On The Margin

From Soviet Refugee into GoMining CEO: Mark Zalan on GoMining, Crypto Fraud & the FUTURE of Bitcoin.GoMining is one of the top 10 Bitcoin miners in the world by hash power, and the CEO Mark Zalan sat down with me to share the unfiltered story behind his rise from Soviet Union refugee to leading a company with 5 million users.We cover:How his family fled the Soviet Union in 1989 with $360 and refugee documents - and what that shaped in himWhy he was late to Bitcoin (and what finally changed his mind)How Go Mining lets anyone start mining Bitcoin for as little as $25The difference between cloud mining scams and what Go Mining actually doesIs crypto mostly fraud? An honest breakdownBitcoin as financial freedom — Ukraine, Venezuela, and the Canada truckers protestWhy you need to know more than just money to succeed (the Andrew Tate debate)Go Mining's upcoming instant Bitcoin payment protocol — Layer 1, zero user fees, 0.2% merchant fee (vs. 2.5–3.5% for card networks)What visionary entrepreneurs actually look like up closeThe imposter syndrome no one talks about at the topWhether you're a crypto investor, entrepreneur, or just curious about how people go from nothing to building something massive - this one's worth your time.Check out GoMininghttps://gomining.comMore of Mark Zalan:https://x.com/MarkZalan_https://linkedin.com/in/mark-zalanhttps://www.instagram.com/markzalan_gomining/More of On the Margin:https://www.themargin.tvMore of Boaz Sobrado:https://x.com/sobradobhttps://www.instagram.com/sobradob/https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMore of Ivan Patriki:http://www.linkedin.com/in/artizthttps://substack.com/@artizthttps://t.me/ivanpatrikihttps://www.instagram.com/artizt/https://www.tiktok.com/@ascendedhttps://x.com/Ivan_patrikihttps://www.facebook.com/ivanpatriki22/https://themargin.tv/ivan-patrikihttps://www.financemagnates.com/author/ivan-patriki/https://financefeeds.com/author/ivan-patriki/00:00 Intro01:04 Soviet Refugee to Silicon Valley02:53 Why He Bet Everything on Bitcoin03:26 How Wall Street Killed Bitcoin Mining05:27 The $25 Bitcoin Mine06:26 How Go Mining Actually Makes Money09:37 The Truth About Cloud Mining Scams12:48 Building Trust in a Trustless Space14:50 "We're Extremely Profitable"17:04 $360 and a One-Way Ticket Out21:45 Did Poverty Make Him Hungrier?23:11 Why He Joined the Marines24:39 How He Got Into GE Capital28:29 The Moment He Knew He'd Made It33:19 Does Winning Get Easier?37:11 Luck, Charisma, or Skill?39:06 Why History Majors Win42:18 Destroying Andrew Tate's Money Advice45:40 What Billionaires Are Really Like55:15 Making Payroll From His Own Pocket01:07:37 Is Crypto Mostly a Scam?01:13:51 Was Bitcoin Built for Crime?01:20:29 Why Crypto Is About Freedom01:30:27 Can the Government Freeze Your Bitcoin?01:43:57 🚨 Instant Bitcoin Payments Announced01:47:13 Killing Visa's 3% Fee02:07:47 On Power, Politics & Imposing Your Will02:15:43 Why Every Revolution Ends in Executions02:23:46 The Blueprint for Going From Nothing to Millions This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Backed by the same investors who funded SpaceX, I sat down with Tanner, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Counterpart, to get an honest look at what it actually takes to build something real fraom scratch.From cold-calling 40 people about a job offer in Malaysia and only trusting the two who said yes, to raising $50M to fix an industry everyone hates, to why working 14-hour days is his version of good mental health.This conversation goes places most founders won't touch. If you want to understand how normal people end up doing extraordinary things, watch this first. Counterpart is building the future of small business insurance using AI and data science. Instead of human underwriters trying to assess thousands of variables, their platform synthesizes data points to instantly quote, price, and place coverage for small businesses facing risks most of them don't even know exist, from wrongful termination to wage violations.They're backed by top-tier venture and private equity firms, and are on a mission to flip insurance from a reactive payout machine into a proactive risk prevention partner. 00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:02 - Best Day of His Life00:02:04 - What Is Counterpart?00:04:13 - The SpaceX Investor00:06:36 - How Great Investors Help You00:07:06 - Building Amazon for Southeast Asia00:08:46 - 38 Out of 40 People Said No00:10:21 - Insurance as Risk Prevention00:11:21 - Small Businesses Getting Fined00:13:52 - Is Insurance a Scam?00:19:03 - US vs. Dubai: Where to Build?00:20:44 - Stare Into the Abyss00:24:34 - Sacrificing Your Social Life00:26:40 - The Feedback Loop Philosophy00:31:10 - What Is Good Mental Health?00:33:58 - Building Counterpart for Life00:39:32 - Why Entrepreneurs Study Philosophy00:42:42 - Who Do You Look Up To?00:59:30 - Advice for the Next GenerationCheck out CounterPart:https://yourcounterpart.comMore of Tanner Hackett:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tannerhacketthttps://x.com/tan_hackMore of On the Margin:https://www.themargin.tvMore of Boaz Sobrado:https://x.com/sobradobhttps://www.instagram.com/sobradob/https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMore of Ivan Patriki:http://www.linkedin.com/in/artizthttps://substack.com/@artizthttps://t.me/ivanpatrikihttps://www.instagram.com/artizt/https://www.tiktok.com/@ascendedhttps://x.com/Ivan_patrikihttps://www.facebook.com/ivanpatriki22/https://themargin.tv/ivan-patrikihttps://www.financemagnates.com/author/ivan-patriki/https://financefeeds.com/author/ivan-patriki/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Trevor Traina just told me everything. How Trump appointed him as US ambassador, how to sell companies to Microsoft and Mastercard, and his biggest project yet: Kresus, a Web3 super app.I sat down with Trevor, a serial entrepreneur turned U.S. Ambassador to Austria and now founder of Kresus, to get an honest look at what it actually takes to reach the top.From raising your first $100k from friends and family, to closing a Microsoft acquisition the same morning Bill Gates announced it on stage, to navigating a government full of entrenched bureaucrats, this conversation goes places most successful people won't.If you're serious about building something real, becoming the new elite, watch someone from the elite explain everything.His magnum opus, Kresus, is building AI directly into its wallet app. It's as a tool that helps anyone use Web3. On the trading side, the app already offers smart insights like tracking what top traders are buying in real time, which is a precursor to the fuller AI feature set.Expanding AI integrations is listed as one of their near-term priorities alongside growing their mini-app ecosystem. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Stanislav, a growth consultant for brokers and prop firms, gave me an honest look at what's really going on behind the scenes. From firms going bankrupt the moment payouts are due, to influencers faking their trading profits, to why entire countries get banned from platforms — this conversation goes places most people in finance won't touch.If you're thinking about starting a prop firm, or putting money into a prop firm, watch this first.00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:31 - Are Prop Firms a Pyramid Scheme?00:03:22 - The Truth About Payouts & Bankruptcies00:05:37 - Marketers Running Prop Firms With No Finance Experience00:09:29 - Should You Trade or Sell Courses?00:11:21 - Why Vietnam Gets Banned From Prop Firms00:17:33 - How to Tell If a Prop Firm Is Trustworthy00:21:50 - Do Finance Influencers Actually Make Money Trading?00:35:06 - How Brokers Really Make Their Money00:40:29 - Can You Actually Make Money Day Trading?Follow Stanislav Galandzovskyi:https://www.galandzovsky.prohttps://t.me/ads_for_fintechhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/galandzovskyi/More of On the Margin:https://www.themargin.tvMore of Boaz Sobrado:https://x.com/sobradobhttps://www.instagram.com/sobradob/https://themargin.tv/boaz-sobradoMore of Ivan Patriki:http://www.linkedin.com/in/artizthttps://substack.com/@artizthttps://t.me/ivanpatrikihttps://www.instagram.com/artizt/https://www.tiktok.com/@ascended This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

With Gianluca Minoprio of Daimo This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Cryptocurrencies have furthered the professionalisation of the global scamming industry. How do these scams work? Who are the players involved? What can we do about them? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Most Fintechs startups fail. But why? And does AI now mean we should be revisiting some of the ideas behind the failed Fintech startups of the past? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

BNB Chain is often overlooked in Western financial circles, but is a behemoth that serves many people across the world. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Polygon is moving towards a vertically integrated payments stack. What does that mean? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Why does every single world religion control sexual behaviour? Why do all religions have rules around food and fasting? These are the topics I discussed with Jim Penman, a businessman who is funding his own research on the controversial topic of biohistory. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Patrick Kim, a quantitative researcher at Artemis & Brian Mehler, the CEO of Stable discusses the exponential rise of crypto cards and stablecoins. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Speaking to Ismail Vali from Gaming Compliance International on illegal crypto gambling in the USA. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

According to crypto analyst Ran Neuner, crypto treasury companies like SBET and Strategy aren't actually driving crypto prices higher because they're primarily redistribution mechanisms rather than net buyers of digital assets. Instead of purchasing crypto on open markets, these companies allow crypto insiders to exchange their existing holdings for publicly traded shares at premium valuations, essentially selling crypto exposure to retail investors at 2-4 times the underlying asset value. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

YieldSec, an anti-crime platform using adapted military counter-terrorism technology, claims the illegal crypto gambling industry generated $81.4 billion in revenue in 2024, nearly matching the entire estimated legal online gambling market and dwarfing traditional operators like Flutter and DraftKings who struggle with profitability. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Jeffrey Wurgler is the Nomura Professor of Finance at New York University Stern School of Business.In this conversation, Professor Jeffrey Wurgler discusses his research on retail investor behaviour, focusing on how individual investors gather information and make trading decisions. He highlights the challenges of data collection and analysis, the influence of price action and news on trading behaviour, and the differences in investment strategies among various types of investors. The conversation also touches on the impact of social media on trading, the macro-level implications of retail trading, and the potential for regulation to encourage more thoughtful investment behaviour. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

In this conversation, Devin Finzer, CEO of OpenSea, discusses the current state and future of NFTs, the impact of generative AI on content creation, and the evolving identity and community aspects within the NFT space. He highlights the divergence between in-game skins and on-chain NFTs, the improvements in user experience at OpenSea, and the positive changes in the regulatory environment for crypto. Finzer also shares insights on OpenSea 2, the future of NFT projects, and the importance of smaller projects in the ecosystem. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

We spoke to Christian Reeves from Bank License Pro about international banking in Puerto Rico, and how one becomes an international banking consultant. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

We spoke to Mike Hudack, the CEO of Sling Money on how stablecoins are changing consumer payments. We also spoke about Mike's time as CPO of Monzo & Deliveroo. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Discussion with Simon Jones, the Chief Commercial Officer from Baanx on non-custodial payments, advertising in finance apps, Metamask card and the future of Fintech. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

We are joined by Pedro Barros, Remote.com's SVP & GM of Contractors. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

We are joined by Archie Burgess, who is an Investment Director at Cibus. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Dr Sipke Shaughnessy joins us to discuss investing in Frontier Markets. He is a geographer and anthropologist who has worked as a strategic advisor on political, social and environmental risk to businesses operating in frontier and emerging markets since completing his PhD in 2019, which focused on nomadic pastoralist economies in northern Kenya. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

With Doug Ricket, founder & CEO of PayJoy. PayJoy pioneered the use of phone-locking technology as collateral, enabling them to extend credit to customers who lack traditional banking relationships or credit histories. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

We spoke to Noa Cohen from Next Gen Tories on the cost of living, demographics and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Samer Almousa joined us to discuss his extensive experience in alternative payments This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Governments around the world have been cutting down on cash. But cash infrastructure has shrunk faster than consumer's need for it. We spoke to Filip Surowiak-Long on high risk payments, e-cash and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

Iran has a highly developed economy and even a functioning stock market, yet it is cut off from global trade. We discussed the geopolitics behind the global sanctions programme against Iran with Esfandyar Batmanghelidj. Esfandyar is the founder of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

In a conversation with Stephen Fallon we discussed how global trade is dictated by a few global banks. These banks may be headquartered in Asia or Europe, but they increasingly consider themselves US banks for regulatory purposes. Stephen was Chief Compliance Officer of INSTEX, a European state-owned company which aimed to facilitate trade with Iran after the US dropped out of the US-Iran nuclear deal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

In conversation with Martin Carrica, the founder of the Fintech company Mountain Protocol, about the economic realities of Argentina. What does it mean to live with a rapidly depreciating currency for decades? What happens if one day the money in your bank account is no longer yours? How have cryptodollars become a staple in the streets of Buenos Aires? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

We spoke with Grace Jackson of GiveDirectly about poverty, international development, charities and some of the taboos around giving away money. We discuss evidence based charity, the role of development experts and GiveDirectly's experiences in developing countries such as Yemen and Malawi. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

In our second episode we interview Craig McMahon, author of the book "Taming The Fringe". Taming The Fringe discusses the British payday lending and pawnbrokering markets from 1870 until today. We discuss the business of high cost consumer credit. Why payday loans are so expensive? Are they predatory debt traps preying on vulnerable consumers, or do they serve a valid business need? Why do regulators often feel the need to step in to regulate these markets? How do we strike a balance between protecting consumers and ensuring they have access to credit? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com

In our first episode we discuss Bitcoin Bonds, the fall of Venezuela and the market for junk sovereign debt with Frank Muci. Frank Muci is a Policy Fellow at the Growth Lab Research Collaboration at LSE. He is an international economic development practitioner with experience advising governments in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe on growth policy, economic diversification and public financial management. This podcast is hosted by Boaz Sobrado & Alex Kidwell. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.on-the-margin.com