Ledger, Tezos and Chainalysis talk web3 security at TC Sessions: Crypto

The crypto ecosystem may be experiencing fewer hacks and alleged fraud incidents, but they’re still occurring as bad actors take hundreds of millions of dollars from users in the space.

According to Immunefi’s Crypto Losses Q3 2022 report, crypto losses have declined for the past three quarters in a row, but it’s not clear whether that trend will continue for the rest of the year.

And as more people become crypto-curious or continue to build in this space, they might be susceptible to fraud or hacks. So how can people protect themselves? And how can startups, projects and protocols protect their users?

Answers to those questions and more are up for discussion during a panel with guests Pascal Gauthier, CEO of Ledger; Kathleen Breitman, CEO and co-founder of Tezos; and Pratima Arora, chief product officer at Chainalysis at TC Sessions: Crypto on November 17 in Miami.

During the conversation called “Securing Web3,” we’ll dive into how these executives navigate safety and security in the Wild, Wild West — aka crypto. Whether it’s through holding your own crypto wallet keys to making codes open source, we’ll find out what the panelists think are the best ways to keep users safe.

Too often, security is not at the forefront of crypto startup founders’ minds and might only be addressed in dire moments (like when they’re hacked for millions of dollars). So how can the industry encourage founders and developers to prioritize safety from an early stage?

We’re curious to learn more about how the current crypto market affects web3 security and what sectors need more work when it comes to protecting users. We’re also interested in hearing their thoughts on which blockchains, decentralized applications and projects are role models for security — and which ones they think need improvement.

Ledger has more than 4 million customers and is primarily known for its hardware wallets that let people secure, trade and hold their digital assets (NFTs included) on an external physical ledger. In June, Ledger partnered with VC firm Cathay Innovation to launch a $110 million fund dedicated to a broad range of segments across the crypto landscape, including DeFi, security and infrastructure.

Gauthier joined Ledger almost eight years ago and became president in 2019. Prior to that, Gauthier was a venture partner at Mosaic Ventures and focused on Series A companies. He also founded and is a non-executive chairman of Kaiko, a Bitcoin-focused data provider.

Tezos, a proof-of-stake blockchain, focuses on smart contracts and is seen as a potential competitor to the Ethereum blockchain. It had the biggest initial coin offering of all time after raising $232 million in 2017. Husband-and-wife team Arthur and Kathleen Breitman created the blockchain, which initially launched under the pseudonym “L.M. Goodman,” in 2014.

Lastly, Chainalysis is a blockchain data platform that provides data, software, services and research to any entity, ranging from government agencies to financial institutions. Its investors include Accel, Addition, Benchmark, Coatue, GIC, Paradigm and Ribbit.

Arora joined the Chainalysis team in June 2021 to lead its research and development. Prior to that, she was the general manager and vice president of Confluence — a revenue-generating product for Atlassian — and she also spent more than nine years at Salesforce in a variety of roles.

TC Sessions: Crypto takes place on November 17 in Miami. Buy an early bird pass today, save $150, and then join the web3, DeFi and NFT communities to keep up with the ever-evolving and always exciting crypto world.