In this week’s episode, we discuss:

• Current market dynamics, and what a potential recession means. We touch on the Visto (Collective) bankruptcy.

• The Rocket Fuel data targeting controversy and other industry examples; we touch on the Theranos book "Bad Blood" and how it's reminiscent of ad tech

• The acquisitions of 2018: Nexstar buying Tribune, S4 acquiring Mighty Hive, iHeartMedia buying Jelli, and chatter about Accenture bidding for MDC Partners.

In this week's episode, we discuss:

• The week in ad tech: LinkedIn launches its DSP (we take a deep look) and YuMe gets acquired
• Gravity4 launching its Blockchain-based Lydian Coin token 
• Deeper look at who’s who of ad tech companies doing Blockchain today, including MetaX, Rebel.ai, MadHive, NYIAX.

In this week's episode of Ad Talk, we discuss:

• DoubleVerify going private equity, and what private equity means in the marketplace
• Ad tech company public valuations, market consolidation, and M&A activity. What ad tech public companies have attractive balance sheets?

In this episode, we discuss:

1. What is Blockchain?
2. Is it applicable to ad tech?
3. How soon will we see Blockchain and Smart Contract technology adopted?

Excerpt:  "A key tenet of Blockchain is decentralization, which runs contrary to the “universal buying platform” vision of everyone from Google to the Trade Desk, MediaMath, etc.  Adopting Blockchain isn’t about enhancing RTB protocol and evolving SSPs and DSPs-- Blockchain would mean a potential elimination of intermediaries--and a mechanism for sellers (publishers) and buyers (agencies and brands) to transact together.  

This is a good thing, and this is the original vision of the ad exchange as it was intended.  Implementation of blockchain should result in the majority of the media dollar actually being spent on media."

In this episode of Ad Talk, we discuss:
1. Is it possible for companies to operate both Buy and Sell side businesses?
2. Why have so many tried, and failed, at the Buy Side?
3. Can The Trade Desk dethrone DBM? We dive into TTD annual report and quarterly earnings.