Podcast Summary: The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex

Episode: Wall Street to Dubai: How Tan Gera Turned $57K Into Millions After a Total Crypto Crash
Date: December 22, 2025
Host: Paul Alex Espinoza
Guest: Tan Gera (CEO & Co-founder, Decentralized Masters)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Paul Alex sits down with Tan Gera, ex-investment banker, current Dubai resident, and founder of Decentralized Masters—a nine-figure global crypto education company. The conversation traces Tan’s journey from Wall Street to financial independence and business-building in Dubai, focusing on how he used adversity—including a massive crypto loss and regulatory hurdles—to fuel his ultimately massive success. Key themes include mindset, strategic risk-taking, the importance of community, and the nitty-gritty behind scaling a modern online education empire.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tan’s Origin Story: From Wall Street to Crypto (02:17–05:00)

• Background: Tan is an ex-investment banker who moved into crypto after initially viewing it as a technological and financial opportunity, despite early criticism and skepticism.
• First Success & Loss: Made seven figures in crypto during the 2017-18 bull run, only to lose it all in the 2018 crash.
  • “I tasted what freedom could be, even though it was just numbers.” (03:18, Tan)
• Motivation: Having experienced “a taste” of financial freedom, Tan became set on achieving not just financial, but also time and location freedom.

2. Pivotal Moment: Using COVID for Leverage (03:18–05:00)

• COVID-19 as Opportunity: Remote work during COVID allowed Tan to start side hustles, including drop shipping, ultimately leading to increased active income that he could reinvest in crypto.
  • “The moment Covid came, they sent us home… That’s when I actually started with dropshipping.” (03:55, Tan)

3. Defining Freedom and Overcoming Skepticism (05:17–09:33)

• Types of Freedom: Tan identifies three freedoms—financial, time, and location—and sees all as necessary for true independence.
  • “There’s three types of freedom… I tasted financial, and I was like, I want all three.” (05:33, Tan)
• Skepticism: Most people around him doubted crypto and entrepreneurship, so he sought out like-minded communities online.
  • “You have to find that niche group of people who think like you.” (08:01, Tan)
  • Research finding: Success is often determined by your environment—“literally zip code”—and the people you surround yourself with.

4. Parental and Cultural Pressures (09:33–10:24)

• Conservative upbringing: Tan kept his crypto involvements secret from his parents, who prized his lucrative and prestigious banking path.
  • “I couldn’t tell them because they didn’t have that vision. They don’t have that understanding.” (09:33, Tan)

5. Scaling the Business: From Idea to Multi-Million Dollar Company (13:14–19:37)

• Dropshipping as a Launchpad: Profits went into crypto. Built and sold a dropshipping brand to fund further investment.
• Turning Point: Developed a unique crypto investment strategy, turning $57,000 into $1.87 million.
  • “That was the decisive moment of my life. When it was happening, I didn’t know this was going to change everything for me.” (13:58, Tan)

Why Teach? (14:59–16:55)

• Purpose in Education: Teaching enabled sustainable business growth by financing a research team, community, and leveraging “reciprocity.”
  • “If they succeed, thanks to you, they will love you for the rest of your life… and they will be your top ambassador.” (16:14, Tan)

Early Struggles: Crypto Industry Pushback (17:21–19:37)

• Unanticipated Setbacks: Regulatory headwinds, industry shadow bans, and banking shutdowns nearly wiped the company out.
  • “Stripe refunded all our customers. We got debanked… Ad accounts… It was literally impossible to do anything.” (17:56, Tan)
  • “If I was a new entrepreneur… That was tough.” (19:37, Tan)

6. Strategy for Growth: Offer, Team Building, and Marketing (21:45–24:28)

• Importance of Offer: The right offer trumps all; pivoting or refining is essential:
  • “If your offer is good, meaning people want this, it’s game over.” (22:34, Tan)
• Marketing Lessons from Dropshipping: Tan directly managed ads, created compelling video sales letters, and personally took early sales calls.
  • “You can’t delegate something unless the founder himself walks the path…” (23:55, Tan)
• Team Dynamics: Early hiring sequence:
  • Admin tasks first, then sales reps (always two at a time for comparison), then scale up.
  • “Whenever you hire two salespeople, get two… That’s the next thing you do.” (26:17, Tan)

7. Scaling Tactics: Funnels, Channels, and Client Selection (24:28–34:38)

• Funnel Strategy: One solid funnel can take you to $2.5M/month before you need more.
  • “We didn’t deploy a second funnel up until we reached 2.5 mil.” (30:01, Tan)
• Marketing Channels: Meta ads with long-form video sales letters were key, especially with an uneducated market requiring more explanation.
  • “You need more education… Requires more marketing skills because you go after a more difficult market.” (30:29, Tan)
• Targeting Boomers: Focused on an overlooked, high-value audience (boomers with 80% of wealth), rather than younger, more tech-savvy but less wealthy consumers:
  • “Boomers hold 80% of the world’s wealth… We actually priced people out aggressively. We’re extremely expensive… We’re the Harvard of crypto.” (32:03, Tan)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Once you get results, what happens? You use those customer results everywhere in your marketing… your customers bring more customers and that’s it.” (00:31, Tan)
• “If you have a skill, go and teach it. You’ll see.” (16:14, Tan)
• “When you charge a lot of money, you don’t have to run after acquisition. You don’t have to run after shitty customers that you don’t want.” (38:40, Tan)
• “If you can charge 15, go for it. Anything under 8-9, it’s going to be difficult.” (34:38, Tan)
• “The first six months of when we launched this were a nightmare. And I lost a lot of money.” (17:21, Tan)
• “If you believe in AI and that in five years from now there’s going to be AI agents transacting for you... do you think they’re going to be transacting in US dollars or using some form of digital currency?” (43:57, Tan)

Practical Advice & Action Steps

For Aspiring Entrepreneurs

• Start with Active Income:

  • “Before you invest money, you need money.” (42:43, Tan)
  • Master driving traffic and selling online to build capital.

• Invest Early, Even if Small:

  • “Invest your first grand or so… Your brain suddenly gets very involved.” (40:23, Tan)

• Find Your Tribe:

  • Surround yourself with like-minded believers (Telegram/WhatsApp communities, zip code matters).

• Delegate Wisely, Scale Process:

  • Admin → Sales (always two people) → Product → Push & Optimize Funnel → Add Channels.

For Those Getting Started in Crypto

• Free Learning:
  • Join groups like “Sovereign Collective,” leverage YouTube and newsletters (e.g., Milk Road) for basics.
• If You Have Capital & Seek Acceleration:
  • Apply to vetted, high-touch programs (Decentralized Masters) and be prepared for strict selection.
• Mindset:
  • Avoid “get rich quick” offers—seek education and strategic, high-quality guidance.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:17 — Tan’s background and entry into crypto
• 03:18 — First big win, crash, and financial “taste”
• 08:01 — The role of environment, “zip code” for success
• 13:14 — Turning $57K into $1.87M
• 14:59 — The motivation to teach and scale
• 17:21 — Six months of struggle: industry pushback
• 21:45 — Scaling from zero to $3M/month
• 22:34 — The power of a good offer
• 32:03 — Targeting the right (boomer) customer
• 34:38 — Optimal starting price points for programs
• 40:23 — First steps for learning and entering crypto
• 42:43 — Best advice to Tan’s “old self”
• 43:57 — Macro future: AI, digital currencies, and crypto’s inevitability

Conclusion & Where to Find Tan

Tan emphasizes the critical nature of community, the importance of a strong offer, and the rigor of execution over shortcuts. For those looking to engage with him, Tan is most active on LinkedIn; he also hosts a free learning group, “Sovereign Collective.” His closing insight: you do not need a personal brand to succeed—you need relentless focus, authenticity, and the willingness to serve your best clients.