Tell us how you came to be the CEO at Unbanked.
Well, the role of CEO sort of comes down to control and vision. Our power-sharing structure at Unbanked is a little unique only in that there are two founders who are operational and also sit on the board, so there’s a bit of a power-sharing that exists in that way and we both what we want for the company, and we’re not shy to fight for it. And when we don’t agree – the other one knows it.
When you build a company from just an idea – there really is no one better to run it than the people who put in all the hustle, sweat, and tears until you get to a point where you’re just in over your head. I have a long history of operations and management working at public/private companies. In years past – I managed budgets of up to $75m a year and have hired over 500 people in my life.
It feels like that famous Liam Neeson quote: “what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career”. The most important elements of my job are to have a strategic vision for the company, to build a high-performance team with strong, positive company culture, and to ensure execution of those strategic priorities. We have a lot of work to do, and I am very excited about our future.
Can you share all types of Unbanked Cards & how it works?
We issue debit cards presently and have a plan for a credit card coming. We’re live in the USA and have been approved for several countries in Europe plus the UK. By the end of the year – we intend to be issuing cards through most of the Americas and Europe. What’s unique about our cards is that we make them so you “spend crypto” in real-time. We convert the digital assets into fiat at the point of sale and that’s a very unique solution in the marketplace.
Can you tell our audience how Unbanked Banking is different from regular banking?
Well for starters you can’t deposit Bitcoin to your debit card account and spend it in real-time. We can do that at Unbanked. We think the future of banking is that it adds in cryptocurrency and gives it equal standing with other banking products. At the end of the day – banking will include cryptocurrencies and people will have more control over what they want to do with their money. Buy/Sell crypto, P2P transfers, debit cards, bank accounts, decentralized wallets, or custodied wallets. The bank industry should be your own adventure” scenario and it desperately needs to innovate because the marketplace is swiftly shifting.
What are some of the distinctive features of the Unbanked that differentiate you from your competitors?
We do presently sit in a unique position because we’re really focused on crypto-enabled banking services. This is unique in the industry and we Whitelabel this technology for other companies. We do both direct-to-consumer and B2B2C products for other businesses. We’re globally focused on the issuance of cards, bank accounts, and wallets. We connect to payment processors, banks, crypto exchanges, and blockchain tech.
Can you give us a sneak peek into some of the upcoming product upgrades that your customers can look forward to?
Well, I can’t share things too early, but we do have some amazing things coming down the pike. The most important thing is that we’re expanding card issuance to so many other countries around the world. But my favorite product upgrade – I can’t just share yet. But nobody in the world is doing it and it’s going to be amazing.
What breakthroughs in the Blockchain space are you most looking forward to from a technology perspective?
The biggest breakthrough is one of regulatory understanding. There’s been a lot of negative heat coming towards the industry and it’s really frustrating honestly. Blockchain and crypto are going to change the world, and we’re hearing governments talking about it like it’s selling crack. And so the biggest breakthrough is about helping people to understand the this is about competition in the marketplace, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
What are you learning right now?
There’s a lot of cool stuff happening with NFTs and tokenomics structures with “Play to Earn” models like Axie Infinity and others. I’m very interested in the fast-moving structures in DeFi and I think between that and NFTs – there’s a lot of cool stuff happening.
Do you have some final thoughts?
There’s this one movie I saw this year where a hit squad comes in to kill this woman. They sit her down at the foot of this very long dining room table, hold her arms down so she can’t move, and then this man – the lead guy – says to her … “this is happening”. Then he points his gun to her head and pulls the trigger. It’s visceral but the moment really captured when the reality is gonna happen with or without your approval or consent. Governments like China can try to ban crypto effectively criminalizing human beings from having control over their own financial freedoms for the umpteenth time, but crypto still exists. And the same goes for any other government who may think they should have sway over what its citizens can and can’t do with their own money. But regardless – this is happening.
Bio for Daniel Gouldman, Co-Founder, and CEO of Unbanked
Daniel Gouldman is the co-founder / co-CEO of a blockchain technology company – Unbanked (formerly Ternio). Unbanked’s global fintech platform connects Defi to legacy payment systems like debit cards and bank accounts. The Unbanked platform (formerly Block card) is 5-minute signup, offers bank accounts, debit cards, rewards capabilities, and seamlessly connects crypto with traditional fintech and banking solutions.
Bio for, Unbanked
Unbanked is a global fintech solution built on blockchain. Predicated on the ethos that financial access and control is a fundamental human right, Unbanked connects traditional enterprise, fintech, and banking systems with blockchain infrastructure, expanding the utility of cryptocurrency for investing and everyday purchases. The company has a suite of highly bespoke financial products which enable both the banked, unbanked, and underbanked to create a financial experience as unique as the life they live.
You can learn more about Unbanked at unbanked.com or by following them on Facebook (facebook.com/unbankedhq), Twitter (@unbankedhq), Linkedin (linkedin.com/company/unbankedhq), and Instagram (@unbankedhq).