His Atlanta-based Startup Was Scammed by North Korean Cybercriminals. But He Still Thinks Now Is the Time to Build Blockchain and Crypto Startups.

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Marlon Williams was at first hesitant to talk to the public when the FBI unsealed federal criminal indictment over the summer, which said North Korea cybercriminals targeted and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his Atlanta-based company through a false employee scam. What changed his mind?"I realized that the impact [of speaking out] outweighed my personal desire to be behind the scenes," he told Hypepotamus.Besides talking to outlets like Wall Street Journal  and the AJC, Williams said that the incident made him more outspoken at Atlanta Blockchain Center, where he is the founder. Now, he is prioritizing security for crypto-centric companies and those investing in and buying crypto.The story struck a nerve with others in the blockchain space."So many people are now a lot more cautious about interacting with remote workers as a result," he added.But that more cautious attitude does not mean that interest in cryptocurrency has faded. If anything, Williams says that economic and political changes of the last year has only increased the excitement around crypto opportunities.And Williams believes that is a good thing for the Atlanta startup community.

A New Crypto Wave

Williams and the team at the Atlanta Blockchain Center in Buckhead recently launched its sixth startup incubator cohort. Since launching in 2022, the Blockchain Center has helped incubate 32 crypto and blockchain-related startup built by early-stage, Atlanta-based founders.Williams told Hypepotamus that the companies with staying power are those that are "native to crypto," including those that are building blockchain solutions promoting efficiency and transparency.Williams said that there has recently been an uptick in people coming into the Center. That is partly due to the current "boom" the crypto world, coming from the "halving" of Bitcoin in April of 2024."The industry operates on four year cycles," Williams added. "Every four years, Bitcoin cuts its rewards and it pays off the miners. Historically, roughly about 12 months to 18 months later, there's always been a boom," which has generated more interest in retail investors today.But there is something different about this "boom," he added. Because this time, more entrepreneurs are diving in as recent national legislative changes have made it more possible for new startups to launch and grow.That is good news for Atlanta's innovation ecosystem, added Williams. The Atlanta Blockchain Center, now in its third year of operation, has recently seen a slew of new people walking through the doors for its weekly events That just might help build up more local blockchain and crypto startups, building upon previous success stories like Storj, Bakkt, and BitPay."We've proven over the past three and a half years that we have staying power, and we're serious about what we're doing," Williams added "I don't care how long it takes...we're still going to continue.[And] at some point, we're going to start seeing Atlanta known for blockchain innovation on a consistent basis, not just, you know, one offs."