The Fintech Blueprint

Lex Sokolin
  • 5.0 (16)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Finance is being pulled apart by the forces of frontier technology. From AI, to blockchain and DeFi, mixed reality, chatbots, neobanks, and roboadvisors — the industry will never be the same. Here is the blueprint for navigating the shift.

  1. 2D AGO

    Building a Top 5 Global Crypto Exchange with 120M Users, with Bitget CEO Gracy Chen

    In this episode, Lex speaks with Gracy Chen - Bitget’s CEO, who transitioned from a fintech entrepreneur to leading one of the top five global crypto exchanges. Bitget processes $10–20 billion in daily trading volume and serves 120 million users across centralized and decentralized platforms. Its geographic base is mostly in Asia, but it’s expanding into Europe through regulatory compliance and new products like tokenized US stocks, which have already surpassed $20 billion in trading volume. Bitget differentiates through security features, including a $600 million protection fund, and user acquisition via both brand campaigns (e.g. Messi sponsorship) and local affiliate (KOL) marketing. Looking ahead, Bitget aims to move beyond crypto-native assets toward mass adoption, focusing on product-market fit and offering tokenized real-world assets and enterprise services. NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS: Bitget Is Transitioning Toward Regulatory Compliance and Tokenized Assets Bitget, historically an offshore crypto exchange, is shifting to a compliance-first strategy in key markets like Europe (e.g., under MiCA). It’s also diversifying its product offering beyond altcoins, including tokenized US stocks and forex, which have already generated $20B in trading volume. This reflects a broader industry trend where crypto platforms aim to integrate with traditional finance and support real-world assets (RWAs).Bitget’s User Acquisition Combines Web2 Financial Discipline with Web3 Community Tactics Bitget uses a hybrid marketing approach: brand partnerships like the Leo Messi campaign and grassroots affiliate marketing via KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) who earn volume-based rebates. Additionally, local teams are given budget control and tailor acquisition strategies per market. This decentralized yet data-informed model mimics Web2 CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) analysis while leveraging crypto-native community dynamics.Exchanges Are Struggling with Unsustainable Token Launch Models Gracy Chen criticizes the crypto industry’s overreliance on speculative “narrative-driven” token launches, noting that even well-funded tokens often fail without real product-market fit. Bitget is responding by requiring more tangible utility and sustainability from listed projects and aims to balance value across users, exchanges, and project teams through mechanisms like airdrop campaigns and launch pools with TOPICS Bitget, Bitget Wallet, Bitkeep, Coinbase, Binance, FTX, MetaMask, MicroStrategy, BlackRock, crypto, crypto exchange, token, altcoins, digital assets, tokenized assets, tokenization ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin   TIMESTAMPS 1’03: A $300 Revelation: The Unlikely Path to Running a Global Crypto Exchange 4’00: From Offshore to Onshore: Scaling a Global Exchange for 120 Million Users 10’09: Chasing Real Value: How Product Market Fit Outlasts Hype 15’39: Market Structure in Flux: How Speculators Gave Way to Institutions 19’14: Inside the Exchange: How Marketing and Trust Drive User Growth 26’20: Balancing the Books: Navigating User Acquisition in Web3 vs Web2 30’38: Speculation and Signal: How Culture and KOLs Drive Crypto Adoption in Asia 34’11: Fixing the Feedback Loop: Rethinking Token Launches and Expanding Beyond Altcoins 40’42: Beyond the Hype: Building Sustainable Demand for Tokenized Assets Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

    44 min

  2. DEC 1

    From $12.5M ICO to $100B+ in On-Chain Infrastructure, with Gnosis Co-Founder Friederike Ernst

    In this episode, Lex speaks Friederike Ernst, co-founder of Gnosis. Together, they explore the evolution of Gnosis from an Ethereum-based prediction market project into a major infrastructure provider powering over $100 billion in DAO treasuries and $10–15 billion in monthly DEX trading via CowSwap. Tracing the company’s journey from a 2017 ICO raising $12.5 million in ETH (now worth ~$450 million) to spinning out critical tools like Safe, CowSwap, and Zodiac, all originally built for internal use. Despite their success, Gnosis recognizes that the crypto-native user base is limited and has now pivoted to building user-centric, mainstream products like the upcoming Gnosis App targeting Gen Z with real-world financial utility. The company emphasizes its founding mission of democratizing financial ownership and warns against complacency as incumbents like Stripe and Robinhood enter the space. Lastly, Gnosis sees a near-term opportunity in AI-agent driven commerce, especially through reverse advertising models that could unlock trillion-dollar markets. NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS: The $12.5M ICO That Became a $450M Treasury: Gnosis raised $12.5 million in ETH during their 2017 ICO when ETH was trading at $40. Through conservative treasury management and holding their ETH position, that initial raise has sustained the company for nearly a decade and grown to approximately $450 million today. Friederike attributes this to “conservative treasury management and sheer luck” — a remarkable case study in long-term crypto treasury stewardship.Polymarket Runs on Gnosis Infrastructure: Despite Polymarket’s $10B+ valuation and mainstream recognition, it still uses Gnosis’s conditional token framework that was written years ago. Friederike acknowledges being “a little salty” that infrastructure they built powers such a significant share of the on-chain prediction market economy without Gnosis directly benefiting financially. It’s a stark illustration of the “first up the mountain” dynamic where pioneers clear the path but don’t always capture the value.The 19th Century German Banking Parallel: Friederike draws a compelling historical analogy: impoverished German farmers in the 1800s faced predatory moneylenders charging 25-40% interest. They responded by forming collective community banks, lending to each other at 4-6%. Within decades, tens of thousands existed, and one-third of Germans remain members today. She positions crypto’s ownership model as the modern equivalent — a cooperative financial revolution for a generation economically disenfranchised by incumbent systems.TOPICS Gnosis, Gnosis Safe, CowSwap, Zodiac, CPK, Polymarket, Kalshi, ConsenSys, Ethereum, ETH, AI, AI Agents, ICO, Onchain, Governance, Crypto Treasury, Web3, Blockchain, Finance, Banking, Payments, Custody, Wallets ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin   TIMESTAMPS 1’25: From Prediction Markets to On-Chain Governance: The Gnosis Journey with Friederike Ernst 6’09: Early ICO Bets and Lasting Impact: How Treasury Design and Tooling Shaped On-Chain Governance 14’10: Owning the Problem: Turning Internal Crypto Tools into Customer-Facing Products 18’08: Beyond Crypto Natives: Building User-Friendly Blockchain Finance for the Next Billion 24’34: Beyond the Noise: Staying True to Web3’s Ownership Revolution 28’48: Culture as the Catalyst: Building User-Owned Financial Systems for a Disenfranchised Generation 32’59: Reinventing Everyday Banking: A Self-Custodial Money App for the Postbank Era 36’48: AI Agents With Wallets: Gnosis Chain as the Payment Rail for Autonomous Finance 39’49: Reverse Advertising: How AI Agents Will Turn Your Attention Into a Trillion-Dollar Market Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

    43 min

  3. NOV 12

    Building the $500MM+ Binance-based Digital Asset Treasury, with BNB Network CEO David Namdar

    In this episode, Lex speaks with David Namdar - CEO of the BNB Network Company, kicking off with his journey from early Bitcoin adoption in 2012 to co-founding Galaxy Digital and now leading the BNB Network Company. Namdar explains the evolution of public markets’ engagement with crypto, highlighting how regulatory hurdles and speculative cycles shaped market participation. He outlines the rise of Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) companies, crediting Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy for pioneering the model by converting $400 million in cash to Bitcoin - now holding over $75 billion in BTC. We examine how Binance, with 290 million users and 40% of global crypto volume, supports BNB as a deflationary asset, burning up to $2 billion per quarter. Finally, Namdar shares why BNB, not Bitcoin, is the focus of his new DAT initiative, offering U.S. investors exposure to an underrepresented but powerful asset. NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS: Digital Asset Treasuries Are Emerging as Crypto ETFs in Disguise: Public companies like MicroStrategy and MetaPlanet are turning their balance sheets into crypto holdings, offering indirect exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB. This model is attracting billions and creating a new on-ramp for investors -especially where ETFs or direct access are limited.BNB Is Massively Used Yet Underrepresented in U.S. Markets: With 290 million users and up to $2B in quarterly token burns, BNB is one of the most used tokens globally. Yet it’s largely inaccessible to U.S. investors, creating a major disconnect and a potential opportunity for BNB-focused public vehicles.Crypto Booms Often Rely on Misunderstood, Unsustainable Incentives: Namdar highlights how past cycles inflated demand through staking rewards and nominal yields, not real value. A lack of economic literacy continues to fuel hype over fundamentals, risking long-term sustainability.  TOPICS BNB Network Company, Binance, BNB, Galaxy Digital, SolidX Partners, MicroStrategy, Bitcoin, Bitcoin treasury, Ethereum, Digital Asset Treasury, DAT, treasury, crypto, convertible debt, tokenomics, crypto treasury, capital markets   ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin   TIMESTAMPS 1’09: Building the Crypto Investment Bank: Taking Digital Assets to Public Markets 4’43: Why Going Public Matters: Crypto Firms, Capital Access, and Market Credibility 7’28: From Fintech to DeFi: How U.S. Markets Mispriced the Crypto Transition 11’07: Real Yield vs. Hype: Why Crypto Markets Keep Getting It Wrong 14’36: The Rise of Digital Asset Treasuries: How Crypto Became a Corporate Balance Sheet Strategy 18’28: Financial Engineering in Crypto Treasuries: How Convertible Debt Fueled Massive Bitcoin Accumulation 22’23: Boom, Hype, Exhaustion: The Capital Cycle Behind Crypto Treasuries 28’52: From Foundations to Public Markets: Why BNB Is the Next Big Treasury Bet 33’25: BNB by the Numbers: Inside the Tokenomics of the World’s Largest Crypto Exchange 39’18: Premiums, Discounts, and Buybacks: Managing Value in Crypto Treasury Stocks 44’41: The channels used to connect with David & learn more about BNB Network Co. Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

    45 min

  4. OCT 28

    How WalletConnect Became the $400B Web3 Connectivity Layer, with CEO Jess Houlgrave

    In this episode, Lex speaks with Jess Houlgrave, CEO of WalletConnect. In this episode Jess explains how WalletConnect bridges wallets and decentralized applications (dApps), simplifying secure blockchain interactions for millions of users. Together, Lex and Jess discuss the platform’s origins, technical innovations, and massive scale - supporting over 700 wallets and 70,000 projects. The conversation covers challenges in integrating traditional finance with Web3, regulatory compliance, and WalletConnect’s decentralized, token-incentivized network. Jess also shares insights on the future of on-chain commerce, global adoption trends, and the evolving relationship between fintech and blockchain infrastructure. NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS: WalletConnect Becomes Web3’s Financial Backbone: Once a simple UX fix, WalletConnect now connects 700+ wallets and 70,000+ apps, moving $400B annually. It’s evolving into the universal connectivity layer for on-chain finance - a “Visa for Web3.”Fintechs Are Forcing Crypto to Grow Up: As players like Stripe and Shopify enter Web3, they demand frictionless UX and regulatory-grade compliance, not crypto-native clunkiness. This wave will make crypto invisible but usable through embedded fintech experiences.Stablecoins Will Power On-Chain Commerce and Dollarization: Jess predicts commerce, not trading, will drive the next cycle. As stablecoins become spendable everywhere, users won’t need to off-ramp - accelerating global dollarization via open financial rails.  TOPICS WalletConnect, ReOWN, Circle, Stripe, Checkout.com, MetaMask, Solana, blockchain, decentralized finance, DeFi, crypto, wallet, Web3, web2, UX, wallet infrastructure, stablecoins, tokens, token economy   ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin   TIMESTAMPS 1’03: WalletConnect’s Financial Connectivity Layer: CEO Jess Houlgrave on Helping Build The New Internet 4’42: Universal Wallet Interoperability: How a Single Integration Connects Every App to Every Wallet 9’06: Building Trust in Web3: How Seamless Wallet Connections Create the ‘Visa Moment’ for Crypto 11’51: Scaling Web3 Connectivity: Inside the 50 Million Users and $400 Billion Powered by Wallet Infrastructure 14’02: The Next Wave of Adoption: How Better UX and Fintech Integration Are Bringing Millions On-Chain 16’53: Beyond Ethereum: How Multi-Chain Support and Compliance Are Driving the Next Phase of Web3 Growth 19’41: When Web2 Meets Web3: How Fintechs Are Redefining Crypto UX and Compliance Standards 22’34: Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Helping Fintechs Understand the Complexities of Web3 Integration 26’37: The New Chain Race: Why Fintechs Are Repeating Banks’ Playbook and Competing for Value Capture in Web3 30’05: Decentralizing the Network: How Wallet Infrastructure Is Building a Sustainable Token Economy 35’44: The Future of On-Chain Commerce: How Stablecoins and UX Advances Will Drive Real-World Payments 39’46: The Rise of Digital Dollarization: How Open Financial Systems Are Reshaping Global Currencies 40’57: The channels used to connect with Jess & learn more about WalletConnect Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

    42 min

  5. OCT 6

    How Tandems/SigFig became a $60B Wealth AI platform, with CEO Mike Sha

    In this episode, Lex speaks  Mike Sha - the CEO and co-founder of Tandems (formerly SigFig), a leading provider of AI-powered software for wealth management firms and financial institutions. Together, Lex and Mike discuss the evolution of wealth technology through the lens of Mike’s entrepreneurial journey from founding Wikinvest in 2006 to building Tandems. Wikinvest pivoted to portfolio tracking and then to a B2B model, powering major portals like Yahoo Finance and managing over $500 billion in tracked assets. The team’s insights into poor retail investment behavior led to building SigFig, a B2B robo-advisor, eventually serving banks like UBS and Wells Fargo. Today, rebranded as Tandems, the firm offers AI-powered tools for advisors across three key areas: meetings, asset gathering, and investment management, with AI integrated via a modular “wealth OS” platform. Tandems uses an open architecture for AI, prioritizing trust, configurability, and high accuracy tailored to the specific workflows of financial advisors.   NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS: The Realization That Most Investors Struggle on Their Own Sparked the Robo-Advisory Movement - Mike Sha’s early data from tracking $400–500 billion in retail portfolios across Yahoo!, CNN, and other finance portals revealed that most individuals consistently underperform when managing their own investments. This insight directly led to the creation of SigFig, one of the first robo-advisors, designed to make high-quality investment advice affordable and automated. It shows how data-driven observation of user behavior can uncover market inefficiencies and spark new product categories.Distribution and Integration Trumps Pure Innovation in Fintech Partnerships - Tandem’s evolution from a consumer-facing platform to a B2B software provider for major banks underscored a critical lesson: distribution and trust are the hardest parts of scaling in financial services. Rather than trying to replace institutions, Sha’s team embedded within them - learning that success requires deep integration with legacy systems and respect for the bank’s compliance and operational frameworks. The “secret” to working with large financial institutions, Sha notes, is understanding their old infrastructure and designing around it - not fighting it.AI’s Real Impact in Wealth Management Will Begin with Eliminating Repetitive Work - Tandem’s current strategy focuses on AI automation for financial advisors, not as a replacement but as an assistant. Sha highlights that over 90% of an advisor’s day involves repetitive administrative work - meeting prep, paperwork, compliance, follow-ups. Tandem’s “Wealth OS” connects legacy systems and uses AI to automate these tasks first, freeing advisors to focus on human relationship-building and advice. It’s a practical and near-term vision of AI in finance: efficiency before intelligence.  TOPICS Tandems, SigFig, Wikinvest, wealthtech, wealth management, fintech, ai, artificial intelligence, investment, roboadvisors, finance, financial management, banking, bank partnerships   ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin   TIMESTAMPS 1’31: From Wikis to Wealth Tech: Mike Sha on How 401(k)s and “Investing-as-a-Chore” Shaped Tandems 7’05: Building a Fintech from the First Dot-Com Boom: The Origins of Tandem’s Founding Partnership 10’46: Turning Drive-By Traffic into Real Investors: The SEO Strategy That Sparked a $500B Fintech Shift 16’25: Following the Money: How Tandems Scaled Through Bank Partnerships and the Hidden Art of Integrating Legacy Systems 21’58: Inside the Fintech–Bank Power Dynamic: Lessons from Partnering with UBS and Navigating the Enterprise Maze 25’36: Scaling Smart: How Tandems Grew from 25 to 100 People by Blending Finance, Software, and Global Talent 29’55: Beyond Robo-Advisors: How Tandems Rebranded to Tackle Wealth Management’s “Unsexy” Problems with AI 34’02: AI for Advisors: Automating the 90% of Work They Don’t Want to Do 39’32: Open Architecture, Not One Model: How Tandem Builds Reliable AI for Financial Institutions 43’53: The channels used to connect with Mike & learn more about Tandems Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

    45 min

  6. SEP 9

    Managing $2B+ in On Chain Assets, with KPK Co-Founder Marcelo Ruiz de Olano

    In this episode, Lex speaks with Marcelo Ruiz de Olano, Co-Founder of KPK (Karpatkey), an on-chain asset management firm born out of Gnosis DAO. Marcelo recounts KPK’s evolution from stewarding Gnosis’s $1B treasury to advising on more than $2B for leading protocols like ENS, Balancer, and the Ethereum Foundation. The discussion dives into the mechanics of non-custodial treasury management - balancing governance, security, and risk - along with strategies across lending, liquidity provision, and stablecoin yields. Marcelo also shares why the rise of large Ethereum treasury companies could be a turning point for DeFi, injecting institutional-scale liquidity and potentially making ETH more liquid than Bitcoin.   NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS: Origins and Scale of On-Chain Treasury Management KPK spun out of Gnosis DAO, which had one of the earliest and largest on-chain treasuries (~$1B). From there, KPK evolved into an independent manager now advising on over $2B of DAO and foundation treasuries (ENS, Balancer, Ethereum Foundation, etc.), pioneering non-custodial, fully on-chain asset management practices.Conservative, Mission-Driven Approach vs. Yield-Chasing Unlike many DeFi actors during “DeFi Summer,” KPK deliberately rejected risky high-yield strategies. Instead, they prioritized capital preservation and mission alignment—for example, ensuring ENS’s treasury only supports Ethereum-strengthening initiatives (like minority client staking or avoiding centralization risks). This contrarian, values-driven approach built trust and positioned them as long-term stewards of DeFi treasuries.Transformative Potential of Ethereum Treasury Companies Marcelo highlights that emerging Ethereum treasury firms (similar to MicroStrategy’s BTC play) could deploy $10B+ in ETH treasuries. A single such “mega whale” could inject unprecedented liquidity into DeFi—making ETH potentially more liquid than BTC, bootstrapping entire verticals (DEX liquidity, lending, insurance), and creating a flywheel where treasury strategies directly accelerate Ethereum’s adoption and price stability.  TOPICS KPK, Gnosis, Gnosis Safe, Balancer, Aave, Maker, Sky, Uniswap, Morpho, Ethereum Foundation, on-chain asset management, DAO, decentralized autonomous organization, treasury management, DeFi, tokenization, ETH, Ether, stablecoin, USDC   ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin   TIMESTAMPS 1’08: From Gnosis to KPK: Building the Infrastructure for On Chain Treasury Management 8’00: Playing It Safe: How KPK Built Long Term DeFi Strategies in a Risk Obsessed Market 11’50: DeFi Lending Unlocked: How KPK Assesses Risk and Builds Yield Strategies with Stablecoins and Leverage 17’11: Treasury Playbooks: Matching DeFi Investment Strategies to Risk Profiles and DAO Values 20’32: Stablecoin Farming and DAO Drama: Navigating Risk, Governance, and Community Conflicts 23’18: From Impermanent Loss to Long Term Gain: Liquidity Provision and the Case for OG DeFi Protocols 26’33: Behind the Smart Contracts: Why Human Ops and Governance Still Run On Chain Asset Management 30’11: The Rise of Ethereum Treasury Companies: How On Chain Giants Will Supercharge DeFi Liquidity and Revenue 36’34: The Ten Billion Dollar Whale: How Ethereum Treasury Giants Could Reshape Liquidity and Supercharge DeFi 40’51: The channels used to connect with Mercelo & learn more about KPK   Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions. Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

    41 min

  7. AUG 21

    Building the $130B global payments platform, with Airwallex’s Ravi Adusumilli

    In this episode, Lex speaks with Ravi Adusumilli - President and GM of the Americas at Airwallex. Ravi and Lex discuss how Airwallex has evolved into a global financial platform by offering businesses an integrated suite of cross-border payments, treasury, and banking services. Founded in 2015, Airwallex now supports 150,000 customers, processes $130 billion in annualized volume (up 73% YoY), and projects a $1 billion revenue run rate by year-end. The company’s success stems from its end-to-end infrastructure, homegrown payment rails, and multi-product strategy, with 80% of revenue now coming from customers using more than one product. Airwallex differentiates itself by focusing on global-first B2B use cases and building regional autonomy alongside centralized infrastructure. While not prioritizing stablecoins today, the company is exploring AI-driven financial operations and aims to reach $1 trillion in transaction volume by 2030.   NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS: Airwallex’s Infrastructure: Proprietary Global Payment Network Airwallex operates a proprietary global payment infrastructure that processes 95% of its $130 billion in annualized transaction volume. The company has developed its own technology and regulatory framework in partnership with over 60 banks worldwide. This approach reduces dependence on legacy systems such as SWIFT and supports greater control over transaction speed, cost, and compliance.Expansion Through Multi-Product Offering Airwallex has expanded its services beyond cross-border payments to include card issuance, spend management, treasury functions, and merchant acquiring. According to company data, 80% of revenue is generated from customers using multiple products. Payments now account for 70% of net revenue and are growing at three times the rate year over year.Decentralized Go-To-Market Structure Airwallex employs a regional management model, with General Managers responsible for performance and operations in specific geographies. This structure is supported by centralized functions such as product development, compliance, and engineering. With 1,700 employees in 26 offices, the company uses this hybrid model to manage growth and adapt to local regulatory environments across multiple regions, including Latin America and Asia-Pacific.  TOPICS Airwallex, Stripe, Brex, Rippling, Shopify, Pinterest, Visa, fintech, global payments, e-commerce, cross-border transactions, paytech, embedded payments, CFO stack, stablecoins, AI   ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin   TIMESTAMPS 1’02: Building Through Partnerships: The Platform Strategy Behind a $130B Fintech 7’24: Why It’s Working: Scaling B2B Payments in a Crowded Fintech Market 12’21: From Coffee Beans to Global Rails: How Cross-Border Payments Became the Wedge for Platform Expansion 19’02: Sticky by Design: How Regional Autonomy and Multi-Product Depth Drove Global Expansion 25’31: From Credibility to Scale: When Partnerships Start Driving Growth 29’33: Beyond Point Solutions: Why Global Platforms Are Replacing Fragmented Payment Stacks 34’47: Solving the CFO Stack: A Unified Approach to Global Money Movement 38’14: Resilient by Design: How Airwallex Manages Multi-Bank, Multi-Market Complexity 42’51: The Hidden Cost of Scale: Inside the Engineering Behind a $130B Network 46’15: The Next Phase: Airwallex’s Vision for a Global Financial OS 49’54: The channels used to connect with Ravi & learn more about Airwallex   Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions. Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

    51 min

  8. AUG 11

    How to Invest in the best Crypto Funds, with Matthew Le Merle CEO of Blockchain Coinvestors

    Lex chats with Matthew Le Merle - CEO of Blockchain Coinvestors, a leading blockchain and AI fund-of-funds. He reflects on the limitations of large institutions in adopting disruptive technologies and why he chose to back innovators over incumbents, using stablecoins as an example of asymmetric value creation. Le Merle explains his evolution from angel investor to institutional LP, highlighting the benefits of leveraging top-tier venture capitalists’ expertise in inefficient early-stage markets. He outlines the psychological challenges of venture investing, where failures appear early and outsized wins often take a decade, contrasting this with the faster liquidity but higher existential risk in token markets. Finally, he critiques institutional allocators for over-relying on efficient markets, under-allocating to venture despite its role in driving future value, and positions his strategy as fully committed to early-stage blockchain and AI as the highest-returning segments.   NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS: 1. Innovation Threatens Incumbents, Benefits Disruptors: Major technological shifts, from the internet to blockchain and AI, create winners and losers. Incumbents often resist disruptive change because it threatens existing revenue models, while nimble startups and tech-first companies can rapidly capture new market opportunities. 2. Venture Success Requires Navigating High Failure Rates: In early-stage investing, most portfolio companies will fail, often within the first 3–4 years. Returns are driven by a small number of outsized successes, usually via acquisitions rather than IPOs, requiring patience, resilience, and a disciplined investment strategy. 3. Inefficient Markets Offer the Greatest Asymmetric Upside: Early-stage venture and emerging technologies like blockchain and AI are inefficient markets where superior access, insight, and execution can generate returns far above those available in traditional, efficient markets like public equities or bonds.   TOPICS Blockchain Coinvestors, Band of Angels, AngelList, Blockchain Capital, Pantera, Sequoia, Andreessen, BlackRock, Fidelity, Blockchain, DeFi, Decentralized Finance, Investment, Venture Capital, Angel Investment, Fund of Funds   ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin   TIMESTAMPS 1’33: From Consulting to Disruption: Matthew Le Merle on Pivoting from Advising Incumbents to Backing the Innovators 9’56: From Angel Checks to Global Funds: Building One of the World’s Largest Blockchain Co-Investment Platforms 16’50: Leveraging Top Venture Funds to Capture Blockchain and AI’s Biggest Winners: Evolving from Direct Deals to an LP Strategy 24’50: The Emotional Reality of Venture Investing: Coping with Early Failures, Long Timelines, and Rare Big Wins 32’13: Early Liquidity, Higher Risk: Why Most Token Projects Fail Without Ever Delivering Software 35’20: Backing Winners in Inefficient Markets: What Makes a Venture Fund Worth Investing In 42’59: Why Institutional Portfolios Miss the Future: The Case for Shifting Capital from Efficient to Inefficient Markets 51’08: The channels used to connect with Matthew & learn more about Blockchain Coinvestors   Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions. Disclaimer here — this newsletter does not provide investment advice and represents solely the views and opinions of FINTECH BLUEPRINT LTD. Contributors: Lex, Laurence, Matt, Farhad, Mike, Daniella Want to discuss? Stop by our Discord and reach out here with questions.

    52 min
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5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Finance is being pulled apart by the forces of frontier technology. From AI, to blockchain and DeFi, mixed reality, chatbots, neobanks, and roboadvisors — the industry will never be the same. Here is the blueprint for navigating the shift.

Information

  • Creator
    Lex Sokolin
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    193
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021 The FinTech Blueprint
  • Show Website
    The Fintech Blueprint

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