Episode 400 Jubilee: Our 7-Year Journey and Live Insights from PZF 2026

Episode 400 Jubilee: Our 7-Year Journey and Live Insights from PZF 2026

Seven years, 400 hours, and 15 voices from Point Zero Forum on what comes next. 400 episodes. Seven years. One podcast tracking the transformation of money from the front row. In this milestone episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, Michael Blaschke, Manuel Klein, Jonas Gross, Stefan Grasmann and Jonathan Knoll look back on a journey that began in 2019 as a German-language experiment and evolved into a global platform for digital money, tokenization, institutional DLT and the architecture of finance. The team reflects on the guests, debates and turning points that shaped BFRR: from Libra and the rise of CBDCs to MiCA, stablecoins, tokenized deposits, DeFi and the move from experimentation toward institutional adoption. They revisit memorable conversations, discuss what they got right—and where timing proved harder to predict—and share what seven years of weekly publishing have taught them about technology, regulation and financial infrastructure. The second half takes listeners to the Point Zero Forum 2026 in Zurich, where BFRR served as an official media partner. The team shares its takeaways and brings together voices from finance, technology and policy around three questions: What was the most important idea at the conference? What surprised people or changed their minds? And what crucial topic is still missing from the conversation? The answers reveal an industry entering a new phase. Interoperability is increasingly a governance challenge, not merely a technical one. Stablecoins, tokenized deposits and central bank money may coexist rather than compete. Agentic payments are raising urgent questions around liability and identity. Post-quantum security is moving from a distant concern to a concrete deadline. Across the board, the focus is shifting from proofs of concept to production, scale and real economic use cases. Episode 400 is both a celebration and a reality check: progress has been slower than many expected, but the direction of travel is clearer than ever. The debate is no longer whether institutions will adopt digital assets and DLT, but how fast, on which infrastructure and under whose rules. Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website [https://www.bfrr.de/] Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Telegram Channel [https://t.me/+jA3nMkERPtc5YjQ0] Inside the ECB’ s Digital Euro Project and Stablecoins with Ulrich Bindseil [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2zT2BiUAb01rWKcJDHeeP3?si=gs1MR_5iRmGbsVtZ4TLy2w] From Libra to Legitimacy: Circle’s Stablecoin R(e)volution [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cTAqQGmTUVZlsAHZtjzeU?si=Emd1shxHRl-MRTR5hJyD3w] From Citi Bank to Stablecoins: Tony McLaughlin's Bold Pivot [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yhY39wD9cXQL31ZJt1ewH?si=WywzGN_zT4ug2BjkTMrRBw] Reclaiming Digital Sovereignty in Europe - and the Role of the Digital Euro [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3bJwyxoVsrRhZregjiiOTT?si=DnCpM_14S0arPmhysRS8CQ] Permissionless blockchains for financial services [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rPtrXHR9buM0PqRngdV73?si=oouli3ygRD-jaJReehURqw] A journey through the era of digital money with Rod Garratt [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2oZnoTBXlvypr1L8R0LSwT?si=zo0AdYtTRV2yy7y9r0rZ-Q] [US vs EU: The Stablecoin Policy Divide]x(https://open.spotify.com/episode/7D5r1pOxLf31tQDocCiTQi?si=kEZ1yZ7IRIm-bZWh0dx3LA) [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7D5r1pOxLf31tQDocCiTQi?si=kEZ1yZ7IRIm-bZWh0dx3LA]) ---------------------------------------- Relai*: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here [https://relai.ch/rock/]. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll. Value4Value Podcast Streaming: Support our podcast by listening to our episodes on the Fountain Podcast App. This way, if you wish, you can support us "Value4Value" while listening to the podcast. You can find us on the Fountain Podcast App here: Click here [https://fountain.fm/show/wNv0vSPWzu8Gh7bZTorB] Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here [https://www.bfrr.de/disclaimer/] ---------------------------------------- All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!

Saylor Sells and Transatlantic Money Showdown | Monthly Briefing

A deep dive into June's most relevant developments in institutional digital money and DLT. In this BFRR monthly briefing episode, Michael Blaschke and Manuel Klein look back at a brutal June for crypto markets and a surprisingly active month for institutional DLT, stablecoins and digital money. Bitcoin and Ethereum both ended deep in the red, the total crypto market cap fell sharply, and the hosts ask whether the sell-off is a bear-market signal, a liquidity stress alarm, or evidence that capital is rotating toward AI. They also unpack Michael Saylor’s symbolic sale of 32 Bitcoin, Jack Mallers’ “smoke alarm” thesis, BlackRock’s $9 trillion cash-on-the-sidelines argument and Vitalik Buterin’s push to make privacy a native Ethereum property. The episode then moves from markets to infrastructure. Stellar’s strategic investment in Frankfurt-based Cashlink highlights how regulated tokenized securities infrastructure is becoming a scarce and valuable asset in Europe. Digital Asset’s major funding round for Canton shows that banks, market infrastructures and crypto investors are converging around privacy-first networks for institutional adoption. On the money side, stablecoins continue their march into mainstream finance. MoneyGram launches MGUSD on Stellar for remittances, Italy’s Bancomat prepares a bank-backed euro stablecoin, Mastercard expands stablecoin settlement for card transactions, and reports suggest Mastercard, Stripe, Visa and Coinbase may be exploring a new stablecoin platform. The Clearing House’s tokenized deposit plans and the progress of mBridge add another layer to the race between private money, commercial bank money and central bank money. Finally, the hosts examine the widening transatlantic divide in regulation. In Europe, the ECB, European Commission, EBA and Bank of England sharpen their frameworks around stablecoins, MiCA and public settlement money. In the United States, Congress moves against a retail CBDC while policymakers increasingly frame dollar stablecoins as a tool of monetary power. The episode closes with knowledge bites on stablecoin transaction data and a critical German debate on the digital euro. Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website [https://www.bfrr.de/] Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Telegram Channel [https://t.me/+jA3nMkERPtc5YjQ0] Knowledge Bite Michael: German Podcast Episode 385 of Daniel Stelter’s Beyond the Obvious: “Einfach überflüssig: der digitale Euro" [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3eCg08hV5sgYQzt424Njfh] KNOWLEDGE BITE MANUEL: BIS WORKING PAPER: SCHÄR ET AL., THE ANATOMY OF STABLECOIN TRANSACTIONS [https://www.bis.org/publ/work1359.htm] Relai*: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here [https://relai.ch/rock/]. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll. Value4Value Podcast Streaming: Support our podcast by listening to our episodes on the Fountain Podcast App. This way, if you wish, you can support us "Value4Value" while listening to the podcast. You can find us on the Fountain Podcast App here: Click here [https://fountain.fm/show/wNv0vSPWzu8Gh7bZTorB] Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here [https://www.bfrr.de/disclaimer/] ---------------------------------------- All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!

From Libra to AGI: Christian Catalini on the Future of Money

Libra learnings, Bitcoin, Stablecoins, AI agents and the next financial infrastructure In this episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, co-host Jonas Gross and guest host Jonathan Knoll welcome Christian Catalini, one of the key architects behind Facebook’s Libra project, former head economist at Meta, co-founder of Lightspark, founder of the MIT Crypto Economics Lab, and one of the most influential voices at the intersection of digital money, stablecoins, Bitcoin, and artificial intelligence. The conversation begins with Libra: why it was built, why it failed, and why many of its core ideas are now resurfacing in today’s stablecoin regulation and infrastructure debates. Catalini reflects candidly on the project’s ambitions, its mistakes, its regulatory battles, and its lasting influence on frameworks such as the Genius Act. What looked premature in 2019 may now be becoming the foundation for the next phase of financial infrastructure. From there, the discussion turns to the rapidly changing stablecoin landscape. Catalini explains why banks, payment networks, fintechs, and crypto-native companies are moving toward tokenized deposits, neutral stablecoin networks, and interoperable payment rails. The episode explores the role of the US dollar, the future of euro stablecoins, Europe’s regulatory challenges under MiCA, and why open, programmable infrastructure could reshape global payments. The second half of the episode moves into AI and AGI. Drawing on his recent work on the economics of AGI, Catalini introduces the idea of verification as the central bottleneck in an economy where machines can generate endless output but humans still need to judge quality, safety, and trustworthiness. The conversation covers the future of junior jobs, education, financial services, AI agents, and why the next wave of innovation may depend on combining human judgment with increasingly powerful machine capabilities. Finally, the episode returns to Bitcoin and open networks. Catalini shares his view on Bitcoin’s role as infrastructure, the risks of quantum computing, and why the original crypto vision of openness and interoperability still matters. A wide-ranging conversation on Libra’s legacy, stablecoins, AI, Bitcoin, and the future architecture of money. May News Episode on Stablecoins in Europe: [https://bfrr.info/stablecoins-in-europe-consortia-bulls-vs-central-bank-bears-monthly-briefing] Christian Catalini LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccatalini/] Full paper “Some simple economics of AGI” [https://arxiv.org/pdf/2602.20946] Summary “Some simple economics of AGI” [https://x.com/ccatalini/status/2026311784421036223?s=20] Forbes Article “Babysitting the Slop” [https://www.forbes.com/sites/christiancatalini/2026/03/18/babysitting-the-slop/] Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website [https://www.bfrr.de/] Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Telegram Channel [https://t.me/+jA3nMkERPtc5YjQ0] ---------------------------------------- Point Zero Forum*: Join us in Zurich on 23–25 June 2026 at the Point Zero Forum, the annual gathering of 2,000+ policymakers, central bankers, regulators, and industry leaders at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy: Click here [https://registration.pointzeroforum.com/2026/register?ref=BFRR2026&code=BFRR2026&c_7164712=41966045®_type_id=1063177]. Use the code "BFRR2026" to get 30% off the full-price Industry Pass. BFRR is proud media partner of the event. Relai*: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here [https://relai.ch/rock/]. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll. Value4Value Podcast Streaming: Support our podcast by listening to our episodes on the Fountain Podcast App. This way, if you wish, you can support us "Value4Value" while listening to the podcast. You can find us on the Fountain Podcast App here: Click here [https://fountain.fm/show/wNv0vSPWzu8Gh7bZTorB] Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here [https://www.bfrr.de/disclaimer/] ---------------------------------------- All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!

Building the Bridge: How Public-Private Dialogue Shapes Financial Architecture

GFTN’s Pat Patel on convening regulators, banks, and innovators to turn pilots into production-ready financial architecture. What happens when the next generation of financial infrastructure is shaped not by a single technology, but by the convergence of stablecoins, tokenization, artificial intelligence and, eventually, quantum computing? In this episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll, Michael Blaschke and Stefan Grasmann speak with Pat Patel, CEO of the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), about the forces rewiring global finance. Patel’s career has taken him from building the UK’s Faster Payments infrastructure at VocaLink to launching Money20/20 Europe, joining the Monetary Authority of Singapore and developing platforms for public-private dialogue. Today, he is a key figure behind the Singapore FinTech Festival and the Point Zero Forum in Zurich. The conversation explores why successful innovation depends on more than good technology. Timing, capital, regulation and the ability to translate between central banks, commercial banks, fintechs, crypto-native firms and software companies all play a role. Patel explains why the next technology cycle will be defined by AI, tokenization and quantum, and why their interplay could transform the architecture of financial services rather than simply add another layer to existing systems. The episode also examines the shifting stablecoin landscape. The United States is setting the pace, Europe is debating sovereignty, African markets are exploring local stablecoin models and regulators worldwide are confronting questions around cross-border corridors, reserves and interoperability. The discussion then turns to agentic finance: a future in which AI agents initiate transactions, manage workflows and interact with digital money under rules that are still being written. Ahead of the Point Zero Forum 2026, Patel shares what policymakers and industry leaders need to debate now: how different forms of digital money can coexist, how regulation can move from products to activities and how global finance can become more interoperable without creating new walled gardens. Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website [https://www.bfrr.de/] Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Telegram Channel [https://t.me/+jA3nMkERPtc5YjQ0] Pat Patel on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-patel-elevandi/] Michael Blaschke on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-michael-r-blaschke] Stefan Grasmann on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgrasmann/] ---------------------------------------- Point Zero Forum: Join us in Zurich on 23–25 June 2026 at the Point Zero Forum, the annual gathering of 2,000+ policymakers, central bankers, regulators, and industry leaders at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy: Click here [https://registration.pointzeroforum.com/2026/register?ref=BFRR2026&code=BFRR2026&c_7164712=41966045®_type_id=1063177]. Use the code "BFRR2026" to get 30% off the full-price Industry Pass. BFRR is proud media partner of the event. Relai: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here [https://relai.ch/rock/]. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll. Value4Value Podcast Streaming: Support our podcast by listening to our episodes on the Fountain Podcast App. This way, if you wish, you can support us "Value4Value" while listening to the podcast. You can find us on the Fountain Podcast App here: Click here [https://fountain.fm/show/wNv0vSPWzu8Gh7bZTorB] Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here [https://www.bfrr.de/disclaimer/] ---------------------------------------- All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!

From PayPal to Stellar: The Journey of Jose Fernandez da Ponte

Stablecoins, tokenization, agentic payments and the future of financial infrastructure on Stellar Stablecoins are moving beyond crypto markets and becoming part of the financial system’s core infrastructure. In this episode of BFRR’s Digital Money Interview Series, co-host Jonas Gross and guest host Jonathan Knoll speak with José Fernández da Ponte, President and Chief Growth Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation and former Head of Blockchain and Digital Currencies at PayPal. Drawing on two decades in payments, banking and fintech, José explains why blockchain technology could reshape financial rails that still rely on decades-old systems. He describes blockchains as “Linux for payments”: open-source, permissionless infrastructure on which institutions, developers and fintech companies can build new products step by step. The conversation explores why stablecoins are gaining momentum now, from regulatory clarity and institutional confidence to emerging use cases in cross-border payments, treasury, payroll and commerce. José also discusses tokenized real-world assets and the shift in institutional conversations: the question is no longer whether assets such as money market funds can be tokenized, but how they can be distributed, used as collateral and integrated into markets. A major focus is Stellar’s role in institutional finance, including the announcement that DTCC plans to make tokenized assets available on Stellar. José explains what institutions look for in a blockchain: speed, liquidity, uptime, compliance tooling, risk controls and openness. The discussion then turns to agentic commerce. As AI agents begin to transact at machine speed, payment systems may need to support micropayments, streaming payments and higher transaction volumes. Finally, José outlines why privacy will be essential for on-chain payments and how configurable privacy, confidential tokens and selective disclosure could reconcile transparency with compliance. A conversation about rebuilding financial infrastructure from first principles — and why the future of money may depend on open, institutional-grade networks. Jose Fernandez da Ponte LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-fernandez-da-ponte-a46ba81/] DTCC & Stellar Announcement [https://stellar.org/case-studies/dtcc] Stellar Q1 2026 Report [https://stellar.org/blog/foundation-news/q1-2026-execution-at-network-scale] Stellar Website [https://stellar.org/] Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Website [https://www.bfrr.de/] Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll Telegram Channel [https://t.me/+jA3nMkERPtc5YjQ0] ---------------------------------------- Point Zero Forum: Join us in Zurich on 23–25 June 2026 at the Point Zero Forum, the annual gathering of 2,000+ policymakers, central bankers, regulators, and industry leaders at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy: Click here [https://registration.pointzeroforum.com/2026/register?ref=BFRR2026&code=BFRR2026&c_7164712=41966045®_type_id=1063177]. Use the code "BFRR2026" to get 30% off the full-price Industry Pass. BFRR is proud media partner of the event. Relai: Buy Bitcoin with Relai—you can do a one-time purchase or savings plan: Click here [https://relai.ch/rock/]. Use the referral code "ROCK" to reduce transaction fees by 0.1% while supporting Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll. Value4Value Podcast Streaming: Support our podcast by listening to our episodes on the Fountain Podcast App. This way, if you wish, you can support us "Value4Value" while listening to the podcast. You can find us on the Fountain Podcast App here: Click here [https://fountain.fm/show/wNv0vSPWzu8Gh7bZTorB] Disclaimer: The content of this podcast reflects the private opinions of the hosts, serves exclusively for general information purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Always remember: Do your own research—inform yourself before making any investment decisions, such as buying Bitcoin. First try to understand what Bitcoin is and how to store it. This podcast does not provide financial advice. Note that the co-hosts might be invested in crypto assets. Read more on our website: Click here [https://www.bfrr.de/disclaimer/] ---------------------------------------- All links marked with "*" are affiliate links. If you use these links for purchase, the podcast receives a small share of the revenue without any additional costs to you. On the contrary, affiliate links often include discount promotions, so you can even save money. We would appreciate it if you use these links to support us. Thank you very much!