In the AI Risk Reward podcast, our host, Alec Crawford (@alec06830), Founder and CEO of Artificial Intelligence Risk, Inc. aicrisk.com , interviews guests about balancing the risk and reward of Artificial Intelligence for you, your business, and society as a whole. Podcast production and sound engineering by Troutman Street Audio. You can find them on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Alec welcomes Nik Milanović, founder of This Week in FinTech, Stablecon, and General Partner at the FinTech Fund, for a candid conversation on the intersections of AI, fintech, and crypto. Nik shares his journey from aspiring lawyer and Stanford philosophy major to fintech leader, highlighting pivotal experiences at Google Pay and the value of community-driven insight in fast-moving industries. The discussion covers the rise of stablecoins, the importance of machine-readable payments for AI agents, and the ethical implications of rapid technological advancement. Nik emphasizes thoughtful adoption, regulatory caution, and the need to support those economically displaced by automation. The episode concludes with actionable advice for founders, investing insights, and a lighthearted lightning round on everything from Brooklyn tattoos to the impact of fintech newsletters.

Summary:

Career Evolution: Nik describes his path from law and philosophy into fintech, driven by the potential to create impactful technology outside politics.

Stablecoins & FinTech: The conversation explores Stablecon’s mission and the growing relevance of stablecoins for financial services and mainstream adoption.

AI & Payments Convergence: Nik highlights how programmable, machine-readable payments will be essential for future AI agents, offering new possibilities but requiring careful governance.

Ethical & Regulatory Considerations: The importance of measured regulation and addressing economic displacement is discussed, with parallels drawn to previous tech disruptions.

Founder & Investor Insights: Nik shares advice for early-stage founders, focusing on solving specific customer problems and the evolving role of community in fintech innovation.

Referenced in this episode:

Companies/Organizations:

Artificial Intelligence Risk, Inc.
This Week in Fintech
Stablecon
The Fintech Fund
Google
Petal
Citi
Coastal Community Bank
Circle
Paxos
Ripple
Zerohash

Books:

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Movies:

The Social Network

Stablecoins, AI Agents, and FinTech Innovation: A Conversation with Nik Milanović