Web3 with Sam Kamani

EPISODE DESCRIPTION
I sat down with Chris Hewish from Xsolla , a company that has been powering the gaming industry for over 20 years , to dig into why Web3 games crashed and burned, what needs to change, and why Web2 games are the real gateway to bringing the next billion users on chain. Chris breaks down the allergy traditional gaming studios have to Web3 language, how Xsolla's web shop product disrupted the 30% Apple and Google tax, and why removing friction , not pushing wallets and blockchain jargon , is the only path to mass adoption. Whether you are a game developer, a Web3 founder, or just someone trying to understand where gaming and blockchain collide, this episode is packed with honest, experience-backed insight from someone who has been in the trenches for decades.
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 ---
Xsolla Website: https://xsolla.com
Web3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz/
Sam Kamani LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/samkamani
KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS
• [00:01] Sam introduces Chris Hewish from Xsolla and sets up the episode's core themes: Web3 gaming failures, Xsolla's 20-year journey, and bringing the next billion users on chain
• [01:24] Chris shares his origin story , starting in the mail room at Games Workshop and working his way into the business side of gaming before joining Xsolla six years ago
• [03:18] The founding problem Xsolla set out to solve: limited global payment options for game developers, which locked out players who simply could not pay
• [05:13] How Xsolla helps game studios at every stage , from pre-launch community building to post-launch marketing tech, loyalty programs, and live service tools
• [07:44] Why Web3 gaming failed: trying to build infrastructure and ecosystem simultaneously, unsustainable play-to-earn economies, speculation over gameplay, and rug pulls
• [09:50] The so-called Web3 community was never large or loyal enough to sustain a game ecosystem on its own
• [11:23] The allergic reaction traditional Web2 studios have to Web3 language , and how removing that language entirely changed partner conversations from rejection to sign-ups
• [13:13] A concrete example of on-chain value: paying players $5 in stablecoin to play during a game's launch weekend, cheaper than paid user acquisition
• [17:17] The web shop innovation , how Xsolla created a whole new sector by letting mobile games transact outside the App Store, cutting fees from 30% down to around 7%
• [20:04] The Epic vs Apple and Google battle over Fortnite and what it exposed about the duopoly controlling mobile gaming
• [21:49] The Nike analogy: why game companies need multiple distribution channels just like any other consumer brand
• [24:22] Advice for gaming startup founders: take go-to-market strategy seriously from day one, not just near launch
• [30:42] Why Web2 games , with 3.3 billion players already , are the ecosystem that will bring the first billion users on chain
• [31:31] The key to mass adoption: remove Web3 language, embed wallets invisibly into existing account systems, and let players receive value without knowing the infrastructure behind it
• [33:29] Xsolla is already live on testnet, self-funded, and will be sharing real data later in the year

--- EPISODE DESCRIPTION ---
I sat down with Will Reeves, CEO of Fold, and walked away genuinely excited about what they are building. Will breaks down how Fold is putting Bitcoin into the hands of everyday Americans — not by convincing them to buy it, but by letting them earn it as a reward on their normal spending. We talk about why airlines and banks can never truly compete with this model, how Fold customers have earned $70 million in Bitcoin rewards, and the wild insight that led to Bitcoin showing up on shelves at Kroger. Will also shares hard-won lessons on building a team, finding product-market fit, and why naivety combined with passion is actually a superpower for founders. This is a story about solving a real financial problem for real people — and the results are speaking for themselves. 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 ---
Fold Website: https://foldapp.com/
Twitter/X: Will Reeves: https://twitter.com/WillReeves
Twitter/X : Fold: https://twitter.com/Fold_app
Web3 with Sam Kamani : Website: https://www.web3pod.xyz/
Twitter/X : Sam Kamani: https://twitter.com/samkamani
--- KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS ---
• [00:01] Sam introduces Will Reeves from Fold and sets the scene from Bitcoin Vegas 2026
• [01:21] Will shares his origin story — growing up in California, graduating into the 2008 financial crisis, and falling in love with startups in the Bay Area
• [03:21] The core problem Will wanted to solve: restoring paths to financial stability using Bitcoin as the vehicle
• [06:10] How Fold's rewards model works — turning everyday spending into Bitcoin savings using the familiar cash-back habit
• [08:01] Why Bitcoin rewards beat cash back and airline miles over the long term due to appreciation versus inflation
• [09:20] Why traditional banks and credit card companies can't copy Fold — the innovator's dilemma explained
• [14:53] Fold has hundreds of thousands of users and has given away $70 million in Bitcoin rewards
• [16:02] Removing barriers to Bitcoin: physical gift cards at Kroger and employee bonuses at Steak and Shake powered by Fold
• [19:06] The pivot moment — from "spend Bitcoin at Starbucks" to "earn Bitcoin on your normal card" and the hockey stick that followed
• [23:29] Why airlines desperately need Bitcoin as a rewards off-ramp — and the COVID liability crisis that exposed the flaw
• [26:46] The hardest part of making Bitcoin mainstream: overcoming short-term thinking and fear of volatility
• [28:54] Best growth channel for Fold: word of mouth, not paid ads, plus strategic distribution deals like Kroger
• [31:04] Founder lessons — staying naive and passionate, hiring for grit over credentials, and not holding the reins too long
• [32:23] The hardest role to hire for: marketing and growth, and why hunger beats credentials every time
• [34:33] Long-term vision: Fold as a great American financial institution that sends value back to the customer
• [36:07] The ask — use Fold, get on the credit card waitlist, and reach out to Will on X at @WillReeves

I sat down with Kamal, President of the Board of the Hashgraph Association, to unpack how Hedera Hashgraph is taking a different approach to Web3 , one built around trusted governance, enterprise readiness and real-world use cases. Kamal shares how his journey started at EY Switzerland in 2015, led to co-founding Swisscom Blockchain, and eventually brought him to leading ecosystem development for one of the most institutionally backed Layer 1s in the space. We talk about AI and Web3 convergence, why polyglot platforms are the future, and the projects already live today , from microfinance in North Africa to customs automation with AirAsia's parent company. If you're a founder, builder or enterprise leader trying to understand where Web3 is heading, this episode is packed with signal. 
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/

I sat down with Aziz from CoinFund at Consensus Miami and walked away more bullish than ever. Aziz went from selling RuneScape gold for Bitcoin to becoming an investor at one of the most respected crypto venture funds in the space. In this episode, he breaks down exactly why he believes we are heading into a stablecoin super cycle, why decentralized AI is about to have its moment, and why quantum computing is a bigger threat to crypto than most people realise. He also shares what he actually looks for in founders, which portfolio companies have him most excited right now, and why the worst thing you can do is sit on the sidelines. If you are building something in Web3 or thinking about it, this conversation 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 ---
CoinFund Website: https://coinfund.io 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/magicofazi/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/coinfund/ 
--- KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS ---
• [00:00] Aziz shares how selling RuneScape gold led him down the Bitcoin rabbit hole in 2016-17
• [02:30] His journey from a family office to founding a decentralised messaging startup with AI agents
• [05:00] Why he joined CoinFund and what drew him to Jake and the team
• [07:00] CoinFund's investment thesis , chain agnostic, sector agnostic, and stage agnostic
• [08:30] Regional stablecoins and why Brazil's PIX economy is a massive opportunity (Trace Finance)
• [11:00] The case for decentralised AI and why 2027-28 could be the inflection point
• [14:00] Portfolio spotlight: Prime Intellect and Pluralis and what makes them stand out
• [18:00] Why encrypted inference and portable memory systems are the next big frontier
• [22:00] Why distributed compute hasn't gone mainstream yet , and what has changed
• [26:00] The Bitcoin to Ethereum to Solana to Hyperliquid pattern and what it teaches investors
• [29:00] Why 2026 could be the stablecoin super cycle and what drives the next bull market
• [33:00] How AI agents will use crypto for payments and why X.402 matters
• [37:00] What Aziz looks for in founders , technical sharpness, high agency, and unique distribution
• [41:00] Portfolio company VEDA and why vault infrastructure is powering the next wave of neobanks
• [44:00] His call to action for founders who are ready to build

I sat down live at Consensus Miami with William, ex-co-founder of Tether and WAX, to get his unfiltered take on where tokenization is actually heading. We dig into why stablecoins became the killer app, what's been holding back tokenized gold and real estate, and why the regulatory dam is about to break. William shares a fascinating perspective on AI in crypto, why blockchain is "the worst way to do almost anything" but has no equal for a narrow set of use cases, and why 30,000 suits showing up to a Bitcoin conference signals something has fundamentally shifted. If you want a grounded, no-hype view of what the next two years looks like for tokenization and institutional adoption, this episode delivers. 
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/ 
Key Points with Timestamps
• [00:01:00] Tokenization is no longer a promise — Wall Street is actively moving toward it to eliminate legacy settlement friction and verify asset authenticity instantly
• [00:02:30] Tokenized assets unlock DeFi use cases like lending and collateral, making tokenization a core building block for decentralized finance
• [00:03:30] AI in crypto is less revolutionary than hyped — it's part of a long-term automation trend that has been underway for over a decade
• [00:04:30] Stablecoins remain the gold standard of tokenization; tokenizing fiat currency is still the best blockchain use case by far
• [00:06:00] The main hurdle to tokenizing gold, stocks, and real estate has been hostile US regulatory policy — not technology
• [00:06:30] The CLARITY Act could be the regulatory catalyst that triggers a rapid rollout of tokenized assets across traditional finance
• [00:09:00] Blockchain is the worst way to do almost anything, but for a narrow set of things — stablecoins, cross-border payments, tokenized assets — it has no equal
• [00:10:30] The crypto conference crowd has flipped from artists and experimenters to 30,000 people in suits, signalling deep institutional integration
• [00:12:30] Beyond finance, blockchain has real utility in tamper-proof documentation — national IDs, government records, title insurance, and notarisation could all be disrupted
• [00:16:00] In two years, expect tokenization to expand across stocks, bonds, and any traded asset, driving greater liquidity and near-instant settlement