The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs
From TradFi to DeFi: Building the Future of Real World Assets with Centrifuge's Eli Cohen
February 13, 2025
In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Eli Cohen, general counsel at Centrifuge, a platform for tokenized real-world assets. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of RWAs on-chain, the intersection of TradFi and DeFi, DAO governance, and the promising outlook for RWAs amid changing U.S. regulatory landscapes.

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Eli Cohen, general counsel at Centrifuge, a platform for tokenized real-world assets.

Join them as they discuss:

And much more!

With vast experience spanning traditional finance, market infrastructure, and cryptocurrency regulation, Eli brings a unique perspective to the intersection of RWAs and blockchain technology. His distinguished career includes roles at CME Group, where he helped launch Bitcoin futures in Asia-Pacific, Block.one, and various positions working with financial regulators across multiple jurisdictions. For the past three years at Centrifuge, Eli has been instrumental in developing compliant frameworks for bringing traditional financial assets onto the blockchain while navigating complex regulatory environments across global markets.

Episode Highlights:




Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

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