Former BlackRock Executive Joseph Chalom: How will Ethereum reshape the global financial system?
Ex-BlackRock Exec: Why Ethereum Will Reshape Global Finance | Joseph Chalom Guest: Joseph Chalom, Co-CEO of SharpLink and former BlackRock executive Moderator: Chris Perkins, CEO of CoinFund Podcast Date: September 10 Compiled and edited by LenaXin Editor's Summary This article is compiled from the Wealthion podcast, where we invite SharpLink co-founder and former BlackRock executive Joseph Chalom and CoinFund President Chris Perkins to discuss how the tokenization of real-world assets, rigorous risk management, and large-scale intergenerational wealth transfer can put trillions of dollars on the Ethereum track. Why Ethereum could become one of the most strategic assets of the next decade? Why DATs offer a smarter, higher-yielding, and more transparent way to invest in Ethereum ChainCatcher did the collating and compilation. Summary of highlights My focus has always been on building a bridge between traditional finance and digital assets, and upholding my principles while raising industry standards. Holding ETH indirectly through holding public shares listed on Nasdaq has its unique advantages. It is necessary to avoid raising funds when there is actual dilution of shareholder equity. You should wait until the multiple recovers before raising funds, purchasing ETH and staking. The biggest risk today is no longer regulation, but how we behave and the kinds of risks we are willing to take in pursuit of returns. A small, focused team can achieve significant results by doing just a few key things. If you can earn ETH through business operations, it will form a powerful growth flywheel. I hope that in a year and a half, we can establish one or two companies that support the closed loop of transactions in the Ethereum ecosystem and generate revenue denominated in ETH, thus forming a virtuous circle. The current global financial system is highly fragmented: assets such as stocks and bonds are limited to trading in specific locations, lack interoperability, and each transaction usually requires transfer through fiat currency. (I) From BlackRock to Blockchain: Joseph’s Financial Journey Chris Perkins: Could you tell us about your background? Joseph Chalom: I've only been CEO of SharpLink for five weeks, but my story goes far beyond that. Before coming here, I spent a full twenty years at BlackRock. For the first decade or so, I was deeply involved in the expansion of BlackRock's Aladdin fintech platform. This experience taught me how to drive business growth and identify pain points within the business ecosystem. My last five years at BlackRock have been particularly memorable: I led a vibrant and elite team to explore the new field of digital assets. I was born into an immigrant family and grew up in Washington, D.C. I came to New York 31 years ago, and the energy of this city still drives me forward. Chris Perkins: You surprised everyone by coming back after retirement. Joseph Chalom: I didn't jump directly from BlackRock to Sharplink. I officially retired with a generous compensation package. I was planning to relax and unwind, but then I got a surprise call. My life seems to have always intersected with Joe Rubin's. We talk about mission legacy, and it sounds cliché, but who isn’t striving to leave a mark? My focus has always been on building a bridge between traditional finance and digital assets, upholding my principles while raising industry standards. When I learned that a digital asset vault project needed a leader, I was initially cautious. But the expertise of ConsenSys, Joe’s board involvement, and the project’s potential to help Sharplink stand out ultimately convinced me, and so my short retirement came to an end. Ideally, everyone would have had a few months to reflect on the situation. However, the market was undergoing a critical turning point at the time. It wasn't a battle between Bitcoin and Ethereum, but rather Ethereum was entering its own era and should not be assigned the same risk attributes as Bitcoin. Frankly, I oppose irrational market bias. All assets have value in a portfolio. My decision to re-enter the market stems from my unwavering belief in Ethereum's long-term opportunities. 2. Why Ethereum is a core bet Chris Perkins: Can you talk about how you understand DATS and the promise of Ethereum? Joseph Chalom: If we believe that the financial services industry is going to go through a structural reshaping that will last for a decade or even decades, and you are not looking for short-term trading or speculation but long-term investment opportunities, then the key question is where can you have the greatest impact? There are many ways to hold ETH. Many choose to hold it in spot form, or store it in a self-custodial wallet or custodian institution. Some institutions also prefer ETF products. Of course, each method has certain limitations and risks . Indirectly holding ETH through holding public shares listed on Nasdaq has its unique advantages. Furthermore, by wrapping your equity in a publicly traded company, you not only capture the growth of ETH itself—its price has risen significantly over the past few months—but also earn staking returns. Holding shares in publicly traded companies often carries the potential for multiple increases in value. If you believe in the company's growth potential, this approach can yield significantly higher returns over the long term than simply holding ETH. Therefore, the logical order is very clear. First, you must be convinced that Ethereum contains long-term opportunities; secondly, you can choose what tools to use to hold it. (3) Promoting the growth of net assets per share: What is the driving force of the model? Chris Perkins: In driving MNAV growth, how do you balance financial operations, timely share issuance to increase earnings per share, with truly improving fundamentals and potential returns? Joseph Chalom: I think there are two complementary elements. The first is how to raise funds in a value-added manner . Most fund management companies currently raise funds mainly through issuing stocks. Issuing equity when the share price is higher than the underlying asset's net asset value (NAV) is a method of raising capital using a NAV multiple. At this point, the enterprise's value exceeds the actual value of the ETH held. Financing methods include a market offering, a registered direct offering, or starting with a pipeline. The key is that the financing must achieve value-added , otherwise early investors and shareholders will think that you are diluting their interests simply by increasing your holdings of ETH. If financing is efficient, the cost of acquiring ETH is reasonable, and staking yields returns, the value of each ETH share will increase over time. As long as financing can increase the value of each ETH share, it is an added value for shareholders. Of course, the net asset value (NAV) or main net asset value (MNAV) multiple can be high or fall below 1, which is largely affected by market sentiment and will eventually revert to the mean in the long run. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid raising funds when there is actual dilution of shareholder equity. One should wait until the multiple recovers before conducting financing, purchasing ETH, and staking operations. Chris Perkins: So essentially you're monitoring the average net asset value (MNAV). If the MNAV is less than 1, in many cases, that's a buying opportunity. Joseph Chalom: ETH attracts the following types of investors: 1. Retail investors and long-term holders who believe in the long-term capital appreciation potential of Ethereum. Even without considering staking returns, they actively hold Ethereum through public financial companies like us to seek asset appreciation and passive income. 2. Some investors prefer Ethereum's current high volatility, especially given the increasing institutionalization of Bitcoin and the relatively increased volatility of Ethereum. 3. Investors who are willing to participate in Gamma trading through an equity-linked structure to earn returns on their lending capital. A key reason I joined Sharplink was not only to establish a shared understanding as a strategic partner, but also to attract top institutional talent and conduct business in a risk-adjusted manner. The biggest risk today is no longer regulation, but how we behave and the types of risks we are willing to take in pursuit of returns. (IV) Talent and Risk: The Core Secret to Building an Excellent Team Chris Perkins: How do you find and attract multi-talented individuals who are proficient in both DeFi and traditional finance (e.g., Wall Street)? How do you address security risks like hacker attacks and smart contract vulnerabilities? Joseph Chalom: Talent is actually relatively easy to find. I previously led the digital assets team at BlackRock. We started with a single core member and gradually built a lean team of five strategists and seven engineers. Leveraging BlackRock's brand and reputation, we raised over $100 billion in a year and a half. This demonstrates that a small, focused team, focused on a few key areas, can achieve significant results. We recruit only the brightest and most mission-driven individuals, adhering to a single principle: we reject arrogance and negativity. We seek individuals who truly share our vision for long-term change. These individuals aren't simply optimistic about ETH price increases or pursuing short-term capital management, but rather believe in the profound and lasting structural transformation of the industry and are committed to participating in it. Excellent talents often come from recommendations from trusted people, not headhunters. The risks are more complex. Excessive pursuit of extremely high returns, anxious pursuit of every possible basis point of gain, or measuring progress over an overly short timeframe can easily lead to mistakes. We view ourselves as a long-term opportunity, and therefore should accumulate assets steadily. Risk primarily stems from our operational approach : for every $1 raised, we purchase $1 worth of ETH, ultimately building a portfolio of billions of ETH. This portfolio requires systematic management, encompassing a variety of methods, from the most basic and secure custodial staking to liquidity staking, re-staking, revolving strategies, and even over-the-counter lending. Each approach introduces potential risk and leverage. Risk itself can bring rewards. However, if you don't understand the risks you are taking, you shouldn't enter this field. You must clearly identify smart contract risk, protocol risk, counterparty risk, term risk, and even the convexity characteristics of the transaction, and use this to establish an effective risk-reward boundary . Our goal is to build an ideal investment portfolio, not to pursue high daily returns , but to consistently win the game. This means creating genuine value for investors. Those who blindly pursue returns or lack a clear understanding of their own operations may actually create resistance for the entire industry. Chris Perkins: Is risk management key to long-term success? Do you plan to drive business success through a lean team and low operating cost model? Joseph Chalom: Looking back on my time at BlackRock, one thing stands out: the more successful a product is, the more humble it requires . Success is never the product of a few individuals. Our team is merely the tip of the spear in the overall system, backed by a strong brand reputation, distribution channels, and a large, trusted trustee. One of the great appeals of the digital asset business is its high scalability. While you'll need specialized teams like compliance and accounting to meet the requirements of a public company, the team actually responsible for fundraising can be very lean. Whether you're managing $3.5 billion or $35 billion in ETH, scale itself isn't crucial. If you build an efficient portfolio that can handle $1 billion in assets, it should be able to scale even further. The core issue is that when the scale becomes extremely large, on the one hand, caution must be exercised to avoid interfering with or questioning the security and stability of the protocol; on the other hand, it must be ensured that the pledged assets can still maintain sufficient liquidity under adverse circumstances. Chris Perkins: In asset management, how do you understand and implement the first principle that "treasures don't exist to lose money"? Joseph Chalom: At BlackRock, they used to say that if 65% to 70% of the assets you manage are pensions and retirement funds, you can't afford to lose anything. Because if we make a mistake, many people will not be able to retire with dignity. This is not only a responsibility, but also a heavy mission. (V) How SharpLink Gains an Advantage in Competition Chris Perkins: In the long term, how do you plan to position yourself to deal with competition from multiple fronts, including ETH and other tokens? Joseph Chalom: We can learn from Michael Saylor's strategy, but the fund management approach for ETH is completely different because it has higher yield potential . I view competitors as worthy of support. We have great respect for teams like BM&R. Many participants from traditional institutions recognize this as a long-term opportunity. There are two main ways to participate: directly holding ETH or generating income through ecosystem applications. We welcome this competition; the more participants, the more prosperous the industry. Ultimately, this space may be dominated by a small number of institutions actively accumulating ETH. We differentiate ourselves primarily through three key areas: First, we are the most trusted team among institutions . Despite our small size, we bring together top experts to manage assets with professionalism and rigor. Second, our partnership with ConsenSys . Their expertise provides us with a unique strategic advantage. Third, operating the business . In addition to accumulating and increasing the value of assets, we also operate a company focused on affiliate marketing in the gaming industry to ensure compliance with SEC and Nasdaq regulatory requirements. In the future, earning ETH through operational operations will create a powerful growth flywheel . Staking income, compounding debt interest, and ETH-denominated income will collectively accelerate the expansion of fund reserves. This approach may not be suitable for all ETH fund managers. (VI) Strategic Layout: Mergers and Acquisitions and Global Expansion Plans Chris Perkins: What is your overall view and direction on future M&A strategy? Joseph Chalom: If the amount of ETH debt grows significantly and some of this debt is illiquid, this could present opportunities. Currently, listed companies in this sector primarily raise capital through daily market programs. If the stock is liquid, this channel can be effectively utilized. However, some companies struggling to raise capital may trade at a discount to net assets or seek mergers, which could be an innovative way to acquire more ETH. As the industry matures, yields could gradually increase from 0.5%-1% of ETH supply to 1.5%-2.5%. It might be wise to issue sister bonds with similar structures in different regions, such as Asia or Europe, with identical issuance conditions and shared core operating costs and infrastructure, thereby reaching a wider range of investors. We expect to engage in such creative mergers and acquisitions in the future, but the specific timing is still uncertain. I believe that the industry will first undergo an initial phase of differentiation before entering a period of consolidation . Technological development and business evolution often follow this pattern. Similar consolidation and M&A trends are likely to occur in the stablecoin sector, which will be worth watching. Chris Perkins: Why is transparency so important ? What is the main motivation for disclosing operational details on a daily basis? Joseph Chalom: Most companies don't issue shares frequently, typically only once every few years. SEC regulations require companies to disclose the number of shares outstanding only in their quarterly reports. In our industry, fundraising may occur daily, weekly, or at other frequencies. Therefore, to fully reflect operational status, a series of key metrics must be publicly disclosed . These include: the amount of ETH held, total funds raised, weekly ETH increase, whether ETH is actually held or only held in derivatives, collateralization ratio, and returns. We publish press releases and AK documents every Tuesday morning to update investors on this data. Although some indicators may not be favorable in the short term, transparent operations will enhance investor trust and retention in the long term. Investors have the right to clearly understand the products they are purchasing, and concealing information will make it difficult to gain a foothold. (VII) SharpLink's growth plan for the next 12 to 18 months Chris Perkins: What are your plans or visions for the company's development in the next one to one and a half years? Joseph Chalom: Our first priority is to build a world-class team, but this won't happen overnight. We've continued to recruit key talent and have assembled a lean team of fewer than 20 people, each of whom excels in their field and works collaboratively to drive growth. Second, continue to raise funds in a manner that does not dilute shareholder equity , and flexibly adjust fundraising efforts according to market rhythms. The long-term goal is to continuously increase the concentration of ETH per share. Third, actively accumulate ETH. If you firmly believe in the potential of Ethereum, you should seize the opportunity to increase your holdings efficiently at the lowest cost - even for funds that only allocate 5% to ETH. Fourth, we must deeply integrate into the ecosystem . As an Ethereum company or treasury, we would be remiss if we didn't leverage our ETH holdings to create value for the ecosystem. We can leverage billions of ETH to support protocol development through lending, providing liquidity, and other means, advancing the protocol in a way that benefits the ecosystem. Finally, I hope that in a year and a half, we can establish one or two companies that support the closed loop of transactions in the Ethereum ecosystem and generate ETH-denominated revenue, thus forming a virtuous circle. (8) Core investment insights: Key areas for future attention Chris Perkins: What additional advice or information would you like to add to potential investors who are considering including SBET in their investment plans? Joseph Chalom: The current traditional financial system suffers from significant friction, with inefficient capital flows and delayed transaction settlements, sometimes requiring T+1 settlements at the fastest. This creates significant settlement, counterparty, and collateral management risks. This transformation will begin with stablecoins. Currently, the market for stablecoins has reached $275 billion, primarily running on Ethereum . However, the real potential lies in tokenized assets. As Minister Besant stated, stablecoins are expected to grow from their current levels to $2-3 trillion over the next few years. Tokenized assets such as funds, stocks, bonds, real estate, and private equity could reach trillions of dollars and run on decentralized platforms like Ethereum. Some are drawn to its potential for returns, while many more are optimistic about its future. Ether isn't just a commodity; it can generate returns. With trillions of dollars in stablecoins pouring into the Ethereum ecosystem, Ether has undoubtedly become a strategic asset. Building a strategic reserve of Ether is essential because you need a certain supply to ensure the flow of dollars and assets within the system. I can't think of an asset with more strategic significance. More importantly, the issuance of on-chain securities like those by Superstate and Galaxy marks one of the biggest unlockings in blockchain technology. Real-world assets are no longer locked in escrow boxes, but are now directly integrated into the ecosystem through tokenization. This is a turning point that has yet to be widely recognized, but will profoundly change the financial landscape. Chris Perkins: The pace of development is far exceeding expectations. Regulated assets are only just beginning to be implemented; as more of these assets continue to emerge, a whole new ecosystem is forming that will greatly accelerate the development and integration of assets on Ethereum and other blockchains. Joseph Chalom: When discussing the need for tokenization, people often cite features such as programmability, borderlessness, instant or atomic settlement, neutrality, and trustworthiness. However, a deeper reason lies in the current highly fragmented global financial system: assets like stocks and bonds are restricted to trading in specific locations, lack interoperability, and each transaction typically requires fiat currency. In the future, with the realization of instant settlement and composability, smart contracts will support automated trading and asset rebalancing, almost returning to the flexible exchange of "barter." For example, why can't the S&P 500 index be traded as a Mag 7 combination? Whether through swaps, lending, or other forms, financial instruments will become highly composable, breaking the traditional concept of " trading in a specific venue . " This will not only unleash enormous economic potential but also reshape the entire financial ecosystem by reconstructing the underlying logic of value exchange. As for SBET, we plan to launch a compliant tokenized version in the near future, prioritizing Ethereum over Solana as the underlying infrastructure.
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