Custodial vs. Non-Custodial Solutions in a Post-FTX World with Simon Grunfeld, Head of Web3 at Cogni

This week’s guest is Simon Grunfeld. Simon is Head of Web3 at Cogni, a banking platform that eliminates the friction between Web2 and Web3 via a seamless on-and-off ramp to help accelerate mass adoption. After all, that’s what this entire podcast is about - bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3.

The key differentiator in what Simon and Cogni are building is access. Unlike major crypto exchanges, Cogni gives users complete control over their assets with a non-custodial wallet that it can’t access, and where only users have access to their private keys.

Simon and I discuss the spectrum of options available today for investors who want to buy crypto, the associated risks of each, how and why non-custodial wallets will be the difference maker in recovering consumer confidence in the crypto industry, and why interoperability is the key to building America's super wallet. With that, please enjoy my conversation with Simon.

For more information about Cogni, please visit: https://getcogni.com/

You can Follow Simon Grunfeld on Twitter @getcogni: https://twitter.com/getcogni

Show notes:

[0:06] Introduction to Simon Grunfeld

[1:53] Simon Grunfeld's background and his crypto journey to Cogni

[4:09] What is Cogni and What is their key differentiator

[9:25] How FTX exposed the issue around custody; narrative around self-custody

[14:10] Centralized vs. Decentralized platform

[17:18] Idea of "Trusting the Code"

[24:50] Interoperability - ability to have fiat and crypto in one place, how that can help with bridging the gap between TradFi and DeFi

[31:05] Tax perspective; tracking your transactions, does Cogni help with data tracking?

[35:22] Ease of use to open an account with Cogni

[38:05] How Crypto and Web3 is maturing; for Simon - Web3 identity tools

[42:12] Regulatory clarity

[47:01] Bull vs. Bear case for Crypto and Blockchain technology

All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.