Empire Quadrillions: How to Win the World | Chris Maurice
Jan 21, 2026
Chris Maurice, Co-founder and CEO of Yellow Card, dives into the transformative potential of stablecoins in Africa's financial landscape. He discusses the compliance infrastructure Yellow Card offers for over 50 currencies and the challenges emerging-market corporates face with dollar access. Maurice emphasizes the shift from Bitcoin to USDT for payments, driven by customer preferences, and explains how partnering with local banks can modernize payment systems. He also touches on the regulatory landscape and the future of institutional adoption in the region.
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Licensed Stablecoin Rails For Real Payments
- Yellow Card supplies licensed stablecoin payment rails and fiat on/off ramps across emerging markets.
- They focus on B2B customers like remitters, corporates, and banks to solve real payments and treasury problems.
Food Producer Lacked Dollars To Import
- A large African food producer could only source 25% of needed dollars through the banking system and faced 30+ day delays.
- Stablecoins let them access dollars off-system to pay for imports and keep supply chains moving without black-market intermediaries.
Information Asymmetry Breaks Money Flows
- The root blockers are information asymmetry and infrastructure ill-suited to emerging markets.
- SWIFT and correspondent banking work for major economies but leave emerging markets on slow, costly 'dirt roads.'