Around The Coin

Hosted by Stephen Sargeant and Mike Townsend

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Episodes

616

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Around The Coin is a podcast exploring finance, fintech, and the future of money. Hosted by industry experts, it features deep dives into payments, crypto, banking, and disruptive innovations shaping the global economy.

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60 recent

June 10, 2026Episode 61550 min

How Stablecoins Fix Cross-Border Payments - Chris Mason | ATC #615

Host Stephen Sargeant interviews Chris Mason, founder and CEO of Orbital, about building stablecoin infrastructure and how it can improve cross-border payments compared with traditional correspondent banking and SWIFT. Mason explains Orbital’s background processing stablecoins for seven years, its focus on corporate clients, and why transaction controls, authorizations, segregation of client funds, and compliance (including travel rule and blockchain analytics tools) matter as much as speed. They discuss common use cases like pay-ins, payouts, auto-conversions for firms that want stablecoin speed without holding stablecoins on balance sheet, and growing demand for emerging-market on/off-ramps. The conversation covers licensing burdens, regulatory arbitrage, crypto’s potential for better financial crime detection due to on-chain visibility, stablecoins in crisis or sanctioned-region trade for non-sanctioned goods, and how industry M&A and AI may shape Orbital’s next phase.We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

June 3, 2026Episode 61422 min

Why Enterprises Need Their Own Blockchain - Kyle Jenke | ATC #614

Recorded live at EthCC in Cannes, Around The Coin with host Stephen Sargeant sits down with Kyle Jenke, Chief Business Officer at Optimism, about how Optimism’s OP Stack and OP Enterprise help large enterprises build and own their own blockchains for customization, revenue economics, and stronger compliance, privacy, and security. Jenke cites over 50 OP Stack chains and major brands building on Optimism, and highlights Bitpanda’s MiCA-compliant Vision Chain as a European example of regulated adoption. He discusses key customer verticals (fintechs, exchanges, payments, and large financial institutions), rising gas-fee costs and urgency to launch owned infrastructure, and how enterprises use blockchains for product differentiation amid converging financial services. The conversation also covers Security Overwatch SLAs, a menu of compliance/security vendors, AI use across Optimism, and compliance needs like OFAC screening amid geopolitics. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

May 27, 2026Episode 61332 min

Why Institutions Need Confidential Blockchain Transactions - Jeremy Jeremy | ATC #613

Live at EthCC on the Around The Coin podcast, Stephen Sargeant heads to the Zama Villa to speak with Zama COO Jeremy Bradley about fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and why financial institutions need a confidentiality layer to balance blockchain transparency with selective access for regulators and compliance. Jeremy explains “programmable confidentiality,” Europe’s GDPR-driven focus on data sovereignty, and how Zama enables end-to-end encrypted on-chain transactions while allowing authorized decryption when needed. He cites a partnership with T. Rowe Price/Apex Group, use cases like payroll, supplier payments, and influencer payments, and notes other projects (e.g., Inco, Phoenix) use Zama’s technology. They discuss lessons from Zama’s token launch, KYC/KYB support at scale, hiring in a niche FHE talent pool, internal AI for operations efficiency, and quantum computing risks, noting FHE’s quantum-resistant properties. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

May 20, 2026Episode 61222 min

Will AI Agents Dominate DeFi Trading? - Sergej Kunz | ATC #612

Join host Stephen Sargeant reports live from ECC, where discussions center on wallets, tokenization, real-world assets, regulation, and compliance, and introduces a live Around The Coin episode featuring 1inch co-founder and CEO Sergej Kunz. Kunz recounts 1inch’s start at the 2019 ETHGlobal New York hackathon after conversations with Vitalik Buterin, his early hackathon circuit, and how 1inch grew into a leading DEX aggregator. He explains aggregation, intent-based swaps, limit orders, and a cross-chain atomic swap protocol using hash time lock contracts with KYB/compliance-checked participants, positioning 1inch as infrastructure for institutions. They cover institutional adoption via rebranding, tokenized assets, business model (subscriptions, API, rev share), regulatory direction including wallet screening and potential KYC, and how AI agents and 1inch’s MCP tools may drive Web3 usage. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

May 13, 2026Episode 61121 min

How Crypto Companies Get Media Coverage? - Otto Jacobsson | ATC #611

Join host Stephen Sargeant live from EthCC in Cannes for a special episode of the Around The Coin podcast featuring Otto Jacobson, CEO of YAP Global. Otto shares his journey from investment banking and CFO to leading one of the top PR firms in crypto, blockchain, fintech, and AI. Together, they discuss the evolving media landscape in Web3, the rise of niche content creators, and how crypto companies can effectively communicate their stories in an increasingly crowded market.The conversation also explores major industry trends including stablecoins, tokenization, FX trading on-chain, institutional adoption, and why traditional finance giants are moving deeper into blockchain infrastructure. Recorded live at EthCC, this episode is packed with insights for founders, investors, marketers, and anyone interested in the future of crypto and fintech. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

May 6, 2026Episode 6101 hr 9 min

Why AI Agents Need Blockchain Identity? - Yat Siu | ATC #610

Host Stephen Sargeant interviews Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, covering his background (German mother tongue, education work) and views on how AI is changing the purpose of school and future jobs, emphasizing creativity, humanities, and entrepreneurship. Siu connects cycles from the dot-com era to crypto, arguing technologies that are better for society ultimately win, and frames Animoca’s evolution from gaming to NFTs, DeFi, RWAs, and institutional efforts including Anchor Point’s stablecoin license in Hong Kong. He explains digital ownership as identity and freedom enabled by blockchain, and outlines Web4/agentic commerce where billions of AI agents need on-chain identity, reputation, and payments. Siu describes Animoca Minds with EtherSwarm as low-cost agent infrastructure and a tokenized marketplace for agent “skills,” and shares a blueprint to get his attention: build with Animoca Minds and post results on X. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

April 29, 2026Episode 60956 min

Is Your Crypto Safe From Hackers? - Dyma Budorin | ATC #609

Join host Stephen Sargeant on this special edition of the Around The Coin podcast as he sits down with Dyma Budorin, CEO of Core3 and co-founder/executive chairman of Web3 cybersecurity firm Hacken—to unpack security transparency, risk analytics, and accountability in crypto. Budorin recounts starting Hacken after a 2017 Kyiv competition led to an ICO, and explains why smart contracts are improving while operational security, key management, and supply-chain risks remain major weaknesses, with audits as the main standard and CCSS as a more crypto-relevant framework than ISO/SOC2. He describes Core3 as a public risk-analytics platform—likened to Moody’s or a “Whoop” score—that evaluates exchanges and protocols using public data (including GitHub, wallet analysis, concentration, and social signals) to encourage better practices, detect wash trading, and support institutional due diligence. Budorin also discusses his whistleblowing contributions about alleged gaps around Sumsub’s ownership, audits, and past ties to Smart Engines, urging regulators to investigate. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

April 22, 2026Episode 6081 hr 3 min

Why Stablecoins Succeed Where Banks Struggle - Arnold Lee | ATC #608

Host Stephen Sargeant interviews Arnold Lee, CEO and co-founder of Sphere Labs, about building stablecoin-enabled payment infrastructure during the 2022 downturn and focusing on real end-user needs rather than “stablecoin” narratives. Arnold explains how Sphere helps businesses move money cross-border faster and cheaper by optimizing banking and compliance plumbing, especially in emerging markets where correspondent banking is weak and documentation expectations don’t match local realities. He discusses learning from events like Luna/Terra and FTX, reading the Bank Secrecy Act to understand why bank requirements exceed written regulations, and why compliance and localized data (IDs, real-time payment systems like Pix/UPI) can determine whether transactions clear. They cover geopolitics and supply-chain volatility as drivers of adoption, the evolving provider landscape, and Arnold’s skepticism about near-term agentic AI payments hype. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

April 15, 2026Episode 60756 min

Are You Reporting Crypto Taxes Correctly? - Lawrence Zlatkin & Wendy Walker | ATC #607

Join host Stephen Sargeant interviews Lawrence Zlatkin, Vice President of Tax at Coinbase, and Wendy Walker, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Sovos, about the fast-changing tax and regulatory landscape for digital assets heading into 2026. They discuss the rollout of US crypto information reporting including Form 1099-DA, the challenges of incomplete cost basis when assets move across wallets and platforms, and the growing burden of high-volume reporting including stablecoin activity, gas fees, and dust transactions. They compare the US approach with global frameworks like CARF and note the lack of parity with traditional finance and the risks of over-reporting and privacy and surveillance concerns. They also cover IRS modernization, real-time and transaction-level validation trends abroad, and how AI could help sift massive datasets and improve compliance and efficiency, plus advice for new tax professionals to pair tax expertise with technology. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud

April 8, 2026Episode 60655 min

AI Changing Crypto Compliance and Security - Rick Harmsen | ATC #606

In this episode of the Around The Coin Podcast, host Stephen Sargeant is joined by Rick Harmsen, CTO of DataExpert, to compare key takeaways from two conferences happening at the same time: Chainalysis Links in New York and ECC in Cannes. They discuss the growing convergence of AI, regulation, tokenization, stablecoins, and compliance across both developer and blockchain analytics communities, including how DeFi protocols are increasingly “front-running” regulation by building compliance programs early. Rick shares insights on Chainalysis’ new AI investigation product, the importance of data transparency, and the risks of over-relying on AI without investigative skill. They also cover investigation costs, side-event culture, law enforcement request verification, and preview DataExpert’s upcoming Digital Experience event in Stockholm bringing together law enforcement and private-sector investigators. We are also available via:Around The Coin — Official WebsiteBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyPlayer FMQuoraMediumX FacebookLinkedInTiktokSoundcloud