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In this week's Coffee with Calyptus, we sit down with Rob Dardzinski, General Manager at DOPP, to uncover insights from his journey bridging traditional finance and decentralized finance. From navigating the structured worlds of Pavilion Global and Crypto.com to now pioneering innovation at DOPP, Rob shares how adapting to DeFi’s rapid pace has transformed his strategic mindset.
Before we start the interview with Rob, let’s be clear.
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From Pavilion Global to Crypto.com to now leading at DOPP — what’s been the most surprising mindset shift you've had to make jumping from TradFi to DeFi?
The most surprising mindset shift would be embracing the radical pace of innovation and the need for constant self-reinvention in DeFi, compared to the structured, slower-evolving world of TradFi.
In my 8 years at Pavilion Global, I operated in a highly regulated, process-driven environment, managing institutional equity trading & sales for global clients such as banks, HFs, and asset managers. Success hinged on deep market knowledge, predictable workflows, and leveraging established relationships within a stable ecosystem of exchanges and custodians. The pace of change was incremental, new products or regulations took years to materialize, and strategies were built on long-term stability. Now leading business at DOPP, a DEX for options and derivatives, amplified this shift. DeFi demands a proactive, very entrepreneurial mindset. I’ve had to stay ahead of market trends, like the rise of PoS networks, which align with Starknet / DOPP’s mission, while rapidly iterating strategies to engage crypto-native funds and market makers. Unlike TradFi’s reliance on centralized intermediaries, DeFi’s decentralized ethos meant I had to think like a community builder.
At Crypto.com, you helped build relationships with key global trading accounts. What lessons from nurturing those relationships can you now take with you and keep in your toolbox for future roles?
I’ve distilled several critical lessons from building and nurturing those relationships; these bullet points should help any BD/Account Manager type role to keep their clients at the forefront of their jobs:
- Prioritize trust through proactive communication
- Understand client-specific goals to deliver value
- Adapt to evolving market dynamics with agility
- Master the product/service you are offering
DOPP is building in a competitive and noisy space — how are you positioning it to stand out in the current DeFi landscape?
The issue with the Options DEX space is that it is very bifurcated - there exists one major player in the centralized space (>90% of volume) and then smaller tertiary players only, in the decentralized space. DOPP aims to fix this and capture some of that centralized share. We will:
- Leverage strategic partnerships with crypto-native players
- Prioritize user-centric design and accessibility
- Highlight transparency and security to build trust
- Amplify community engagement and market presence
You’ve worked across equities, crypto, and now DeFi derivatives — what core principles stayed true for you no matter how much the tech or asset class changed?
While the landscape has evolved, the core principles that have guided my work remain steadfast:
Client Trust as the Foundation of Success
Why It Endures: Across all markets, building and maintaining trust with clients is paramount, whether dealing with Canadian banks at Pavilion or crypto-native HFs at DOPP.
Adaptability to Market Dynamics Drives Opportunity
Why It Endures: Financial markets, from equities to DeFi, are shaped by rapid shifts in technology, regulation, and sentiment, requiring agility to seize opportunities.
Collaboration Amplifies Results
Why It Endures: Success in both TradFi and crypto relies on cross-functional teamwork to deliver client outcomes, regardless of the asset class or platform.
Data-Driven Decision-Making Fuels Performance
Why It Endures: Informed decisions, grounded in market data and client insights, consistently drive revenue and client retention across all roles.
Solidity Challenge 🕵️♂️
What can go wrong with this contract?
Solidity Challenge Answer ✅
Answer: The getLastNumber function will throw an out-of-bounds error because it should be numbers[numbers.length - 1] to get the last element.
