Aya Kantorovich, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of August and Upshift

Leave feedback! Today I am speaking with Aya Kantorovich, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of August. Long-time listeners will recognize Aya - this is her second appearance on the GRTiQ Podcast. Since her first appearance on Ep. 66 in May 2022, Aya has launched two innovative platforms: August, an institutional-grade DeFi platform, and Upshift, its retail counterpart, both focused on providing transparent, real-yield opportunities in decentralized finance. Drawing from her extensive experience in institutional crypto markets, Aya has shaped August"s vision of bridging traditional finance with DeFi through robust infrastructure and risk management. The platform now supports over $300 million in TVL and integrates with 12 blockchains and 70+ protocols, making institutional-grade DeFi more accessible than ever. During our conversation, Aya shares great insights on ETF adoption, institutional DeFi infrastructure, and the evolution of crypto markets. She discusses the critical role of transparency in DeFi, the challenges of cross-chain composability, and her vision for democratizing access to real yields. Show Notes and Transcripts The GRTiQ Podcast takes listeners inside web3 and The Graph (GRT) by interviewing members of the ecosystem.  Please help support this project and build the community by subscribing and leaving a review. Twitter: GRT_iQ www.GRTiQ.com