Bob Greifeld, former CEO of Nasdaq examines market structure debates, crypto, and the IPO market

Robert Greifeld led Nasdaq as its CEO from 2003 to 2016, driving its evolution as a fledgling listing venue for many tiny tech companies into a diversified global financial technology company. He now sits on the board of two financial high frequency trading firms, including Virtu Financial, where he serves as Chairman. In this conversation we discuss his new book, Market Movers, and dig into his storied career and examine some of the market structure debates shaping today's capital markets. I hope you enjoy the episode.

The following transcript is taken from episode twenty seven of The Scoop, The Block’s flagship podcast. Listen below, and subscribe to The Scoop on AppleSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Email feedback and revision requests to [email protected].

In this episode of The Scoop, Greifeld explored several topics with Chaparro, including:

  • What it was like to take on the CEO of position of Nasdaq during a tumultuous time in its history
  • His thoughts on bitcoin and an overview of the blockchain initiatives at Nasdaq during his time as CEO
  • Why navigating the complicated regulatory environment was the most frustrating aspect of being CEO
  • How Greifeld built Nasdaq into a tech IPO-centric enterprise into a diversified financial technology business
  • The debates between the exchanges and big brokers over the mounting cost of market data 
  • How Nasdaq botched the Facebook and then worked to regain the trust of the market
  • The 47 acquisitions Greifeld led during his tenure, and the acquisition deal that got away
  • High valuations and a lack of discipline in the public market

© 2024 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].