In this week’s episode I spoke with Dante Disparate and Alex McDougall. Dante Disparte is Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at Circle, responsible for overseeing company strategy, communications, policy and public affairs. Since joining Circle in 2021, his leadership in driving market expansion, regulatory engagement, and more have been integral in furthering the company’s mission to raise global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of financial value.

Prior to joining Circle, Dante served as a founding executive of the Diem Association, leading policy, communications, membership and social impact. He also brings two decades of experience as an entrepreneur, business leader and global risk expert, most recently as founder and CEO of Risk Cooperative. He also served as an appointee on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council. Currently, he is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Digital Currency Governance Consortium and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Additionally, he is co-author of “Global Risk Agility and Decision Making” (Macmillan 2016). He earned a bachelor’s degree from Goucher College, is a PLD graduate of Harvard Business School, and has an MSc in risk management from NYU Stern School of Business.

Alex McDougall is the CEO of Stablecorp, a Canadian fintech that achieved a global first by launching the first bank issued Stablecoin along with pioneering the Stablecoin 2.0 model and is leading new approaches to cross-border blockchain-based payments. In his role, Alex leads the company in all areas including strategic direction, ecosystem and partner expansion, development, compliance, and overall business growth.

Prior to joining Stablecorp, Alex was Managing Director at 3iQ, responsible for their venture and digital asset yield initiatives. Alex co-founded Bicameral Ventures, a venture platform focused on Interconnected Investing, blockchain, interoperability, data and identity self- sovereignty, personalized AI, and Web 3.0. He is also the director of Big Shooter Golf, Alex started his career as an investment banker at the Bank of Montreal, and led multiple projects and teams across BMO Capital Markets, including in Fintech, M&A, and Financial Institutions. He sits on the Board of Directors at Balance Custody, is a CFA charter holder and holds a degree in Commerce, Finance, and International Business along with a Master’s in Accounting and Finance.

In the midst of what was the craziest and darkest week in crypto history thus far in the wake of FTX and Alameda Research’s abrupt downfalls, Alex, Dante, and I took a step back to talk about one of the most critical and least “sexy” components of crypto today: stablecoins. We discuss what stablecoins are, the important role they play in a dgitially native, blockchain native world, how stablecoins offer a cheaper and faster alternative to payments processing and international remittances, and more. We also discuss cross border payments, the role that stablecoins could play for cross border payments in crypto, and the work being done to make it happen.

For more information about Circle, please visit: https://www.circle.com/en/

For more information about Stablecorp, please visit: https://www.stablecorp.ca/

You can Follow Dante Disparte on Twitter @ddisparte: https://twitter.com/ddisparte

You can Follow Alex McDougall on Twitter @AMcDougall_SC: https://twitter.com/AMcDougall_SC

Show notes:

[0:06] Introduction

[4:47] Alex and Dante’s background, roles at Circle, Stablecorp and Circle’s + Stablecorp’s mission

[11:50] Stablecoin adoption today, both in the US and abroad

[20:07] Experimentation we’ve seen in the stablecoin space thus far

[29:38] How stablecoins are seen through a regulatory lens

[37:35] Crypto NAFTA and cross border payments - what does the ideal structure look like

[46:45] Why is there a void for alternative currencies that represents digital currency

[53:28] Next steps to follow along Circle and Stablecorp's progress

All opinions expressed by your hosts and the podcasts guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of the hosts or any of their affiliates. This podcast is for commercial and informational purposes only, is not investment advice, and should not be relied upon for any investment decisions. We are not recommending any securities or cryptocurrencies, nor is this an offer or sale of a security or cryptocurrency.