The FinTech Report Podcast: Episode 63: John O’Loghlen, MD Coinbase APAC

The FinTech Report Podcast: Episode 63, features John O’Loghlen, Managing Director of Coinbase APAC.

Founded in 2012, Coinbase is a digital currency wallet and platform where merchants and consumers can transact with digital currencies like bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. Coinbase want to make digital currency accessible and approachable for everyone.

Coinbase is listed on the NASDAQ – ticker code is ‘COIN’ – so they are regulated by the SEC. Coinbase has just under 3800 employees, and US$320 Billion funds under management.

John O’Loghlen is Managing Director for Coinbase APAC. Prior to Coinbase John spent a decade with Ant Group and Ali Baba, spent many years working in China and other Asian countries. He started his career with Goldman Sachs in London.

In this episode we cover:

• Fundamentals of digital assets: are they an asset, a currency, a commodity?
• Over the past decade we’ve seen crypto adoption increase. How many Australians are holding digital assets? In addition to crypto, what other types of digital assets are they holding?
• Retail, institutional and ‘Base’ – the developer platform.
• Coinbase’s developer platform, Base, has been growing both in user numbers and transaction volume.
• What is Base and what are some of the innovative projects being built on it?
• We recently saw Australian institutions like AMP and Future Fund take positions – albeit small ones – in Bitcoin. Are we starting to see a shift in adoption from retail to institutional investors?
• Is growing your SMSF, institutional investor, private wealth client book a priority for exchanges? Institutional investors tend to have lower risk thresholds than retail investors. How can you get them over line with this asset class?
• We know Coinbase has advocated to urgently establish a national regulatory framework for digital assets. Why is this so important?
• The issue of de-banking is a major barrier in adoption of digital assets, whereby banks are closing accounts of individuals and businesses for activities that relate to digital assets.
• Why is de-banking such a problem?