{"id":5439,"date":"2020-05-29T15:25:39","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T19:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/?p=5439"},"modified":"2020-05-29T15:27:14","modified_gmt":"2020-05-29T19:27:14","slug":"6-questions-pascal-gauthier-ledger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/2020\/05\/29\/6-questions-pascal-gauthier-ledger","title":{"rendered":"6 Questions for Pascal Gauthier of Ledger"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each week we ask the buidlers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry… and we throw in a few random zingers to keep them on their toes!<\/em><\/p>\n

Each participant then gets to remove one blockchain question \u2014 and a personal one \u2014 and they can substitute in two of their own for the next victim.<\/em><\/p>\n

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This week our 6 Questions go to Pascal Gauthier, CEO of Ledger.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pascal started his career at Kelkoo, a price comparison service acquired by Yahoo for EUR 475 million in 2004. He then joined Criteo in 2008 where he worked for five years as COO, becoming an instrumental force in the pivot to advertising which led to the company\u2019s global expansion towards a EUR 2.17 billion market capitalization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before Ledger, Pascal worked as Venture Partner in Mosaic Ventures, a London based venture capital firm focusing on Series A stage companies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pascal is also non-executive chairman of Kaiko, a financial data website on Bitcoin.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1 \u2014 Thinking of a favorite song or poem, what are the words that move you; and why are they important?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The quote that springs to mind here is not a poem, nor a song, but:<\/p>\n

“There is no \u201cI\u201d in \u2018team.\u2019 But there is one in \u2018win.\u2019”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2014 Michael Jordan in The Last Dance.<\/i><\/p>\n

It reminds me that while humility and team spirit are at the core of success, there is also a certain stubborn confidence that helps leaders overcome the inevitable failures and gives them a more complete sense of confidence in the moment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2 \u2014 If you were investing in startup companies right now, what kind of blockchain-based business opportunity would catch your eye? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Every project or technology that allows a truly decentralized new financial system where users own their private keys and thus their funds while making it very safe and easy to use.<\/p>\n

To me, the future is a secure app, one that users can do everything in: buy, sell, stake, lend, swap. It would be a combination of a seamless user software experience with the security granted by hardware.<\/p>\n

Also I\u2019m definitely looking to DeFi when it comes to innovating the next \u201cbig thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3 \u2014 What\u2019s the unlikeliest-to-happen thing on your bucket list?<\/b><\/p>\n

Nothing. Everything is possible. As a leader, you should absolutely broaden your horizons to anticipate and prepare. This is the only way to reach true resilience.<\/p>\n

I try to think like Hari Seldon, the main character of Asimov\u2019s Foundation<\/i>, who invented psychohistory to foresee the future as best as possible.<\/p>\n

Plus, I would quote William Gibson: \u201cThe future is already here \u2013 it’s just not evenly distributed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4 \u2014 What\u2019s the biggest misunderstanding that people outside our industry have about blockchain, and how do we fix it?<\/b><\/p>\n

By itself, \u2018\u201cblockchain\u201d is a buzzword that doesn’t mean much. That’s the biggest misunderstanding, that \u201cblockchain\u201d is some sort of silver bullet technology that will solve everything. It\u2019s not, it was never intended to do that.<\/p>\n

Time and education will fix that misconception. In the meantime, teams should focus on building great products, because that\u2019s where the innovation of this industry happens.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5 \u2014 Tell us about a hidden talent \u2013 and give us a link to prove it!<\/b><\/p>\n

I co-founded Istr,<\/i> a restaurant and cocktail bar<\/a> located in the Haut-Marais in Paris.\u00a0 I wanted to recreate the link between the French regional terroir with influences from Breton and the best of New York \u2014 blending Paris with New York, essentially.<\/p>\n

We specialize in seafood. The search for good products is a daily concern for us, but it is not the only one: respect for the sea and its resources is also our priority. My partners and I are very sensitive to the problems which affect the oceans. I believe that small actions taken at individual levels can lead to real changes for the planet, and showing that we care inspires others to take action.<\/p>\n

In our restaurant you can find a variety of oysters in all their forms, scallops with Jerusalem artichoke cream and white butter, shellfish casserole with coconut milk, Icelandic cod, lobster cassoulet, and other dishes.<\/p>\n

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\"Istr<\/p>\n

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6 \u2014 From smart contracts, to DAPPs, to NFTs, to DeFi we have seen so many of the next \u201ckiller apps\u201d for crypto, but none have really taken off quite yet. What will stick? <\/b><\/p>\n

Bitcoin for sure. It\u2019s not a baby technology anymore \u2014 we\u2019re coming up on eleven years, and Bitcoin is more ubiquitous than it was even in 2017, and breaking into the mainstream of finance and colloquial conversation.<\/p>\n

Few of these \u201ckiller apps\u201d will probably stick. It\u2019s just a matter of awareness and mass adoption. These apps should focus on usability, simplicity, a clear value proposition and communications to accelerate their adoption.<\/p>\n

If we want DeFi to thrive, it\u2019s key to educate and to communicate the real benefits for the end user.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Pascal substituted questions 1 and 4 with two new ones for our next buidler…<\/p>\n

Which two superpowers would you most want to have, and how would you combine them for good… or evil?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

If there is a future for cryptocurrencies, what is the main hurdle the industry needs to overcome. And if not, what does the future of money look like to you?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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