From EdTech Exit to DeFi Empire | Mike Silagadze of Ether.Fi

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Blueprints

Symbiotic

9 episodes

6 days ago

The infrastructure behind crypto's most ambitious projects doesn't build itself. Blueprints goes beyond the hype to explore the real stories of founders reshaping decentralized systems, from universal staking protocols to data availability networks to the next generation of blockchain infrastructure. Hosted by Edgar Roth of Symbiotic, each episode dives into the technical decisions, strategic pivots, and hard-won lessons that define how crypto infrastructure actually gets built.

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From EdTech Exit to DeFi Empire | Mike Silagadze of Ether.Fi

Blueprints

49 minutes 52 seconds

3 weeks ago

From EdTech Exit to DeFi Empire | Mike Silagadze of Ether.Fi

In this episode of Blueprints by Symbiotic, host Edgar Roth sits down with Mike Silagadze, co-founder and CEO of Ether.Fi, for a deep exploration into how one of DeFi’s fastest-growing companies is evolving into a full-fledged fintech powerhouse.

Mike shares the remarkable story of his transition from building and exiting the edtech giant Top Hat to starting fresh in crypto — driven not by money, but by purpose. He opens up about the moment he realized he didn’t need to work anymore, and why that freedom pushed him to build again — this time, to reimagine global banking on crypto rails.

This is a rare founder’s lens into the evolution of decentralized infrastructure, DeFi’s growing pains, and the next frontier — a global, non-custodial banking alternative built on Ethereum.

If you’re curious about the future of staking, fintech, and real product-market fit in Web3, this conversation is a must-listen.

Topics discussed in this episode:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:52) Rapid Fire with Mike Silagadze

(5:16) From Exit to Ether.Fi

(10:57) Liquid Staking Wars

(15:33) The Fintech Vision - Expansion

(17:20) Key to ether.fi's Growth

(24:10) Is restaking d3ad?

(29:59) Web3 Expansion

(46:23) Evolving Beliefs

This episode features guest Mike Silagadze, Co-founder and CEO at Ether.Fi, https://x.com/mikesilagadze

Blueprints is hosted by Edgar Roth, https://x.com/roth_edgar and is presented by Symbiotic:

- Website: https://symbiotic.fi/

- X: https://x.com/symbioticfi

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/symbioticfiofficial

- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/officialsymbioticfi

- Blog: https://blog.symbiotic.fi

The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. The views and opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast producers, partners or sponsors. Cryptocurrency and digital asset investments are highly volatile and carry risk. Always do your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions."

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