Talking Tokens

Talking Tokens

Talking Tokens is a podcast focused on interviews with crypto leaders, startups, market participants, and up-and-coming founders changing the industry. Hosted by Jacquelyn Melinek, the show publishes on Tuesdays and Thursdays across YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, X, and more.

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How Hedge Funds and Family Offices Are Investing in Crypto

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How Hedge Funds and Family Offices Are Investing in Crypto
38:22
November 10, 2026

How Hedge Funds and Family Offices Are Investing in Crypto

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Catherine Chen, Head of VIP & Institutional at Binance, to explore how hedge funds, family offices, asset managers, and sophisticated investors are approaching cryptocurrency and digital assets. Drawing on her 16 years in traditional finance, including at Morgan Stanley, Catherine explains how institutional crypto investing is evolving, why Bitcoin ETFs have helped investors become more comfortable with digital assets, and how Binance is expanding its institutional offerings.  They discuss institutional crypto adoption, portfolio allocation, Binance Capital Connect, hedge fund strategies, and the convergence of traditional finance and digital assets. Catherine explains why verified performance data, transparency, and due diligence matter for institutional investors, how Binance is evolving beyond crypto trading into a broader financial ecosystem, and why tokenized stocks and other real-world assets could unlock new opportunities for collateral, lending, and investing. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction: Catherine Chen, Binance 00:52 — From Morgan Stanley to Binance 03:02 — Bridging Traditional Finance and Crypto 04:42 — Binance's Institutional Investor Business 05:39 — How Binance's VIP Program Works 06:46 — Hedge Funds, Market Makers, and Family Offices 07:35 — How Institutional Crypto Investing Is Changing 09:27 — How Much Are Institutions Allocating to Crypto? 10:16 — What's Holding Back Larger Crypto Allocations? 10:59 — Why Institutional Investors Need Better Data 11:57 — The Challenge of Verifying Crypto Fund Performance 13:15 — How Binance Is Addressing Institutional Due Diligence 14:58 — Binance Capital Connect Explained 15:42 — Why Smaller Hedge Funds Can Be Attractive 17:32 — Trust, Transparency, and Performance Verification 19:21 — Portfolio Accounts and Institutional Infrastructure 21:42 — What Data Do Institutional Investors Look For? 22:24 — Growth of Capital Connect Strategies 23:48 — How Crypto Trading Firms Are Evolving 24:38 — Binance's Vision for a Financial Super App 25:48 — Expanding Into Traditional Financial Products 26:13 — Wealth Management and Investment Strategies 28:02 — Diversifying Beyond Crypto Assets 29:42 — The Next 12–24 Months of Institutional Crypto 31:21 — The Growth of Tokenized Assets 32:07 — Using Tokenized Assets as Collateral 33:08 — The Need for Tokenization Standards 34:05 — What a Mature Digital Asset Ecosystem Looks Like 34:48 — Making Stablecoins and Tokenization Invisible to Users 36:56 — Catherine's Advice for Investors 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️ Follow Catherine Chen https://ae.linkedin.com/in/catherine-c-binance This episode is sponsored by Forgd, visit its Market Maker Leaderboard on Token Relations here: www.stratamedia.co/token-relations/leaderboard  Today’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com  This episode is sponsored by Binance, the world’s number-one crypto exchange, trusted by over 300 million people. Discover more at: https://binance.onelink.me/y874/talkingtokens . NOTE: Binance is not available in certain countries, including the U.S.; check its Terms for more information: https://www.binance.com/en/terms  #TalkingTokens #Binance #InstitutionalCrypto #DigitalAssets #Tokenization

Why Grayscale Thinks the Crypto ETF Boom Isn't Over
31:45
November 5, 2026

Why Grayscale Thinks the Crypto ETF Boom Isn't Over

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Krista Lynch, Managing Director, Head of Trading and Capital Markets at Grayscale, to discuss the evolution of crypto ETFs, the growth of digital asset investing, and Grayscale's plans for tokenization. Drawing on her experience at Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and Grayscale, Krista shares the behind-the-scenes story of the US spot Bitcoin ETF approval process and explains how the crypto ETF market is expanding beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. They explore why crypto native investors are moving assets into regulated ETF structures, how Grayscale evaluates new investment products such as Zcash, and how ETF shares can potentially be used as collateral. Krista also discusses the future of tokenized investment funds, the growing demand for 24/7 trading, and why the convergence of traditional finance and crypto could reshape global capital markets. Timestamps 00:42 — From Traditional Finance to Crypto ETFs 02:42 — Grayscale's Battle for Spot Bitcoin ETFs 03:48 — Inside Grayscale's ETF War Room 06:27 — How Crypto ETFs Differ From Traditional ETFs 07:13 — Why Crypto Investors Are Moving Assets Into ETFs 08:25 — Using Bitcoin ETF Shares as Collateral 10:23 — What Makes a Successful Crypto ETF? 11:23 — Bitcoin ETF Demand and Market Growth 12:28 — Zcash and Grayscale's New Crypto Products 13:13 — How Grayscale Selects Assets for ETFs 15:12 — Why Crypto ETF Momentum Could Continue 16:34 — Grayscale's Tokenization Plans 17:57 — Tokenization and 24/7 Trading 20:46 — Staking and Yield in Crypto ETFs 22:26 — How Crypto and Traditional Finance Are Converging 25:59 — Crypto Trading Trends and Market Structure 28:01 — Tokenization and Global Market Access 30:02 — The Future of Tokenized Finance 30:39 — Krista Advice for Investors 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️ Follow Krista Lynch https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-lynch-836a453a This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io  #TalkingTokens #Grayscale #CryptoETFs #BitcoinETF #Tokenization

Why Institutions Can't Move Onchain Without Privacy
12:34
November 4, 2026

Why Institutions Can't Move Onchain Without Privacy

Public blockchains make transactions transparent, but that transparency can become a major obstacle for institutional adoption. Financial institutions need to protect sensitive transactions, trading positions, and investment strategies without giving up the benefits of blockchain. As more capital moves onchain, privacy is becoming a critical part of the infrastructure needed to support institutional finance. In this edition of Strata Media Research, Jacquelyn Melinek sits down with Alexander Beaudry from the institutional research team to explore why onchain privacy matters and which technologies could help institutions operate privately. Alex breaks down shielded pools like Zcash, Monero, and Railgun, trusted execution environments (TEEs), permissioned networks like Canton, and emerging institutional privacy solutions from Zama. They also discuss how institutions can use DeFi without exposing their strategies to competitors, why fragmented liquidity and interoperability remain major challenges, and Alex's prediction that shielded liquidity could grow at least 5X over the next few years as institutional adoption accelerates. Timestamps 00:00 Why Onchain Privacy Matters for Institutions 01:34 Is Crypto Privacy Just for Criminals? 02:15 Why Institutions Need Onchain Privacy 03:57 How Blockchain Privacy Technologies Work 05:00 Shielded Pools, TEEs, and Permissioned Ledgers 06:25 Which Privacy Architecture Works Best for Institutions? 06:39 Why Permissioned Blockchains Appeal to Institutions 07:20 Private DeFi and Institutional Privacy Solutions 08:42 The Biggest Challenges Facing Onchain Privacy 09:22 The Problem With Privacy Interoperability 09:54 What's Next for Onchain Privacy? 10:11 How Mature Is Blockchain Privacy Technology? 10:40 Why Shielded Liquidity Could Grow 5X 11:39 Making Financial Privacy More Accessible ▫️Check out the report: site: https://stratamedia.co/token-relations/article?slug=why-crypto-should-care-about-privacy X: https://x.com/TokenRelations/status/2117681044564398422?a=DJPqRL3xwQJVqSFI4sQ&s=20 linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-crypto-should-care-privacy-stratamedia-m5tte ➡️ Follow Talking Tokens https://x.com/_TalkingTokens?lang=en https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens-crypto-onchain-finance-investing/id1743669141 https://talkingtokens.beehiiv.com/ ➡️ Follow Jacquelyn https://x.com/jacqmelinek #Robinhood #StockTokens #Tokenization #MarketStructure #TalkingTokens

CZ's First Interview After The $6.3B Binance Hack & Where We Go From Here
19:37
November 3, 2026

CZ's First Interview After The $6.3B Binance Hack & Where We Go From Here

In today's episode, we brought on Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, founder of Binance, live to talk about the $6.3B Binance hack, how he found out about it and what he thinks the industry needs to change. We get into how Binance and the industry responded, what it means for users, how he thinks about North Korean hackers after the exploit and where crypto, AI, businesses and the wider industry go from here. 🌐 3 Key Takeaways ▪︎ CZ says "all the hacks are preventable" and that companies "have a tendency to sort of get complacent over time." ▪︎ He says "we've got to use more AI to defend," since "the only way to fight a monster is to kind of become that monster." ▪︎ CZ says "Binance, the industry as a whole, have not invested enough in security" and "we just got to be very diligent throughout this sort of turbulent time." Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, Founder of Binance 00:44 How CZ Found Out About the Hack 01:31 Containing the Hack and Calming Users 02:42 Why CZ Thinks All Hacks Are Preventable 03:23 Is This Now a National Security Problem? 04:58 Is Crypto Ready for Mainstream Adoption? 06:58 Trump, North Korea and Washington 08:15 How AI Is Changing Crypto Security 09:51 Why CZ Wants a Crypto Security Alliance 10:59 What Comes Next for Crypto and AI 12:58 Is CZ Still Bullish? 13:24 Why the Market Stayed Calm 15:35 Deposits Overtake Withdrawals 18:00 CZ's Advice for the Industry and Retail Users Disclaimer: Binance sponsors Talking Tokens, but this interview was not commissioned by Binance. Note Binance is not available in certain countries, including the U.S. See its Terms: https://www.binance.com/en/terms 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek

The Future of Digital Assets & Blockchain at Morgan Stanley | Amy Oldenburg
40:10
October 29, 2026

The Future of Digital Assets & Blockchain at Morgan Stanley | Amy Oldenburg

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Amy Oldenburg, Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Morgan Stanley, to explore how one of Wall Street's largest financial institutions is integrating blockchain, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence into its financial services. Amy discusses Morgan Stanley's expanding digital asset strategy, the growth of its Bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs), and the launch of spot crypto trading through E*TRADE in partnership with Zero Hash. They also dive into tokenization, AI agents, 24/7 financial markets, and the future of traditional banking. Amy explains how Morgan Stanley is exploring tokenized assets, DeFi vaults, and new investment opportunities through its Digital Asset Lab. From modernizing financial infrastructure to reducing settlement friction and keeping assets on digital rails, this conversation explores how blockchain and AI could transform the way financial institutions operate, invest, and serve clients. Timestamps 0:00 — Introduction: Amy Oldenburg 01:24 — Amy Journey Into Digital Assets 03:23 — Why Emerging Markets Need Digital Assets 04:45 — Why People Resist Crypto and New Technology 05:49 — Could AI Accelerate Blockchain Adoption? 07:53 — Emerging Markets and 24/7 Trading 09:25 — Why Financial Markets Need an Infrastructure Upgrade 10:04 — Morgan Stanley's Digital Asset Research 12:00 — Tokenization and the Future of Banking 13:09 — Morgan Stanley's Crypto ETP Growth 14:34 — Why Investors Are Buying Bitcoin ETPs 15:43 — Moving Spot Crypto Into Investment Products 16:30 — Morgan Stanley's Global Crypto Strategy 19:05 — Could AI Agents Change Traditional Banking? 20:50 — How Blockchain Is Changing Financial Operations 22:38 — E*TRADE, Zero Hash, and Morgan Stanley's Crypto Expansion 23:54 — Inside Morgan Stanley's Digital Asset Lab 24:42 — DeFi Vaults and New Investment Products 27:49 — Morgan Stanley's Tokenization Strategy 28:56 — Why Tokenization Starts With Infrastructure 29:23 — The Future of Onchain Finance and Digital Money 31:35 — The Challenges of Tokenized Assets 33:25 — Why Security and Infrastructure Matter 35:00 — What's Next for Digital Asset Adoption? 36:33 — Redesigning Traditional Financial Systems 38:54 — Amy Advice for the Next Generation 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️ Follow Amy Oldenburg https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyoldenburg https://www.instagram.com/popular/amy-oldenburg/ https://x.com/AmyOldenburg_ This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io

CEO of KAST Plans to Build a Global Bank for 100 Million People
37:21
October 27, 2026

CEO of KAST Plans to Build a Global Bank for 100 Million People

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with the founder and CEO of KAST to discuss how stablecoins are powering a new generation of global banking and financial services. Drawing on his experience at Circle, where he helped expand USDC adoption in Asia-Pacific, he shares why he left to build KAST, a stablecoin-powered neobank designed for global citizens, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and businesses. They explore whether stablecoin neobanks could challenge traditional banks, why the next phase of stablecoin adoption is about solving real financial problems rather than focusing on blockchain technology, and KAST's ambition to build a global financial platform serving millions of customers. From cross-border payments and crypto spending to business accounts, financial infrastructure, and product simplicity, this conversation examines how stablecoins could reshape everyday banking and why KAST's founder believes the industry needs to stop talking about stablecoins and start building products people actually want to use. Timestamps 0:00 — Introduction to KAST 01:20 — From Circle and USDC to Founding KAST 02:33 — Why Leave Circle to Start a Company? 04:49 — What Problem Is KAST Solving? 05:13 — Building a Global Neobank on Stablecoins 06:12 — Banking for Global Citizens and Remote Workers 07:54 — Can Neobanks Replace Traditional Banks? 08:34 — Why Traditional Banking Falls Short 09:18 — KAST's Long-Term Vision 10:23 — Building a Global Financial Platform 11:18 — Why Customers Want Everything in One Place 12:05 — Why KAST Is Moving Beyond Stablecoin Messaging 13:13 — Are Stablecoins Becoming Boring? 15:00 — Why Crypto Needs to Focus on Real Problems 16:47 — Building Better Cross-Border Payments 18:00 — Personal vs. Business Banking 19:15 — Introducing KAST Solo for Freelancers 21:10 — How KAST Decides What Products to Build 22:21 — What Customers Want From KAST 23:07 — Product Development and Customer Feedback 24:32 — Why Simplicity Is a Competitive Advantage 26:33 — Why Every Extra Click Matters 27:34 — Product Challenges and Lessons Learned 30:10 — What Will Banking Look Like in the Future? 31:43 — Building a Bank for the Next Generation 33:35 — Why People Don't Switch Banks 35:25 — What Makes KAST Different? 35:49 — Advice for Founders and Entrepreneurs 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️ Follow Raags Pathy https://x.com/raagulanpathy?lang=en https://sg.linkedin.com/in/raagulanpathy Today’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com This episode is sponsored by Binance, the world’s number-one crypto exchange, trusted by over 300 million people. Discover more at: https://binance.onelink.me/y874/talkingtokens . NOTE: Binance is not available in certain countries, including the U.S.; check its Terms for more information: https://www.binance.com/en/terms  #TalkingTokens #KAST #Stablecoins #Neobanks #FutureOfBanking

Alex Cutler | How Five Guys in Discord Built a Top Exchange
32:41
October 22, 2026

Alex Cutler | How Five Guys in Discord Built a Top Exchange

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Alex Cutler, CEO of Dromos Labs and a core contributor to Aerodrome, now Aero, to discuss why the decentralized exchange is expanding beyond Base blockchain and positioning itself as exchange infrastructure for the broader onchain economy. Alex breaks down Aero's multichain expansion, the rise of tokenized stocks, and why he believes onchain exchanges can increasingly compete with traditional venues like Nasdaq and the NYSE. They also discuss the relationship between centralized and decentralized exchanges, making DeFi infrastructure invisible to users, token value capture, 24/7 markets, FX and the next generation of Aero. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:55 Aerodrome Becomes Aero 01:51 Why Aero Is Going Multichain 03:27 Is Base Still the Leading L2? 04:56 Robinhood's Onchain Growth 07:30 Centralized vs. Decentralized Exchanges 09:22 Will Consumers Actually Use DEXs? 10:20 Bringing Stocks Onchain 12:00 Why Onchain Markets Can Compete With Nasdaq 13:55 Turning Stock Exchanges Into Code 15:09 $1.5B in Tokenized Stock Volume 16:01 How Fast Can Tokenized Markets Grow? 17:01 Taking Market Share From Traditional Exchanges 17:40 Bringing Exotic Assets Onchain 18:22 Why Markets Want to Be 24/7 19:24 Do Crypto Tokens Create Real Value? 21:59 Why Aerodrome Redistributes 100% of Value 24:02 What's Wrong With Traditional Token Models? 25:04 Competing With Wall Street 26:16 What Alex Would Do Differently 27:20 What's New in Aero 28:46 How Predictive Allocation Works 30:21 Building Markets From First Principles 31:23 Where Aero Could Be in One Year 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️ Follow Alex Cutlerhttps://x.com/wagmiAlexander #Aero #Aerodrome #TokenizedStocks #DeFi #OnchainFinance

How Chainlink Is Preparing for Trillions in Onchain Finance
21:40
October 21, 2026

How Chainlink Is Preparing for Trillions in Onchain Finance

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Liam Karwan, Head of RWAs at Chainlink Labs, to discuss how tokenization is changing global capital markets, what financial institutions need to move assets onchain, and why the next phase of adoption will require more than just blockchain technology. Liam explains how Chainlink connects banks, asset managers, blockchains and DeFi protocols through data infrastructure, cross-chain interoperability and transaction orchestration. They explore why institutions are shifting from blockchain experimentation toward measurable business outcomes, what's holding back institutional-scale liquidity, and how tokenized equities, stablecoins and fintech platforms could accelerate adoption. They also discuss the role of Robinhood, Coinbase and other financial platforms in bringing mainstream users onchain, the difference between wrapped and natively issued tokenized equities, and what it would take for blockchain to support financial markets at a much larger scale. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction  01:16 What Is Tokenization? 01:59 How Tokenization Has Changed in 12 Months 02:24 Chainlink's Role in Onchain Finance 03:13 What Financial Institutions Want From Chainlink 03:33 Why Institutional Conversations Have Changed 04:29 Are Tokenization Projects Succeeding? 04:54 Simple vs. Complex Institutional Use Cases 05:47 The Next Phase of Institutional Adoption 06:08 Private Blockchains, Compliance and Interoperability 07:25 Why Technology Isn't the Biggest Bottleneck 07:47 Making the Business Case for Blockchain 08:20 How Quickly Will Tokenization Scale? 08:37 The $100 Trillion Capital Markets Opportunity 09:05 Why Chainlink Wants to Connect Financial Networks 09:48 Which Institutions Are Adopting RWAs? 10:40 Why Hedge Funds Are Moving More Slowly 11:25 Is Onchain Finance Ready for Wall Street? 12:22 Stablecoins, Liquidity and Yield Opportunities 12:44 Why Fintechs Could Drive Mainstream Adoption 13:26 Will Consumers Know They're Using Blockchain? 14:46 Why Crypto Focused on Infrastructure First 15:45 How Onchain Finance Improves Financial Products 16:31 Institutional Adoption in South Korea 17:26 Why Tokenized Equities Matter 18:14 Are Tokenized Stocks Overhyped? 18:52 Wrapped vs. Native Tokenized Equities 19:37 How the Tokenization Industry Has Evolved 20:44 Why Asset Managers Are Focusing on Distribution 21:10 Chainlink's Long-Term Vision 21:35 What Will Drive the Next Wave of RWA Adoption? 21:54 Fintechs, Stablecoins and New Onchain Demand 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️  Follow Liam Karwan https://x.com/KarwanLiam05 #Chainlink #Tokenization #RWA #OnchainFinance #TokenizedStocks

Why R3 Chose Solana for the Next Chapter of Corda
34:04
October 20, 2026

Why R3 Chose Solana for the Next Chapter of Corda

In today's Solana Sessions episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Todd McDonald, co-founder of R3, to discuss how institutional blockchain has evolved over the past decade and why R3 is moving from private blockchain networks toward open markets, including building the next version of Corda as a protocol on Solana.  Todd explains why he believes all markets will eventually move onchain, what banks actually want from blockchain today, why R3 concluded that open networks win, and how tokenization can connect traditional assets with capital already living onchain. They also discuss why R3 chose Solana, what institutions care about when selecting blockchain infrastructure, and why fixed income and alternative assets could be among the next major markets for tokenization. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:32 How Institutional Blockchain Has Changed 02:55 Why All Markets Will Move Onchain 04:08 Why Todd McDonald Started R3 06:25 Buying Bitcoin in the Early Days 07:37 How R3 Got Major Banks Onboard 09:56 What Crypto Gets Wrong About Banks 12:10 How Banks Are Using Blockchain Today 13:38 Why R3 Changed Its Strategy 14:00 Moving From Private to Open Networks 14:24 Why R3 Chose Solana 16:29 Bringing Corda to Solana 16:52 What Banks Care About in a Blockchain 18:18 What R3 Got Wrong 19:00 Lessons From R3's Early Network Strategy 20:05 Why Open Networks Win 22:05 What's Next for Banks Onchain 23:07 The Opportunity Beyond Tokenized Dollars 24:05 The Trillions in Tokenization 26:17 What Tokenization Actually Means 27:26 Bring the Assets to the Money 27:57 The State of Tokenization 28:57 What Has Changed in Five Years 30:12 What Banks Want From Tokenization 31:04 What's Next for Tokenization 31:59 Todd's Advice for Builders Today’s episode is sponsored by Anchorage Digital, America's first federally chartered digital asset bank and provider of regulated stablecoin issuance. To find out more, visit anchorage.com  This episode is a part of the Solana Sessions campaign between Token Relations and the Talking Tokens podcast, diving into founders' journeys and startups building on Solana. Check out the accompanying newsletter on www.stratamedia.co/token-relations/solana  This episode is sponsored by Binance, the world’s number-one crypto exchange, trusted by over 300 million people. Discover more at: https://binance.onelink.me/y874/talkingtokens . NOTE: Binance is not available in certain countries, including the U.S.; check its Terms for more information: https://www.binance.com/en/terms  🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️ Follow Todd McDonald https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddvmcdonald/?isSelfProfile=false #R3 #Solana #Tokenization #Corda #OnchainFinance

How Mantle Plans to Compete in the Tokenized Asset Market
17:45
October 16, 2026

How Mantle Plans to Compete in the Tokenized Asset Market

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Josh Cheong, Head of Product and Growth at Mantle, to discuss the next phase of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and why distribution is becoming as important as the technology behind it. Drawing on his experience at Citi and Parity Technologies, Joshua explains why tokenized equities are attracting attention, what banks and asset managers want from onchain finance, and how Mantle is approaching institutional adoption through partnerships and distribution. They also discuss the role of stablecoins in banking, how tokenization can expand access to financial markets, why tokenized real estate has struggled to gain comparable traction, and what it would take for RWAs to achieve mainstream institutional adoption. Timestamps  00:00 Introduction Joshua Cheong 00:36 The Current State of RWA Tokenization 01:28 Is the Infrastructure Phase Almost Over? 02:24 Why Distribution Is the Next Challenge 03:08 Bringing Institutional Assets Onchain 04:49 What Asset Managers Actually Need 05:08 Two Ways Tokenization Creates Value 06:05 Faster Settlement and Capital Efficiency 07:03 Lessons From Citi and Traditional Banking 08:51 Are Banks Finally Adopting Blockchain? 09:15 Why Stablecoins Matter to Banks 09:52 What's Slowing Institutional Adoption? 11:21 What Assets Are Worth Tokenizing? 11:50 Why Tokenized Equities Are Gaining Momentum 13:14 Who Will Win the Tokenization Market? 13:38 Why Distribution Matters More Than Ever 14:34 Mantle, Bybit and the Distribution Advantage 15:30 What Institutions Actually Want 16:32 Why Tokenized Real Estate Is Lagging 17:22 The Next Major Milestone for RWAs 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️  Follow Joshua Cheong https://sg.linkedin.com/in/joshuacheong https://x.com/joshuacheong #Mantle #RWA #Tokenization #TokenizedStocks #OnchainFinance

Why Canton Is Focused on Bringing 1% of Capital Markets Onchain
30:48
October 15, 2026

Why Canton Is Focused on Bringing 1% of Capital Markets Onchain

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Yuval Rooz, co-founder and CEO of Digital Asset, the team building the Canton blockchain, to discuss what it will actually take to bring global capital markets onchain and why institutional blockchain infrastructure requires a fundamentally different approach.     Yuval explains why privacy is non-negotiable for institutional finance, why maximum decentralization isn't always the answer, and why many products called “tokenized equities” aren't actually tokenized equities. He also breaks down why moving just 1% of capital markets onchain would already represent enormous scale, which financial assets could get there first, and how blockchain could eventually make entirely new financial products economically viable. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:14 Why Now Is the Moment for Onchain Capital Markets 02:34 Building Digital Asset 04:05 How Canton Differentiates Itself 04:56 Why Privacy Is Non-Negotiable 06:32 Why Institutions Need Privacy 09:21 Does Institutional Finance Need Decentralization? 10:31 Stablecoins and the Limits of Decentralization 12:04 How Canton Approaches Governance 13:44 What “Permissionless” Really Means 14:53 How Digital Asset Talks to Institutions 15:36 Selling Solutions, Not Blockchain 17:45 What Institutions Actually Want 18:43 Finding Blockchain Use Cases With Real ROI 21:14 Which Onchain Use Cases Are Working? 23:32 The State of Tokenization Today 24:12 Are Tokenized Equities Really Tokenized Equities? 25:36 How Early Is Onchain Finance? 26:54 What Will Make Tokenization Take Off? 27:22 Why 1% of Capital Markets Is Enough 28:31 Which Assets Will Move Onchain First? 29:10 What Finance Could Look Like in 5–10 Years 29:21 Driving the Cost of Financial Infrastructure Toward Zero 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️ Follow Yuval Rooz https://x.com/YuvalRooz https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuvalrooz This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io  #CantonNetwork #Tokenization #OnchainFinance #CapitalMarkets #RWA

Why Fomo Thinks Social Trading Is the Next Big Investing Shift
26:03
October 14, 2026

Why Fomo Thinks Social Trading Is the Next Big Investing Shift

In today's episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn sits down with Se Yong Park , co-founder of Fomo, a social-first trading app with about 3 million users, to discuss how social media, blockchain and changing consumer behavior are reshaping how people discover and invest in financial markets. Se breaks down why Fomo abstracts away wallets, gas, bridges and chains, how the platform is reaching users outside traditional crypto channels, and why social trading could become a much bigger part of investing. They also discuss bringing more assets onchain, tokenized equities, transparent trading activity, creator-driven market discovery and how younger investors are approaching financial markets differently. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:33 How Fomo Reached Millions of Users 02:03 Why Se Yong Park  Built Fomo 03:11 Making Investing Easier to Understand 03:48 Making Trades Public 05:03 What 3 Million Users Reveal About New Investors 05:48 Reaching People Outside Crypto 06:45 Why Fomo Targets Instagram and Social Audiences 07:06 Making Crypto Infrastructure Invisible 08:33 What Fomo Got Wrong About Consumer Behavior 09:28 Is Social Trading the Future? 11:35 What's Next for Fomo 12:30 How Social Media Is Changing Market Discovery 13:51 What Fomo Has Learned From Trader Behavior 14:38 Educating and Rewarding Users 16:03 Lessons From Building in Crypto 17:02 Competition and Growing the Onchain Market 17:40 Why Fomo Uses Blockchain 18:03 What Users Are Trading 19:47 How Much Are Users Trading With? 20:40 Security and Risk 21:31 Bringing More Assets Onchain 22:00 The Next Generation of Investors 22:48 Will AI Change Social Trading? 23:43 Se’s Advice for Crypto Founders 🔔 New episodes every week  https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 🌐 Follow Jacquelyn Melinek https://x.com/jacqmelinek?lang=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelynmelinek ➡️  Follow Se Yong Park https://www.linkedin.com/in/se-yong-park-634782120 https://x.com/seyong #Fomo #SocialTrading #Crypto #OnchainFinance #Investing

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