In this episode of High Stakes, Alex sits down with Brian Mahoney, VP of Business Development at Thesis and Founding Team Member at Mezo, to explore the next evolution of Bitcoin. From Bitcoin mortgages to stablecoins like MUSD, Brian shares why the future of on-chain finance is Bitcoin-native.

You will learn:
• Why Bitcoin-backed stablecoins are gaining momentum
• How Mezo is building a circular Bitcoin economy
• What makes Bitcoin staking possible (without Proof of Work)
• How global demand for Bitcoin financing is growing
• Why macro trends and regulation are creating massive tailwinds
• How institutions and retail investors are unlocking new Bitcoin use cases

If you care about the future of digital assets, real world use cases for crypto, and Bitcoin’s next decade, this episode is for you.

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation.
📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights:
• Website: validationcloud.io
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud
• X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud

👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud.

Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market.

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

Alex Nwaka sits down with Morgan McKenney, former CEO of Provenance Blockchain Foundation, longtime Citi executive, and tech-led global operator, to discuss the convergence of blockchain and AI and what it means for the future of finance, blockchain infrastructure, and innovation. Morgan also announces her new role as advisor to Validation Cloud, bringing decades of leadership in finance, blockchain, and AI to help power the future of Web3 infrastructure.

In this episode, Morgan discusses:

• The return of blockchain IPOs- The rise of stablecoin regulation
• Why blockchain creates the perfect dataset for AI
• Why 2025 could be the year of the AI agent

Learn more about Validation Cloud: https://validationcloud.io

Watch more High Stakes episodes: https://validationcloud.io/highstakes

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation.
📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights:
• Website: validationcloud.io
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud
• X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud

👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud.

Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market.

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

Alex Nwaka sits down with Noelle Acheson, crypto-macro analyst and author of Crypto is Macro Now, for a conversation on the intersection of crypto and macroeconomics. With a career spanning traditional finance, entrepreneurship, and research leadership at CoinDesk and Genesis Trading, Noelle shares her expertise on the crypto-macro environment. Together, they explore institutional adoption, the evolving role of stablecoins, Bitcoin’s place in a fractured global system, and how crypto is now shaping macro trends.
Noelle Acheson is the author of Crypto is Macro Now, a leading newsletter on crypto and macro trends. Noelle was previously Head of Research at CoinDesk and Genesis Trading, and began her career in corporate finance and fund management before launching one of Spain’s early e-commerce startups. Today, she is widely regarded as one of the most insightful voices bridging macro and crypto.

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation.
📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights:
• Website: validationcloud.io
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud
• X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud

👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud.

Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market.

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

Alex Nwaka sits with Dan Doney, Managing Director and CTO at DTCC Digital Assets, for a rare and in-depth conversation. With a career spanning the U.S. Navy, the Defense Intelligence Agency, founding the pioneering blockchain company Securrency, and now driving innovation at DTCC, Dan brings a uniquely far-reaching perspective to the future of digital finance. Alex and Dan dive into DTCC’s critical role in modern capital markets, why blockchain is both an opportunity and a necessity for institutional finance, and how global financial systems are converging towards tokenization and institutional DeFi. From commanding nuclear submarines to architecting the next era of market infrastructure, Dan is a one-of-a-kind expert in the blockchain space.

Dan Doney is the Managing Director and CTO of DTCC Digital Assets, the firm’s institutional-grade, digital asset infrastructure and products. Prior to DTCC, Dan founded Securrency and served as the first Chief Innovation Officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency. A former U.S. Navy nuclear submarine officer, Dan brings decades of experience at the intersection of blockchain, security, and financial infrastructure.

Learn more about Validation Cloud: validationcloud.io

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation.
📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights:
• Website: validationcloud.io
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud
• X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud

👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud.

Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market.

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

Alex sits down with Toma Heremans, CEO of Obol Association, to explore how distributed validators (DVs) are redefining staking infrastructure, the future of Ethereum resilience, and why institutional adoption is the next major unlock for proof-of-stake networks. Toma breaks down the complexities and misconceptions around DVs and shares his vision for a world where even your phone can help secure Ethereum. He also dives into the staking value chain, the impact of upcoming Ethereum upgrades, and his bold prediction for 2025.

Toma Heremans is the CEO of Obol Association, the largest Decentralized Operator Ecosystem. Under Toma’s leadership, Obol was the first to bring distributed validators to mainnet, helping secure over a billion dollars in stake, with a focus on improving performance, reducing slashing risk, and enabling institutional adoption.

Learn more at validationcloud.io

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation.
📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights:
• Website: validationcloud.io
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud
• X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud

👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud.

Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market.

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

Alex sits down with Charles d’Haussy, CEO of the dYdX Foundation, to discuss appchains, the power of perpetuals, decentralized versus centralized exchanges, and how AI-driven strategies are shaping the future of DeFi. Charles also shares insights from his experience in Asia’s FinTech scene, the role of governance in dYdX’s ecosystem, and his bold prediction for 2025.

Learn more about Validation Cloud: validationcloud.io

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation.
📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights:
• Website: validationcloud.io
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud
• X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud

👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud.

Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market.

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

Omer Goldberg, CEO of Chaos Labs, joins Alex Nwaka to discuss on-chain finance, AI-driven risk management, and institutional adoption of blockchain technology. Omer shares his journey from Facebook and Instagram to founding Chaos Labs, highlighting how data-driven decision-making and AI-powered financial modeling are reshaping DeFi security. He dives into the challenges of risk management, the launch of Chaos Labs' Edge Oracle Network, and the role of real-time risk monitoring in optimizing DeFi protocols. The conversation also explores institutional barriers to blockchain adoption, the importance of regulatory clarity, and Omer’s fundraising insights for Web3 startups. Tune in for a deep dive into AI, security, and the future of on-chain finance.

Learn more about Validation Cloud: validationcloud.io

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation.
📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights:
• Website: validationcloud.io
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud
• X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud

👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud.

Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market.

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

Alex sits down with Denelle Dixon, the CEO of Stellar Development Foundation, to discuss her career journey, the mission of Stellar, and the future of blockchain technology. Denelle shares how she got her start as a trial lawyer and how that led her to leadership roles at Yahoo and Mozilla. She also explains how her career journey informed her approach to driving innovation and fostering financial inclusion through the Stellar Development Foundation. Alex and Denelle explore Stellar’s role in building the internet for payments, the importance of partnerships like MoneyGram and UNHCR, and the potential of tokenized assets. Denelle also reflects on engaging with policymakers, the impact of the Meridian conference, and her predictions for the blockchain industry in 2025.

Learn more about Validation Cloud: validationcloud.io

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. Tune in weekly for sharp, no-hype conversations on blockchain, AI, and enterprise innovation.
📢 Follow Validation Cloud for more insights:
• Website: validationcloud.io
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/validationcloud
• X (Twitter): x.com/HighStakesWeb3
• YouTube: youtube.com/@ValidationCloud

👤 Hosted by Alex Nwaka, CSO at Validation Cloud.

Cut through the noise. Stay ahead of the market.

This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com