On The Brink with Castle Island Chris Maurice (Yellow Card) on Stablecoin Adoption in Africa (EP.641)
Jul 2, 2025
Chris Maurice, founder of Yellow Card, shares insights into his pan-African stablecoin business. He discusses the evolution of stablecoins and their critical role in enhancing international payments, particularly in underserved markets. Chris highlights regional differences in stablecoin adoption across Africa and the shifting regulatory landscape. He expresses concerns about crypto-dollarization and examines Tether's market dominance. The conversation also explores the future of bank engagement with stablecoins and necessary advancements in stablecoin infrastructure.
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Shift to Practical Use Cases
- The crypto space in 2025 focuses on practical use cases, unlike earlier cycles dominated by memes and speculation.
- Stablecoins are driving institutional adoption by providing a stable entry point pegged to the dollar.
Yellow Card's Stablecoin Pivot
- Yellow Card transitioned from retail BTC exchange to stablecoins within months, shifting from 100% Bitcoin to 99.9% stablecoins.
- This rapid shift revealed stablecoins' primary use case is business payments, not speculation.
Stablecoins Replacing Dollar Access
- Stablecoins fundamentally change how businesses in emerging markets access and use US dollars internationally.
- They replace informal and unreliable systems like hawala for cross-border payments where banks fail.