opposites are missing an important principle—your business teams can never achieve unity by ignoring and isolating members of your team who seem to be different.

Unity, when problem-solving, is undoubtedly a desirable and achievable goal, but it should not be subtractive in that we disregard the significance of our differences. Unity should always be additive as we strive to understand, appreciate, and integrate diverse skills, life experiences, and points of view.

What do unity, diversity, and innovation have to do with T-shapes and Jigsaws? Everything. Let’s unpack these ideas and see how they work together.

You can best understand and teach others the concept of T-shaped skills by visualizing a large capital letter “T.” The vertical aspect of the shape represents an employee’s or job candidate’s core strengths—the skills and abilities for which you hired or are considering them. If you’re trying to hire a computer programmer, for example, the vertical part of the T represents their ability to write code. You’ll want someone with the knowledge and experience needed to do their job, but don’t stop there.

The horizontal part of the letter T in our metaphor represents the candidate’s ability to collaborate across disciplines, communicate, and work well with others. Our hypothetical programmer could be a whiz at coding. Still, if they cannot accept input from other team members, engage in critical thinking, and express their ideas clearly, they might not contribute to the innovation you need.

When creating a problem-solving group in which innovation can flourish, the final component is deploying a cooperative method called a Jigsaw strategy. Like pieces of a puzzle, each one is necessary. The team needs input from diverse perspectives. This strategy enables team members to contribute their core strengths (the vertical part of their T-shaped skills) to help find a solution to a business problem.

Within Jigsaw teams, members rely on their collaboration and communication abilities (the horizontal part of their T-shaped skills) to determine how their core strengths can contribute to an innovative solution. Our programmer can see solutions that team members from other departments with other core strengths could never envision. And likewise, the other team members will offer different valuable ideas.

As a business leader, your job is to see over the horizon and identify potential problems. As you do, suppress the temptation to prescribe a solution single-handedly. Instead, assemble Jigsaw teams composed of a diverse set of employees that have demonstrated solid T-shaped skills. This group will deliver possible solutions that you could not formulate alone.

About Adam Ferrari

Adam Ferrari was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago, IL. He is the grandson of an Italian immigrant coal miner who worked in the mines of Coal City, IL. From an early age, Adam was taught the value and dignity achieved through a hard day’s work. The oil and gas industry provides good-paying jobs for millions of blue-collar men and women across America. This is one of many reasons Adam and his company, Ferrari Energy, are such staunch supporters of the oil and gas industry. Blue-collar men and women built America, and the modern oil and gas industry keeps America moving forward.

Michael Eisenga, President of First American Properties, Reveals His Real Estate Investment Story

News Desk — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 13:29:52 +0000

Commercial real estate investor Michael Eisenga draws on the experience of his first real estate investment story and his background as the former mayor of Columbus, WI.

Michael Eisenga is a successful real estate and business investor and a former mayor of Columbus, Wisconsin. While many people only aspire to become real estate investors, Michael has built a successful property management company from ground zero in his 20s.

Back in 1999, Eisenga was elected mayor of Columbus at the age of 28. At the same time, he started two companies — First American Properties, which he still operates today, and American Lending Solutions.

While he was getting his new companies off the ground, he was also running a multi-million-dollar municipality. As mayor, Eisenga was essentially Columbus’ Chief Executive Officer, overseeing all the city’s department heads.

He was responsible for putting together an executive budget every year and running the decision-making process and a Common Council with six council members.

His experience running a small city gave him experience in the public sector that would help him immensely in the private sector.

“Back when I was in my mid-20s, I wanted to get into investing and especially investing in real estate,” Eisenga said. “As a result, I found a fairly large apartment complex in Madison, Wisconsin. It was 88 units. I put together a deal and purchased it, and that is when First American Properties was founded. It was the limited liability corporation that owned that piece of property.”

“Then over the years, as I bought and sold other properties, First American Properties has been the umbrella company that owns all the other properties and investments that I have with regards to real estate.”

Since the founding of American Properties, Mike Eisenga has invested in numerous real estate deals and continues to do so today.

His focus over the last several years has been purchasing and managing senior assisted living facilities. Eisenga says these two purchases were some of his favorite mistakes from his career. While Michael initially was looking for a passive investment, he had to take over the management of the facilities himself due to circumstances.

“While it was, quite frankly, a bit scary and frustrating when that tenant was no longer able to follow through on their commitment, it caused me about a year or two of some losses with those facilities. But in the end, they became an excellent investment, and they’ve done very well for me in the long term, better than they would have if I had just maintained having a lease.”

About Michael Eisenga

Michael Eisenga is a successful commercial real estate investor with a banking and finance background and the former mayor of Columbus. As a President of both American Lending Solutions, a mortgage lending company (he founded and operated from 2000 to 2018), and First American Properties, he has a track record of creating and operating successful businesses. Mr. Eisenga is also devoted to property development and construction, primarily serving smaller local communities. Especially in the senior housing sector.

Contact Information:

Michael S. Eisenga

meisenga@fapcousa.com

First American Properties

N4365 Hwy 73 Columbus, WI 53925

920-350-6001

https://www.michaeleisenga.com/

Versatile Investor Daniel Calugar Explains the Vital Role of Algorithmic Trading for Cryptocurrency

Contributors — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 03:31:48 +0000

Cryptocurrency can provide some truly exciting returns, but it can produce devastating, quick losses, too. Daniel Calugar explains algorithmic trading and its value in bringing stable investment decisions to an unstable market.

Cryptocurrencies are becoming more mainstream by the day, with investors from all walks of life interested in the massive returns they can bring.

A recent study conducted by the University of Chicago found that 13% of Americans either bought or traded a cryptocurrency in the last year. That’s compared with 24% of the population that invested in traditional stocks.

Experienced investor Daniel Calugar understands the draw of cryptocurrency. The enormous returns they have brought to investors is unmatched with most other investments.

For instance, bitcoin reached its high of roughly $63,000 in April of this year, more than doubling its value since the beginning of the year.

The challenge for investors, though, is cryptocurrency can be just as volatile the other way, too. In mid-July, bitcoin stood at roughly $32,000, almost half of what it was just three months earlier.

True, the July price still represented a 10% increase year-to-date, but it would represent a huge loss for investors who didn’t buy in until after April’s high.

Astute traders have learned that approaching cryptocurrency investments the same way as stock investments just won’t work. Instead, there needs to be a much more analytical approach that outlines trading opportunities no matter the cryptocurrency’s price.

Enter algorithmic trading.

Using advanced computer technology, algorithmic trading automates the process of trading cryptocurrencies. People program bots to execute cryptocurrency trades after certain conditions in the market are met. Dan Calugar explains this could be some mixture of volume, time, and price.

Algorithmic trading uses complex formulas and other mathematical models to allow experienced human investors to guide the investment strategy. In other words, it’s data-driven trading, not trading dictated only by computers.

Algorithmic trading isn’t new, either. It’s been used at large financial institutions and hedge funds for years, allowing them to wade through all the noise to find the valuable investments that matter.

The reason why it’s become so popular in cryptocurrency trading is it helps bring stability and clarity to what can be an unstable and unclear market. The bots used in algorithmic trading help professional traders make the correct decisions that boost value for the investors, rather than the other way around.

Bots can respond to market changes instantly, much quicker than any human could do on their own. This allows people who buy into algorithmic trading as a tool for investing in cryptocurrency to succeed in this uncertain world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Daniel Calugar

Daniel Calugar is a versatile and experienced investor with a background in computer science, business, and law. He developed a passion for investing while working as a pension lawyer and leveraged his technical capabilities to write computer programs that helped him identify more profitable investment strategies. When Dan Calugar is not working, he enjoys working out and being with friends and family and volunteering with Angel Flight.

More details can be found at https://www.dancalugarscholarship.com

To Help Small Minority Businesses With Funding Felicia Jeffries Launches Biz Credit Movement

Elroy Fernandes — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 04:27:05 +0000

Every small business owner gets a clear glimpse at the silver lining every time a funding option they can count on to support their business stands up. Some of the things they should look out for is how much support the avenue provides them aside from funding. Business owners wouldn’t mind a little bit of expert advice here and there to tread the unstable waters in business.

The rate of unemployment is on the rise and many new business ideas are being generated across different thresholds of the American economy. There is an inherent need to cough up viable solutions to the problems facing society and small businesses. Moore Financial Services based in Texas is one of the key players expected to provide solutions to these problems. Small businesses offer a cheaper and relatively accessible solution to many problems and there is a necessity to key into that. However, the problem of inadequate financial support facing new businesses affects the integrity of their ideas and products. Existing funding options do not provide an easy enough module for small businesses to access funds and fund major promotions that will push their products and services into the market.

Felicia Jeffries is the founder of Moore Financial Services.

She has established a fairly new initiative committed to providing support to business and access to funding for small businesses tagged the Biz Credit Movement. After spending some time working as a paralegal dealing with business, bankruptcy, and personal injury law, this is her way of giving back to the community. She has quite the portfolio of experiences —good and bad— that have plagued her business venture. This was what pushed the idea; she committed to seeing it become a reality to create a network that provides solid support for small businesses across all industries.

The Biz Credit Movement is an initiative meant to provide extensive support for small business owners. Business owners are able to sign up for a yearly membership which will give them access to the tools they need to ultimately get funding as well as obtain contracts from the government and private entities. This movement is primed to help business owners succeed against all odds.

The adoption of agents to oversee the effectiveness of the many small businesses that subscribe to the membership of the Biz Credit Movement is a beautiful idea that boasts success in assisting current and future members. It will go a long way in assisting with the success of many businesses and give them the tools to access funding for operations and growth. More information can be found at: www.bizcreditmovement.net

Iranian Entrepreneur Mohammad Halakoei Talks About Helping Iran Embrace The Blockchain Tech

News Desk — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 09:30:46 +0000

Mohammad Halakoei is an Iranian influencer and an expert and analyst of cryptocurrencies, who has carried out extensive activities in the field of Blockchain and cryptocurrencies in Persian-language social networks and websites, the most famous of which is the Halakoei Academy. Mohammad has been able to provide an opportunity for the world’s largest cryptocurrency companies to have a special view on Iran.

Hello Mohammad, could you tell us a little bit about yourself? What’s your story?

I was born in Isfahan, Iran. I have worked as a consultant, researcher, lecturer, and writer in the field of e-commerce, Internet marketing, success in Internet business, strategy and advertising on the Internet, increasing Internet sales, etc. Since emigrating, I have been working in the field of Blockchain and cryptocurrencies for the last few years. I now work as an expert and analyst on cryptocurrencies on various social networks.

When did you begin your entrepreneurial journey in the blockchain industry?

I remember in 2011 I interviewed one of the media at a conference held in Iran. In that interview, I said that the future belongs to those who specialize in the field of mobile applications, and we saw what great applications were produced and implemented in Iran and the world after 2011. We also saw the impact it had on the economy and livelihoods at the community and global levels, creating a large number of jobs in various fields and causing major changes in businesses. Eight years later, I said elsewhere, the future will be for those who specialize in Blockchain, smart contracts, and decentralized applications. I established the Halakoei Academy in 2018, and due to the demand of those interested in cryptocurrencies, I was able to take a big step towards educating and informing those interested in this field.

What gave you confidence to be doing business in a volatile industry?

There is a risk in all businesses. No business guarantees a 100% victory. I have also faced cross-sectional failures many times, and this is normal. The important thing is to be able to learn from our failures and mistakes and use the experience of others. I always tried to share all my experiences with my followers. One thing that can increase your chances of success is to go into the business with enough knowledge and experience.

Can you tell us more about your new book?

A few years ago, I published a book called “The Bamboo Success”. This book was more about internet marketing and this book was welcomed by many customers and led to its 8th publication and sold 7000 copies worldwide. Due to recent activities and requests from a number of my followers, I felt the need for a comprehensive and concise reference for these followers and decided to present a book on Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Also, I recently wrote this book in both Persian and English, as I have recently tried not to limit my activities to Iran and Iranian society. The English version of this book is now available under the name “Blockchain Emperor” from Amazon.

You have founded Halakoei Academy to bring Iranians into the blockchain industry, how did it all begin?

In Iran, I encountered talented young individuals who needed an appropriate educational environment to grow and develop. Iranian youth welcome new technologies in the best way and only need a qualified guide. Blockchain technology is one of the most popular fields which is welcomed in Iran. The talent and motivation of these young individuals encouraged me to establish the Halakoei Academy. And now I am very pleased with the establishment of this academy. Because I got wonderful reflections from it.

As a person in business in the Middle East, what difficulties did you have to face when you were just getting started?

As you probably know, Iran has faced many sanctions due to political issues and economic conditions in the world. These sanctions have also had an impact on Blockchain and cryptocurrencies, making it difficult for Iranian activists to do so. In addition, there are no organized rules in many countries for the use of cryptocurrencies. But despite these problems, I have tried my best to continue on my way with motivation and perseverance and to be a leading figure for my followers. I believe that nothing can stop a person from achieving his goal.

Could you tell us about what makes your organisation stand out?

What makes this organization apart is the fact that more than 100 people work in the team as freelancers. The members of this team have proven that distance and absenteeism cannot prevent success. The members of this team are constantly working in different groups, and I have tried my best to be active and fully supportive of the team members. In fact, the members of the Halakoei Academy team are a large family that work together to achieve a great goal. It’s worth mentioning that more than 150,000 members are currently studying at Halakoei Academy.

What was your biggest failure? What did you learn from this mistake/failure?

A few years ago, when I started working in the cryptocurrency financial market, I lost about $ 100,000 due to my limited experience. The lesson I learned from this failure was that in addition to experience and knowledge, patience is very important to enter the cryptocurrency market. We must learn that the best opportunity is when everyone is selling, you buy and when everyone is buying, sell!

How did COVID-19 impact the industry, especially in Iran?

Coronavirus taught us great lessons. For example, nothing in the world is unchanged and absolute. Many businesses in this situation stagnated and many people lost their jobs. They tried to turn to online businesses to improve the situation. One of the most popular and safest things to do in this situation was to trade cryptocurrencies and make money out of them. The disease affected the entire world economy, and it was here that cryptocurrencies showed themselves. Especially those who were migrating and facing financial transfer difficulties, as well as the fact that gold has always been considered a safe capital in all eras, were drawn to the use of cryptocurrencies, especially bitcoin. Although some cryptocurrencies were affected by the disease and experienced different challenges. Including price fluctuations, various rumours, etc.

What are your goals and future plans?

We are working on an idea that will be launched in Europe. This startup is based on Blockchain and can be a great help in the field of investor communication with news sites and social networks. This idea is going to be revealed in the near future.

As a successful entrepreneur what advice would you give to those who like to start working in the industry?

I have always told everyone who wants to work in this field: The world of cryptocurrencies is a lucrative but a dangerous world. So do not enter this market, emotionally. My advice to those who want to start their activity in this field is to be as educated as possible and practice before you start. Read about this area and gain enough knowledge as well as keep your information up to date.

More details about Mohammad Halakoei can be found at:

Websites: https://www.halakoei.academy, https://halakoei.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/halakoei

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Indian Government to Provide the Much-needed Growth for Startups

Sana Jyo — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:04:05 +0000

The Indian government is engaged in talks with a global pension fund and Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to float a $2 Bn alternative investment fund (AIF) to provide the much-needed growth for startups.

AIF’s are funds that pool capital from institutional investors and wealthy individuals to invest in riskier assets. All AIF’s in India come under the Security and Exchange Board of India’s purview.

The aim is to provide more domestic funding options for the startup community and reduce their dependence on foreign private equity players.

It is worth noting that compared to 2019, both the funding amount and deals in 2020 remained relatively low, indicating the adverse impact of the pandemic on startup investments in 2020. But the recommendations for AIF come amid a persistent anti-China “movement” in India. The Indian government has banned hundreds of Chinese mobile applications and told e-commerce platforms to list ‘country of origin’ for all products listed on their website.

The government is also looking to bring in several special changes to the existing law. Global pension funds and insurance companies will also be one of the investors in the government’s efforts. Recently the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has also called for an expansion of the SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) Fund-of-Funds vehicle as these will be enabled to function as an anchor investor.

In April this year India had already changed its Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules which mandated that all investment from neighbouring countries in Indian companies would require the approval of the Indian government.

It is predicted that due to the pandemic, the total annual funding in the calendar year 2020 will remain relatively lower compared to the previous year. The annual funding amount is estimated to remain anywhere between 11% to 36%.