207: NFTs 101 with Hashkey Group's Ben El-Baz

An introduction to the world of NFTs with Hashkey Group's Ben El-Baz. Hashkey is one of the largest Digital Asset investors in Asia. Sam and Johnny catch up before the interview where Sam reveals that something shocking happened at his Barcelona condo while he was gone. Then Johnny jumps into the interview to get the basics on Non-Fungible Tokens and how they differ from Fungible Tokens. After the interview, Sam and Johnny circle back to discuss their takeaways on investing in NFTs.   Ben leads HashKey Group’s strategic partnerships, blockchain applications and asset tokenisation projects, and post-investment management of a US-based tokenised securities firm. Ben is also an Advisor to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank for International Settlements’ projects on tokenised financial products. With over 13 years of experience in Silicon Valley, Mainland China and Hong Kong, he started his career as a derivatives trader, then as a China cross-borders corporate finance analyst, before moving into technology product management and business development, serving Big Tech clients like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Ben is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he earned his Master’s degree in Management and led the university’s largest working group on blockchain applications. Listen to ILAB 207 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Where we are: Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdj Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks Derek Spartz – Venice Beach / IG @DerekRadio Sponsor: IndeedReceive a $75 credit for a sponsored job post when you visit Indeed.com/ILAB Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon Discussed: HashKey Group | Asia's Digital Asset Leaders Hashkey Group's Article on Key Infrastructures of the Metaverse Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links: ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000) Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK) *Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally. Time Stamp: 12:45 – What is Hashkey Group and how did you get started in this field? 13:29 – How long has NFTs been around? 14:51 – Why are NFTs so valuable? 16:50 – What are some of the popular NFTs? 19:38 – Do you think some of the big gaming companies get into NFTs? 23:18 – Are NFTs just an upgrade to buying and selling assets of previous games? 25:00 – What other ways do you see NFTs incorporated into the metaverse in the future? 30:03 – Why are “Gas” fees so high? 33:22 – What are the four types of NFT storage?   39:59 – Do you think it will evolve and what does the future hold? 43:38 – How does Hashkey help with NFTs? 48:10 – Johnny and Sam recap If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!  Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Read our disclaimer here.