Crypto and Fintech Are Colliding. Who Wins, and How? - Ep. 856

Cross-border payments. Mobile money. Stablecoins. Crypto.

Elizabeth Rossiello has lived through every cycle, not from a trading desk, but the front lines of African markets.

Now, the founder of AZA Finance is selling her company to global fintech giant dLocal, a signal that the line between crypto and traditional finance is blurring fast.

In this episode, she talks about:

How stablecoins are powering 24/7 commerce in emerging markets

Why new entrants keep failing to gain traction

And how liquidity, not tech, will determine who wins this new game

All that, plus the inside story of AZA’s journey from a Nairobi-based Bitcoin exchange to one of the most important fintech players in Africa.

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

Bitwise

Human Rights Foundation

Xapo Bank

Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO and Founder of AZA Finance

Previous appearance on Unchained: BitPesa's Elizabeth Rossiello on Necker Island

dLocal announces intention to acquire AZA Finance to strengthen

AZA Finance: dLocal announces intention to acquire AZA Finance to strengthen presence in Africa and expand capabilities

Bloomberg: Uruguay’s DLocal to Buy AZA Finance in Africa Push

American Banker: What experienced payment execs can pass to a new generation

The Startup Leap: Building A Remittance App for Africa’s $1tr Market | Elizabeth Rossiello | Aza Finance

Jack Zhang of Airwallex tweet saying he doesn’t see “a single use case” for crypto

Timestamps:

🎬0:00 Intro

🌍 3:30 What Africa’s early payments scene looked like and how Elizabeth launched the first Bitcoin exchange there

📲 10:54 How the continent’s payment rails evolved

🔥 16:15 How Western Union dropped its pricing after her company launched

💸 20:42 Why stablecoins became a game-changer for cross-border payments

📊 25:24 What the real volume drivers are

🌐 28:53 How crypto adoption in Africa shifted post-COVID

🤝 37:00 Why AZA decided to acquire two companies

⚠️ 38:46 How the FTX partnership hurt AZA

💼 41:37 How the dLocal deal came together behind the scenes

🔄 45:08 Why crypto and fintech are on a fast path to convergence

🏁 50:58 Which players Elizabeth thinks will win in the new payments race

📵 53:47 Why “mobile money” is still tough competition for crypto

💥 56:48 How USDT has an edge in emerging markets

🇨🇳 58:50 How China’s deep ties to Africa have shaped the game

🚀 1:01:37 What it’s been like to build AZA as a young woman founder in crypto

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