The StraitsX Stablecoin Podcast

StraitsX

Welcome to The StraitsX Stablecoin Podcast, exploring how stablecoins and digital currencies are reshaping the way the world moves value. Join our CEO & Co-Founder, Tianwei, as he speaks with founders and fintech leaders at the forefront of digital finance. From real-world payment use cases to regulatory frameworks and the evolution of programmable money, we break down the ideas shaping tomorrow’s financial infrastructure. If you're curious about the intersection of crypto, payments, and trust, you're in the right place.

Episodes

  1. S2E3: The $2.5 Trillion Problem (Fixing Trade Finance with Stablecoins)

    Jun 9

    S2E3: The $2.5 Trillion Problem (Fixing Trade Finance with Stablecoins)

    🔔 Subscribe to follow how we're building stablecoin rails for real-world payments! Website: https://www.straitsx.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/straitsx/  X: https://x.com/StraitsX  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@straitsx.global  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@straitsx.global  Connect with Tianwei Liu 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianweiliu/ Connect with Martina Song 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinasong/   Connect with Jong 👉https://x.com/Jong_bnb Global trade moves at the speed of the internet, but the trade finance infrastructure behind it is still clogged by physical paper documents, couriers, and manual processes in banking workflows.  In this episode of Stable Money at Scale, StraitsX CEO & Co-founder Tianwei Liu sits down with Martina Song (Director of Strategy at Unloq) and Jong (Business Development Manager at BNB Chain) to tackle the massive financial bottleneck slowing down global commerce. Discover how stablecoins like XUSD and smart contracts are stepping in to help address a multi-trillion-dollar gap, automating traditional workflows so small-ticket suppliers can receive funds faster, without waiting days on traditional banking windows. 🔍 Key Discussion Topics: The $2.5 Trillion Funding Gap: Why traditional trade finance remains stuck in manual paperwork, forcing small-ticket suppliers to face working capital delays. Anatomy of an On-Chain Deal: A step-by-step breakdown of how the first tokenised receivable financing deal used AI verification and XUSD stablecoins to enable faster settlement. Democratizing Micro-Financing: How smart contracts can reduce transaction costs to fractions of a cent, making invoice financing under $10k more commercially viable. Battle-Tested Infrastructure: A look at what is driving institutional adoption on BNB Chain, which captures roughly 40% share of global stablecoin transactions. Smart Escrows vs. Letters of Credit: How programmable contracts give buyers and sellers flexible trade milestones and 24/7 risk transparency. Multi-Tier Supply Chain Finance: The future of global trade, where Tier 3 suppliers can access near-immediate liquidity based on the anchor buyer's credit profile. Timestamps: 0:00 - Welcome to Episode 3 of the Stable Money at Scale 02.18 - Global Suppliers and SMEs’ Financing Pain Points 05:47 - How Tokenised Receivable Financing Deal Works 07:31 - Traditional Invoice vs Smart Contract-driven Trade Finance 11:25 - How BNB Smart Chain Enables Tokenised Trade Finance 15:08 - Stablecoins’ Role in Trade Finance Adoption 22:38 - The Next Step for Scaling Tokenised Trade Finance 29:17 - Rapid Fire Session

    33 min
  2. S2E2: Banking on the Future of Money

    May 14

    S2E2: Banking on the Future of Money

    🔔 Subscribe to follow how we're building stablecoin rails for real-world payments! Website: https://www.straitsx.com/?utm_source=podcast2&utm_medium=YouTubeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/straitsx/X: https://x.com/StraitsXTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@straitsx.global Connect with Tianwei Liu 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianweiliu/ Connect with Luke Boland 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukeboland/ Stablecoins may have started outside the banking system, but the next phase is being built within it. In this episode, StraitsX CEO & Co-founder Tianwei Liu sits down with Luke Boland, Global Head of Fintech and Client Coverage at Standard Chartered, to discuss the evolution from "barbarians at the gate" to essential infrastructure partners. Discover how one of the world’s leading banks is moving past the "taboo" of digital assets to embrace stablecoin rails, tokenised deposits, and the "trust anchor" role that traditional banks play in a blockchain-driven world. 🔍 Key Discussion Topics: From Outliers to Partners: Luke reflects on the "stablecoin summer" and why Standard Chartered decided to "open the gates" to digital asset firms, moving from fiat-related services to deep blockchain integration.The $33 Trillion Shift: A look at the massive growth in stablecoin volume, now surpassing Visa and Mastercard combined, and the 30 billion mark for cumulative on-chain transactions reached by StraitsX.Banks as Trust Anchors: Why traditional banks remain a centrepiece for societal trust and how they provide the "bankruptcy-remote" segregated fund structures required for regulated stablecoins like XSGD and XUSD.Invisible Tech & Real-World Utility: Discussing the marquee project allowing travellers using Alipay+ e-wallets to scan-and-pay at Singapore merchants, powered by XSGD entirely obfuscated from the end-user.The Demand for Non-USD Stablecoins: Why local currency stablecoins (SGD, HKD, MYR) are the next frontier for FX risk management, real-time liquidity, and cross-border settlement without the "weekend gap" of the SWIFT system.A Clean Slate for Finance: How stablecoin infrastructure allows banks to rebuild "broken" fiat processes, like transaction monitoring and sanctions screening, using a more efficient, 24/7 foundation. Timestamps: 0:00 - Welcome to Episode 2 of the Stable Money at Scale 02:24 - Why Standard Chartered opened its gates for “barbarians” 07:20 - Scaling stablecoin institutional demand with volume reaching $33T 12:10 - StraitsX & Standard Chartered: Driving Stablecoin Adoption 16:30 - The next phase of Standard Chartered’s client stablecoin demand 22:00 - Beyond US Dollars: The future of local currency stablecoins 27:00 - Rapid fire session

    32 min
  3. S2E1: The Rise of Stablecoins Neobanks

    Apr 29

    S2E1: The Rise of Stablecoins Neobanks

    The Future of Stable Money is now at Scale. 📈 Season 1 of the StraitsX Stablecoin Podcast explored the vision. Now, we’re diving into bringing that vision to scale. Welcome to Season 2: Stable Money at Scale. 🚀 In our premiere episode, StraitsX CEO & Co-Founder Tianwei Liu visits the Visa Innovation Centre for a conversation with Adeline Kim, Visa’s Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei. Following the passing of the Genius Act, they discuss why global giants like Visa are now "all in" on stablecoins and how a new category of "Stablecoin Neobanks" is disrupting traditional finance. 🔍 Key Discussion Topics: Institutional Adoption & The Genius Act: How new regulatory frameworks have moved stablecoins from boardroom justification to a legitimate, regulated priority for global financial institutions. Stablecoins for Financial Inclusion: Why digital-native wallets are replacing expensive prepaid middleman services in emerging markets, providing the "unbanked" with direct access to a global merchant network. The Rise of Stablecoin Neobanks: How providing borderless USD access is transforming the unit economics for the global gig economy and content creators in volatile currency markets. Stablecoin-Backed Cards’ Explosive Growth: A look at the data behind the 40x surge in stablecoin-backed card programs, which allows real-world utility of digital assets. Solving the Settlement Gap: Leveraging 24/7 blockchain rails to eliminate traditional banking delays, allowing merchants to settle funds and manage liquidity without weekend restrictions. 🟢Timestamps: 0:00 - Welcome to Season 2: Stable Money at Scale 03:55 - How VISA started venturing into stablecoins 09:57 - How stablecoin cards could be the solution to financial inclusion for emerging markets 15:19 - The rise of stablecoin neobanks 20: 43 - The explosive growth of stablecoin-backed cards 25:55 - 24/7 Settlement: How merchant settlements can move past banking hours  28:48 - Visa’s next major steps in stablecoin mainstream adoption 31:00 - Rapid fire: Get to know crypto terms 🔔 Subscribe to follow how we're building stablecoin rails for real-world payments! • Website: https://www.straitsx.com/ • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/straitsx/ • X: https://x.com/StraitsX • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@straitsx.global • YouTube: @straitsx.global    ​ Connect with Tianwei Liu here. Connect with Adeline Kim here.

    41 min
  4. S1E6: The Future of Everyday Payments ft. RedotPay

    12/22/2025

    S1E6: The Future of Everyday Payments ft. RedotPay

    How do we move digital assets from speculative investments to everyday utility? Live from Singapore FinTech Festival #SFF2025, Tianyao Liu (Head of Partnership & Co-Founder at StraitsX) sits down with Jonathan Chan, Head of Partnership and Co-founder of RedotPay. As a key card client of StraitsX, RedotPay is bridging the gap between Web3 technology and real-world merchant adoption. In this episode, Jonathan shares his journey of scaling a fintech unicorn, fixing the industry's biggest UX mistakes, and why "trust" is the most important feature of any payment product. Inside this episode, we explore: The Unicorn Shift: How leadership and decision-making must evolve after hitting a $1 billion valuation.The UX Gap: The #1 mistake crypto projects make and how to build a seamless user journey.Founder Wisdom: Advice from a crypto OG on building products that actually deliver in a regulated system.Crypto for Your Coffee: A look into a future where crypto and fiat coexist, creating a world with "no barriers and no friction" for everyday spending.Timestamps: 01:45 – RedotPay's Journey as a Fintech Unicorn 06:34 – Why "Crypto Never Sleeps" 08:25 – Building Trust in Payments & The Roadmap to the Future of Finance10:15 – Closing 🔗 Connect & Watch Watch the Full Episode in Video: ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Tianyao Liu: ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Jonathan Chan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more insights on how StraitsX is building stablecoin rails for real-world payments, visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠page⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    13 min
  5. S1E6: Can Banks Go Borderless? Featuring KBank

    12/17/2025

    S1E6: Can Banks Go Borderless? Featuring KBank

    A new special episode of The Future of Stable Money is here! Recorded live during the Singapore FinTech Festival 2025, our CEO, Tianwei Liu, sat down with Dr Karin Boonlertvanich, Executive Vice President at KASIKORNBANK (KBank), StraitsX’s key partner in the BLOOM initiative. They dove deep into how a leading 80-year-old Thai bank is pioneering the use of blockchain and stablecoins to tackle one of finance's longest-standing challenges: enabling instant, and truly borderless cross-border payments. This conversation explores the core strategy behind KBank's success and its role in building a regulated digital financial infrastructure. Key Discussion Topics: The KBank Success Recipe: The three core principles driving KBank's innovation and digital banking leadership.Real-Time Settlement: How blockchain reduces the payment-to-settlement time gap to under three seconds, a massive win for cross-border settlement.The Future of Finance: The strategic shift from traditional "Universal Banking" to democratising the intermediaries business through tokenisation.The Invisible Revolution: Why the biggest change in finance will be behind the scenes (seamless backend infrastructure), enabling mainstream adoption without disrupting the customer experience.Dr Karin also reveals his surprising favourite local Singaporean food and draws an unexpected parallel between that dish and the personalisation of financial services!Timestamps: 1:57 – The 80-Year-Old Bank Pivot to Blockchain 5:50 – KBank’s 3 Pathways for the Future of Finance9:20 – The Incentives Driving Merchant Adoption of Blockchain Payments.12:02 –The biggest changes are invisible to the eye17:43 – Behind KBank's Move in Closing a Multi-Million dollar service and Closing 🔗 Connect & Watch Watch the Full Episode in Video: ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Connect with Tianwei Liu: ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Dr Karin Boonlertvanich: ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ For more insights on how StraitsX is building stablecoin rails for real-world payments, visit our ⁠⁠⁠page⁠⁠⁠.

    22 min
  6. S1E5: Arbitrum and The Future of FX

    10/14/2025

    S1E5: Arbitrum and The Future of FX

    A new episode of "The Future of Stable Money" is here! In this episode, our CEO, Tianwei Liu, sits down with his "old friend," Ryan de Souza, the APAC Partnership Lead at Offchain Labs, the initial developer of Arbitrum. They dive deep into the evolving roles of stablecoins in global payments and the broader financial ecosystem.Here's what you'll learn: Ryan's journey from early-stage venture investing to becoming a builder in the crypto space with Offchain Labs.How stablecoins are evolving beyond simple dollar-pegged assets to become building blocks for on-chain foreign exchange (FX).The unique ways Arbitrum is approaching on-chain usability and developer experience, including the use of different programming languages and gas fee sponsorship programs.How stablecoins are enabling real-world use cases, such as card-issuing products and B2B cross-border payments. Timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction & How Ryan’s Web3 career started4:54 – DeFi & Stablecoin FX: How Arbitrum is scaling decentralized FX.10:03 – B2B & Democratization: Bridging corporate use cases and DeFi.15:08 – The Debit Card Impact: Stablecoins meeting Visa & Mastercard.00:20:07 - Why Enterprises choose to build on Arbitrum🔗 Connect & Watch Watch the Full Episode in Video: ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Connect with Tianwei Liu: ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Ryan de Souza: ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ For more insights on how StraitsX is building stablecoin rails for real-world payments, visit our ⁠⁠⁠page⁠⁠⁠.

    33 min
  7. S1E4: Singapore in the Global Crypto Arena ft. OKX SG

    09/30/2025

    S1E4: Singapore in the Global Crypto Arena ft. OKX SG

    A new episode of The Future of Stable Money is here!In this episode, StraitsX CEO and Co-Founder Tianwei Liu is joined by Gracie Lin, CEO of OKX Singapore, for a candid conversation about building trust and driving innovation in the digital asset space. From her unique journey from MAS to Grab to OKX, Gracie shares her insights on why a system's trust cannot be taken for granted and the importance of responsible innovation. Get ready to explore: Gracie's unique career journey from working at a traditional regulator (MAS) and tech giant (Grab) to leading a major crypto exchange (OKX).How Singapore is becoming a "regulatory lighthouse" for the industry. The importance of building trust in a "trustless" ecosystem and how to balance innovation and responsibility. The new partnership between OKX, StraitsX, and Grab to launch OKX Pay, which allows OKX users to pay at Grab merchants using crypto such as stablecoins. Timestamps: 2:27 – Gracie's Career Journey: From the public sector to the front lines of crypto innovation. 5:00 – The Macro Shift: Balancing stability with the rapid evolution of digital assets. 9:30 – Regulatory Lighthouse: Why Singapore is setting the global gold standard 12:35 – Mass Adoption: The specific innovations and challenges taking stablecoins mainstream. 17:34 – OKX Pay in Action: A deep dive into the OKX, StraitsX, and Grab partnership. 🔗 Connect & Watch Watch the Full Episode in Video: ⁠YouTube⁠ Connect with Tianwei Liu: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ Connect with Gracie Lin: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ For more insights on how StraitsX is building stablecoin rails for real-world payments, visit our ⁠⁠page⁠⁠.

    24 min
  8. S1E3: Web3支付布局：从挖矿到全球清算 (ft. PlatON)

    09/15/2025

    S1E3: Web3支付布局：从挖矿到全球清算 (ft. PlatON)

    全新一期的《稳定支付的未来》播客上线啦！这一期也是我们播客的首个中文专访，敬请期待！本期我们邀请到 PlatON Network 创始人 Lilin Sun (孙立林) —一位支付行业的资深专家，曾参与构建包括 JPMorgan Chase, UnionPay 和 China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited (CSDC) 在内的全球金融基础设施。 他与我们的 CEO Tianwei Liu 展开深入对谈，共同回顾他们从传统支付领域自然迈入 Web3 支付的演进之路，并探讨区块链、密码学与人工智能如何驱动新一代合规化、全球化金融体系的形成。 本期精彩看点包括： 从技术出发，到落地应用的演进路径 稳定币如何成为解决跨境支付难题的关键 为金融机构打造 B2B 支付基础设施的战略不同稳定币之间实现互操作性的挑战与机遇 Timestamps (时间戳)： 2:10 – 创业故事：从银联高管到加密先锋的转型9:35 – 实战案例： StraitsX 核心业务与 Alipay+/Grab 的无感结算19:00 – 支付哲学：“共和体制”与开放网络22:02 – 银行业未来：稳定币将如何重塑金融格局46:50 – 战略未来： 新加坡-日本 双核心模式与长远愿 🔗 联系与收看 观看视频版： 📺 点击订阅并前往 YouTube 频道 关注 Tianwei Liu: LinkedIn 关注 孙立林 (Lilin Sun): LinkedIn 了解更多关于 StraitsX 如何构建现实世界支付的稳定币轨道，请访问我们的官网或关注社交媒体。

    32 min
  9. S1E2: Fintech Founders: Building RWA ft. Chocolate Finance

    09/08/2025

    S1E2: Fintech Founders: Building RWA ft. Chocolate Finance

    A new episode of The Future of Stable Money is here! In this episode, StraitsX CEO Tianwei Liu sits down with fintech visionary Walter de Oude of Chocolate Finance for a candid founder-to-founder conversation. They pull back the curtain on the entrepreneurial journey and share what it really takes to build a business that's challenging the status quo. We dive into: The distinction between a traditional bank and a new financial model that can deliver higher, more consistent returns.The lessons learned from a crisis and how a resilient system proved its worth in a real-world stress test.The future of money, from tokenised real-world assets (RWAs) to automating payments at the speed of the internet.The importance of building customer trust and the personal philosophy that drives entrepreneurship. Timestamps: 3:40 – How Chocolate Finance Redefine Cash Management.12:35 – The StraitsX and Chocolate Finance Partnership.18:50 – What is Money and How It Evolves with Blockchain, DeFi, and RWA Coming In.29:08 – The Crucial Balance Between Speed, Safety, & Customer Trust.43:15 – Closing and Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs. 🔗 Connect & Watch Watch the Full Episode in Video: YouTube Connect with Tianwei Liu: ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Connect with Walter de Oude: ⁠LinkedIn⁠ For more insights on how StraitsX is building stablecoin rails for real-world payments, visit our ⁠page⁠.

    46 min
  10. S1E1: Regulated Stablecoins in a Fragmenting World (ft. Coinbase)

    08/20/2025

    S1E1: Regulated Stablecoins in a Fragmenting World (ft. Coinbase)

    In this inaugural episode of The Future of Stable Money, Tianwei Liu sits down with Hassan Ahmed, Singapore Country Director at Coinbase, to discuss how technology, regulation, and adoption are shaping the future of payments. We dive into: The Evolution of the Crypto Industry: From the "wild west" to regulated, real-world utility. Blockchain Maturity: How high-throughput tech is finally enabling low-cost transactions. Institutional Shift: Why giants like JPMorgan, Citi, and Walmart are launching stablecoin programs. New Use Cases: The rise of stablecoins in P2P, cross-border, and AI agentic payments. Timestamps: 2:00 – Stablecoin Regulation Development.7:00 – Coinbase and Base chain. 12:50 – The Stablecoin Industry Trend. 19:55 – Real-World Use Cases of Stablecoins. 26:07 – Future: AI & P2P payments. Join us for an insightful conversation that breaks down the complexities of stablecoins and highlights their potential to create a faster, safer, and more inclusive global financial system. 🔗 Connect & Watch Watch the Full Episode in Video: 📺 Subscribe & Watch on YouTube Connect with Tianwei Liu: LinkedIn Connect with Hassan Ahmed: LinkedIn For more insights on how StraitsX is building stablecoin rails for real-world payments, visit our page.

    36 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

Welcome to The StraitsX Stablecoin Podcast, exploring how stablecoins and digital currencies are reshaping the way the world moves value. Join our CEO & Co-Founder, Tianwei, as he speaks with founders and fintech leaders at the forefront of digital finance. From real-world payment use cases to regulatory frameworks and the evolution of programmable money, we break down the ideas shaping tomorrow’s financial infrastructure. If you're curious about the intersection of crypto, payments, and trust, you're in the right place.

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