CryptoNews Podcast - #374: Michael Kong, CEO of Sonic, on Rebranding from Fantom to Sonic, Upcoming Launch of Sonic Mainnet, and Cross Chain Communication

#374: Michael Kong, CEO of Sonic, on Rebranding from Fantom to Sonic, Upcoming Launch of Sonic Mainnet, and Cross Chain Communication

09/30/24 • 34 min

Michael Kong is an influential thought leader and developer concentrated on the expansion of blockchain technology and CEO and CIO of Sonic Labs (previously Fantom). Before Sonic, Kong served as CTO of myStake, Digital Currency Holdings, and Liberté & Co. He has been a part of the ETH community since 2013.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Rebranding from Fantom to Sonic Labs
- Everyone launching a coin after November U.S election
- Sonic Boom: ~200M $S airdrop to spur adoption of the network
- $FTM to $S Token Merge - how to take advantage and get your tokens
- DeFi applications within the Sonic ecosystem
- Upcoming launch of Sonic Mainnet
- Stories from testnet and timeline for Mainnet (Dec 1)
- Sonic’s bridge to ETH
- Cross-chain communication + interoperability
- Outlook for the next few months before testnet
- Sonic’s insanely high TPS
Sonic Labs
Website: www.soniclabs.com
X: @0xSonicLabs
Telegram: t.me/Sonic_English
Michael Kong
X: @michaelfkong
LinkedIn: Michael Kong

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undefined - #373: Pratik Gauri, CEO of 5ire, on Environmentally Responsible Blockchains, Enhancing Accessibility in DeFi, and Combining Profit & Purpose

#373: Pratik Gauri, CEO of 5ire, on Environmentally Responsible Blockchains, Enhancing Accessibility in DeFi, and Combining Profit & Purpose

Pratik Gauri is the founder & CEO of 5ire.org, one of the world’s fastest-growing unicorns that achieved the coveted billion-dollar valuation less than one year from the day it was founded. He conceptualized the term 5th industrial revolution as a founding principle for shaping a for-purpose world that combines sustainability, innovation, and business viability.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- How blockchain will transform the fintech landscape in the next decade
- Sustainability approach, how 5ire minimizes the carbon footprint
- Enhancing inclusivity and accessibility in DeFi
- Navigating regulation
- Role of AI and data
- Building trust and security
- Combining profit and purpose
- The 5th industrial revolution
- Sustainable proof of stake model
- ESG layer build into the blockchain
- RWAs and AI will move the next bull market
- Hiring talent in web3
5ire
Website: www.5ire.org
X: @5ireChain
Discord: discord.gg/5ire
Pratik Gauri
Website: www.pratikgauri.in
X: @pratikgauri
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This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.
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Next Episode

#375: Pascal Gauthier, CEO of Ledger, on Self-Custody, Security, Ledger Flex + Stax, and The Right to Economic Freedom

Pascal Gauthier is the Chairman & CEO of Ledger, a tech company that specializes in developing secure hardware for consumers and enterprise-grade custody solutions for institutions, enabling the storage and management of cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
He began his career at Kelkoo, later acquired by Yahoo, and was COO at Criteo, where he played a key role in the company's pivot to advertising and global expansion. Pascal Gauthier also worked as a Venture Partner at Mosaic Ventures, a London-based VC firm, and is non-executive chairman of Kaiko, a leading digital data analytics provider.
Since he became Chairman & CEO of Ledger in 2019, Pascal Gauthier has expanded the company's product line with Ledger Live, an intuitive digital asset management app, and a next-generation consumer device, Ledger Stax. He also started Ledger Enterprise, the company’s B2B product enabling companies to secure their digital assets at scale. Ledger Enterprise offers TRADELINK, a best-in-class open network to enable custodial trading via exchange and custodial partners. Pascal Gauthier is committed to driving ownership and security in the cryptocurrency industry.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Self-custody, security, and the right to economic freedom
- Ledger's growth amidst their tenth anniversary and key learnings
- How they've performed since the launch of two products— Ledger Stax and Ledger Flex— earlier this year
- AI & blockchain's relationship— why proof-of-you is crucial
- The unique insight Ledger has as the only hardware solution with a consumer trading business via Ledger Live
- Their new HQ in Paris that's home to their revamped white hat hacker lab dubbed the "Donjon"
- Working with Tony Fadell, the creator of the iPod
- The importance of “cool” in hardware and IRL products
- The future of hardware wallets
- NYT full page ad for Ledger Stax + Flex
Ledger
Website: www.ledger.com
X: @Ledger
Discord: discord.gg/ledger
Pascal Gauthier
X: @_pgauthier
LinkedIn: Pascal Gauthier
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