

Digital Currents
Morgan Creek Capital Management, LLC
Digital Currents brings listeners engaging content from the venture capital industry with an emphasis on blockchain, artificial intelligence and big data. In each episode Morgan Creek Digital General Partners and co-hosts Mark Yusko, Xavier Segura and Sachin Jaitly explore the exciting areas of the digital ecosystem accompanied by expert guests from Morgan Creek's expansive global network.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 8, 2024 • 56min
ABCD News Roundup 08.7.2024: AI Power Ranking: As Intel Fades, Is NVIDIA Next, And Can Groq Come Out On Top?
In this week's Digital Currents weekly roundup, Mark and Xavier analyze a tumultuous weekend for equities and crypto. The duo also talks about Google's anti-trust case, Intel's continuing woes, and the surging amount of big tech capital expenditures going to Nvidia in the Chart of the Week. Plus, what does Groq's latest $640M round mean for AI incumbents? Join us as we discuss these topics and more. Remember to Stay Current! To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com.

Aug 7, 2024 • 52min
From Code to Coverage: Zuhayr's Journey from Algorithmic Trading to Insurtech Innovation
From Code to Coverage: Zuhayr's Journey from Algorithmic Trading to Insurtech Innovation In this episode, we dive into the transformative world of decentralized technologies with Zuhayr Rashid from Infineo. In this episode, Zuhayr recounts his journey from learning about Bitcoin in university to founding Infineo, a startup seeking to digitize life insurance by minting $9 million worth of policies on the Provenance Blockchain. We explore the implications of this innovation for the industry, the benefits of blockchain technology in enhancing transparency and efficiency, and what this means for the future of insurance. Remember to Stay Current! To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com.

Aug 2, 2024 • 57min
ABCD News Roundup 08.2.2024
In the latest Digital Currents weekly roundup, Mark and Xavier pull the thread on some of the recent crypto and teach headlines. They review areas such as the financial burden of the AI arms race, Bitcoin's influence on the U.S. election, and the U.S. VC fundraising trend in the Chart of the Week. Join us as we explore these topics and more. Remember to Stay Current! To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com.

Jul 30, 2024 • 1h 1min
The Shift from Trust to Truth: A Conversation with Mike Cagney of Figure Technologies
On our latest episode of Digital Currents, hosts Mark Yusko and Xavier Segura welcome back recurring guest Mike Cagney, co-founder and CEO of Figure Technologies, to talk about the current state of the digital ecosystem. The group discusses topics such as Figure Markets, the blockchain push into the private credit market, and the future of crypto regulation worldwide. They also comment on why so many groups have identified the Middle East as a key region for Web 3 growth. Join us as we dive into these exciting topics and more. Remember to Stay Current! To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com.

Jul 26, 2024 • 42min
ABCD News Roundup 07.26.2024
Mark and Xavier dive into the latest digital headlines after their overseas adventures. They discuss the recent downturn in AI stocks and share highlights from the Bitcoin 2024 Conference. The conversation shifts to the booming semiconductor market, emphasizing its growing significance in technology and daily life. They also address the intricate landscape of cryptocurrency investment and the challenges faced by major tech companies like Apple and Nvidia. Staying current in this rapidly evolving ecosystem has never been more crucial!

Jul 18, 2024 • 39min
Product Talk | Digital Currents: Decoding the Product Management Journey, Xavier's Trail in Tech's Evolution
"Product Talk" is a podcast hosted by SC Moradi, founder and chair of Products That Count. In a captivating episode, Xavier Segura, a general partner at Morgan Creek Digital, shares insights into his career journey, from innovation as a technology operator to managing investments as an early-stage venture investor. Learn more about your Digital Currents Host and how his experience at AppNexus, a Silicon Alley company, shed light on the challenges of newcomers competing against incumbent industry giants like Google and Facebook, and his exploration of fintech and mobile tech startups. Xavier discusses his decision to reinvest in himself from product manager to investor, pursue business school, and launch a venture fund. Xavier and SC Moradi also talk about several tech trends including the evolving cloud revolution, data security challenges, the potential of blockchain technology and the implications of AI. In addition, Xavier explores the potential return of on-premises data centers, driven by the desire of companies to own and protect their proprietary data sets, increased computing power, and AI usage. The hosts further highlight the importance of diversity of thought in AI training sets. "Product Talk" offers valuable insights and experiences for product managers, aspiring professionals, and anyone interested in the dynamic world of product development. To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital/. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com

Jul 12, 2024 • 1h 5min
Learn How Hex Trust is Bridging TradFi and The New Global Decentralized Economy: The Value of Passion, Persistence and Thorough Research
In this episode of Digital Currents, host Xavier Segura chats with Calvin Shen, a managing director at Hex Trust. Calvin shares his journey from traditional finance to the forefront of Web3, the strategic decisions behind Hex Trust's international expansion to Dubai and beyond, and the importance of regulatory compliance in the digital asset space. The conversation highlights the challenges and opportunities in the crypto sector, emphasizing the value of passion, persistence, and thorough research. Remember to Stay Current! To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com

Jul 5, 2024 • 22min
Around the World With Morgan Creek Digital
In this episode, GP Xavier Segura details an upcoming trip he and fellow GP Sachin Jaitly are taking to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. These two regions lead the charge in Web 3 innovation, specifically AI, Blockchain, Chips, and Big Data. He quickly highlights some interesting market stats, use cases, and portfolio companies that are developing in these regions. Join the team as they embark on this exciting journey. Make sure to stay tuned as we bring you more content from their travels in the weeks that follow. Remember to Stay Current! To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com

Jun 28, 2024 • 56min
O6.28.2024 ABCD Roundup: Ex-Googlers Develop Specialized Chip for Language Models, Telegram Advances its Decentralization Efforts via Token, and Mt. Gox's Long-Awaited Repayments are Upon Us.
In this week's edition of the ABCD Roundup, we dive into new AI benchmarks, including Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet's outpacing of GPT-4 and Groq's first Language Processing Unit (LPU) that is designed to provide efficiency and scalability comparable to the specialized chip designs of behemoth, Nvidia. In the world of blockchain, we cover the early impact of the Runes protocol on the Bitcoin network and the significant market impacts of the upcoming Mt. Gox repayments. Finally, we explore Europe's surge in public funding for quantum technologies. Remember to Stay Current! To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com

Jun 21, 2024 • 55min
06.21.2024 ABCD Roundup: Perplexity AI's Predicament, Stablecoins and Semiconductors
Welcome to the ABCD Weekly Roundup, your podcast for the latest insights and analyses on AI, Blockchain, Chips, and Data. This week we explore Perplexity AI's quest to rival Google amid scrutiny over its business practices and the integration of AI into mobile phones and telecom networks with the goal of enhanced efficiency. We also discuss Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire's prediction that stablecoins could comprise 10% of global economic money in the next decade (illustrated by our Chart of the Week segment) and ARK's focus on potentially transformative innovations in AI, robotics, and more. Plus, we dive into the forecasted expansion of global semiconductor fab capacity driven by AI demand. Remember to Stay Current! To learn more, visit us on the web at https://www.morgancreekcap.com/morgan-creek-digital. To speak to a member of our team or sign up for other content, please email mcdigital@morgancreekcap.com


