FintekNews is pleased to bring you #BlockchainProfiles – featuring thought leaders within the blockchain and digital currency space. For the next feature in this series, we’d like you to meet our very own Bill Taylor of Fintek Capital, a boutique crypto investment firm based in Atlanta serving as Investment Manager for a digital assets fund in Gibraltar investing in digital physical gold & digital currencies, and employing discretionary hedging for price protection.
NAME:
Bill Taylor
TITLE:
Chief Investment Officer
COMPANY:
Fintek Capital LLC
WEB ADDRESS:
How did you personally become involved in blockchain?
I actually got interested in blockchain by way of becoming extremely interested and involved in bitcoin. Being a long time trader and veteran of all the financial markets, bitcoin really excited me and, of course, blockchain makes bitcoin go.
What does your firm do/offer within the blockchain sector?
Fintek Capital is the investment director for an offshore (Gibraltar) digital asset hedge fund.
What is your role within your firm and what do you do there on any given day?
I am the Chief Investment Officer and make all the investment trading decisions. I try very hard not to lose money (lol) and spend most days observing, analyzing and evaluating the fund’s positions.
What area/s of blockchain do you believe will grow the most in the coming 5 years? Payments and the digitization of assets.
Blockchain has allowed the global payment system to transact money transfers in mere seconds at a much cheaper cost. With the digitization of assets (commodities, stocks, bonds, etc), the cost and speed of clearing and settlement of transaction will happen virtually instantaneously.
What do you believe the next major innovation in financial technology will be and why?
Again, the digitization of assets. I think the next major innovation will be in the trading and settlement sector. If trades can be settled instantaneously and verified on the blockchain there may no longer be a need for deposits held at brokerage firms or even a clearing house. Managing risk will be made easier since there are multiple sources of verification in all blockchain transactions.
What are the biggest problems facing the blockchain industry in the future?
Regulators coming up with a set of rules that are acceptable to all parties. Lack of regulatory leadership is holding back the implementation of new innovation.
What has been the biggest success in your firm to date?
Still being relevant in a rapidly changing environment.
What has been the biggest failure in your firm and how did you adapt?
Not being able to launch our fund at the exact bottom of the last bitcoin selloff (I’m a trader…lol). Just focusing on the long term term and re-enforcing my view that short term movements do not change a futuristic view.
What blockchain leader do you admire the most and why?
Abigail Johnson , the CEO of Fidelity. She has been taking one of the largest asset management firms in the world into the “new dawn”.
How do you feel consumers (or if more relevant for your firm – businesses) are adapting to the facet of blockchain that your company operates within?
The more investors know the faster they are to accept that there is a whole new asset sector creating investment opportunities.
If you were to personally invest in just one blockchain firm (other than yours), which one would it be and why?
Amazon. They are taking over the world. Almost all companies are now a fintech company and exploring blockchain applications.
Bill Taylor is Managing Partner at Fintek Capital & a frequent contributor to FintekNews