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 into 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
44:00 Quickfire insights on fintech and crypto trends
This is NOT financial, tax, or legal advice
Music by Marcelo Cataldo - http://www.marcelocataldo.com