Talking Tokens

SoFi Wants to Be the Stablecoin Liquidity Hub for Banks | Ben Reynolds

15 min · 19 de may de 2026
Portada del episodio SoFi Wants to Be the Stablecoin Liquidity Hub for Banks | Ben Reynolds

Descripción

In this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Ben Reynolds, SVP and head of Big Business Banking at SoFi, about why the company launched its SoFi USD stablecoin on Solana and what it means for the firm’s broader vision to become a stablecoin liquidity hub. Ben, who joined Silvergate in 2016 and helped build the Silvergate Exchange Network before the bank shut down in 2023, explains how commercial banks are finally building in the space now that the regulatory environment has changed under the current administration. He walks through why SoFiUSD reserves are held in a Fed master account with zero credit, liquidity, or duration risk and why stablecoin infrastructure is still far less mature than people think. He also explains how the next catalyst for onchain payments could come top down from banks with built-in network effects rather than bottoms up from crypto companies. The conversation covers why non-dollar stablecoins at scale would transform cross-border payments, how SoFi's 15 million users and card processing business create unique synergies, and why building stablecoin-agnostic infrastructure is the smartest strategy right now. This episode is a part of the Solana Sessions campaign that Token Relations and the Talking Tokens podcast are doing, diving into founders' journeys and startups building on Solana. Check out the accompanying newsletter on www.token-relations.com [http://www.token-relations.com] TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro (01:04) Ben's journey from: Silvergate in 2016 to joining SoFi six months ago (02:33) How commercial banks think about digital assets today vs 10 years ago (03:29) Launching SoFiUSD on Solana: cost, settlement speed, and throughput (04:30) Catalysts for onchain payments: non-dollar stablecoins, DeFi friction, and regulatory clarity (07:07) Stablecoin liquidity is overestimated: the emerging market conversion problem (08:07) Advice for big banks: build stablecoin-agnostic and understand the risk differences (09:26) Why SoFi USD reserves sit in a Fed master account (10:06) How Operation Choke Point 2.0 chilled bank building and why the environment is different now (10:44) Biggest realization at SoFi: how early stablecoins still are and how fast SoFi ships (12:18) The big vision: SoFi as the stablecoin liquidity hub for big business banking ESSENTIALS You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ [https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141] Follow us on X Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek [https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek] Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens [https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens] Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/ [https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/] Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.

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219 episodios

Portada del episodio Why Focusing on Tailored Approaches in Emerging Markets is the Move | Torab Torabi

Why Focusing on Tailored Approaches in Emerging Markets is the Move | Torab Torabi

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Torab Torabi, CEO of Move Industries, to discuss Movement’s strategic reorientation toward becoming a stablecoin settlement and yield layer for emerging markets.  Torab shares what he learned from sitting down with the Ethiopian president and Ministry of Finance, why governments in these markets don’t want an unchecked flight to dollars, and why he thinks most teams chasing emerging markets with tokenized stocks or T-bill yields are headed straight for a brick wall. Torab also discusses the Movement Network Foundation repurchasing approximately 19% of MOVE tokens previously allocated to investors and what it means for the tokenholders going forward. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Move Industries and Torab Torabi 02:07 Evolution of Move Industries and Market Dynamics 05:07 Why the Foundation Bought Tokens Back 08:12 Focus on Emerging Markets and Government Engagement 12:12 Security Concerns in DeFi and User Fund Protection 15:19 Differentiating Markets: Developed vs. Emerging 19:04 Stablecoins and Gold in Emerging Markets 23:09 Sharia Compliance and Financial Products for Emerging Markets 24:30 Tokenization and Emerging Markets 26:24 Understanding Compliance in Financial Products 28:34 The Role of Government in Financial Scalability 31:48 Challenges in Currency Exchange and Adoption 34:09 Key Metrics for Success in Emerging Markets 36:10 Institutional Adoption vs. Emerging Market Focus 40:58 Strategic Reorientation and Future Plans You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps.  Spotify: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbC1wRk0yX2xxZG1scWRlZFhHV3V3QkpWR0RJZ3xBQ3Jtc0treGFBUWVDRGYyYWN1UGprSjItckRKNnROZ2x4Sl8yNjZJWnV6SFBVaXMwb2RObm14MDRHUnpZUmFxcWZlbTBfVGtlelF5bl9ObzkxMGNiU1ZwWGJfYllwZFJhZmNxd0pTaklBLUZuaGZfUkVKRWNIRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ [https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ]  Apple Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDdpM0dxMUp3ZktXNm5tdWJscE5FbEw2ZnJsQXxBQ3Jtc0ttcnI3VHNVR0ctNXdobGZabVEtTE9aVW51OGJhcnZ0UFhmNmVCdHcyVHJQSi1SNGtUeU0xZnVqVUFlak9qaEdvcmRvXzRtWlpYSWpUZkNMZUpuQWZsS3ZWRW5ZelRvQWw4Y2xyYmxwMVdsd2toY3RWNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Ftalking-tokens%2Fid1743669141&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens [https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens]  Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHUwcjYtUXBFODE0VHl6MU1lLVpQUWh0WWMzQXxBQ3Jtc0trQlJkaEg2ZGQwVkpWVFZwcDlsLWZNbW9iVXJuRWx4QVh1ckdVT00wZnZlbU1DU1BjdFRQaW51bkU4Z0ltMmZPZ1ZQdl9LTkM5RFQ5WUdNaGFQc0tJcWg4LXg5UlZ2bEtCS21xb3UtSlBBWjVkYW1KTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fjacqmelinek&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0]  Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE0zMXV6bkd2SXdNWm5uZkh6UTB3cUNvYXFpQXxBQ3Jtc0tuS2NOM0xHTHBsTnJ6dUhIUmxFem9ON2Nkak82U3dic3NtR0FiMlZNN1UzakVyNlZWcHZteFBqM3Z5WnVRWWc5NFZBZ3hnN2ZNZ0dXM3dnNThITkdMUWlrVlhyTU9McUNyUVRqZ0VIZ2FvUkFSWE92RQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F_TalkingTokens&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0]  Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa21BOHBTUF90bmJzNG5GWFY3aW9RNXlBLU9tUXxBQ3Jtc0trRVFXLTkzbGZtejhia1FoamJfaWNKdDF4aWZHaTRzUnBJWDJVODdaeWdTOTN3eUZnR3lpZlRidmRtcXh1dHdoNWhFUzNOcXA4cmd6U3MtdlJIVnBmRVoxQ0VsRWFOLUNEb3J4UzVyT3JBcXpPMVhkNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F_talkingtokens%2F&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0] Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.

Ayer44 min
Portada del episodio What Wall Street Actually Wants from Crypto | Bart Smith & Laine Litman

What Wall Street Actually Wants from Crypto | Bart Smith & Laine Litman

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Bart Smith and Laine Litman, CEO and COO of AVAT, the Avalanche Treasury Company, two traditional finance veterans who both spent years watching institutions talk about crypto before finally deciding to go all in themselves.  Bart and Laine get into what makes AVAT different from the pile of treasury companies trying to copy the MicroStrategy model, and why their bet is on giving investors exposure to the whole Avalanche ecosystem rather than just stacking the token. Institutional conversations almost always start as investment discussions and quickly turn into implementation discussions, but the Clarity Act might be the unlock most people aren't paying close enough attention to.  TIMESTAMPS  02:49 From ETFs to Crypto 05:48 Laine's Path from Voice Trading to Blockchain 09:00 Why AVAT Is Not Another MicroStrategy 13:40 The Private Market Problem 14:57 What Institutional Conversations Look Like Right Now 28:43 The Role of Debt Structure in a Bear Market 35:39 AI, Agentic Payments, and What to Watch in 2026 You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps.  Spotify: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbC1wRk0yX2xxZG1scWRlZFhHV3V3QkpWR0RJZ3xBQ3Jtc0treGFBUWVDRGYyYWN1UGprSjItckRKNnROZ2x4Sl8yNjZJWnV6SFBVaXMwb2RObm14MDRHUnpZUmFxcWZlbTBfVGtlelF5bl9ObzkxMGNiU1ZwWGJfYllwZFJhZmNxd0pTaklBLUZuaGZfUkVKRWNIRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ [https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ]  Apple Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDdpM0dxMUp3ZktXNm5tdWJscE5FbEw2ZnJsQXxBQ3Jtc0ttcnI3VHNVR0ctNXdobGZabVEtTE9aVW51OGJhcnZ0UFhmNmVCdHcyVHJQSi1SNGtUeU0xZnVqVUFlak9qaEdvcmRvXzRtWlpYSWpUZkNMZUpuQWZsS3ZWRW5ZelRvQWw4Y2xyYmxwMVdsd2toY3RWNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Ftalking-tokens%2Fid1743669141&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens [https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens]  Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHUwcjYtUXBFODE0VHl6MU1lLVpQUWh0WWMzQXxBQ3Jtc0trQlJkaEg2ZGQwVkpWVFZwcDlsLWZNbW9iVXJuRWx4QVh1ckdVT00wZnZlbU1DU1BjdFRQaW51bkU4Z0ltMmZPZ1ZQdl9LTkM5RFQ5WUdNaGFQc0tJcWg4LXg5UlZ2bEtCS21xb3UtSlBBWjVkYW1KTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fjacqmelinek&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0]  Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE0zMXV6bkd2SXdNWm5uZkh6UTB3cUNvYXFpQXxBQ3Jtc0tuS2NOM0xHTHBsTnJ6dUhIUmxFem9ON2Nkak82U3dic3NtR0FiMlZNN1UzakVyNlZWcHZteFBqM3Z5WnVRWWc5NFZBZ3hnN2ZNZ0dXM3dnNThITkdMUWlrVlhyTU9McUNyUVRqZ0VIZ2FvUkFSWE92RQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F_TalkingTokens&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0]  Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa21BOHBTUF90bmJzNG5GWFY3aW9RNXlBLU9tUXxBQ3Jtc0trRVFXLTkzbGZtejhia1FoamJfaWNKdDF4aWZHaTRzUnBJWDJVODdaeWdTOTN3eUZnR3lpZlRidmRtcXh1dHdoNWhFUzNOcXA4cmd6U3MtdlJIVnBmRVoxQ0VsRWFOLUNEb3J4UzVyT3JBcXpPMVhkNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F_talkingtokens%2F&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0] Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.

2 de jun de 202638 min
Portada del episodio The 4 Things That Need to Happen Before AI Agents Can Actually Spend Money | An Agentic Payments Explainer

The 4 Things That Need to Happen Before AI Agents Can Actually Spend Money | An Agentic Payments Explainer

On our first episode of Strata Research presented by Talking Tokens & Token Relations, Jacquelyn sits down with Institutional Research Analyst Alex Beaudry to breakdown agentic payments. Alex walks through why it isn't one market but three distinct payment flows, each with completely different infrastructure requirements, and why the machine-to-machine category is where stablecoins have a real structural edge over traditional rails. They also get into the four things that actually need to happen before this market scales, and why the narrative is still running well ahead of the transaction volumes to back it up. Check out the associated newsletter for more details: https://www.token-relations.com/p/agentic-payments-where-we-are-and-where-we-re-going [https://www.token-relations.com/p/agentic-payments-where-we-are-and-where-we-re-going]  TIMESTAMPS  00:00 Introduction Strata Research 01:24 Understanding Agentic Payments 04:54 The Flows of Agentic Payments 07:24 Challenges and Frameworks for Scaling 11:39 Recent Developments and Future Outlook You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps.  Spotify: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbC1wRk0yX2xxZG1scWRlZFhHV3V3QkpWR0RJZ3xBQ3Jtc0treGFBUWVDRGYyYWN1UGprSjItckRKNnROZ2x4Sl8yNjZJWnV6SFBVaXMwb2RObm14MDRHUnpZUmFxcWZlbTBfVGtlelF5bl9ObzkxMGNiU1ZwWGJfYllwZFJhZmNxd0pTaklBLUZuaGZfUkVKRWNIRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ [https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ]  Apple Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDdpM0dxMUp3ZktXNm5tdWJscE5FbEw2ZnJsQXxBQ3Jtc0ttcnI3VHNVR0ctNXdobGZabVEtTE9aVW51OGJhcnZ0UFhmNmVCdHcyVHJQSi1SNGtUeU0xZnVqVUFlak9qaEdvcmRvXzRtWlpYSWpUZkNMZUpuQWZsS3ZWRW5ZelRvQWw4Y2xyYmxwMVdsd2toY3RWNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Ftalking-tokens%2Fid1743669141&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens [https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens]  Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHUwcjYtUXBFODE0VHl6MU1lLVpQUWh0WWMzQXxBQ3Jtc0trQlJkaEg2ZGQwVkpWVFZwcDlsLWZNbW9iVXJuRWx4QVh1ckdVT00wZnZlbU1DU1BjdFRQaW51bkU4Z0ltMmZPZ1ZQdl9LTkM5RFQ5WUdNaGFQc0tJcWg4LXg5UlZ2bEtCS21xb3UtSlBBWjVkYW1KTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fjacqmelinek&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0]  Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE0zMXV6bkd2SXdNWm5uZkh6UTB3cUNvYXFpQXxBQ3Jtc0tuS2NOM0xHTHBsTnJ6dUhIUmxFem9ON2Nkak82U3dic3NtR0FiMlZNN1UzakVyNlZWcHZteFBqM3Z5WnVRWWc5NFZBZ3hnN2ZNZ0dXM3dnNThITkdMUWlrVlhyTU9McUNyUVRqZ0VIZ2FvUkFSWE92RQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F_TalkingTokens&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0]  Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa21BOHBTUF90bmJzNG5GWFY3aW9RNXlBLU9tUXxBQ3Jtc0trRVFXLTkzbGZtejhia1FoamJfaWNKdDF4aWZHaTRzUnBJWDJVODdaeWdTOTN3eUZnR3lpZlRidmRtcXh1dHdoNWhFUzNOcXA4cmd6U3MtdlJIVnBmRVoxQ0VsRWFOLUNEb3J4UzVyT3JBcXpPMVhkNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F_talkingtokens%2F&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0] Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.

29 de may de 202613 min
Portada del episodio USDT0's Co-Founder on Moving $90B Cross-Chain, the Agent Economy, and Tether's Untouchable Moat

USDT0's Co-Founder on Moving $90B Cross-Chain, the Agent Economy, and Tether's Untouchable Moat

On today's Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Lorenzo Romagnoli, co-founder of USDT0, a stablecoin protocol that has moved over $90 billion in USDT across 25+ blockchains since launching in January 2025. Lorenzo makes the case that stablecoins were not just built for Americans or Europeans but for people in emerging markets across Africa, Latin America, and Asia who needed a way out of crushing inflation, and explains why that's the core reason Tether's dominance is so hard to compete with. They also get into what it will actually take for AI agents to transact onchain at scale, and why Lorenzo believes the teams still building with true decentralization in mind are the ones worth watching. TIMESTAMPS  00:00 Introduction to USDT Zero and Its Founders 02:31 The Evolution of USDT and Decentralized Finance 05:36 Understanding the Mechanics of USDT Zero 08:33 User Behavior and Volume Trends 11:34 Tether's Role in the Global Financial Ecosystem 15:38 Targeting Emerging Markets with Stablecoins 18:45 The Competitive Landscape of Stablecoins 21:12 The Future of Stablecoins 24:05 Global Adoption and Use Cases 27:32 The Rise of USDT and Market Dynamics 30:11 Innovation and Staying Ahead 34:23 The Role of Decentralization in Finance 39:45 Advice for Future Innovators You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps.  Spotify: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbC1wRk0yX2xxZG1scWRlZFhHV3V3QkpWR0RJZ3xBQ3Jtc0treGFBUWVDRGYyYWN1UGprSjItckRKNnROZ2x4Sl8yNjZJWnV6SFBVaXMwb2RObm14MDRHUnpZUmFxcWZlbTBfVGtlelF5bl9ObzkxMGNiU1ZwWGJfYllwZFJhZmNxd0pTaklBLUZuaGZfUkVKRWNIRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ [https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ]  Apple Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDdpM0dxMUp3ZktXNm5tdWJscE5FbEw2ZnJsQXxBQ3Jtc0ttcnI3VHNVR0ctNXdobGZabVEtTE9aVW51OGJhcnZ0UFhmNmVCdHcyVHJQSi1SNGtUeU0xZnVqVUFlak9qaEdvcmRvXzRtWlpYSWpUZkNMZUpuQWZsS3ZWRW5ZelRvQWw4Y2xyYmxwMVdsd2toY3RWNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Ftalking-tokens%2Fid1743669141&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens [https://www.youtube.com/@TalkingTokens] Follow us on X Jacquelyn:   / jacqmelinek  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHUwcjYtUXBFODE0VHl6MU1lLVpQUWh0WWMzQXxBQ3Jtc0trQlJkaEg2ZGQwVkpWVFZwcDlsLWZNbW9iVXJuRWx4QVh1ckdVT00wZnZlbU1DU1BjdFRQaW51bkU4Z0ltMmZPZ1ZQdl9LTkM5RFQ5WUdNaGFQc0tJcWg4LXg5UlZ2bEtCS21xb3UtSlBBWjVkYW1KTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fjacqmelinek&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0]  Talking Tokens:   / _talkingtokens  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE0zMXV6bkd2SXdNWm5uZkh6UTB3cUNvYXFpQXxBQ3Jtc0tuS2NOM0xHTHBsTnJ6dUhIUmxFem9ON2Nkak82U3dic3NtR0FiMlZNN1UzakVyNlZWcHZteFBqM3Z5WnVRWWc5NFZBZ3hnN2ZNZ0dXM3dnNThITkdMUWlrVlhyTU9McUNyUVRqZ0VIZ2FvUkFSWE92RQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F_TalkingTokens&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0]  Follow us on Instagram   / _talkingtokens   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa21BOHBTUF90bmJzNG5GWFY3aW9RNXlBLU9tUXxBQ3Jtc0trRVFXLTkzbGZtejhia1FoamJfaWNKdDF4aWZHaTRzUnBJWDJVODdaeWdTOTN3eUZnR3lpZlRidmRtcXh1dHdoNWhFUzNOcXA4cmd6U3MtdlJIVnBmRVoxQ0VsRWFOLUNEb3J4UzVyT3JBcXpPMVhkNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F_talkingtokens%2F&v=bHnKqwU_Pm0] Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.

28 de may de 202642 min
Portada del episodio What You Need To Know About x402 And How It Impacts Payments | Erik Reppel

What You Need To Know About x402 And How It Impacts Payments | Erik Reppel

In this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Erik Reppel, head of engineering at Coinbase Developer Platform and creator of x402., They discuss why the internet struggled without a native payment protocol and why AI agents finally made the problem urgent enough to solve. Erik explains how x402 lets computers send money as easily as they send data, and why Visa, Mastercard, and others are all founding members of its x402 Foundation. He walks through why the 402 HTTP status code was reserved for "payment required" but left empty for decades, how publishers can now charge AI agents with micropayments instead of losing traffic to scraping, and why agents with wallets are fundamentally more useful than agents without them. The conversation covers why stablecoins are uniquely suited for low-dollar transactions, how Coinbase uses AI internally to make every engineer 3x more productive, and why the best infrastructure eventually becomes invisible. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro (01:25) Why AI becoming an economic actor made the internet's missing payment layer urgent (03:21) What x402 actually is (05:14) How x402 works like HTTP but for money and with any client, server, or payment (06:26) What Erik wants people to build with x402: new business models beyond ads and subscriptions (08:31) Who is already using x402: CoinGecko, Messari, a16z, and agent native publishers (09:56) Why the 402 status code sat empty for decades (11:15) Where x402 stands today: 15+ chains, stablecoins first, credit cards next (12:50) Why Visa and Mastercard joined the x402 Foundation (15:41) Biggest use cases right now (17:16) Are AI agents good traders? Why wallets for payments matter more than wallets for trading (19:17) What needs to happen for AI agents to participate more meaningfully onchain (21:44) Do AI agents understand value? Economic reasoning and budget awareness (23:22) Long-term vision for x402 (26:40) Final advice: play positive sum games with positive people ESSENTIALS You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ [https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141] Follow us on X Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek [https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek] Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens [https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens] Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/ [https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/] Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.

26 de may de 202629 min