block by block: Recent Episodes
Stellar Development Foundation
Crypto is going mainstream — changing the way we spend, build, and connect. Stay ahead of the curve with Denelle Dixon, CEO and Executive Director of the Stellar Development Foundation, as she dives into timely topics at the intersection of crypto, tech, and society with new experts each episode.
In this episode, Denelle sits down with Sandy Kaul, EVP and Head of Innovation at Franklin Templeton, to break down Benji - the first U.S. registered money market fund to use a public blockchain, Stellar, for transaction processing and transfer agency.It didn't start as a tokenization play. It started as a way to cut transfer agency costs. The proof came in a side-by-side pilot: 50,000 transactions cost $75,000 the traditional way, versus $1.13 on Stellar - and those savings go to the end investor, not the firm. Sandy explains why running on Stellar made that possible, how second-by-second recordkeeping lets a holder earn interest for the exact hours they owned the fund, and how the team brought the SEC along on problems no one had solved before.Five years in, Benji has paid out interest every day without a loss or an outage.More about Franklin Templeton on Stellar here: https://stellar.org/case-studies/franklin-templeton
The biggest challenge for institutions moving to blockchain isn't efficiency - it's privacy. How do you leverage a public ledger without exposing client data or competitive strategies to the world?In this episode of block block, Denelle Dixon sits down with the Stellar Development Foundation’s Chief Product Officer, Tomer Weller, to unpack the team’s strategy for configurable privacy. They explore why privacy and openness don’t have to be a trade-off and dive into the cutting-edge technology making private institutional payments a reality in 2026, including:Confidential Tokens vs. Privacy Pools: Understanding the different cryptographic models for securing balances and transactions.The Power of Zero-Knowledge (ZK): How ZK proofs allow for verifiable computation without revealing sensitive underlying data.A "Menu" of Compliance: How configurable privacy provides institutions with the administrative controls (like allowlists and view keys) needed to satisfy regulators.Live Tools on Stellar: A look at the new building blocks and partnerships (like Nethermind and OpenZeppelin) that are already open-sourcing privacy solutions on the network.
In this episode of block by block, Lisa Nestor, Director of Stanford’s Future of Digital Currency Initiative, reveals groundbreaking research into the real-world utility of stablecoins. After analyzing over 41 million USDC transactions spanning five years and 100 countries, the data shows that stablecoin payments are already exceeding global G20 targets for 2030.
Anthony Soohoo is 18 months into transforming MoneyGram - 500,000 locations, 200+ countries - into a developer-led payments network running on blockchain and stablecoins. The catch: customers never see the tech. They just hold a dollar-backed balance in the app while AI orchestrates treasury, FX, and settlement on the back end. In this episode, Anthony breaks down the three pillars of MoneyGram 3.0, why he chose open interoperable rails over building proprietary ones, how his team brought regulators along across dozens of jurisdictions, and why he believes payments is about to hit its "iPhone moment" - where AI, embedded finance, and digital assets converge all at once. If you're at a legacy financial institution weighing whether to build on open infrastructure or keep your rails closed, this is the conversation to listen to.
Issuing a stablecoin used to require a nine-figure investment, years of regulatory work, and deep banking relationships. For most companies, that barrier made participation impossible.In this episode of block by block, Denelle Dixon speaks with Ben Milne, founder and CEO of Brale, about why stablecoin issuance was historically so expensive - and how Brale approached the problem differently. Ben explains how existing regulation made another path possible, why licensing and compliance are central to trust, and how absorbing those fixed costs upfront reduces the marginal cost of issuing a stablecoin to nearly zero.The conversation covers the economics of stablecoin infrastructure, Brale’s decision to support third-party issuers, and what changes when access to regulated financial rails is no longer limited to the largest institutions.
This Block by Block episode features AirTM CEO Ruben Galindo on the economics of global payroll. AirTM has processed more than $1B in stablecoin payments, paid 250,000 workers in 150+ countries, and reports 20–25% cost savings on cross-border payouts. Galindo explains how stablecoin payments are converted to local currency in minutes, why the “last mile” is the real challenge in international payroll, and what reliable settlement means for enterprises looking beyond traditional payment processors.
In this episode of block by block with Denelle Dixon, Austin Campbell (Founder of Zero Knowledge Consulting, NYU Stern professor, former Paxos, JP Morgan, Citi) talks through the parts of the financial system most people never see — settlement, velocity, trapped capital, and the tradeoffs between openness, privacy, and control. Drawing from experience in traditional finance and crypto infrastructure, Austin explains why most tokenization efforts fail, what blockchains actually make possible, and why copying legacy systems onchain won’t lead to greater adoption.
In this episode of Block by Block, Denelle Dixon sits down with Brian Pellegrino, CEO and Co-Founder of LayerZero Labs, to explore how blockchain interoperability is evolving beyond traditional bridges and wrapped assets toward true omnichain infrastructure.What You'll Learn:-How omnichain tokens eliminate fragmented liquidity and security risks-Why LayerZero is a messaging protocol, not a bridge-The importance of immutable, censorship-resistant infrastructure-How blockchain interoperability will become as invisible as HTTPS
This episode explores how Etherfuse is using Stellar to build open, interoperable financial rails that keep money, and access, truly open. Dave Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO of Etherfuse, joins Denelle to share how bringing local-currency sovereign bonds onchain through stablebonds can create transparent, yield-bearing opportunities for savings and payments. Together, discussing what it takes to keep these rails permissionless, ensure composability across builders, and expand real-world access to trusted financial assets - all while helping local economies thrive without relying solely on the U.S. dollar.
In our third and final episode in our mini-series on how to make a real-world impact, Denelle talks with Elisabeth Carpenter, COO of Circle. Denelle and Elisabeth talked about the value stablecoins have for global users, why enterprise innovation is not just compatible but complementary to social impact, and why skepticism about a new technology can be healthy, and where we are on the transformation journey in movement of money. Join us to hear how to make it happen…block by block.
In our second episode in our mini-series on how to make a real-world impact, Denelle talks with Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of Women’s World Banking. Denelle and Mary Ellen talked about how access and inclusion are different, how financial institutions improving their customer experience for women are driving big business improvements, and why it’s important not to lose sight of the long game. Join us to hear how to make it happen…block by block.
Denelle kicks off Season 3’s miniseries on real-world impact with Rick Martin of decaf. Rick and the decaf team have built a blockchain-powered mobile wallet, leveraging digital assets integrated with local cash in and out points, that is giving people a new found sense of pride in their work and for some, provides greater physical security. They explore these real world impacts and how it’s important to create and maintain trust with users, all while being a voice at the table for those that don’t have a seat. Join the conversation to learn how to make it happen….block by block.
Learn more about the Decaf Digital Wallet: https://bit.ly/decaf_builds_better
This season concludes with one of the most influential voices in the Stellar ecosystem – none other than Stellar Development Foundation co-founder, Jed McCaleb. Since the 3rd grade, Jed’s passion for programming has led him to solve interesting problems. He’s started numerous companies and worked on emerging technology for decades, and now has his sights set on space habitation technologies with Vast, and AI with Astera Institute. In this episode, Denelle and Jed discuss his path as an innovator, the barriers to building that he faced in the early days of blockchain, the importance of setting space as a new frontier for human exploration, and AI as the last science project.
Denelle Dixon, and Alex Holmes, CEO of MoneyGram, unpack MoneyGram's transformative journey from conventional remittance services to a digital powerhouse. Denelle and Alex cover the company’s strategic shifts and pivotal moments in embracing digital innovation, showcasing Holmes' insights into the company's evolution. Dixon emphasizes the collaborative efforts that led to the creation of MoneyGram Access and the recent launch of their non-custodial wallet, unveiling a vision to bridge traditional finance with blockchain technology, revolutionizing cross-border payments and fostering financial inclusion on a global scale. How does a more than 80 year old company adopt new technologies and reshape the financial landscape? Listen to find out.
Denelle dives into the dynamic world of crypto with Konstantin Richter, the visionary founder of Blockdaemon. From reflecting on personal growth and lessons learned to exploring the intricate balance between disruption and collaboration, Konstantin shares insights on building trust, navigating the crypto landscape, and Blockdaemon's journey in simplifying crypto infrastructure for major institutions. This conversation provides a thought-provoking glimpse into the evolving future of decentralized technologies and Blockdaemon's pivotal role in shaping it.
In a special Meridian episode of block by block, Tajinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) sat down with Denelle at SDF’s annual Meridian conference to talk regulation, global standards and coordination, and advice for innovators navigating a borderless technology across different regulatory and legal jurisdictions. Tajinder brings a background in technology to his role at IOSCO to help find common ground among regulators by focusing on the basics – investor protection, market integrity and the principle, “same activity, same risk, same regulatory outcomes,” to inform global standards.
Carole House has been behind the scenes on some serious cybersecurity and policymaking efforts for crypto, having served as the Director of Cybersecurity and Secure Digital Innovation at the White House National Security Council as well as at the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Now at Terranet Ventures, she sits down with Denelle to discuss crypto’s benefits for financial crime investigations, the pros and cons of enforcement actions, the process of pulling together President Biden’s government-wide strategy for digital currencies, and why the fight for an enabling regulatory environment in the US is worth it.
Follow Denelle on Twitter: @DenelleDixon
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A longtime investor and founder in the crypto space, Joey Krug understands the upsides (and downsides) of being early and making big bets. Now at the Founders Fund, he’s focused on defining the next decade of the firm’s crypto strategy. In the first episode of season 2, Joey sits down with Denelle to talk about what motivated his early ventures, finding and backing the best founders, and his list of biggest mistakes and lessons learned (literally - he keeps a list). Plus: what horses and poker have to do with financial markets and crypto investing.
Follow Denelle on Twitter: @DenelleDixon
Follow Stellar Development Foundation on Twitter: @StellarOrg
Follow Stellar Development Foundation on LinkedIn
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Anthony Scaramucci knows what it means to take risks to get to where you want to go. He sits down with Denelle to discuss his personal and professional story—from humble beginnings, to investment banking, to his stint in politics, and finding his place in crypto. They also take you behind the scenes into the days he spent with SBF before the FTX collapse, discuss why he’s with crypto and blockchain for the long haul, and the importance of sharing failures and moving past them.
Tribalism is pervasive in the crypto space. It’s not often that two Layer 1 blockchain CEOs get together to talk candidly. In this episode, Marieke Flament, CEO of the NEAR Foundation, sits down with Denelle for an open conversation about what it’s really like leading a blockchain foundation supporting open-source ecosystems, and everything that comes with it.
Janet Foutty, Executive Chair of the Board for Deloitte US, knows what it takes to lead large organizations through meaningful change. As chair and CEO of Deloitte Consulting, she led the digital transformation and growth of the $10B business through investments in digital, AI, and cloud. Janet and Denelle sit down to discuss the breadth of the web3 opportunity that is in front of businesses today, the clients she sees coming to Deloitte looking to engage, creating the backbone companies need to adapt to digital transformation, and advancing women's leadership in this space.
Sigal Mandelker, lawyer and longtime public servant, served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, and held many other senior positions throughout her distinguished government career. Now at Ribbit Capital, a VC focused on financial services and technology, she’s leveraging that experience to help change the world of finance. She sits down with Denelle to share what motivated her early on in her career, her approach to engaging with industry for better outcomes, and how that public sector experience impacts her work with founders now.
Avichal Garg, Managing Partner at Electric Capital, knows that investing in Web3—from finding builders, to giving them money, to supporting them—requires a new, different approach. Avichal sits down with Denelle to discuss reorienting human organizations to take advantage of this new infrastructure, being thoughtful about partnership and giving Web3 founders advice, and even shares a bit of history about the origins of corporations which brings us to the present day and DAOs.
Chad Cascarilla, CEO and Co-founder of Paxos, has been building crypto infrastructure since the early days, so he has a unique vantage point when it comes to things like scaling a crypto business and regulation. Chad and Denelle discuss bringing brand name players into crypto, what it should mean to be called a stablecoin, and prioritizing regulation to ensure a sustainable business, enable mainstream adoption, and make a better financial life possible for people. (To be clear on this episode’s title: we’re all big fans of the post office here. Our point is that a truly modern financial system needs to operate in a new way—blockchain tech is making it possible.)
In this episode of block by block, we sit down with Laura Shin - crypto journalist and former senior editor at Forbes, author, Unchained podcast host, and more. We discuss what it’s like to cover a fast-moving industry like crypto; the crash of a certain algorithmic stablecoin called TerraUSD (the big topic of debate in recent weeks); the writing process and reaction to her latest book The Cryptonians, which tells the human story of Ethereum; and what she’s working on next.
Presenting block by block, a podcast that dives into timely topics at the intersection of crypto, tech, and society. Get to know your host, Denelle Dixon, CEO and Executive Director of the Stellar Development Foundation, who will sit down with a different expert each episode to discuss how crypto and blockchain are shaping their corner of the world. Subscribe to get notified when the first episode is released.