Tell us a little about your background.
Before I founded Ternion, I was involved with every aspect of the financial industry. 
I started with FX trading when I was about 18 and then, thanks to my university professor, I switched to stocks. After reading way too many books about legendary New York commodities traders, I decided to try being one myself. So I jumped into futures trading.
After having done that for some time, it was quite obvious that a young guy like myself would not survive long in the futures market, so I started working for a bank alongside of my trading. Once I gained as much as I could there, I was offered the chance to work for a company that used to set up high frequency trading servers in Moscow and London Data Centers. I learned about the infrastructure of having multiple access points for a brokerage company.
Afterwards, I worked at an amazing Maltese regulated prime broker, which taught me respect towards clients and full devotion in providing the best experience for customers, with the ability to do everything they want to do when trading or investing.
How did you get into crypto?
The first time I encountered cryptocurrency was back in 2013 – my friend and I wanted to open a cryptocurrency casino. It was a spot-on idea at that time, but the funding never materialized. It was too bad, but fate decided otherwise.
In 2016, my friend and I were riding bikes in early February and, when we a took a break, my friend started looking at the price of Ethereum. I noticed and started to ask one question after another. Then it occurred to me that Bitcoin might have evolved into Generation 2 crypto currencies. So I went home and started to do research on decentralised application platforms, branding companies for cryptocurrencies, management of different blockchain firms, and looked into every detail that might have a competitive edge over another token. This is how my first altcoin portfolio sprung to life. After some fruitful results, this portfolio became the first building blocks of Ternion.
Why did you choose an ICO as a method of funding?
We are a blockchain related company and we don’t have blue blood or come from a major corporation. Our team is made up of self made innovators who want to build something that will be meaningful to the community and to a wide range of people. Funding via an ICO is a bold move towards transparency, proving that you are able to withstand the stress that happens during the process. It’s a big undertaking that tests you and proves if you deserve to be a market player or not.
How far did you get with the project already?
Quite far, but not as much as I’d like to be. We have received our cryptocurrency trading license in the EU, which allows us to operate globally, and we have created the software to run our platform. The platform has been ready for operation since early June, and we are already providing liquidity to four regulated brokerage companies. We have live tested volume on our exchange.
The next stage of the project is to launch the Ternion Exchange for full public trading at the end of July, or the beginning of August.
What is the big problem you’re solving?
I think it’s not just about the problem, but about making exchange trading a much more liable space towards clients, and actually making all exchanges be liable for their actions. With us being the first one and being able to be accepted by institutional companies for trading, we can be the entry point for the next big rally. And we are gathering the allies that will help us do that.
Why does the world need your company?
Each week I’m asked two or three times – ‘do you know where I can buy cryptocurrency in amounts that sound like ICO hard caps?’ The only reason for that is the fact that there are basically no green light counterparties which those firms can actually use. Multiple markets are cut off from cryptocurrencies due to the lack of regulation.
So the short answer would be: To make trading and investing available to any and all – both B2B and B2C.
What is the big reason behind what you are trying to achieve (not related to making money)?
I think I read too many books about legendary hedge fund managers. The big reason is to make something big, where you can actually be an influencer towards innovation in the market, and be the person who can express a non biased opinion of the very thing you are working on. With Ternion, and with resolving the major problem of exchanges, that’s exactly what can be achieved.
What is the vision?
The vision is to fully build everything before end of next year – the hybrid exchange and the payment system. The vision would be that while standing in a coffee shop, I can see someone using the Ternion debit card to pay with Litecoin in the UK. Or somebody buying a sandwich in 7/11 in Japan with XEM.
Where will the industry be in 5 – 10 years? What are the trends as you see them?
Five to ten years is too much – no one knows where Bitcoin will be in a month’s time. Remember, this the fastest growing industry today. Not factoring in the regulated exchanges, there are a couple of trends I see right now. I’ve noticed a variety of usage in connection to private blockchains sending chunks of data towards public blockchains. This actually makes the network less crowded.
I expect to see multiple supply chains within different large and small scale companies, who have a need for more cost cutting in various processes, actually making the production line five to ten times more efficient and organised.
What would make you proud personally?
Seeing Ternion next to Binance and Bitmex on the Cryptocurrency Market Cap Volume Index. I would love to see Ternion being the company that makes the next rally happen, due to implementing the correct strategy and understanding the trend. Ultimately, I would be really proud if Ternion could be a trusted platform not only for trading, but also for the review of the current market state.
For more on Ternion, check out Ternion: Bridging the Gap Between Traditional and Decentralised Finances.
