The Rise of Stablecoins and DeFi

This is the first episode from our “Live from Links” series, where we take the hottest conversations that were recorded live from the Chainalysis Links conference in New York City.

The transformative journey from traditional finance to the innovative world of blockchain is not an easy one, but this week Matthew Wilson, our Director of Product Management at Chainalysis, hears from someone that has taken on the task, Jas Takhar (VP of Engineering, Stablecoin & Custody Engineering, Ripple).

Jas explains how Ripple and the XRP Ledger are pioneering advancements in stablecoin payments and DeFi to facilitate seamless, efficient, and compliant financial operations across the globe.

He explains XRP Ledger’s decision to focus on native features over smart contracts, emphasizing security and payment optimization, while revolutionizing cross-border payments, enhancing liquidity, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. 

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | Jas Takhar’s engineering career with Salesforce, BlackRock and Barclays

5 | Ripple's vision for blockchain-based financial innovation

7 | Balancing decentralized and centralized operations in Ripple's ecosystem

10 | The future of stablecoins and real world asset tokenization

15 | Mapping traditional finance to the blockchain using permission pools

18 | How to provide security and trust if $30 Trillion worth of tokenized assets come on-chain?

21 | Conferences bringing energy to the industry - Announcement: APEX: XRPL Developer Summit

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

• Website: Ripple: Modernize Your Financial Infrastructure 
• Website: XRP Ledger: The Blockchain Built For Business
• Report: Standard Chartered: Real-world asset tokenisation: A game changer for global trade
• Event: APEX 2025: The largest annual summit for the XRPL Community (June 10-12, 2025)
• Report: The Chainalysis 2025 Crypto Crime Report (Download Your Copy Today)
• Event: Links 2025 Digital Premiere: Free virtual event bringing together the leaders defining the future of blockchain intelligence
• Post: Crypto Fraud is Surging: FBI’s IC3 Reports $9.3 Billion lost to crypto scams
• Blog: Bridging the Gap: How Off-Chain and On-Chain Data Can Prevent Crypto Fraud
• YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
• Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain

Speakers on today’s episode

• Matthew Wilson *host* (Director of Product Management, Chainalysis)
• Jas Takhar (VP of Engineering, Stablecoin & Custody Engineering, Ripple)

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