For centuries, the power to create money was isolated to traditional issuers, who built trust over the ages. But now stablecoins are starting to pull at that monopoly, rising up in relevance as a massive innovation on infrastructure. Some jurisdictions are turning things upside down with digital asset adoption, while others are holding back, with important geopolitical implications.ย
On season twoโs opener, hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson welcome Ali Abou Daya and Morva Rohani to discuss the emergence and transformative nature of crypto and stablecoins. Ali is the chief executive officer of Transactix Financial, a stablecoin company, and Morva is the executive director of the Canadian Web3 Council, an industry organization that advocates for responsible public policy. Together the four consider the digitalization of traditional finance, and the challenges surrounding establishing trust and who controls what.
Mentioned:
โข Satoshiโ is the author of a 2008 white paper entitled โBitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash Systemโ; see also Joshua Davis, โThe Crypto-Currencyโ (The New Yorker, October 3, 2011)
โข โBitcoin maxisโ: see Tonya M. Evanโs โThe Bitcoin, Not Crypto, Debate: Why Words Matterโ (Forbes, August 21, 2024)
โข For more on El Salvadorโs experience with bitcoin, see Robyn Wilsonโs โThe Salvadoran beach town that became a Bitcoin testbedโ (BBC, July 1, 2025)
โข Nigeriaโs central bank digital currency: www.firstbanknigeria.com/personal/ways-to-bank/e-naira/
โข Tether setting up physical HQ in El Salvador: Federico Maccioni, โCrypto firm Tether and its founders finalizing move to El Salvadorโ (Reuters, January 13, 2025)
โข For comparison of transaction costs by analyst Eric Yeung, see his April 20, 2025 X post: โThe Final Showdown Between China and the U.S.: The Battlefield Shifts from Military Hegemony to Global Currency Warfare.โ Yeung is a Hong Kongโbased precious metals and investment expert who posts daily analysis on X.
โข The GENIUS Act (in full: Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act) became US public law in July 2025 to provide for the regulation of payment stablecoins: www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1582/text
โข โMiCA and the European Unionโ: see Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation
โข Daniel Day-Lewis played Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood, a 2007 film based on Upton Sinclairโs 1927 novel Oil!
โข โThe milkshake exampleโ refers to โClay Christensenโs milkshake marketingโ
Further Reading:ย
โข Ali Abou Dayaโs bio: www.linkedin.com/in/aliaboudaya/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliaboudaya/)
โข About Transactix Financial: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/morvarohani/?originalSubdomain=ca) www.transactix.ca/about (https://www.transactix.ca/about)
โข Morva Rohaniโs bio: www.linkedin.com/in/morvarohani/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/morvarohani/)
โข About the Canadian Web3 Council: https://web3canada.ca/about/
โข For more analysis on the evolving role of digital assets, including central bank digital currencies, cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and tokenized assets, within the broader context of the global financial system, see CIGIโs project Digital Assets in a Deglobalized World (https://www.cigionline.org/activities/digital-assets-in-a-deglobalized-world/)
Policy Prompt is produced by Vass Bednar and Paul Samson. Our supervising producer is Tim Lewis, with technical production by Henry Daemen and Luke McKee. Show notes are prepared by Lynn Schellenberg, social media engagement by Isabel Neufeld, brand design and episode artwork by Abhilasha Dewan and Sami Chouhdary, with creative direction from Som Tsoi.
Original music by Joshua Snethlage.
Sound mix and mastering by Franรงois Goudreault.
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