Expert Contributors
We built the Expert Contributor Network to ensure the reliability and trustworthiness of the educational material ever published on BitDegree. In all reports, each of the established & qualified Experts strives to contribute opinions, comments and insights, to help Web3 students to learn from the truly best.
Senior Expert Contributor
Jeff Burton - EA Co-Founder, CEO of Woodside Creek Ventures
Jeff Burton, Stanford Alumni, is the Chairman of the Board of Advisors for BitDegree, the Co-Founder of Electronic Arts (EA), and the CEO & Chairman of Woodside Creek Ventures. Working as the Executive Director for SkyDeck Berkeley, he paved the way for the world's premier public university to present its top startups and researchers with the chance to tackle the business hurdles inherent in the dynamic startup landscape. Jeff is also the Co-Founder and ex-COO of The Hive Group, the ex-CEO of Just Arrive, LLC, and the ex-International Market Manager for Atari Europe, where he developed international markets for Atari Home Computers. As a pioneer of new forms of Digital Education, and with advanced expertise in emerging technologies & Web3, Jeff has served as the Advisory Committee Member for the EU Commission / Startup Europe, as well as becoming an Associated Partner with the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies.
Dirk Lueth
Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Upland
NFTs, Metaverse, Crypto
Dirk is a serial entrepreneur and an early adopter of blockchain and related technologies based in Silicon Valley. In addition to being the co-founder and co-CEO of Uplandme, Inc., Dirk co-founded and is the chairman of the Open Metaverse Alliance for Web3 (OMA3). He is the author of the bestselling book “Navigating the Metaverse: A Guide to Limitless Possibilities in a Web 3.0 World”. Dirk mentored over 30 startups through his work at the German and Swiss startup accelerators in Silicon Valley and is a frequent speaker/panelist about blockchain and platform economics. He received a Ph.D. from the European Business School in Germany.
Peter Kerstens
Advisor at the European Commission
Fintech, Digitization, Cybersecurity
Peter advises on technological innovation, digital transformation and cybersecurity at the European Commission’s financial services department. He has led work on the European Commission’s Fintech Action Plan and Digital Finance Strategy and co-chaired the European Commission’s Fintech Taskforce. Peter is often called the father of Mica (the EU Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation) and Dora (the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act). Peter has extensive experience in EU policy and regulation in various fields, including the single market, financial services, digitalization, security, foreign policy sanctions, consumer protection, and health and food safety. Earlier in his career, Peter was Finance Counsellor at the EU Embassy in Washington DC. He has also been a member of the private offices of the commissioner for the internal market and services and the commissioner for health and consumer protection. Before joining the European Commission, Peter advised significant corporations on EU policy and regulatory affairs. He is a Dutch national with double magna cum laude master's degrees in European affairs and political science from the College of Europe in Bruges and the University of Leuven, Belgium. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University Law School and a consummate public speaker.
Tal Catran
Accelerators and Startups GURU, Business Development and Marketing Expert, Global Networker
Startups, Accelerators, Innovation, Technology, Marketing and Sales
Tal has been a prominent figure in the global innovation ecosystem since 2012 as the founder of 21 startup accelerators worldwide. He has gained recognition as a "GURU" in building accelerators, innovation hubs, and tech incubators. Throughout the years, Tal has conducted nearly 80 cohorts, graduating over 1,000 startups, and his career roadmap consists of milestones in 30 countries worldwide. Tal has been actively involved in building startup ecosystems globally, offering his expertise and mentoring to governments, municipalities, universities, innovation authorities, SMB agencies, the private sector, and to accelerators and startups. Tal is a charismatic and sought-after keynote speaker at major international conferences, including TEDx and Forbes.
Jeff Burton
EA Co-Founder and CEO at Woodside Creek Ventures
Startups, technology
Co-Founder of EA (Electronic Arts). Serial entrepreneur and builder of global enterprises. Believer that technology and the unifying strength of multicultural exchange in the pursuit of problem-solving and business growth can lead to profound economic, social, and global benefits. Long-term personal network builder in Europe and Silicon Valley over the past 40 years resulting in strong, enduring professional relationships.
Benedetto Biondi
CEO at Folks.Finance
DeFi
Benedetto Biondi is the co-founder and CEO of Folks Finance, the leading DeFi protocol on Algorand, offering a complete set of decentralized tools for managing digital assets. Benedetto has 3 years of experience as a blockchain project manager, is a mentor in the Algorand Miami and Europe Accelerators, Moonbeam Accelerator, Fin+Tech accelerator, DeFi advisor at Climatecoin, and DeFi lecturer at the course of Economics and Law for Digital Assets at the University of Florence.
Michele Nati
Director of Research and Innovation Projects at WSense SRL
Web3, Blockchain, Data, IoT, Strategy
Michele Nati is a highly accomplished professional with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Rome "La Sapienza" and nearly 20 years of research experience in designing solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), data sharing architectures, and blockchain-based innovation. Michele's research interests revolve around the role of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) in increasing trust in data sharing within telecommunications, IoT, supply chains, and smart cities sectors. Additionally, as an adjunct professor, he has contributed to teaching IoT protocols, including topics like IoT security, blockchain integration, digital identities, and cutting-edge technologies.
Conrad Kraft
Executive Director at Digital Euro Association
Central bank digital currencies (CBDC)
Conrad Kraft is an executive director at the Digital Euro Association (DEA). Conrad Kraft oversees the DEA’s working groups and has conducted substantial research around central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and stablecoins. Before joining the DEA, Conrad Kraft worked in public sector. He holds a master’s degree in digital currencies and blockchain from the University of Nicosia and has undertaken research in the areas of distributed ledger technology (DLT), CBDCs, and the use of exponential technologies in the public sector.
Sarah Gottwald
Managing Director at Blockchain Founders Group (BFG)
Web3 and Blockchain Startup Acceleration, Business Development, Advisory, Public Speaking
Sarah Gottwald's experience as a venture capitalist includes working at Vanagon Ventures, a firm specializing in Web3 / blockchain startups. She is also the managing director of Blockchain Founders Group, a venture capital firm and company builder. BFG offers Web3 startup incubation, network, knowledge, and funding. Furthermore, Sarah Gottwald hosts a podcast BLOCKTALES - Unchained Stories. It is dedicated to exploring the lives of people behind blockchain technology. She is also a member of the board of the ITSA (International Token Standardization Association).
Max Zheng
Director of Investments at Blockchain Founders Group (BFG)
Web3 Startup Acceleration, Advisory, Mentorship, Growth, Sales, Strategy
Max is the Director of Investments at Blockchain Founders Group, a venture capital firm and company builder. In this role, he advises numerous crypto firms on business development, sales, fundraising, outreach, IT strategy, process strategy, and growth hacking. In addition, Max Zheng is a mentor at Techstars Crypto Boston Powered by Algorand, a worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Also, Max is a strategy advisor for MetaGameHub DAO, which aims to make NFTs accessible and transparent for everyone and is backed by Polygon and The Sandbox.
Tiago Amaral
Co-Founder at Inevitable Future Institute
NFTs, AI
Tiago Amaral co-founded the Inevitable Future Institute, and is a speaker and author focused on AI, Web3, and innovation. He has worked with companies like Wipro, Etihad, TDWC, Amcham, and Metaverse Insider. Tiago is one of the Top 10+ Web3 speakers in the world, alongside names like Neal Stephenson and Ray Kurzweil, according to Champions UK. He talks daily about AI, Web3, and innovation to more than 50,000+ followers on LinkedIn, and gives keynotes for companies looking to understand the impacts of these technologies on their businesses. Tiago is also the author of “Non-Fungible Book: Introduction to NFTs”.
James Aman
Web3 Researcher and Co-Founder at Topl Protocol
Consensus Protocols, Web3 Architecture, Tokenomics, Digital Assets
James Aman is a Web3 practitioner, researcher, and educator. He serves as a faculty member at Rice University, where he teaches a blockchain course for undergraduate and graduate students that introduces students to the technical and business impacts of decentralized ledger technologies. James co-founded and served as CTO of Topl protocol, a first-of-its-kind Layer 1 blockchain for building sustainable and inclusive communities. James received his Ph.D. in ultracold atomic physics in 2019. Afterwards, he transitioned to developing decentralized applications across various platforms/networks and architecting protocols such as regularized Nakamoto Proof-of-Stake.
Raj Kapoor
Founder and CEO at India Blockchain Alliance
Blockchain, Web3
Raj Kapoor is the founder of India Blockchain Alliance, the most prominent Indian emerging technology think tank. He is an advisory board member of over 50 blockchain companies, including Floyx, Spherium, and Sarva Labs. Among other things, Raj Kapoor is a blockchain, cryptocurrency, and FinTech educator. He is a certified Bitcoin professional (CBP) and blockchain solution architect. Recently, Raj Kapoor spoke and recommended solutions at the G20 on compliance, regulations, and standards to be adopted to regulate cryptocurrencies. Raj has helped organize India's most significant blockchain and cryptocurrency events across major cities. Raj Kapoor has designed and worked on 4 blockchains, 5 CEXs, 3 swaps, and 3 DEXs. He is now working with his team on India's indigenous blockchain. Raj is also working on sustainable and socially impactful blockchain projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Cassio J. Krupinsk
CEO and Founder at BLOCKBR
Digital Assets, Tokenization, Blockchain, DeFi, Crypto
Cássio started his carrier in the financial market when he was 16. In 2009, Cassio built a payment platform based on virtual currency. From 2008 to 2020, he undertook several projects investing in startup companies - it's also when he experienced three business bankruptcies. Being resilient and recovering himself quickly, Cassio understood that every fall should be understood as a learning opportunity. He is the founder and CEO of BlockBR Digital Assets and has contributed to the growth of the blockchain environment within the capital and credit market, proving that tokenization is the evolution of crypto assets. BLOCKBR Digital Assets is an infrastructure tokenization and digital assets company in Brazil.
Oleg Giberstein
Co-Founder and COO at Coinrule
DeFi, Tokenomics, Macro, Investing, Entrepreneurship
Oleg Giberstein is the co-founder and COO of Coinrule, a Y Combinator-backed platform that simplifies automated cryptocurrency trading on crypto exchange platforms for retail investors. Holding an MPhil degree from the University of Oxford, he gained experience in banking and risk roles at Citigroup before diving into the blockchain world. Passionate about technology, Oleg has played an active role in DeFi, Web3, and DAOs like OrangeDAO, contributing to the future of digital assets.
Matt Zhang
Co-Founder at ZippyChain.ai
Web3, AI, Data, Security, DeFi
Matt Zhang is the co-founder/CTO of ZippyChain, which builds the Web3 foundation for AI. It is a novel Layer-1 public blockchain that is EVM compatible and utilizes state sharding and parallel EVM. It provides decentralized & collaborative AI on the blockchain through crowd-sourcing GPUs through Layer-2 edge computing. Matt got his Ph.D. in information security from a top engineering graduate school in the US and has 15+ years of industrial experience in Silicon Valley in areas including big data, information security, cloud, and Web3. He has worked with big companies like Google and built multiple startups in the past in Silicon Valley and China.
Maximilian Bruckner
Head of Marketing and Sales at 21e6
Crypto Assets, Crypto Asset Funds, Crypto Investment Advisory, DeFi
Maximilian Bruckner works at 21e6 Capital AG, a Swiss crypto investment advisory. 21e6 Capital focuses on crypto asset risk management for family offices and institutional investors. The team has analyzed over 1,000 crypto hedge funds worldwide and can construct portfolios that provide crypto exposure with minimal downside risk. Maximilian regularly speaks at conferences and holds lectures and workshops for wealth managers and private banks. His articles on crypto asset management have been published by leading finance media such as CityWire and Business Insider.
Jong-Chan Chung
Venture Manager at Blockchain Founders Group (BFG)
DeFi, Early-Stage Startup Investment and Incubation
Jong-Chan Chung (Jong) is a highly experienced Web3 startup investor and company builder at Blockchain Founders Group (BFG) with a passion for decentralized finance. Jong is known for his astute investment judgment and ability to identify game-changing technologies that can potentially transform traditional finance. With a focus on fostering innovation and supporting the growth of promising startups, Jong has helped numerous companies raise funding and bring their products to the market. His dedication to the industry and commitment to driving change has earned him a reputation as one of the leading voices in the Web3 space. Moreover, he leads the efforts at Web3 Talents, a blockchain mentoring initiative at the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center that educates more than 1000 people annually. Born and raised in Germany, he lives in Seoul, South Korea.
Matthew MeĹľinskis
Corporate Finance Professional at ArchInvest
Money and Macro Economic Research, Chart Analysis, Interviews, Podcasting
Matthew is a corporate finance professional. Since 2017 he has hosted the Crypto Voices podcast, and since 2023 he has created macro and money educational videos on his channel, Porkopolis Economics. Since 2018 he has tracked the global basic money supply worldwide, the only fiat money supply that is economically comparable with Bitcoin, gold, and silver.
Kevin Riedl
Founder at Wavect
Smart Contracts, dApps, Web3, DeFi, Blockchain, Fintech
Kevin Riedl is a versatile professional with expertise in smart contracts, dApps, and Web3 development. As a developer and speaker, Kevin is actively involved in the Web3 community, engaging with industry leaders and sharing insights through podcasts. He is the founder of Wavect, which is a Web3 software agency. It develops smart contracts and dApps. Furthermore, Kevin Riedl is a lead blockchain engineer at Quivr. Quivr is a universal digital identity solution that validates passions, credentials, skills, and attendance through data.
Kamlesh Nagware
CTO at Snapper Future Tech
Blockchain, Hyperledger Fabric, Consulting and Advisory
Kamlesh is the CTO at Snapper Future Tech, TEDx Speaker & Top 30 Influencer, Co-Chair Hyperledger India, Vice-Chair Hyperledger Climate SIG, and a mentor, consultant & advisor, driving transformation & innovation in emerging technologies. He offers services such as blockchain product development & consulting. With a solid technology leadership background, start-up consulting experience, and a focus on digital transformation, Kamlesh has the skills and expertise necessary to drive the blockchain industry forward. His experience with Hyperledger, digital transformation, executive leadership, and agile software development enables him to provide valuable insights and guidance to organizations looking to integrate blockchain into their operations.
Stamatis Manos Papangelou
Blockchain and AI Researcher at the University of Nicosia
Blockchain, AI
Stamatis (Manos) Papangelou is a Ph.D. candidate and researcher. Stamatis holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Macedonia in Greece. He also has an MSc in Data Science from International Hellenic University and graduated with honors. His current Ph.D. research focuses on a DAO's decentralization and autonomous aspects in the DeFi ecosystem. His study aims to categorize and measure decentralization levels of DeFi protocols and how AI can promote independent financial services. Freelancing advisor for various startups and projects in blockchain, DeFi, and AI.
Nathan Vandy
Head of DAO at DappRadar
Blockchain Law, Web3, Metaverse
Nathan Vandy is a legal professional with a strong focus on emerging technology. With expertise in the decentralized sector, he provides valuable advice on legal matters, procedures, and business-related issues. Nathan's academic background includes two law degrees from reputable universities. Currently, he is working on building successful decentralized applications with compliant decentralized governance. In his roles as Head of DAO at DappRadar.com, Ph.D. candidate, and legal researcher at blockchaingov.eu, Nathan contributes to the development of the Web3 ecosystem. His research interests span IP challenges in the NFT industry, legal recognition of DAOs, digital identity, liability, governance in the metaverse, and democratizing Web3 and emerging technologies for broader accessibility.
Douglas Eriksen
Founder and CEO at ChainMosaic
Blockchain strategy, Digital Assets, AI, DeFi
By late 2019, Douglas Eriksen pivoted his career into the Blockchain space. He then chose to embark on his Masters in Law, learning how new technologies demanded modernized legal frameworks and innovative applications. Simultaneously, Douglas earned a diploma in Blockchain Strategy through Oxford University. During the 2021 NFT boom, he started his own Web3 venture accelerator, ChainMosaic LTD - providing services for project realization in the Blockchain & AI industries, including Capital Fundraising. Project Acceleration, Product Development, and Project Management. Alongside this, he currently project-manages the NFT Marketplace on the Ultra.io platform, generating almost $1.5 million in the first 40 days of open beta release. At Ultra, Douglas' role is to innovate in the application of NFTs in Blockchain Gaming. Growing up in a country with such a wide gap amongst income classes, he always felt drawn to industries that offer solutions. In pursuit of these solutions, Douglas found his place in Web 3.0, allowing him direct access to an ever-changing landscape of innovation capable of closing the digital divide and acting as an engine of socio-economic transformation for marginalized communities.
Faith Obafemi
Blockchain, Crypto and Smart Contracts Researcher at Smart Contract Research Forum
Web3, Blockchain
Faith Obafemi is an international tech lawyer involved in emerging technologies. Her law practice areas revolve around legal technology, such as blockchain, cryptocurrency, smart contracts, and ICOs. Faith also has a digital content consultancy business, which provides educative and interactive content for law, blockchain, crypto, and FinTech companies and other tech-related businesses. She is a board member of Black Women Blockchain Council, which aims to educate young girls and women about the opportunities that are available for them in the crypto and blockchain spaces. Also, Faith is a blockchain, crypto, and smart contract researcher at Smart Contract Research Forum.
Carlos Diaz
PhD Researcher in Business Innovation at RMIT University
Blockchain for Climate Governance
Andres is an economist with Master's degrees in Corporate Finance and Environmental and Energy Management. He is also a Ph.D. researcher at the College of Business and Law at the RMIT University in Melbourne. Andres has focused his doctoral research on the novel governance dynamics enabled by blockchain technology and its applications for renewable energy trading and climate action. Andres is interested in the emergence of decentralized technologies and the opportunities for democratic and participative outcomes. He has published several high-quality academic articles on these topics.
VĂctor Muñoz Albornoz
Founder at Bright NFT
NFT, AI
VĂctor Muñoz Albornoz is a scientist, entrepreneur, and content creator working with innovative technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence. He collaborates with multiple organizations and startups to shape the future of these technologies. VĂctor Muñoz Albornoz's company BRIGHT NFT provides services and products that leverage NFTs, AI, and the power of Web3 communities. He is also a strategic advisor at Convex Foundation, a lattice technology platform for the Internet of Value. In addition, VĂctor holds Ph.D. from the University of Valencia, and has completed the NFT talent program at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.
Dr. Amanda Kavner
PhD and Visiting Assistant Professor at State University of New York
Cognitive Science, Web3, Education, AI
Amanda Kavner completed her Ph.D. in April 2020 in the Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science of Learning Program at the University at Buffalo, concentrating on Machine Learning applications in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience. As a high school educator, college professor, and researcher, Kavner focuses on new research applications in the classroom. Her research concentrates on developing and applying cognitive computational models in educational assessment and curricular development using machine learning algorithms to analyze neurocognitive measurements recorded in educational environments. In Web3, Kavner aims to use her expertise and research to help Web3 companies focus their educational efforts to create resources easily understood and remembered by mainstream individuals.
Abhishek Bhattacharya
Entrepreneur, Author, Forbes 30 Under 30
Financial Inclusion, DeFi, NFTs, FinTech
Abhishek has been a 3x entrepreneur focused on FinTech and Blockchain Tech. He's a Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honoree, a 3-times Author, an Ethereum Foundation Fellow and a UNDP INSPIRO Fellow. While at Brú Finance, he brought Blockchain to farmers to save their income, covering 1,400 warehouses, 20,000+ farmers and $300 Million in committed TVL and connected them to global DeFi lenders, supported by the United Nations Development Programme, IIM Ahmedabad and MassChallenge USA. He was instrumental in fundraising $350,000 and garnering over $200,000 in equity-free grants. He's also a Blockchain Educator and has taught 8,000+ faculty, PhDs, and students globally. He is a regular public speaker and has delivered talks at SmartCon '22 in New York, DEVCON in Bogota, cNFTCon '22 in Las Vegas, CITC Conference by Ministry of Communication and IT in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and across Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia etc.
Stephen Sargeant
Founder of Airdropd
Media and Content Marketing, Web3 and Blockchain Training, Crypto Compliance
Stephen is a blockchain investigator and content producer with over 5 years of experience providing crypto consultancy services to the top crypto exchanges. Stephen is a facilitator at various colleges and educational institutions on crypto compliance and blockchain investigations. Stephen founded Airdropd in 2022 out of a need for more nuanced and contextual content at the intersection of crypto, blockchain compliance and cybersecurity. Airdropd produces industry-leading podcasts and video content for companies like Chainalysis, Asset Reality, rAML, and ACAMS.
William Laurent
Independent Creator and CMO/Chief Creative Officer
Analytics, AI, Web3 Community Management, Marketing
William Laurent founded National Information Management, a boutique IT consultancy, in New York City in 1996. Widely published in the areas of AI, Web3, and crypto/blockchain tech. William has advised over 30 Fortune 500 companies across North America and Asia on content strategy, marketing analytics, and digital transformation. His recent accomplishments include ensuring Web3 organizations achieve maximum impact and influence from their branding and marketing efforts. William is an influential educator, writer, artist, and crypto dad. He has taught AI and data analytics at New York University, Temple University, and Baruch College. His artwork and NFTs are sought-after collectibles, and his new YouTube channel, Crypto Rogers, promises to make Web3 fun for all.
Simon Molitor
Co-founder and CEO of Digitalsocial.ID
Decentralized Identity, Strategy, Marketing
Simon is the co-founder and CEO of Digitalsocial.ID (DSID). His team is building chain-agnostic and holistic reputation scores on top of identity credentials. He studied at Frankfurt School of Finance, where he led the Venture Capital Club for many years. He has a background as a financial advisor and sales manager in a venture capital fund. Today, Simon is entirely focused on growing his start-up into the leading provider of digital reputation data. Colleagues call him a super-connector as he enjoys leveraging his professional network to create win-win situations. He is a mentor at the blockchain education program DeFi Talents, where he graduated as a distinguished super-talent. He is an alumnus of the Blockchain Founders Group Superstar program.
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