Multicoin Capital’s Kyle Samani on Internet Capital Markets
Multicoin Capital’s Kyle Samani on Internet Capital Markets
Podcast13 min 32 sec
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Consider an investment in Solana (SOL), which is positioned as the high-speed, low-cost blockchain for future "Internet Capital Markets." Established financial apps like Robinhood (HOOD), Coinbase (COIN), and SoFi (SOFI) are expected to become the primary gateways for this new market. These companies are poised to grow by integrating stocks, crypto, and DeFi services into a single "super app" experience. This thesis presents Solana as a superior alternative to Ethereum (ETH), which is considered too slow and expensive for mass adoption. The core opportunity lies in the infrastructure enabling this convergence of traditional and on-chain finance.

Detailed Analysis

Solana (SOL)

  • The speaker, Kyle Samani of Multicoin Capital, presents Solana as a modern blockchain that is technologically ready to support "Internet Capital Markets."
  • It is positioned as a superior alternative to older blockchains like Ethereum, which are described as too slow and expensive (citing $20 gas fees).
  • Solana is highlighted for its performance capabilities:
    • Can process over a billion transactions per day.
    • Average transaction cost is less than a penny.
  • The speaker notes that social finance activities, such as streamers trading with their audiences, are already happening "every day on Solana."

Takeaways

  • The speaker is extremely bullish on Solana, viewing it as the foundational technology layer for the future of finance due to its high speed and low cost.
  • Investors interested in the "Internet Capital Markets" theme should consider Solana as the core infrastructure enabling this vision. Its ability to handle high-volume, low-cost transactions is presented as its key competitive advantage.

Financial "Super Apps" (Robinhood, Coinbase, SoFi)

  • The speaker identifies existing financial platforms like Robinhood, Coinbase, and SoFi as the companies that are already positioned to become "regulated financial super apps."
  • This "super app" vision involves a single, regulated platform where users can trade three distinct asset types from one interface:
    1. Non-security crypto assets (like Bitcoin).
    2. Tokenized securities.
    3. Traditional securities (like stocks).
  • These apps are expected to integrate directly with crypto-native protocols, offering services like staking, lending, and access to DeFi. This convergence is predicted to cause an "absolute boom in on-chain DeFi activity."

Takeaways

  • The speaker is bullish on the potential for these companies to evolve and capture a massive new market by bridging traditional finance with the on-chain world.
  • Investors could view Robinhood (HOOD), Coinbase (COIN), and SoFi (SOFI) as companies well-positioned to benefit from the regulatory clarity and technological shifts described in the talk. Their existing user bases give them a significant advantage in becoming the primary gateways to "Internet Capital Markets."

DeFi Protocols (Jito, Drift, Camino)

  • The speaker mentions Jito, Drift, and Camino as examples of "crypto-native protocols" that will become accessible to a mainstream audience.
  • This access will be provided through the "regulated financial super apps" (like Robinhood and Coinbase).
  • A specific example was given where a trade for "super state equities" would be powered by the Drift protocol.

Takeaways

  • These protocols represent the innovative, permissionless side of finance that is expected to merge with the regulated world.
  • While investing directly in these protocols can be complex for the general public, their integration into mainstream apps signifies a major step toward broader adoption. An increase in the user activity on these protocols could drive value to their respective ecosystems and tokens.

Prediction Markets (Kalshi)

  • Prediction markets are highlighted as a major application and growth area within the "Internet Capital Markets" theme.
  • The speaker gives an example of a user reading the Wall Street Journal and being able to instantly place a bet on interest rates using a platform like Kalshi.
  • The thesis is that prediction markets will become deeply embedded in media, making content more interactive and engaging. This applies to finance, sports ("Is Curry going to drain a three?"), and more.

Takeaways

  • The speaker is very bullish on the future of prediction markets, seeing them as a new financial primitive that will be integrated into everyday software.
  • Investors should watch the prediction market space as a key growth sector. As these platforms become more accessible, they could attract significant user volume and change how media is consumed and monetized.

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • Bitcoin was mentioned as an example of an asset that users will be able to purchase seamlessly while consuming media.
  • The example given was buying Bitcoin directly from the interface of a podcast you are watching.

Takeaways

  • The insight is not about Bitcoin's fundamental value but about the future of asset trading.
  • The speaker's vision is that assets like Bitcoin will become "embedded into media," allowing for frictionless trading from any app or website, breaking them out of the silo of traditional exchanges.

Uber (UBER)

  • Uber was used as an example of a traditional stock that could be traded in new, innovative ways.
  • The speaker showed an illustration of a user buying "some Uber from Jason" directly within a podcast interface.

Takeaways

  • Similar to the mention of Bitcoin, this highlights a shift in how assets are traded, not a specific view on Uber stock itself.
  • The takeaway is that the distinction between trading crypto and trading stocks will blur. All assets will become easily tradable through various software and media channels, dramatically increasing accessibility.

Ethereum (ETH)

  • Ethereum was mentioned as an example of a first-generation blockchain that is not suitable for the future of "Internet Capital Markets" due to its limitations.
  • The speaker explicitly stated that users will not tolerate its high costs and slow speeds, noting that no one is "going to wait two minutes to send the transaction and pay $20 in gas fees on Ethereum."

Takeaways

  • The speaker's sentiment towards Ethereum is bearish specifically in the context of its ability to serve as the base layer for high-volume, low-cost global capital markets.
  • The insight is that newer, faster, and cheaper blockchains (like Solana) are better positioned to capture the future of on-chain finance, while Ethereum's current architecture is seen as a significant handicap.
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Episode Description
(0:00) Introducing Kyle Samani (1:07) History of modern capital markets (3:25) What a redesigned capital market structure would look like in 2025 (8:22) Examples of the future of internet capital markets Thanks to our partners for making this happen! Solana - Solana is the high performance network powering internet capital markets, payments, and crypto applications. Connect with investors, crypto founders, and entrepreneurs at Solana’s global flagship event during Abu Dhabi Finance Week & F1: https://solana.com/breakpoint OKX - The new way to build your crypto portfolio and use it in daily life. We call it the new money app. https://www.okx.com/ Google Cloud - The next generation of unicorns is building on Google Cloud's industry-leading, fully integrated AI stack: infrastructure, platform, models, agents, and data. https://cloud.google.com/ IREN - IREN AI Cloud, powered by NVIDIA GPUs, provides the scale, performance, and reliability to accelerate your AI journey. https://iren.com/ Oracle - Step into the future of enterprise productivity at Oracle AI Experience Live. https://www.oracle.com/artificial-intelligence/data-ai-events/ Circle - The America-based company behind USDC — a fully-reserved, enterprise-grade stablecoin at the core of the emerging internet financial system. https://www.circle.com/ BVNK - Building stablecoin-powered financial infrastructure that helps businesses send, store, and spend value instantly, anywhere in the world. https://www.bvnk.com/ Polymarket - https://www.polymarket.com/ Follow Kyle: https://x.com/KyleSamani Follow the besties: https://x.com/chamath https://x.com/Jason https://x.com/DavidSacks https://x.com/friedberg Follow on X: https://x.com/theallinpod Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod Intro Music Credit: https://rb.gy/tppkzl https://x.com/yung_spielburg
About All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

By All-In Podcast, LLC

Industry veterans, degenerate gamblers & besties Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks & David Friedberg cover all things economic, tech, political, social & poker.