In this episode of the Crypto 101 Podcast, Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Bitfinex, shares the incredible journey of helping build one of crypto’s oldest surviving exchanges through hacks, market crashes, and multiple Bitcoin cycles. Paolo explains why Bitfinex eliminated trading fees, how tokenized securities could unlock capital access for emerging markets, and why Bitcoin remains the ultimate hedge against global instability. The conversation dives deep into Lightning Network scaling, AI agents transacting with Bitcoin, institutional adoption, and why self-custody still matters despite the rise of ETFs. Paolo also gives his perspective on quantum computing risks, Bitcoin’s future beyond the four-year cycle, and why owning even one Bitcoin could become life-changing.

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Chapters

00:00 - Paolo Ardoino joins the Crypto 101 Podcast

02:00 - From hacker to CTO of Bitfinex

06:30 - Surviving the 2016 Bitfinex hack

10:00 - Why Bitfinex removed trading fees

15:00 - Tokenized securities and emerging markets

20:00 - Why options trading never took off in crypto

24:30 - ETFs, institutions, and Bitcoin self-custody

29:30 - Lightning Network, AI agents, and Bitcoin payments

35:00 - Quantum computing vs Bitcoin explained

40:00 - Why owning 1 Bitcoin could become life-changing

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