The Rollup

Rodri Fernandez, CEO of Crossmint and a payments entrepreneur, reveals why fintechs are racing to launch stablecoins, following MoneyGram's rapid transformation. He discusses the alarming statistic that 80% of crypto apps are non-compliant and how wallet UX evolution is paving the way for scalability. Rodri also highlights the dollarization of emerging markets and argues that stablecoins hold a significant advantage over traditional payment rails. He shares insights on the integration of AI agents and the future of autonomous commerce.

David, the founder of ARIA Protocol, dives into the exciting world of music tokenization and shares insights on the APL token's role in bringing iconic IP on-chain. He highlights partnerships with artists like Justin Bieber and Blackpink while addressing AI's influence on music creation. Rodri Fernandez from CrossMint discusses the surge of stablecoin adoption in fintech, detailing their partnership with MoneyGram for instant payments. He emphasizes how stablecoins simplify remittances and explores the future of automated, AI-driven payments.

In this enlightening discussion, Alexander Good, founder of Post Fiat, and Travis Good, CEO of Ambient, delve into the transformative role of AI in redefining currency. They explore the innovative concept of proof-of-work for AI, the strategic potential of a hive mind through AI agents, and how to build collective intelligence using a fork of XRP. The duo also highlights economics for GPU miners, emphasizing the necessity of credible, neutral AI infrastructures to address biases in traditional models and enhance trust in AI-driven systems.

In a fascinating discussion, Erik Reppel, a leader at Coinbase Developer Platform and creator of the X402 payment standard, explores the revolutionary world of machine-to-machine payments. He breaks down how X402 enables seamless transactions between AIs and APIs. Reppel also reveals why previous payment standards faltered, the unique advantages of X402's neutral design, and his ambitious goal of scaling to one billion transactions. Plus, find out how AI agents will transform the landscape of composability and the innovative concept of giving chatbots their own wallets!

Eric, a product contributor at Coinbase, discusses X402, an innovative payment standard designed for machine-to-machine transactions. He highlights how X402 simplifies payments for AI agents and its potential to unify fragmented payment methods. AJ Warner from Offchain Labs dives into Arbitrum's growth as a premier DeFi platform, emphasizing its secure environment for financial institutions. Together, they explore groundbreaking ideas on digital payments and the future of DeFi, showcasing the transformational impact on finance and technology.

Stepan Simkin, Co-founder and CEO of Squads, and Garrett Harper, Head of partnerships, dive into Western Union's groundbreaking $15B asset move on Solana. They discuss the importance of vertically integrated infrastructure and compare enterprise versus crypto-native stablecoin strategies. The conversation shifts to how Squads enhances liquidity and addresses the growing need for secure stablecoin solutions. With insights on the future of payroll in USDC and the ambitious path to a $3.7 trillion stablecoin market, listeners get a glimpse of the dynamic landscape ahead.

David (Seamus), CEO of Hyperliquid Strategies, discusses the upcoming HIP3 markets and their innovative capital strategies. Stepan (Stepon), Co-founder of Squads, reveals how their platform supports stablecoin issuers on Solana and debunks misconceptions about Western Union's involvement. Steven McIntosh, CIO at Sui Group Holdings, explains the concept of agentic commerce and Sui's unique infrastructure that supports AI-driven transactions, partnering with Google DeepMind for a pilot project. A deep dive into tokenization, liquidity, and the evolution of stablecoins is also featured.

Josh Swihart, CEO of Electric Coin Company and a pioneer in digital privacy, dives into the fascinating world of Zcash. He discusses how Zcash originated zero-knowledge encryption and its significant momentum, including a staggering $100M in flows through NEAR intents in just eight weeks. They explore the implications of the shielded pool for privacy and fungibility, the need to navigate regulators while innovating, and the potential for Zcash to target billions of users, positioning it as a challenger to traditional fintech.

This week features Namik, leader at MegaEth, discussing innovative fundraising and its ecosystem plans. Josh Swihart from Electric Coin Company dives into Zcash’s privacy features and the adoption of shielded transactions. Sunny, CEO of VeChain, covers real-world applications and sustainability partnerships, including UFC collaborations. Prediction Market Trader shares insights on FOMC trading strategies, while Framework Partners Michael and Vance analyze macro impacts on crypto. A packed conversation on finance and technology!

In this discussion, Rachel Mayer, a fintech and crypto builder at Circle, shares insights on the innovative Arc platform. She explains why Arc is structured as a Layer 1 instead of Layer 2, enhancing gas fee predictability and privacy. Rachel dives into the concept of stablecoin-as-gas, which enables instant settlement, making blockchain adoption easier for institutions. With over 100 launch partners, she highlights the significant shift in market dynamics as $8 trillion daily FX transactions start flowing on-chain, transforming liquidity and user experiences.