From Apple’s Touch ID to a $650M hedge fund–and from Vietnamese medtech to $80M in DeFi–Makoto Tominaga & Quoc Anh Ngo expose why retail trading is rigged, and how their AI platform OpenQuant is rewriting the rules of crypto, equities, and real estate investing.
Makoto Tominaga is a quant strategist at a $650M hedge fund and former Apple engineer who helped develop Touch ID security. Quoc Anh Ngo (QA) built medical rehab devices in Vietnam before creating DeFi protocols that secured $80M in deposits. Together, they're founding OpenQuant - an AI platform bringing institutional-grade trading tools to retail investors across crypto, stocks and real estate.
Makoto & QA reveal:
◽️ Why 95% of traders fail—and how their AI cracks the code
◽️ From Apple’s biometrics to DeFi security—the hidden link in financial safety
◽️ The $80M DeFi disaster that rewrote their rules for risk
◽️ Why VC money is a trap—and their unconventional funding blueprint
◽️ "Institutional tools break for retail"—Makoto’s law of real-world finance
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⏱ Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:23 How Makoto and QA Met
02:33 Why Makoto Joined Forces with QA
05:10 Taking on Hard Problems with AI and Finance
08:20 Why Not Keep the Edge to Themselves?
10:50 Building a Win-Win Business Model
12:27 What Is OpenQuant? (Beginner Explanation)
15:56 How Funds Build Strategies Step-by-Step
17:54 Why Funds Miss Big Opportunities
20:08 How AI Supercharges Research and Strategy
22:44 Helping Everyday Investors Avoid Risky Mistakes
23:44 6 Big Questions from Harvey
25:53 Do All Users Get the Same Info?
27:25 Can Makoto and QA See Everyone’s Trades?
30:12 Privacy and Ethics of Trade Data
32:05 Why Give Risky Tools to Non-Experts?
35:16 Will Hedge Funds Lose Their Edge?
37:08 What Risks Should Users Be Aware Of?
39:33 Why OpenQuant Helps, Not Harms
40:53 Quant vs. Gut Investing – Which Is Better?
44:13 What People Don’t Understand About Crypto
47:53 Rapid Fire: What Drives Makoto and QA
50:50 What Motivates Them
52:13 Best Advice They’ve Received
55:20 How They Handle Stress and Uncertainty
57:07 Questions They’re Rarely Asked
1:01:03 Why Take Big Risks
1:03:20 Final Takeaways for the Listener
1:08:26 Outro
📌 Resources
QA:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/q-anh-ngo-361556200/
Makoto Tominaga:
◽️ Website: https://yseali.fulbright.edu.vn/en/2022-digitization-of-trust/makoto-tominaga/
Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): x.com/harveybsmith_
Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111
Additional:
◽️ The Draft (Sign up): thedraft.io
◽️ Fundraising: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/LouLouRacefoiundation?utm_term=PvByaxmdn
Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

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