Crypto vs. Banks: How Tokenization is Disrupting Wall Street with Eli Cohen, General Counsel at Centrifuge
The Future of Finance: How Blockchain is Bringing Real-World Assets On-Chain
This week on The Index, Alex Kehaya joins Eli Cohen, General Counsel at Centrifuge, to break down how crypto is transforming traditional finance by bringing real-world assets (RWA) on-chain.
Eli’s blockchain journey began in 2017 at CME Group, where he helped launch Bitcoin futures, exposing him to the inefficiencies of legacy markets. Municipal bonds take ten days to settle. FX swaps carry days of currency risk. Mortgages still rely on paper. These bottlenecks lock up trillions—tokenization is the solution.
Centrifuge started with trade receivables for small businesses and has since scaled into institutional finance, launching a $40M US Treasury pool in 2023. The shift is clear: on-chain assets are going mainstream.
Regulation remains a battleground. Eli unpacks the SEC’s aggressive stance, the "chokepoint" banking restrictions, and why the post-election landscape could reshape global policy.
With BlackRock entering tokenized treasuries, the crypto-finance crossover is accelerating. This isn’t just digitization—it’s a full-scale reinvention of how assets move and who gets access.
Whether you're a crypto investor, builder, or just watching the space, this episode reveals why RWA tokenization is the next big thing.
Centrifuge: https://centrifuge.io/
Show Links
The Index
X Channel
YouTube
Host - Alex Kehaya
Producer - Shawn Nova
00:52 - Mantis Sponsor Introduction
01:40 - Meet Eli Cohen, Centerfuge GC
03:15 - From Traditional Finance to Crypto
05:42 - Why Real-World Assets Matter
10:46 - Centerfuge Evolution and Treasury Pools
17:35 - Regulatory Landscape and Trump Impact
21:08 - Banking Challenges for Crypto Companies
28:22 - Cross-Chain Compatibility and Future Plans
31:19 - Meme Coins, Politics, and Regulatory Conflicts
36:02 - Legal Concerns: Sanctions and Civil Liability
