E91: Bitwise CEO - Why Banks are Betting Big on Crypto

When Shift Happens Podcast

Hunter Horsley is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bitwise, one of the leading crypto asset managers, which strives to help institutions and individuals invest confidently in the rapidly evolving crypto space. In this insightful conversation, Hunter shares his journey from working at Facebook to co-founding Bitwise, and the lessons he's learned along the way. He delves into the importance of blockchain technology, apolitical money, and applications, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the crypto industry today. We also discuss how his background in history and business has shaped his understanding of blockchain's potential to reshape human organization and digital trust. In this episode, we explore: - What Is Bitwise? - The Role of Banks in Crypto's Future - The Inevitability of Blockchain - The History of Business in America - What Steve Jobs Taught Us - Leaving Facebook for Crypto - Cryptos Communication Problem - Self-Driving Cars and the Future - 3 Questions for Crypto to Become Mainstream - Predictions for the next 12 months in crypto __________________________________ PARTNERS 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana. https://jup.ag/ 🤖 SwissBorg is Europe’s top trusted crypto app offering user-centric investment platforms and DeFi asset management with reliability and innovation. Sign up with this link and earn up to €100 : https://join.swissborg.com/r/kevinH6E7 ♾ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🍷 Dvin is building the operating system for the $100 billion wine industry. https://www.dvinlabs.com/ __________________________________ FOLLOW HUNTER • Twitter: https://x.com/hhorsley • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-horsley-11512721 FOLLOW BITWISE • Twitter: https://x.com/BitwiseInvest • Website: bitwiseinvestments.com FOLLOW KEVIN & WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS👇 Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinwshpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://www.podpage.com/when-shift-happens/ __________________________________ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. __________________________________ 0:00 Introduction 1:24 Our Valued Sponsors 2:02 Meet Hunter Horsley 2:41 Bitwise's Stewardship Mission 3:47 Diverse Blockchain Perspectives 05:58 Becoming a Good Steward 07:19 What Steve Jobs Taught Us 07:43 Apolitical Money and Applications 08:40 Evolution of Human Organization 12:22 Digital Organization Limits 13:30 The Inevitability of Blockchain 16:38 Leaving Facebook for Crypto 22:17 Why Tech Thrives in SF 27:44 What Motivates Hunter Horsley 30:42 Facebook's Mission 32:26 Bitwise's Approach to Clients 33:29 DVIN Labs Partnership 33:52 Why Crypto Feels Unpopular 37:42 Crypto's Communication Problem 39:48 Solana's Communication Shift 42:03 Self-Driving Cars and the Future 43:24 Bitcoin's Lost Voices 46:34 Three Questions for Crypto to Become Mainstream 47:05 What’s Crypto’s Societal Benefit? 48:22 How Can This Help my Mother? 52:27 Bitwise and Pudgy Penguins 01:01:56 What Is Bitwise? 01:03:42 Bridging Crypto and Institutions 01:11:07 ETFs Transforming the Industry 01:14:42 Bitcoin ETF Adoption by Institutions 01:23:50 Institutional Shift to Bitcoin 01:25:22 Prediction for the Next 12 Months 01:26:13 The Role of Banks in Crypto's Future 01:29:46 Dealing with Heavy Frustration 01:34:02 Will Another Major Blowup Happen? 01:37:36 Message to Crypto Community ​​