with @zcabrams @psneville @rhackett In this episode, Robert Hackett sits down with Sean Neville, cofounder of Circle and co-creator of the USDC stablecoin, and Zach Abrams, founder of Bridge (now part of Stripe), for a deep dive into the real story behind stablecoins, finding product-market fit, and the future of payments infrastructure. They explore the earliest days of USDC — when stablecoins were far from obvious and regulatory frameworks didn’t exist. Sean shares how his conviction in “money running at internet speed” helped shape a multibillion-dollar asset. Zach recounts Bridge’s pivot from NFTs to stablecoin infrastructure — and how his business has changed since joining Stripe. Together, they break down: Why stablecoins are having their moment now What counts as product-market fit (and why founders rarely “feel” it) The challenges of building crypto and AI products within heavily regulated environments Why new base-layer chains like Arc, Tempo, and others may be needed How decentralization, liquidity moats, and interoperability will define the next decade of blockchain adoption What the future of programmable money and AI-driven financial workflows looks like Whether you’re a founder, a crypto-curious builder, or someone trying to understand where global payments are headed, this conversation — originally recorded live at our recent a16z crypto Founders Summit — offers insights from two operators at the center of an industry-defining transformation. Guests: • Sean Neville — Cofounder, Circle; CEO and cofounder, Catena • Zach Abrams — Founder and CEO, Bridge (acquired by Stripe) Highlights: 01:26 — Origins of USDC 02:44 — Why stablecoins are having their moment now 04:14 — Circle’s early product experiments 06:19— Surviving crypto cycles 07:35 — Bridge: From NFT payments to stablecoins 08:58 — What product-market fit actually feels like 20:02 — Inevitability and the founder vs. employer mindset 20:58 — Why Bridge joined Stripe 26:18 — How AI changes company building 29:38 — What students should study now 30:27 — Why new payment chains (Tempo & Arc)? 35:55 — Decentralization as imperative Follow a16z crypto on... X: https://x.com/a16zcrypto LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a16zcrypto/posts/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pMZvsNXEnb0CYcPiDQywE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/web3-with-a16z-crypto/id1622312549 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@a16zcrypto 📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ 🎙️ Like, subscribe, comment, share the show: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
