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Marc Scarpa: “We're breaking the entry barrier to the DeFi world”

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/07/2021

Monaco Life speaks to the entrepreneur behind DeFiance Media, a new 24-hour streaming broadcast network that delivers news and information on today’s decentralised economy and digital lifestyle, with an innovative twist.
Marc Scarpa is a streaming media veteran who is combining his decades-long experience with the world’s hottest obsession: decentralisation.
He is the co-founder of DeFiance Media, a video-news startup that reaches 65 million US households and another 15 million globally through various networks and distributors such as Local Now, NetRange, Select TV and Glewed TV.
Now, DeFiance Media has launched a new website and mobile experience providing enhanced coverage of the DeFi sector to digitally-focussed people who are looking for news that aligns with their alternative thinking.
Monaco Life: What is DeFiance Media and where does it fit in today’s media industry?
Marc Scarpa: DeFiance Media is a 24-hour linear broadcast channel dedicated to decentralised culture, finance and technology. We reach 80 million homes globally now on OTT, OTA, streaming platforms and connected devices. Our primary mission is to promote the adoption of the decentralised evolution. Everything has existed in the centralised world for so many years, but decentralisation and distributed lifestyle is where we are at right now.
What kind of content do you carry and create?
Our programming algorithm is very specific, we are covering what we feel are the top 10 topics that are part of this new evolution of cultural creatives: blockchain, digital currencies, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cyber security – a very under reported market that affects almost everybody – alternative energy, connected living, biotech, social impact projects, and regenerative culture.
What we aim to do at DeFiance Media is offer an alternative voice and to really target that new group of cultural creatives, of which there are about a quarter of a billion of them on the planet. That group has not really been given a single broadcast media outlet that represents them and covers the topics that they are interested in, the way that they want it to be covered.
Currently, there is a barrier of entry to get into this DeFi world, knowing who to follow and where to find them. We want to make it a frictionless experience for people to come in and see what this world is about, to engage and participate in it, and to ultimately be a contributor to it.

DeFiance Media’s original programming includes interviews with people at the forefront of the decentralised world

There are many individuals who do cover these topics in their various platforms, but they are scattered all over the internet. Is the aim of DeFiance Media then to bring all of this content together in a one-stop-shop kind of arrangement?
Exactly. YouTube, for example, is an amazing platform but it is fragmented and there is a lot of noise there because it has no real curation process. What we are doing is very much what Arianna Huffington did in curating media and news. We are taking the best of the best content creators that already have a voice in our 10 topics, and inviting them to be a part of our media network. We are getting them out to a new, larger, linear audience, while at the same time still creating our own original programming.
We offer the television experience with a 24-hour live linear feed with curated programming from our contributors and original programming that we make. We also have the news where we reference other news outlets that have the best stories of that day, from Science Daily and MIT Press, to Blocworks and Bitcoin Magazine, which is clickable directly to the sources.
And we have a curated social media, featuring the greatest minds of our era who are writing about everything from AI to biotech.
This is all real-time.
So yes, we provide curation because there is a lot of noise out there. We are building our offering both in television and on the desktop and mobile experiences.
Can you tell us more about your original content?
One of our favourite shows is ‘Anything is Possible’ with Patrick Tsang, an entrepreneur and investor who is promoting positivity with the life ethos that anything is possible. He is interviewing everyone from Anthony Scaramucci and Tim Draper to Baroness Michelle Mone and AI entrepreneurs. The way he approaches that half hour interview show is less about business and more of a one-on-one conversation with the individual. He wants to understand why these people are motivated to create what they’re creating.
We also have a programme called ‘Cashless with Sarah Austin’, who has been listed as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 and who interviews men and women at the forefront of the new digital economy.
So, while all of the news articles from third party sources serve as someone’s daily reading, the original broadcasting programming is taking it to the next level with more focussed feature stories on individuals.
We also do specials, like ‘Culture Conversation’, which was shot at the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami, where we interviewed Blond:ish, Tony Hawk, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Reilly, and a variety of entrepreneurs who were there talking about what they were doing in the space, the type of companies they are funding, and what this new decentralised cultural movement means to them – the key that we really try to focus on more than anything else.
Crypto titan and DeFiance Media investor Brock Pierce with ‘Anything is Possible’ host Patrick Tsang

Who is backing this project with you?
Among the many investors and partners in this venture are Co-Inventor of NFTs and Co-Founder of Tether Craig Sellars, Tsangs Group Global Family Office, who are Investors in Fubo TV and Live Company Group, Head of the Bitcoin Foundation and philanthropist Brock Pierce, Award-Winning Author and Futurist Daniel Pinchbeck, blockchain veterans Michael Cao and Winnie Liu, and powerhouse Hollywood producer Lauren Selig.
What other market-related features does the DeFiance Media platform have?
Money makes the world move forward, so we have the world’s first ever broadcast crypto ticker, allowing people to stay glued to their set and trade at the same time.
Then, and this is where it gets interesting, we allow for our viewers to make transactions. In the market section, people can get market data on, say, Ethereum with links to websites, technical documentation and news, but they can also buy and trade through the platform. People can watch someone on our channel, do research on their company, see where that token is trading at that moment in time, and make transactions.
We have a third-party provider that facilitates all of the transactions for us through a variety of exchanges. You can use your credit or debit card, or get it straight from your bank account.
What is your vision for DeFiance Media?
Our vision is to promote a positive narrative for the decentralised evolution to as many people as possible and ultimately, we would like to reach a billion households. If fashion TV can reach a billion households, there’s no reason why we can’t. We aspire along the lines of MTV News meets CNET meets Bloomberg TV, but with a very different type of programming, approach and subject matter. Right now, we are independent, and we want to continue to grow as much as possible so we can have that independent voice.
 
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Award encourages Prince to "stick to my convictions"

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/07/2021

Prince Albert II has been awarded the 2021 Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award for his continuing dedication to and support of environmental causes, namely the protection and study of seahorses in the Mediterranean.
Prince Albert II has a long history of championing environmental causes, a passion which led him to launch the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in 2006. Since then, he has been involved heavily in wildlife conservation and this year, his contribution to seahorse protection, led by the efforts of the 2021 Indianapolis Prize winner Dr Amanda Vincent, has earned him the Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award.
“Prince Albert II is an inspirational leader at the forefront of protecting the health of earth’s lands and waters, the variety of its plants and animals, and the development of renewable energies,” said Jane Alexander. “It is a great honour to welcome him as the recipient of the Global Wildlife Ambassador Award for 2021.”

Prince Albert II at the Oceanographic Museum established by Prince Albert I

Prince Albert II has led the charge for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Monaco on behalf of seahorses, which are native to the waters off Monaco and are good indicators of general sea health. Since 1978, Monaco has been involved with CITES, providing funding to support the preservation and protection of wild seahorse populations in the region.
In November 2020, Monaco also became the official proponent of a new International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Resolution focused on conservation of seahorses, pipefish and sea dragons, which directs 1,450 organisations to take action.
The Prince’s commitment to nature has led him, through his foundation, to open 10 foreign branches funding nearly 700 projects totalling €84 million.
Prince Albert II of Monaco has welcomed the award as encouragement to continue on his environmental path

Recipients of the Global Wildlife Ambassador Award have been deemed crucial in helping raise awareness about threatened and endangered species and habitats by using their positions and skills to alert policymakers, businesspeople and the public of the situations. Former winners include Sigourney Weaver for her work with gorillas and Harrison Ford for his nature protection efforts.
“I am extremely honoured to be receiving such an important award, a truly significant one in the field of animal conservation,” said Prince Albert. “Please allow me to take this award as an additional encouragement to pursue my action and to stick to my convictions. It will help me keep on my commitments and my contributions to the preservation of the oceans, the conservation of coral reefs and marine protected areas, and strive to protect endangered marine species.”
Award by Artist Zheng Lu

The Prince will be honoured at a black-tie event on 25th September at the Indianapolis Prize Gala presented by Cummins, held in the American city which gives the prize its name. The award was created by Beijing-based artist Zheng Lu and is part of his ‘Water in Dripping’ series, which highlight water’s importance in the natural world as a source of life.
The Prince has also received $250,000 for his Foundation.
 
 
 
Photos provided by the Indianapolis Prize
 
 
 

UNESCO adds Nice to World Heritage List

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/07/2021

The City of Nice has been added to the UN’s prestigious World Heritage List under the label of ‘Winter Resort Town of the Riviera’.
Meeting online in this year’s host city of Fuzhou, China, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee chose Nice on Tuesday 27th July together with a number of new sites for their cultural, historical or scientific significance.
The news came as a huge relief to Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi, who says he has worked for more than a decade to restore the French Riviera’s largest city to its former glory and obtain World Heritage status.
“Since 2008, we have worked tirelessly to bring to life everything we had forgotten: the beauty of our facades, our buildings, our diverse places of worship, our gardens, our landscapes, our public spaces,” he told Nice Matin. “We have worked to give back to our city what had enabled it to seduce the most prestigious politicians, the most inventive business leaders, the most daring artists from all over for nearly two centuries.”


A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as having special cultural or physical significance.
The city of Nice has a long history of tourism, both in summer and winter.
The natural environment and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winters there. In 1931, the city’s main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais, was inaugurated by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and was visited by the likes of Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII, who spent winters there, and Nice-born Henry Cavendish, who discovered hydrogen.
The city has also been a drawcard for notable painters including Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, and Niki de Saint Phalle. Their work is commemorated in many of the city’s museums, including Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts.
Nice also has a rich architectural heritage. During the Savoyard period, several palaces and mansions were built, as well as churches in the Baroque style. During the Belle Époque, the city was enriched with numerous villas and hotels, including the famous Negresco Hotel.
Mayor Estrosi says the World Heritage classification has given him more confidence to push forward with having Nice chosen as the European Capital of Culture 2028.
 
 
 

“We’re looking for evolution, not revolution”

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/07/2021

During his recent trip to Monaco, we caught up with crypto titan Brock Pierce who gave us his expert insight into the future of Bitcoin, why it is great for clean energy, and how cryptocurrencies are changing the world, for the better.
While we were all trying to figure out dial-up internet in the early 2000s, Brock Pierce was building one of the world’s largest virtual-asset trading companies, Internet Gaming Entertainment, and employing hundreds of thousands of people to play videogames like World of Warcraft to win virtual prizes that he could sell for real money.
The American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former actor went on to fund dozens of crypto companies, including Mastercoin, Blockchain Capital and Tether, and was listed in Forbes’ first ever list of the richest people in cryptocurrency in 2018.
Monaco Life: It has been a crazy few months in the crypto world. How are you feeling about it all?
Brock Pierce: I am just generally grateful, I enjoy the ride – the highs, the lows, it’s all part of the adventure.
You are considered the Ambassador of Bitcoin. Why is that?
In 2013, 2014, and 2015 I spent a lot of time educating government on digital assets, then I stopped because I thought there were many others doing it. When I ran for president of the United States of America last year I was talking to a lot of legislators on a state and federal basis, and I learned in almost every one of those meetings that no one has talked to them about what is going on here. No one had bothered to meet them and explain anything. So, I have gotten back into the education of government and that’s not just been on a state and federal basis, but also international.
You recently led the first official delegation to El Salvador, which approved the adoption of Bitcoin as its legal currency. What does that mean for the country and others?
The main drivers for El Salvador are financial inclusion, because 70% of the population doesn’t have access to banking or financial tools. Around 4.5 billion people on the planet aren’t or are under-banked – that’s two-thirds of planet, particularly in the developing world. So, this open banking system can address that quickly.
The government in El Salvador is giving 30 dollars worth of Bitcoin to every citizen, so you are going to see the entire nation have a Bitcoin wallet in a matter of months. This is a very big deal. There is an enormous amount of interest amongst developing nations to potentially follow suit. What El Salvador is doing might create a chain reaction, and everyone is looking at what happens in El Salvador. If it all goes well, the dominos will fall. But it is already creating direct foreign investment in the country.
What other opportunities does this create?
There are a few of us that are looking to fund the building of the next power plants in El Salvador, geothermals, where we take a volcano and basically build a very advanced energy infrastructure to produce highly abundant, low-cost clean energy. That’s going to come from foreign investment, and our intention is to finance that.
These developing nations are starting to see the benefits of opening up to innovation; they’re saying “We want to be part of the future”, in the same way that Dubai and Singapore did 50 years ago. When you have visionary leadership and a government that wants to be part of the future, you attract intellectual capital and social capital, because the best and the brightest are looking to do things.
Generally, most governments are in the way of their own progress, and our hands are tied. But if we actually see a visionary leader who says “Build a future here”, there are a lot of us who know how to do it and want to do it.
It all sounds quite revolutionary…
We are not looking for revolution, we’re looking for evolution. It’s about creating a world where the old and the new win together. That’s where the public and private sectors start to work together harmoniously. The El Salvador government is not going away, it’s just figuring out how to serve the people more effectively. In the 21st century, we have a lot of challenges, but we have a lot of solutions as well, and innovation is the answer to most of our problems. 
But what about the fact that Bitcoin mining uses an enormous amount of energy?
Thank god for the energy problem. Seriously, Satoshi’s second gift is that we are going to create the world’s clean energy. (Editor’s note: Satoshi Nakamoto is the name used by the presumed person or persons who developed Bitcoin.) We are the reason it is going to happen; we are the primary driver. We used to light our lamps with whale blubber, so why did we upgrade our energy grid? Because we needed a lot of energy. It is the consumption that forces change. And it’s not just Bitcoin, it is all computing, all AI (artificial intelligence) – all advanced computing consumes a lot of energy.
So how do you feel about China pulling the plug on Bitcoin mining and trading in the country?
It is the best thing for the rest of the world. China had a leading advantage, now everyone’s got a shot. Because of China, everything has sped up. China is driving tens of billions of dollars into energy infrastructure immediately. Which is great.
Right now, Bitcoin miners are the primary drivers of upgrading America’s energy grid. That’s what we are doing in El Salvador, and the same thing is happening in the US. We are also going to be financing a lot of the fabs (semi-conductor fabrication plants), we’re the main driver of this and we move faster than anyone else.
And all this is happening right now.
What about the massive 55% correction that Bitcoin saw after it hit the all-time high of 64k in April?
What an incredible event that was – the fact that we had a 50% drop and the system didn’t break. Any other system that this has ever happened to has had to be bailed out by a government. It shows that this system can take that kind of plunge, and it won’t break. Sure, you saw a temporary loss in value on a balance sheet, but the system didn’t skip a beat.
But it showed how volatile Bitcoin is, and that’s why governments are now stepping in to warn investors…
Yes, and we want informed people. I will never give a speech encouraging anyone to invest in anything, I only encourage you to invest in yourself. If you haven’t brought Bitcoin, go buy $20 or $100 worth – something inconsequential. Assume that you are going to lose your first Bitcoin, so it is better to start small, and the earlier you start, in many ways the better off you are.
Think of it not as an investment, but that you are paying for your un-education. Then, through your own understanding and knowledge, you can make informed decisions for yourself. There is a learning curve, you learn through the process of doing.
Once you get comfortable and you understand what’s going on, take a look at your own portfolio and decide what’s right for you, taking into account how old you are and your income versus investable assets. You also have to consider what your level of conviction is. How much do you believe?
So, would your advice be to simply hodl? (Editors note: ‘hodl’ is ‘hold’ in the crypto world)
I do, I don’t trade. Markets go up and down, and unless you are a professional trader, I generally advise against it. I know so many people who sold Bitcoin when it was at $200 to buy in lower, and when Bitcoin went to $10,000, they sold wanting to buy back in at $5,000, but it just kept going up. So, unless you’re a trader, I would say in general “hold”. You can always take some portion if you want to learn how to trade, but don’t take the whole principal. Trading is a practice, and I don’t like the emotional rollercoaster. I am a builder, not a trader, and I support people building things.
Are we in a bear market, or are Bitcoin and alt coins going to skyrocket this year?
I am not sure whether we are in a bear market or not, there are so many compelling data sets right now that I think we can see a fairly rapid recovery. This may be a short-term down market, just look at the rate of institutional adoption, government adoption, what’s going on in China… it is probably just a really good buying opportunity, and I think there is a very good chance we will see a rapid recovery.
Where do you see the year 2021 ending out?
Higher than we are now.
Reaching 3X?
$100,000 Bitcoin next year? It is certainly possible. And when we get to $100,000 Bitcoin, about half or maybe a majority of all the world’s billionaires will have made their money from Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Think about that for a minute.
Well it is clear that crypto is making millionaires in an entirely new way…
Yes, it is democratised opportunity – opportunity that is available to everyone. The wealth is spread out all over the world, and because people didn’t make it over the course of generations or decades, a lot of them are more willing to invest in things that are needed in the world, to give it to charity. This is the greatest wealth transfer in the history of the world – we are putting money into the hands of younger people who are ready to do the work, at a time when god knows we need.
Will there be mass adoption of crypto assets in the years to come?
It is already happening. There are as many as 300 million people now – this is very real and we are currently in the full phase of adoption.
What about banks creating their own digital currencies? What role will they play in the future?
Government-issued currencies are not going away, it’s like what is happening in El Salvador. Think of it like this. You have your checking account, which is your government issued money that you pay bills with, etc, and you have your savings account – Bitcoin, an asset that is deflationary or appreciates in value over time. We are already used to this, except banks don’t pay you anything in your savings account, so we probably shouldn’t use banks for saving. They’re not very good at that.
Tell us something we don’t know that is going to useful in the future?
Stablecoin-based lending (Editors note: a stablecoin is a digital currency that is pegged to a “stable” reserve asset like the U.S. dollar) is paying out three to 10% interest. Now that is a proper savings account. Is it sustainable? Absolutely. Because as a lender, you are lending directly to a borrower; you are not paying for the retail bank space, the employees, the profit margins, the compliance, etc. The banks generate the same rates, they just keep the majority of it. Instead, you can have access to the full yield, the full potential of your money. It is a pretty amazing thing. Bitcoin aside, your digital dollar accounts are paying out three to 10%, and this is relevant to everyone. Again, go out and learn, because whether the Bitcoin thing appeals to you, whether you get it or not, this should appeal to anyone who has savings of any sort.
Do you think Monaco should capitalise on the crypto “evolution”?
I would hope that Prince Albert does what El Salvador did and makes Bitcoin legal tender in Monaco. If they did that, the Principality would be booming. You would have the biggest Chinese gamblers coming to the Casino. Monaco used to be a place that attracted tremendous wealth – it still does – but not like it used to because the world has changed. Monaco is so well situated, there is the brand of Monaco, banking licenses… there are so many things that Monaco could be doing to benefit greatly from all that’s happening.
 
 

Henry Rodriguez Herrera exhibit at the YCM

by: monacoadmin
26/07/2021

The Yacht Club of Monaco is hosting the works of vibrant Colombian artist Henry Rodriguez Herrera at its gallery this month.
Henry Rodriguez Herrera gets inspiration for his bold, graphic pieces not only from his real-life experiences in his native Bogota, where colour and life abound, but also from yesteryear, where Greek myth and culture permeate his works.
He asks his audience to travel with him, to other places, to other times and invites them to be part of the stories he tells.
Now, he is telling his story with his exhibition ‘From Myth to Reality’ at the Yacht Club of Monaco Gallery until 15th August.
Herrera started his career at El Malpensante magazine in Bogota, honing his craft and making a name for himself, often getting commissions for large architectural projects in large American cities such as New York City and Philadelphia.
His interesting style, mixed with the use of recycled materials such as metal sheets, concrete slabs and old doors make him popular with the avant-garde, whilst his refined magazine work earns him kudos from the mainstream.
After meeting his wife, he made the decision to move to France where they set up their workshop and pop-up gallery La Galeria in Le Cannet.
For the Yacht Club exhibition, the paintings from his Argonautes series were selected. The works are meant to represent the current health crisis “where we were masked and where we lived in a world that was unknown to us. The huge objects hanging over the heads of the characters are now levitating, symbolising the disappearance of an evil that weighed so heavily on us.”
Female figures also dominate this series, with a colourful Persephone, goddess of spring and queen of the underworld offering hope of rejuvenation, and Penelope waiting for her Ulysses to join her on a speedboat.
To see the depth of Herrera’s works in person, visit the Showroom IQOS at the Yacht Club until 15th August.
 
 
 

“We want the YCM marina to be an innovation laboratory”

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/07/2021

The Yacht Club of Monaco will host the first ever Monaco Smart Yachting and Marina Show in September with the goal of speeding up the transition to more environmentally-friendly yachting practices both in harbours and on the seas.

In the run-up to the Monaco Yacht Show, the inaugural Monaco Smart Yachting and Marina conference will be held on 20th September to introduce new ideas for building “virtuous” marinas and using sustainable and eco-compliant practices.

Organisers Monaco Marine Management say they aim to “present all the new solutions and innovative technologies in favour of the preservation of the environment in order to design more virtuous marinas,” including encouraging renewable energy usage and other means to help in ocean protection efforts.

It also puts a fine point on the direction the Principality is heading in terms of looking to be a leader in the new green yachting trend.

“Smart yachting is an axis of the future for Monaco,” says Frédéric Genta, Interministerial Delegate in charge of the Digital Transition in the Principality.

“It is a component full of potential for the transformation of our economy and our attractiveness.”

The Yacht Club of Monaco has been promoting sustainability for several years already, putting measures such as the SEA Index in place to assess the CO2 emissions of super-yachts since 2014.

“Many shipowners are very concerned about the future of yachting. This trend can only become a reality if the infrastructures that host them are adapted to this energy and ecological transition,” said Bernard d’Alessandri, Secretary General of the Yacht Club and President of Yachting Monaco. “Our desire is to be able to test these solutions within our YCM Marina, like an innovation laboratory.”

The meeting will bring together big companies such as IBM, Schneider Electric and Teledyne, with innovators, investors and promoters of the virtuous marina scene from around the globe who will share their experiences and talk about the development of eco-responsible, efficient and practical marinas, in addition to making them real places to live.

“For several years, we have been reflecting on the development of virtuous marinas,” explains José Marco Casellini, CEO of Monaco Marina Management. “Places of life, smart marinas, respectful of the environment, must encourage the emergence of new activities and services, like the smart cities of which they are inspired.”

Alongside the conference, an e-catalogue of 50 start-ups will be available from 28th July of which 15 will be chosen by a panel of jurists from the field to be awarded the chance to present their projects at the 2022 Monaco Ocean Week organised by the Prince Albert II Foundation.

“The major issues in the conservation of the marine environment are now clearly identified,” explains Olivier Wenden, Vice-President of the Foundation. “Supporting research and development of new sustainable solutions for more virtuous yachting is all the more essential to continue to enjoy the pleasures of the sea while providing responses adapted to the challenges of preservation.” 

 

 
Photo by Matthias Mullie on Unsplash