We recently connected with Sidney Powell, Co-founder and CEO at Maple Finance, an on-chain asset manager with experience in traditional finance and the crypto sector.
During our conversation, Powell explained that Maple Finance combines capital markets expertise with DeFi tech in order to power a suite of offerings including secured lending, Bitcoin Yield, and structured products.
Powell also touched on how Bitcoin-backed lending has become increasingly popular in the past few years.
He acknowledged that there had been considerable risks with previous lenders which became apparent following the spectacular collapse of FTX back in 2022 and the demise of various other lenders like BlockFi (due to contagion). Now though, Powell claims that the crypto industry has adjusted to these potential risks by incorporating improved risk control measures.
As a key player in decentralized finance and institutional crypto markets, Powell noted that Maple Fiance has built a global asset management ecosystem focused on tech and product development and accessibility.
He also mentioned that the $SYRUP Token is central to this ecosystem and that it enables the Maple community via staking, governance, and shared protocol growth.
Recently, Maple Finance teamed up with Elwood Technologies, an institutional platform for digital asset trading, portfolio and risk management, to help support the demand from institutions accessing digital asset credit strategies.
Under the partnership, Elwood will provide Maple with connectivity, execution, portfolio management and risk tooling to help scale various strategies.
Sid Powell, CEO at Maple, said,
“Our companies are committed to enabling institutional adoption of digital assets. By partnering with Elwood, we are able to establish an institutional-grade foundation of infrastructure, access and transparency to extend competitive onchain asset management opportunities to institutional clients.
Chris Lawn, CEO at Elwood, said,
“At Elwood, we recognise the importance of credit in the evolution of digital asset markets, and are committed to supporting lenders with the infrastructure they require. Through our partnership with Maple, we aim to provide them with the tools they need to operate at scale and with confidence.”
Traditional institutions are seeking “yield and diversified exposures in digital assets, but fragmented infrastructure and operational frictions remain barriers to scale.”
Elwood and Maple are combining strengths – Elwood in “connectivity, execution and risk tooling; Maple in onchain credit origination and asset management – to deliver an experience aligned with institutional standards.”
As noted in the update, Elwood is a fintech specialising in digital asset trading, portfolio, as well as risk management software for institutions.
Its front-to-back solutions connect clients “to global crypto exchanges, liquidity providers, custodians, and fund administrators while offering advanced execution management, portfolio analytics, and risk management tools.”
