Women in Fintech: Nikita Sachdev talks blockchain and crypto
As the founder and CEO of Luna PR and Luna VC, Nikita Sachdev is an avid crypto investor and marketer of all things fintech. The model and marketer also describes himself as a serial entrepreneur and investor.
Sachdev, who is Indian-American and based in Dubai, found success on the international modeling circuit and pursued a career in Bollywood. But this was overshadowed by her passion for the crypto and blockchain space, when in 2017 she started working for the crypto giant Huobi. This led her to launch her own fintech-focused PR and marketing agency. Today, she travels globally to speak at universities and conferences, such as the University of Miami and Oxford University, to educate people about the potential of blockchain. We caught up with her to find out more.
Tell us about your company – what is the concept?
We began life as a PR and marketing agency with a focus on Web3, and have since continued our rapid growth by adding both a venture capital arm and, most recently, a media arm. For those who don’t know what Web3 is, it is essentially the next iteration of the internet, centered around the concept of decentralization and blockchain technology. This means that our focus across all aspects of our business includes NFTs, cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based projects. We think of original go-to-market strategies and help the average user or trader better understand these technical projects. We hope to accelerate the global adoption of blockchain solutions.
What sets your idea apart from the rest of the market?
There aren’t many Web3 PR and marketing agencies out there, especially with the ability to talk about funding, so we are very much in demand in our niche. We have been in the area since 2017 and we have worked hard to establish ourselves. We have worked on over 600 projects so far, including big names like eToro and Binance, which have already given us a lot of experience in what is a very young and constantly evolving industry.
How did you become interested in the industry? What is your background and is there a story there?
Before I moved into cryptocurrency I was in advertising. In 2017 I filmed a corporate video for a client; I was the host reading off a teleprompter and it was about cryptocurrency, blockchain, ICOs and so on. This seemed like a different language at the time, so when I asked the CEO to elaborate, he said “$100 in Bitcoin in 2009 would have made me a millionaire today”. I bought Bitcoin almost immediately there and then! I had no idea what I was doing when I started, but when I started seeing returns on my investments, my interest grew even more. I began studying blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin, and understood the power it had to increase transparency, trust and efficiency globally. I truly believe that it can have a positive impact on virtually any industry, so I became an advocate for the technology across social media. In 2019, I started Luna PR because of my passion for this new technology. My goal has always been to encourage the mass adoption of blockchain technology worldwide.
What has been your biggest challenge so far – and how do you overcome it?
Our biggest challenge has been understanding which strategies will work best in an ever-evolving marketplace that often doesn’t have time to catch its breath. This industry is so new and no one has really done what we do before. There is no playbook and we are creating the path while we are still on it. Advancing our understanding proves to be a constant challenge as such a wide variety of technological advances emerge on a daily basis. Despite this, it is working and living in cutting edge modern technology that keeps us excited and engaged.
As a woman working in the technology industry, what is your experience so far?
My experience has been very positive. It’s definitely still a male-dominated space, but since 2017 I’ve seen so many more women enter the space and show an interest in technology. It’s great to see how welcoming the industry has been to everyone! Web3 sees no discrimination, and with a number of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) emerging dedicated to promoting women in Web3, the industry is likely to become far more diverse in the future.
If you had advice for other young entrepreneurs thinking about entering the space, what would you advise them?
I would say just dive right in! You will find your feet. The technological aspects can be daunting at times, but imagine if 10 years ago I told you that you would use your mobile phone to hail a taxi, or that you would pay for goods and services via transactions validated through your biometrics. Everything is new with the first! So do some research, open a crypto wallet and trade on an exchange (even if it’s just a token amount). Enter the metaverse and maybe buy an NFT from a marketplace – the best way to learn about how the technology works is to experience it as it evolves.
How do you see the future of automation unfolding within the fintech industry?
In the blockchain space, perhaps the most profound automated innovation is the concept of a “smart contract”. These are programs stored on a blockchain that run automatically when predefined conditions are met. By automating (“self-executing”) the code when these conditions are met, the need for trust between individuals is removed, thereby removing the need for intermediary third parties to mediate transactions. Imagine if all the middlemen were removed when buying a house and instead it was just a transaction on a blockchain between buyer and seller – think of the time, money and energy this would save!
What are the future plans for Luna?
We are steadily expanding LUNA PR, and we have a strong consultancy, PR and marketing department. We work with individuals and projects at all stages of development, from early start-ups to much more developed businesses such as Binance and Huobi. Our goal is to be a one-stop-shop for Web2 projects that want to enter the Web3 space, or for Web3 projects that want to bring themselves to the mass market. Last year we also launched our venture capital arm, lunavc.io, and have invested in approximately 20 Web3-related projects since launch. The plan is to increase the number of projects we support quickly. We are constantly looking at how we can leverage our skills and I am very excited to see where we will be in five years.
What inspires you in fintech today?
Today, I am inspired by the power that blockchain technology has to change our society for the better. I look forward to seeing the unbanked get banked, and secure cryptocurrency wallets to validate our identity instead of the current requirements for passports, ID cards or insecure passwords in Web2. I am also excited to see the inherent transparency of blockchain transactions help reduce financial corruption. Blockchain will be a major contributor to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and I am honored to be a part of it so early!
