What happens when a former Binance exec builds a crypto exchange inside Telegram? In this conversation, Arda Aşkın (co-founder at Knidos Labs) sits down with Vladimir Smerkis to unpack Blum’s explosive growth, its unique hybrid model, and how meme coins and AI tools are reshaping the way people trade.
00:00 - Intro
02:03 - Why Vladimir Smerkis Left Binance to Build Blum
03:17 - The Problem with Centralized and Decentralized Exchanges
05:45 - Web3 Is Too Complicated: Why Users Need Better UX
08:08 - Blum’s Hybrid Model Explained: Semi-Custodial Wallets
09:04 - Blum Memepad and Trading Bot on TON and Solana
11:13 - Telegram Mini-Apps and the Shift in User Behavior
13:24 - Why the US Market Matters for Crypto Adoption
15:53 - MPC Wallets: How Blum Balances Security and Access
17:20 - On-Ramps and Off-Ramps: Building a Bridge from Fiat
19:25 - Regulation and the Future of Global Compliance
22:54 - How Blum Got 90M+ Users and 15M+ MAUs So Fast
24:47 - Notcoin Copycats, Utility Problems & Lessons for Founders
26:11 - Utility-Driven Tokens vs Hype-Driven Meme Coins
28:57 - Secret Sauce: Trust, Timing, Binance Backing & Strategy
30:26 - Invite-Only Growth Hack: The Clubhouse Effect
33:20 - Queueing Influencers and Controlled Scaling at Launch
33:49 - Why Blum Will Expand Beyond Telegram to Web App
36:29 - Web Experience for Pro Traders: New User Segments
37:31 - Perpetual Futures: Coming Soon to Blum
38:34 - Blum Academy: Educating New Users in Telegram
39:36 - Who Are the Real Users in Crypto Today?
42:36 - AI in Crypto: Beyond Hype to Real Use Cases
44:48 - AI Agents Managing Funds and Community Interaction
46:05 - Blum’s Investment in AI Protocol
47:59 - AI Risks: Like Driverless Cars, the Trust Gap Remains
50:25 - How AI Will Personalize Meme Trading and Token Discovery
52:01 - Kanye West Example: What an AI Trading Assistant Could Do
52:48 - Final Thoughts: Learn, Build, and Seize the Opportunity