# Fireside Chat with Vivek Raman and Kartik Talwar

- Speakers: [Kartik Talwar](https://streameth.org/speakers/kartik-talwar)
- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2025-10-09
- Duration: 20:26
- Topics: Ethereum, Etherealize, Vivek Raman, Wall Street, institutional adoption, tokenization, L1, L2, privacy, interoperability, financial system upgrade, ETFs, BlackRock, regulatory frameworks, smart contracts, DeFi, liquidity fragmentation, compliance, real-world assets, Danny Ryan, app layer, legal challenges, capital markets, programmable finance, decentralized finance, on-chain finance
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-_R77-VMW8wM
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R77-VMW8wM

## Description

In this fireside chat, Vivek Raman, Co-founder of Etherealize, discusses his transition from Wall Street to becoming an Ethereum advocate, emphasizing the need to upgrade—rather than replace—the archaic financial system using Ethereum’s programmable infrastructure. He highlights the recent inflection point driven by ETH ETF approvals and institutional interest, noting BlackRock’s tokenization efforts. Etherealize’s mission is to evangelize Ethereum to Wall Street, facilitate tokenization of real-world assets on Ethereum L1, leverage L2s for scalability, and develop institutional-grade privacy solutions.

Raman stresses the importance of avoiding liquidity fragmentation and ensuring interoperability, advocating for assets to reside on Ethereum L1 with L2 customization. He outlines the challenges of legal, regulatory, and privacy hurdles, but sees the current regulatory climate as an unprecedented opportunity. The ultimate goal is to rewire Wall Street’s infrastructure onto Ethereum, unlocking new financial products and utility beyond simple tokenization, and to establish frameworks for compliant on-chain finance.

00:00 Introduction  
00:39 Vivek Raman’s Background & Entry into Ethereum  
02:24 Transition from Wall Street to Crypto  
03:35 Upgrading vs. Replacing Financial Systems  
05:04 Institutional Adoption & Inflection Point  
07:33 Etherealize’s Mission and Early Days  
09:17 Evolving Etherealize: From Evangelism to Product  
10:16 Product Focus: Tokenization, L2s, Privacy  
11:46 Institutional Reactions & Challenges  
13:43 Team Composition: Wall Street Meets Ethereum  
14:14 Fragmentation & Liquidity Concerns  
16:40 Interoperability & Bridging Solutions  
17:07 Beyond Tokenization: Unlocking New Financial Utility  
18:34 Legal & Regulatory Challenges in Tokenization  
19:36 Frameworks & Regulatory Engagement  
20:16 Closing Remarks

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🇺🇸 *Pragma New York*
Pragma New York 2025 was held on August 14th at Vesper Events in Brooklyn, New York and was an in-person summit for builders and leaders in the web3 ecosystem. Watch the full Pragma New York YouTube Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXzKMXK2aHh5TRLdUXjnhUVfdbBtu6z2j

ETHGlobal's Pragma series takes place in cities around the world, and is designed to be a different kind of event. Pragma is a one-stage conference with founders-only on stage, bringing together a small group of curated attendees and speakers to discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. 

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✅ Follow Vivek Raman
X: https://x.com/VivekVentures

✅ Follow Etherealize
X: https://x.com/Etherealize_io

✅ Follow Kartik Talwar
X: https://x.com/TheRealKartik

✅ Follow ETHGlobal
X: https://x.com/ETHGlobal​
Warpcast: https://warpcast.com/ethglobal
Website: https://ethglobal.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCfF9ZO8Ug4xk_AJd4aeT5HA 

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