Gregg Bell, SVP of HBAR Foundation, on Hedera, Creating New Investment Vehicles, Tokenization, and Creating the Trust Layer of the Internet | Ep. 408

Gregg Bell, Senior Vice President at the HBAR Foundation, joined the Cryptonews Spotlight podcast to discuss the evolution of Hedera, the role of tokenization in digital finance, the significance of the HBAR ETF filing, and how Hedera is building the trust layer of the internet.

Hedera’s 2024 Growth: What’s Behind the 400% Gain?

“Look at the last three months. HBAR was up over 400%. That reflects not just market momentum but years of hard work from the entire ecosystem,” says Gregg.

Hedera’s success has been driven by consistent development, institutional adoption, and long-term strategic planning. The DeFi ecosystem on Hedera is expanding rapidly, with DEXs like SaucerSwap and lending protocols like Bonso playing a crucial role.

The Most Used Public Protocol? Yes, It’s Hedera

“I think people are surprised when they realize Hedera has more transactions than Bitcoin and Ethereum combined. Institutions operate at a scale that’s fundamentally different.”

According to Gregg, many don’t realize that Hedera processes more transactions than Bitcoin and Ethereum combined, thanks to its enterprise partnerships and high-performance architecture. Big players like Google, IBM, Dell, and Ubisoft are leveraging Hedera’s network.

1/ There is so much noise in the #crypto space, so I’m sharing a thread on actual network performance metrics. Let’s start with speed. Compare actual throughput (TPS) across networks 🏎️⏱️🧵. $HBAR wins 🥇, $ALGO 🥈, $SOL 🥉. BTW make this 60, 90 or 365 days = same story. pic.twitter.com/F8Uieh1Ca2

— Gregg Bell (@GregoryLBell) May 20, 2024

The Significance of the HBAR ETF Filing

“Canary Capital recently filed for an HBAR ETF, and we’re really excited about what that means for broader investor access.”

With institutional investors looking for easier ways to get exposure to crypto, an HBAR ETF would open the doors for traditional financial markets to engage with Hedera without direct crypto onboarding.

How Tokenization Is Reshaping Finance

“Tokenization is the bridge between TradFi and Web3. It unlocks new ways to invest in real-world assets efficiently.”

Hedera’s Asset Tokenization Studio makes tokenizing assets like real estate, commodities, and financial products seamless. Companies like Diamond Standard (tokenized diamonds) and Cast Capital (tokenized whiskey barrels) are already leveraging this technology.

Why Gas Fees Make or Break a Blockchain

“I saw someone pay $200,000 in Solana gas fees the other day. That’s not scalable. Hedera’s fee structure is built differently,” says Gregg.

Hedera’s fixed, predictable transaction fees ensure corporations and developers can reliably budget costs without worrying about sudden spikes. This makes Hedera a preferred blockchain for financial applications, the vice president believes.

Hedera’s Role in AI and the Internet of Things

“We’re not just thinking about onboarding a billion users, we’re thinking about trillions of transactions from AI-driven devices,” Gregg notes.

Hedera is already facilitating AI-driven transactions, with companies like Proove AI and Equity Labs working on blockchain-verified AI outputs. Hedera’s partnerships with Intel and NVIDIA are also embedding trust layers into AI-generated data at the chip level.

The Future of AI Commerce on Hedera

“AI is going to handle transactions for us. You’ll just say ‘order me that jacket’ and AI will handle payment and delivery seamlessly.”

Gregg sees a future where AI agents autonomously conduct commerce, making crypto payments frictionless. Since traditional banks won’t integrate AI with direct payments, blockchain solutions like Hedera will fill that gap.

How Stablecoins and Tokenization Power Emerging Markets

“The Philippines just launched a new stablecoin on Hedera. With a young, tech-savvy population, this is a massive opportunity.”

Hedera’s low fees and high scalability make it ideal for stablecoins and remittances in emerging markets. Gregg highlighted how Shinhan Bank and other institutions are using Hedera for cross-border payments.

Hedera’s Fair Ordering: Solving Front-Running Issues

“In traditional DeFi, bots can front-run your transactions. Hedera’s fair ordering mechanism eliminates that,” Gregg notes.

Unlike Ethereum and other chains where MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) bots can manipulate transactions, Hedera ensures fair, transparent ordering, making it more viable for institutional finance.

Machine-to-Machine Payments Will Drive the Next Wave of Crypto Adoption

“Tokenized assets won’t just be traded by people, but by AI and automated agents. We’re heading into a world where machines pay machines.”

With AI and Internet of Things (IoT) devices handling transactions, tokenized assets will move seamlessly between digital and physical economies, creating new financial models.

Hedera’s 2025 Roadmap: What’s Next?

“Hedera is open-source, governed by the Linux Foundation. We’re focused on making it easier for developers to build and scale.”

According to Greg, key 2025 initiatives include:

• More custodial integrations (Fireblocks, Metamask, BitGo)
• Developer toolkits and SDKs to simplify onboarding
• Scaling financial products and AI partnerships