Stay ConnectedDigital currencies are here to stay. In this podcast, we dive into the world of the new money. We explore Bitcoin, stablecoins, central bank digital currencies, and many other innovations in the realm of digital currencies.
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The stablecoin infrastructure wars officially begin.
July 2026 offered further evidence that blockchain-based finance is moving beyond experimentation. Stablecoins are entering banking relationships, tokenized deposits are gaining transaction volume, and established market infrastructures are preparing for production.
In this monthly briefing episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock ’n’ Roll, Michael Blaschke and Manuel Klein are joined by Nadine Wilke, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Particula, to examine the month’s most consequential developments in institutional DLT.
The discussion begins with a subdued crypto market. Bitcoin remained within a narrow trading range, while Ethereum faced greater volatility amid restructuring at the Ethereum Foundation. Strategy’s latest Bitcoin sale also challenged one of the market’s most persistent narratives: that the company would never sell its holdings.
Attention then turns to stablecoins. The launch of OpenUSD introduces an issuer-agnostic model backed by a consortium of more than 140 companies. Circle, meanwhile, is pursuing two routes into mainstream finance: deeper integration with banks through Standard Chartered and greater independence through its US national trust bank approval. UBS, Visa, Ramp and Merge illustrate how stablecoins are gradually becoming infrastructure for corporate treasury, cross-border settlement and business payments.
Tokenized deposits are developing along several competing paths. JPMorgan’s Kinexys has added five Asia-Pacific currencies and reports billions of dollars in daily transaction volume. Swift plans to position its new ledger above bank-issued deposit tokens, while Project Agorá brings commercial and central banks together for cross-border settlement. The US-based Carrington network is developing another shared model for community banks.
Capital-market infrastructure is progressing as well. DTCC has completed a major tokenization exercise ahead of a planned production launch, while Clearstream has issued DLT-native commercial paper that was subsequently mobilized as Eurosystem collateral.
The episode also examines the digital euro, the stalled US CLARITY Act, Robinhood’s tokenized stock offering, Morgan Stanley’s entry into crypto spot trading and the changing design of China’s e-CNY.
Together, these developments reveal an industry replacing broad promises with regulated access, interoperable infrastructure and production-grade financial services.
Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Telegram Channel Knowledge Bite Michael: How Agentic AI Will Reshape Payments Knowledge Bite Manuel: The Shift in China's CBDC (Digital Yuan) Policy and Key Implications Knowledge Bite Manuel: China’s Central Bank Digital Currency 2.0 and the Future of Digital Finance Knowledge Bite Nadine: Tokenization's $140 Trillion Problem Knowledge Bite Nadine: Who is actually buying RWAs?
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Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
The go-live moment: can competitors actually organize around shared neutral infrastructure?
In this episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, co-host Michael Blaschke and guest host Stefan speak with Ivica Aracic, CTO at SWIAT, about Regulated Layer One, or RL1: a market-neutral, Ethereum-based network designed for Europe’s regulated financial sector. RL1 enters a market that has spent years testing digital bonds, repo transactions and digital money, yet still lacks a common platform on which these instruments can interact at scale.
Aračić explains why public permissionless networks remain difficult for major regulated institutions to depend on, while private and corporate chains can restrict openness and neutrality. RL1 seeks a middle ground: a thin permissioning layer, identifiable responsibilities and institutional controls, combined with an open platform on which regulated participants can build their own assets and services.
The discussion examines RL1’s cooperative governance, SWIAT’s role as a replaceable technical operator, and the separation between the platform and the services built above it. It also confronts the central challenge: persuading major institutions to join a shared utility when many have strong incentives to protect their own systems.
The guests place RL1 within the Eurosystem’s Pontes and Appia initiatives. Pontes could connect market DLTs with central bank money in TARGET Services, while Appia is developing a longer-term blueprint. Aračić distinguishes confirmed work from ambition: Pontes integration belongs at the service layer, and any future role for RL1 in hosting tokenised wholesale central bank money remains a proposition rather than an ECB commitment.
Can RL1 become the “crystallization point” where tokenised securities, commercial bank money, stablecoins and wholesale central bank money meet? Or will network effects accrue to corporate chains and international rivals such as Canton? This episode offers a candid assessment of one of Europe’s most consequential digital-finance experiments.
Ivica Aračić at LinkedIn Ivica Aračić’s Newsletter Regulated Layer One Website ASAP: A Conceptual Model for Digital Asset Platforms SWIAT Research Previous BFRR Episode with Ivica Aračić on “Architecting DLT Financial Infrastructures” Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Telegram Channel
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Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
Xapo Bank's Joey Garcia on Libra's legacy, OpenUSD and the global race to regulate stablecoins
What does effective regulation look like when technology evolves faster than the institutions governing it?
In this episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, Jonas Gross and guest host Jonathan Knoll speak with Joey Garcia, Executive Director and Chief Strategy, Policy and Regulatory Affairs Officer at Xapo Bank. A pioneer in digital asset regulation, Garcia has helped shape Gibraltar’s blockchain framework, represented Xapo in the Libra/Diem Association and advised the United Nations on global blockchain and cryptocurrency standards.
Garcia traces his journey back to 2014, when discussing Bitcoin with regulators could attract police officers rather than policy experts. His central argument remains highly relevant: the technology itself should not be the primary regulatory target. Policymakers should instead establish secure rules for the access points through which consumers and institutions interact with it.
The conversation revisits Libra and the regulatory backlash triggered by its proposed synthetic currency and Facebook-led governance structure. Garcia argues that the project did not fail because of its technology or ambition. Its concentration of power and perceived challenge to monetary sovereignty created a political obstacle it could not overcome. Yet Libra accelerated regulatory initiatives that continue to shape today’s market.
Open USD now revives parts of the consortium model under very different conditions. More than 140 participating companies could distribute the stablecoin through existing customer networks, while sharing reserve income rather than leaving it solely with the issuer. Garcia examines the strength of this incentive structure alongside possible tensions with the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act.
The episode also explores Xapo Bank’s distinctive position between banking and crypto. Customers can transfer USDC or USDT into a US-dollar bank account, earn interest on their deposits and receive that interest in Bitcoin—an architecture designed to combine regulated banking safeguards with crypto-native functionality.
Finally, Garcia compares the innovation-oriented US approach with more restrictive frameworks in the EU and UK, discusses the unresolved treatment of DeFi under MiCA and explains why self-custodial wallets must remain connected to the regulated financial system.
Previous BFRR Episode with Christian Catalini
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Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
Fireblock’s Ran Goldi Goldstein on OpenUSD, stablecoins, agentic commerce and the future of financial infrastructure with Fireblocks
What happens after stablecoins move from fringe experiment to core financial infrastructure?
In this episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, hosts Jonas Gross and Jonathan Knoll speak with Ran “Goldi” Goldstein, SVP of Payments and Network at Fireblocks, about blockchain payments, stablecoins and the work still required to bring digital money into the financial mainstream.
Goldi reflects on his journey from ad tech and algorithmic trading into blockchain payments, explaining how inefficient global settlement convinced him that digital assets could reshape financial infrastructure. He also shares his perspective on the OpenUSD initiative, backed by more than 140 companies, and discusses why distribution, governance, regulation and liquidity will determine whether such projects succeed.
The conversation then turns to a broader question: has the digital asset industry already won? Goldi argues that the industry has largely won the debate over why blockchain-based infrastructure matters. Banks and payment providers are no longer asking whether they should engage. The challenge is how to implement these systems in ways that create real value.
The episode explores Fireblocks’ role as an infrastructure layer for wallets, tokenization and stablecoin payments, as well as the need for technical expertise inside financial institutions. Goldi explains why wallets remain the foundation of most digital asset use cases and why stablecoins are faster, but not necessarily cheaper, than traditional payment methods.
Finally, the discussion looks ahead to agentic commerce, delegated wallet access and machine-initiated payments. Goldi offers a grounded view: AI agents may generate huge transaction volumes, but today the market remains experimental. In the lightning round, he identifies identity as one of the most underhyped topics in digital finance and explains how the Open Transaction Layer could add coordination, compliance and messaging for on-chain payments.
Ran “Goldi” Goldshtein LinkedIn
Previous BFRR Episode with Christian Catalini
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Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
Seven years, 400 hours, and 15 voices from Point Zero Forum on what comes next.
400 episodes. Seven years. One podcast tracking the transformation of money from the front row.
In this milestone episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, Michael Blaschke, Manuel Klein, Jonas Gross, Stefan Grasmann and Jonathan Knoll look back on a journey that began in 2019 as a German-language experiment and evolved into a global platform for digital money, tokenization, institutional DLT and the architecture of finance.
The team reflects on the guests, debates and turning points that shaped BFRR: from Libra and the rise of CBDCs to MiCA, stablecoins, tokenized deposits, DeFi and the move from experimentation toward institutional adoption. They revisit memorable conversations, discuss what they got right—and where timing proved harder to predict—and share what seven years of weekly publishing have taught them about technology, regulation and financial infrastructure.
The second half takes listeners to the Point Zero Forum 2026 in Zurich, where BFRR served as an official media partner. The team shares its takeaways and brings together voices from finance, technology and policy around three questions: What was the most important idea at the conference? What surprised people or changed their minds? And what crucial topic is still missing from the conversation?
The answers reveal an industry entering a new phase. Interoperability is increasingly a governance challenge, not merely a technical one. Stablecoins, tokenized deposits and central bank money may coexist rather than compete. Agentic payments are raising urgent questions around liability and identity. Post-quantum security is moving from a distant concern to a concrete deadline. Across the board, the focus is shifting from proofs of concept to production, scale and real economic use cases.
Episode 400 is both a celebration and a reality check: progress has been slower than many expected, but the direction of travel is clearer than ever. The debate is no longer whether institutions will adopt digital assets and DLT, but how fast, on which infrastructure and under whose rules.
Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Telegram Channel Inside the ECB’ s Digital Euro Project and Stablecoins with Ulrich Bindseil From Libra to Legitimacy: Circle’s Stablecoin R(e)volution From Citi Bank to Stablecoins: Tony McLaughlin's Bold Pivot Reclaiming Digital Sovereignty in Europe - and the Role of the Digital Euro Permissionless blockchains for financial services A journey through the era of digital money with Rod Garratt [US vs EU: The Stablecoin Policy Divide]x(https://open.spotify.com/episode/7D5r1pOxLf31tQDocCiTQi?si=kEZ1yZ7IRIm-bZWh0dx3LA))
Relai*: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll.
Value4Value Podcast Streaming: Support our podcast by listening to our episodes on the Fountain Podcast App. This way, if you wish, you can support us "Value4Value" while listening to the podcast. You can find us on the Fountain Podcast App here: Click here
Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
A deep dive into June's most relevant developments in institutional digital money and DLT.
In this BFRR monthly briefing episode, Michael Blaschke and Manuel Klein look back at a brutal June for crypto markets and a surprisingly active month for institutional DLT, stablecoins and digital money. Bitcoin and Ethereum both ended deep in the red, the total crypto market cap fell sharply, and the hosts ask whether the sell-off is a bear-market signal, a liquidity stress alarm, or evidence that capital is rotating toward AI. They also unpack Michael Saylor’s symbolic sale of 32 Bitcoin, Jack Mallers’ “smoke alarm” thesis, BlackRock’s $9 trillion cash-on-the-sidelines argument and Vitalik Buterin’s push to make privacy a native Ethereum property.
The episode then moves from markets to infrastructure. Stellar’s strategic investment in Frankfurt-based Cashlink highlights how regulated tokenized securities infrastructure is becoming a scarce and valuable asset in Europe. Digital Asset’s major funding round for Canton shows that banks, market infrastructures and crypto investors are converging around privacy-first networks for institutional adoption.
On the money side, stablecoins continue their march into mainstream finance. MoneyGram launches MGUSD on Stellar for remittances, Italy’s Bancomat prepares a bank-backed euro stablecoin, Mastercard expands stablecoin settlement for card transactions, and reports suggest Mastercard, Stripe, Visa and Coinbase may be exploring a new stablecoin platform. The Clearing House’s tokenized deposit plans and the progress of mBridge add another layer to the race between private money, commercial bank money and central bank money.
Finally, the hosts examine the widening transatlantic divide in regulation. In Europe, the ECB, European Commission, EBA and Bank of England sharpen their frameworks around stablecoins, MiCA and public settlement money. In the United States, Congress moves against a retail CBDC while policymakers increasingly frame dollar stablecoins as a tool of monetary power. The episode closes with knowledge bites on stablecoin transaction data and a critical German debate on the digital euro.
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Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
Libra learnings, Bitcoin, Stablecoins, AI agents and the next financial infrastructure
In this episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, co-host Jonas Gross and guest host Jonathan Knoll welcome Christian Catalini, one of the key architects behind Facebook’s Libra project, former head economist at Meta, co-founder of Lightspark, founder of the MIT Crypto Economics Lab, and one of the most influential voices at the intersection of digital money, stablecoins, Bitcoin, and artificial intelligence.
The conversation begins with Libra: why it was built, why it failed, and why many of its core ideas are now resurfacing in today’s stablecoin regulation and infrastructure debates. Catalini reflects candidly on the project’s ambitions, its mistakes, its regulatory battles, and its lasting influence on frameworks such as the Genius Act. What looked premature in 2019 may now be becoming the foundation for the next phase of financial infrastructure.
From there, the discussion turns to the rapidly changing stablecoin landscape. Catalini explains why banks, payment networks, fintechs, and crypto-native companies are moving toward tokenized deposits, neutral stablecoin networks, and interoperable payment rails. The episode explores the role of the US dollar, the future of euro stablecoins, Europe’s regulatory challenges under MiCA, and why open, programmable infrastructure could reshape global payments.
The second half of the episode moves into AI and AGI. Drawing on his recent work on the economics of AGI, Catalini introduces the idea of verification as the central bottleneck in an economy where machines can generate endless output but humans still need to judge quality, safety, and trustworthiness. The conversation covers the future of junior jobs, education, financial services, AI agents, and why the next wave of innovation may depend on combining human judgment with increasingly powerful machine capabilities.
Finally, the episode returns to Bitcoin and open networks. Catalini shares his view on Bitcoin’s role as infrastructure, the risks of quantum computing, and why the original crypto vision of openness and interoperability still matters.
A wide-ranging conversation on Libra’s legacy, stablecoins, AI, Bitcoin, and the future architecture of money.
May News Episode on Stablecoins in Europe:
Full paper “Some simple economics of AGI”
Summary “Some simple economics of AGI”
Forbes Article “Babysitting the Slop”
Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website
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Point Zero Forum*: Join us in Zurich on 23–25 June 2026 at the Point Zero Forum, the annual gathering of 2,000+ policymakers, central bankers, regulators, and industry leaders at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy: Click here. Use the code "BFRR2026" to get 30% off the full-price Industry Pass. BFRR is proud media partner of the event. Relai*: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll.
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Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
GFTN’s Pat Patel on convening regulators, banks, and innovators to turn pilots into production-ready financial architecture.
What happens when the next generation of financial infrastructure is shaped not by a single technology, but by the convergence of stablecoins, tokenization, artificial intelligence and, eventually, quantum computing?
In this episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, Michael Blaschke and Stefan Grasmann speak with Pat Patel, CEO of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), about the forces rewiring global finance. Patel’s career has taken him from building the UK’s Faster Payments infrastructure at VocaLink to launching Money20/20 Europe, joining the Monetary Authority of Singapore and developing platforms for public-private dialogue. Today, he is a key figure behind the Singapore FinTech Festival and the Point Zero Forum in Zurich.
The conversation explores why successful innovation depends on more than good technology. Timing, capital, regulation and the ability to translate between central banks, commercial banks, fintechs, crypto-native firms and software companies all play a role. Patel explains why the next technology cycle will be defined by AI, tokenization and quantum, and why their interplay could transform the architecture of financial services rather than simply add another layer to existing systems.
The episode also examines the shifting stablecoin landscape. The United States is setting the pace, Europe is debating sovereignty, African markets are exploring local stablecoin models and regulators worldwide are confronting questions around cross-border corridors, reserves and interoperability. The discussion then turns to agentic finance: a future in which AI agents initiate transactions, manage workflows and interact with digital money under rules that are still being written.
Ahead of the Point Zero Forum 2026, Patel shares what policymakers and industry leaders need to debate now: how different forms of digital money can coexist, how regulation can move from products to activities and how global finance can become more interoperable without creating new walled gardens.
Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website
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Point Zero Forum: Join us in Zurich on 23–25 June 2026 at the Point Zero Forum, the annual gathering of 2,000+ policymakers, central bankers, regulators, and industry leaders at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy: Click here. Use the code "BFRR2026" to get 30% off the full-price Industry Pass. BFRR is proud media partner of the event. Relai: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll.
Value4Value Podcast Streaming: Support our podcast by listening to our episodes on the Fountain Podcast App. This way, if you wish, you can support us "Value4Value" while listening to the podcast. You can find us on the Fountain Podcast App here: Click here
Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
Stablecoins, tokenization, agentic payments and the future of financial infrastructure on Stellar
Stablecoins are moving beyond crypto markets and becoming part of the financial system’s core infrastructure. In this episode of BFRR’s Digital Money Interview Series, co-host Jonas Gross and guest host Jonathan Knoll speak with José Fernández da Ponte, President and Chief Growth Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation and former Head of Blockchain and Digital Currencies at PayPal.
Drawing on two decades in payments, banking and fintech, José explains why blockchain technology could reshape financial rails that still rely on decades-old systems. He describes blockchains as “Linux for payments”: open-source, permissionless infrastructure on which institutions, developers and fintech companies can build new products step by step.
The conversation explores why stablecoins are gaining momentum now, from regulatory clarity and institutional confidence to emerging use cases in cross-border payments, treasury, payroll and commerce. José also discusses tokenized real-world assets and the shift in institutional conversations: the question is no longer whether assets such as money market funds can be tokenized, but how they can be distributed, used as collateral and integrated into markets.
A major focus is Stellar’s role in institutional finance, including the announcement that DTCC plans to make tokenized assets available on Stellar. José explains what institutions look for in a blockchain: speed, liquidity, uptime, compliance tooling, risk controls and openness.
The discussion then turns to agentic commerce. As AI agents begin to transact at machine speed, payment systems may need to support micropayments, streaming payments and higher transaction volumes. Finally, José outlines why privacy will be essential for on-chain payments and how configurable privacy, confidential tokens and selective disclosure could reconcile transparency with compliance.
A conversation about rebuilding financial infrastructure from first principles — and why the future of money may depend on open, institutional-grade networks.
Jose Fernandez da Ponte LinkedIn
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Point Zero Forum: Join us in Zurich on 23–25 June 2026 at the Point Zero Forum, the annual gathering of 2,000+ policymakers, central bankers, regulators, and industry leaders at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy: Click here. Use the code "BFRR2026" to get 30% off the full-price Industry Pass. BFRR is proud media partner of the event. Relai: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll.
Value4Value Podcast Streaming: Support our podcast by listening to our episodes on the Fountain Podcast App. This way, if you wish, you can support us "Value4Value" while listening to the podcast. You can find us on the Fountain Podcast App here: Click here
Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!
Europe’s stablecoin race, Lagarde’s doubts, and Washington’s Clarity Act push.
Stablecoins are no longer a niche topic in digital finance. They are rapidly becoming a strategic question for banks, regulators and technology providers on both sides of the Atlantic. In this BFRR news episode, the hosts are joined once again by Maximilian Vargas from Blockstories to examine the most important developments of May.
The discussion begins in Europe, where the Qivalis banking consortium has expanded significantly. With 37 participating banks from 15 countries, the initiative combines institutional credibility, distribution power and substantial funding. But can a large banking consortium turn these advantages into a widely used euro stablecoin, or will governance, licensing and go-to-market challenges slow it down?
The episode also explores AllUnity’s multi-currency strategy and its move into agentic payments. As AI agents begin to transact autonomously, programmable and regulated stablecoins could become an important bridge between machine-to-machine commerce and the traditional financial system.
Across the Atlantic, Circle is pursuing a different path. Its Arc blockchain signals a push toward vertical integration: instead of relying solely on third-party rails, the stablecoin issuer wants to build infrastructure for a tokenized financial economy. The hosts discuss what this means for Circle, Coinbase and the wider race to own the payment layer of the internet.
The debate then turns to regulation. Christine Lagarde’s critical remarks highlight concerns around financial stability and monetary policy transmission, while the European Commission’s MiCA consultation opens the door to potential improvements. In the United States, the Clarity Act is gaining momentum but remains far from a done deal.
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Knowledge Bite Michael: IMF paper “Making Stablecoins Stable” Knowledge Bite Jonas: ECB LinkedIn Post Knowledge Bite Max: Institutional Crypto Lending Report Knowledge Bite Max: Spanish Digital Assets Ecosystem Report
Point Zero Forum: Join us in Zurich on 23–25 June 2026 at the Point Zero Forum, the annual gathering of 2,000+ policymakers, central bankers, regulators, and industry leaders at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy: Click here. Use the code "BFRR2026" to get 30% off the full-price Industry Pass. BFRR is proud media partner of the event. Relai: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll.
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Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here
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