Ep. 37: Privacy, Security and Selective Transparency on the Blockchain with Linda Xie of Cryptoasset Fund Scalar Capital

Most people don’t realize just how transparent the blockchain is, but every transaction that happens on Bitcoin is public. None of us wants to have our net worth on display, leaving us vulnerable to fishing attacks and allowing others to see what we spend our money on. So how do we approach privacy in the cryptocurrency space? Where should we be storing our Bitcoin to keep it safe? And how can we be selectively transparent, choosing what information we want to reveal—and to whom? Linda Xie was working as a portfolio risk manager for AIG when Coinbase onboarded Overstock in January of 2014. Inspired by the move, Linda sent a cold email to Coinbase offering to work for the company in any capacity. By June, she was employed as a regulatory compliance investigator for the digital currency platform, working with law enforcement to conduct blockchain investigations and track down cybercriminals. Eventually Linda was promoted to Product Manager, and she continued at Coinbase until September of this year when became an entrepreneur in the cryptocurrency space. Linda currently serves as the co-founder and managing director of Scalar Capital, a cryptocurrency hedge fund. An expert in the areas of privacy and security, she is passionate about crypto as an ‘unseizable asset’ that governments cannot control. Today Linda shares her take on where we should be storing our Bitcoin and what is stopping cryptocurrency from mass adoption. We discuss the introduction of Coinbase Custody, exploring why the fees are so high and the potential for competition in the space. Linda offers her definition of crypto privacy, explaining the concept of ‘selective transparency.’ Listen in to understand what projects and tokens she is excited about and the impact of crypto as an asset that governments cannot seize or control. Connect with Linda Linda’s Blog https://medium.com/@linda.xie Linda on Twitter https://twitter.com/ljxie?lang=en Scalar Capital http://scalar.capital/ Scalar Capital on Twitter https://twitter.com/ScalarCapital Resources Mentioned Coinbase https://www.coinbase.com/?locale=en-US Coinbase Custody https://custody.coinbase.com/ Monero https://getmonero.org/ Zcash https://z.cash/ Connect with Boost VC Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/ Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/ Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC