FYI - For Your Innovation

Elon Musk envisions a groundbreaking future where AI infrastructure in space revolutionizes cost, innovation, and competition. This episode explores how SpaceX's satellite ambitions could transform AI, potentially dwarfing terrestrial data centers. We delve into the strategic merging of SpaceX and xAI, revealing a blueprint for the next decade's tech race. 

If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term research projections, like estimating where we will be 5-10 years from now! But just because we are long-term investors, doesn’t mean we don’t have strong views and opinions on breaking news. In fact, we discuss and debate this every day. So now we’re sharing some of these internal discussions with you in our new video series, “The Brainstorm”, a co-production from ARK and Wolf.financial, and sponsored by Public. Tune in every week as we react to the latest in innovation. Here and there we’ll be joined by special guests, but ultimately this is our chance to join the conversation and share ARK’s quick takes on what’s going on in tech today.

Key Points From This Episode:
Elon Musk's vision of space-based AI infrastructure aims to drastically reduce costs and accelerate innovation, positioning it as a game-changer in the tech industry.
SpaceX's satellite initiatives are not just about communication but are pivotal in creating a space-powered AI ecosystem that could surpass terrestrial data centers.
The strategic integration of SpaceX and xAI is set to redefine the AI landscape, offering a blueprint for the next decade's technological advancements.

To learn more about WOLF: https://wolf.financial
To learn more about Public: https://public.com/

Since inception, ARK has researched and published thoughts on the cryptocurrency ecosystem within Big Ideas and through articles, whitepapers, monthly Bitcoin reports and podcasts. Now, in coordination with Bitcoin Park, ARK is pleased to introduce a monthly conversation with leaders in the Bitcoin space, to discuss everything happening in the rapidly-changing and still nascent Bitcoin ecosystem. Published through the For Your innovation podcast channels, this monthly series aims to be informative and enlightening, including experts with diverse viewpoints.
 
In this episode, Cathie Wood and guests reflect on ARK’s decade-long Bitcoin journey—from early research to its prominent role in Big Ideas 2026—and debate Bitcoin’s evolving thesis amid shifting macro conditions. The conversation distinguishes Bitcoin as “freedom technology” versus stablecoins as more “humanitarian” but censorable tools, while exploring institutional adoption, emerging-market use cases, and gold’s relationship to Bitcoin as a hedge. The group then pivots to the convergence of Bitcoin, AI, and decentralized social (Noster), highlighting “vibe coding,” open-source acceleration, and the rise of autonomous agents—ending with a forward-looking vision of 2030 shaped by autonomous mobility, healthcare breakthroughs, and expanding digital/space frontiers.

Guests on this month’s Bitcoin Brainstorm include:
 
Lorenzo Valente: Director of Digital Assets, ARK Invest
Alex Gladstein: Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Human Rights Foundation (HRF) 
Tuur Demeester: Founder, Adamant Capital
Alex Gleason: Open-source developer / Soapbox developer; formerly Head of Engineering at Truth Social.
Rapha Zagury: Founder and CEO, Elektron Energy
Cathie Wood: Founder, CEO and CIO at ARK Invest 
Rod Roudi: Founder, Bitcoin Park
 
 
Key Points From This Episode:
(0:00) Intro disclaimer
(1:04) Flashback: ARK’s 2016 Bitcoin white paper
(2:33) Bitcoin in Big Ideas — a 10-year evolution
(7:49) Bitcoin vs. stablecoins: freedom tech vs. humanitarian tech
(12:23) Personal stories: Brazil, inflation, and Bitcoin’s role
(17:14) Tuur on Bitcoin cycles, gold correlation, and price thesis
(26:37) Convergence: Bitcoin, AI, and decentralized social
(31:41) New renaissance: vibe coding, AI agents, and entrepreneurship
(34:24) Open source, Claude bots, and encrypted personal AI
(46:44) Autonomous agents exchanging Bitcoin
(48:19) Dreaming of 2030: freedom tech and decentralization
(52:17) Bitcoin mining, energy, and infrastructure
(56:11) Cathie: AI’s biggest opportunities — mobility and healthcare
 
Learn more about Bitcoin Park: bitcoinpark.com

In this episode of FYI – For Your Innovation, ARK’s Cathie Wood speaks with Don Wilson, a pioneer in crypto market infrastructure and the founder of DRW and Cumberland. They discuss the accelerating shift of traditional finance onto blockchains, focusing on the emergence of the Canton Network, a public permissionless blockchain designed for institutions—with privacy and permissioning at its core. Don unpacks why Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation’s (DTCC’s) decision to tokenize U.S. Treasuries on Canton marks a turning point in institutional adoption, how Canton balances decentralization with control, and what makes it uniquely suited for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. The conversation covers stablecoins, the evolving role of private credit and equity, and how tokenization might reshape collateral, leverage, and capital efficiency. Don also offers sharp takes on Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) vs. payment for order flow, prediction markets, and whether we’re still in a “four-year crypto cycle.” A must-listen for those tracking the future of digital asset infrastructure.

Key Points From This Episode:[00:00] Intro + Why tokenization matters: reducing costs, unlocking capital efficiency, and ARK’s thesis on blockchain infrastructure
[06:27] Don Wilson’s background, early crypto involvement, and the founding of Cumberland and Canton
[09:57] Why privacy and permissioning are essential for institutional blockchains
[13:44] DTCC's adoption of the Canton Network and the mechanics of tokenizing U.S. Treasuries
[25:05] Real-world benefits of tokenization: collateral mobility, after-hours lending, and stablecoin settlement
[29:23] Prediction markets: institutional vs. retail use cases and the importance of privacy on-chain
[35:13 – 37:23] Scaling Canton: new strategic investors and trillions in tokenized assets already on-chain
[37:25 – 47:34] Private equity and credit on-chain: implications for efficiency, leverage, and retail access
[47:34] MEV vs. payment for order flow: why Don believes MEV resembles illegal front-running
[48:18] Crypto market structure: October flash crash, ETFs, and institutional buyers in the current cycle
[55:10] Closing remarks

In this episode of The Brainstorm, hosts Sam, Brett, and Nick are joined by Frank Downing to dig into “Clawdbot” (recently renamed to “Moltbot”) and why it went viral—highlighting its transparent file-based memory, extensible skills, and the shift from Q&A chatbots to more autonomous assistants. They then pivot to OpenAI monetization—discussing ads, lower-priced tiers, and a commerce take-rate via Shopify—plus what ads could do to user trust in chatbot answers. The episode closes with a quick Robotaxi check-in in Austin and a debate about what it means for scaling Tesla autonomy and legacy hardware.

If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term research projections, like estimating where we will be 5-10 years from now! But just because we are long-term investors, doesn’t mean we don’t have strong views and opinions on breaking news. In fact, we discuss and debate this every day. So now we’re sharing some of these internal discussions with you in our new video series, “The Brainstorm”, a co-production from ARK and Wolf.financial, and sponsored by Public. Tune in every week as we react to the latest in innovation. Here and there we’ll be joined by special guests, but ultimately this is our chance to join the conversation and share ARK’s quick takes on what’s going on in tech today.

Key Points From This Episode:
Moltbot (previously Clawdbot)  was discussed as a compelling open-source agent approach because it uses transparent file-based “memory” and modular skills, but the hosts framed it as still early and mostly hobbyist compared with mainstream assistants. 
The episode argued that OpenAI monetization is moving toward ads, lower-priced tiers, and commerce economics (including a Shopify take-rate concept), while stressing that ad incentives could meaningfully affect user trust in chatbot answers depending on how they’re integrated. 
The Robotaxi segment used Austin progress (including a shift away from an in-car safety driver) to debate how quickly Tesla can scale autonomy and whether older hardware will be able to support truly unsupervised driving.

To learn more about WOLF: https://wolf.financial
To learn more about Public: https://public.com/

In this episode of FYI – For Your Innovation, ARK's CEO Cathie Wood hosts a wide-ranging conversation with Marco Santori, CEO of Solmate, and Dr. Arthur Laffer, renowned economist and longtime ARK advisor. Together, they explore the evolving crypto landscape, regulatory shifts, and why Solana is emerging as a powerful foundation for next-generation financial infrastructure. Santori, previously Chief Legal Officer at Kraken and General Partner at Pantera, shares why he’s now focused on building Solmate atop the Solana blockchain—and why the Middle East is a critical part of that strategy. He explains Solana’s technical advantages, from base-layer speed to support for smart contracts, and its potential to become the platform of choice for high-frequency trading, AI-driven transactions, and decentralized financial services. Dr. Laffer brings historical context to the conversation, contrasting private and government-controlled currencies and making the case for innovation in monetary systems. He also reflects on why he joined the board of Solmate and what excites him about its approach to financial infrastructure and economic growth.

Key Points From This Episode:●      [0:00] Meet the guests: Marco Santori’s legal background and early Solana investment
●      [4:45] Regulatory whiplash: How the U.S. landscape shifted under a new administration
●      [7:16] Dr. Laffer’s crypto “aha” moment and the history of private money
●      [13:30] Why Marco chose Solana: performance, smart contracts, and AI readiness
●      [18:05] Ethereum vs. Solana: decentralization, speed, and Wall Street applications
●      [23:27] Solmate’s board and Middle East connections
●      [30:14] Why the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is betting on Solana
●      [37:09] The evolution of Solmate from digital asset treasury to infrastructure company
●      [42:38] Revenue strategy: building cash flow, not just holding tokens
●      [46:23] The Middle East as a geographic and latency hub for blockchain innovation
●      [51:06] High-frequency transacting: the next frontier in trading
●      [52:31] Solana and on-chain prediction markets