EPISODE · Sep 20, 2023 · 34 MIN
Mark Fidelman: Tokenizing Industries
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode, Sabine VdL talks to Mark Fidelman, founder of SmartBlocks.Agency, and a globally recognised thought leader with over two decades of tech-fuelled wisdom. Whether you’re a CEO pondering your next strategic move, a CTO looking to harness emerging technologies, or a CDO keen on transformative solutions, buckle up! We’re about to deep-dive into a world where the token is mightier than the sword. KEY TAKEAWAYS It's always more fun to join up and coming companies before big businesses come in and take over, but I quickly realised I wasn't building anything by doing this. The crypto I tend to focus on is the tokenisation/fractionalisation of assets where you break up real estate or something really valuable and you allow the democratisation of that asset to anyone that wants to invest in it. Tokenisation is much safer than crypto. There’s no such thing as ‘hacked wallets’ because everything’s white listed, it’s attached to you, so if somebody steals those tokens out of your wallet you can go back to the issuer and say “cancel those and reissue mine”, you can’t do that with crypto. To me crypto is Monopoly money, what I’m doing is real, with real money. If you were to invest £1,000 every single month in one of the projects that are paying 10-15%, in 10 years you’d have a £30,000 per month income for life – some of that is because the real estate was sold, but on average it works out this way. BEST MOMENTS ‘For young entrepreneurs the top 5 areas are AI, engineering (like SpaceX), cryptocurrency (find a niche), Ecommerce, and tools and technologies (SaaS-based products that solve a really nuanced problem that no one else is solving).’ ‘I chose tokens when I fractionalise businesses because it’s a lot easier to set up, then you have a blockchain that does all the management, you’re not working with the stock exchange or have expensive systems in place.’ ‘It’s the future, if you look at Black Rock, Bank of America, Citi, they’re all saying the same thing: everything’s going to be fractionalised. They’ve already tokenised billions of dollars of bands because you can then trade that anywhere in the world, you’re not subject to local laws.’ ‘95% of crypto is just a scam, they’re worthless, they’re not backed by anything, they’re just a big ponzi scheme. Though there are 5% that will change the future, we just need to better educate people on what’s what.’ ABOUT THE GUEST As the founder of SmartBlocks.Agency, Mark Fidelman is a pivotal player in crypto and e-commerce with a career spanning two decades. He's not just a veteran; he’s an industry influencer—endorsed by Forbes and celebrated as a Top 50 Social CEO by Huffington Post. Mark is a growth catalyst, having spearheaded initiatives for NFT trailblazers like WAX.io. His credentials go beyond mere business acumen; he's a respected keynote speaker, a Forbes contributor, and the mastermind behind the YouTube channel, Cryptonized!, where he dissects the hottest trends in crypto. ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
What this episode covers
What if the real power of blockchain wasn’t speculation—but ownership, access, and trust at scale? In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VdL sits down with Mark Fidelman, founder of SmartBlocks.Agency and a globally recognised voice in crypto, tokenisation, and digital commerce, to cut through the noise surrounding blockchain—and focus on what actually creates value. This is not a crypto hype session. It’s a grounded conversation about why tokenisation, not speculation, is where the real transformation is happening. Mark’s journey spans more than two decades at the front edge of technology. Early on, he was drawn to fast-growing companies before they became mainstream. But over time, he realised something uncomfortable: jumping from wave to wave doesn’t build lasting value. Building infrastructure does. That realisation led him away from short-term hype cycles and toward tokenisation as a long-term economic lever. A core distinction Mark makes—one many leaders still miss—is between crypto and tokenisation. In his view, most crypto behaves like Monopoly money: unbacked, speculative, and disconnected from real assets. Tokenisation, by contrast, fractionalises real-world value—real estate, businesses, tangible assets—and makes them accessible to a much broader pool of investors. That shift isn’t just financial; it’s structural. It changes who gets access to ownership. Security and governance are central to the argument. Tokenised assets, Mark explains, operate in whitelisted environments tied to verified identities. If tokens are stolen, they can be cancelled and reissued—something impossible in traditional crypto wallets. That design flips the risk profile entirely and makes tokenisation far more compatible with institutional participation. The conversation also explores why global financial players are paying attention. When firms like BlackRock, Citi, and Bank of America all converge on the same message—that everything will eventually be fractionalised—it’s no longer a fringe idea. It’s an early signal. Tokenisation removes geographic friction, reduces administrative overhead, and enables assets to be traded globally without being trapped by local market constraints. Mark is candid about the risks. He estimates that 95% of crypto projects are scams or structurally unsound, which is why education matters more than evangelism. The remaining 5%, however, could reshape capital markets, investment access, and how value moves around the world. The challenge for leaders isn’t whether blockchain will matter—it’s knowing where substance ends and speculation begins. The episode also looks forward. For entrepreneurs and executives alike, Mark outlines where real opportunity is emerging: AI, deep engineering, niche blockchain applications, e-commerce, and SaaS tools that solve specific, painful problems. Not broad promises—precise solutions. This conversation is for CEOs, technology leaders, and investors trying to separate signal from noise in an increasingly tokenised economy. It’s a reminder that the future of finance won’t be won by chasing the next coin—but by building systems that democratise access to real value. Because the token isn’t mightier than the sword by accident— it’s powerful when it’s backed by trust, assets, and intent. And that’s exactly what Scouting for Growth exists to uncover.
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Mark Fidelman: Tokenizing Industries
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