Episode #25 Ramp Network ft. Przemek Kowalczyk

Episode #25 Ramp Network ft. Przemek Kowalczyk

In this episode of The New Money Podcast, host Ferdinand Dabitz and guest Przemek Kowalczyk (Co-founder and CEO of Ramp Network) discuss Przemek’s journey into the world of crypto, and the challenges of leading a growing fintech company. They explore Przemek’s historical development of crypto interest, the importance of local currencies, the regulatory landscape in Europe, and the future of consumer experiences in crypto applications. Przemek shares insights on product strategy, the role of stablecoins, and the impact of regulations like MiCA on the industry. Key Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:15 Przemek's Crypto Origin: Discovering Bitcoin and entering the space 02:58 Monetary Freedom: Why crypto gained traction in former Soviet countries 04:01 First Startup: Building a peer-to-peer lending network on Ethereum 05:39 Ramp Network: From early days to leading a global on-ramp company 08:41 Founder Mode: Building consumer-focused crypto products 11:52 Missing Infrastructure: Why local currency integration matters 14:17 CBDCs vs Stablecoins: How government digital money could change crypto 15:33 MiCA Regulation: Ramp Network securing a CASP license in Ireland 17:38 Market Outlook: Consumer UX, Bitcoin price and agentic finance 20:41 Quickfire Questions This is NOT financial, tax, or legal advice Music by Marcelo Cataldo - http://www.marcelocataldo.com

Episode #24 Deribit ft. Luuk Strijers

In this episode of The New Money Podcast, host Ferdinand Dabitz and guest Luuk Strijers discuss the recent acquisition of Deribit by Coinbase – the largest acquisition in crypto history. They discuss the implications for the cryptocurrency options market and the future of trading platforms. They explore the importance of product quality, liquidity, and capital efficiency in derivatives trading, as well as the regulatory landscape in Dubai and Europe. The conversation also touches on the challenges and opportunities presented by decentralized exchanges and the evolving crypto ecosystem. Key Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:22 The Largest Acquisition in Crypto History: Coinbase Acquires Deribit 03:31 Post-Merger Integration: What Happens to Deribit Now? 07:03 Why Coinbase Needs Deribit: Understanding the Crypto Derivatives Market 09:51 The Key Difference Between Retail and Institutional: Product Quality Matters 13:00 Increasing Customer Expectations: From a Working Website to Yields on Collateral 14:29 Decentralized Exchanges (DEX): KYC Challenges & Counterparty Risk 19:07 Dubai as a Crypto Hub: VARA License & Known Faces Around 23:26 Thoughts on Europe as a Crypto Hub: MiCA & Regulated Growth 25:16 Quickfire Questions This is NOT financial, tax, or legal adviceMusic by Marcelo Cataldo - http://www.marcelocataldo.com

Episode #23 OKX ft. Hong Fang

This episode of The New Money Podcast features Hong Fang, President of OKX, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges serving over 60 million users. Hong traces her path from Goldman Sachs into crypto and explains how Bitcoin and open, auditable infrastructure address TradFi’s opacity, credit dependence, and widening inequality. She details OKX’s rebrand and unified CeFi–DeFi strategy, including its expanding self-custody wallet, OKX Pay, and the Brazil-focused OKX Card, alongside licensing progress across key jurisdictions. The conversation explores how OKX builds trust through on-chain proof of reserves, multi-layered controls, and a local–global “team of teams” model, and why hiring for passion and a growth mindset remains central to the company’s culture. Hong concludes by emphasizing that entering crypto requires humility and curiosity in an industry where assumptions must constantly be challenged. Key Chapters 01:00 Hong joins to discuss OKX’s strategy 02:14 Hong recounts her path to crypto 04:52 The discussion examines TradFi’s opacity and incentives 12:49 OKX integrates CeFi and DeFi strategies 16:28 Product innovation bridges payments and self-custody 19:20 Hong outlines priorities and leadership philosophy 24:24 Local CEOs operate within global frameworks 27:05 Trust is earned through verifiable controls 29:50 Quickfire Insights on Fintech and Crypto Trends This is NOT financial, tax, or legal advice Music by Marcelo Cataldo - http://www.marcelocataldo.com

Episode #22 Coinbase ft. Daniel Seifert

This episode of The New Money Podcast features Daniel Seifert, Vice President and Regional Managing Director, EMEA, of Coinbase. Daniel shares his journey from traditional finance at McKinsey and UBS to leading one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges through turbulent times, joining just weeks before the FTX collapse. He reflects on stabilizing the organization, motivating teams amid market downturns, and driving Coinbase’s global expansion outside the U.S. The conversation explores Europe’s regulatory landscape, highlighting MiCAR as a global benchmark for crypto clarity while cautioning against stifling innovation. Daniel discusses stablecoins, the future of Euro-denominated assets, and the coexistence of private stablecoins and a digital euro. Other topics include Coinbase’s Crypto-as-a-Service partnership with Citi, the vision to bring one billion people on-chain, and why talent density and a mission-driven culture remain core to Coinbase’s success. Key Chapters 01:05 The host previews topics and welcomes Daniel 01:54 Joining before FTX and steering turbulence 04:55 Coinbase elevates hiring with talent density 06:52 MiCA gives Europe a regulatory edge 10:41 A career path from UBS to crypto 13:35 Digital euro versus private stablecoins 15:24 Europe builds euro stablecoins for markets 21:03 Institutions adopt crypto through partnerships 23:12 Better UX is essential for adoption 25:03 Quickfire Insights on Fintech and Crypto Trends This is NOT financial, tax, or legal advice Music by Marcelo Cataldo - http://www.marcelocataldo.com

Episode #21 Circle ft. Sanja Kon

This episode of The New Money Podcast features Sanja Kon, Vice President for EMEA at Circle, the company behind USDC and EURC stablecoins. Sanja shares how witnessing the collapse of financial systems during her early years sparked her curiosity about money and technology, leading her to work at PayPal, co-found a crypto-to-fiat payments startup, and ultimately scale stablecoin infrastructure at Circle. The discussion dives into Circle Payments Network, how its OFI/BFI model unlocks near-instant, transparent cross-border settlement, and why the network doesn’t require bilateral partner builds. Sanja also introduces Arc, Circle’s Layer 1 for stablecoin-native finance with predictable USDC gas fees and enterprise-grade functionality. They wrap up with insights on Circle’s partnership with Ivy, MiCA-driven adoption in Europe, and the growing role of EURC in global payments. Key Chapters 01:34 Sanja Kon shares her origin story 04:53 Early payments faced hurdles, and early adopters emerged 06:40 Circle broadens use cases beyond checkout 08:06 Circle Payments Network streamlines cross-border settlements 10:45 A stablecoin sandwich powers near-instant settlement 12:48 One integration unlocks many payout corridors 14:10 Arc as a new ‘Economic OS’ for the Internet 16:23 Ivy partnership enables seamless bank to USDC 18:43 MiCA fuels European adoption and new use cases 23:08 Quickfire Insights on Fintech and Crypto Trends This is NOT financial, tax, or legal advice Music by Marcelo Cataldo - http://www.marcelocataldo.com [http://www.marcelocataldo.com/]