“Lack of faith in local economic policies, it's political instability, it's depreciating currency, it's runaway inflation. So it's all these economic factors that play into a person not willing to hold their local currency and would much rather hold this digital dollar.” - Chris Harmse Two-thirds (⅔) of every crypto transaction is conducted using stablecoins and there is no doubt the future of digital dollars is happening today. In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis ) speaks with Chris Harmse , the Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of BVNK , whose company just released an industry leading report, The Decade of Digital Dollars. Chris shares insights on the rapid developments in cryptocurrency, the stablecoin market, and how BVNK is facilitating smoother transactions across traditional and digital financial systems, while acknowledging the regulatory challenges and the ongoing wars between Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains. He discusses the evolution of financial systems in South Africa, LATAM and other emerging markets, where stablecoins meet the demand for accessible cross-border payments and solve for the instability of local currencies. Minute-by-minute episode breakdown 2 | How Chris got into crypto working at an FX desk in an investment firm 4 | BVNK's Journey from South African crypto pioneers to global innovators 7 | Bridging traditional and blockchain payments with stablecoin solutions integrating with SWIFT 9 | Introduction of PayPal’s stablecoin, PYUSD into the BVNK stablecoin infrastructure 11 | Stablecoin listing process and Solana leading Layer 1 payments race 13 | MiCA regulations and stablecoin opportunities in Europe 16 | Key findings from the BVNK’s Stablecoin Report on the Decade of Digital Dollars 18 | The cost of holding a local fiat currency that is losing value over time 22 | Case Study: Visa's blockchain integration for faster stablecoin settlements 25 | The rise of non-USD stablecoins in global trade and CBDC popularity 28 | The future of payments: Blockchain, stablecoins, and global expansion Related resources Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key. Website: BVNK: Accelerating global money movement Report: The decade of digital dollars: Unlocking economic efficiency with stablecoins Press Release: We’re partnering with Circle to streamline global business payments Video: Currency LDN 2024: Bridging the compliance gap Customer Story: Calgary Police Service pioneers innovation to keep citizens safe in a digital world Reports: The 2024 Geography of Crypto Report (Download now!) Reports: The 2024 Crypto Maturity Journey: How Traditional Finance Can Adopt Cryptocurrency in Stages (Just Released - Download now!) YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain Speakers on today’s episode Ian Andrews *Host* (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis) Chris Harmse (Co-founder, Chief Business Officer, BVNK) This website may contain links to third-party sites that are not under the control of Chainalysis, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively “Chainalysis”). Access to such information does not imply association with, endorsement of, approval of, or recommendation by Chainalysis of the site or its operators, and Chainalysis is not responsible for the products, services, or other content hosted therein. Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. Chainalysis does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material. Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chainalysis. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Chainalysis employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company.
