[New York] Downloads of privacy-focused messaging apps Signal and Telegram are skyrocketing as users look for alternatives to Facebook-owned WhatsApp. The surge comes after WhatsApp updated its terms of service to give users little choice in opting out of sharing data with parent company Facebook. Did you know that user security and privacy will be paramount to the longevity of tech platforms?
The following is an excerpt from KOREA IT TIMES’ interview online with Demetrios Skalkotos, SVP Global Head of Sales at Blockdaemon on his vision for a privacy centered future for the blockchain industry.
Q: You have an extensive background in business development and senior leadership in the blockchain industry and beyond, can you tell us about yourself?
As a senior executive and business leader in the technology and financial services space, I have considerable experience in leading high-performance sales operations and delivering successful strategic initiatives in rapid growth environments.
Prior to joining Blockdaemon, I was Global Head at Ledger Vault, where I managed strategy and operations of the custody platform to enterprises and institutions across the globe. A global innovator in securing cryptographic assets and blockchain applications, Ledger serves individuals and enterprises across 165 countries. .
I also have over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, where I have worked in senior management positions for global entities such as Nasdaq, the second-largest stock exchange in the world with a market cap of more than $9 trillion. At Nasdaq, I led the Global Corporate Solutions division, with oversight for strategic business development, M&A, go-to-market strategies, and new products. Previously, Demetrios was a Vice President at the Intercontinental Exchange, a network of 23 regulated exchanges and marketplaces, where he managed operations for Solutions and Content Acquisition globally.
Q: Given your background, what do you hope to bring to your role at Blockdaemon?
Given my experience in maximizing company growth in the technology sector, I hope to scale up Business Development and Technical Account Management operations at Blockdamon, as well as unlock potential for growth in new markets. Demand for secure and scalable blockchain infrastructure is rapidly accelerating, with the adoption of staking protocols that Blockdaemon supports such as Ethereum 2.0, Algorand, Stellar, Celo, Tezos and Polkadot reaching new highs.
The second-generation launch of longstanding crypto heavyweight Ethereum 2.0 and DeFi entering a pivotal year of growth, offers potential for further seismic growth in the sector, with demands for straightforward mode management platforms such as those offered by Blockdaemon likely to follow suit.
Q: In your opinion, what differentiates Blockdaemon from other blockchain infrastructure providers?
Managing node infrastructure can be complicated, time-consuming, and costly. Blockdaemon’s expertise being the largest independent node infrastructure provider simplifies the process of deploying nodes, mitigates risk, and allows developers to spend time on what matters: innovating and building next-generation networks. With easy to use integrations and interoperability at the core of our philosophy, we provide custodians, exchanges, financial institutions, and enterprises with the best-fit node configurations that allow them to rapidly scale up operations.
Blockdaemon supports 30+ protocols both in the cloud or on bare metal, in addition to providing a suite of APIs to access on-chain data to provide the optimal node management solution that best fits the needs of both enterprise and developers.
Q: What plans do you have for Blockdaemon in 2021? Are there any particular protocols that you are excited to work with?
2021 will be a tremendously exciting year for the blockchain industry. Blockdaemon’s easy to use node management platform can help ease the transition to the blockchain sector for new market players. Growth in protocols such as Polkadot, Terra, Solana, Stellar, The Graph, and upcoming protocols like Diem will drive significant interest and advancement for the overall ecosystem at large.
The journey towards Ethereum 2.0 also continues, with Blockdaemon offering comprehensive staking services for users looking to prepare for the network’s transition to Proof-of-Stake. There are also a number of compelling protocol mainnet launches on the horizon, which we are excited to announce our support for later this year.
Q: The crypto industry had a massive year of enterprise and institutional adoption in 2020. In your view, what were the most significant moments during the year for the sector?
The institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies has been one of the dominant trends of the market in 2020. More institutions and liquidity providers are entering the space, and tend to opt for fundamentally different investment strategies than retail investors. These entities are likely to buy and hold crypto assets, and unlike retail investors will not be spooked by market corrections. This entry of institutional players has strengthened the crypto economy and has created a feedback loop that brings further players into the ecosystem by legitimizing the space. I expect this cycle to continue in 2021, with retail also likely to follow suit via new global on-ramps such as that provided by PayPal.
Q: Are there any trends or predictions that you see for the sector in 2021?
One particular area of interest for 2021 will be whether the DeFi space can follow the lead of the crypto market and attract greater institutional investment. While DeFi is still in its nascent phase, there are growing signs that it is already beginning to enter a phase of maturation, with an initial hype phase cooling off. Institutional adoption of cryptocurrency has proven to be a significant driver for adoption by retail users. If DeFi can mature and manage to attract similar mainstream investments, there are likely to be huge opportunities for early adopters of the technology in the coming year.
