Ex-NAB Chief Drew Bradford: 70% of Banking Costs Will Disappear by 2029
Why are top banking executives walking away from 35-year TradFi careers to build blockchain rails? This week, Pav sits down with Drew Bradford, CEO of Macropod and former head of trading and derivatives at NAB and Deutsche Bank. Drew exposes the harsh inefficiencies of traditional banking architecture, revealing why post-trade settlement accounts for a staggering 70% of operations costs at major financial institutions. Drew and Pav explore Macropodâs milestones under the Reserve Bank of Australiaâs (RBA) Project Acacia, including Australia's first on-chain corporate bond tokenisation. They break down how AUDM and programmable stablecoins can eliminate Australia's $9 billion annual merchant tap fee burden, automate cross-border trade escrow for small businesses, and allow AI agents to manage idle cash for instant, real-time yield. Youâll hear: 00:00 Pav shares the studio with Drew, CEO of Macropod and former head of trading and derivatives at NAB and Deutsche Bank 01:24 Drew reveals that 70% of bank operational costs stem from post-trade settlement and why smart contracts solve it instantly. 04:05 How AUD stablecoins reduce merchant processing fees from 1.5% down to fractions of a cent. 06:15 Real-world escrow for bathroom renovators, dairy exporters in Asia, and instant yield via AI agents. 12:10 Why tokenised bank deposits will exist alongside open digital cash like AUDM. 14:22 Where Australia sits on the global stage and why 2029 will be the tipping point where legacy rails become obsolete. ⊠and much more! Connect with Drew on LinkedIn and learn more about Macropod here. Want to see what weâre looking at every episode? Watch the YouTube version of the podcast here. Ready to start? Get $10 of FREE Bitcoin on Swyftx when you sign up and verify: https://trade.swyftx.com.au/register/?promoRef=tappingintocrypto10btc To get the latest updates, hit subscribe and follow us over on the gram @tappingintocrypto or X @tappingintocrypto If you canât wait to learn more, check out these blogs from our friends over at Swyftx. This podcast provides general market commentary and is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is NOT financial advice. We are NOT licensed financial advisors. Investing in cryptocurrency carries risk. You should always conduct your own research and seek independent financial advice before making any investment decisions. Please read Swyftx's Terms and Conditions and Risk Disclosure statement before investing.


