CryptoCurrencyWire’s latest audio production features John D'Agostino, Head of Strategy at Coinbase Institutional, a division of Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) that provides solutions, products, and research for institutional crypto investors.

During the interview, D’Agostino discussed his background and current role at Coinbase.

“I’ve spent most of my career in traditional assets but always at the more idiosyncratic edges,” he said. “At a fairly young age, I became head of strategy for the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), which was then the world’s largest commodity derivatives exchange. Crypto trades very similarly to how commodity derivatives did for many years – periods of opacity punctuated by rapid price discovery.”

“Eventually, I joined the board at Polychain, one of the original, highly successful crypto venture capital and hedge funds. It was an incredible place to learn about digital assets with some amazing people. Then, a couple of years ago, I got the call from Coinbase, and I’m thrilled to be working with such a great institution. My role is similar to what I did at the NYMEX – helping institutional clients engage with the market and getting those clients who are thinking about onboarding into crypto over the hump.”

D’Agostino also examined the challenges crypto companies face with traditional banking.

“A lot of folks in crypto proudly admit they're trying to upend the traditional banking system. So, as expected, assets like crypto and commodity options are tougher to bank,” he said. “To bring data into the discussion, I conducted a study involving nearly 300 crypto hedge funds and portfolio companies. Roughly 62% of crypto firms reported meaningful problems accessing basic banking services, compared to less than 1% of traditional funds.”

Join IBN’s Jonathan Keim and CryptoNewsAudio’s latest guest as they discuss how banking challenges have hindered crypto adoption over the years.

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