# George Popescu > Entrepreneur. Author. Surfer. Gastronome --- ## Posts - [George Popescu on Medium — Ideas, Experience, and Practical Insight](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/george-popescu-on-medium-ideas-experience-and-practical-insight/): George Popescu’s writing on Medium covers a range of topics grounded in real experience, business execution, creativity, and technology. Rather... - [The Complete Guide to George Popescu's Work: From AI Skepticism to Humanoid Robotics](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/the-complete-guide-to-george-popescus-work-from-ai-skepticism-to-humanoid-robotics/): In a world saturated with AI hype and startup buzzwords, George Popescu stands out as a rare voice of clarity.... - [George Popescu AI: Evidence-Based AI Analysis and the Case for Embodied Intelligence](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/george-popescu-ai-evidence-based-ai-analysis-and-the-case-for-embodied-intelligence/): AI is surrounded by a constant stream of claims: that it will replace most jobs tomorrow, that it already “understands,”... - [George Popescu Robotics: Humanoid Robots, Messy Real-World Tasks, and the Path to Embodied AI](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/george-popescu-robotics-humanoid-robots-messy-real-world-tasks-and-the-path-to-embodied-ai/): The world is not an assembly line. Homes are not factories. Most valuable tasks are not cleanly defined. And that... - [George Popescu Insights: Entrepreneurship, Risk, Stability, and Long-Term Strategy](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/george-popescu-insights-entrepreneurship-risk-stability-and-long-term-strategy/): Most content about entrepreneurship out there is either motivational or tactical. George Popescu Insights is different: it is structural. It... - [George Popescu Projects: Portfolio of Ventures, Investments, and Creative Work](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/george-popescu-projects-portfolio-of-ventures-investments-and-creative-work/): If you’re trying to understand what George Popescu has actually built—beyond opinions and essays—start with George Popescu Projects. This site... - [George Popescu Biography: From Romania to MIT, Bootstrapped Building, and Principles That Survive Cycles](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/george-popescu-biography-from-romania-to-mit-bootstrapped-building-and-principles-that-survive-cycles/): A biography isn’t just a timeline—it’s a causal map: what shaped someone’s priorities, what constraints forced adaptation, and what principles... - [George Popescu’s Paris Insights: A Clear-Eyed Look at the AI Hype Cycle and the Limits of Modern Models](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/george-popescus-paris-insights-a-clear-eyed-look-at-the-ai-hype-cycle-and-the-limits-of-modern-models/): During a recent visit to Paris, George Popescu took time to distill his current thinking on artificial intelligence and the... - [The Next Evolution of Blockchain: Connecting Real Finance to the Chain - George Popescu](https://george-popescu.com/articles/george-popescu-blockchain-real-finance-onchain/): Blockchain has already proven it can move money, settle payments, and tokenize assets globally. The next evolution is broader —... - [The George Popescu Podcast: Exploring Business, Technology, and Creativity](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/the-george-popescu-podcast/): I am launching the George Popescu Podcast, a new platform that brings together the different areas I have worked in... - [George Popescu: From Communist Romania to MIT, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Robotics](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/george-popescu-from-communist-romania-to-mit-entrepreneurship-and-the-future-of-robotics/): I recently sat down with Jessica Koehler—Mrs. Minnesota America, Harvard Executive Leadership alum, and advocate for entrepreneurship and personal growth—for... - [#1 Skill Schools Don’t Teach](https://george-popescu.com/george-popescu-info/1-skill-schools-dont-teach/): I’ve earned three Master’s degrees — from MIT, Supelec, and Paris XI. Those credentials have been invaluable. They gave me... - [How Libra currency stands to influence the future of humanity](https://george-popescu.com/articles/libra-currency-launched-by-facebook/): Blockchain technology is continuously being compared to internet-technology. Facebook, a company with about 2. 3 billion users launches its own... - [Dapps on ETH vs. TRON vs. EOS](https://george-popescu.com/articles/dapps-on-eth-vs-tron-vs-eos/): Decentralized applications (Dapps) have taken off. Dappradar. com, the trusted authority on all things Dapps, has over 1800 listed dapps.... - [Distributed Apps (Dapps) are taking off!](https://george-popescu.com/articles/distributed-apps-dapps-are-taking-off/): Blockchain is now mainstream, but there are multiple niches that are growing and finding traction in the real world on... - [Tezos’ technical innovations analyzed](https://george-popescu.com/articles/tezos-technical-innovations-analyzed/): Tezos brings multiple technical innovations: On-chain Protocol Governance, Liquid Proof of Stake, and their own smart contract language called Michelson.... - [Pros and Cons of the Ethereum network](https://george-popescu.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-the-ethereum-network/): The purpose of this analysis is to execute an objective and quantitative evaluation of the Ethereum network. Why? Ethereum’s token... - [US tax policy blocks crypto payments from taking off](https://george-popescu.com/articles/us-tax-policy-blocks-crypto-payments-from-taking-off/): Today, in the US, crypto coins are seen as property by the IRS. Therefore, according to policy, if you want... - [Surprising crypto opportunity: purchase low cap tokens](https://george-popescu.com/articles/surprising-crypto-opportunity-purchase-low-cap-tokens/): What would you rather buy: tokens in a $25mil ICO or a liquid token with a $5mil market cap? The... - [How Blockchain will revolutionize software-writing](https://george-popescu.com/articles/how-blockchain-will-revolutionize-software-writing/): Software writing is slowly moving from human-written to computer generated using large amounts of data. Blockchain allows for crowdsourcing of... - [ICO market: latest data and predictions](https://george-popescu.com/articles/ico-market-latest-data-and-predictions/): It is just the beginning of the coin offering market. In this article we, Block X Bank, an investment bank... - [Solving volatility to drive mass crypto-payments adoption - Central Bank of Crypto and Crypto Dollar](https://george-popescu.com/articles/solving-volatility-to-drive-mass-crypto-payments-adoption-central-bank-of-crypto-and-crypto-dollar/): In my eyes volatility is what is preventing crypto currencies from being more used for payments in online commerce. I... - [The 8 lessons from comparing the internet age vs the blockchain age](https://george-popescu.com/articles/the-8-lessons-from-comparing-the-internet-age-vs-the-blockchain-age/): I believe in 10–20 years 1 BTC=$300,000 and 1ETH=$22,000. Let me explain why using a comparison of Internet age vs... - [Image mining on the blockchain, a new horizon](https://george-popescu.com/articles/image-mining-on-the-blockchain-a-new-horizon/): Blockchain is great at decentralizing control and data. It creates communities, as people must contribute to the ecosystem in some... - [Initial Coin Offerings (ICO)- New Funding Source?](https://george-popescu.com/articles/initial-coin-offerings-ico-new-funding-source/): Initial Coin Offering (ICO) is the next big thing in the world of fundraising. It combines the features of an... - [Underwriting Using Cosigning vs 3rd Party Data](https://george-popescu.com/articles/underwriting-using-cosigning-vs-3rd-party-data/): Alternative lenders use all sorts of complicated models based on sophisticated algorithms and machine learning in extrapolating data that is... - [How AI is Used to Audit Bank & Credit Card Statements](https://george-popescu.com/articles/ocrolus-products-to-automate-banking/): Artificial intelligence has been immensely advantageous to the financial sector. The lengthy tedious work which took hours for humans to... - [Taking Over Where Banks Fall Short](https://george-popescu.com/articles/taking-over-where-banks-fall-short/): Banks are not equipped to lend the way small platforms are, and a lot of platforms are hamstrung by the... - [The QED Matrix Helps Leaves and Mountains Become Trees](https://george-popescu.com/articles/the-qed-matrix-helps-leaves-and-mountains-become-trees/): Nigel Morris is a co-founder of Capital One and has led it to emerge as a multi-billion dollar behemoth. During... - [Portrait of a Marketplace Lending Investor](https://george-popescu.com/articles/lending-investors-a-portrait-of/): Alternative lending start-ups have entered mainstream consumer and SMB lending, but have yet to establish themselves as additions to traditional... - [Pychometric Credit Scoring for the Developing World](https://george-popescu.com/articles/pychometric-credit-scoring-for-the-developing-world/): The majority of the developing world population makes little use or no use of financial services. Accenture estimates that only... - [New Asset Level Disclosure (ALD) requirements for public US securitizations](https://george-popescu.com/articles/new-asset-level-disclosure-ald-requirements-for-public-us-securitizations/): Introduction Over the past four months, we’ve had extensive conversations with ABS market participants to discuss the new Asset Level... - [Credit Karma for businesses: monitoring credit for small businesses](https://george-popescu.com/articles/credit-karma-for-businesses-monitoring-credit-for-small-businesses/): Before online lending, long before Credit Karma, and way before machine learning powered by cloud-based applications, if a person or... - [Getting the Most From Investor Call](https://george-popescu.com/articles/getting-the-most-from-investor-call/): General Guidelines Your firm is in the market to raise capital. You selected an investment banker to represent you in... - [What is the Future of Digital Banking?](https://george-popescu.com/articles/what-is-the-future-of-digital-banking/): A panel of bankers met at LendIt to discuss the future of digital banking. The following discussion offers an interesting... - [The 2017 wave of Lending Fintechs: Alt Lending 3.0](https://george-popescu.com/articles/the-2017-wave-of-lending-fintechs-alt-lending-3-0/): The PitchIt startup awards is one of the best and most exciting parts of the LendIt — a lending conference.... - [Cross River Bank to Offer Depositor Whitelabels to Online Lenders?](https://george-popescu.com/articles/cross-river-bank-to-offer-depositor-whitelabels-to-online-lenders/): Cross River Bank (CRB), with its cutting edge technology and state of the art platform, provides a world-class back-end infrastructure... - [How SoFi Rose To Become an Alternative Finance Leader](https://george-popescu.com/articles/how-sofi-rose-to-become-an-alternative-finance-leader/): SoFi, or Social Finance, was founded in 2011 by Mike Cagney, who has become the FinTech industry’s most prominent voice,... - [Internet of Things and Smart Contracts will change the lending world](https://george-popescu.com/articles/internet-of-things-and-smart-contracts-will-change-the-lending-world/): A world where any eBay shop can within 5 minutes receive $800 in their bank account as a loan from... --- ## Pages --- # # Detailed Content ## Posts - Categories: George Popescu Info - Tags: george popescu profile George Popescu’s writing on Medium covers a range of topics grounded in real experience, business execution, creativity, and technology. Rather than chasing trends, his articles reflect lessons learned from decades of building companies, navigating markets, and thinking clearly about systems that actually work. On his Medium page, you’ll find pieces about his journey from communist Romania to MIT, his philosophy on entrepreneurship and execution, perspectives on bootstrapping and the AI era, and reflections on launching a podcast that connects business, technology, and creative work. What He Writes About Personal Journey & Lessons: In “From Communist Romania to MIT, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Robotics,” Popescu shares how his upbringing and early research shaped his mindset as a founder. Startup Playbook: In “From Bootstrapping in 2014 to the AI Era,” he revisits timeless principles of building without outside funding, arguing that AI changes pace — not core principles. The Bootstrap Manifesto: In “The Bootstrap Manifesto for the AI Age,” he outlines how foundational bootstrapping principles apply in the modern era of automation and rapid iteration. Podcast Launch: He also announced “The George Popescu Podcast,” a space to explore how adaptability, integrity, and creativity shape outcomes across business, technology, and art. Other Topics: Articles on blockchain infrastructure, velocity over perfection, and the broader evolution of technology circles back to his consistent focus on practical value creation. Read More on Medium Explore all of George Popescu’s writing on Medium: https://medium. com/@george-popescu Supporting Profile For a comprehensive, neutral overview of his work, see the... --- - Categories: George Popescu Info In a world saturated with AI hype and startup buzzwords, George Popescu stands out as a rare voice of clarity. As a multi-exit entrepreneur, fashion photographer, and critical thinker on technology's future, his work spans multiple domains while maintaining a consistent thread: skepticism of hype, focus on execution, and belief in embodied intelligence over pure software. In a world saturated with AI hype and startup buzzwords, George Popescu stands out as a rare voice of clarity. As a multi-exit entrepreneur, fashion photographer, and critical thinker on technology's future, his work spans multiple domains while maintaining a consistent thread: skepticism of hype, focus on execution, and belief in embodied intelligence over pure software. This comprehensive guide explores George Popescu's multifaceted world through his five dedicated platforms, each offering unique insights into different aspects of his work and thinking. Cutting Through the AI Bubble: A Reality Check While tech leaders tout trillion-dollar valuations and ever-larger language models, George Popescu AI presents a refreshingly sober perspective on artificial intelligence. The site tackles a critical question that few in Silicon Valley dare to ask: is the current AI boom sustainable, or are we witnessing another tech bubble destined to burst? George's central thesis challenges the conventional wisdom: today's AI excels as a human-computer interface but falls short of genuine intelligence or creativity. Rather than treating large language models as oracles, he views them as powerful tools with clear limitations. His perspective separates signal from noise in the AI conversation, focusing on measurable outcomes instead of marketing slogans. The site explores three interconnected themes that define his AI thinking. First, there's the recognition that AI works best as an interface layer, useful for specific tasks but not magical or all-knowing. Second, he examines the structural risks of the AI investment bubble, from overvalued companies to speculative data center buildouts that may... --- - Categories: George Popescu Info - Tags: embodied intelligence, George Popescu AI AI is surrounded by a constant stream of claims: that it will replace most jobs tomorrow, that it already “understands,” that bigger models are equivalent to smarter minds, that the next funding round will produce the next “general intelligence.” Most of those claims collapse when you inspect what modern systems actually do. The goal of George Popescu AI is clarity. AI is surrounded by a constant stream of claims: that it will replace most jobs tomorrow, that it already “understands,” that bigger models are equivalent to smarter minds, that the next funding round will produce the next “general intelligence. ” Most of those claims collapse when you inspect what modern systems actually do. This site takes a simpler approach: separate what’s real from what’s marketed. What This Site Is About The core framing on the AI site is direct: Today’s AI is often a powerful interface—a way for humans to interact with tools, knowledge, and workflows more efficiently. Long-term progress depends on embodied intelligence—systems that can perceive, move, and act in the physical world. That distinction matters. Interfaces can be transformative without being “minds. ” And embodied systems can create enormous economic impact without needing science‑fiction claims. AI as Interface Today Treating AI as interface changes how you evaluate “breakthroughs. ” Instead of asking “Is the model conscious? ” you ask: Does it reduce friction in real tasks? Does it let a skilled person move faster? Does it improve decision-making and execution? Does it lower the cost of deploying knowledge? This leads to more honest analysis. It also prevents a common mistake: confusing fluent output with understanding. Why Embodied Intelligence Is the Real Next Frontier The AI site repeatedly points toward a future where intelligence is not just language. Real intelligence is tied to: perceptionconstraintsconsequenceactionfeedback In the physical world, errors have costs.... --- - Categories: George Popescu Info - Tags: George Popescu Robotics The world is not an assembly line. Homes are not factories. Most valuable tasks are not cleanly defined. And that is exactly why George Popescu Robotics focuses on robots that can operate in messy environments. If you want to understand why humanoid robotics keeps coming back as a serious topic—even after decades of slow progress—start with the real world. The world is not an assembly line. Homes are not factories. Most valuable tasks are not cleanly defined. And that is exactly why George Popescu Robotics focuses on robots that can operate in messy environments. The Core Problem: “Not-Well-Defined” Tasks Robots are great when: the environment is controlledthe objects are standardizedthe rules are predictable They struggle when: objects varylayouts changematerials behave differentlytasks require improvisation That’s why daily-life tasks—laundry, clutter, irregular objects, unpredictable conditions—are not trivial problems. They are the frontier. Why Humanoids Matter Humanoid form isn’t a gimmick. It’s a compatibility layer. Our world is built around human bodies: stairsdoor handlesshelvestoolskitchensbathrooms A humanoid robot can use infrastructure that already exists. That matters for adoption and economics. The site lays out the practical argument: better vision plus better interfaces will eventually allow robots to handle tasks that are hard to specify precisely, but easy for people. Robotics Requires More Than Models Even if an AI model is impressive, robotics still requires: control systemssensingmechanical designsafetyreliabilitycost reduction That’s why robotics progress looks slower than software progress. The bar for deployment is higher. Stability and the Willingness to Build A distinctive thread on this site is the relationship between building and stability. Founders commit years of life when they believe: rules won’t change suddenlyrisk is rewarded, not punishedeffort has a predictable payoff That’s not politics—it’s incentives. Where to Explore Main... --- - Categories: George Popescu Experience, George Popescu Info - Tags: George Popescu insights, Long term strategy Most content about entrepreneurship out there is either motivational or tactical. George Popescu Insights is different: it is structural. It focuses on the conditions that determine whether entrepreneurs build, whether capital flows into productive work, and whether societies create momentum—or suppress it. Most content about entrepreneurship is either motivational or tactical. George Popescu Insights is different: it is structural. It focuses on the conditions that determine whether entrepreneurs build, whether capital flows into productive work, and whether societies create momentum—or suppress it. The Themes This Site Returns To The site’s core ideas repeat for a reason. They compound: 1) Technology as interface, not magic Tools matter. But tools don’t choose markets, design incentives, or survive cycles for you. 2) Bootstrapping vs. investor capital Bootstrapping creates discipline: customer money funds R&D. Investor money creates different incentives: growth, visibility, and governance constraints. 3) Risk, failure, and culture If a society punishes failed founders too aggressively, it quietly drains entrepreneurship out of the system. 4) Stability People don’t commit years of effort if they expect rules to change next quarter. A Practical Lens (Not “Advice”) The site makes it explicit: this is reflection and discussion, not professional advice or services. That framing is part of what makes it useful—there is no sales agenda to distort the analysis. Why This Matters for Builders If you want to build anything meaningful—AI, robotics, a business, a portfolio—you will eventually run into: financing decisionscycle riskregulatory uncertaintyexecution pressure Insights that ignore those realities are entertainment. Where to Explore Start at the home page: George Popescu InsightsBackground overview: About George Popescu (Insights)Browse posts: Insights Archive If you want a clean entry point into George’s worldview—how he connects technology, markets, risk, and stability—this is it: George Popescu Insights. --- - Categories: George Popescu Experience, George Popescu Info - Tags: George Popescu details, George Popescu Projects If you’re trying to understand what George Popescu has actually built—beyond opinions and essays—start with George Popescu Projects. This site is intentionally structured as a portfolio view: it documents work across multiple domains, including ventures, investments, and long-term creative projects. Why a “Projects” Site Matters A lot of people confuse talking with building. A projects/portfolio site answers concrete questions: What has been executed? What was the market? What was the product? What did the work require—capital, time, skills, partnerships? What survived cycles and what didn’t? That’s why this domain exists: it makes the work legible. The Core Domains Reflected Here The Projects site presents a wide spectrum: Entrepreneurship and ventures across cyclesFintech and technology building experienceMedia/creative work including photographyLong-term themes that link “what was built” to “why it matters” It also includes an insights layer so readers can connect portfolio pieces to the underlying rules that guided decisions. Where to Explore Main hub: George Popescu ProjectsBackground: About George Popescu (Projects)Post index: Projects Insights If you want the fastest, cleanest “portfolio view” without noise, George Popescu Projects is the right starting point. --- - Categories: George Popescu Experience, George Popescu Info - Tags: George Popescu Biography, George Popescu Initiatives A biography isn’t just a timeline—it’s a causal map: what shaped someone’s priorities, what constraints forced adaptation, and what principles emerged after enough cycles. That is the role of George Popescu Biography. The Background Arc The biography site frames George Popescu’s journey through a contrast that repeats everywhere else: rigid systems vs. personal initiativewords vs. deliverytheory vs. reality It traces a path from early life under authoritarian conditions to studies in France and at MIT, and then to building companies across different sectors. The “Bootstrapped to Scale” Thread One recurring emphasis is building by delivery: start with real customersshiplearn fast when things breakreinvest That philosophy shows up not as a slogan but as a pattern: projects are treated as proof, not presentation. From Fintech to Creative Work (Without Losing the Core Rules) The biography site also makes room for a shift many people miss: the move into photography and writing isn’t a “career change away from building”—it’s a different medium for the same discipline: attention to detailpatiencehonest accounting of costcommitment to craft The Principles Layer This is the most important part. The biography site doesn’t exist to celebrate milestones. It exists to capture the rules underneath: reality-first buildinglong-term incentivessurvival through cycles If you want the principle statement directly, start here: George Popescu BiographyBackground page: About George PopescuReflection/principles: Building What Survives the Cycle If you want the most coherent “who is George Popescu and what does he stand for? ” entry point, you’ll get it from George Popescu Biography. --- - Categories: George Popescu Experience, George Popescu Info - Tags: AI Hype Cycle, AI industry critique, AI investment climate, AI limitations, AI overhype, AI progress limits, AI scaling debate, AI skepticism, artificial intelligence predictions, deep tech analysis, future of intelligence, George Popescu AI, George Popescu analysis, George Popescu details, George Popescu engineer, George Popescu entrepreneur, George Popescu insights, George Popescu investor, George Popescu Paris, George Popescu technology, George Popescu thought leadership, human vs AI intelligence, innovation trends, large language model limits, LLM shortcomings, machine learning criticism, predictive models vs reasoning, tech bubble, technology commentary, venture capital insights During a recent visit to Paris, George Popescu took time to distill his current thinking on artificial intelligence and the rising disconnect between industry expectations and technological reality. Known for his multidisciplinary approach — blending engineering, entrepreneurship, advanced research, and creative work — Popescu brings a rare combination of technical depth and practical experience to the conversation. His reflections cut directly to the heart of the AI debate and raise questions the broader industry is reluctant to confront. AI’s Overheated Investment Environment Popescu notes that capital allocation has narrowed dramatically. From venture firms to private investors, nearly all attention has shifted toward AI—often at the expense of more balanced, diversified innovation. According to Popescu, this isn’t a sign of technological inevitability but a sign of market distortion. The current environment prioritizes trend-following over sober analysis, and as he highlights, this pattern typically leads to overvaluation, misallocation, and eventual disappointment. Scaling Does Not Equal Intelligence A central theme in Popescu’s analysis is his critique of the popular belief that increasing model size inherently produces smarter AI. He argues that current systems function essentially as prediction engines—machines trained to anticipate the next word, token, or outcome based on vast datasets. Despite their fluency, these models cannot genuinely reason, invent, or create in the way biological intelligence does. Popescu’s position is grounded in his academic background in electrical engineering, nanoscience, and computer science, along with his research experience at MIT. His conclusion is direct: today’s AI is sophisticated pattern matching, not true cognition.... --- - Categories: Articles, George Popescu Info - Tags: Blockchain, Fintech, George Popescu details, RWA, tokenization Blockchain has already proven it can move money, settle payments, and tokenize assets globally. The next evolution is broader — connecting financial systems directly to real economic activity: recurring revenues, loans, leases, and operating cashflows that reflect how business actually works. That’s where blockchain stops being a trading layer and becomes financial infrastructure. From Code to Cashflows I’m focused on translating real-world financial activity into programmable, blockchain-native form. • Capture verified financial events — rents, payments, revenues — at the source • Convert those flows into structured, tradable digital assets • Automate that process continuously, without manual friction When that happens, blockchain stops running parallel to the economy and starts powering it. Reconciliation becomes real-time. Audits become code. Liquidity moves instantly toward assets that prove performance. A Practical Example Take a car rental company. Every month, 100 cars generate rental income. Today that data sits in an accounting system. Tomorrow, it can flow directly onto blockchain rails. Once structured and verified, investors can buy exposure to those income streams — transparently and at scale. The same applies to loans, royalties, energy projects, or manufacturing revenues. That’s where tokenization becomes practical finance, not theory. Why Now Five years ago, infrastructure was fragmented — APIs, payment systems, and accounting platforms weren’t built for blockchain. Today, the landscape has matured. • Payment and accounting APIs have scaled (Plaid, Ramp, Stripe, Circle, Chainlink). • Real-time reporting and treasury automation make financial data portable. • Integration tools now let those data streams sync continuously. Liquidity... --- - Categories: George Popescu Experience, George Popescu Info, George Popescu Podcast I am launching the George Popescu Podcast, a new platform that brings together the different areas I have worked in over the years — from business and technology to writing, photography, and painting. The podcast is inspired by my books, my entrepreneurial ventures, and my creative projects. But its purpose is broader: to explore how adaptability, integrity, and imagination shape outcomes across industries and disciplines. Throughout my career, I have seen the same principles repeat. Building companies requires disciplined execution under pressure. Navigating fintech and blockchain demands adaptability when markets shift. Working in painting and photography trains the eye to see patterns and details others miss. These experiences may look unrelated on the surface, but they are connected by values and methods that carry across all fields. The George Popescu Podcast is about making those connections visible. Episodes will examine the patterns behind execution, timing, and creativity, showing how ideas move from concept to reality. The goal is not to provide abstract theory, but to share perspectives and lessons that come from direct experience. For viewers and listeners, this podcast offers a chance to explore how creativity strengthens judgment in business, how values carry further than short-term strategies, and how imagination becomes practical when paired with discipline. The George Popescu Podcast will be available on all major streaming and video platforms. Stay tuned — and thank you for being part of this next chapter. P. S. The George Popescu Podcast Announcement --- - Categories: George Popescu Experience, George Popescu Info I recently sat down with Jessica Koehler—Mrs. Minnesota America, Harvard Executive Leadership alum, and advocate for entrepreneurship and personal growth—for an in-depth interview. We talked about my background, the lessons that shaped me, and why I believe the next big wave of opportunity lies in robotics, fintech, and creative reinvention. George Popescu’s Early Life in Romania I was born in Romania. Back then it was communist—like North Korea today. You couldn’t leave. They would shoot behind you at the border. Growing up in that environment, I turned to books—Jules Verne, Magellan, Columbus. Stories of explorers fueled my dreams. When my mother remarried a Frenchman, we moved to France. Later, in 2003, I came to the U. S. to study at MIT, a move that changed everything. George Popescu at MIT: Research and Discovery What was meant to be a two-month internship at MIT turned into years of research. I worked on biotech projects using cantilevers—tiny devices designed to measure molecular weight for medical diagnostics. The group went on to publish in Nature and Science. That period taught me that when you enjoy what you do and deliver results, people want you around. That mindset shaped my entrepreneurial career. The Core Business Philosophy of George Popescu When young people ask me for advice, I always share the same mantra: Say what you’re going to do. Do what you said you’d do. Do it on time and on budget. Whether in fintech, real estate, or robotics—living by that rule builds trust and... --- - Categories: George Popescu Experience, George Popescu Info - Tags: hiring, people management, promoting, team building I’ve earned three Master’s degrees — from MIT, Supelec, and Paris XI. Those credentials have been invaluable. They gave me credibility with clients from day one. In fact, I pre-sold my very first software deal before the product even existed — because the client trusted I could deliver. I then built the right team, set clear milestones, and delivered exactly what they needed. But here’s what no classroom prepared me for: The most important business skill I’ve ever learned — hiring, promoting, and building a team that consistently delivers results. Grad school equipped me with technical knowledge in 3D printing, nanotechnology, and engineering. It gave me the tools to solve complex problems. But leading a business requires a different toolkit entirely — one built through real-world experience, working with people, and navigating challenges you can’t simulate in an academic setting. Why this skill matters: Great teams turn ideas into reality. Leadership determines whether a business scales or stalls. Credentials open the first door — business skills keep it open. Some lessons can be taught. Others must be lived. This one, I learned in the field. https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=qb81XXtk8M4 --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Bitcoin, Crypto, Currency, Finance, Fintech Blockchain technology is continuously being compared to internet-technology. Facebook, a company with about 2.3 billion users launches its own blockchain-based currency called Libra. This is a fairly bold move and a lot of thoughts come to mind. When the internet was launched to the public in the 1990s no single company on earth had this many clients or users. In fact, in the history of humanity nobody, not even the largest countries, had this many users for a new currency. This is a unique move in the history of humanity. Here are a few thoughts about this bold move... Blockchain technology is continuously being compared to internet-technology. Facebook, a company with about 2. 3 billion users launches its own blockchain-based currency called Libra. This is a fairly bold move and a lot of thoughts come to mind. When the internet was launched to the public in the 1990s no single company had this many clients or users. In fact, in the history of humanity nobody, not even the largest countries, had this many users for a new currency. This is a unique move in the history of humanity. Here are a few thoughts about this bold move. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Blockchain, Crypto, Eos, Etherium, Tron Decentralized applications (Dapps) have taken off.  Dappradar. com, the trusted authority on all things Dapps, has over 1800 listed dapps. And the activity is not restricted to the developer side; users and transactions are also steadily growing. Another player, State of Dapps reports the following: ETH, EOS, and TRON are the major platforms for dapps, which now include apps for gaming, gambling, exchanges, and more. If we analyze the top 50 dapps, three are on ETH and the rest are on EOS and TRON. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Crypto, Eos, Etherium Blockchain is now mainstream, but there are multiple niches that are growing and finding traction in the real world on a standalone basis. Decentralized Applications (DApps) have existed since the advent of P2P networks, but have only gained popularity with blockchain technology. So, what are these decentralized apps, and why are they important? (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Etherium, Technology, Tezos Tezos brings multiple technical innovations: On-chain Protocol Governance, Liquid Proof of Stake, and their own smart contract language called Michelson. As the Tezos network has now been live for a few months and in order to understand the potential of the network we interviewed Samuel Harrison from Tezos Commons Foundation. As Samuel explains, it is best to think of Tezos Commons as one “marketing” arm, among others, of the Tezos ecosystem. And, in particular, Tezos Commons is the arm that is based in Silicon Valley. Understanding Tezos We are, of course, interested in understanding Tezos. Especially it comparison to Ethereum, EOS, Cardano and other smart contract blockchain platforms. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Crypto, Etherium, Fintech The purpose of this analysis is to execute an objective and quantitative evaluation of the Ethereum network. Why? Ethereum’s token ETH price has been in a spectacular free fall for the past few months. From a high of over $1400 in January 2018 to the May push to almost $800, ETH has now reached lows around $240. This surprising price movement made me want to reconsider my thoughts on Ethereum again from scratch and without emotions. In addition groups are targeting the Ethereum network with a negative campaign using the same strategy they used against IOTA in the past as you can read here. Therefore I would like to make my own opinion. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Bitcoin, Crypto, Payments, Policy, Taxes Today, in the US, crypto coins are seen as property by the IRS. Therefore, according to policy, if you want today to pay for your coffee with 0. 00075 Bitcoins worth about $5 dollars, you also must pay tax on these 0. 00075 Bitcoin you just spent. Tax details What tax? Here is a rough way on what this tax is. You have to calculate at what USD/BTC price you purchased these 0. 00075 Bitcoins, lets say $250 per Bitcoin. You have to look at what USD price you sold these bitcoins, lets say today at $6600. Then you have to look up your tax rate, lets say 30%. Therefore in addition of paying for your coffee with 0. 000075 BTC you also have to write a check to the IRS for 0. 00075*(6600–250)*0. 30=$1. 42 (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Blockchain, Crypto, Finance, Fintech, Token What would you rather buy: tokens in a $25mil ICO or a liquid token with a $5mil market cap? The ICO still must prove itself. The liquid token is already trading on multiple exchanges. The liquid token’s team already hit a few milestones and either has a working ecosystem or is just months from releasing it. Junk bond market Around the mid-1980s the junk bond market appeared by leveraging that humans tend to be overly pessimistic. For example, certain bonds that pay 20% interest may have a lower probability of default then the interest would make you think. By picking those bonds certain hedge funds have made very impressive returns in the past. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: AI, Augmented Reality, Blockchain, Computer Vision, Crypto Software writing is slowly moving from human-written to computer generated using large amounts of data. Blockchain allows for crowdsourcing of cheap and diverse high quality data which wasn’t possible before. The “IF” “THEN” approach The Von Neuman computer model I used in all the computer we are familiar with from Desktop to Laptops via Smartphones and Tablets. To make the computer do what we want the typical computer programmer will, elegantly and through more advanced rules, basically write a list of “if” “then” conditions where all possible cases will hopefully be covered. For example: if you type W, move the character up. If you type S, move it down. If there is a wall in the direction of movement stop. And so on. The results are the computers we are familiar with today who use keyboards, mice, and in general digital inputs that are 0s or 1s and very clear. This also includes capacity sensing on smartphones which are “is the finger here or not”. However, as seen in self-driving cars, recent advances in computer science are opening the door to computers using other inputs like “what they see”. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Etherium, Fintech, ICO It is just the beginning of the coin offering market. In this article we, Block X Bank, an investment bank focused on blockchain, will be exploring using the best data available the past, present and future of the Initial Coin Offering (ICO) market. Total potential market size Private Equity Assets under management are valued in total to about $2. 5 trillion USD. A Private Equity investor is typically locked in for 7 to 10 years. In general, the investment is difficult to value during that time. And the investor receives back their payment at the time that is solely at the discretion of the fund manager. Imagine a world where most crypto-coins are regulated securities trading on regulated securities exchanges. And shares in companies, cash flows, dividends, interests, notes, and other existing proven financial products back these coins. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Payments In my eyes volatility is what is preventing crypto currencies from being more used for payments in online commerce. I believe that crypto currencies are much better adapted than credit cards for online payments (faster, cheaper, non-reversible, simpler, etc). And yet crypto currencies are hardly used at all: Preferred method for online payments ( from here, chart made in 2016) BTC is 300x more volatile than EUR I strongly believe that lack of adoption is due to the crypto’s volatility.  Merchants have costs in fiat currency (USD for example).  Having a BTC price for their product that changes by 30% a week is not manageable and provides poor customer experience. Imagine if you wanted to buy a car and the price was today 10 BTC and tomorrow 13 BTC and day after 7 BTC while the normal consumers haggles over $200 for the price of the a $40,000 car and needs hours/days to make the payment. This is not manageable. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Etherium I believe in 10–20 years 1 BTC=$300,000 and 1ETH=$22,000. Let me explain why using a comparison of Internet age vs the Blockchain age. Early ‘90s I look at the blockchain space as being in the same state as the internet was in early ‘90s. Why is that? Because only a few of my friends have heard of Bitcoin and none of Ethereum. Because none of them have used anything in the crypto/blockchain space. And when I ask taxi drivers, or random people I meet I also get the same answers: yes, I vaguely heard of Bitcoin but they know nothing about smart contracts, ICOs, and they are not using anything in the crypto space, yet. I believe history repeats itself. We can learn from the early years of the internet and internet/tech companies what is likely to happen to the blockchain space. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: AI, Blockchain, Computer Vision, Etherium, Mining Blockchain is great at decentralizing control and data. It creates communities, as people must contribute to the ecosystem in some form to give the data value. This value can derive from maintaining the ledger, providing a resource, or contributing data. New industries are being tested with this technology, but it is the computer vision and machine learning industry that needs to embrace blockchain. For instance, when creating augmented reality applications, a massive amount of data is needed to make it accurate and efficient. However, this takes a lot of time and can slow the project down. Lampix augmenting a paper drawing and sharing it for collaboration Lampix is Introducing Blockchain Image Mining to the Computer Vision and Machine Learning World Lampix plans on using the power of blockchain to create one of the largest image database with the help of machine learning. Developers will be able to tap into this database for their own product, such as Google Glass, Holo Lens, or our Lampix product, and create applications. This is exciting, as for any application, a lot of data is necessary to make it accurate and work properly. The database will consist of over a billion datasets contributed by image miners, who are compensated with PIX tokens for submitting datasets. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Blockchain, Etherium, ICO Initial Coin Offering (ICO) is the next big thing in the world of fundraising. It combines the features of an IPO and crowdfunding allowing backers to support a startup via donations while generating massive returns on their investment. ICO is basically crowdfunding of a new cryptocurrency venture where a percentage of the cryptocurrency (and not the venture itself) is sold. This new cryptocurrency is usually sold for a fiat currency or other mainstream cryptocurrency like bitcoin. For many decades, any startup looking for funding would have to go to a VC firm, the self-appointed gatekeepers to capital. Crowdfunding in general, and sites like Kickstarter in particular, democratized the funding process. It allowed young companies to get themselves directly in front of prospective consumers and raise funds from backers. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Finance, Fintech, Loans, Marketplaces, P2p Lending Alternative lenders use all sorts of complicated models based on sophisticated algorithms and machine learning in extrapolating data that is never certain or reliable. Cosigning is simple. It relies on a real person with a prime credit score. The equation is reduced to a number and a heartbeat. To deliver above average returns to investors, online lending startups have been grabbing alternative data from a potential borrower’s email, social media, and even mobile accounts. They are determining risk based on a borrower’s likes, shares, and phone usage. There is a better option to capitalize on the $3. 5 trillion consumer loan market: Cosigning. Here are 5 reasons why online lenders like Backed, Inc. , which relies on cosigning, yield superior overall returns than those lenders who rely on algorithms that are overloaded with over 10,000 data points: (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: AI, Credit Cards, Finance, Fintech, P2p Lending Artificial intelligence has been immensely advantageous to the financial sector. The lengthy tedious work which took hours for humans to perform was reduced to seconds by computer software. The use of papers, pens, and abacuses for conventional accounting systems have been transformed into the computerized system of accounting and auditing. Innovation in this field is so powerful that it has elevated the financial auditing process to a higher plane. Ocrolus is a financial service provider with two powerful AI products: “PerfectAudit” and “MedicaidGenius. ” These products eliminate the need to audit bank and credit card statements manually. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered on Wall Street in New York. After testing and polishing, Ocrolus launched officially in January 2016. Its team consists of four executive members–Sam Bobley, Victoria Meakin, Vikas Dua, and Zoheb Sait. There are an additional 15 employees working on the technology and operations side of the business. Victoria Meakin serves as president of the company. She was also the co-founder and president of PhoneCharge, an electronic payment processing company that sold to CheckFree for around $100 million. CEO Sam Bobley is a young technology entrepreneur who graduated from the University of South Carolina-Columbia. COO Vikas Dua was previously associated with on-demand Series-C startup Handy. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Credit, Fintech, Fundraising, Loans, P2p Lending Banks are not equipped to lend the way small platforms are, and a lot of platforms are hamstrung by the regulatory environment. Monroe Capital, LLC, launched their specialty lending vertical a couple of years ago to provide funding for other lending platforms. Aaron Peck, managing director and co-head of the Specialty Finance Vertical, said four years ago the company had two specialty finance vehicles designed to meet the needs of those platforms. Now, they have 11, and all of them are current yield. “That’s rare for a fund,” Peck said, “but we look at performance. A publicly traded vehicle pays 90%, so we are trading quite well. All our funds pay hefty dividends. ” Since 2004, Monroe Capital has been a lower mid-market lender, providing funding for businesses with $3 million to $30 million in cash flow. Headquartered in Chicago, they’ve managed more than $4 billion in assets through origination offices in Boston, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Toronto. Their specialty finance division, however, is not a typical marketplace lending platform; rather, they see themselves as a hybrid model looking for growth capital. Peck is one of nine partners. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Finance, Fintech, Loans, P2p Lending, VC Nigel Morris is a co-founder of Capital One and has led it to emerge as a multi-billion dollar behemoth. During his time at Capital One, he noticed there is a gap between banks and the fintech industry. To bridge this void, his team rolled out QED Investors in 2007 and was able to bring on board some ex-colleagues from Capital One to build QED; this helped him to ensure the team hit the ground running. QED has invested in multiple startups that have not only become unicorns, but have changed the entire landscape of the financial ecosystem in which they operate. Most notable are Credit Karma, SoFi, Prosper, GreenSky, BrainTree, and ApplePie. Fintech Opportunities and Hindrances Morris has seen the best and worst of big banking and fintech startups. He has seen that banks have some really important assets that fintech companies lack: low-cost deposits, regulatory access, top-notch compliance, huge customer base, and high profitability. But they are trying to be everything to everyone and this is where fintech companies are gaining ground. Fintech companies, rather than offering everything, offer a specific product or service that banks haven’t developed or cannot develop because that is just not part of their DNA. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Capital, Credit, Fintech, Investors, P2p Lending Alternative lending start-ups have entered mainstream consumer and SMB lending, but have yet to establish themselves as additions to traditional fixed income portfolios for investors. Marketplace lenders started out as peer-to-peer lenders, but institutional capital and accredited investors are now accounting for the lion’s share of lending capital on such platforms.  Direct Lending Investments, LLC (DLI), a growing and active participant in this developing world of private credit, focuses on buying loans and extending loans to alternative lending platforms and other business partners. In particular, the firm provides credit to the growing sectors of the market that are no longer served by traditional bank lending and, more importantly, structures its funding in a way so that the originator takes on default risk. Inspiration and founding Brendan Ross, the founder and CEO of DLI, first began investing in marketplace lending personally and on behalf of his clients through Lending Club (LC) and Prosper loans. In 2012, he launched DLI to expand his investment horizon beyond peer-to-peer lending, which he has since moved away from altogether. The firm’s inaugural deal in November of 2012 was with IOU Financial, a SMB loan originator. Since then, the firm has expanded to include receivables as well as real estate and consumer loans in its portfolios, and has grown to over $900 million in assets under management. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Big Data, Credit Score, Fintech, Lending, Risk The majority of the developing world population makes little use or no use of financial services. Accenture estimates that only 70 percent of microenterprises in an emerging country like India use bank accounts while only 5 percent use products like term loans, and a paltry 1 percent have working capital loans from banks. In similar emerging markets, lenders find it difficult to make credit decisions due to weak coverage of credit rating agencies. On average, only 10 percent have credit scores. One company that understands the riches lying at the bottom of the pyramid is Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL GLOBAL). EFL helps lenders capture untapped markets by delivering credit scoring technology tailored for such markets. How EFL Uses Psychometrics to Determine Credit Risk EFL Global is a pioneer in psychometric credit scoring and was founded in 2010 by Dr. Bailey Klinger and Dennis (DJ) DiDonna. The company is headquartered in Miraflores, Lima, Peru. Dr. Klinger is executive chairman. Prior to co-founding EFL, he served as a senior advisor and consultant to various government and multilateral institutions. DiDonna is chief strategy officer. Previously, he worked at MCM Strategic Data and Angie’s List as a technology entrepreneur with a background in sales and operations management. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Big Data, Finance, Fintech, Securitization Introduction Over the past four months, we’ve had extensive conversations with ABS market participants to discuss the new Asset Level Disclosure (ALD) requirements for public US securitizations. We discovered that many market participants have been overwhelmed with the volume of loan-level data and are at a loss on how they can readily derive value from it. In the following research piece, we answer commonly asked questions and provide guidance for incorporating ALD data into the investment process. Specifically, we highlight the need for participants to (1) access standardized ALD data on-demand in an easily digestible and consistent manner, (2) unlock complex relationships and insights within and across securitization trusts, and (3) develop benchmarks for performance. What is the scale of the data and how does one access it? By December 2017, we project there will be ~100 securitization trusts with over 34GB of data for just the auto-loan, auto-lease, and CMBS verticals. Given the data size and update frequency, we believe the market needs a centralized hub so users can access it easily in a consistent, clean format that has cash flow-specific fields. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Credit Score, Finance, Fintech, Loans, Small Business Before online lending, long before Credit Karma, and way before machine learning powered by cloud-based applications, if a person or business needed to clean up their credit in order to apply for and be approved for a loan, perhaps even getting a loan on better terms, they had to write letters to each credit bureau where bad actions were recorded and ask to have those actions removed. That may have also entailed working out a payment plan with creditors who reported those actions in order to get in their good graces. Levi King understands that process well. He also understands the challenges of being a small business owner. Having owned a hotel, a management company, a retail financial services company, and several franchises–all before co-founding Lendio and Nav–he’s seen countless small business owners with low credit problems. “I’ve applied for financing about 30 different times,” he said, “and learned the hard way how it all works. ” (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Finance, Fintech, Investing, Startup, Venture Capital General Guidelines Your firm is in the market to raise capital. You selected an investment banker to represent you in the process. The firm’s vision, financial goals, strategy and performance have been documented for the investors to review. An information library, stocked with materials such as a flip book, financial statements, standard forms and contracts, company policies and procedures, and a financial model is available to potential capital providers upon signing an NDA. The preparation of these materials took weeks or perhaps months. Your banker sorted through his/her contact list of investors making dozens even hundreds of preliminary investor calls. This resulted in a short-list of potentials that want to setup a conference call with your company’s top management. Initial investor call At this point, the many weeks and months of work are finally paying off. Surely, the investor will recognize the opportunity of marketplace lending/fintech and want to invest, right? Maybe, but remember the process is only getting started. Often company managers become hasty thinking all the preliminary work means a deal is close to consummation. For this reason, I always remind the client that the initial investor call is not to discuss the terms a deal. One should introduce themselves and the company, provide substance to certain key metrics and outline the firm’s overall strategy. Yet, I continually witness clients outline terms or discuss valuation too early in the conversation. This may make an investor feel pressured, suggest price shopping or even worse make your company appear desperate... --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Banking, Finance, Fintech, Millenials, Mobile A panel of bankers met at LendIt to discuss the future of digital banking. The following discussion offers an interesting snapshot of what it might look like. I say, count me in. Jeremy Balkin, head of innovation at HSBC USA, started the conversation with this observation: “We live during the ‘millennialization’ of everything. We value freedom and mobility. In banking, it’s no different. ” Balkin went on to say that banks must cater to all types of customers, from Millennials to Builders, who aren’t likely to adopt emerging technologies. “The challenge is the adaptation of customer data. ” Millennial Banking, From the U. S. to China Millennials have an average of 14 different financial services apps on their phones, Balkin said. In that regard, they are primed for mobile banking. Mitch Siegel, KPMG’s national FS strategy and transformation leader, agreed with that. “I would say mobile first, not only,” he said. While the average millennial is engaging with financial services companies on their phones, they are mostly performing simpler tasks, he said. Meanwhile, they’re putting off mortgages, kids, car loans, marriage, etc. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Finance, Fintech, Lending, Venture Capital The PitchIt startup awards is one of the best and most exciting parts of the LendIt — a lending conference. This year, there were eight finalist competitors who met in front of hundreds of investors to pitch. Four judges picked the ultimate winner, Nova. Below are the profiles of Nova and the seven other PitchIt finalists. Nova — Credit History for Immigrants Nova is the world’s first cross-border credit agency. Many immigrants come to the United States with no credit history. They may come from a place where credit is not an option. In many countries of the world, banks do not issue credit cards. There may not even be many, if any at all, banks. Merchants do not offer purchases on credit, so when these immigrants land on U. S. soil, their ability to interact with the economy is limited by the options they had in their native countries. Nova solves that problem. It started as a research project at Stanford University. U. S. property managers run credit and background checks on applicants to screen for potential risks when leasing or renting housing units. Those checks typically do not include overseas credit checks. With Nova, property managers have that ability. Not only can U. S. landlords check overseas credit, but they can also report negative actions so that the credit report is affected in the applicant’s home country. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Banking, Finance, Fintech, P2p Lending Cross River Bank (CRB), with its cutting edge technology and state of the art platform, provides a world-class back-end infrastructure to fintech companies. It is trying to untangle the banking services for the fintech industry by providing services like loan approval, origination, and payments, but with a more simplistic-holistic approach. The company also executes direct lending in the tri-state area with a focus on commercial real estate. We believe CRB’s next step will be the offering of depositor services to fintechs. This will allow online lenders to offer Certificates of Deposits in the 1%-3% range and lend that capital back out. This new service would allow online lenders to compete with banks on cost of capital, as well. It will revolutionize their business capabilities and will allow for faster growth and more flexibility in the cost of customer acquisition. Additionally, it will make fintechs more competitive with banks. Of course, we expect regulators will need a long time before getting comfortable with this. In the meantime, we hope they’ll be willing to monitor and observe in order for all participants to understand the best way to regulate such a critical and important step for fintechs. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Finance, Fintech, Mortgage, Startup, Student Loans SoFi, or Social Finance, was founded in 2011 by Mike Cagney, who has become the FinTech industry’s most prominent voice, a sort of radical sage of his own. He wields a master of science degree in management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and was once senior vice president at Wells Fargo. He is also co-founder of a hedge fund, which makes him the kind of guy who should be a Wall Street darling, or at least an apologist for the system he is seeking to replace. The times, they are a-changing. So crooned last generation’s wisest sage, a reluctant messiah for a new world emerging from the not-yet-settled dust of a crumbling system based on values headed out of fashion. That system, however, was still being financed by the world’s banks. But if SoFi has anything to do with it, those banks will be supplanted by a new system of financing for the new set of values. The writing is on the wall, but the ink may yet be invisible. List of SoFi products Cagney hasn’t been shy about his criticisms of banks, saying they are nothing more than a utility. He delights in pointing out how millennials don’t trust them. And he’s on a mission to take advantage of that unfortunate state. (more... ) --- - Categories: Articles - Tags: Blockchain, Etherium, P2p Lending A world where any eBay shop can within 5 minutes receive $800 in their bank account as a loan from 30 random people on the internet. No transfer fees and instantaneous funds transfer. A world where if the shop does not pay back the loan their warehouse locks stop opening for them and their cell phone stops working. This can be achieved with Bitcoin lending using Ethereum smart contracts combined with the internet of things. This may be reality within 2 years. Lending Times interviewed Radoslav Albrecht, Founder and CEO of Bitbond. Bitbond Bitbond is a Peer-to-Peer lender for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs). They have originated to date $360,000 in 1100 loans at 20–23% per annum interest. By average 30 people from the US or Western Europe finance each loan . The borrowers are SMBs from all over the world, from Philippines to Brazil, via India and including US and Western Europe. Nearly all their loans are denominated in USD. Bitbond does the underwriting and fixes the loan interest. As a result, the yields end up in the 6–8% range. Subsequently, they are improving fast as Bitbond gathers more data and their systems improve. (more... ) --- --- ## Pages ---