The Arena | Icebreaker

The Arena | Icebreaker

Members

Yuriy Kashnikov

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My main domains of interest are: Cryptography, Performance Optimization, Machine Learning, Data Analysis, and Blockchain

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Above all else, there is this deep and innate hunger to create — be it building keyboards, interfaces, computers, art, or processes. I love crafting experiences with highly ambitious people who bring rich and varied perspectives. It’s what makes me tick. I also make art, write code, render things, and develop video games. I believe in people beyond pixels, in truly coming together as humans, cherishing the experience, while adding value to millions of lives. There’s little else that resonates so vividly with who I am.

Phillip Liu Jr.

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Co-founder @ The Arena, Founding Team at Ava Labs, Investor @ Catena

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Jason is the CEO of The Arena, a next gen SocialFi app redefining how creators connect, engage, and monetize their content. After acquiring The Arena (previously Stars Arena) in 2023, Jason rebuilt the platform to become the top social crypto app in the space with over 300,00 users, $100M in total trading volume, and $9M paid out to content creators. Prior to The Arena, Jason founded Rove, one of the first consumer crypto apps ever built on Solana, with a specialized focused on NFT ticketing and loyalty rewards. Jason previously served as the Head of Blockchain for Ubik Group from 2017 - 2023, where he led teams implementing blockchain solutions for the United Nations, IBM, the Ethereum Foundation, Coinbase, and more. As an Advisor, Jason helped conceptualize, build, and launch Gemini Clearing™ in 2019, a fully-electronic clearing and settlement solution for off-exchange or over-the-counter (OTC) crypto trades offered by Gemini. Jason has leveraged his vast experience in the sector to found TTM & Partners, a digital asset trading firm. On the investment side, Jason advises domestic and international institutional clients, including family offices and UHNWIs, aiming to diversify their portfolios and gain exposure to digital assets. In addition to his years of experience as a builder and trader, Jason has been a vocal advocate for the advancement of the industry as a whole. Back in January 2019, partnering with Microsoft, IBM, and NYCEDC, Jason helped to launch NYC Blockchain Center - the first publicly and privately funded blockchain project in New York, offering an inclusive focal point for NYC’s growing blockchain ecosystem of both local and global companies, academia and government to interact with the private sector. More recently, in February, 2021, Jason was called to testify before the North Dakota General Assembly as an expert witness in favor of multiple bills aimed at spurring blockchain adoption and integration. Jason is a regular speaker at crypto conferences around the world, including past presentations at Solana Breakpoint, Avalanche Summit, Nearcon, and NFT NYC.