S9E5: Powering the Future of Blockchain with Kathleen Breitman of Tezos
We are back again with another episode of the The Room Podcast! We take a deep dive into blockchain technology with Kathleen Breitman, the co-founder of Tezos. Kathleen sets the stage for a fascinating discussion about Tezos' contributions to the blockchain space. We talk about Tezos’ self-amending nature and community-driven governance, how companies are tokenizing real assets on Tezos, and how these features drove Tezos to become a pioneering force in the blockchain industry. In this episode, we cover themes such as security in the early blockchain landscape, approaches to funding startups in the crypto space, self-governance in Web3, and the current regulatory environment. For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter. Check out our guide to podcasting here! 4:00 - Where did Kathleen grow up and how did that shape her view of the world? 4:50 - Did Kathleen always think she was going to become a founder? 6:46 - How did going to an all-girls school impact Kathleen? 8:29 - How did Kathleen end up working in the blockchain industry and what was the landscape like when she started? 12:14 - What was the “aha moment” that sparked the start of Tezos? 14:39 - What pushed Kathleen to make Tezos one of the first blockchains to leverage a proof of stake mechanism to provide high security and low energy usage compared to the popular proof of work chains? 16:30 - How was Kathleen’s fundraising journey for Tezos? 19:42 - What was a moment when starting Tezos when things didn’t go as planned? 26:25 - What is Kathleen looking forward to in the back half of 2023? 29:43 - What are Kathleen’s thoughts regarding some of the reputational damage that has been done by bad actors in the blockchain ecosystem? 32:38 - What are some current projects that Kathleen is looking forward to? 35:27 - How is Kathleen thinking about the relationship between self-governance and the current regulatory environment? 37:25 - How has Kathleen’s work in the blockchain ecosystem interacted with the art world, and how does she see that aspect of crypto really evolving? 39:37 - Who is a woman in Kathleen’s life that has a profound impact on her and her career? WX Productions