In this episode, OWN Intern explores how decentralized, programmable assets are reshaping finance by making transactions transparent, secure, and accessible worldwide. Aziz and Nikhil dig into the tech that powers immutable ledgers and borderless access, using real-world examples from Karachi to Dubai and beyond.
About the podcast
Aziz is a product designer-turned-crypto educator who first got hooked on blockchain in 2016 after building a peer-to-peer payments system in his college dorm. Heâs known in the crypto community for his razor-sharp breakdowns of complex protocols, but what really shaped him was winning a hackathon by unveiling a DeFi dashboard that even his non-tech-savvy mom could use. Early in his career, Nikhil nearly quit public speaking after a livestream went sidewaysâhis slides crashed, and he froze mid-pitch. Rather than shying away, he forced himself onto local open-mic stages to conquer the nerves. Now, Nikhilâs latest obsession is restoring vintage Swiss watchesâa hobby that mirrors his knack for decoding intricate mechanisms and finding beauty in the details. Nikhil speaks quickly but pauses just long enough to let a big idea land. He weaves sharp analogies and vivid metaphors (often involving watches or chess), blending technical terms with relatable stories. He asks rapid-fire questions and delights in playful banter, though heâll admitâhe can still overexplain on-air when a protocol gets really weird.