Sometimes rolling a boulder up a hill isn’t so Sisiphean after all.
Brent Jaciow talks with BlockTelegraph about music, blockchain tech’s latest integration and Switzerland’s first successful launch into the exchange traded product space after multiple Bitcoin ETF failures in the U.S.
1. Brent, you have your own interesting background in tech. Share that.
I graduated from Bentley University in Massachusetts, one of America’s leading business schools, with a degree in finance, before starting work as an analyst for Argent Wealth Management. From there I worked as a Portfolio Manager for MASECO Private Wealth, before moving to Pilotage Private Wealth, an independent asset management firm, where I served as Chief Investment Officer.
With more than 12 years of experience in the finance industry, my areas of expertise include quantitative and econometric modelling, structured transactions, direct investments, cross-border asset structuring, and product development.
Since leaving the asset management industry, I have become a strategic adviser to a number of high growth and tech-focused startups and, as the Head of Blockchain Affairs at Utopia Music, I hope to use my knowledge to help bridge the gap between the finance, technology, and entertainment industries.
2. Why does your company focus on music?
The music industry currently works alongside analogue and isolated rights databases that fail to align sound recording and musical composition copyrights. This results in relying upon antiquated usage collection methods, missing metadata, a complex licensing process, and unallocated royalties that are eventually attributed to illegitimate rights holders based on market share.
Blockchain has the ability to turn this on its head, and if we are to survive the fast-paced world of the music and entertainment industry, and keep up with new and emerging trends, cutting-edge technology like blockchain can play an instrumental role. Blockchain has the ability to allow us to create new revenue streams and consolidate the data, and in doing so unlock the industry’s full potential.
At Utopia Music we are on a mission to translate the world of music data into a form that helps creators, businesspeople, and consumers by collecting massive volumes of data, creating unique metadata, and building real-time analytics tools for the music industry.
By leveraging blockchain technology to create a new music ecosystem, our vision is to provide a new industry standard for all stakeholders by offering transparency, fairness, and smart contract-based payment processing.
3. What is your relationship to the Amun basket ETF?
We have no relationship to the Amun basket ETF.
4. What advice do you have for cryptocurrency investors?
Sadly we are not able to offer financial advice. We would recommend investors speak to their financial advisors before making any investment decisions.
5. What advice do you have for musicians?
Musicians should not fear the digital revolution, but rather embrace it. By spending the time to learn about emerging technology available to them on the internet, they will be better able to adapt to new trends, grow their audience, and in turn, become more profitable. Focusing on creating quality content is important though like any other entrepreneur, musicians in aggregate need to leave their comfort zone and spend the time to learn which technologies can help increase their reach.
