Talking Tokens

In this episode of Talking Tokenization, Jacquelyn Melinek interviews Vivek Raman, CEO of Etherealize and former Wall Street high yield credit trader. Vivek shares his journey from top-tier banks to pioneering Ethereum-based tokenization solutions. He explains why tokenizing existing financial assets on public blockchains is crucial for the future of finance and how Etherealize is tackling the challenges of institutional-grade privacy, compliance, and scalability. The episode covers the shift in institutional sentiment towards blockchains, the importance of public and layer-2 Ethereum networks, and the massive opportunity tokenizing the global capital markets presents. Vivek also highlights why privacy solutions onchain are mission-critical and shares his outlook on regulatory tailwinds and the urgent need for responsible innovation today.Sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at ⁠securitize.io⁠.Sponsored by Fireblocks, the trusted stablecoin infrastructure for global enterprises. Learn more at fireblocks.com.⏱️ Timestamps(00:00) - Intro (01:08) - Why Vivek left banking? The lack of tech upgrades on Wall Street (03:22) - Discovering Ethereum in 2020 and seeing product-market fit (05:07) - Defining tokenization in simple terms (07:11) - Why Ethereum is the best back-end for financial assets (09:27) - Stablecoins as the first step in tokenization (12:03) - Regulatory clarity, bipartisan support & the Clarity Act (14:46) - Etherealize raises $40M to build tokenization infrastructure (18:25) - Privacy as table stakes for institutional adoption (20:11) - Future tokenized assets: treasuries, mortgages, car loans (23:01) - Global opportunity: emerging markets & democratized access (27:04) - The urgency of building responsibly before momentum fades (31:00) - Tokenization makes assets programmable and globally accessible (35:09) - Investing in private companies like OpenAI & regulatory issues (38:06) - Scaling Ethereum for institutions & risks of fragmentation (40:07) - Final thoughts📢 Subscribe & Follow Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Support the show by leaving a review! Spotify:⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ⁠ Apple Podcast:⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141⁠ Follow on X: Host Jacquelyn Melinek⁠ https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek⁠ | Podcast⁠ https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens⁠ Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/⁠Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Guests may have financial interests in discussed entities or assets. Not investment advice.

Matthew Tabbiner, CEO of Stable, discusses the groundbreaking partnership with PayPal Ventures and the integration of PayPal USD. He emphasizes Stable's mission to enhance everyday utility of stablecoins, particularly for unbanked populations, and the importance of USDT as the native gas token for seamless transactions. Tabbiner shares insights on the explosive growth of B2B stablecoin payments, remittance use cases, and the need for improved payment infrastructure in emerging markets. He also highlights UX/UI challenges and how Stable's wallet aims to simplify P2P transfers.

Welcome to Talking Tokenization, a new podcast series unlocking how onchain assets are transforming finance, capital markets, and the way the world trades. Award-nominated journalist Jacquelyn Melinek leads conversations with the people and projects building the real world asset ecosystem, from tokenizing treasuries and private credit to launching the next wave of onchain funds and public equities. This series is supported by Securitize, the industry’s leading platform for tokenizing investments. In the debut episode, Carlos Domingo, co-founder and CEO of Securitize, explains what it takes to move from pilot projects to institutional mainstream, why BlackRock’s onchain fund is a true turning point, and how compliance-first infrastructure is powering the rise of a new financial industry. Dive in to hear what’s next as tokenization enters a new era of scale and impact. If you want to understand how global markets are being rebuilt for the next decade and how this movement will shape investing and access around the world, this is the conversation to follow.Sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io.This episode is sponsored by Fireblocks, the stablecoin infrastructure of choice for top global businesses, from Visa and Worldpay to Bridge and Revolut. Learn more at fireblocks.com.⏱️ Timestamps(00:00) - Introducing Talking Tokenization (01:40) - Why capital markets need tokenization (04:15) - Launching Securitize in 2017 and early challenges (07:20) - Why tokenization failed before and why it works now (10:05) - Stablecoins, regulation, and adoption momentum (13:15) - The KKR partnership: first tokenized fund (16:40) - BlackRock’s $2B tokenized treasury fund explained (20:30) - Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin integration (23:50) - DeFi meets tokenization: lending, collateral & Aave (27:40) - Native tokenization vs wrappers: what investors must know (31:20) - Tokenized stocks and the path to mainstream adoption (35:00) - Market structure, regulation & investor protections (38:40) - What’s next for Securitize and RWAs (42:20) - Final thoughts from Carlos Domingo📢 Subscribe & Follow Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Support the show by leaving a review! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 Follow on X: Host Jacquelyn Melinek https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek | Podcast https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Guests may have a financial interest in discussed entities or assets. Not investment advice.

Neil Chopra, Head of Strategy at Fireblocks, and Jenn Senhaji, Head of Growth at Chronicle, tackle the emerging landscape of tokenized assets. They discuss how institutions are transitioning from curiosity to action, focusing on the growing demand for tokenized money market funds and stablecoins. The duo breaks down compliance challenges, the role of stablecoins in bridging TradFi and DeFi, and the critical need for unified market structures. They also delve into the potential of on-chain private assets and the timeline for enabling retail access to these innovations.

Armani Ferrante, co-founder and CEO of Backpack, dives into the innovative realm of regulated crypto exchanges. He discusses how Backpack EU has become a pioneer by refunding FTX EU users and emphasizing compliance. Armani highlights the surge in demand for regulated platforms in Europe as others exit. He explains the importance of daily proof of reserves for trust and navigates the complexities of launching perpetual futures. With a vision for expansion, he paints Backpack as a potential next-gen bank, all while stressing the need for long-term thinking in the crypto landscape.

Vidor Gencel, Co-Founder of Solflare, discusses his journey building one of the leading crypto wallets in the Solana ecosystem. He shares how the bear market has become a catalyst for innovation and user-focused design. Vidor highlights the importance of self-custody and the advanced security of their Seed Vault integration. He emphasizes Solflare's adaptability to user needs and the community's resilience during market fluctuations. Exciting plans for stablecoin yields and collaborations with Solana Mobile add to his optimistic outlook for the future.

On this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn welcomes Shiv Shankar, CEO of Boundless, a protocol for verifiable compute across any chain, powered by the RISC Zero zkVM technology. From software engineering at companies like Coinbase, Lyft, Ava Labs, and Microsoft, to becoming CEO of Boundless, Shiv is pioneering blockchain research, while bringing the world of zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs to everyone. He explains how ZK unlocks privacy, app scaling, and true interoperability. Tune in to learn why Boundless’ mainnet beta began on Base (with Ethereum Foundation support), how proof-of-verifiable-work compresses costs, and how ZK will make cross-chain apps and frictionless user experiences possible for the next billion users.This episode is sponsored by Fireblocks, the stablecoin infrastructure of choice for top global businesses, from Visa and Worldpay to Bridge and Revolut. Learn more at fireblocks.com.⏱️ Timestamps📢 Subscribe & Follow Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you like the show, leave us a review! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 Follow on X: Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek | Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Guests may have a financial interest in discussed assets or companies. Not investment advice.

On this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn interviews Michael Shaulov, CEO and co-founder of Fireblocks, the firm securing over $10 trillion in digital assets and now leading the way in global payments. Michael explains the launch of Fireblocks Network for Payments, a universal infrastructure standardizing stablecoin settlement, already connecting 2,400+ institutional participants across 60 currencies and all major stablecoins. He unpacks why “Swift for stablecoins” isn’t just about creating faster, cheaper, and transparent cross-border transactions, but building a foundation for the next generation of programmable money, real-world finance, and global innovation. Michael shares Fireblocks’ journey, stablecoin adoption across emerging markets, the core payment “sandwich” use cases, AI and trade finance possibilities, and why mass integration will shift both enterprise and consumer experience. Recorded live as regulatory clarity fuels record institutional demand, you’ll hear his candid reflections on network effects, payment security, and what comes after the next industry unlock.This episode is sponsored by Fireblocks. ⏱️ Timestamps(00:00) - Intro: Michael Shaulov and the new Fireblocks Network for Payments (00:38) - What is “Swift for stablecoins”? Discovery, partner standards, global APIs (03:59) - Why now: Stablecoin adoption, regulation, and the long strategy ahead (05:34) - Problems solved: Network effects, on/off ramp, and real cross-border settlement (08:19) - Stablecoins’ evolution: Safe haven to global payment rails (09:37) - Early use cases: DeFi yields, FX markets, and stablecoin “sandwich” (12:18) - Real-world payouts: Multinationals, contractors, and next-gen remittance (14:01) - From $900 credit card fees to $0.25 stablecoin transfers, “the magical moment” (16:16) - The transparency advantage: Why blockchain payment tracking sets new standards (17:12) - What comes next? AI, trade finance, and programmable money (19:45) - Fireblocks’ edge: Unlocking scale, security, and innovation for massive flows (22:07) - Going mainstream: How Fireblocks bridges B2B, fintech, and bank adoption (26:10) - Regulatory clarity: Surveying the market, shifting barriers, and new opportunities (29:13) - Killer use cases: U.S. institutions expand global reach, lower costs, onboard new markets (31:08) - Surprising clientele including manufacturing giants and corporates betting on stablecoins (34:17) - The “payout unlock”: When sending stablecoins is as easy as scanning a QR code (37:18) - Why universal crypto acceptance drives actual change (41:21) - Risks ahead: Financial complexity, bubbles, and speculation (45:51) - Fireblocks’ mission: A secure, open, and truly scalable global money network📢 Subscribe & Follow Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you like the show, leave us a review! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 Follow on X: Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek | Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Guests may have a financial interest in discussed assets or companies. Not investment advice.

On this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Farooq Malik, co-founder and CEO of Rain, a company building the payment rails powering the next wave of stablecoins, tokenized money, and digital banking worldwide. Recorded live at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, Farooq explains why regulatory clarity unleashed a boom in institutional stablecoin adoption and how Rain enables anyone, from fintechs to governments, to instantly spend and settle with digital dollars. The conversation covers the launch of Wyoming’s Frontier Stable Token which includes Rain’s partnership with Avalanche, and why “making payments boring again” (fast, invisible, interoperable) unlocks the real future of crypto. Farooq also shares insights from his career in traditional finance, reveals the real tech behind Rain’s APIs, and why openness, not walled gardens, will define the next era of global banking. Plus: contrarian takes, instant holiday settlements, and why believing the world can be better is his ultimate founder advice.This episode is sponsored by Across Protocol.⏱️ Timestamps(00:00) - Intro (00:48) - The challenge: Why market cap isn’t enough—real usage matters (01:09) - Farooq’s founding story: From DeFi to “tokenized money” infrastructure (03:39) - Betting early: Why regulatory clarity transformed stablecoin adoption (04:00) - Wyoming’s Frontier Stable Token: How Rain and Avalanche are building government-backed money (05:02) - Real purpose of money: Making payments possible everywhere (06:26) - Bringing stablecoins to merchants—making transactions seamless (07:14) - How Rain cards let anyone spend stablecoins “just like dollars” (08:15) - Removing off-ramps: True blockchain native payments (08:47) - Lessons from TradFi: Reconciling payments, eliminating manual work (09:43) - Making settlement instant, reducing costs and risks (10:11) - The magic of tokenized money—using USDC for instant, holiday payments (14:01) - Deciding what to change vs. what to keep in payment experiences (16:35) - Distribution matters: Why Rain partners with Visa for global merchant acceptance (17:39) - Who’s really using stablecoin payments? (18:58) - Making money boring again: Stablecoins behind the scenes (20:10) - Security, custody, and why Rain avoids single points of failure (22:20) - Rain’s APIs: How banks, fintechs, and remittance platforms connect to stablecoins (23:37) - Going global: Rain’s unified product stack for worldwide customers (25:06) - Now that regulatory clarity is here, what comes next for banks and institutions (26:33) - Tokenized money is inevitable—how efficiency wins over legacy infrastructure (27:01) - Big banks, small banks: Why technology shifts create new winners (29:13) - U.S. leads the way—surprising adoption trends and mainstream integrations (31:16) - Interoperability unlocks value: The magic of connecting payments, apps, and platforms (32:09) - Why retail users don’t need to “opt in” to stablecoins (33:29) - Farooq’s contrarian view: Stablecoins are just instant, non-fungible money (35:01) - How slowness costs—why instant settlement will replace payday lenders and legacy systems (36:12) - Rain’s big mountain: Expanding global coverage and showing tokenized money can scale (37:49) - Founder advice: Believe the world can be better📢 Subscribe & Follow Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you like the show, leave us a review! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 Follow on X: Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek | Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Guests may have a financial interest in discussed assets or companies. Not investment advice.

On today’s Talking Tokens episode, Jacquelyn sits down with Lorien Gabel, co-founder and CEO of Figment, a leading non-custodial staking provider supporting over a thousand institutional clients. Figment works with asset managers, custodians, exchanges, foundations, and wallets, helping institutions securely access crypto yield.Lorien shares his journey from building internet infrastructure companies to founding Figment in 2018. They discuss how staking has evolved, why distribution is Figment’s moat, what institutions want from staking, and how regulation is reshaping the industry. Lorien also breaks down misconceptions about custody, the rise of liquid staking, global adoption trends, and why staking may soon become as common as dividends or savings accounts.This episode is sponsored by Across Protocol.Timestamps(00:00) - Intro: Who is Lorien Gabel? (00:57) - Figment overview: one of the largest non-custodial staking providers (02:10) - Founding story: co-founders & early staking with Tezos (03:47) - Differentiation: focusing on institutions & distribution (05:24) - Lessons from Microsoft/Intel: distribution as a moat (06:24) - Traits of successful founders: stoicism in volatile markets (08:47) - Figment’s $1.4B valuation & growth journey (10:27) - Defining staking clearly: protocol security vs DeFi rewards (13:10) - Institutions adopting staking via ETFs and treasuries (15:30) - Why storytelling and scale matter (Saylor effect) (19:20) - Regulation shifts & U.S. institutions re-entering staking (22:10) - Liquid staking: benefits, risks & institutional appetite (24:40) - Global adoption: Europe, Asia, and emerging markets (27:10) - Future outlook: staking as common as savings accounts (29:00) - Final advice: treat crypto like a game, stay steady, enjoy itYou 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/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141Follow us on X Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokensFollow us on Instagram Talking 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.