In this episode of the SlateCast, Akiba speaks with Henry Liu, the CEO of BTSE, to discuss liquidity, crypto markets, and the catalysts to look out for during the bear market. The interview was recorded before the collapse of FTX at the start of November.BTSE exchange ecosystemBTSE is a novel exchange with a combined order book across trading pairs to assist with liquidity and improve security. It also provides B2B services for other smaller exchanges to support liquidity and technical infrastructure.Low-volume trading pairs on crypto exchanges have been an attack vector for some hackers, like the 3commas hack earlier this year. A combined order book removes this vulnerability while also improving the user experience for traders by allowing trades in local currencies.Advanced order matching tools such as those used by BTSE also allow for arguably better visibility for assets held on an exchange, which is greatly needed given the revelations that have transpired in 2022.The next bull runWhen asked what catalysts could push crypto back into a bull market, Henry highlighted the need for policy changes, a reduction in inflation, and establishing interest rates before a bull run can resurface due to the need for liquidity in the market. Henry argued that a “perfect storm of events” will be required to kick-start the market.Concerning Bitcoin’s ability to weather its first recession into the next halving, Henry commented that a halving is “just a wake-up call for some people” and that its impact on the market will only occur when scarcity truly materializes.The BTSE CEO also stated that he hopes Bitcoin will decouple from the traditional markets before the next halving to allow for more exciting trades within the crypto industry. He also commented that a post-merge Ethereum has the “potential” to lead the market with the “ESG angle” but that it “takes years for this stuff to kick in.”“The Ethereum developer talent pool is the best in the space… you could not have asked for more.”Henry also remarked that Ethereum “has all the ingredients it needs for success” in the future and is excited to see if it can position itself to take the lead in the industry.The see the full interview, click here or hit play on the video at the top of this article.
