Chris Maurice | The $90 Bank Fee That Launched a $200M Crypto Company
On today’s Talking Tokens episode, Jacquelyn sat down with Chris Maurice, the co-founder and CEO of Yellow Card. Yellow Card powers on-and-off ramp payments for over 30,000 businesses across Africa. It was Africa’s most funded crypto exchange after raising $88 million. It has since pivoted from retail crypto access to becoming the stablecoin backbone for businesses in high-friction markets. They discuss Chris’ journey from selling Bitcoin at Taco Bell to running a multi-country exchange, why he dropped everything to fly to Nigeria on a one-way ticket, and how Yellow Card helps banks, importers, and even local vendors access USD liquidity through stablecoins. Chris also dives into navigating fear-based narratives about emerging markets, why local strategy trumps global assumptions, and how the future of cross-border finance lies in rebuilding the broken correspondent banking system.
TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) – Intro (1:01) - From selling Bitcoin on eBay to founding Yellow Card (5:53) - Meeting a Nigerian man changed everything (8:56) - Why Chris flew to Nigeria with no visa and one goal (11:00) - The origin of the name Yellow Card (13:00) - Why Lagos changed Chris’s worldview (15:09) - Misconceptions about emerging markets (18:31) - Pivoting Yellow Card from exchange to stablecoin rails (20:02) - How 99% of users switched to stablecoins (22:12) - Why stablecoins matter more in Argentina than NYC (23:13) - Replacing the broken cross-border banking system (30:30) - Working with 30,000 businesses across Africa (33:39) - Why localized strategy is key in Africa (37:15) - Case studies: pharma, food, and banking (40:04) - The future of Yellow Card and stablecoin infrastructure (42:12) - Advice: stop waiting, just get started
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Chris Maurice | The $90 Bank Fee That Launched a $200M Crypto Company
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