There's a lot of discussion around cryptocurrency and the impact on institutional investing. With almost $2-$3 trillion in market cap, could it ever take on wider adoption in allocator portfolios? Our latest guest on the Improving Alpha podcast, Koray Caliskan, shares his thoughts on cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence for investors, and more. Listen in now.
Michael Oliver Weinberg, co-founder, Improving Alpha Podcast Series
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Back in the 16th century, when paper money made its debut in Venice, skeptics doubted it could ever replace the clinking of metal coins. Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves seamlessly blending paper, coins, and cryptocurrency. This cutting-edge currency has skyrocketed to a market capitalization of $2-$3 trillion and continues to surge. Just last month, Bitcoin values were on the brink of reaching the monumental $100K milestone.
In our latest Improving Alpha podcast, host Michael Oliver Weinberg sits down with Koray Caliskan, Co-Director, MS Strategic Design and Management, The New School Parsons to discuss more on crypto, taxation, governance, and social innovation.
Koray highlights the following:
- why are there losers and survivors in cryptocurrency and how can allocators navigate the nuances of these systems when making strategic asset allocations.
- how will the regulation of cryptocurrencies need to evolve for wider adoption and can you tax crypto with normal paper and metal money.
- his views on social innovation and why it’s so important for his students to pay attention to when choosing a career path.
- where will artificial intelligence and LLMs feature in institutional investing and how are his students applying best practices today.
- And more
About Our Guest: Koray Caliskan
Koray Caliskan is an economic sociologist and organizational designer. He is a tenured Associate Professor of Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Design Strategies, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Cultural Economy.
He designed the strategy for MaMame, a social innovation project that combines cooperative and LLC structures to support underrepresented women's labor; this initiative received the Entrepreneurship of the Year Award from Microsoft in 2017. Caliskan has directed and produced several award-winning fiction and documentary films, including Esma, which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. He co-founded The Wrong Department, a strategic design studio with offices in London and New York City. His recent research on cryptocurrencies earned the Scientific Breakthrough of the Year Award in Social Sciences from the Falling Walls Foundation in 2021 and was mentioned in Financial Times as a way to understand the US and its economy.
This work culminated in the book “Data Money: Inside Cryptocurrencies and Their Communities, Blockchains, and Markets” published by Columbia University Press in September 2023. Currently, with support from an ESRC (UK) grant, he is researching the economic sociology of online advertisements. In 2025, he is set to publish two co-authored books: "Economization: Markets, Platforms, and Ecologies" with Michel Callon and Donald MacKenzie (Columbia University Press), and "Inside Digital Advertising: Platform Power, Data Icebergs, and Material Politics" with Donald MacKenzie (Polity Press).
About Our Host: Michael Oliver Weinberg, CFA
For three decades Michael has invested directly at the security level and indirectly as an asset allocator in traditional and alternative asset classes. Most recently he was a Managing Director, Head of Alternative Alpha, on the Investment Committee, and a board member at APG, a Dutch pension provider. Previously he was the Chief Investment Officer at MOV37 and Protege Partners. Michael is also an Adjunct Professor of Economics and Finance at Columbia Business School, where he teaches Institutional Investing, an advanced MBA course that he created.
Michael is a published author, having written for The New York Times, international investment books, and other publications. Michael has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CNBC, Bloomberg and Reuters. He is a frequent panelist, moderator and lecturer for investment banks, institutional and family office organizations, and business schools.
The information covered and posted represents the views and opinions of the guest and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Vidrio Financial, and/or our host, Michael Oliver Weinberg. The Content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional investing advice. Always seek the advice of your financial advisor or other qualified financial service provider with any questions you may have regarding your investment planning.
