Investor Spotlight #2 : Shift Markets
In this series, we introduce a selection of our CeFi & DeFi partners to the Alkemi Network community and invite them to discuss why they chose to partner with our project. For our second spotlight, we invited Ian McAfee of Shift Markets and Nexus Markets to share his insights on Alkemi Network, bridging CeFi to DeFi and what the future holds for financial markets.
Shift Markets and Nexus Markets are committed to building the crypto ecosystem and promoting equality in foreign trade by improving global access to cryptocurrency. Our mission is to bring cryptocurrency to the world by providing technology services and turnkey solutions. My name is Ian McAfee and I am the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shift Markets and Nexus Markets. I have 10+ years of experience across FX and cryptocurrency markets, working to draw traditional and cryptocurrency markets closer together and shape the future of finance.
What does ‘bridging CeFi to DeFi’ mean to you?
The Traditional markets and banking systems have been guarded and protected by the major institutions who’ve made it very difficult for everyone to get the same access. Bridging CeFi to DeFi means breaking down these barriers and giving more access to financial products to everyone, not just the large financial institutions that have controlled the markets for the last several decades.
What do financial markets look like in 5 & 10 years from now?
We see more traditional financial markets, including FX, will move on-chain with integrations to existing trading infrastructure. This will be accompanied by advancements in KYC and AML monitoring so corporations and regulators feel comfortable, and more so, they will have better visibility than they do now. In 10 years the vast majority of financial transactions will be on-chain, while there will be bridges from CeFi to DeFi like Nexus Markets.
How do you see Alkemi Network influencing the capital markets revolution?
Alkemi is a great partner who is approaching DeFi intelligently to ensure there is a level of regulation and compliance to allow institutions to participate. This will allow for more professional participants. Additionally, the Alkemi-Nexus partnership will facilitate on-ramps to those uncomfortable with the experience of DeFi by giving them a CeFi experience with regulated DeFi liquidity.
How has your experience working in the digital asset markets impacted your view of the world?
I’ve worked in the FX space for 10+ years and that naturally lead us into Crypto. Working in finance and seeing various events unfold, I’ve learned the system still has more problems to solve with systematic risk, market structure, and the difficulty or inability for many types of participants. With more access and liquidity, blockchain technology can improve this.
Where can our community learn more about Shift Markets?
The community can learn more about Shift Markets and Nexus Markets on our websites and medium pages below.
