Money Code What It Takes for Stablecoins to Scale at Checkout w/ Jess Houlgrave (WalletConnect)
Presented by Stablecon; Powered by BVNK.
In episode 17 of Money Code, hosts Chuk Okpalugo and Raj Parekh are joined by Jess Houlgrave, CEO at WalletConnect. They use the recent Ingenico partnership to unpack what it really takes to scale stablecoin payments at the physical checkout: incentives that move behavior, compliant routing from on-chain to fiat, UX that feels like Web2, and privacy constraints that shape whether merchants and consumers will ever choose on-chain settlement.
Subscribe and listen to the Money Code podcast here:
Chapters
01:08 WalletConnect as the “messaging layer” between apps and wallets
02:49 Why crypto checkout feels wrong and what WalletConnect Pay changes
04:34 The coffee shop walkthrough: QR, wallets, assets, chains
07:40 Where funds go after on-chain payment: transit accounts and off-ramps
10:03 The supply-side reality: merchants, acquirers, and incentives to enable
14:42 Which merchants care first: luxury, cross-border, LATAM QR familiarity
19:18 Why B2C is harder
25:38 Incentives and “on-chain interchange” to shift consumer behavior
35:15 Privacy: why transparent ledgers collide with payment norms
38:19 The end-state: tap-like UX and settlement routing users never see
Connect with the Hosts & Guest
Chuk Okpalugo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuk-okpalugo/ | https://x.com/chuk_xyz/ | http://stablecoinblueprint.com
Raj Parekh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajparekh7/ | https://x.com/rajparekh | http://monad.xyz
Jess Houlgrave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houlgrave/ | https://x.com/Houlgrave | https://walletconnect.network/
About Money Code
Money Code is the show that decodes stablecoins and the evolution of programmable money for builders, investors, and decision-makers. Each week, join hosts Chuk Okpalugo, Author of Stablecoin Blueprint and Raj Parekh, Head of Payments/Stablecoins at Monad Foundation as they break down the systems and strategies of seasoned operators in the space, revealing the insights you need for better build and buy decisions.
About Stablecon
Stablecon (https://stablecon.com/) is the premier gathering for those at the intersection of DeFi, economic policy, financial infrastructure, and institutional integration, and those reinventing global commerce. By convening the brightest minds in fintech and crypto, Stablecon provides attendees with world class thought leadership and fosters unparalleled networking and strategic collaboration across the digital payments industry. Whether you’re building, advising, or navigating this new frontier, this is the room where it happens.
About BVNK
BVNK is the leading provider of stablecoin payments infrastructure, helping businesses move money faster, settle globally, and even launch their own stablecoin products. Head to https://bvnk.com/ to learn more.