Webinar
From Token to IPO: How Blockchain is Reshaping Private Markets — A Conversation with Alumni Ventures
Join Sophia Zhao, Partner at Alumni Ventures, and Martin from Milk Road for a fireside conversation on the current state of blockchain and fintech venture — where capital is deploying across the space, what the next generation of on-chain and financial infrastructure companies are actually building, and how accredited investors can gain structured exposure to one of the most active corners of private markets.
In this session, Sophia Zhao and Martin will unpack what’s actually happening across blockchain and fintech venture today — from the infrastructure layers being built underneath stablecoins, tokenization, and on-chain finance, to the fintech-adjacent companies bridging traditional financial systems with the new rails emerging around them. Sophia and Martin will move across both the crypto-native and traditional fintech landscapes, examining where valuations are stretched, where they’re not, and how the investor lens on the space has evolved from broad speculation to something more disciplined and category-specific.
Whether you’re 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 will give you a grounded, cross-market view of one of the most consequential themes in venture today. Register to hear Sophia and Martin in conversation — and bring your questions to the live Q&A.
Want to access our Alumni Ventures startup deals to see, evaluate, and optionally invest? No cost, no commitment.
Why Attend?
- 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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Alumni Ventures is America’s largest venture capital firm for individual investors.
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.