Max Kantelia is a venture entrepreneur and co-founder of Zilliqa, a high-security, high-throughput public blockchain platform. He is also the CEO of Zilliqa Group and co-founded Metaminds, Zilliqa's metaverse venture, and TokenTraxx, a Web3 infrastructure provider for artists and music fans. ^[1]

Education

Kantelia graduated from London Business School in 2002. He later graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2019. ^[1]

Career

In 2015, Kantelia co-founded Anquan Capital in Singapore, where he served as the CEO. Anquan Capital functioned as a private investment firm and venture builder, launching a series of deep technology companies. Subsequently, in 2017, he co-founded Zilliqa alongside Amrit Kumar, Dr. Yaoqi Jia, Prateek Saxena, Xinshu Dong, and Juzar Motiwalla. In 2020, he became a TEN31 Bank and XCAD Network board member. ^[1]

In 2022, Kantelia launched Metapolis, originally conceived within Zilliqa's NFT and Metaverse department. Evolving into MetaMinds by August 2023, he assumed the role of chairman. Furthermore, in August 2023, he launched and became CEO of Zilliqa Group, a venture builder concentrated on luxury and entertainment industries, steering development efforts for previously established ventures like Zilliqa, MetaMinds, Rolling Thund3rZ, and TokenTraxx. ^[1]

Interviews

Building Community Projects

In November 2019, Cryptonites TV interviewed Kantelia on building community projects and the challenges of being the co-founder of a company. At the beginning of the interview, he discusses the highs and lows experienced while developing a community-driven project: ^[2]

“There are significant emotional swings experienced on the project side, ranging from remarkable highs to profound lows. Some members of our team, including myself, have encountered severe challenges such as death threats and other unpleasant situations. Despite these hardships, there is an overwhelming sense of positivity within our project and community. We have garnered a growing and loyal following of individuals who prioritize long-term thinking over short-term trading, resembling investors more than day-to-day traders. Managing this tension, especially among team members unfamiliar with such experiences, is undeniably challenging.”

“We need to adopt a long-term perspective. I consistently encourage our community members to engage in constructive collaboration with us. While criticism is welcome, it should be offered in a constructive manner rather than being destructive. This approach fosters collaboration and enables us to build something meaningful together.”

He also responded to criticisms about blockchain being a "lousy database": ^[2]

“Firstly, immutability is a crucial attribute for a blockchain, which is challenging to achieve with a standard database. Secondly, decentralized consensus, another essential feature, is not attainable with conventional database technology. While comparing these properties, it's important to note that we're not comparing similar entities. However, in my experience in the blockchain realm over the past few years, I've encountered numerous projects that could function adequately without blockchain technology. Therefore, it can be frustrating when large corporations approach us with use cases that could be addressed with a simple database.”

When asked how he would explain blockchain and nodes, he responded: ^[2]

“A node represents a computer, and a blockchain comprises a network of computers. The essence of blockchain lies in facilitating the transfer of value directly between computers without the need for centralized intermediaries. It allows value transfer from one node or computer to another seamlessly, without relying on a central authority to oversee the process or manage traffic between them.”

He then related that to what Zilliqa was working towards: ^[2]

“The goal is akin to constructing a highway that eases traffic congestion, not just facilitating faster driving. In practical terms, some major chains face congestion issues during peak traffic times, leading to exorbitant fees for using the network. In designing Zilliqa, our aim was to minimize congestion and keep transaction costs low. While further adoption and validation are our ongoing objectives, achieving these overarching goals has been a point of pride for us.”