The Milk Road Show Circle CTO: The Blueprint to Become the World’s Financial OS & How Investors Can Profit From It
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Dec 5, 2025 Nikhil Chandhok, CTO at Circle, previously led engineering at YouTube and Meta. He discusses Circle's vision of creating a comprehensive global financial operating system through USDC. The conversation covers the evolution from a stablecoin issuer to a platform, addressing the inefficiencies in legacy payments and how programmable payments can enhance efficiency. Nikhil also explores the role of AI in payments and emphasizes the importance of multi-chain strategies and partnerships for the future of decentralized finance.
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Dollar As A Universal Consumer Product
- Circle views USDC as a retail-facing product that must deliver a consistent user experience worldwide.
- Nikhil Chandhok compares USDC distribution to Coca-Cola reaching remote users to illustrate lasting consumer expectations.
From Issuer To Full-Stack Platform
- Circle has evolved from a pure issuer into a platform company with multiple layers.
- The company links USDC, the Circle Payments Network, and the Arc L1 to create an integrated internet-scale financial platform.
Defend Market Position By Expanding The Stack
- Keep making USDC the most liquid, widely featured, and well-rail integrated stablecoin to win platform bets.
- Also invest in complementary businesses like payments and L1 infrastructure to broaden use and revenue.