Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock'n'Roll

Kurt Hemecker explains how tokenized gold and the DGLD product creates trust, redemption possibilities, and yield—entering a new era for stablecoins.

Will stablecoins face bans, or reshape EU digital sovereignty? Plus: $50B+ ETF flows and Bitcoin at $180k?! The BFRR team delivers bold, measurable predictions for 2026.

Banks issue stablecoins, JP Morgan chooses Solana, tokenized stocks enter DeFi, Europe removes DLT caps—December 2025 closed the year institutional blockchain crossed from experimentation to scale.

We are revisiting the major developments of the year 2025 and evaluate our predictions for the year. Tune in for a recap and find out who had the best predictions for 2025.

We discuss with Alexandra Hachmeister, Director General Digital Euro at Deutsche Bundesbank, how Europe can reclaim digital sovereignty and what the role of the Digital Euro could be.

Marcus Mølleskov, CRCO at Januar, reveals how his dual-licensed fintech provides banking infrastructure to crypto SMEs rejected by traditional banks across Europe.

Stablecoins stay in spotlight, tokenized deposits gained momentum, and EU politicians called for a strategic rethink of the digital euro.

Dr. Harald Rauter, Chief Growth Officer at 21energy, and co-host Dr. Michael Blaschke reveal how modular Bitcoin mining provides grid stability, multiple revenue streams, and energy sovereignty.

Jan Lebbe and Floris Lugt share how nine leading European banks are joining forces to launch a regulated Euro stablecoin. They discuss the consortium’s approach to licensing, and cross-border collaboration.

Thomas Cowan, Head of Tokenization at Galaxy, and co-host Michael Blaschke reveal how stablecoin issuers survive institutional scrutiny through four architectural layers from operating model to infrastructure.

Max (CEO) and Victoria (Reg. Affairs Head) of 21X take us on the journey of 21X – the first regulated trading and settlement system (TSS) for tokenized securities in Europe under the DLT Pilot Regime.

October saw key moves in institutional blockchain and geopolitics – from Luxembourg’s BTC investment to Swift’s shared ledger, Europe’s RL1, and China’s stablecoin moves.

SWIAT-CTO Ivica Aračić maps the as-is and to-be architecture of DLT-based financial market infrastructure using the IMF’s ASAP framework—revealing what works, what’s missing, and how Europe moves from pilots to production.

Tristan Thoma discusses the role of blockchain and national digital currencies in driving financial inclusion, economic resilience, and innovation. Drawing on real-world insights from El Salvador and Bolivia, he explains how tokenization and smart regulation can empower countries and their people.

Manuel and Rod Garratt explore CBDCs, stablecoins, and tokenized deposits—covering privacy, politics, and the future of payments from Rod’s journey at the NY Fed to global digital money innovation.

September was full of news around stablecoins and blockchain and payments infrastructure – new collaborations and ecosystems emerge around Tether, Circle, Stripe and Coinbase with a focus on payments use cases.

Rhys Bidder is a prominent academic voice on stablecoins. We discuss what sets stablecoins apart from other forms of money and why he thinks they could play a key role in the future of money and payments.

Myles Harrison, CPO at AMINA Bank, reveals the three-layer architecture powering Switzerland's fastest-growing crypto bank and their proven approach to bridging traditional finance with 24/7 crypto operations.

We dive into Juan Guse’s fascinating book profiling four ordinary men who became crypto millionaires. A sociological look at sudden wealth, class mobility, and the human side of digital money.

New players entering the stablecoin space, but does it really need further stablecoins? And: US (again) with massive news on crypto adoption – and privacy

Alex Höptner, CEO at AllUnity, about his past as CEO at traditional- and crypto exchanges and the plans of AllUnity, the first German BaFin regulated Euro Stablecoin

21bitcoin CEO Daniel Winkelhammer reveals shocking fraud cases, protective measures, and why Bitcoin-only businesses have security advantages in today’s evolving threat landscape.

Another half a year of security token issuances in Germany has passed. Marion, Benjamin and Manuel discuss latest developments and market dynamics that are described in the Digital Asset Monitor.

Not only the crypto prices show a positive momentum, also regulators and crypto companies are making significant progess. All relevant developments of the last month in today’s news episode!

Via the Genius Act, the USA has created a regulatory framework for stablecoins. We take a close look at the differences between Genius and MiCAR and analyze the implications for Europe.