Talking Tokens

Episódios

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  Stablecoins, RWAs & DeFi: What Institutions Actually Want 06.08.2026 28min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Jillian Friedman, Chief Operating Officer at Symbiotic, to talk about what it actually takes to make tokenization work at scale, ranging from why 94% of tokenized real-world assets are still bought directly from the issuer, to how Symbiotic's LiquidLane gives investors an instant exit from illiquid RWAs, to why she doesn't see CeFi and DeFi as opposing camps.Jillian Friedman breaks down why she thinks institutions are tokenizing the easiest assets first instead of the most useful ones, what actually makes an asset "digitally native," and her honest answer for what it really takes to get a risk committee to say yes.Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Jill Friedman and her background02:50 Why Jill transitioned from law to crypto and her early interest in Bitcoin03:32 The appeal of DeFi and Symbiotic's focus on both C-Fi and DeFi05:30 The future integration of centralized and decentralized finance06:56 How digital native assets differ from off-chain assets08:35 The spectrum of digital nativeness and tokenization challenges11:25 Market readiness and infrastructure needs for tokenized assets14:33 Long-term outlook: the inflection point for tokenization and DeFi17:42 Regulatory and risk considerations for institutional adoption21:24 LiquidLane: solving liquidity and exit challenges for RWAs27:34 Future of tokenized assets and market evolution28:40 Jill's advice for navigating the crypto spaceToday’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com. You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn: / jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: / _talkingtokens Follow us on Instagram / _talkingtokens Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.
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  Why Binance Wants to Replace Banks for Everyday Payments | Thomas Gregory, Binance 04.08.2026 44min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Thomas Gregory, VP of Payments at Binance, to talk about what it actually looks like to build a global payment infrastructure from the inside, ranging from QR code rollouts in Argentina to the Binance Card hitting the market across 20 countries and B-Stocks hitting $2 billion in trading volume in a single weekend. Thomas breaks down why he sees domestic payments in Latin America and Africa as the real unlock for the next wave of adoption, why crypto and fiat are becoming indistinguishable in Binance's super app vision, and why his ultimate benchmark for success is the day isn’t what you’d think it is.TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction to Binance's Payments Vision03:46 Lessons from Fintech Disruptors 06:52 Consumer Acceptance of Crypto Payments10:26 Hyper-Localization in Payment Solutions12:19 Metrics for Binance’s Payment Success and Regional Focus13:35 Binance Card: Flexibility and Usage17:00 The Future of Crypto as a Payment Medium26:57 Industry Milestones and Investor Demand36:55 Addressing Local Currency Preferences and Education39:10 The Road Ahead for Payments and User Adoption42:14 Parting AdviceToday’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com. You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Strata Research Survey: What Five Industry Leaders Have to Say About Agentic Payments 03.08.2026 12min

  On this edition of Strata Research's Analyst Insights, Jacquelyn sits down with Institutional Research Analyst Alex Beaudry to break down the results of Strata's first industry survey where they asked five leaders across the agentic payments space, including the CEOs of Alchemy and Anchorage and Circle's Chief Product and Technology Officer, who all weighed in on where it actually stands today. The consensus is pretty clear: institutions are adopting this first, not consumers, and the reason has less to do with the technology and more to do with the fact that most people still don't want an AI agent touching their money, which Alex points out is basically the perfect combination of the two things the general public fears most.TIMESTAMPS:0:01 Introduction to Strata Surveys1:22 Why Revisit Agentic Payments Now3:42 Institutional vs. Consumer Adoption7:22 What the Survey Responses Agreed vs Disagreed On9:59 Trust, Risk, and the Path to AdoptionResearch Link: https://www.token-relations.com/p/stratamedia-survey-agentic-payments You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Why Crypto Has a Brain Drain Problem | Dom & Phil Kwok 30.07.2026 48min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Dom & Phil Kwok, co-founders of EasyA, a platform that teaches developers and consumers how to actually build and use blockchain technology. The brothers also run some of the biggest hackathons in the space at events like Consensus Miami and Consensus Hong Kong. Dom & Phil explain why so much of crypto's top talent drifted to AI over the past few years, why they think the sentiment around crypto is starting to shift, and how their new Kickstart product is trying to do for funding what AI did for building. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Sibling Entrepreneurs: The Journey Begins02:31 Identifying Market Gaps in Blockchain Education05:22 Trends in Consumer and Developer Interest09:24 The Shift from AI to Crypto: A New Era12:40 AI's Impact on the Workforce and Startups15:50 Long-Term Vision: Balancing Roadmaps and Market Cycles18:09 The Importance of Founder-Led Marketing23:25 Getting Started on Social Media24:38 Overcoming Fear of Posting26:47 The Impact of AI on Content Creation28:07 The Evolution of Startup Development31:55 The Role of AI in Lowering Barriers to Entry33:09 Bridging the Gap Between Wall Street and Crypto35:45 The Growing Interest in Crypto on Wall Street39:08 The Future of Tokenization and On-Chain Finance43:11 Advice for Navigating the Crypto LandscapeToday’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com. You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.
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  Why Tokenized Equities Need Another BlackRock Moment and Who Could Trigger It | Suzy Singh, Securitize 28.07.2026 29min

  On today's Talking Tokenization, Jacquelyn sits down with Suzy Singh, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Securitize, to pull back the curtain on what institutional tokenization interest looks like day to day.Suzy outlines why everything you're seeing announced publicly has been in the works for six to twenty-four months behind the scenes, then breaks down why Securitize tokenized its own equity on day one of going public. Then Suzy gets into what its recent Cantor Fitzgerald partnership is really trying to unlock for blockchain-based IPOs, and why she thinks the next major wave of adoption in this space isn't going to come from institutions. TIMESTAMPS:0:01 What tokenization means and why it matters01:03 Why more institutions are talking about tokenization03:25 Where demand is coming from across financial firms05:28 The long timeline from first conversation to launch09:11 How going public changed Securitize’s credibility14:20 Why issuer-sponsored tokenized equities matter19:56 IPOs, retail adoption, and the future of onchain marketsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  How Anchorage Is Becoming the Infrastructure Layer for All of TradFi | Nathan McCauley & Kevin Wysocki 23.07.2026 51min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Anchorage Digital’s CEO and Co-founder Nathan McCauley and Head of Policy Kevin Wysocki to talk about what the post-GENIUS Act world of stablecoins looks like from the inside.They think most of the market isn't paying enough attention to the banks racing to tokenize their deposits and explain why all 5,000+ US banks are eventually going to need stablecoin rails, how DC has done a near complete 180 on crypto, and why agentic banking is tracking almost exactly like the early crypto industry did in 2017.TIMESTAMPS:02:00 The Current State of Institutional Adoption03:55 Understanding Stablecoins and Digital Dollars06:04 Global Perspective on Dollar Dominance10:04 Future of Cross-Border Commerce and Global Payments12:07 Building Infrastructure for Stablecoins13:59 The Role of Policy in Stablecoin Adoption20:50 Conversations Behind Closed Doors23:01 Fed Master Accounts and Regulatory Clarity27:23 The Rise of Tokenized Deposits39:10 Building Trust in the Crypto Industry41:49 The Future of Agentic Banking49:34 Advice for the FutureToday’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com. You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Why Ethereum’s Institutional Supercycle Is Already Here | Joseph Chalom, Sharplink 21.07.2026 29min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Joseph Chalom, CEO of Sharplink to talk about why he and a group of Ethereum stewards including Joe Lubin and Tom Lee decided now was the moment to go back on offense for the Ethereum ecosystem.Joseph breaks down why he thinks the Ethereum institutional supercycle is already here, how Ethereum will win even amid bad price action and why the long term holders are the ones who will win this decade.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 The Evolution of Ethereum's Narrative03:38 Ethereum’s Institutional Supercycle05:23 Why Ethereum’s Narrative Is Changing07:48 Building Ethereum for Institutional Adoption09:56 The Trillion-Dollar Tokenization Opportunity16:46 Why the Institutional Supercycle Is Already Here23:17 From Experimentation to On-Chain Finance30:33 Investing in Ethereum’s Long-Term FutureYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Is OUSD Really Just Stripe's Stablecoin? | Alex Beaudry, Strata Research 20.07.2026 16min

  On this edition of Strata Research, Jacquelyn sits down with our Institutional Research Analyst Alex Beaudry to dig into the OUSD announcement that resulted in Circle's stock dropping and had the crypto world convinced a new stablecoin competitor had arrived.After looking into the details, Alex argues this is just Stripe's stablecoin wrapped in a consortium for competitive cover, then he walks through why the 140 company list is largely a marketing move before getting into which of the two paths to success for OUSD he actually thinks will play out. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction to OUSD and Its Impact02:46 The Role of Stripe in OUSD05:33 The Consortium of 140 Companies08:00 Market Dynamics and Competition10:15 Investor Reactions and Market Implications13:20 Paths to Success for OUSDCheck out the associated Strata Research report for more details: https://www.token-relations.com/p/who-really-owns-ousd You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Binance Founder CZ on what it took to build the world's largest crypto exchange and stay #1 16.07.2026 23min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with CZ, founder and former CEO of Binance, on the exchange's ninth anniversary to talk about what he got right, what he missed, and why he thinks AI handling payments in crypto is coming within months, not years. CZ breaks down why he once thought stablecoins were a temporary patch job, how he sees blockchain technology as one of three foundational technologies alongside the internet and AI, and why crypto wealth penetration is still well under 1%. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 AI, Crypto, and the Future of Payments00:33 Building Binance in 2017 and Moving Faster03:44 How Binance Reached the Top05:48 Building a Community-Driven Platform08:27 Creating Products People Return To10:31 Crypto as Foundational Technology11:33 Where AI and Crypto Intersect14:26 Using AI as a Productivity Tool18:37 The Next Opportunities in Crypto21:21 Building at the Intersection of Skills and Value21:53 The Future of Traditional and On-Chain FinanceYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Why Franklin Templeton Has Been Eyeing Tokenization for a Decade and What Comes After Money Funds | Roger Bayston 14.07.2026 44min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Roger Bayston, Head of Digital Assets at Franklin Templeton, to discuss his 35-year journey at the firm and how tokenization became the focal point to his career there today.Roger breaks down how he sees blockchain less as a new financial system and more as a long overdue infrastructure replacement, why BENJI’s ability to transfer and accrue interest in real time is a bigger deal than it sounds, and why investors should stop sleeping on a specific asset class with $25 to $30 trillion in activity. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction to Tokenization and Franklin Templeton03:02 Roger Bayston's Journey in Finance05:45 The Vision for Tokenization in Asset Management09:11 State of Tokenization Today11:46 The Evolution of BENJI and Its Impact15:01 Future Outlook for Tokenization17:57 The Integration of Traditional Finance and Blockchain21:05 The Future of Investment Products21:59 Resurrecting SPVs and Trust in Finance25:07 Building Trust in Digital Assets28:21 Institutional Interest in Blockchain30:46 Investing in Networks and Blockchain Opportunities33:45 Tokenization and New Asset Classes39:31 The Future of Banking and TokenizationYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.
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  A 117-Year-Old Asset Manager Goes “Fully Native,” Seeing Tokenization as OS upgrade | Theo Golden 09.07.2026 52min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Theo Golden, Head of Digital Assets at Baillie Gifford, to talk about BAGEY — the firm's newly launched tokenized bond fund on Solana and Ethereum that yields around 7% and settles in USDC. Theo breaks down why he sees tokenization as an operating system upgrade rather than a reinvention of finance, how pension funds and private banks are already showing real interest in its new tokenized fund, and why he thinks AI democratizing insight and tokenization democratizing access are two themes that will collide into something nobody has fully figured out yet.DISCLAIMER: Although our guest this week works at Baillie Gifford, nothing in this podcast should be considered an offer of its investment advisory services or should otherwise be confused for investment, tax, legal or other financial advice.This episode is a part of the Solana Sessions campaign that Token Relations and the Talking Tokens podcast are doing, diving into founders' journeys and startups building on Solana. Check out the accompanying newsletter on www.token-relations.com TIMESTAMPS:00:00 His Journey to Digital Assets03:33 From Journalism to Investment Theses06:05 Learning from Successes and Failures10:15 The Role of Independence in Baillie Gifford’s Innovation15:19 Gradual Growth in Tokenization20:57 Tokenization as an Operating System Upgrade23:57 Convincing Clients of Tokenization's Value24:50 Operational Leverage and Risk Management27:12 The Origin of Baillie Gifford’s BAGEY Tokenized Fund32:18 Initial Response and Market Interest34:43 Choosing Solana and Ethereum for the Fund Launch38:33 Solana and The Future of Internet Capital Markets43:09 Trust and Adoption Among Institutional Investors46:07 The Role of Traditional Institutions in Tokenization47:59 AI and Tokenization: A Future IntersectionYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Why Plasma Bet Everything on USDT When Nobody Believed in Stablecoin Chains | Zaheer Evtakar, Plasma 07.07.2026 48min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Zaheer Ebtikar, Chief Strategy Officer at Plasma, to talk about why the recent wave of DeFi exploits is forcing a necessary reset and Plasma’s decision behind building a stablecoin-optimized chain around USDT. Zaheer also dives into the recent OpenUSD launch and how it can fit into an institutional stablecoin infrastructure world,, and why he thinks the biggest unlock still ahead is making it invisible enough that billions of people just use it without knowing it's there.TIMESTAMPS:0:36 - Thoughts on DeFi Exploits & Reconsolidation 3:59 - Plasma's Stablecoin Strategy 5:48 - Investor Pushback & Conviction 9:07 - Lessons Since Launch 12:46 - USDT & OpenUSD 17:29 - The Stablecoin Landscape 21:31 - What Makes a Durable Team 24:55 - DeFi's Future 30:49 - Advice for Founders 40:57 - Plasma's Big Bets & Token Strategy 45:53 - Long-Term Vision for DeFiYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Tapping a Credit Card to Buy Coffee With Bitcoin Is…Kinda Wrong | Strata Research 03.07.2026 15min

  On this edition of Strata Research, Jacquelyn sits down with institutional research analyst Alex Beaudry to dig into crypto cards, which many assumed were built for consumers but are actually seeing most traction from institutions. Alex breaks down why the developed market consumer card is basically a feature in search of a need, what Visa is building that could change the equation, and why onchain credit could be the piece of this stack that makes or breaks the whole argument. Check out the associated Strata Research report for more details: https://www.token-relations.com/p/the-real-story-behind-crypto-cardsTIMESTAMPS:01:21 - What a crypto card actually is and how it works under the hood 03:04 - Why the developed market consumer card hasn't taken off — and may never07:22 - Where the real value actually is: B2B and institutional usage 08:39 - The acquisition wave and why infrastructure is the real prize11:46 - Onchain credit: what works and what's still broken 14:01 - What to watch over the next 6–24 monthsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Evernorth Has 473 Million XRP And An Argument to Why Idle Capital Should Not Exist | Asheesh Birla 02.07.2026 45min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Asheesh Birla, CEO of Evernorth, the Ripple-backed digital asset treasury firm holding roughly 473 million XRP tokens, to talk about why he thinks we've finally hit the inflection point that blockchain has been building toward for over a decade. Asheesh breaks down why most digital assets sit idle the same way cash sits in a bank account, how Evernorth is building a real-time agentic risk engine to change that, and why he believes the winners in this space will be the ones who develop the three pillars of tech, commercialization and liquidity.TIMESTAMPS:02:00 - The best use case for blockchains04:16 - The pace of blockchain adoption vs expectations08:15 - How Evernorth is creating liquidity for XRP and digital assets10:00 - Industry misconceptions: tech vs adoption focus11:33 - The Evernorth report findings for RLUSD and XRP 14:11 - The significance of stablecoins for institutional markets21:01 - The importance of asset optimization and real-time capital management25:28 - How stablecoins strengthen crypto ecosystems rather than compete30:33 - Idle capital as an overlooked signal and how to put assets to work33:00 - Building trust and institutional confidence in blockchain37:46 - The maturation of DeFi vaults and institutional-grade protocols40:11 - Preparing Evernorth for listing and success metrics46:42 - Long-term vision and advice for blockchain enthusiastsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Why Aave V4 Is Built Like a Central Bank for DeFi | Stani Kulechov 30.06.2026 26min

  On today's Talking Tokens, we're sharing Jacquelyn’s Proof of Talk chat with Stani Kulechov, founder and CEO of Aave Labs, to break down why Aave V4 moved away from a single monolithic protocol toward a hub and spoke model that works more like a central bank. Stani gets into why a lot of centralized lenders didn't hold up through both the FTX collapse and last October's market unwind.Then Stani explains why he thinks the next real growth phase for DeFi comes from financing things like AI infrastructure, tokenized equity, and credit for businesses that have never had access to capital this efficient before.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction to Aave and Stani Kulechov03:09 Evolution from Aave V3 to Aave V406:03 Risk Management in DeFi08:45 Building Network Resilience11:58 Aave V4 and Corporate Treasury Management14:48 Tokenized Assets and Aave Horizon18:11 Institutional Interest in Tokenization20:52 Mainstream Adoption of DeFi24:02 Future Vision for AaveYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Why MoneyGram Built Its Own Stablecoin Instead of Using Someone Else's | Anthony Soohoo, MoneyGram 25.06.2026 36min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with MoneyGram CEO Anthony Soohoo to talk about MGUSD, the company's new dollar-backed stablecoin built on Stellar with help from Bridge, Fireblocks, and M0.Anthony explores why launching MoneyGram decided to have its own stablecoin and breaks down how its 60 million active customers and nearly 500,000 retail locations across 200 countries play a role in it. Jacquelyn and Anthony also discuss why the real winners in this space might be the ones who make stablecoins disappear into the background entirely and how the asset can have a dual role in finance.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction to MGUSD and MoneyGram's Vision03:04 The Complexity of Cross-Border Payments06:31 Leveraging Existing Infrastructure for Adoption10:15 The Role of Cash in a Digital Future12:35 Stablecoins as a Preferred Payment Method14:09 Self-Custody and User Education18:22 The Future of Stablecoins and Consumer Adoption21:33 Navigating Regional Differences in Adoption24:07 Stablecoins vs. Traditional Banking25:52 Choosing the Right Partners for MGUSD28:40 The Dual Role of Stablecoins in Finance31:21 Lessons from the Crypto Industry34:51 Advice for Success in the Financial SpaceYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Why Every Institution Should Be Staking ETH | Kean Gilbert, Lido 23.06.2026 34min

  On today's Talking Tokenization, Jacquelyn sits down with Kean Gilbert, Head of Institutional Relations at the Lido Ecosystem Foundation, to talk about how liquid staking is finally breaking into traditional finance. From the WisdomTree staked ETH ETP in Europe to VanEck's recently filed S-1 for a Lido staked ETF in the US, Kean breaks down why institutions are asking sharper questions than ever before, how depth of liquidity is the single biggest driver behind Lido winning institutional mandates, and why he sees there's no good reason to hold unstaked ETH when you can get the same exposure with 3%.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction to Lido03:00 Growth of Ethereum Staking and Institutional Interest05:59 Understanding DAO Structures and Institutional Education09:05 Tokenization and Its Impact on the Industry11:58 The Role of Custodians in Institutional Crypto14:58 Risk Management in Staking and Smart Contracts17:56 The Role of Staking in Current Markets19:04 Integration of Staking with Traditional Finance20:04 Regional Perspectives on Staking Adoption21:55 Timeline for Global Adoption of Staking22:22 Market Outlook and Building in Bear Cycles24:43 ETF Interest and Market Dynamics25:54 The Importance of Retail in Staking27:17 Unlocking the Next Wave of Adoption28:56 Impact of Tokenization on Business Operations30:41 The Evolution of Institutional Conversations33:40 Long-Term Thinking in CryptoYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  From the Federal Reserve to Circle: What Most People Are Getting Wrong About Onchain Finance | Gordon Liao 18.06.2026 44min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Gordon Liao, Chief Economist and Head of Research at Circle, to talk about why traditional financial plumbing is still the biggest bottleneck in money movement globally. We discuss Arc, Circle's new institutional blockchain, which is being built from the ground up to handle everything from agentic nano payments to quantum-resistant encryption. Gordon believes that Arc being quantum-ready from day one isn't just a nice-to-have but a decision that could define whether the network and its users survives the next decade of security threats. Gordon also breaks down the three things he thinks the market is underestimating right now and how 99.5% of x402 payment protocol volume is already running through Circle’s USDC.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction to Gordon and His Background02:45 The Future of Onchain Finance05:56 USDC and Its Market Position08:54 Agentic Commerce and AI Integration11:57 The Launch of Arc and Its Vision15:00 Challenges in Blockchain Adoption17:55 Privacy and Security in Blockchain20:57 Quantum Computing and Its Implications24:10 Market Perspectives and Economic Insights30:02 Final Thoughts and AdviceYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content. 
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  Taking Crypto Mainstream with Nostalgia & Creative Marketing | Dakota Campbell, Collector Crypt 16.06.2026 44min

  On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Dakota Campbell, Head of Marketing at Collector Crypt, the platform that generated $165 million in volume in April alone by putting trading cards and physical collectibles onchain with Solana. Dakota explains the resurgence of physical collecting is what's actually pulling people toward digital ownership, and why Solana's low fees were the thing that finally made tokenizing a five-dollar card make sense after years of the idea being cost-prohibitive on Ethereum.He also dives into how he thinks about marketing to everyday collectors vs crypto audiences, what it took to scale the business over the past few years and expansion beyond trading card games.This episode is a part of the Solana Sessions campaign that Token Relations and the Talking Tokens podcast are doing, diving into founders' journeys and startups building on Solana. Check out the accompanying newsletter on www.token-relations.com TIMESTAMPS00:00 The Evolution of Collectibles02:55 Digital Collectibles and Nostalgia06:12 Collector Crypt's Success and Market Dynamics09:02 The Role of Solana in Collector Crypt12:02 User Experience: Crypto Native vs. Mainstream Collectors15:14 Marketplace Dynamics and Price Discoverability17:45 Attracting Non-Crypto Collectors21:01 Marketing Strategies for Diverse Audiences25:21 Understanding Audience Engagement28:41 Navigating Marketing in the Crypto Space33:34 Expanding Beyond Trading Card Games37:18 Rapid Fire Insights on CollectiblesYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.
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  What the Last Decade of Fintech Got Wrong | A Look Into Crypto Neobanks 12.06.2026 7min

  On this episode of Strata Research, presented by Talking Tokens & Token Relations, Jacquelyn sits down with Institutional Research Analyst Alex Beaudry to dig into crypto neobanks. Apps are rebuilding what Chime and Revolut did a decade ago, but on stablecoin rails and Alex explains how founders can set themselves up for success. Alex’s insights cover why the float and yield model is both the most lucrative and the hardest to sustain through a bear market, and where the real opportunity sits for anyone watching this space over the next 12 to 24 months.Check out the associated newsletter for more details: https://www.token-relations.com/p/the-neobank-playbook TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction to Crypto Neobanks02:59 Revenue Models and Market Dynamics06:02 Challenges and Risks in Crypto Neobanking08:04 Future Trends and ConsiderationsYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek   Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens   Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens  Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.