Talking Tokens

On today’s Talking Tokens episode, Jacquelyn sat down with Chris Maurice, the co-founder and CEO of Yellow Card. Yellow Card powers on-and-off ramp payments for over 30,000 businesses across Africa. It was Africa’s most funded crypto exchange after raising $88 million. It has since pivoted from retail crypto access to becoming the stablecoin backbone for businesses in high-friction markets.They discuss Chris’ journey from selling Bitcoin at Taco Bell to running a multi-country exchange, why he dropped everything to fly to Nigeria on a one-way ticket, and how Yellow Card helps banks, importers, and even local vendors access USD liquidity through stablecoins. Chris also dives into navigating fear-based narratives about emerging markets, why local strategy trumps global assumptions, and how the future of cross-border finance lies in rebuilding the broken correspondent banking system.TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) – Intro (1:01) - From selling Bitcoin on eBay to founding Yellow Card (5:53) - Meeting a Nigerian man changed everything (8:56) - Why Chris flew to Nigeria with no visa and one goal (11:00) - The origin of the name Yellow Card (13:00) - Why Lagos changed Chris’s worldview (15:09) - Misconceptions about emerging markets (18:31) - Pivoting Yellow Card from exchange to stablecoin rails (20:02) - How 99% of users switched to stablecoins (22:12) - Why stablecoins matter more in Argentina than NYC (23:13) - Replacing the broken cross-border banking system (30:30) - Working with 30,000 businesses across Africa (33:39) - Why localized strategy is key in Africa (37:15) - Case studies: pharma, food, and banking (40:04) - The future of Yellow Card and stablecoin infrastructure (42:12) - Advice: stop waiting, just get startedYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on X: Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Token Relations: https://twitter.com/Token_Relations Follow us on InstagramTalking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

On today’s Talking Tokens episode, Jacquelyn sat down with Tomer Weller, Chief Product Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation. Stellar is a blockchain network focused on real-world financial use cases — from cross-border payments to tokenized treasuries — and has quietly built one of the strongest infrastructures in emerging markets like Latin America and Africa, including a major partnership with MoneyGram.They discuss Stellar’s evolution over the past 11 years, why it chose to stay mission-aligned while others chased hype, and how it’s enabling native crypto-to-cash flows, seamless DeFi access, and developer-friendly smart contracts with Soroban. Tomer also shares his take on Web3 product design, the future of privacy, and what it takes to earn institutional trust.Timestamps(0:00) - Intro(1:01) - Tomer’s background & joining Stellar(2:33) - How Stellar has evolved over the years(5:18) - Cross-border payments & MoneyGram integration(8:06) - UX: Making crypto invisible to users(11:46) - What makes a bad Web3 product(13:16) - Why security needs to come first(15:02) - Soroban & Stellar’s smart contracts vision(20:27) - Governance, validators & institutional trust(26:28) - Why developers choose to build on Stellar(27:32) - DeFi + RWAs: New frontier for tokenization(30:02) - What institutions want next: PrivacyYou can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on X: Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Token Relations: https://twitter.com/Token_Relations Follow us on InstagramTalking Tokens: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

On today’s Talking Tokens episode, Jacquelyn sat down with Gabe Otte, CEO and Co-Founder of Dinari. They discuss why Gabe decided to focus on tokenized securities back in 2021, its expansion into LatAm and South East Asia and United Arab Emirates as well as how the sector has gained traction in recent months and the biggest opportunities to come.===============You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or Youtube. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!===============Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

Today’s episode is a fireside chat Jacquelyn recorded with Stani Kulechov, founder of Aave Labs, while at the Avalanche Summit in London last week. They discuss Aave V4, the latest architectural upgrade, for the largest DeFi protocol. Stani also explains how this new model can unlock more for lending protocols, his insights on the changing DeFi landscape and more.

Today we’re sharing Jacquelyn’s fireside chat with Chris Pavlovski, founder and CEO of Rumble, at Consensus 2025. Rumble is a video, streaming and cloud-based tech company that closed a $775M strategic investment from Tether in February. We discuss Rumble’s journey fighting censorship to protect free speech globally, how it’s pushing into the crypto space and bringing the asset class to creators, how decentralization ties into the business’ mission and more.===============You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or Youtube. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!===============Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

Chris Osborn, CEO of Dialect, is on a mission to make cryptocurrency user-friendly. With a background in physics and quantum computing, he discusses the launch of ‘blinks’ for streamlined blockchain interactions. Osborn emphasizes the critical need for improved user experiences in crypto, explaining how innovative strategies, like minimizing clicks and integrating with social media, can transform asset trading. He also sheds light on the challenges of building on Solana and the importance of user trust in the evolving crypto landscape.

On today’s Talking Tokens episode, Jacquelyn sat down with Pranav Kanade, portfolio manager for digital assets at VanEck, and Wyatt Lonergan the GP of VanEck Ventures VanEck is an asset management firm that has been around since 1955 – and has made strides in the crypto space in recent years with its spot bitcoin ETF HODL, as well as its $40M venture fund that also invests in crypto startups, among other sectors.Pranav and Wyatt share their thoughts on tokenizing liquid vs illiquid assets, the state of memecoins and the general crypto market, how they see value building in the crypto industry, focusing on long term fundamentals and more.Please note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

Today’s episode is with Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner of SkyBridge and founder and chairman of SALT.We recorded this episode at SALT Bermuda, where asset managers, allocators, institutional players and more are having discussions on digital assets. Anthony shares his latest insights on institutional crypto demand, the current state of crypto adoption, his 20-year company anniversary and more since we last spoke after SALT’s Wyoming Blockchain Symposium in August 2024.

On today’s Talking Tokens episode, Jacquelyn sat down with Michael Sonnenshein, chief operating officer at Securitize. Securitize is focused on tokenizing real world assets and bringing finance onchain through tokenized funds. It has partnered with major asset managers like BlackRock, Apollo, Hamilton Lane and KKR.They discuss Securitize’s tokenization focus: honing in on tokenized treasuries, equities and securities. They also dive into stablecoins, bringing finance onchain and how institutions are diving into DeFi.You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or Youtube. If you like the show, please let us know by leaving a review!Note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and any views shared by anyone on the show are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have a direct or indirect financial interest in content mentioned in this episode.

Rubail Birwadker, SVP at Visa, shares insights on the company's ambitious journey into the crypto realm. He discusses innovative ways Visa is integrating crypto into traditional payment systems, enhancing security and customer experience. The conversation dives into stablecoin adoption, particularly in Latin America, showcasing a new card aimed at improving financial access. Rubail also touches on the complexities of cross-border transactions and the need for regulatory clarity while reflecting on the balance between career and family in this rapidly evolving industry.