Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock'n'Roll
Digital currencies are here to stay. In this podcast, we dive into the world of the new money, exploring Bitcoin, stablecoins, central bank digital currencies, and many other innovations in the realm of digital currencies. The hosts share their perspectives on the future of money and the impact of these technologies on society and finance.
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Money Is Power, and Power Is Shifting: Marieke Flament on the Great Monetary Reset
Who actually holds power in the global financial system, and how is digital money quietly rewiring it? To find out, Stefan sits down with Marieke Flament, an independent board director, strategic advisor and co-author of Currency of Power, who has had a front-row seat to almost every chapter of money's transformation.
She was Managing Director for Europe at Circle, the company behind the USDC st
Agentic Payments: When Is a Payment (Un)Authorized?
Co-host Michael Blaschke’s solo stocktake after Sonja Davidovic (IMF) and Peter Grosskopf (AllUnity). Where stablecoins win, where cards keep chargebacks, and why PSD2 can’t tell you if your agent’s payment was authorized.
Commercial Bank Money Tokens: The Missing Piece of the Tokenized Economy?
What are commercial bank money tokens, and why do corporates need them? Manfred Richels and Tim Bailey explain how CBMTs work and where they fit alongside stablecoins and CBDCs.
Tether, Revolut Stablecoin, and the Custody Wars | Monthly Briefing
Bitcoin rallied 25%, a hardware wallet flaw shook self-custody, and Citi entered crypto custody. A fast recap of August’s biggest moves in Bitcoin, stablecoins, and digital money.
Stablecoins & Agentic Payments: Peter Grosskopf of AllUnity
AllUnity’s Peter Grosskopf joins us on agentic payments. From launching a euro stablecoin (plus Swiss franc and Swedish krona) to real-world use cases, hear where machine-driven payments are heading.
Agents Propose, Humans Approve: Ledger's Kasper Luyckx on Custody After Coldcard
Every crypto holder relies on one thing and rarely thinks about it until it fails: how the keys are kept safe. Just days after the Coldcard hack drained over $100 million from users who appeared to do everything right, Ledger's Head of EMEA Kasper Luyckx joins Stefan to explain what really keeps digital assets safe, from hardware signers to bank-grade HSMs.
Kasper, who has seen custody from both
How Agentic AI Will Reshape Payments: An Introduction
What are agentic payments, and how will they change payments? Sonja Davidovic explains the architecture, opportunities and challenges of AI agents initiating payments on our behalf.
OpenUSD, Swift Ledger, Agorá: Who Wins Settlement? | Monthly Briefing
OUSD launches with 140 firms, Swift’s ledger pilots with 17 banks, Circle gets a US bank charter, and the Digital Euro enters trilogue. July 2026 in full.
Europe’s Neutral Layer Goes Live: RL1’s Inaugural Week with SWIAT CTO Ivica Aračić
RL1 goes live. SWIAT CTO Ivica Aračić on building a neutral cooperative platform where assets, services, and central bank money finally meet—and why Canton is the real rival.
From MiCA to GENIUS: Joey Garcia on the Global Stablecoin Race & Bitcoin Banking
Joey Garcia discusses Libra's legacy, OpenUSD and why stablecoin regulation is evolving differently around the world. A global perspective spanning MiCA, the GENIUS Act and beyond.
We Won. Now What? Fireblocks' Goldi On Stablecoins' Next Phase
Fireblock’s Ran (Goldi) Goldshtein explains why the blockchain and crypto space has "won", what comes next with the OpenUSD stablecoin consortium, and how AI agents could reshape the future of payments and financial infrastructure
Episode 400 Jubilee: Our 7-Year Journey and Live Insights from PZF 2026
BFRR hits 400 episodes. The team reflects on seven years covering institutional DLT, then shares hot takes from 15 guests at PZF 2026 on governance, stablecoins, and monetary sovereignty.
Saylor Sells and Transatlantic Money Showdown | Monthly Briefing
June was brutal for crypto, yet the real story sits underneath: Saylor selling, Vitalik's privacy pivot, Stablecoin projects continue, and a sharpening transatlantic split over who anchors tokenized money.
From Libra to AGI: Christian Catalini on the Future of Money
Libra architect Christian Catalini discusses stablecoins, AI agents, the role of Bitcoin and why the future of money may be built on open networks, leveraging programmability and open standards.
Building the Bridge: How Public-Private Dialogue Shapes Financial Architecture
GFTN’s Pat Patel on building Point Zero Forum, the future of stablecoins and agentic AI, and why coexistence beats winner-takes-all in the next wave of digital money.
From PayPal to Stellar: The Journey of Jose Fernandez da Ponte
Why would PayPal's former Head of Crypto join Stellar? José Fernández da Ponte explains why stablecoins, tokenization and open blockchain infrastructure are reaching a tipping point.
Stablecoins in Europe: Consortia Bulls vs. Central Bank Bears | Monthly Briefing
Stablecoins took over May. We unpack Kivalis’ 25-bank expansion, AllUnity’s agentic payments, Lagarde’s bearish take, the MiCA review, and the Clarity Act’s path through the Senate.
The Convergence of Capital Markets and Blockchain
Clearstream’s Thilo Derenbach explains how Deutsche Börse is building hybrid market infrastructure for tokenised securities, digital assets and collateral mobility.
From Libra to Legitimacy: Circle's Stablecoin R(e)volution
Circle’s Dante Disparte on regulatory wins, its own Arc blockchain, agentic payments and tokenized money's place in the global financial system.
How Europe Is Rewriting Financial Rules for DLT: MISP overview
Anika Patz, Partner at lawfirm YPOG, provides an overview of Europe’s Market Integration and Supervision Package (MISP) that will significantly change European financial market regulation and embed DLT.
Satoshi Unmasked, Bhutan's Bitcoin Exit & Europe's Stablecoin Push | Monthly Briefing
Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? The New York Times suggests a new candidate—but does it matter? Plus: stablecoins gain traction in Europe, and Bhutan sells most of its Bitcoin.
From Crypto Access to Institutional Operating System
Thomas Langbein, Chief Commercial Officer at Trever, explains why digital asset adoption in banking is shifting from experimentation to operationalisation—and why infrastructure is becoming the real bottleneck. He shares how Trever’s “digital asset operating system” helps banks integrate trading, custody, settlement, and compliance into one coherent setup across crypto, stablecoins, and tokenised
State of Stablecoins 2026: Architecture, Power, and Risk
Michael unpacks his new FERI study on stablecoins: the two-pillar model, dollar dominance by design, MiCAR vs. GENIUS Act, reserve risks, and why agentic AI changes everything for institutions.
From BIS Payments Innovation to GFTN Impact Globally
Maha El Dimachki provides an overview of the BIS innovation hub projects she has worked on as the leader of the Singapore Hub: Nexus, Mandala, Rialto. The Episode continues to explore GFTN Solution’s mission.
Crossing the Chasm: How Architecture Unlocks Stablecoin Adoption
SAP’s Stefan Arnold and Michael Blaschke on why IT architecture is stablecoin adoption’s missing link. ERP integration, custody, and compliance — how enterprises cross the chasm of digital payments.
Stablecoins, Tokenized Deposits, and the Race for Institutional Rails | Monthly Briefing
Listen to a recap and an interpretation of the most relevant news of March 2026 in worldwide stablecoin and DLT adoption in capital markets and the recent partnerships and acquisition of Börse Stuttgart.
The Shopify Moment for Tokenisation?
Tokenforge is rethinking tokenisation by shifting it from bespoke, complex financial engineering to a scalable, product-driven experience — more akin to e-commerce than traditional capital markets. In this episode, we explore how this approach changes issuance, distribution, and cost, and why launching the TKFG token may signal a new, more crypto-native path to scale.
From TARGET to Tokenization: Jochen Metzger’s journey through European settlement systems
Explore Europe's financial system transformation through TARGET2 and T2S, revealing central banks' roles in harmonizing payments and securities and hear why DLT can be the next evolution in financial infrastructure.
Stablecoin Sandwich: Reinventing Cross-Border Money Movement
Cross-border payments remain slow and opaque. Milind Sanghavi, CEO and Co-Founder of XWeave explains how stablecoins and “Web2.5” infrastructure enable faster, cheaper, regulation-first global money movement.
Stablecoins, Tokenized Deposits & DeFi: TradFi Moves On-Chain | Monthly Briefing
February highlights traditional finance going on-chain: ECB accepts tokenized securities, BlackRock’s BUIDL trades via Uniswap, and stablecoins gain momentum - alongside tokenized deposits. Plus crypto earnings and the digital euro debate.
The Layer Below the Coin: Architecting a Stablecoin (with AllUnity-CFO/CPO Simon Seiter)
AllUnity’s Simon Seiter unpacks the full stack behind institutional stablecoins—from STP minting to reserve management. His message to banks: without wallet infrastructure, you’re already years behind.
The Architecture of Money
The IMF asks: what is the TCP/IP of digital assets? We unpack why architecture beats technology, open beats closed, and standards beat platforms in the race to rebuild global finance.
How stablecoins can become the backbone of our financial system
Stablecoins are moving from crypto hype to payment backbone. Geetha Panchapakesan (ex- PayPal, -Visa, -Moneygram, -Circle) explains why banks, payment service providers, and regulators now see them as the future rail for cross-border money movement.
Digital Money: One World, Three Strategies | Monthly Briefing
January marked a turning point for tokenization platforms, with three major launches in a single week. At the same time, the industry pushed back against the Clarity Act, while global CBDC strategies diverge further.
Running Stablecoins at Scale - with Max von Wallenberg from MoonPay
In this episode of BFRR, Stefan Grasmann speaks with Max von Wallenberg (IRON by MoonPay) about what it really takes to run stablecoins at scale — from hidden banking infrastructure and operational complexity to where power and responsibility accumulate in digital money.
Industry Expert Outlooks for 2026 with Blockstories
We discuss the Blockstories report, which presents 25 expert outlooks for 2026, offering insights into tokenization, digital money, and infrastructure from prominent representatives across the digital asset sector.
Gold meets Code: Tokenizing Gold for the Digital Age
Kurt Hemecker explains how tokenized gold and the DGLD product creates trust, redemption possibilities, and yield—entering a new era for stablecoins.
Our 2026 Predictions: A Year for Building
Will stablecoins face bans, or reshape EU digital sovereignty? Plus: $50B+ ETF flows and Bitcoin at $180k?! The BFRR team delivers bold, measurable predictions for 2026.
EU Goes All-In, Stablecoins Scale, Equities Tokenize | News
Banks issue stablecoins, JP Morgan chooses Solana, tokenized stocks enter DeFi, Europe removes DLT caps—December 2025 closed the year institutional blockchain crossed from experimentation to scale.
Our 2025 Recap: What We Did (Not) See Coming
We are revisiting the major developments of the year 2025 and evaluate our predictions for the year. Tune in for a recap and find out who had the best predictions for 2025.
Reclaiming Digital Sovereignty in Europe - and the Role of the Digital Euro
We discuss with Alexandra Hachmeister, Director General Digital Euro at Deutsche Bundesbank, how Europe can reclaim digital sovereignty and what the role of the Digital Euro could be.
Selling Picks and Shovels in the Stablecoin Gold Rush
Marcus Mølleskov, CRCO at Januar, reveals how his dual-licensed fintech provides banking infrastructure to crypto SMEs rejected by traditional banks across Europe.
Stablecoins Everywhere - While European Parliament Rethinks the Digital Euro | News
Stablecoins stay in spotlight, tokenized deposits gained momentum, and EU politicians called for a strategic rethink of the digital euro.
Bitcoin Mining as Critical Energy Infrastructure in Europe
Dr. Harald Rauter, Chief Growth Officer at 21energy, and co-host Dr. Michael Blaschke reveal how modular Bitcoin mining provides grid stability, multiple revenue streams, and energy sovereignty.
Why 9 European Banks Are Launching Their Own Stablecoin
Jan Lebbe and Floris Lugt share how nine leading European banks are joining forces to launch a regulated Euro stablecoin. They discuss the consortium’s approach to licensing, and cross-border collaboration.
The Architecture of Stablecoin Issuers with Galaxy’s Thomas Cowan
Thomas Cowan, Head of Tokenization at Galaxy, and co-host Michael Blaschke reveal how stablecoin issuers survive institutional scrutiny through four architectural layers from operating model to infrastructure.
21X Journey: Transforming Capital Markets with Blockchain
Max (CEO) and Victoria (Reg. Affairs Head) of 21X take us on the journey of 21X – the first regulated trading and settlement system (TSS) for tokenized securities in Europe under the DLT Pilot Regime.
When Banks and Nations Enter the Digital Money Arena | News
October saw key moves in institutional blockchain and geopolitics – from Luxembourg’s BTC investment to Swift’s shared ledger, Europe’s RL1, and China’s stablecoin moves.
Architecting DLT Financial Infrastructures with SWIAT-CTO Ivica Aračić
SWIAT-CTO Ivica Aračić maps the as-is and to-be architecture of DLT-based financial market infrastructure using the IMF’s ASAP framework—revealing what works, what’s missing, and how Europe moves from pilots to production.
National digital currencies in practice
Tristan Thoma discusses the role of blockchain and national digital currencies in driving financial inclusion, economic resilience, and innovation. Drawing on real-world insights from El Salvador and Bolivia, he explains how tokenization and smart regulation can empower countries and their people.
A journey through the era of digital money with Rod Garratt
Manuel and Rod Garratt explore CBDCs, stablecoins, and tokenized deposits—covering privacy, politics, and the future of payments from Rod’s journey at the NY Fed to global digital money innovation.
Stablecoin focused payment infrastructure developments | News
September was full of news around stablecoins and blockchain and payments infrastructure – new collaborations and ecosystems emerge around Tether, Circle, Stripe and Coinbase with a focus on payments use cases.
Stablecoins and the singleness of money with Rhys Bidder
Rhys Bidder is a prominent academic voice on stablecoins. We discuss what sets stablecoins apart from other forms of money and why he thinks they could play a key role in the future of money and payments.
Building the Bridge: AMINA Bank’s Architecture for Crypto-TradFi Integration
Myles Harrison, CPO at AMINA Bank, reveals the three-layer architecture powering Switzerland's fastest-growing crypto bank and their proven approach to bridging traditional finance with 24/7 crypto operations.
From Ordinary to Crypto Millionaire: The Sociology of Digital Wealth
We dive into Juan Guse’s fascinating book profiling four ordinary men who became crypto millionaires. A sociological look at sudden wealth, class mobility, and the human side of digital money.
Bullish sentiment: Yet another stablecoin? | News
New players entering the stablecoin space, but does it really need further stablecoins? And: US (again) with massive news on crypto adoption – and privacy
From BitMEX to AllUnity: Why Alex Höptner is Building Europe’s Stablecoin
Alex Höptner, CEO at AllUnity, about his past as CEO at traditional- and crypto exchanges and the plans of AllUnity, the first German BaFin regulated Euro Stablecoin
Fighting Bitcoin Fraud: Insights from 21bitcoin’s CEO
21bitcoin CEO Daniel Winkelhammer reveals shocking fraud cases, protective measures, and why Bitcoin-only businesses have security advantages in today’s evolving threat landscape.
Germany's Security Token Issuances & Deka’s Digital Asset Monitor
Another half a year of security token issuances in Germany has passed. Marion, Benjamin and Manuel discuss latest developments and market dynamics that are described in the Digital Asset Monitor.
Bullish sentiment: ETH, Coinbase, Genius, and more | News
Not only the crypto prices show a positive momentum, also regulators and crypto companies are making significant progess. All relevant developments of the last month in today’s news episode!
Genius vs MiCAR and what it means for Europe
Via the Genius Act, the USA has created a regulatory framework for stablecoins. We take a close look at the differences between Genius and MiCAR and analyze the implications for Europe.
The Evolution of Digital Currencies
Industry leaders reveal how traditional banks are integrating DLT, why stablecoins are disrupting trillion-dollar markets, and which regions are winning the digital asset race.
CBDCs at the Crossroads with John Kiff
John Kiff, former IMF expert and global CBDC thought leader, discusses wholesale and retail CBDCs, implementation challenges, and why some projects fail. He envisions a future where well-regulated stablecoins backed by central bank money drive innovation.
Inside the ECB's Digital Euro Project and Stablecoins with Ulrich Bindseil
Ulrich Bindseil, Former Director General for Market Infrastructures and Payments of the European Central Bank (ECB), discusses the Digital Euro project and his perspective on euro stablecoins
US Senate Passes GENIUS Act | News
The US Senate passes landmark GENIUS Act for stablecoins while Circle’s IPO surges 400% and JP Morgan launches JPMD tokens. We debate stablecoin policy divides between US expansion and EU containment.
Digital Fiat That Never Sleeps: Stablecoin Developments in Payment
Explore how stablecoins enable 24/7 settlement, digital fiat on public blockchains, and new payment rails. Manuel breaks down what they are, regulation, use cases, and hurdles for adoption
Digital Freedom, Privacy & Innovation: A Conversation with Joachim Schwerin
Joachim Schwerin, principal economist at the European Commission, discusses the Digital Freedom Declaration and the need to protect developer rights in blockchain innovation. He shares insights on privacy, regulation, and digital freedom.
The Future of DeFi: AI-Powered Hypercustomized Crypto Yields
We explore AI-enabled DeFi with Obligate CEO Matthias Wyss, covering why sophisticated yields are now accessible to smaller investors and how AI bridges TradFi gaps.
Stablecoin and Real World Tokenization Adoption Accelerates | News
Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe go all in on stablecoins – what does this mean for the market and global stablecoin adoption? And: novel tokenization marketplace launched.
From Citi Bank to Stablecoins: Tony McLaughlin’s Bold Pivot
In this episode, Manuel and Stefan talk to Tony McLaughlin who spent his career in Payments at Citi Bank, developed the concept of the regulated liability Network and who shifted his focus to Stablecoins in 2025
Quo Vadis Bitcoin (with Co-Pierre Georg)
In this episode, Jonas and Alex discuss with Co-Pierre Georg, Director of the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center, the role that academia should play in crypto – and how theory and practice can be aligned
US vs EU: The Stablecoin Policy Divide
Jón Egilsson explains how Trump's embrace of stablecoins as tools for dollar dominance contrasts with Europe's defensive MiCA framework, creating a regulatory divergence with global implications for financial sovereignty.
Stablecoins Reshape Global Finance: Circle IPO, PYUSD Rewards & ECB Panic | News
Circle’s IPO reveals stablecoin economics while PayPal offers 3.7% on PYUSD and European authorities clash over dollar stablecoin dominance. The digital currency race accelerates globally.
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: Genius Move or Costly Mistake?
In this episode, Jonas and Alex thoroughly assess the advantages and disadvantages of a national Bitcoin reserve and share our recommendation.
Permissionless blockchains for financial services
Brief description of episode (2-3 sentences, max 205 characters inkl. Space!)
In this episode, we speak with Prof. Fabian Schär, a leading expert in blockchain technology and decentralized finance. We explore the usability of permissionless blockchains for financial services.
DeFi and DAO Research with Dan Liebau
In this episode, Stefan and Manuel talk to Daniel Liebau who combines a practitioners view with academic research in DeFi applications and about Decentralized Autonomous Organisations (DAOs).
BX Digital’s FINMA Win with CEO Lidia Kurt
Join Michael Blaschke in conversation with Lidia Kurt, CEO of newly FINMA-approved BX Digital. Discover how this groundbreaking DLT trading facility aims to innovate Europe’s digital asset landscape, and explore the future of blockchain-based financial infrastructure in Europe.
Trends in Digital Asset Infrastructure | News
This episode dives deep into the race between institutional DeFi building on public permissionless blockchains and TradFi developing permissioned ecosystems.
Dollar Dominance Through Stablecoins
Legal expert Hagen Weiß (Dentons) analyzes how recent US regulatory shifts on stablecoins and digital assets are reshaping the global crypto landscape. We explore the geopolitical implications, compare with Europe’s MiCA framework, and examine what these changes mean for financial institutions and DeFi projects across both continents.
Scaling B2B Stablecoin Payments: SAP’s Digital Currency Hub
SAP’s Digital Currency Hub represents a breakthrough in enterprise payment technology, enabling companies to process stablecoin transactions directly through their ERP systems. This episode features SAP’s Bernhard Schweizer and EY’s Rebecca Carvatt discussing the successful implementation of stablecoin payments between PayPal and EY, demonstrating how stablecoins are becoming part of standard busi
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