Mario Laul

At the end of 2017, I started providing research support to Placeholder. It was a part-time role and I never took the opportunity to officially introduce myself via the blog. Better late than never! I am happy to announce that I’ve now joined the team full time. In addition to supporting investment due diligence, my research efforts will focus primarily on the topic of cryptonetwork governance. My background can broadly be described as social sciences. A few years ago, I completed my graduate degree in technology governance which translates to a mix of development economics, innovation studies, and public administration. Prior to my current role at Placeholder, I worked as a research assistant to Carlota Perez, focusing on the modern history of financial innovation and public policy in the UK, Germany, and the US. More recently, I had the opportunity to hone my analytical skills at the European Commission where I mainly worked with investment and financial data on one of the EU’s largest grant portfolios. I’ve always had a keen interest in sociological theory, and each fall, I teach an introductory course on the sociology of culture to undergraduate art students in my home country of Estonia.