This edition of Coffee with Calyptus features Leeor Shimron, Head of Business Development for the Americas at Chorus One. With experience spanning Fundstrat, Kraken, NovaBlock Capital, and Forbes, Leeor brings a rare vantage point at the intersection of institutional finance, infrastructure, and innovation in crypto. In our conversation, he shares why staking is key to bridging TradFi with Web3, how trust is scaled in competitive markets, and where AI already intersects with blockchain.
Leeor, you’ve moved from shaping institutional strategy at Fundstrat and Kraken to now leading business development for the Americas at Chorus One. What drew you into the staking space, and what gap are you trying to fill?
My transition to Chorus One was driven by a belief in the inevitable rise of institutional crypto adoption and the need for sophisticated infrastructure to bridge TradFi and decentralized networks. Staking is a cornerstone of proof-of-stake blockchains, securing networks while offering institutions and individuals a way to capture economic upside as these ecosystems grow.
As crypto gains traction, evidenced by ETFs, corporate treasuries, and governments embracing digital assets, there’s a clear gap for secure, compliant, and reliable staking solutions. Chorus One fills this gap by providing institutional-grade staking infrastructure, managing over $3 billion in delegated assets across 40+ chains. Serving clients like a16z, Multicoin, Polychain, and Grayscale, we deliver best-in-class returns while prioritizing security and regulatory compliance.
Our mission is to enable the next wave of crypto adoption, empowering billions of users and trillions in value creation with robust, scalable staking services that meet the demands of a rapidly evolving market.
You’ve built NovaBlock Capital, advised on partnerships at dRPC, and written for Forbes. How has being both a builder and a commentator shaped your perspective on where crypto is headed next?
My perspective on crypto’s future has been shaped by my diverse roles as an investor at NovaBlock Capital, a partnerships and business development leader at Kraken and dRPC, a researcher, and a Forbes senior contributor. These experiences—spanning capital allocation, operational work in decentralized infrastructure, rigorous trend analysis, and writing about crypto’s evolving landscape—have given me a unique vantage point.
Through Forbes, I’ve explored the evolving market structure, consumer applications, and infrastructure, backed by data, and it’s clear we’re witnessing a pivotal shift. Breakthrough applications like betting markets (Polymarket), stablecoins (USDC & USDT), and DeFi platforms (Aave, Compound, Uniswap) are gaining traction, enabled by robust infrastructure that didn’t exist before. This convergence of reliable technology and user-focused innovation fuels my belief that crypto is poised to redefine finance and beyond, driving mass adoption.
At Kraken, you led strategic partnerships during a crucial growth phase. What did you learn there about scaling trust and adoption in a highly competitive exchange market?
My time working on strategic partnerships at Kraken taught me that scaling trust and adoption in the hyper-competitive crypto exchange vertical hinges on prioritizing regulatory compliance and user-centric innovation. In a crowded field, exchanges like Kraken and Coinbase stand out by focusing on listing high-quality assets, ensuring robust liquidity, and rolling out innovative products like staking, user-friendly wallets, and Layer 2 blockchains. These efforts build user confidence and drive engagement. By fostering partnerships that aligned with Kraken’s commitment to compliance and user needs, I learned that trust is earned through transparency and delivering solutions that empower users.
With your deep background in finance and crypto, how do you see AI playing a role in Web3 growth or investing today? Is it already driving real outcomes or still in experimentation mode?
In my recent Forbes article, I explored the intersection of crypto and AI, highlighting their transformative potential in areas like trading and data security. For instance, autonomous AI agents execute tasks like DeFi trading and data analysis on decentralized networks, earning tokens for their contributions. Additionally, decentralized GPU marketplaces enable NFT artists to render high-resolution artworks at lower costs while maintaining data integrity.
Privacy-focused computing solutions also stand out, processing sensitive data for AI training, such as secure genomic analysis for personalized medicine. These real-world integrations demonstrate AI’s ability to enhance efficiency and trust in Web3 ecosystems, with significant growth potential ahead.
What are some upcoming trends or themes in crypto you are seeing that users and investors should be aware of? How can they navigate the current market cycle?
The crypto market is undergoing significant institutionalization, with ETFs, digital asset treasuries (DATs), and structured investment products driving consistent demand. This institutional bid has favored major assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, leading to their outperformance and reduced volatility compared to past cycles.
Key trends to watch include:
- Institutional Adoption: DATs are emerging as a powerful mechanism for companies to hold and leverage crypto assets, but only those with strong balance sheets will thrive.
- Bitcoin as a Store of Value: Growing recognition of Bitcoin as digital gold continues to attract capital, and Bitcoin is becoming the first “risk on safe haven asset”.
- DeFi and Innovation: Beyond Bitcoin, DeFi and emerging technologies on platforms like Ethereum and Solana are drawing interest for their potential to disrupt traditional finance.
To navigate this cycle, users and investors should:
- Stay Disciplined: Avoid chasing speculative assets driven by market euphoria. Focus on projects with strong fundamentals and real-world utility.
- Diversify Strategically: Allocate to established assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum while selectively exploring high-potential, well-vetted altcoins.
- Think Long-Term: Despite short-term volatility and potential boom-bust cycles, crypto adoption remains in its early stages, offering a structural tailwind for growth.
While the traditional four-year cycle may be evolving, fear and greed will continue to drive market swings. By prioritizing fundamentals and maintaining a long-term perspective, investors can capitalize on crypto’s structural growth.
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Coffee with Calyptus. Stay curious, stay inspired, and keep building what matters. Explore more editions and insightful articles at https://www.calyptus.co/blog.
