Venture trends, regulatory wins, and consumer innovation: Tom Schmidt and Alok Vasudev on crypto's new era

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Quick Take

  • Dragonfly’s Tom Schmidt and Standard Crypto’s Alok Vasudev discuss the state of crypto venture, regulation, and consumer apps.

Episode 5 of The Big Brain Podcast, hosted by The Block's President Larry Cermak and MegaETH CSO Namik Muduroglu, was recorded with Standard Crypto Co-Founder Alok Vasudev and Dragonfly Partner Tom Schmidt.

Listen below, and subscribe to The Big Brain Podcast on YouTubeApple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please send feedback and revision requests to [email protected]


In this episode of the Big Brain Podcast, Larry and Namik are joined by Dragonfly's Tom Schmidt Alok Vasudev of Standard Crypto. They dive into current trends in venture capital within the crypto space, touching on how market conditions have evolved since 2021, the role of treasury companies, and the evolving regulatory landscape.

OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
01:06 Alok's Background
04:45 Tom's Background
06:21 Cap Table Competition
07:53 Crypto 'Metas'
13:09 Copycat Crypto Projects
15:26 Brand Positioning
17:45 Web3 Moats
19:29 Crypto Treasury Companies
27:28 Regulatory Tailwinds
30:38 Consumer Adoption

 

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Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

AUTHOR

Jordan Leech is a podcast producer at The Block. He has worked for several years as a broadcast journalist, camera operator, and producer before aiming to get established working in the crypto industry. Jordan holds a degree in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Guelph and is an avid photographer and traveller in his free time.

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To contact the editor of this story: Daniel Kuhn at [email protected]

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