From the Ethereum Foundation to BR Capital: Vlad Martynov’s Blockchain Adventure

## From the Ethereum Foundation to BR Capital: Vlad Martynov’s Blockchain Adventure

During an exclusive conversation with crypto.news, seasoned tech businessman and blockchain trailblazer Vladislav Martynov recalls his voyage through the constantly developing realm of blockchain. From co-establishing a new business with Vitalik Buterin’s folks in the beginning to his existing position as Managing Partner at BR Capital, Martynov provides invaluable understanding into the future of blockchain.

**CN: Could you quickly present yourself?**

**VM:** I’m a high-tech business owner who co-established my initial new business in the late 90s with Dmitry and Maia Buterin, Vitalik Buterin’s parents. After leaving that endeavor, we spearheaded one of the initial SaaS-based CRM and membership management services in the early cloud age, marketing cutting-edge ERP systems. My attraction with turbulent innovations expanded, specifically after Dmitry presented me to Bitcoin in 2012 and later shared his son Vitalik’s vision for Ethereum in 2014 – a decentralized, permissionless platform.

**CN: What directed you to where you stand today?**

**VM:** Soon after, I joined the Ethereum Foundation’s advisory panel to promote blockchain education and developer development, co-establishing BlockGeeks and the Ethereum Competence Center. Throughout the ICO boom of 2016-2017, I advised specific new businesses – checking out tokenization and stablecoins – but most failed because of technological and market youth. This motivated me to create BR Capital, a regulated fund concentrated on DeFi and Web3, where I now function as Managing Partner, supporting new businesses and drawing in global capital with assurance and security.

**CN: How does BR Capital run? Is there a calculated vision behind the fund?**

The Rise of Ethereum Applications: The Emergence of Stablecoins Issued by Banks

At BR Capital, we combine venture capital perspectives with practical understanding. Our algorithmic trading system, which we have been operating since 2017, confirms this. While beginners, including those from conventional finance, are expressing curiosity, navigating the intricacies of blockchain and reaching the implementation phase demands genuine proficiency. Venture capital with profound awareness is vital for efficient capital distribution.

Compared to prior periods, the investment environment for blockchain startups is now more attractive. Regulatory approval and institutional acceptance are exceeding retail expansion. The emphasis is changing from infrastructure to functional Web3 implementations like markets, incentive programs, and privacy-oriented social platforms—prospects that did not occur in previous stages. The technology has developed, with improvements like Ethereum’s Layer 2 solutions simplifying the transition from Web2 to Web3 more seamlessly. Furthermore, the younger demographic discovers crypto instinctive, akin to touchscreens after smartphones, whereas credit cards feel obsolete. This combination renders the present period suitable for innovation.

For blockchain startups pursuing financing, it’s essential to recall that past periods overemphasized technology over product. Now, founders must prioritize product, utilize Web3 business frameworks, and comprehend the fundamentals: a distinct justification to transition to Web3, robust product-market alignment, a dependable user experience, and sensible financial oversight. Concentrate on delivering worth, not solely technology.

We’re especially fascinated by AI-enhanced security, which actively protects against cyber risks and enhances robustness, and abstract accounts, which streamline Web3 access via secure, user-friendly digital identities.”

Confidentiality-focused decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and banks could collaborate more effectively thanks to zero-knowledge proof technology, which offers dependable data exchange solutions. I am also in favor of initiatives that connect Web2 and Web3, such as conventional organizations using cryptocurrencies and DeFi, or Web3 applications improving Web2 user experiences through GameFi and other techniques. Our investment in Pave Bank, whose PaveNet layer incorporates third-party services into regulated banking environments and makes use of DeFi’s programmability for smooth fund administration, is a prime example of this.

**CN: How should conventional financial organizations adjust to DeFi, in your opinion, and what part will regulation play?**

**VM:** The first steps entail providing cryptocurrency accounts, as Revolut has successfully done, though DeFi integration has been somewhat delayed. Following that, banks can use DEXs for affordable swaps, staking (e.g., 4% yield), and lending (e.g., 10%+ yield), which are higher than conventional rates, which are frequently zero on commercial accounts, despite costs. This is the main focus of Pave Bank, and hopefully Revolut. Regulation will have an impact on competitiveness: banks that are effective and reward-focused will prosper; banks that are slow and expensive will fail.

**CN: Do you anticipate any opportunities for cooperation between DeFi and conventional finance?**

**VM:** As was already noted, banks can incorporate DeFi services into cryptocurrency accounts. For usage in DeFi protocols, conventional players may tokenize real-world assets (e.g., real estate, commodities), enabling fractional ownership and trading on DEXs and diversifying investment options. Furthermore, blockchain can improve the security and openness of conventional finance; in contrast to centralized systems like ByBit, which may fail during hacks, or conventional finance, which may freeze due to events like Buffett’s sell-offs or the 2008 crisis, DeFi and crypto are still robust.

**CN: What are your opinions on the regulatory environment for the upcoming cycle, particularly with regard to a potential Trump administration’s stance on cryptocurrencies?** Ice Open Network and ChainGPT Reveal Innovative Web3-AI Alliance

**VM:** Worldwide watchdogs have usually been suspicious of digital currencies. Just a couple of smaller nations are checking out more modern-day guidelines, cautious about U.S. supremacy. These days, both Biden and Trump have switched to assisting cryptocurrency, pushed primarily by young, tech-knowledgeable citizens (25-30 years of age) who prefer Web3 and discover cryptocurrency user-friendly. Nowadays, conventional finance sees blockchain as the destiny internet, with its packages unstoppable. Trump’s non-public revel in with censorship and the assist of his blockchain-knowledgeable own circle of relatives have led him to truly need to steer this revolution—a assessment to Biden’s political switch. His crew, together with authorities efficiency outsider Elon Musk and newly appointed crypto head David Sacks, indicators motion on regulation like asset tokenization and DeFi integration. Coupled with latest information approximately strategic Bitcoin reserves and readability on virtual asset regulation, I anticipate a greater supportive method beneathneath Trump’s leadership; matters are not likely to get worse than they’re now.

**CN: Ultimately, how will coverage adjustments have an effect on the increase and utility of blockchain era withinside the U.S. and globally?**

**VM:** As I stated, the intense perspectives for and in opposition to blockchain are softening and converging, permitting for higher discussions approximately tokenization, efficiency, and transparency withinside the monetary system.

I additionally trust that when the U.S. will increase its country wide Bitcoin reserves and establishes a sizable crypto asset reserve, it’ll create a domino effect: different nations will comply with suit. Many nations from Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, or even Europe were looking ahead to greater specifics from the Trump management and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Amidst Market Volatility, Investors Proceed Cautiously, Preserving Preferred Equities

The modern marketplace fee volatility is brief chaos. Given the U.S.’s unexpected switch to very different guidelines, along side political meme coins, uncertain tariff guidelines, retaliatory tariffs, and more, that is inevitable. Everything wishes time to stabilize.

As we approach the close of 2025, a sense of hope washes over me. I foresee enhanced policy precision and a more promising perspective for the distant future.