- Full Name and Timezone: Marcelo Alvarenga, UTC-5
- Relevant Experience:
I have several years of experience in the blockchain space, having worked as a director at a Swiss bank specialized in digital assets. My background bridges both finance and technology, holding a degree in economics and being a full-stack Rust developer. Moreover, I recently completed wave 6 of PBA Campus organized by the Polkadot Blockchain Academy, further deepening my technical understanding of Substrate and the broader Polkadot ecosystem.
- Track Record of Contributions:
I have served for one year on the Treasury Council of Moonbeam and Moonriver, where I contributed to proposal assessments, budget allocations, and strategic planning. I’ve also been a backer of Astar and its ecosystem since the original parachain auction.
- Motivation and Goals:
I’m applying to the Astar Financial Council to contribute both my technical expertise and financial governance experience to support sustainable growth in the Astar ecosystem. My goals for this term are to promote transparency, improve treasury proposal standards, and support impactful initiatives.
- Weekly Availability:
8–10 hours/week
- Verified Onchain Identity on Astar:
Zi8UE4iU6E4VQVebkdSWfWYXPwVL9pmE7ZBNYsiuMdPQvFc
- Disclosures:
I have no conflicts of interest to declare.
- Commitment:
I am fully committed to attending live meetings, contributing actively, and operating with transparency and accountability.
I remain available for any questions.
5 Likes
Hi @marcelo
Thanks a lot for your application, can you confirm this is your profile on Moonbeam:
- Could you share more about your knowledge related to DeFi?
- As director of a Swiss bank specialized in digital assets, was this more towards compliance or as possible investment instrument?
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Hi Marteen,
Thanks for the questions.
Yes, I can confirm this is my profile there.
I am pretty knowledgeable and have tried hands-on pretty much every category of DeFi dApps across several ecosystems (EVM, Substrate, Solana, Cosmos). I have used most dApps deployed across the Astar chains as well (e.g. Starlay, ArthSwap).
I have worked both on business operations (e.g. hot and cold digital custody, on-chain transactions) and on sales (e.g. direct exposure to digital assets, structured products, discretionary mandates, options, futures, among others). I have a solid knowledge of compliance requirements for digital assets in Switzerland.
3 Likes
Hi, @marcelo san
This is my first post on the forum.
Nice to meet you all.
I’m excited about the establishment of the Astar Finance Committee (AFC).
However, I’m concerned about the risks of using treasury assets for DeFi operations during a time when markets are turbulent, such as with tariff policies, and would like to know if the timing poses any dangers.
If there are risks, I believe we should carefully choose the right timing.
I’d greatly appreciate the insights of Marcelo-san, who has a career as a director at a Swiss digital asset bank and is well-versed in DeFi.
1 Like
That’s a valid concern @AstarPunks, and I agree that timing is an important factor, especially in uncertain market conditions.
That said, I believe the AFC should focus on establishing clear procedures and risk management frameworks that allow for consistent, principled decision-making regardless of short-term volatility. While we should remain risk-averse with treasury assets, it’s equally important to ensure we are not overly passive. Capital efficiency is key to maximizing the impact of the treasury.
By defining allocation guidelines, risk parameters, and diversification strategies in advance, we can strike the right balance: protecting the treasury while still enabling it to grow and support the ecosystem effectively.
3 Likes
@marcelo san
Thank you very much for your response.
I learned a lot from it.
Personally, I would like to express my support for you becoming a member of the AFC.
1 Like