Bitcoin’s Next Chapter, AI Made Simple, and the Future of Innovation Teams

In this episode of DisrupTV, hosts R “Ray” Wang and Vala Afshar sit down with an incredible lineup of guests: Phong Le, President & CEO of Strategy, Kathleen Perley, author of AI Made Simple: Results Made Real, and Helene Cahen, author of Fire Up Innovation. Together, they unpack the next chapter of Bitcoin, break down how to make AI simple and actionable, and share best practices for building innovation-driven teams that thrive in today’s rapidly shifting digital landscape.

Key Episode Insights

1. Bitcoin’s Next Chapter: More Than a Store of Value

Bitcoin is evolving from a passive store of value into a dynamic financial tool. With wrapped Bitcoins and trustless bridges, BTC can now generate yield, connect capital to decentralized finance, and unlock new borrowing and lending opportunities. Maintaining custody without relying on intermediaries is a critical innovation that could reshape the future of decentralized finance.

2. Making AI Simple & Effective

AI adoption continues to accelerate, but confusion remains a barrier. Leaders must move past the complexity and focus on real outcomes—from simplifying AI adoption to demystifying deployment strategies. As Kathleen Perley emphasizes, “We’re not replacing creativity. We’re unlocking it.” By focusing on accessibility, organizations can shift from hype-driven adoption to measurable impact.

3. Teams Built to Innovate

Successful innovation isn’t about assembling the “perfect” team—it’s about creating the right ecosystem for experimentation. Helene Cahen stresses that innovation requires cross-functional collaboration, autonomy, and the courage to prototype and test rapidly. When paired with AI tools, these teams can amplify creativity and deliver transformation at scale.

Insights & Resources

Business leaders face a critical decision: optimize the status quo or transform for the future. To lead effectively, organizations must stop clinging to legacy processes, embrace change with agility, and start experimenting with AI-native strategies. Bitcoin’s evolution into more than just a speculative asset offers opportunities for real-world innovation in financial services and beyond.

Making AI adoption simple requires both human-centric design and technology fluency—leaders must empower their teams with tools that are easy to use and focused on solving real problems. Meanwhile, building empowered, cross-functional innovation teams is essential. These teams should move quickly, challenge assumptions, and use AI as a catalyst to explore new possibilities.

Together, these steps lay the groundwork for transformation—not just incremental efficiency gains, but a reinvention of how businesses operate and compete.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a powerful reminder: the future belongs to leaders who embrace transformation, not just optimization. By rethinking Bitcoin’s role, simplifying AI for adoption, and structuring teams for continuous innovation, organizations can move from reactionary change to actively shaping the next era of business.

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Business Research Themes

Data to Decisions, Future of Work, Innovation and Product-led Growth

Roles

Chief Executive Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Product Officer, Chief Technology Officer