MetaRyuk - DAO Council Postulation

Governance
1

Professional Background & Expertise

I am currently a Senior Intelligence Analyst and Researcher at one of the top three digital asset exchanges. Previously, I served as a Senior Vice President at one of the top 20 U.S. investment banks and as a Vice President at one of the top five U.S. retail banks in the Asia-Pacific region. I bring over 20 years of professional experience, including more than 12 years in the intelligence sector.

During my tenure in banking, I led a team of analysts responsible for monitoring threats and developments in the digital asset space (Web3). I have delivered presentations on Web3 and the metaverse—including Decentraland—at various closed-door conferences, including one for a Singapore government agency during my role as a Decentraland Ambassador. Additionally, before jumping into the financial sector, I served as a CTO for an Northern European-founded company, overseeing the procurement of intelligence products and technologies. Currently, I am taking a MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency offered by the University of Nicosia.

Vision for Decentraland

I envision Decentraland as more than just a social or gaming platform. It has the potential to become a comprehensive ecosystem where e-commerce and financial transactions can be seamlessly conducted, enabling users to “live and work” in the metaverse.

The SDK tools have empowered developers and creators to achieve significant milestones, yet there remains a lack of awareness about the business intelligence tools available within Decentraland. I hope to see Decentraland evolve into the go-to platform—not only for companies and organizations but also for individuals—offering seamless business opportunities and content monetization within its ecosystem.

Understanding of Decentraland’s Ecosystem

As a researcher and analyst, I have conducted assessments of the Web3 space, with a focus on the metaverse sector. My work involves analyzing various ecosystems to understand their unique features and how they differentiate from one another.

Examples of my research:

Through my research and platform engagement, I can confidently assert that Decentraland remains the leading metaverse platform, adhering closely to the principles of decentralization—despite recent community concerns about alignment to the spirit of decentralization.

During my time as an Ambassador and DAO moderator, I have created content and had them published on the Decentraland DAO X Account, with Decentraland Foundation retweeting them:

  • Demonstrating interoperability by exporting VRM of Decentraland avatars. [Link]

  • Enhancing flexibility in Decentraland Marketplace transactions. [Link]

  • Highlighting benefits of owning a Decentraland NAME. [[Link] [[Link]

Commitment to DAO & Council

Despite the busy schedule, I continue to make it a point to participate in events organized by both Foundation and DAO including in-world events, townhalls, discussions and X spaces. However, given the geographical location, I am unable to attend some of these events that are held due to time constraints.

If elected, I will prioritize providing strategic counsel to the Executive Director and ensuring the DAO operates efficiently and aligns with Decentraland’s mission and vision. Additionally, I will advocate for the DAO’s long-term sustainability in preparation for its eventual transition from the Foundation.

Additional Relevant Experience & Contributions

As a Decentraland Ambassador, I have actively contributed to platform adoption, including managing a project that was featured in a Singapore-based media outlet. I am currently in discussions with a co-founder of a cybersecurity community, with over 3,000 members, in Singapore to establish their digital presence in Decentraland.

Moreover, I have not once sought grants from the DAO. Instead, my ambassador tenure resulted in over $30,000 in funding by external entities, mostly paid to Decentraland-endorsed architects hired for projects I managed.

Other indirect contributions include:

  • Promoting Decentraland during the brief spike and taking advantage of the sentiments in the overall crypto market. [Link]

  • Responding to a YouTube video made that highlighted concerns about Decentraland. [Link]

  • Took notes and published key takeaways of a discussion involving several key metaverse players with Yemel in it. [Link]

12 Likes
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Disclaimer: on-the-need-for-professional-level-interviews-of-the-council-postulants

As one progresses with experience in the financial industry, there is a large number of basic details which become “second-nature”.

From personal conversations with this applicants, these basic details appear to be woefully absent.

This casts severe doubt on this applicant’s capability of passing any professional interview for the positions that are claimed to having been held.

3

There were only two interactions between us: one in a CBD space, where our exchange lasted less than two minutes, and another via Discord direct messages.

The “basic details” you claimed were “woefully absent” were omitted intentionally, as I saw no reason to share my role and responsibilities of my past and current work. These details were irrelevant to the context of our discussions.

You are welcome to screenshot our DM conversations and share them here. Let the community assess objectively and decide who demonstrated analytical reasoning, logic, and composure, and who was driven by emotion, opinion, using the “trust me bro” argument, and demonstrated lack of understanding of the distinctive roles between the Foundation and the DAO.

4

On a positive note, the applicant has been the author of initiatives such as https://forum.decentraland.org/t/dao-b930c44-creating-monetization-functions-for-scenes-allowing-content-creators-to-generate-income-using-dcl-as-a-business-enabled-platform.

Even though the business plans proposed in the thread ended up not panning out, it was a step in the right direction.

5

It would be a breach of conduct to publicly post screenshots of private conversations. No one with 20 years of professional financial experience would be suggesting to do such a thing, I can assure you of that.

Nevertheless, if anyone requires me to share any information privately, in order to prove my statement, I am ready to oblige.

6

But in the end, none of this should matter.

It is true that I should not be trusted on my words alone.

But it is even more true that postulants for such an important position should not be trusted on their words alone either.

7

This conversation is just between you and me, and since I’ve already welcomed you to share the chats, the choice is yours if you feel comfortable doing so. There’s no “breach of conduct” if we both agree. I would expect someone who relies on the “I assure you” argument to have a better understanding of this.

Secondly, the DAO Council is more akin to a Board of Advisors than a Board of Directors. Advisors hold a less significant position compared to directors. The board of advisors provides non-binding guidance, expertise, and recommendations to the leadership team or board of directors. Unlike directors, advisors lack decision-making authority or fiduciary responsibilities.

Given your claim to work in the financial industry, I’d expect you to already know this.