FinTech Meets Crypto: The Future of Global Payments | Simon Taylor

Listen to this episode from Bankless on Spotify. What if payment chains are the “AWS moment for money”? Simon Taylor — fintech veteran, ex-Barclays crypto lead, and author of FinTech Brainfood — joins Bankless to map the convergence of fintech and crypto. From stablecoins serving as the Trojan horse for tokenisation to Tempo's push for a payments chain, Simon explains why finance is on the brink of its biggest infrastructure shift since Visa. We cover the rise of payments L1s, the regulatory roulette of stablecoins, and whether neutrality and permissionlessness can survive in corporate-led networks. Plus, Simon breaks down the differences between stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and CBDCs — and explains why the future of finance is already being rebuilt on-chain. --- TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 1:39 FinTech Meets Crypto 6:57 The AWS Moment for Money 11:45 Why Payments Are Broken 18:35 Stablecoins in Action 23:09 The Rise of Payments Chains 35:21 Neutrality, Permissionlessness & The Libra Lesson 49:59 Stablecoins, Tokenized Deposits & CBDCs 56:18 The Stablecoin Boom Ahead 1:07:01 Is FinTech Becoming Crypto? 1:09:59 Tokenization Beyond Payments 1:31:02 Agents & AI Commerce 1:35:10 Closing Thoughts --- RESOURCES Simon Taylor https://x.com/sytaylor/ FinTech Brainfood https://www.fintechbrainfood.com/ --- Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here: https://www.bankless.com/disclosures