DeFi
Decentralized Masters and Their DeFi Journey
Decentralized finance (Challenge) the scene is developing rapidly. Tan Gera and Salim Elhila and have entered this dynamic field by launching Decentralized Masters, a platform to guide and teach people about the world of crypto.
The entrepreneurial duo’s journey shows their ability to adapt, overcome, and evolve, while carving out space in the changing DeFi environment.
Decentralized Masters is a platform designed to educate and guide individuals in Challenge space. It offers comprehensive resources and strategies for navigating the crypto industry, covering everything from portfolio management to market analysis. The platform fosters a community of masterminds, bringing together high-value individuals to share ideas and strategies. Decentralized Masters aim to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the emerging world of DeFi, equipping members with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed.
From Wall Street to Web3
Salim, an AI and big data engineer by training, found his calling beyond the business world. With a background in engineering, mathematics and statistical modeling, he expanded his expertise to include marketing and sales strategies for online businesses, becoming the marketing mastermind behind a combined revenue of $100 million. dollars in these sectors. Yet his real breakthrough came in 2022 when a tweet from Elon Musk sparked his interest in Bitcoin (BTC), propelling him down the rabbit hole of cryptocurrencies.
“I have participated in many Web3 projects, the best known being MetaLegends, where I managed the marketing aspect. This project sold for $20 million. That’s when I realized that things were moving much faster in the Web3 world,” says Salim. “And at that time I met Tan. At the height of the last bull market, we chose to launch something together. And that’s how Decentralized masters has come to this.”
Tan, on the other hand, began his journey in the world of finance, working his way up through the ranks of investment banking. From the Paris suburbs, he followed a traditional path, landing a role on Wall Street, where he witnessed the inner workings of the banking industry. But Tan’s experience attending crypto conferences and witnessing the potential of blockchain technology led him to shift gears. He recognized the power of DeFi, especially compared to traditional banking systems, and made the transition to the crypto space.
“At 21, I passed my CFP1 and had access to Wall Street. I interned there as an investment banker and it really opened my eyes,” adds Tan. “I saw behind the curtains of the big investment banks how the game was rigged. And I saw real use cases for crypto, how it could make everything better.
Transform adversity into opportunity
The creation of decentralized masters came at a crucial time. The company was launched just before a brutal stock market crash: one of the largest centralized exchanges in the United States, FTX, collapsed, triggering a domino effect throughout the industry. The fall of Sam Bankman-Fried’s empire has sparked widespread fear, eroded confidence in CEXs and intensified challenges for a freshly launched business.
Despite early success, their journey took a drastic turn when their payment processor unexpectedly blocked transactions and banking partners temporarily froze funds. Additionally, social platforms were limiting their content and it felt like everyone was against them. However, Salim and Tan saw opportunity in adversity.
“We were starting to sell very well. It was a huge success. But after one or two weeks of selling, the FTX crash happened,” Salim reflects. “And from there, everything went downhill. We almost gave up, it was like the entire Universe was conspiring to make sure we wouldn’t win. But at the end of the year, we were like, you know what, if we can do this during a bear market, imagine how amazing it will be during a bull market? And from there, it was a crazy climb.
The duo’s resilience paid off, as they found new banking partners and payment processors, and Decentralized Masters grew from zero employees at the end of 2022 to more than 80 team members in just one year.
Both entrepreneurs now see the end of November 2022 as a turning point for the entire DeFi space. People recognized that centralized exchanges were insecure and reaffirmed the value proposition of DeFi platforms.
Tan notes that centralized exchanges operate like traditional banks, using customer assets to make money and offering crypto products without leveraging blockchain technology. According to him, this leads to problems such as limited transparency and a lack of securityas seen in the FTX case.
“What are centralized exchanges for? They pay their customers 3-4% and use their crypto to earn 20-30-40% in DeFi protocols. This is exactly what the bank does when you leave your money in your savings,” he recalls. “What we want to teach people is to keep their funds themselves to protect themselves from the monetary system, so that they can control it and make profits instead of giving them to third parties. »
The decentralized approach
Decentralized Masters offers comprehensive training on the DeFi and crypto markets. The value of the platform lies in its multifaceted approach, from portfolio management and asset selection to technical analysis and strategy development.
For now, the company has a team of 10 full-time analysts who conduct in-depth research on various projects, comparing them on a range of variables. They provide a comprehensive overview of each asset, integrating fundamental, technical, on-chain and team analysis. Projects are then scored based on these variables, resulting in a ranking system to assess their potential for success.
“We are lucky to be surrounded by a team of people who are all experts in their different stories. They do their due diligence on a daily basis,” says Tan. “This allows us to evaluate different protocols, different projects, and ensure that we only invest in projects that have high potential for survival.”
But the team’s vision goes beyond analytics and encompasses community building and mentoring. Decentralized Masters provides a community of masterminds and a platform for members to connect and share knowledge. This vast ecosystem has fostered a thriving community, where members proudly display their credentials.
“We bring together high-value individuals with the same sophistication and values,” notes Salim. “The crypto community is everything: it can make or break a person’s success. Ultimately, when you’re surrounded by the right people, things tend to work out pretty well.
Connecting TradFi and DeFi
The Decentralized Masters narrative was designed to serve as a bridge between traditional finance (TradFi) and DeFi. Their strategies draw on portfolio management principles from Tan’s CFA experience, while also integrating decentralized finance tools. This convergence of two worlds is at the heart of their mission.
“We teach people to avoid risk while maximizing potential rewards. It all depends on the portfolio allocation principles we have and the rules we follow to ensure we avoid drawdowns,” comments Salim. “Once you have decided which 10-12 assets you want to hold, you can use DeFi tools to increase returns from a long-term perspective. When the market turns red, you can add delta neutral strategies and more sophisticated strategies.
The founders draw parallels between the TradFi world and today’s DeFi space, where concepts like takeover and liquid takeover echo the derivatives ideology of traditional finance. They point out that this transition represents a broader shift, with all of TradFi’s innovations moving to DeFi, where everything can be tokenized.
“While TradFi currently has more capabilities thanks to decades of development, DeFi is quickly catching up, especially with financial experts keeping pace. This space needs real finance people to jump ship and help developers,” says Tan, emphasizing the need for collaboration between financial and technical expertise.
This union is embodied in the Decentralized Masters team, with Salim’s engineering prowess and Tan’s financial acumen driving the platform’s growth. The project is poised to grow further, thanks to its dedication to education, innovation and community development. Decentralized Masters’ vision reflects the evolution of the crypto space, as they merge the old and new financial worlds, offering nuanced insights and strategies.
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