This episode of The New Money Podcast features Nick Philpott, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships of Zodia Markets, who shares his unlikely path from historian to banker to crypto entrepreneur. He shares insights in building a crypto and FX platform designed specifically for institutions—one that delivers real-time settlement, operates within deep regulatory frameworks, and aims to make "the unfamiliar familiar." Nick explains how stablecoins solve the 20% of use cases that cause 80% of the operational pain and unpacks the anatomy of Zodia’s “regulatory-first” approach. Nick breaks down the realities of being bank-backed, and why real-time stablecoin FX at scale is still one of crypto’s biggest unlocks. They dive into the lessons from Libra, why most stablecoins today are just money market funds in disguise, and how regulations like MiCA could ironically make euro stablecoins less stable. A rich, wide-ranging conversation covering military dreams, central bank politics, the rise and fall of Facebook’s crypto ambitions.

Key Chapters

• 02:03 Nick's journey from historian to crypto founder

• 08:30 Building Zodia Markets with a regulatory-first mindset

• 11:00 Why stablecoins solve real problems in global trade

• 18:30 How the idea for Zodia Markets emerged inside Standard Chartered

• 28:00 Lessons from working with Facebook's Libra project

• 36:00 Why regulation needs to reuse, not reinvent

• 40:00 The risks hidden in Europe's stablecoin rules

• 42:00 Quickfire insights on fintech and crypto trends

This is NOT financial, tax, or legal advice

Music by Marcelo Cataldo