Webinar
From Token to IPO: How Blockchain is Reshaping Private Markets — A Conversation with Alumni Ventures and Milk Road
Sophia Zhao, Partner at Alumni Ventures, and Martin from Milk Road led a fireside conversation on the state of blockchain and fintech venture — where capital was being deployed, what the next generation of on-chain and financial infrastructure companies was building, and how accredited investors could gain structured exposure to one of the most active corners of private markets.
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In this session, Sophia and Martin unpacked what was happening across blockchain and fintech venture — from the infrastructure layers being built beneath stablecoins, tokenization, and on-chain finance to the fintech-adjacent companies bridging traditional financial systems with the new rails emerging around them. They examined both the crypto-native and traditional fintech landscapes, discussing where valuations were stretched, where they were not, and how the investor perspective on the space had evolved from broad speculation into a more disciplined, category-specific approach.
Whether you were a current Alumni Ventures investor sharpening your view of blockchain and fintech or an accredited investor evaluating the sector for the first time, this session provided a grounded, cross-market perspective on one of the most consequential themes in venture. Watch the recording to hear Sophia and Martin’s conversation and learn from their responses to investor questions during the live Q&A.
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Key Takeaway
- HomeHear a cross-market view on blockchain and fintech venture from Alumni Ventures' Sophia Zhao and Milk Road's Martin
- HomeUnderstand where sophisticated capital is deploying across on-chain infrastructure, stablecoins, tokenization, and fintech — and where the durable venture opportunities are forming
- HomeGet a grounded, practitioner-and-media take on one of the most active corners of private markets today
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About your presenters
Sophia brings a wealth of experience in capital advisory, corporate development, and operational optimization, establishing impactful collaborations with CXOs and Founders. With a diverse industry exposure encompassing cloud computing, mining and minerals, consumer goods, and Web3, Sophia has been at the forefront of transformative technologies. Since 2018, she has been immersed in the crypto universe, working at Galaxy Digital, Huobi US, and Crypto.com. In these roles, Sophia engaged with startups and institutional clients on capital raising and trading across the Americas, EU, and Asia regions.
Actively fostering innovation and mentorship, Sophia serves as a mentor and judge at prestigious institutions such as Yale’s Tsai City for Innovation, Berkeley’s Blockchain Xcelerator, Techstars, and Layer 1 protocols, including Ethereum, Algorand, and Solana. She maintains close ties with the blockchain communities at Stanford and Yale.
Driven by a passion for shaping the future through frontier technologies, Sophia is currently supporting AI data and applications deals within her team. She holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University, an MBA from the University of British Columbia, and an MAM from the Yale School of Management.
Milk Road PRO Analyst
Martin (m0xt) is a Milk Road PRO analyst covering crypto, public equities, and thematic research. He publishes research and investment reports, and builds his portfolio in public for PRO members.
Before joining Milk Road two years ago, he worked as a futures trader and then as an onchain analyst, with expertise in governance and market structure. He holds an MBA in Economics.