In a conversation with Megan Nilsson, also known as Crypto Megan, Raj Brahmbhatt (Founder and CEO of Zeebu), Dr. Raghavendra Hunasgi (Co-founder and CMO of Zeebu), and Shib Toshi (Founder and CEO of SilentSwap and SquidGrow) shared their individual journeys into cryptocurrency and the story behind their powerful partnership.
Driven by Raj’s vision for real-world blockchain adoption, Zeebu was created to leverage Web3 technology and revolutionize the traditional settlement process within the telecom industry. With Dr. Raghav’s marketing expertise fueling the company's momentum and a strategic partnership with SilentSwap, Zeebu is positioned to seize exciting new growth opportunities and push forward with future-proof payment ecosystem.
This interview is lightly edited for clarity.
I started investing in Bitcoin, then explored other cryptocurrencies like Namecoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. In 2020, I discovered Shiba Inu (SHIB) hours after its launch. That investment changed my life—I became one of the largest SHIB holders. Seeing the challenges in the crypto space, like scams, I decided to launch SquidGrow to create a safe, supportive community. It's been a rollercoaster, but I'm passionate about blockchain and what’s next.
Crypto Megan: Why did you start SquidGrow?
Shib Toshi: I launched SquidGrow to create a safe space for my friends and family to invest in. It wasn’t about building a community at first—it was just for the people close to me. I wanted them to experience the same opportunities crypto gave me. Over time, it grew into a full-blown community, and that’s been amazing. But at its core, it started as a way to help the people I care about break free from the limitations of traditional jobs.
Crypto Megan: Why the mask? Why are you anonymous?
Shib Toshi: Initially, I loved the privacy aspect of crypto. Unlike traditional banks, crypto lets you keep your wealth anonymous. We planned to reveal our identities but scrapped it when community members traced my SHIB wallet back to me. For security reasons, I decided to stay anonymous, as being identified as a crypto millionaire can make you a target.
The mask allows me to interact with the community while keeping my private life separate. In crypto, we don't have FDIC insurance, so security is a huge concern. I want the freedom to engage publicly while being able to go home and live a normal life without constant scrutiny or risk.
Crypto Megan: That makes perfect sense! You're a strong advocate for privacy in crypto, yet you’re still actively involved with the community. Anonymity often gets a bad reputation, but you’re showing that it’s really about protecting your security. After all, no one would want their personal finances on display for the world, and privacy in crypto is no different.
This makes me take the podcast to the fun part – tell me more about the partnership of Zeebu and SilentSwap?
Raj: Let me take you back to when I first met Shib. Zeebu, as you know, has always been more focused on bridging traditional finance (TradFi) and Web2 clients, not in terms of the services we offer but in terms of the clients we work with. Our mission has been to help these clients transition to Web3 by acting as that essential bridge for global remittances and payments. In my daily ecosystem, this tends to move a little farther from pure decentralization and DeFi independence.
When I first saw Shib at the after-party, I was intrigued. Here’s this guy with a mask and bodyguards—it was quite an entrance, and I thought, “I’ve got to meet him!” After that, we connected, just two people in the industry sharing ideas. Eventually, we had a conversation about what we could potentially do together, and that’s where things started to take shape.
Fast forward to now, and we’ve just made a very exciting announcement: SilentSwap is going to be integrated into the Zeebu platform. This means our 100+ institutional clients will be able to move millions of dollars in transactions per day with enhanced privacy using SilentSwap.
The importance of this integration lies not only in privacy, but in security. Our clients handle large sums of money, and SilentSwap offers a safer way to aggregate liquidity. While privacy is important, many are also concerned about protecting their funds from hacking attempts—and SilentSwap provides that layer of protection.
On top of that, this partnership introduces these traditional institutions to a more decentralized world—something many of them haven’t experienced yet. We were just discussing before this podcast how we can help these legacy institutions truly understand and adopt these services. This is where the magic of Web3 comes in, with digital assets and incentive mechanisms like learn-and-earn campaigns.
I believe this partnership is a perfect fit for both Zeebu and SilentSwap. It’s bringing together two sides of the spectrum: one focusing on Web3-native products, and the other bringing in established, TradFi funds and liquidity. This is exactly what Web3 needs right now. I’m absolutely excited about what’s to come!
Crypto Megan: What has impacted your crypto journey the most?
Shib Toshi: One of the things that struck me when I started bringing my friends into crypto was the lack of communication from teams running a project. If someone had a question, there was no one to answer it. Sure, there were moderators, but they didn't have any real information.
From the beginning with SquidGrow, I knew communication had to be a priority. My team and I needed to be readily available. We had to answer questions on Telegram and other platforms throughout the day because people were entrusting us with their money.
Through my friends' experiences, I saw the frustration of being a part of the project with no one to talk to about your concerns. Having a team that's accessible, communicative, and approachable is crucial.
Communication is key to success. That's why I always say my DMs are open. We're reachable. It's not about handholding, but about open communication and accessibility. That's why I attend events, shake hands, and listen to people's thoughts and concerns. We need that feedback. Everyone in our community has a voice, and we should listen.
Crypto Megan: What do you think is the commonality between Zeebu and SilentSwap?
Raj: I think one of the key commonalities between our two projects lies in our core missions. At the heart of both is inclusivity. For us at Zeebu, inclusivity means enabling legacy Web2 organizations that previously didn’t pay much attention to blockchain or digital assets. These companies weren’t interested until we created a commercially driven, user-friendly layer that simplifies the complexity of transacting with digital assets. Now, we have telecom carriers across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East actively using crypto to transact globally.
Before Zeebu, many of these companies barely knew what Bitcoin was. Now, they’re utilizing crypto seamlessly. Similarly, with your project, you’ve built an open, community-driven platform where anyone can engage with you, ask questions, and feel welcomed—whether they’re curious about SquidGrow or anything else. You make Web3 approachable and inclusive.
I believe this shared commitment to inclusivity is where our partnership truly thrives.
Raghav: Just to add to what Raj mentioned - One thing we, as founders and builders, need to consciously consider is how we can join forces to work toward something greater—for the benefit of the community, investors, and everyone involved. Take an example from Apple and Microsoft. Despite being rivals and not seeing eye to eye for years, there came a point where Microsoft decided to release Office on Apple devices, including the full Office 365 suite. Apple recognized the value this would bring to their users and welcomed it. The result? Data shows that both companies saw a sharp sales increase.
That’s a brilliant example of two distinct companies with separate communities and similar missions coming together and achieving extraordinary results. I think that’s the mindset we need in Web3 as well. How can we merge our forces? How can we collaborate and create win-win situations? That’s what the industry needs right now.
Crypto Megan: Absolutely. It's a collaborative space, not a competitive one. When you embrace collaboration, you open the door to exponential growth, achieving results that are hundreds of times greater. What do you have to say raj on this point?
Raj: I talk about this all the time—crypto, digital assets, and blockchain adoption are still in their infancy. Someone mentioned to me just a few hours ago, "Why not hold my money in Bitcoin instead of investing in real estate or other assets? It’ll probably double in a year." And the reason it can double is because widespread adoption is still pending.
If you compare any digital asset or exchange to something like the stock market, there’s barely any liquidity. That’s because large-scale institutional adoption hasn’t fully happened yet. Whether you’re a payments platform, stablecoin, or DEX aggregator, competition isn't the focus right now because widespread adoption is inevitable.
The smarter move is to collaborate, so you can capture a larger market share together over time and ensure that adoption happens. For example, if I’m an RWA (Real World Asset) issuer, I wouldn’t want to limit those RWAs to just my exchange. I’d want them across multiple platforms to drive more users toward the assets I’m offering.
At this stage, competing doesn’t make much sense. It’s more about partnering to grow the overall ecosystem rather than just trying to carve out market share within it.
Crypto Megan: Taking about collaboration Shib Toshi, tell us what led you to start a partnership with Zeebu?
Shib Toshi: Zeebu team is the real movers and shakers. They saw a demand in a specific area, had the courage to step up, and built a platform to fill that need—and they've done it incredibly well. I mean, they've only been around for a year, and they've already surpassed $3 billion in volume. That's just phenomenal.
I remember when I first met them. They approached me, and like anyone in this space, I get pitched all the time. They started talking about billions of dollars in volume, and naturally, I was skeptical, thinking, "Where’s the catch?" But after doing some due diligence, I was blown away. Not only did they deliver on their claims, but they built something truly unique where there’s real demand.
In my own experience, I’ve done something similar, though on a much smaller scale. I recognized the need for crypto users to move assets privately. While blockchain transactions are anonymous in the sense that your name isn't attached to an address, wallets like mine are well-known. If I transact with a Zeebu address, for example, everyone’s going to notice and wonder if there’s a partnership brewing.
In this space, doing strategic partnerships with movers and shakers like these guys leads to exponential growth. They saw an opportunity, seized it, and look where they are now. There's immense value in collaborating with visionaries like them.
Raj: Partnering with SilentSwap has benefited us and our clients immensely. We operate in the trading and business development space, particularly in wholesale voice and SMS. In this industry, there’s often exclusivity between partners, whether it’s legal or ethical. People do try to work around these agreements, typically when it's more of an ethical issue rather than a legal one.
For instance, let’s say Raghav has exclusive capacity for voice and SMS in Africa, and I handle the Americas. We might trade routes with each other, and Shib could be someone I work with for the Americas. However, Shib wouldn't want me to work with Raghav for the Africa region because he also operates there, and I wouldn’t want him to know that I’m dealing with Raghav. While it’s not illegal, it could be seen as somewhat unethical. But like in any industry, it’s just business—finding the best rates and trading the best routes.
Now, if Shib knew my blockchain address on the Zeebu platform (since all addresses are whitelisted), he could check if I’m transacting with Raghav’s blockchain address. But with SilentSwap, it gives all our users a layer of privacy, so they have the advantage of keeping their business dealings confidential. It essentially levels the playing field.
Crypto Megan: That’s amazing. And I feel that’s the true essence of the web3 – to be able to do what you want without jeopardizing your privacy. Zeebu and SilentSwap really look like a match made in heaven.
Having said that, I want to know from you all what attracted you to get associated with the web3 movement.
Shib Toshi: Yeah, for me, it's kind of a two-part story. Like I mentioned earlier, I first got introduced to Bitcoin through poker tables. I’m a gambler and a poker player, and cryptocurrency gives me that same kind of rush. Initially, I was attracted to it because you could use it for buy-ins at poker games. But as I dug deeper, I read Satoshi's white paper, and it became clear that Bitcoin was exactly what people needed—even if they didn’t realize it yet.
Now, years later, more people are waking up to the importance of cryptocurrency. I think that over time, governments might even adopt it. As we discussed earlier, only a small percentage of the world is actually involved in crypto right now. There’s still a massive amount of liquidity that could flow into the market—it’s barely been tapped.
The market caps of projects and blockchains, especially Bitcoin, have a lot of room for growth. I remember a time when the skeptics said Bitcoin would never break $100. I even recall when Bitcoin hit $104 and then crashed back to $36. At that time, all the doubters said it would never hit $100 again. Well, look at it now—years later, we’re trading at $50,000 to $54,000. It just shows that as more people take interest and pay attention, there’s immense growth potential.
Involvement in cryptocurrency isn’t just about the financial upside; it's also about being part of a community and a movement. Everyone who gets into crypto or invests in stocks does so to make money. No one parks their money just to sit in a savings account—they want growth, and there’s a lot of it to be had in the crypto market. Right now, I think the majority of people are sleeping on crypto, but they’re slowly starting to wake up.
Raj: For me, the journey has always been more about blockchain technology than just cryptocurrency. Sure, I was an investor, involved in a few investment banking deals, and had my own securities portfolio, but it was the equations in my head that I was eager to solve. Blockchain technology turned out to be the x variable that helped me untangle those equations. Take Zeebu, for example—a payments platform I'm involved with.
I'm also a co-founder of a real-world asset (RWA) company focused on fractionalizing and tokenizing illiquid assets, particularly cash flow-producing ones. While Bitcoin is fantastic for long-term holding, there are times when investors, even those heavily invested in Bitcoin, may need liquidity during a bear market. Unfortunately, this can lead them to sell at a loss.
There are many other assets—like music, real estate, and oil and gas royalties—that tend to be recession- or inflation-proof because they always have demand. For instance, think about owning a piece of Taylor Swift's music: regardless of your mood or financial situation, as a fan, you’re likely to listen to her music. This creates an asset that is agnostic to various factors, which can be a solid risk management strategy.
Just two days ago, the stock market took a dive. If you had invested heavily in Nvidia three weeks ago, you might have seen a significant chunk of your wealth—20% or more—wiped out. That’s not something you typically see with many of these other assets. Sure, you may not experience the same appreciation rate, but they tend to be safer, allowing for consistent year-over-year returns.
This is where blockchain technology comes into play, making it possible to create accessible payment systems worldwide, regardless of transaction size. It’s the x variable in the multiple equations I’ve created in my mind that I aim to solve. That’s what initially drew me in and continues to excite me.
Crypto Megan: You’re definitely tackling a problem on a mass scale, and that’s incredibly inspiring to witness. It’s a breath of fresh air to see technology doing what it’s truly capable of, especially in such a traditional industry as telecom. The adoption of these systems is game-changing. I would like to hear from Raghav – What would you advice to anyone who wants to dive into this space?
Raghav: I’m someone who truly believes in making an impact, as you touched on earlier. Sitting here on this couch, we’ve got two guys from Billionaire Boys Club, and it’s important to recognize that after reaching a certain level of wealth, life doesn’t change much—it's just more zeros in your bank account. For anyone who genuinely cares about creating real change, promoting financial equality, or leaving a meaningful impact, I believe this is the space to be in.
That’s what drew me to Web3, crypto, and blockchain. As you mentioned, I had a very fulfilling life; in fact, Raj often jokes about how I took early retirement and was enjoying a quiet life after my second exit. I genuinely thought I’d never work again. But I entered this space because I know it can create massive impact. There are many serious blockchain projects that are transforming developing economies, particularly in Africa, by aiding agriculture and supporting farmers in ways that traditional technologies would take decades to achieve.
For anyone aspiring to break through the barriers of middle-class living and build wealth for their families, this is where you need to be. We’ve all heard Michael Saylor say that investors in this space can expect unparalleled returns in the years to come. For me, it’s about enabling founders and builders to leave the world a better place.
I firmly believe that anyone serious about making an impact and wanting to make a dent in the universe should dive into Web3, crypto, and this space. Its where real change is happening.
Crypto Megan: That's truly beautiful to hear. It's that passion, that desire to make a difference, that initially drew me to you all. I want to align myself with people who share this vision because when you have a clear vision, nothing can hold you back. You become unstoppable, driving forward until you achieve your goals.
It's impressive that this mission has pulled you out of retirement. As you mentioned, we could easily live comfortably without working again, yet here you are—attending conferences worldwide, shaking hands, and diving into this journey. It's genuinely inspiring, and it fuels my motivation to keep pushing forward every day, knowing the potential impact we can have on lives.
As we wrap this up, I'd love to hear your closing thoughts, Shib. Do you have any advice for those who aspire to follow in your footsteps? You are an inspiration to many crypto enthusiasts.
Shib Toshi: I’m happy to hear that. My advice is simple: don’t let anyone deter you from your goals. Early on with Silent Swap, I was told it couldn’t be done and that even if I tried, it wouldn’t work. That skepticism only fueled my motivation.
In life, you may encounter naysayers, even friends, who try to pull you down. Don’t let them hold you back. If you have goals and ambitions, commit to them fully. Remember, someone out there is working hard to outpace you, so keep grinding.
Crypto Megan: So, set your sights on what you want, and go after it with everything you’ve got. It won’t always be easy—you might feel exhausted—but the reward of achieving your dreams will be worth it. You’re a testament to that.
Raj, I have to say, you're one of the youngest CEOs I know, but speaking with you and hearing your insights, it's hard to believe how wise you are. Your leadership skills are impressive. What advice do you have for all the young aspiring individuals who want to follow in your footsteps?
Raj: I’m very research-driven, and infact, the younger you are, the better your ability is to absorb information. You face fewer mental barriers that make you think certain things aren't possible, which can also lead to greater ambition. As you grow older, you encounter more struggles and failures, which can make people hesitant to try new things.
So, my number one suggestion is to take risks! However, it's crucial to have risk management strategies in place. Be smart about it and ensure you're always solving a problem. Lastly, focus on building symbiotic relationships, just like the one we have with SilentSwap.
Crypto Megan: So, the mantra is - Dig deep, go all in—take that leap of faith and follow your passion. Don’t let the naysayers hold you back. This episode has been filled with so many gems. Thank you all for being here in Hollywood, and I look forward to crossing paths with you around the world soon! Thanks for joining us.
To listen to the full podcast, click here.