Podcast
Around The Coin
Hosted by Stephen Sargeant and Mike Townsend · EN
Around The Coin is a podcast exploring finance, fintech, and the future of money. Hosted by industry experts, it features deep dives into payments, crypto, banking, and disruptive innovations shaping the global economy.
34episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
ATC - Itai Turbahn, Co-Founder & CEO of Dynamic and Tal Zackon, Co-Founder & CEO of TRES Finance
1w ago01:07:12Tap to summarizeJoin our host Stephen Sargeant with Itai Turbahn from Dynamic and Tal Zackon from TRES Finance, both now under Fireblocks, for a deep dive into agentic AI and what it means for payments, compliance, cybersecurity, and stablecoins. They explain why today’s human-in-the-loop rails like cards and ACH don’t scale for agent-to-agent microtransactions, and why crypto rails and stablecoins can enable instant, low-cost, high-volume programmable payments that should remain invisible to end users. Tal shares how TRES is using AI tools like Vara and MCP to automate repetitive back-office reconciliation and help compliance teams operate with an “army of agents” while maintaining audit trails. They also discuss agent identity, emerging standards like x402 and MPP, fraud and chargebacks, enterprise treasury efficiencies with stablecoins, and how to stay relevant by learning and building hands-on. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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How Stablecoins Fix Cross-Border Payments - Chris Mason | ATC #615
2w ago00:50:27Tap to summarizeHost Stephen Sargeant interviews Chris Mason, founder and CEO of Orbital, about building stablecoin infrastructure and how it can improve cross-border payments compared with traditional correspondent banking and SWIFT. Mason explains Orbital’s background processing stablecoins for seven years, its focus on corporate clients, and why transaction controls, authorizations, segregation of client funds, and compliance (including travel rule and blockchain analytics tools) matter as much as speed. They discuss common use cases like pay-ins, payouts, auto-conversions for firms that want stablecoin speed without holding stablecoins on balance sheet, and growing demand for emerging-market on/off-ramps. The conversation covers licensing burdens, regulatory arbitrage, crypto’s potential for better financial crime detection due to on-chain visibility, stablecoins in crisis or sanctioned-region trade for non-sanctioned goods, and how industry M&A and AI may shape Orbital’s next phase.We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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Why Enterprises Need Their Own Blockchain - Kyle Jenke | ATC #614
3w ago00:22:38Tap to summarizeRecorded live at EthCC in Cannes, Around The Coin with host Stephen Sargeant sits down with Kyle Jenke, Chief Business Officer at Optimism, about how Optimism’s OP Stack and OP Enterprise help large enterprises build and own their own blockchains for customization, revenue economics, and stronger compliance, privacy, and security. Jenke cites over 50 OP Stack chains and major brands building on Optimism, and highlights Bitpanda’s MiCA-compliant Vision Chain as a European example of regulated adoption. He discusses key customer verticals (fintechs, exchanges, payments, and large financial institutions), rising gas-fee costs and urgency to launch owned infrastructure, and how enterprises use blockchains for product differentiation amid converging financial services. The conversation also covers Security Overwatch SLAs, a menu of compliance/security vendors, AI use across Optimism, and compliance needs like OFAC screening amid geopolitics. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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Why Institutions Need Confidential Blockchain Transactions - Jeremy Jeremy | ATC #613
May 2700:32:40Tap to summarizeLive at EthCC on the Around The Coin podcast, Stephen Sargeant heads to the Zama Villa to speak with Zama COO Jeremy Bradley about fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and why financial institutions need a confidentiality layer to balance blockchain transparency with selective access for regulators and compliance. Jeremy explains “programmable confidentiality,” Europe’s GDPR-driven focus on data sovereignty, and how Zama enables end-to-end encrypted on-chain transactions while allowing authorized decryption when needed. He cites a partnership with T. Rowe Price/Apex Group, use cases like payroll, supplier payments, and influencer payments, and notes other projects (e.g., Inco, Phoenix) use Zama’s technology. They discuss lessons from Zama’s token launch, KYC/KYB support at scale, hiring in a niche FHE talent pool, internal AI for operations efficiency, and quantum computing risks, noting FHE’s quantum-resistant properties. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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Will AI Agents Dominate DeFi Trading? - Sergej Kunz | ATC #612
May 2000:22:50Tap to summarizeJoin host Stephen Sargeant reports live from ECC, where discussions center on wallets, tokenization, real-world assets, regulation, and compliance, and introduces a live Around The Coin episode featuring 1inch co-founder and CEO Sergej Kunz. Kunz recounts 1inch’s start at the 2019 ETHGlobal New York hackathon after conversations with Vitalik Buterin, his early hackathon circuit, and how 1inch grew into a leading DEX aggregator. He explains aggregation, intent-based swaps, limit orders, and a cross-chain atomic swap protocol using hash time lock contracts with KYB/compliance-checked participants, positioning 1inch as infrastructure for institutions. They cover institutional adoption via rebranding, tokenized assets, business model (subscriptions, API, rev share), regulatory direction including wallet screening and potential KYC, and how AI agents and 1inch’s MCP tools may drive Web3 usage. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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How Crypto Companies Get Media Coverage? - Otto Jacobsson | ATC #611
May 1300:21:58Tap to summarizeJoin host Stephen Sargeant live from EthCC in Cannes for a special episode of the Around The Coin podcast featuring Otto Jacobson, CEO of YAP Global. Otto shares his journey from investment banking and CFO to leading one of the top PR firms in crypto, blockchain, fintech, and AI. Together, they discuss the evolving media landscape in Web3, the rise of niche content creators, and how crypto companies can effectively communicate their stories in an increasingly crowded market.The conversation also explores major industry trends including stablecoins, tokenization, FX trading on-chain, institutional adoption, and why traditional finance giants are moving deeper into blockchain infrastructure. Recorded live at EthCC, this episode is packed with insights for founders, investors, marketers, and anyone interested in the future of crypto and fintech. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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Why AI Agents Need Blockchain Identity? - Yat Siu | ATC #610
May 601:09:25Tap to summarizeHost Stephen Sargeant interviews Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, covering his background (German mother tongue, education work) and views on how AI is changing the purpose of school and future jobs, emphasizing creativity, humanities, and entrepreneurship. Siu connects cycles from the dot-com era to crypto, arguing technologies that are better for society ultimately win, and frames Animoca’s evolution from gaming to NFTs, DeFi, RWAs, and institutional efforts including Anchor Point’s stablecoin license in Hong Kong. He explains digital ownership as identity and freedom enabled by blockchain, and outlines Web4/agentic commerce where billions of AI agents need on-chain identity, reputation, and payments. Siu describes Animoca Minds with EtherSwarm as low-cost agent infrastructure and a tokenized marketplace for agent “skills,” and shares a blueprint to get his attention: build with Animoca Minds and post results on X. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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Is Your Crypto Safe From Hackers? - Dyma Budorin | ATC #609
Apr 2900:56:22Tap to summarizeJoin host Stephen Sargeant on this special edition of the Around The Coin podcast as he sits down with Dyma Budorin, CEO of Core3 and co-founder/executive chairman of Web3 cybersecurity firm Hacken—to unpack security transparency, risk analytics, and accountability in crypto. Budorin recounts starting Hacken after a 2017 Kyiv competition led to an ICO, and explains why smart contracts are improving while operational security, key management, and supply-chain risks remain major weaknesses, with audits as the main standard and CCSS as a more crypto-relevant framework than ISO/SOC2. He describes Core3 as a public risk-analytics platform—likened to Moody’s or a “Whoop” score—that evaluates exchanges and protocols using public data (including GitHub, wallet analysis, concentration, and social signals) to encourage better practices, detect wash trading, and support institutional due diligence. Budorin also discusses his whistleblowing contributions about alleged gaps around Sumsub’s ownership, audits, and past ties to Smart Engines, urging regulators to investigate. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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Why Stablecoins Succeed Where Banks Struggle - Arnold Lee | ATC #608
Apr 2201:03:07Tap to summarizeHost Stephen Sargeant interviews Arnold Lee, CEO and co-founder of Sphere Labs, about building stablecoin-enabled payment infrastructure during the 2022 downturn and focusing on real end-user needs rather than “stablecoin” narratives. Arnold explains how Sphere helps businesses move money cross-border faster and cheaper by optimizing banking and compliance plumbing, especially in emerging markets where correspondent banking is weak and documentation expectations don’t match local realities. He discusses learning from events like Luna/Terra and FTX, reading the Bank Secrecy Act to understand why bank requirements exceed written regulations, and why compliance and localized data (IDs, real-time payment systems like Pix/UPI) can determine whether transactions clear. They cover geopolitics and supply-chain volatility as drivers of adoption, the evolving provider landscape, and Arnold’s skepticism about near-term agentic AI payments hype. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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Are You Reporting Crypto Taxes Correctly? - Lawrence Zlatkin & Wendy Walker | ATC #607
Apr 1500:56:03Tap to summarizeJoin host Stephen Sargeant interviews Lawrence Zlatkin, Vice President of Tax at Coinbase, and Wendy Walker, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Sovos, about the fast-changing tax and regulatory landscape for digital assets heading into 2026. They discuss the rollout of US crypto information reporting including Form 1099-DA, the challenges of incomplete cost basis when assets move across wallets and platforms, and the growing burden of high-volume reporting including stablecoin activity, gas fees, and dust transactions. They compare the US approach with global frameworks like CARF and note the lack of parity with traditional finance and the risks of over-reporting and privacy and surveillance concerns. They also cover IRS modernization, real-time and transaction-level validation trends abroad, and how AI could help sift massive datasets and improve compliance and efficiency, plus advice for new tax professionals to pair tax expertise with technology. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud
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