Web3 with Sam Kamani

EPISODE DESCRIPTION 
In this episode, I sit down with Prakash Kamraj, co-founder of DeCharge Network, to explore one of the most overlooked intersections of Web3 and the physical world: EV charging infrastructure. Prakash walks me through how DeCharge is building an Airbnb-style model for EV chargers, where anyone , from a business owner to a crypto community member , can host a charging station and earn passive income from it. We dig into why the B2B market is the real engine of EV growth, how DeCharge keeps the user experience dead simple with a scan-and-pay web app, and why autonomous charging powered by crypto payment rails could be the next massive wave. We also get into the surprising EV adoption stories across India, China, Southeast Asia, Ethiopia, and beyond. Whether you're an EV owner frustrated by fragmented charging apps, a crypto builder looking for real-world use cases, or an investor trying to spot where energy infrastructure is heading, this conversation is packed with sharp thinking and hard-won lessons from the ground up. 
DISCLAIMER
Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. 
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/
 CONNECT 
DeCharge Website: https://www.decharge.io
Scout App: https://scout.decharge.io
Twitter/X:https://x.com/DeCharge
Telegram: https://t.me/dechargecommunity
Web3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz
 KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS 
• [00:01] Sam introduces Prakash Kamraj and DeCharge Network, framing it as an Airbnb for EV chargers
• [01:09] Prakash shares his background , from medical field to engineering, health tech startups, and catching the crypto bug in 2017
• [03:36] How deep involvement in the early Solana ecosystem in India shaped Prakash's builder mindset
• [05:33] The core problem: not enough EV charging infrastructure globally, with one charger for every 80 vehicles on average
• [06:33] Sam shares firsthand observations from Guangzhou , nearly 100% EV adoption on the streets
• [09:25] The personal range anxiety story that validated the problem , getting stuck at 9% battery in Denver in winter
• [10:30] Why copy-pasting the Helium model doesn't work and why a more nuanced distributed model was needed
• [11:00] DeCharge's three-pillar model: community-owned slow chargers, fast charger funding pools, and a software network incentive for charge point operators
• [14:15] How the business model works , revenue share with hosts, transparent dashboards, and community-funded infra
• [17:01] The user experience: scan a QR code, pay as you go, no app download required
• [19:31] Why DeCharge integrates with default local payment apps (UPI, Promptpay, Stripe) instead of forcing new behavior
• [23:16] Why India isn't lagging , 70% of EV usage is commercial, driven by food delivery riders and ride-sharing fleets
• [25:40] Southeast Asia generates 80% of DeCharge's current network revenue
• [27:21] Biggest challenges: avoiding R&D rabbit holes, sticking to first principles, and iterating fast across hardware and software
• [29:05] Funding journey: seed round led by Lemniscap, first Asian startup in Colosseum's hackathon ecosystem
• [32:06] Contrarian view: autonomous EV charging powered by crypto payment rails is the next major wave
• [33:30] Energy is the truest form of currency , especially as AI data centers drive massive power demand
• [35:14] The ask: charge point operator partnerships, community members, and VC conversations welcome
• [39:19] The Scout app , a community-curated tool to map charger density and identify demand hotspots at scout.decharge.io

EPISODE DESCRIPTION 
I sat down with Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, co-founder of U-Tribe and GIFT (Gold International Fungible Token), to explore one of the most ambitious real-world asset projects I've come across. Mamadou spent decades in banking and early-stage investing across Africa , including in the first GSM projects and mobile payments before M-Pesa , and he turned that experience into a mission: giving anyone on earth access to physical, one-to-one backed gold from as little as 15 cents. We talk about why central banks are quietly buying more physical gold than at any point in the past 40 years, why the gold ETF market is dangerously over-encumbered, and how GIFT's MiCA-regulated token could become the financial safety net for 2.5 billion people across 35 countries. Mamadou also walks me through their quantum-enhanced wallet, their Ubuntu Academy for financial and digital literacy, and their upcoming STO launching in July. This one is packed with insight on the real shift happening in global finance right now. 
DISCLAIMER
Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/
 CONNECT 
U-Tribe / GIFT: https://utribe.one/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/UtribeOne
Web3 with Sam Kamani Podcast: https://www.web3pod.xyz/
 KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS 
• [00:01] Sam introduces Mamadou and the GIFT tokenized gold project, noting the recent MiCA license in Europe
• [01:36] Mamadou shares his background: 20+ years in African banking and tech investment, including early GSM and mobile payments before M-Pesa
• [03:46] The origin of GIFT , one milligram of gold accessible from 15 cents on any mobile phone, backed one-to-one by physical gold
• [05:06] The global financial shift: why the world is moving back toward asset-backed monetary systems and away from dollar dominance
• [06:48] Central banks bought over 1,300 tons of gold last year and more physical gold in the past decade than the previous 40 years
• [07:16] Why the gold ETF market is 10–15x over-encumbered and what that means for ordinary investors
• [09:53] How blockchain solves the collateral problem for financial inclusion , instant loans from as little as 10 cents of gold
• [10:42] GIFT holds a MiCA license in Europe and is upgrading to asset reference token status, with 30+ countries and 2.5 billion people in reach within five months
• [13:05] Physical gold is stored in vaults in Zurich, Stuttgart, Copenhagen, Dubai, and Singapore, insured by Lloyds of London and audited on-chain
• [16:30] The quantum-enhanced wallet , one of only four or five in the world , is live on Google Play Store and coming to App Store
• [17:43] Ubuntu Academy inside the wallet: financial literacy, digital literacy, vocational training, and ethical leadership powered by a personalised AI tutor
• [19:29] 10% of transaction fees go toward education and healthcare, including in the mining communities where the gold is extracted
• [23:39] How Mamadou explains RWAs to newcomers: a digital title deed, like a certificate of ownership , no crypto jargon needed
• [26:48] How to onboard: download the app on Google Play or visit utribe.gift.app, complete KYC, and pay via card, wire, mobile money, or voucher
• [28:00] Key Web3 infrastructure shifts: NYSE moving $87 trillion of assets on-chain, DTCC moving on-chain, 130+ nations working on CBDCs
• [30:55] Long-term vision: launching SIFT (Silver International Fungible Token), becoming a tokenization-as-a-service infrastructure provider
• [33:20] Upcoming July STO (Security Token Offering) and tokenized convertible bond to finance gold extraction and fuel growth

EPISODE DESCRIPTION 
I sat down with Firas Isa, the founder of Crypto Dispenser, a bootstrapped and profitable company that has been quietly building Bitcoin on-ramp infrastructure since 2017. Firas started with a single Bitcoin ATM, partnered with GreenDot Bank to place cash deposit points across 100,000 retail stores like CVS and Walmart, and has grown to over 100,000 registered users , all without taking a penny of outside investment. In this conversation, we dig into why cash is still the purest way to buy Bitcoin, the brutal reality of getting bank accounts shut down repeatedly, and why Firas believes Bitcoin is the world's most peaceful revolution against currency debasement. If you have ever wondered how to buy Bitcoin without going through a big exchange, or you are a founder trying to understand what it actually takes to survive a decade in the crypto space on a bootstrap budget, this episode is for you. 
DISCLAIMER
Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. 
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/
 CONNECT 
Crypto Dispenser Website:https://www.cryptodispensers.com/
Crypto Dispenser Twitter/X: https://x.com/cryptodispenser
Firas Isa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/firas-isa/
Web3 with Sam Kamani Podcast: https://www.web3pod.xyz
 KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS 
• [00:01] Sam introduces Firas Isa and Crypto Dispenser , a bootstrapped, profitable Bitcoin on-ramp with 100K+ users
• [01:43] Firas explains how Crypto Dispenser started in 2017 with one Bitcoin ATM and has since pivoted to an online platform supporting debit, credit, ACH, wire, and PayPal
• [02:32] Firas shares his origin story , studying political science at Loyola University and learning about money printing, the petrodollar, and empire collapse
• [05:30] Discussion on the US gold standard, the Federal Reserve, and Voltaire's warning that fiat currency eventually goes to zero
• [10:19] How Bitcoin Pop (Bitcoin Point of Payment) works , generating a barcode inside the Crypto Dispenser account and loading cash at CVS, Walmart, or Walgreens
• [12:19] Why Crypto Dispenser is non-custodial and why that matters , users own their Bitcoin the same day they buy it
• [13:43] Why cash remains the only true way to buy Bitcoin without relying on the traditional banking system
• [20:34] The brutal reality of maintaining bank accounts as a crypto startup , banks shutting them down every six to eight months
• [23:23] The rise of neo-banks like OneSafe (backed by Coinbase) and how they have helped but still face the same de-risking pattern
• [26:13] How Crypto Dispenser differentiates through hands-on customer support against giants like Coinbase and Strike
• [30:56] Trends Firas is watching , prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi, and what they say about younger generations seeking financial freedom
• [37:46] Firas's vision for the next two to three years , scaling the business, potentially bringing on VC capital, and continuing to grow organically
• [39:15] North Star metrics , 100K registered users, approximately 2,000 monthly paying users
• [41:45] Firas's ask , give Bitcoin a chance, and reach out if you are a developer or investor who wants to help scale

EPISODE DESCRIPTION 
I sat down with Lux, Chief Commercial Officer at OpenPayd, and this conversation genuinely surprised me. Lux started out as an FX trader at JP Morgan , the guy who once typed 'Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme' into a Bloomberg chat , and now he's helping build one of the most quietly impressive fintech infrastructure companies out there. We got into how OpenPayd has grown to over 1,200 institutional clients, processed over $200 billion in volume annually, stayed cash flow positive for five years, and never taken a single round of funding. We talked about why financial institutions are now OpenPayd's fastest growing vertical, what the stablecoin sandwich actually means for cross-border payments, and whether crypto is really dead or just maturing. Lux also shared his contrarian take on why the era of 150% Ethereum weeks is probably behind us , and why that's actually a good sign. If you're in fintech, payments, or crypto infrastructure, this one is worth your time. 
DISCLAIMER
Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. 
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/
 CONNECT 
OpenPayd Website: https://www.openpayd.com/
OpenPayd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/openpayd/
Web3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz/
 KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS 
• [00:06] Sam introduces Lux from OpenPayd , a bootstrapped fintech with 200+ employees and $200B+ annual volume
• [01:30] Lux's origin story: FX trader at JP Morgan who called Bitcoin a Ponzi scheme in 2009, then missed it, then got into Ethereum
• [03:20] How joining a payments firm opened Lux's eyes to the real problem crypto companies face with banking access
• [05:09] The divergence between crypto and stablecoins , and why stablecoin market cap is no longer correlated to Bitcoin price
• [06:06] What OpenPayd is built on: providing financial infrastructure to underserved industries and incorporating blockchain into payments rails
• [09:35] The Innovator's Dilemma in banking , why incumbents like HSBC still charge 1.7% on FX when the actual spread is near zero
• [11:00] How Revolut and Nubank disrupted banking without reinventing the wheel , and what that means for crypto adoption by banks
• [13:18] How OpenPayd differentiates: speed, product, tech, licensing, and becoming a one-stop-shop across fiat and blockchain rails
• [18:03] The biggest trend at OpenPayd: financial institutions have become the number one vertical in under 15 months, driven by stablecoin adoption
• [20:50] Running a bootstrapped company: the nice headache of keeping up with growth while staying compliant across 1,300+ institutional clients
• [22:19] Lux's contrarian take: crypto isn't dead , the market has just matured because institutional money behaves differently than retail
• [27:19] Why AI investment and geopolitical uncertainty have pulled capital away from crypto , and why that rotation will eventually reverse
• [31:05] Lux's biggest challenge as CCO: reducing churn, staying relevant, and keeping one eye on short-term revenue and one on scalable growth
• [32:49] OpenPayd's 2-3 year roadmap: US expansion later this year, then Latam and Asia , building both sides of the stablecoin sandwich
• [34:41] On fundraising: profitable for five years, no need to raise, but never ruling it out

EPISODE DESCRIPTION 
I sat down with Brian Gerrard, founder of PaySlice, who spent seven years living across Latin America before building one of the most human-centered fintech startups I have come across. Brian started by connecting friends in emerging markets with remote jobs, then realized they were losing massive chunks of their income to inflation and bad exchange rates. That led him to build PaySlice , a platform that lets workers access their earned wages daily and get paid in stablecoins instead of a depreciating local currency. We talk about how he grew to nearly 10,000 users mostly through word of mouth, why he chose payroll over remittances, how he is embedding PaySlice into gaming and credit apps with zero customer acquisition cost, and where he sees this going as one point two billion people receive a paycheck every month. This is a real conversation about real problems, real traction, and what it actually takes to build something that matters. 
DISCLAIMER
Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. 
Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/
 CONNECT 
PaySlice Website: https://www.payslice.com
Brian Gerrard LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjgerrard/
Brian Gerrard Email: mailto:brian@payslice.com
Web3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz/
 KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS 
• [00:01] Sam introduces Brian Gerrard from PaySlice and the show's focus on payment infrastructure innovation
• [01:36] Brian shares his background , leaving San Francisco to explore Latin America, which turned into a seven-year journey
• [02:59] How Brian's staffing agency workers in Argentina, Colombia, and Jamaica asked to be paid daily and in USD, sparking the PaySlice idea
• [03:58] PaySlice launches and grows to nearly 10,000 employees on the platform
• [05:04] Why stablecoins have real product-market fit , stablecoin transaction volumes now surpassing Visa and Mastercard combined
• [07:18] The B2C and B2B sides of PaySlice and which industries are gaining traction, including staffing agencies and payroll companies
• [09:30] How traditional payroll tools force-convert currencies and silently take 3.5% from employees without employers knowing
• [12:08] How PaySlice acquired most of its users through word-of-mouth and a referral boost mechanic
• [13:21] Plans for a physical card launch in 18 countries in Q3 or Q4
• [16:34] Brian's growth marketing background at Twitch, where he scaled to 25 million monthly active users
• [17:44] Using paid advertising in English and Spanish to target the US-Latin America remittance corridor
• [19:08] How analyzing user transaction data via Plaid led to zero-CAC distribution deals with credit repair and mobile gaming companies
• [21:03] Companies Brian admires , Revolut and Wise for solving currency frustration at scale
• [22:22] The most misunderstood part of crypto-powered payroll and why employers need more empathy toward employees in unstable currencies
• [23:05] Founder advice: listen to the market, hold beliefs loosely, and recognize the difference between good struggle and the wrong fit
• [30:29] Brian's 10-year vision , getting 1.2 billion monthly paycheck recipients paid every day instead of once a month
• [31:27] PaySlice's current seed raise, embedded finance partnership opportunities, and revenue share model