The Breakdown Is Crypto Becoming Fintech? | Nick Almond
Feb 26, 2026
Nick Almond, Head of Governance at the Judo Foundation and noted commentator on stablecoins and DAOs, digs into the crypto–fintech convergence. He discusses stablecoin liquidity, whether value accrues onchain or in centralized platforms, the rise of fintech walled gardens, and how token models and DAOs could reshape capital formation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Crypto Must Compete With Fintech For Users
- Crypto projects often start with small user bases and must recruit users from fintech and TradFi channels.
- Nick Almond says crypto's frontier tech culture attracts digital natives, forcing builders to compete for the same market as fintech apps.
Fintech Onramps May Keep Users Inside Walled Gardens
- Fintech onramps like PayPal and Stripe can be walled gardens that later enable withdrawals and act as major on-ramps.
- David Canellis notes Tempo and Robinhood Chain may keep many users inside their ecosystems rather than sending them to broader on-chain activity.
Most Stablecoin Liquidity Might Stay Abstracted
- Large stablecoin flows onto blockchains will mostly be used in channels abstracted from crypto-native experiences.
- Almond expects only single-digit percentages of that liquidity to cross into native on-chain use but still materially affect crypto ecosystems.