When we talk about the future of payments, the conversation often centers around buzzwords — blockchain, CBDCs, tokenization. But few people can break down what’s really happening inside global finance better than Nick Philpott, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships of Zodia Markets, a Standard Chartered-backed platform bridging digital assets and traditional finance.
In our latest podcast, Alex Rud (CEO of Xpaid) sat down with Nick to uncover how stablecoins are reshaping international payments, why Tier-1 banks are still lagging behind, and what the next decade of global money movement will look like.
Key Takeaways from the Conversation
- From Army Officer to Fintech Pioneer
How Nick’s early experience in Nigeria revealed the inefficiencies of the global banking system and inspired him to build solutions for underbanked economies. - The Broken Architecture of Global Payments
Why the correspondent banking model — created before the internet — is “a dystopian maze of intermediaries,” and how it traps emerging markets in financial isolation. - The Psychological Cost of Money
The hidden burden of uncertainty in payments — why waiting for your transfer to arrive feels like gambling, and how transparency can restore trust. - Stablecoins as a Global Equalizer
How dollar-backed digital assets can reconnect developing countries to global trade and reduce cross-border friction for businesses. - Three Costs That Define Modern Finance
Explicit fees, implicit (time) costs, and psychological costs — and why the third one matters most for user trust. - People, Platform, Presence
Zodia Markets’ three-pillar strategy for growth after raising $18 million: hiring the right people, expanding stablecoin infrastructure, and scaling across the Global South — from Brazil to Nigeria and Southeast Asia. - The UAE Model
Why Abu Dhabi’s regulatory framework sets the global standard for digital asset compliance — “credible, flexible, and fast.” - Why Tier-1 Banks Are Still Asleep
Most large banks are “still in sandboxes,” experimenting with tokenization but ignoring the real issue: slow fiat settlement.
“Until you fix cash,” Nick says, “everything else is a waste of time.” - Emerging Markets Will Lead.
Turkey, Ukraine, Nigeria, and Brazil are becoming the testbeds of real adoption, driven by necessity, not hype.
🎧 Watch the full interview with Alex Rud and Nick Philpott on YouTube
and discover how stablecoins are building the new financial rails for the global economy.
