Host Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) welcomes Wei Zhou (@thedaoofwei), CEO at @coinsph, to discuss grassroots crypto and stablecoin adoption in the Philippines, why the country consistently ranks in Chainalysis’ global top 10, and how regulation since 2016–2017 enabled licensed exchanges and bank connectivity. Zhou explains Coins.ph’s dual licensing (VASP and EMI), its focus on remittances and payments, and how stablecoins can cut remittance costs from 5–10% to 10–20 bps when used properly, emphasizing the importance of deep USDT/USDC-to-peso liquidity and 24/7 rails. He recounts his entry into crypto via ICO-era token distributions, his “Google moment” using Binance, and his time as Binance CFO. The conversation also covers Coins’ PHPC peso-backed stablecoin sandbox, multi-chain stablecoin support, AI-driven productivity inside the company, post-FTX trust, and transparency initiatives like putting government budgets on-chain. Watch the full episode now! #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Stablecoins #usecase

ATC features Wei Zhou (@thedaoofwei), CEO of @coinsph. Coins is building the next generation of global money movement. Through a single platform, businesses and consumers can make payments, move money across borders, convert currencies, access digital assets, and tap into a growing suite of financial services — from cards and credit to investments and treasury. By combining stable-powered settlements with local payment rails, Coins makes money move faster, at a lower cost, and with 24/7/365 availability. Wei believes the real opportunity with AI isn’t simply doing more with fewer people. It’s about helping people become dramatically more productive. For him, the ideal future is one where AI helps a company grow 10x while keeping the same number of employees, creating the potential for people to deliver more value and share in that growth. AI should expand what people are capable of, not just reduce the number of people needed. His message is simple: AI should expand what people are capable of, not just reduce the number of people needed. 🎧 Tune in to Around The Coin with Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt). Now streaming on all major platforms. 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/ho… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Stablecoins #usecase

📻 Unpack the future of financial technology with Wei Zhou (@thedaoofwei), CEO of @coinsph, on the latest Around The Coin podcast hosted by Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt). Explore how Coins.ph is pioneering the use of stablecoins to provide seamless payment solutions and affordable remittances in the Philippines. 💬 Wei shares his unique journey, from his beginnings at Binance to leading a powerhouse in the crypto exchange world. This episode offers firsthand insights into overcoming regulatory challenges and harnessing cutting-edge technologies to benefit everyday users. 🔑 Dive into the strategies that are propelling the adoption of digital currencies across Asia and beyond. Stay informed about the latest trends in fintech and cryptocurrencies by tuning in today! 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/ho… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Stablecoins #usecase

In this episode of Around The Coin, Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) speaks with Bart Smith (@gbartsmith), CEO of Avalanche Treasury Co. (@avat_co), to discuss building a regulated digital asset treasury focused on the Avalanche ecosystem. Bart explains why a public treasury vehicle can give investors brokerage-account access to AVAX exposure, staking (over 90% staked), and potential upside from investing in Avalanche-native businesses. They cover U.S. regulatory developments including the CLARITY and GENIUS Acts, shifting SEC/CFTC attitudes, and why institutional adoption may accelerate despite lagging prices. Bart shares his background in quant trading and early Bitcoin involvement, why he chose Avalanche for privacy, permissioning, customization, and EVM-compatible high throughput, and highlights use cases like FIFA ticketing and Wyoming’s stablecoin. They also discuss payments, tokenization of real-world assets, DeFi growth, buybacks, and long-term infrastructure for 24/7 markets. #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Stablecoins #Tokenization #onchain

ATC features Bart Smith (@gbartsmith), CEO of Avalanche Treasury Co. (@avat_co), a newly formed, publicly listed operating company on the NASDAQ, focused exclusively on Avalanche and AVAX. The institutional deployments are real, the technology is live, and the ecosystem is growing. AVAT gives investors a reliable way to get exposure to that reality today. What happens to crypto conferences when blockchain becomes part of everyday finance? Bart points to a future where the line between crypto and traditional financial services gets harder to see. If real-world assets naturally move onchain, discussing them as something separate may eventually feel redundant. His take is that wider adoption could change not only how financial markets operate, but also how the industry talks about blockchain in the first place. Could crypto conferences eventually become financial services conferences with blockchain simply built into the conversation? 🎧 Tune in to Around The Coin with Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt). Now streaming on all major platforms. 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/fr… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Stablecoins #Tokenization #onchain

🏦 Wall Street is moving onchain, but the biggest shift may be happening before most people even notice it. In this episode of Around The Coin, Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) sits down with Bart Smith (@gbartsmith), CEO of Avalanche Treasury Co. (@avat_co), to talk about why institutions are taking blockchain infrastructure more seriously, what makes Avalanche attractive to businesses, and where the next wave of adoption could come from. 💳 From stablecoins and cross-border payments to tokenized assets, ticketing, and 24/7 financial markets, Bart explains why blockchain could eventually become part of the infrastructure people use every day without even realizing it. They also get into digital asset treasuries, institutional capital, AI agents using blockchain rails, and why Bart believes crypto adoption may be moving much faster than market prices suggest. 🎙️ The bigger question: what happens when crypto stops feeling like a separate industry and simply becomes part of finance? See where Bart thinks the next wave of adoption is heading! 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/fr… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Stablecoins #Tokenization #onchain

Host Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) welcomes George Christopher (@g_christopher8), Principal Investor at @coinfund (founded 2015), discussing how CoinFund invests from pre-seed through Series C+ across seed and venture funds in blockchain-focused companies. George shares his background in SaaS growth investing, argues the “SaaSpocalypse” mainly threatens horizontal workflow tools, and outlines defensible moats like proprietary data, security, licenses, and liquidity. He explains early-stage investing centers on founder/team vision and market size, while later-stage focuses on product-market fit and scaling. They cover crypto VC dynamics, stablecoins as long-term infrastructure, regulation as both risk and moat (including stablecoins and prediction markets), AI’s impact on venture workflows, compute and specialized data as AI “picks and shovels,” and why agentic payments will take longer due to trust and guardrails. George also details CoinFund’s LatAm stablecoin payments bet on Trace Finance in Brazil, and shares where to find him and CoinFund for pitches. Watch the full episode now! #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #AI #Payments

ATC features George Christopher (@g_christopher8), Principal Investor at @coinfund, a crypto-focused investment firm founded in 2015. The firm invests across blockchain, decentralized technologies, and financial infrastructure, supporting founders from early stage through growth. CoinFund combines deep crypto expertise with experience across technology, finance, research, and venture investing. George believes companies should be careful not to let AI hype dictate their entire strategy. For him, the smarter approach is to use AI where it creates real value today, while staying realistic about how uncertain the future still is. AI can improve workflows, productivity, and decision-making, but it shouldn’t become the single bet a company depends on to succeed. Where do you think companies are getting AI right, and where are they moving too fast? Share your thoughts in the comments. 🎧 Tune in to Around The Coin with Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) Now streaming on all major platforms. 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/wh… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #AI #Payments

💸 What actually makes a crypto or AI startup worth betting on? Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) sits down with George Christopher (@g_christopher8), Principal Investor at @coinfund, for a wide-ranging conversation on what venture investors are looking for as AI, stablecoins, blockchain, and fintech continue to collide. 📈 George shares why strong founders still matter more than hype, how CoinFund thinks about early-stage versus growth-stage investments, and why building conviction before a market gets crowded can make all the difference. They also talk about the so-called “SaaSpocalypse,” the rise of agentic payments, stablecoin adoption in Latin America, regulation as a potential moat, and why George believes DeFi may be setting up for another major chapter. 🎙️ If you’re building, investing, or just trying to understand where crypto and AI could be heading next, this is one to add to your queue. 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/wh… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #AI #Payments

Live from Futurist, host Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) interviews Charlene Cieslik, an independent financial crime compliance consultant with 26 years in compliance (including early FINTRAC) and 10 years in crypto, about Canada’s crypto compliance landscape. Cieslik argues repeated misconduct by industry players has driven regulatory stagnation and poor laws, and says stablecoins should be treated as payments, not securities, while warning Canada is lagging in innovation. She highlights data sovereignty and national security risks from foreign-controlled payments infrastructure, calls for stronger public-private collaboration, and is skeptical FINTRAC’s enforcement push will deliver. Discussing Bitcoin ATMs, she supports data-driven decisions over bans, and stresses many firms mistake AML for KYC, neglecting risk assessments. She also covers “three MSBs in a trench coat” risks, the importance of human communication amid AI governance, and challenges women face in crypto, emphasizing visibility and speaking openly as her legacy. Watch the full episode right now! ⬇️ #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Compliance #Blockchain #FinancialCrime #Futurist

ATC features Charlene Cieslik, Principal of Complifact. She is a financial crime compliance expert with 26 years of experience across banking, consulting, cryptocurrency, and payments. She began her compliance career at FINTRAC and has spent the past decade working in crypto, including senior roles at Coinsquare and Localcoin. Today, she runs Complifact AML Inc., advising companies on AML/CTF, sanctions, risk management, payments, stablecoins, and regulatory compliance. Charlene Cieslik doesn’t believe good compliance means saying no to everything. Her advice is to understand the company’s risk appetite early, know who actually owns those decisions, and avoid turning compliance into the department that tries to remove every possible risk from the business. For Charlene, the real skill is knowing when risk can be managed, when it needs stronger controls, and when something is simply too dangerous for the business to take on. Where do you think compliance should draw the line between protecting the company and getting in the way of it? 🎧 Tune in to Around The Coin with Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) Now streaming on all major platforms. 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/wh… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Complianc. #Blockchain #FinancialCrime

What happens when regulation falls behind, bad actors keep setting the industry back, and compliance teams are left trying to hold everything together? On Around The Coin, Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) sits down with Charlene Cieslik, Principal of Complifact, for a candid conversation shaped by 26 years in financial crime compliance and 10 years in crypto. 💸 Charlene shares her take on stablecoins, Canada’s payments infrastructure, data sovereignty, weak enforcement, and the risks businesses overlook when compliance is treated as little more than KYC. 🤖 They also talk about AI, the future of compliance, and why human judgment, communication, and the ability to challenge bad decisions will matter more than ever. A candid look at the realities of compliance, regulation, and risk in crypto. 🎙️ Hear what decades in compliance teach you that no checklist can. 🔗 aroundthecoin.com/podcast/wh… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Compliance #Blockchain #FinancialCrime #Futurist

Live from Futurist, host Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) interviews Andrei Poliakov, founder and CEO of @APXLending. Poliakov explains why he built a highly regulated, compliant crypto-backed lending business after failures like Celsius, BlockFi, Voyager and FTX, offering loans in Canada and the US against Bitcoin and Ethereum up to 60% LTV with no rehypothecation, segregated insured cold-storage custody and on-chain collateral visibility. He details APX’s second vertical—lending-as-a-service—providing a plug-and-play stack for exchanges, banks, credit unions and fintechs to launch crypto lending in under 60 days while APX handles credit, compliance, underwriting and servicing. They discuss Canadian regulatory realities, adoption, banking interest, borrower use cases, entrepreneurship, and how APX uses AI behind the scenes while keeping human support. #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Bitcoin #Blockchain #Futurist

ATC features Andrei Poliakov, Founder and CEO at @APXLending, a state-of-the-art platform specializing in Bitcoin-secured loans. Drawing from deep roots operating one of Canada's top crypto exchanges, APX Lending is reimagining the crypto-backed lending space. Its unwavering commitment to compliance, safety, and transparency positions it to make a significant global impact, empowering individuals and businesses to unleash the potential of their Bitcoin on a platform built on trust. Andrei emphasizes that when it comes to mass crypto adoption, the real turning point isn't fancy new platforms—it's familiar ground. He argues that everyday investors aren't looking to navigate unknown entities; they simply want to manage their digital assets through the trusted financial institutions they already use. For him, the path forward is straightforward: the second banks get full regulatory clarity, offering crypto services like buying, holding, and borrowing becomes a complete no-brainer. True adoption happens when managing crypto feels just as seamless and secure as traditional banking. Would you rather manage your crypto through your regular bank or keep it on a dedicated exchange? Let’s discuss in the comments! 🎧 Tune in to Around The Coin with Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt). Now streaming on all major platforms. 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/wh… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Bitcoin #Blockchain #Futurist

🔐 What happens when crypto lending puts regulation, transparency, and trust first? On Around The Coin, Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) sits down with Andrei Poliakov, Founder and CEO of @APXLending, to explore the future of crypto-backed lending and why the next wave may look very different from the past. After building and exiting Coinberry, Andrei created APX around a simple idea: crypto lending needs to be safe, regulated, and built for real-world use. He shares how people are using crypto-backed loans to buy property, grow businesses, fund education, and even start a charity, rather than simply buying more Bitcoin. They also discuss institutional adoption, banks entering crypto, AI, and why Andrei believes lending could be the industry's next big wave. 🎙️ Is crypto lending ready for the mainstream? 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/wh… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #Crypto #Bitcoin #Blockchain #Futurist

Catch public attention and change how your audience views public relations with this new breakdown on Around The Coin In this episode, host Stephen Sargeant (@lifesgt) sits down live at Futurist with Nikita Sachdev (@nikichain), CEO and Founder of @LunaPRofficial. Together, they unwrap how the rise of generative engine optimization (GEO) and AI toolsets are shifting the landscape from generic content spam to high-value distribution and real-world relationship building. Nikita shares no-nonsense leadership lessons on managing a global team through industry pivots, navigating client messaging challenges, and building authentic connections. From her direct takeaways interviewing crypto figures like CZ to the reality of balancing digital media with high-profile physical events like the Crypto Polo Cup, this conversation packs actionable value for founders, marketers, and tech innovators alike. 💡 Ready to rethink your media strategy? Stream the full episode now! 🔗aroundthecoin.com/podcast/re… #aroundthecoin #podcast #Fintech #AI #PR #Crypto