It’s time you met LUNA’s blockchain team.
You’re either familiar with blockchain, or it’s so impenetrable to you that you find yourself Googling the very definition of it. Either way, we thought it’d be great to introduce you to our team of enthusiasts who are here to walk you through the ins and outs of blockchain businesses.
Crypto. Blockchain. NFTs – these words either drum up extreme excitement among innovators or evoke caution and concern among those comfortable with traditional banking. And so, unsurprisingly, peoples’ attitudes towards fintech are as diverse as the market is volatile.
The Australian fintech landscape is currently in regulatory limbo. While the Government wishes to position itself as a competitor in the financial and digital asset industry, it’s yet to take a formal position based on recommendations made by last year’s committee report on Australia’s plan to lead the blockchain era.
With market conditions trending from “bull” to “bear” (wait, wtf does that mean?) and uncertain regulatory guidelines pertaining to the space, it can all get a bit confusing.
With time, though, we’ve noticed a quick escalation in the number of crypto-related businesses needing legal, accounting and/or tax advice, as well as an understanding of corporate governance.
And you know what? We get it.
That’s why we’re building our crypto practice to ensure we can talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk so you can successfully (and legally) launch and operate your crypto business!
You’d be pleased to know that our team is focused on impact and delivery, not billable hours. This means we have the outlook and capacity to keep pace with wide-sweeping reforms and emerging technologies that are influencing the way investors and businesses participate in crypto markets. We’re not only bringing our legal and financial expertise to the table – we’re sprinkling the offering with our passion for startups and digital change makers – the early adopters who are willing and ready to disrupt the space.
Meet our specialist team of block-heads below:
Hana Lee - Obsessively interested in crypto since the 2017 BTC hard fork, Hana specialises in all things legal, and IP/IT, with a particular emphasis on emerging digital technologies. For her, the best part about distributed ledger technologies is that there’s always something new and unknown, and she’s always up for a chat about your latest NFT project or discussing the political origins of blockchain.
Dianne Mangaliman - Dianne’s been intrigued since Bitcoin’s early days when there was once a Bitcoin ATM at the Emporium shopping centre in Melbournes’ CBD. While she regrets not investing back then, Dianne’s always been passionate about supporting those willing to take the risk on new opportunities – and no doubt, crypto is one of them. With expertise in setting up accounting software to support your business venture in the crypto space, she’s always up for a chat to plan out your next steps.
James Drago - Fascinated by De-Fi and its potential to fundamentally change the way all businesses operate, James is driven to help startups understand the powerful insights that their financial data can unlock. He is also drawn to the concept of Web3.0 projects rewarding users for their activity and advocacy via tokenised ownership. A Chartered Accountant by trade, James helps founders sleep a little easier at night by building financial models that help forecast their revenue, costs and cash flow.
Percy Su - Percy may be a blockchain noob but this LUNA tax nerd is ready to talk all things crypto tax. After 4 years of tax practice in the medium-large businesses space, Percy renounced the ol’ suit and tie and moved to the startup world to share his immense pool of knowledge. Given that crypto tax is literally trending as one of the hottest topics in the world right now, you shouldn’t look further to find your very own tax specialist at LUNA.
Puneet Bhambhani - Having learnt of BTC from the early 2010s, Puneet has been deeply intrigued by the blockchain sphere. Since then, his interest has only grown, and so have his investments! Outside of his usual job of helping businesses set up financial structures, systems and processes, Puneet constantly engages in informal (yet heated) debates about the future of crypto investments and blockchain-based entities. You best believe that he will jump at the chance to learn more about your new project – from P2E games and De-Fi to DAOs – count him in!
Sahil Bhandula - Sahil’s curiosity for everything crypto and NFT peaked when he found himself scrolling Twitter day-in and day-out trying to understand the nuances of this new digital world. His background in Financial Services Law and interest in working with startups led to a natural segue into the exploration of the impact of cryptocurrency regulation on token holders and businesses in this space.
Emily Lamberto - Emily hails from ‘big law’ and comes to LUNA with broad commercial experience across the energy & resources industry. Having recently acquired her own NFT (and with a partner who recently launched his first NFT Project), she is eager to work with fintech startups to become a reliable legal partner amid a strong demand for this growing practice.
Estee Khoo - Estee is a digital native with experience in international IP and crypto disputes. Fascinated by the entrepreneurial opportunities in emerging technologies, she embarked on this quest with the aim of helping blockchain startups protect their interests and achieve regulatory compliance. She believes that entrepreneurs in this space should have access to legal advisors who can confidently navigate the design, tokenomics, and regulatory risks of a Web3 project without having to answer what an NFT is.
Needless to say, our group of specialists is here to cater to any and all your blockchain related business queries. Feel free to reach out to any one of them, or slide into our mailbox for the same.
