Podcast Summary: Founder’s Story – Ep 291 with Peter Ashton, CEO of Veyra Holdings

Episode Title:
Why Every Major Bank Still Uses 1965 Technology: The Trading 'Rails' Revolution That Changes Everything

Release Date:
December 15, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the technological foundations of modern finance, focusing on why major banks still depend on the same mathematical “rails” developed in 1965, and how the arrival of Veyra Holdings, led by Peter Ashton, aims to revolutionize trading. Ashton shares his founder’s journey, from Division 1 sports to tech entrepreneurship, and details how Veyra aims to democratize institutional-grade trading for everyday investors using advanced data science rooted in mathematical intelligence rather than traditional AI.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Distinction: Mathematical Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence

[01:35 – 03:25]

• Mathematical intelligence: Relies on unchanging mathematical laws to interpret and compress data, allowing for highly accurate predictions, e.g., in financial markets or weather patterns.
• Artificial intelligence (AI): Works by referencing historical patterns to make probabilistic forecasts, but can be layered atop mathematical intelligence for better outcomes.

“Mathematical intelligence is essentially the laws that govern the data… If you can compress it and use math to identify what you're looking at, you can…predict at an incredibly high accuracy rate.”
— Peter Ashton, [02:05]

Peter Ashton’s Journey: From Sports to Markets

[03:25 – 05:28]

• Ashton pivoted from being a Division 1 football player to venture capital, where he partnered with notable founders, including those behind Funimation (Dragon Ball Z).
• Fascinated by the pursuit to predict markets, he connected with a NASA scientist whose 1980s technology used missile identification algorithms for market prediction.

“He used aerospace missile identification technology to modify it for the markets… that was like my first, like, this is cool.”
— Peter Ashton, [04:55]

How Veyra’s Tech Works and Democratizes Trading

[05:28 – 08:07]

• Veyra’s innovation focuses on “time series stacking” (analyzing multiple time frames for a trading symbol to increase prediction accuracy).
• The software is tailored for the general public, removing the historic barrier that reserved advanced trading platforms for institutional or accredited investors.
• The business model is subscription-only—no performance fees.

“We're democratizing institution-level trading products… anybody… can use our software… Right. You could just load it into our system, pick what you want to trade and click Start and it will auto-trade for you.”
— Peter Ashton, [07:20]

The Power of an Unconventional Team

[08:07 – 10:35]

• Veyra has 9+ co-founders, including figures who have raised $130B on Wall Street and a former MLB player.
• All share a mission: narrowing the wealth gap by empowering everyday people.
• Ashton stresses clear vision alignment amid so many co-founders.

“The team… they all care about this idea of making the unwealthy wealthy, right? They’ve spent… 20, 30 years… making the rich richer. … So, yes, we have like nine plus co-founders, essentially. But the vision… that's the direction we're all moving together.”
— Peter Ashton, [09:12–10:35]

Scaling with Strong Partnerships (Not Lead Gen Spam)

[12:12 – 16:54]

• Veyra’s go-to-market leverages a newsletter network with 550,000 current subscribers and 20,000 new leads per day.
• With a modest conversion rate (3%), the company can reach revenue to justify a $1B valuation.
• Ashton explains that partnerships beat traditional noisy lead-gen (spam/LinkedIn) in building sustainable, scalable distribution.

“A small piece of a large company is better than a large piece of a smaller company… so that's the route we went and it's going to pay off.”
— Peter Ashton, [15:18]

Why the Financial World Still Runs on 1965 Rails—And Veyra’s New “Rails”

[17:09 – 18:34]

• Most trading systems still rely on "rails"—mathematical transformations invented in 1822 (Fourier) and turbocharged in 1965.
• Even modern AIs and quants just run on these rails—old infrastructure now unable to keep up with high-frequency, AI-driven trading.
• The proliferation of fintech/AI companies is due to the limitations of these "old rails", but true innovation means replacing them.

“There's really only been three iterations since 1822… all the major financial firms… are using these old rails… Well now you have algorithmic trading systems… those old rails are slow now. If you can build new rails… you eliminate those gaps in the market.”
— Peter Ashton, [17:09]

Getting Started with Veyra

[19:36 – 20:10]

• Veyra’s products can be accessed directly via their website.
• Target audience: everyday investors (from $100 to $10,000+).
• Users can mix-and-match products or use charting tools to trade manually.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the democratization of trading:
  “It’s kind of been this thing where the wealthiest of people have access to great smart resources… But unless you're at a certain level… it would have been hard, right?... So I could see where the democratization comes into play.”
  — Podcast Host, [08:07]

• On start-up focus and scaling:
  “If you're building a business for enterprise value, none of that matters as long as you book all the revenue… a small piece of a large company is better than a large piece of a smaller company.”
  — Peter Ashton, [15:18]

• On legacy technology and innovation:
  “All the quants, all the major financial firms… are using these old rails…those old rails are slow now. If you can build new rails that everybody can now use, that's faster, you eliminate those gaps in the market… the markets become less saturated.”
  — Peter Ashton, [17:09]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:35 – 03:25: What is Mathematical Intelligence?
• 03:25 – 05:28: Peter Ashton’s Background and Discovery of Market Prediction Tech
• 05:28 – 08:07: Building Veyra, Tech Democratization & Product Philosophy
• 08:07 – 10:35: Unusual Team Structure & Shared Mission
• 12:12 – 16:54: GTM Strategies: Scaling via Partnership vs. Traditional Lead Gen
• 17:09 – 18:34: The Legacy & Future of Trading "Rails"
• 19:36 – 20:10: How Listeners Can Start with Veyra

Episode Takeaways

• Most banks and trading systems still rely on decades-old mathematical infrastructure—a bottleneck for AI and automation.
• Veyra’s innovation is merging deep math with user-first product design, aiming to make advanced market prediction accessible to all, not just the wealthy elite.
• Building the right distribution partnership is often more effective than traditional lead-generation channels.
• Change in financial technology will come not just from AI, but by fundamentally re-engineering the mathematical “rails” beneath the entire system.

Final Thoughts: The episode is an engaging masterclass on the intersection of legacy finance, technological disruption, and mission-driven entrepreneurship. Peter Ashton’s conviction and technical clarity make the case for a new era of market participation and financial equity.