Quant History, Station Wagons, and Bitcoin: A Conversation with Herb Blank

Join us for a very special LIVE episode of the New Barbarians Podcast with one of the true pioneers of modern investing — Herb Blank.Herb has been innovating in finance for over three decades — from launching the first managed ETFs to driving early Smart Beta and ESG models.We cover:✅ The history and future of quantitative investing✅ The origin of factor-based models and strategy indexes✅ Governance as the most predictive ESG factor✅ The evolution of ETFs and lessons from the 2008 crisis✅ AI’s role in risk management vs alpha generation✅ Bitcoin and blockchain through a quant’s lensPacked with market wisdom, personal stories, and a healthy dose of humor (station wagons, Clark Griswold, and more), this is a can't-miss conversation for anyone in TradFi, digital assets, or quant investing.🎧 Tune in and subscribe to hear what’s next at the cutting edge of investing.🔗 Follow Our Work:📜 Substack: Mark R. Connors - https://substack.com/@markrconnors📜 Harmonic Insights (Bill Mann & Chris Rosa) - https://www.harmoniqinsights.com/📜 SSRN for research papers - https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2035436📜 SmartKarma - Bill Mann -- https://www.smartkarma.com/profiles/william-mann-88ce6ae0-716e-4511-98ee-65b1af2765ff/researchTwitter / X: @thenewbarbpodChapters00:46 Guest Introduction: Herb Blank02:05 Factor Investing and Market Scorecard06:12 Origins of the First Managed ETFs09:51 Arbitrage Pricing Theory and Early Quant Investing26:23 Factor Cycles and The Factor Zoo31:08 Counterparty Risk and Banking System Evolution34:51 ESG Investing: Real vs Greenwashing44:13 Quant Investing Goes Mainstream54:19 AI and Risk Management in Investing56:23 The Future of Money and Digital Dollars58:00 AI and Healthcare Innovation1:00:13 Bitcoin and Blockchain Security1:05:55 Lessons from Early ETF Launches1:09:14 Where to Follow Herb Blank’s Work#QuantInvesting #ETFHistory #SmartBeta #ESGInvesting #AIInFinance #RiskManagement #DigitalAssets #BitcoinInvesting #FactorInvesting #ArbitragePricingTheory #Quants #FinancialInnovation #AIandMarkets #HerbBlank #NewBarbariansPodcast