Why AI Agents Will Manage Your DeFi Portfolio Before You Do | Vik Arun
In this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Vik Arun, co-founder of Superform, about why DeFi was always heading toward automation and why AI agents not humans are the natural managers of onchain portfolios. Vik, who previously co-led a $100M DeFi and yield fund at BlockTower Capital before launching Superform in 2022, explains how the protocol evolved from a yield marketplace into a user-owned neobank, and why he believes the goal is to replace banks entirely rather than work alongside them. He walks through Superform's UP token launch, why 85% of airdrop recipients sold immediately, and what teams getting ready to TGE should learn from that experience. The conversation covers the two paths left for software companies in the age of AI, and why the only thing that can stop crypto's future is believers burning themselves out.
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Intro (01:15) How Vik is using AI across Superform and what it means for team structure (03:18) Two paths for software companies: fully embrace AI or settle for margins (07:45) Superform's evolution from yield marketplace to user-owned neobank (09:12) Why DeFi was always heading toward automation, not human management (10:51) How AI agents will manage vault strategies and what guardrails are needed (11:00) Where banks can't compete and what user-owned finance actually means (14:20) Self-custody: why some people genuinely don't want it and what that costs them (15:02) The Clarity Act and why banning stablecoin yields through banks could be great for DeFi (18:00) Will banks acquire DeFi protocols or will DeFi replace them? (19:08) Superform's end goal: replace the banks (23:27) Why Superform launched its UP token in a tough market (24:34) Core governance capabilities and the first three improvement proposals (26:09) Token launch lessons: after 85% of recipients sold immediately, distribution is everything (29:03) B2C vs B2B: mobile app for consumers, super vaults for institutions (30:52) Why this cycle may be the first where institutions lead retail into DeFi (31:38) 2026 roadmap: Android launch, credit card, and agentic vault managers (39:12) Final advice: the believers who stay will build what matters
ESSENTIALS
You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 Follow us on X Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/ Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.
Why AI Agents Will Manage Your DeFi Portfolio Before You Do | Vik Arun
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Talking Tokenization EXCLUSIVE: BlackRock Digital Assets Director Shares Strategy for Tokenization, Bitcoin Stablecoins, and More | Max Stein
In this episode of Talking Tokenization, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with Max Stein, a director on the digital assets team at BlackRock, about how the firm translates crypto and tokenization ideas into actual products, and why tokenized cash still has a long way to run. Max, who previously spent four years at ConsenSys and invested at Sino Global Capital before joining BlackRock, explains how the firm's tokenization work actually accelerated after the FTX collapse, and why its BUIDL fund was designed to prove that tokenization could be commercial rather than just a proof of concept. He walks through how BlackRock chose Securitize over other tokenization platforms, why stablecoins and tokenized money market funds are complementary as the payment and savings assets of crypto, and why the real growth driver for stablecoins will be non-crypto use cases. The conversation covers why DeFi exploits shook $15 billion out of lending markets and what that means for tokenized asset design, how AI agents may prefer onchain rails over traditional ones, and why privacy solutions will eventually be necessary for institutional scale. This episode is sponsored by Securitize, the proven leader in tokenized funds, equities, and private markets. Discover more at securitize.io. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro (01:18) How Max defines tokenization and his role at BlackRock (01:40) How BlackRock goes from idea to product in digital assets (03:16) Regulatory environment and how it affects the pace of product development (05:21) Stablecoins at BlackRock: reserve management and internal use (06:17) Why BlackRock chose Securitize and how BUIDL was designed (07:54) How the FTX collapse actually accelerated BlackRock's tokenization work (08:54) Why tokenized cash is still the biggest opportunity (14:09) The shift from private chains to public networks and the hybrid model (22:17) Stablecoins as utility: programmable money, flash loans, and same-rail settlement (27:36) His thoughts on DeFi exploits, contagion, and what it means for tokenized asset design (33:13) How AI agents may prefer onchain rails and accelerate crypto adoption (38:50) Final advice: small decisions shape whether a product scales or sits on a shelf ESSENTIALS You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 Follow us on X Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/ Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.
Inside PayPal’s Bet on Stablecoins | May Zabaneh
In this episode of Talking Tokens, Jacquelyn Melinek speaks with May Zabaneh, SVP and GM of Crypto at PayPal, about why today’s payment systems still suffer from hidden inefficiencies and how stablecoins are emerging as the next layer of financial infrastructure. May explains that while payments today work, they remain slow, costly, and fragmented especially across borders. She breaks down how stablecoins enable faster, cheaper, and more flexible global transactions, and why their real impact may come not from user-facing products, but backend rails powering money movement. The conversation explores what “programmable money” actually means, how agent-driven commerce could automate transactions, and why simplicity and trust are the biggest barriers to adoption. Maye also shares where stablecoins are already working at scale, from peer-to-peer payments to global payouts and how businesses benefit from faster settlement and improved capital efficiency. They also discuss generational shifts in crypto adoption, the role of stablecoins in emerging markets, and why access to stable currency is becoming increasingly important globally. The episode closes with how PayPal is approaching the space differently: focusing on PYUSD distribution, real-world usage, and integrating stablecoins into everyday financial systems. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Introduction (02:13) PayPal’s Hidden Advantage in Crypto (04:38) Payments Are “Easy”… But Still Messy (07:34) The Real Stablecoin Unlock: Cross-Border Efficiency (10:49) Paypal’s outlook on Stablecoins (13:21) Forgd Ad (13:46) The Inflection Point With: Programmable Money (15:54) The First Real Use Case of Agents + Payments (20:57) The Trust Barrier (And How It Breaks) (24:59) The Business Case For: Margins, Speed, and Survival (26:49) The Endgame: Invisible Financial Infrastructure (28:02) PayPal vs The Broader Stablecoin Market ESSENTIALS You can subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or YouTube. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review — it really helps. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LOgWxIQ0NnNUD5eXsSuoZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talking-tokens/id1743669141 Follow us on X Jacquelyn: https://twitter.com/jacqmelinek Talking Tokens: https://twitter.com/_TalkingTokens Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_talkingtokens/ Note: This podcast is for informational purposes only. Views shared are opinions, not financial advice. The host or guests may have financial interests in discussed content.
Why Crypto Token Launches Are Broken and How to Fix Them | Shane Molidor
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