Medici Level Up – Live at LA 26

In this special LA 26 conference edition of Level Up, David and Sean sit down with three leading voices across institutional investing, blockchain infrastructure, and enterprise fintech. Cambridge Associates' Joe Marenda shares an allocator's perspective on blockchain venture, valuations, institutional adoption, and liquid strategies. Eigen Labs founder Sreeram Kannan discusses why blockchain is foundational to the AI agent era, the security challenges AI introduces to DeFi, and how Eigen is positioning itself for agentic commerce. Finally, Knova founder Natalya Thakur explains how financial institutions can unify traditional and tokenized assets through enterprise infrastructure designed for scalable digital asset operations.  **View the Full Level Up Podcast Disclaimer Here**: https://level-up-podcast-disclaimer.super.site/  **Key Points From This Episode:** **00:00** Introduction & live from Medici LA **01:21** Joe Marenda (Cambridge Associates): allocator perspective **02:36** Blockchain venture valuations and market outlook **04:32** Why blockchain venture looks attractive today **06:42** Digital money as blockchain's clearest use case **08:47** Common institutional misconceptions about tokens **10:50** Institutional interest in liquid digital asset strategies **13:45** The future of institutional digital asset allocations **14:28** Sreeram Kannan (Eigen) **15:02** Building for the AI agent era **18:35** AI-driven security risks in DeFi **23:20** Restoring trust through security and settlement design **24:40** Eigen's business model and infrastructure roadmap **27:12** Natalya Thakur (Knova) **27:51** Simplifying digital asset operations for financial institutions **31:51** Enterprise adoption and key use cases **33:06** Distribution strategy and regulatory considerations **36:39** Knova’s business model **37:58** Closing remarks **Links:**  The Medici Network: https://www.medici.network/   Podcast Site: https://levelup.medici.network/   Cambridge Associates: https://www.cambridgeassociates.com/ Eigen Labs: https://www.eigenlabs.org/ Knova: https://www.knova.finance/   Interested in being a Guest? Connect with Elmira on X: https://x.com/elmira\_yilham     **Co-Hosts**  David Grider, Finality Capital - https://x.com/David\_Grid  Sean Farrell, Fundstrat Global Advisors - https://x.com/SeanMFarrell    **Guests**  Joe Marenda, Cambridge Associates LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-marenda Sreeram Kannan, Eigen X - https://x.com/sreeramkannan Natalya Thakur, Knova LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nthakur9 Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant  - https://thepodcastconsultant.com/