Arthur Azizov, Founder and Investor at B2 Ventures.
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Over the years, the digital asset space has experienced its fair share of ups and downs, with liquidity being a major challenge for many. As digital assets continue to mature, there’s been a growing need for systems that can handle the complexities of crypto markets, similar to those found in traditional finance. But, unlike in traditional markets, where infrastructure has had decades to solidify, crypto had to start from scratch.
Arthur Azizov, Founder of B2 Ventures, has been at the heart of this transformation. From his background in FX, where the market depth and liquidity were well established, to his pivot into the world of crypto, Arthur has seen firsthand the challenges and opportunities in building scalable, reliable infrastructure that could stand the test of volatile markets.
In this interview, Arthur dives into his experiences, sharing how his FX expertise has shaped the way he builds solutions for the crypto market, the lessons he learned along the way, and what he believes the future holds for digital asset liquidity. It’s a conversation that touches on the delicate balance between innovation and stability and provides a fresh perspective on how far we’ve come—and how much further we still need to go.
If you’re wondering how liquidity challenges in digital assets can be overcome and what it takes to build trust in this ever-evolving space, Arthur’s insights will definitely offer a lot to think about.
Enjoy the full interview!
1. Your professional journey started with FX and later expanded into crypto. From your personal experience, how has working in FX shaped your approach to liquidity challenges in the digital asset space?
My FX background gave me a deep understanding of how liquidity infrastructure should work, and, just as importantly, how it can fail. In crypto, especially in the early days, liquidity was fragmented and inefficient. There were no established standards, so we had to build our own from scratch. I leaned heavily on my FX experience to design systems that could aggregate liquidity from multiple sources, manage counterparty risk, and ensure fast, reliable execution.
One key lesson was the importance of resilience, both technical and financial. In highly volatile markets, things can break quickly. In FX, you learn to expect the unexpected and build systems that can adapt in real time. That mindset was invaluable in crypto, where volatility is the norm and the rules are still being written. And another lesson was the value of trust. In FX, where deals are often OTC and relationships matter, counterparties need to believe in your systems and your risk management. The same applies in crypto, especially when building institutional-grade products.
2. In your career, how have you adapted your understanding of market depth and stability as you moved between traditional and digital markets?
In traditional FX markets, depth and stability stem from long-established liquidity providers, institutional-grade APIs like FIX, and robust regulations. When we entered the crypto space, the landscape was just different. Early exchanges relied on basic REST APIs, lacked unified standards, and often had shallow depth. Over time, we learned that real depth isn't just about the order book but how it behaves under stress. We had to innovate by building aggregation engines to simulate depth, combining fragmented venues, and adapting our systems to match the resilience of FX markets while respecting the unique volatility of digital assets.
3. Building infrastructure from the ground up is a complex task. Looking back, what were some of the hardest professional lessons you learned when creating liquidity ecosystems?
The hardest lesson was realizing that technology alone doesn’t create liquidity, trust does. Early on, we focused on building white-label and aggregation systems that technically worked, but we underestimated how much market participants depend on reliability, transparency, and continuity. We had to learn to become more than a tech vendor, we needed to be a reliable counterparty.
Another tough lesson came from spreading resources too thin by saying “yes” to too many custom requests. When you build from scratch, every decision matters: whether you invest in microservices, which APIs to support, or which coins to integrate. Eventually, we learned to prioritize based on broader client demand and long-term market viability, not just immediate revenue.
4. You’ve witnessed both the growing pains of FX and now crypto markets. How has your decision-making process evolved when facing fast-moving, high-volatility environments?
In the beginning, decisions were reactive, we’d build fast to capture the opportunity. Clients would ask, “Can you integrate this?” and we’d say yes, then figure it out. That mindset helped us survive and innovate early on, but it wasn’t sustainable.
As the business matured, we developed a much more structured process. Today, we assess every new initiative based on client demand, technical feasibility, scalability, and long-term ROI. Volatility still exists, especially in crypto, but our responses are more measured. For example, we don’t jump on every token or chain, we assess fundamentals, adoption potential, and compliance risk.
It's a balance between speed and discipline.
5. Merging financial infrastructures requires anticipating hidden risks. How do you personally approach risk assessment and mitigation when working on complex cross-market models?
My approach is both practical and layered. First, we look at counterparty risk — can the other side deliver in volatile conditions? Then we assess tech infrastructure — API reliability, latency, order execution. We also do stress testing: simulating real-market events across venues to see how liquidity holds up. And of course, there’s the regulatory angle. When bridging TradFi and crypto, one overlooked compliance detail can trigger major fallout.
So, we engage with legal advisors early and structure models to be flexible across jurisdictions. Ultimately, risk can’t be eliminated, but by preparing for failure scenarios, you can build infrastructure that bends but doesn’t break.
6. The concept of liquidity illusion is becoming more prominent. From your experience, how can leaders distinguish between real and artificial liquidity when navigating emerging markets?
Liquidity illusion is one of the most dangerous traps, especially in crypto, where market makers can create volume without real depth.
The first filter is behavioral: how does the book react to large orders? Real liquidity absorbs; fake liquidity vanishes. We run execution simulations across venues and look at slippage, spread resilience, and fill consistency.
Also, we check for anomalies in order-to-trade ratios — if most orders are canceled, that’s a red flag. Leaders need to move beyond dashboards and ask: if my client sends a $1M order right now, can we execute it cleanly? If the answer isn’t a clear yes, then the liquidity is likely artificial.
7. For professionals aiming to build a career at the intersection of traditional finance and digital assets, what mindset or practical skills would you advise them to develop to stay resilient and effective?
Start with this mindset: expansion is not optional in fintech, it’s the job. But once you move beyond established hubs, the game changes. Regulatory hurdles multiply. Customer behavior becomes unpredictable. What worked at home often falls flat abroad. That’s where AI steps in as a strategic co-pilot. It helps compress timelines, simulate customer journeys, and flag compliance issues early. But without sharp human judgment, AI is just an expensive guessing machine.
Also, stay curious and adaptable. This space evolves too quickly for rigid thinking. You need to be comfortable with ambiguity and still make decisions. Technically, know your APIs, understand market microstructure, and get comfortable with both FIX and blockchain nodes. But more than that, develop resilience. You’ll face regulatory uncertainty, tech failures, and market chaos.
The professionals who thrive are those who can zoom out, stay calm, and keep solving for the client.
