Episode 28: Bourbon on the Blockchain - $20 Million Tokenized Whiskey Fund

In this episode of the Blockchain Real Estate Podcast, host Michael Flight and co-host Adam Carswell sit down with Benjamin Tsai, Co-Founder and President of Wave Digital Assets (formerly Wave Financial), to discuss the intersection of bourbon and blockchain. Explore the fascinating world of tokenized whiskey as Ben unveils Wave's $20 million tokenized whiskey fund, which leverages blockchain technology to bring liquidity and innovation to the traditionally illiquid bourbon market.

Discover how Ben’s extensive experience in alternative investments and blockchain portfolio management led him to this unique asset class, and learn the behind-the-scenes details of sourcing, aging, and tokenizing premium Kentucky whiskey barrels. Ben explains how this project merges traditional commodities investing with cutting-edge technology, offering investors a new way to gain exposure to bourbon’s booming market while maintaining transparency and regulatory compliance.

Tune in to learn how blockchain is redefining alternative investments—and why bourbon might just be the next big thing in tokenization.

*Recorded by the Blockchain Real Estate Meetup (formerly the Chicago Blockchain Real Estate Collective) on October 8, 2020.

About Benjamin Tsai: 

Benjamin Tsai is the Co-Founder & President at Wave Digital Assets, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm that provides a unique combination of venture capital, fund, and private wealth management to the digital asset ecosystem. Ben oversees product development and trading at the firm. A trilingual crypto-native and veteran in traditional finance, Ben holds over 15 years of senior leadership experience at Merrill Lynch Singapore Commodities where he served as CEO, and Alliance Bernstein where he led business strategy and managed profitable distribution teams across Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, and Taipei. Ben invests and mentors early-stage startups in Southern California, holds numerous security licenses, and received a B.S. in Engineering from UC Berkeley as well as an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he is currently teaching crypto finance. 

Learn more at: https://wavegp.com/ 

The Blockchain Real Estate Podcast sponsored by the Blockchain Real Estate Summit (https://blockchainrealestatesummit.com/). Don’t miss your opportunity to attend the Blockchain Real Estate Summit this September 23–25, 2025, streaming live for our worldwide audience. Get your tickets at https://blockchainrealestatesummit.com/.

Get the Blockchain Real Estate Summit 2024 Replay: https://blockchainrealestatesummit.com/summit-replay/

*This podcast is solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to provide tax, legal, investment or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, accounting or investment advisors before engaging in any transaction or undertaking. Thank you for listening to the Blockchain Real Estate Podcast, sponsored by the Blockchain Real Estate Summit. Go to https://blockchainrealestatesummit.com/ for more information.