Absolute Return Podcast

#259 - IPO and Digital Asset Market Trends with Cohen's Head of SPAC Investment Banking, Brandon Sun and Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets, Christian Lopez

On today’s show, we welcome special guests, Brandon Sun, Cohen’s Managing Director and Head of SPAC Investment Banking, and Christian Lopez, Cohen’s Managing Director and Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets. Cohen is a full-service boutique investment bank focused on advising leading and emerging companies across sectors to address their strategic and financial opportunities. On the show, we discuss:

• Dynamics driving the momentum in the IPO market
• Trends in digital asset capital formation and crypto treasury companies
• The evolution of digital assets within the capital markets
• What investors can expect for the back half of the year
• And more

#258 - Bitcoin as a Core Treasury Asset with ReserveOne’s Jaime Leverton and Sebastian Bea

On today’s show we welcome special guests, ReserveOne’s CEO Jaime Leverton and President Sebastian Bea. ReserveOne is a newly formed, first-of-its-kind digital asset management firm inspired by the proposed U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile. On the show, we discuss:

• Their “bitcoin moment” and what initially got them interested in crypto
• ReserveOne’s digital asset investment strategy
• How ReserveOne differentiates itself from other crypto treasury companies
• Reasons why an investor would choose a crypto treasury company over an ETF or holding crypto directly
• And more!

#257 - Crypto Treasury Companies with Upexi’s CSO Brian Rudick and Meteora’s CIO Vik Mittal

On today’s show we welcome special guests, Upexi’s Chief Strategy Officer, Brian Rudick and Meteora Capital’s Chief Investment Officer, Vik Mittal. Brian and Vik have been involved in the creation of crypto treasury companies and are experts in the space. Upexi is a Solana Treasury Company. On the show, we discuss:

• What is a crypto treasury company and how do they create value long term?
• Why should investors buy a crypto treasury company instead of buying the crypto themselves or through an ETF?
• How are SPACs and RTOs involved in this dynamic?
• How has the regulatory environment changed in the U.S. around digital assets?
• And more!

#256 - Quant Investing in Digital Assets with Starkiller Capital CIO Leigh Drogen

On today’s show we welcome special guest, CIO of Starkiller Capital, Leigh Drogen. Starkiller Capital is an institutional investment firm applying quantitative data-driven strategies to blockchain based digital assets. On the show we discuss:

• Core tenets of their approach to crypto investing
• Trend following and yield farming in crypto
• Their approach to risk management 
• His top emerging trends in the digital asset space to have on your radar
• And more!

#252 - State of the Markets: Navigating Q4 and Beyond

On today’s show, listen to Julian and Mike have a live discussion on the State of the Markets: Navigating Q4 and Beyond.

On the show, we discuss:

• The opportunities within global equities, including the sector we are most bullish on
• Why investors should stay away from fixed income and which investments allocators should use for yield
• The outlook for mergers and acquisitions along with a potential positive catalyst
• Why gold is a must own asset and may outperform bitcoin
• And more

A point of disclosure, Accelerate funds may have long or short positions in the securities discussed in this episode.

#251 - A Systematic Approach to Crypto Investing with Martin Green of Cambrian Asset Management

On today’s show we welcome special guest, the co-CIO of Cambrian Asset Management, Martin Green. Cambrian is a quantitative investment firm for digital assets. On the show, we discuss:

• Cambrian’s approach to crypto investing and how it is differentiated
• Navigating crypto’s volatility and macro events including the FTX bankruptcy
• Keys to success and staying power in the digital asset space
• And more

#243 - Bitcoin’s Future with Bitcoin Depot CEO Brandon Mintz

August 14, 2023 -  On today’s show we welcome special guest, Bitcoin Depot CEO Brandon Mintz. Bitcoin Depot operates the largest bitcoin ATM network in the world. On the show, we discuss:

• Brandon’s “bitcoin moment” and what initially got him interested in the cryptocurrency
• His entrepreneurial journey and where he got the idea to start the company
• Why their customers use ATMs instead of online exchanges to buy bitcoin
• Bitcoin Depot’s growth initiatives, including their approach to M&A
• What he believes is in store for the future of bitcoin

#242 - 2022 Dealmaker of the Year, Danny Rice

February 27, 2023 - On today’s show we welcome special guest and the 2022 Dealmaker of the Year, Danny Rice. Danny was the CEO of Rice Acquisition 1, which merged with Archaea Energy in a $1.15 billion deal and then subsequently sold to BP for $4.1 billion. Danny is now the CEO of Rice Acquisition 2, which recently announced a $1.5 billion merger with NET Power, a clean energy technology company.

On the show, Danny discusses:

• Key lessons learned from the Archaea Energy SPAC merger and subsequent sale to BP
• A primer on NET Power’s innovative clean energy technology
• The case for U.S. shale gas powering reliable, clean and low-cost power
• What inspires him as an entrepreneur and business leader
• And more

#241 - Private vs Public REIT Investing with Armada ETF’s CEO Phil Bak

January 6, 2023 - On today’s show we welcome special guest Phil Bak, CEO of Armada ETF 

Advisors. Phil has been innovating in the ETF industry for over 15 years. He has previously served as Founder/CEO of Exponential ETFs, an ETF issuer and sub-advisor acquired by Tidal ETF Services in 2020. Phil has also served as Chief Investment Officer at Signal Advisors, a venture-backed startup in Detroit and Managing Director at the New York Stock Exchange. On the show, Phil discusses:

 

• Characteristics of ETFs that make them a great tool for investors
• Some major innovations in ETFs over the past 15 years
• The bull case for residential real estate
• What is happening in the private REIT space
• The major risk investors face in private REITs
• And more

#239: The Space Exploration Business with Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus

On today’s podcast we welcome special guest, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus. Intuitive Machines is a diversified space exploration, infrastructure, and services company.

On the show, Steve discusses:

-Some of his main learning experiences at NASA and what inspired him to leave to launch a startup
-The current state of the space race
-The potential for long-term lunar infrastructure and commerce
-What he thinks is in store for space exploration over the next 50 years
-And more