Brian Korn of Manatt is one of the preeminent lawyers in all of fintech. Brian has led more than 100 deals, including initial public offerings (IPOs), early-stage and start-up venture financings, fund formations, and high-yield debt financings. He also advises clients on SEC and broker-dealer/investment advisory compliance, corporate swap transactions, and blockchain technology.
In this interview, Brian discusses how investment has cooled a bit, but overall the impact has been modest. Believers in the technology are not shying away from investing and building; those on the fence are still taking a wait-and-see approach. Companies can no longer raise money at will, and due diligence has increased.
We also cover the CeFi v. DeFi debate, the downfall of centralized lenders, the user experience issues that are a barrier to greater adoption, why regulation is as much an opportunity as it is a threat, and much more.