The following post analyzes trends in the cryptocurrency market, reviews Coinbase’s competitive positioning / business model / risks / prospects, and provides recommendations for the company to capture additional value by leveraging concepts taught in Wharton’s Tech Strategy MBA course.

David Gogel (Wharton MBA ’18) talks with Charles Birnbaum (Wharton MBA ’11), Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP), a venture capital fund with $4.5B under management that invests in startups from seed stage to growth.

David Gogel chats with Arthur Hayes, CEO and Co-Founder of BitMEX, aka the Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange, a cryptocurrency-based derivatives exchange based in Hong Kong. They discuss Arthur’s background, the launch of BitMEX, Bitcoin, Ethereum, derivatives trading, exchange business models, regulation, security, initial coin offerings, and the future state of cryptocurrencies. BitMEX handles on average $100 million dollars per day in the total value of products traded. The company is wholly owned by HDR Global Trading Limited, a Republic of Seychelles incorporated entity.

David Gogel (Wharton MBA ’18) talks with David Klein, CEO and Co-founder of CommonBond. David discusses a wide range of topics in FinTech, student lending, and entrepreneurship. He goes deep on CommonBond’s student loans products, business model, and future prospects. He discusses how the Wharton MBA experience helped him launch CommonBond. We also cover David’s views on the FinTech industry more broadly, blockchain, and advice for student entrepreneurs.

David Gogel chats with Daniel Schreiber, CEO and Co-Founder of Lemonade, an insurtech startup based in New York. The property and casualty insurance company offers fast and low cost homeowners and renters insurance powered by technology, honest culture, and a commitment to social good. The company just raised $34 million in series B financing and is backed by top Venture Capital firms including Sequoia, General Catalyst, and Google Ventures.

In late October, Wharton FinTech went on a company trek for the day to New York. We met with two Marketplace Lending (MPL) startups (Bread Finance, Bond Street) and two investors (JP Morgan Chase, Nyca Partners). The following post provides an overview of the MPL business model, growth opportunities, and emerging risks that were discussed over the course of those meetings.