Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Crypto’s next chapter isn’t a shinier coin—it’s invisible rails. In this episode, we sit down with Aryan Sheikhalian, Research Lead at CMT Digital, to unpack the shift from “crypto as an asset” to crypto as infrastructure: 24/7 markets, instant clearing and settlement, and new structured products that couldn’t exist before.
We talk about tokenized equities (wrappers vs. native tokenization and why dividends/governance matter), how identity layers and ZK proofs unlock mainstream distribution through banks and fintechs, and where regulation is pushing builders toward partnerships and licensed rails.
Chapters
00:00 Hook: crypto as infrastructure, not asset
01:15 Guest intro and research focus
02:06 Incentives, psychology, and mechanism design
04:03 ICO lessons, maturity, and red flags
07:09 CMT Digital’s thesis and “strictly better”
10:27 Tokenized equities drivers and demand
13:40 Wrappers vs native: dividends, governance
16:06 Fintech rails, velocity, cost efficiency
18:26 Banks, distribution, and competitive incentives
20:29 New assets: GPUs, data, energy tokens
23:23 Identity layers and ZK proofs for scale
25:55 State of crypto VC and fund trends
27:51 Overlooked sectors: DePIN and decentralized data
31:26 Prediction markets and resolution design
34:18 Regulation, licenses, and partnerships
39:45 Market outlook: TVL, stables, volatility
42:45 Founder advice: conviction and user focus
Explore The Defiant ✨
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Crypto’s next chapter isn’t a shinier coin—it’s invisible rails. In this episode, we sit down with Aryan Sheikhalian, Research Lead at CMT Digital, to unpack the shift from “crypto as an asset” to crypto as infrastructure: 24/7 markets, instant clearing and settlement, and new structured products that couldn’t exist before.
We talk about tokenized equities (wrappers vs. native tokenization and why dividends/governance matter), how identity layers and ZK proofs unlock mainstream distribution through banks and fintechs, and where regulation is pushing builders toward partnerships and licensed rails.
Chapters
00:00 Hook: crypto as infrastructure, not asset
01:15 Guest intro and research focus
02:06 Incentives, psychology, and mechanism design
04:03 ICO lessons, maturity, and red flags
07:09 CMT Digital’s thesis and “strictly better”
10:27 Tokenized equities drivers and demand
13:40 Wrappers vs native: dividends, governance
16:06 Fintech rails, velocity, cost efficiency
18:26 Banks, distribution, and competitive incentives
20:29 New assets: GPUs, data, energy tokens
23:23 Identity layers and ZK proofs for scale
25:55 State of crypto VC and fund trends
27:51 Overlooked sectors: DePIN and decentralized data
31:26 Prediction markets and resolution design
34:18 Regulation, licenses, and partnerships
39:45 Market outlook: TVL, stables, volatility
42:45 Founder advice: conviction and user focus
Explore The Defiant ✨
📰 Website
thedefiant.io
✉️ Free Daily Newsletter
https://thedefiant.io/newsletter/defi...
🤑 Weekly Premium Newsletter
https://thedefiant.io/newsletter/defi...
✊ Follow The Defiant
X/Twitter: https://x.com/DefiantNews
📬 Contact our Newsroom
editorial@thedefiant.io
🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships
sponsors@thedefiant.io
#TheDefiant #DeFi #Decentralized #Finance #Blockchain #Web3
