Episode 37 - Building the Future of Finance: Blockchain, AI, and Inclusive Innovation

In this first video episode of The Gage, Greengage CEO Sean Kiernan sits down with Nicolas Cary, Co-Founder of Blockchain.com, to explore the past, present, and future of digital finance. Nicolas shares his entrepreneurial journey from selling clams as a child to founding Blockchain.com. His early ventures included e-commerce and encrypted messaging platforms, highlighting his lifelong interest in technology and innovation.Motivated by the 2008 financial crisis and distrust in legacy systems, Cary discovered Bitcoin and co-founded Blockchain.info (now Blockchain.com), which developed the first Bitcoin block explorer and wallet software. The company grew from mapping early Bitcoin adoption to becoming a leading crypto wallet and platform with millions of users.Cary explains Bitcoin as a form of "digital gold" that represents a countermeasure to inflation and centralised control. He highlights the technology’s decentralisation, transparency, and potential to become the reserve asset of the internet. Blockchain.com has raised nearly $1B and is preparing for a public offering. Cary discusses the firm’s evolution from retail to institutional services, emphasizing the importance of building resilient systems to navigate crypto’s market cycles.Beyond tech, Cary passionately supports inclusive entrepreneurship through SkysTheLimit.org, a nonprofit empowering underestimated entrepreneurs from low-income backgrounds with mentorship, funding, and tools to build businesses. The initiative includes innovative pilots like DAO-based grant funding.Looking ahead, Cary predicts: A convergence of AI and crypto where AI agents autonomously transact using crypto wallets. A rise in tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), enabling fractional ownership of everything from distilleries to infrastructure. More companies opting for token-based fundraising models over traditional IPOs. Increased financial inclusion through open-access digital tools.  Cary reflects on the maturation of the crypto industry, from niche tech to global infrastructure, and the importance of building a better, fairer financial system. He believes collaboration, decentralisation, and entrepreneurship are key to unlocking global prosperity.For more information about Blockchain.com, visit https://www.blockchain.com Listen to our other podcasts: https://www.greengage.co/podcasts Time stamps·      0:00–2:00 – Introduction to Nicolas Cary & Blockchain.com·      2:00–6:30 – Early entrepreneurial journey·      6:30–10:00 – Founding Blockchain.com after the 2008 crisis·      10:00–15:00 – Bitcoin, market cycles & decentralisation·      15:00–19:00 – Scaling from retail to institutional clients·      19:00–23:00 – Sky’s the Limit & crypto for good·      23:00–26:00 – AI agents, tokenization & the future·      26:00–29:00 – Building during bear markets·      29:00–30:30 – Final thoughts on trust & innovation