Kei Oda: From Bond Trader to Crypto Enthusiast
Kei Oda, the head of Japan and the Asia-Pacific region for Quantstamp, a Web3 security firm, has had an interesting journey into the world of cryptocurrencies. After spending 16 years as a bond trader at Goldman Sachs, Kei stumbled upon cryptocurrencies out of boredom and became intrigued by the ability to trade Bitcoin and other assets around the clock. This led him to dive deeper into the crypto space and eventually find a job in the industry.
Key Points:
– Kei Oda was a bond trader for 16 years before getting involved in crypto.
– He initially started trading Bitcoin as a way to pass the time and became fascinated by its value proposition.
– Japan has a vibrant crypto ecosystem, with progressive regulations and acceptance of Bitcoin as a payment method.
– Taxation has been a hindrance to the Japanese crypto scene, with high tax rates on crypto trading profits.
– The Japanese government is actively trying to attract talent and startups to Japan through initiatives like digital nomad visas.
– Kei Oda helped create an event called Tokyo Blockchain Night to provide a networking platform for like-minded individuals in the crypto space.
– The collapse of FTX had a limited impact on the Japanese market due to stricter regulations around asset custody.
– Japanese regulations have become more strict after the CoinCheck hack, leading to an uptick in Japanese crypto activity.
