logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
28m 30s

Block Dojo entrepreneurs: NFTs, music an...

CoinGeek
About this episode

On this week’s episode of CoinGeek Conversations, Charles Miller meets three entrepreneurs from the Bitcoin SV incubator Satoshi Block Dojo, each developing a new platform that could change the way we live and work.

Do you want to create an NFT but know nothing about blockchain? If so, listen up! With HQNFTs, you can create artwork on the blockchain without having to write a single line of code. As HQNFTs CEO Divya Prashanth says “it’s a one-stop shop NFT ecosystem.” 

With the platform, Divya blends her passions for art and technology. While she believes that NFTs bring awareness of blockchain technology, she says most artists are still disenfranchised. “When I talk to my artist friends, it's become very evident that the biggest blocker is blockchain itself …there’s only a few hundred thousand blockchain developers when compared to about 18 million web developers and the costs are way too high,” she explains. 

Divya thinks that the art industry should follow companies around the world in adopting Web3 and blockchain technology: “if brands and companies do not take Web3 seriously they will probably be left behind.” 

The idea is simple: “we are the Wix of NFTs - it doesn't matter what the utility is, it could have no utility or it could have a utility, you can just come in onto our platform, create an NFT collection and spin it off onto your own contract."  HQNFTs currently uses various blockchains. As Divya states, “we love all blockchains.”
 

Bomi Mosuro’s heart was set on building music software since his teenage years. And he’s turned his dream into reality through his company The House of Sounds.

The House of Sounds is developing a number of platforms that can assist artists in the music industry. One such  platform is Beat Lab – a project management tool for an organized music-making process. It helps collaborators work seamlessly together while creating a song or a soundtrack. “It basically synchronizes people …the tool helps them get in sync,”  Bomi says. 

Beat Lab allows it’s users to communicate, send messages and exchange files all in one platform. Some have likened the platform to Trello, a tool used for managing projects and tracking workflow and tasks. But unlike Trello, Beat Lab will have other special features such as a social platform where users can discover other collaborators in the music industry.  

A rapper by profession, Bomi shared his strategy in song writing. His use of sound mimicking is incorporated into another software he is developing called Fluid Flow. Bomi describes Fluid Flow as “a songwriting tool that is powered by artificial intelligence.” Aside from the mimicking, the software will offer other features that will help ease the pressure on songwriters.   

Payments infrastructure platform Intrasettle is onboarding multiple CBDCs into a single ledger allowing cross-border payments and other kinds of financial exchange. “The idea here is very simple,” says its CEO Kumaraguru Ramanujam. “We want to have multiple central banks issue central bank money in this platform so that we could encourage instant settlements and cross-border payments on one platform.”

How does it work? As Kumaraguru explains, the money issued on Intrasettle is “basically a representation of the CBDC, so it's a tokenised cash on our platform for them to get the benefits of having multiple CBDCs in one.”  The platform can be likened to a foreign currency exchange for CBDCs except that it can also be used for securities settlements, bonds settlements and anything to do with cross-border cash. 

Kumaraguro admits that there are several projects like Intrasettle undergoing pilot testing at the Bank for International Settlements. So what makes his platform unique? He plans to use Bitcoin SV technology on 

Up next
Dec 2023
Festive Sweaters and Bubbly Battles: the CoinGeek Conversations Christmas Quiz Extravaganza!
Setting a festive mood with a holiday shirt to boot, Charles Miller kicks off the CoinGeek Conversations Christmas Special this year, sharing a bubbly toast with his guests: CoinGeek Reporter, Becky Liggero, and Osmin Callis, the Founder and CEO of Mode 8. The two battled it out ... Show More
31m 8s
Dec 2023
VPD Money brings financial inclusion to Africa
In the latest episode of CoinGeek Conversations, Charles Miller meets Michael Simeon, the Co-founder and CEO of VPD Money, a company which promises to create "The Bank of You."  "VPD" stands for "Virtual Payment Digital." Michael explains that they would have made their tagline, ... Show More
27m 48s
Dec 2023
Block Dojo latest: shipping emissions, fintech apps, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
CoinGeek Conversations concludes its three-part Block Dojo mini-series with insightful conversations featuring innovators in blockchain technology.  In the latest interviews, Charles Miller meets three entrepreneurs completing the business incubator program: Robin Russel of Satva ... Show More
23m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
THE BIGGEST STARTUP OPPORTUNITIES IN 2024 BY LEAN STARTUP GUY ERIC RIES
Greg interviews Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and founder of The Long Term Stock Exchange.They talk about how to test business ideas, why businesses with a social mission will outperform, and opportunities in AI.►►Subscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on co ... Show More
46m 41s
Jul 3
Fashion Tech Boom 2.0
After years of disillusionment with fashion tech, investors are once again excited about its potential, but with a very different mindset to the hype-fuelled boom of the last decade.From AI-powered personal styling apps to virtual try-on tools and personalised search engines, a w ... Show More
27m 56s
Apr 2025
Microsoft for Startups: The benefits of the cyber startup ecosystem. [Special Edition]
Welcome to the Microsoft for Startups Spotlight, brought to you by N2K CyberWire and Microsoft. In this episode, we are shining a light on innovation, ambition, and the tech trailblazers building the future right from the startup trenches. This episode is part of our exclusive RS ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 16
5 Startups I’d Build If I Were in My 20s
I share 5 startup ideas that could be launched for under $500, particularly aimed at entrepreneurs in their twenties. Each idea requires minimal technical expertise to start and can be launched using existing platforms like Notion, Circle, Discord, or simple AI tools. These ideas ... Show More
12 m
Oct 2024
Why climate tech startups get this one thing wrong
This might be our wonkiest topic yet: Techno-economic analysis, or TEA. Before a startup proves its technology is commercially viable, it models how a technology would work. These TEAs include things like assumptions about inputs, prices, and market landscape. They help investors ... Show More
49m 38s
May 2021
What is the real job of a VC?
Venture Capital is at the heart of financial services disruption.   In Q1 of 2021, over 17 billion dollars has poured into fintech startups, and the investors are not simply side players that provide a check.  They can be an invaluable resource for founders creating the products ... Show More
11m 56s
Jun 25
Building Cluely: The Viral AI Startup that raised $15M in 10 Weeks
What if virality wasn’t a tactic — but the entire product?In this episode, a16z General Partners Erik Torenberg and Bryan Kim sit down with Roy Lee, cofounder and CEO of Cluely, one of the most talked-about consumer AI startups of 2025. Cluely didn’t raise a mega round or drop a ... Show More
38m 24s
Jan 2021
Will Your Business Idea Really Work?
The post Will Your Business Idea Really Work? appeared first on Finding A Business Niche & Creating A Sales System - MatthewPollard.Com. 
28m 12s
Jul 2024
How to Scale a Start-Up
Managing rapid growth is a huge challenge for young businesses. Even start-ups with glowing reviews and skyrocketing sales can fail . That’s because new ventures and corporate initiatives alike must sustain profitability at scale, according to Harvard Business School senior lectu ... Show More
27m 45s