Colorado Technology Association’s Post

For the last 13 years, Forbes has published our 30 Under 30 List, which in the U.S., now has 20 different categories, or 600 total, each year. Add in the alumni from our Europe and Asia lists, we’ve honored more than 10,000 wunderkinds––and vetted some 100,000 candidates. An astounding number of these folks have gone on to become cultural tastemakers, tech titans, even billionaires––32 of the latter, and counting. But regrets, we’ve had a few. While our process correctly weeded out folks like Fyre Festival impresario Billy McFarland and, yes, even Elizabeth Holmes––one-time superstars who all wound up fraudsters––others slipped through. Here are 10, out of 10,000, that we’d like to walk back. We’ll add more here as the years go on––the 30 Under 30 list is, by definition, future-facing, and not even Warren Buffett can predict with 100 percent accuracy. But we’d guess he’d be good with 99.9%.

This speech was fantastic, and not what I expected. I honestly expected more anti-bank, anti-government, anti-regulation talk. That's what we've become accustomed to on X and other platforms, and what usually gets the crowd riled up. However, this speech exactly what I should have expected from Erik. I met Erik in 2018 at the Denver Day for Crypto (my first crypto conference, where I met Matthew McClintock). He gave a talk there, telling us the establishments were going to fight us. They weren't going to willingly give up power and control. Spot on. In this speech for Coin Center, we get a very aspirational and forward-looking talk, while also looking back, using history as a guide. Using the move toward Protestantism, and the formation of the United States, Erik shows us we always move toward more control of our own lives. We don't like being controlled by centralized entities, whether it's control of our faith, our ability to govern ourselves, or in this case, our provenance over our own financial and economic future. If given the choice, we choose self-sovereignty. On a smaller scale, in the past 20 years we've chosen to cut phone cords in favor of mobile. We've chosen more personalized streaming media over settling for what radio stations and cable networks want to provide. Of course, the financial choice is bigger. With more powerful players in both the private and government sectors. However, this talk gives us the ability to calmly look at the historical movements, and feel comfortable knowing those in the room are on the right path, regardless of the roadblocks. We're on the right path, and it does have to happen in the US, where the traitors of 1776 pushed forward, knowing they were right. Anyone vehemently against crypto for the technology, or the financial system it creates, very simply has an un-American opinion, in the true sense of what "American" originally meant. I appreciate this speech so much, as an aspirational view of what is being built to move us toward the greater self-control and self-sovereignty over our financial present and future that we always seek. Thanks, Erik https://lnkd.in/gUS2bdPC

NEW VIDEO! James Bowater, The Digital Commonwealth, and the Power of Combining Ideas and Connections An hour-long interview I had the great pleasure of spending an hour interviewing The Digital Commonwealth founder & CEO, James Bowater, to find out what makes him tick, scratching the surface of his digital assets journey and to understand his vision for the next six years. His answer? - to harness the positive power of emerging technologies for the future of the UK, the Commonwealth and beyond. The Digital Commonwealth, whilst billed as a community-centric hybrid news, media, events, think-tank, education and venture capital platform, is in reality more an industry-focused community made up of practitioners, customers and providers alike. Its mission is to work with that community to promote growth, market access and consumer protection, by bringing together industry, government and regulators to stimulate debate, generate fresh ideas and educate on the opportunities yet to be unlocked on a mass scale. #crypto #blockchain #community #UK #gold https://lnkd.in/eVcS3RXC

The best thing about not making it to a conference is that you’re not too tired from side events, and you can actually relax and watch the talks 🙂 Here's my summary on Brian Armstrong’s chat at the All-In Summit. More Regulation? It’s Complicated: Brian, wearing both his citizen and CEO hats, gave us a real talk on regulation. Personally, he’s all for less red tape, but as a CEO, he knows it’s crucial to have a seat at the table in D.C. to help shape the rules. He was pretty upfront about the trade-offs – sure, more freedom might mean more scams, but it’s also where groundbreaking ideas are born. He’s on the same page with Bill Gurley about how tight regulations can really put a damper on innovation. Power Play: Brian was candid about the influence of political figures like Gary Gensler and Elizabeth Warren on crypto, stating bluntly that he believes they just 'don’t want crypto to exist.' Brian speculated that their firm stances might not be about consumer protection, as often communicated, but more about retaining control and power, preserving the established financial power structures, and maintaining affiliations with big banks. For the future of crypto, Brian urged those pro technology and innovation to actively engage in dialogue and advocate for a more balanced representation in Congress. Rethinking Accredited Investor Laws: Jason Calacanis spotlighted the stringent accredited investor laws, which currently sideline 94% of Americans from investing and reaping the benefits of emerging innovations. Both Brian and Jason advocated for a shift from financial status to knowledge-based eligibility, opening the gates of opportunity wider. Crossing the Chasm: Brian emphasised the need for crypto to 'cross the chasm'. The initial wave of crypto enthusiasts, libertarians with a high risk tolerance, have paved the way. But to truly mainstream crypto, we need simplicity and user-friendliness. It’s about developing applications that resonate with a broader audience, extending beyond the early adopters. https://lnkd.in/g5PXDQG9

Thanks Jamil Hasan for a great conversation on Kadena and a discussion from From Hoodies to Suits on how #finance is changing for the #nextgen. #innovation #digitalassets #millennials #genz #finfluencers #tradfi #defi

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This is a good Discussion. ... Sometime ago (about an year or two ago? may be when Gensler became the SEC chair) I said - if there is someone who can bring some structure to the Crypto market - Gensler can do it. I think the crypto market has turned a corner now. Whatever that means 😊 ... Personally - at least at this point - I think the Blockchain technology has more solid foundation and direct usefulness than the AI technology. On the flip side - Blockchain has more road blocks than the AI 😊 Transaction speeds and energy consumption are only some technical problems to be solved - the bigger problem is - which country in the world would like to let go their control on their currency and central bank😄 at least in theory - if there is a complete takeover of Cryptos and DeFi (Decentralized Finance) - world can just run without central banks mucking around the way they do it now. ... Generative AI has of course turned a corner as well ... the way I see it ... it is, as it's name says it, is useful where someone is trying to generate or create something 'in the digital world' ... I guess it can soon get into the physical world ... may be AI can do your haircut 😜 or cook a new kind of dish in the kitchen. We have to wait and see. Like I said there are fewer road blocks here in this AI space (That may be a different kind of a problem, not having any controls!!)

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Explore the cutting-edge world of Web3 with Thomas Cermak, the founder of multiple successful businesses and nonprofits, including a social media company, a digital agency, and an artist support network. In this enlightening interview, we discuss the transformative benefits of Web3, including enhanced privacy, transparency, and how AI and blockchain are reshaping societal interactions. You can watch the complete interview here: https://lnkd.in/ddsZnE-w

💀 Zero vs Hero 🦸🏻♂️ Legacy is on the rise. But only a few can get past the #culture's "grinding machine" these days. If you want to know how much it takes to "pass the test" in tech business history, please check the segment (last ten minutes of the video below) called "Thiel's Legacy". Michael Solana seems to be "on the money" this time. As someone who's on the other side of The Americas 🌎 (and "the fence" in a way), it's kind of oddly amazing listening to a podcast and sharing so many opinions. So could a good candidate for "leader of the free world" / The Americas 🌎 be a mix between..Peter Thiel & Bob Kennedy Jr. ? Legacy ✅ Authenticity ✅ Technology ✅ Democracy ✅ Immigration ✅ Strategy ✅ Bitcoin ✅ Peter Kennedy (?) Everyone else just seems.. Extreme (Trump) ❌ Phony (Vivek) ❌ Deadbeat (Biden / DeSantis) ❌ Now as they say in the movies.. "Any similarities to the actual real world is a mere coincidence." Balance is the reason.🧘🏻♂️ Borderless is the way. 🕉️ Eventually everything connects. 🌐 #media #politics #business #technology