Candid Capital

Canada’s financial infrastructure is entering a period of significant change. Stablecoin regulation, the Real-Time Rail and open banking are beginning to reshape how money can move domestically and across borders.

In this episode, Kevin Zhang, founder and CEO of Loon, joins Candid Capital to discuss the development of CADC, a Canadian-dollar stablecoin built for payments, settlement and financial infrastructure.

Kevin explains how his early work on blockchain at TD Bank and Consensys led to the creation of Paytrie and eventually Loon. The conversation explores why Canada needs its own digital representation of the Canadian dollar, how CADC is being used in cross-border payments, and why stablecoins can connect domestic payment systems that were never designed to communicate with one another.

The episode also examines Canada’s emerging Stablecoin Act, the debate around yield, the need for regulatory harmonization and how the Real-Time Rail could complement rather than replace stablecoin infrastructure.

Additional topics include:

• The difference between a stablecoin issuer and an on-and-off ramp

• Why Loon separated CADC from Paytrie

• Cross-border payments and institutional foreign-exchange rates

• Stablecoins as programmable, developer-accessible infrastructure

• The limits of traditional payment rails

• Canadian monetary sovereignty

• The regulatory gap facing Canadian fintech companies

• Why stablecoins may operate invisibly behind consumer applications

• The opportunity to build fintech companies in Canada today

Kevin also shares his perspective on building ahead of market adoption, why timing matters for founders, and why anyone interested in digital assets should begin by using the technology directly.

You can discover more about Loon here:

Kevin Zhang, Co-Founder & CEO, LOON: X/Twitter (@kevinzhangTO) \\ LinkedIn (kevinzhang10)

LOON Socials: X/Twitter (@LOONFinance) \\ LinkedIn (LOONFinance)

CADC Socials:  X/Twitter @CADCStablecoin

Website: https://loon.finance/ 

Stablecoins are no longer just a trading instrument — they’re becoming a yield-bearing layer of digital finance.

In this episode, I sit down with Maxim Galash, CEO of Coinchange Financial, to unpack how yield in digital asset markets actually works — and why this infrastructure is quietly becoming a core part of the financial system.

We explore how stablecoin yield is generated across credit markets, DeFi, and trading strategies, and how platforms are embedding these capabilities into financial products for users and institutions.

We discuss:

• How stablecoin yield works and where it actually comes from

• Why “yield infrastructure” is emerging as a new financial layer

• How fintechs and platforms are embedding yield into their products

• What institutions are actually looking for before entering digital assets

• The rise of digital asset money markets and on-chain capital flows

• Why adoption is accelerating in regions like Latin America

• Where tokenization and real-world assets fit into this system

This conversation focuses on the mechanics, not the hype — and what it signals about the future of financial infrastructure.

For investors, builders, and operators — this episode breaks down how digital asset markets are evolving beneath the surface.

Learn more about the company:www.coinchange.io

Banking hours still shape how money moves — even in a digital economy.

In this episode, I sit down with Didier Lavallée, CEO of Tetra Digital Group, to unpack why stablecoins are emerging as settlement infrastructure, not speculative assets.

We discuss:

• Why traditional payment and settlement rails stop at cut-off times

• How stablecoins enable value transfer beyond banking hours

• The role of regulated custody in institutional adoption

• Where banks, fintechs, and platforms are actually leaning in

• What this shift means for cross-border payments and enterprise finance

This conversation cuts through the hype and focuses on how stablecoins are quietly reshaping the plumbing of global finance.

In this special edition playback from the Tech Tuesday conference, host Joshua Seerattan explores the financial transformation redefining how capital moves — from cash to cards to programmable money.

This 20-minute keynote unpacks the intersection of open banking, digital assets, and stablecoins, and the global race to modernize financial rails. From trillion-dollar settlement volumes to policy paralysis, it’s a candid look at how Canada can either participate or spectate in the digital economy.

💡 Topics Covered:
• How open banking and blockchain represent diverging modernization paths
• The $7 trillion on-chain settlement milestone
• Why stablecoins are infrastructure, not speculation
• How U.S. and EU regulation are shaping the new rails of finance
• What Canada must do to remain competitive

📺 Watch the full Tech Tuesday replays on the Candid Capital YouTube Channel

The Institutional Era of Crypto: Tokenizing the World and a 3iQ Global Expansion Story

In this conversation, Pascal Saint-Jean, president and CEO of 3iQ, shares his journey into the world of Bitcoin and digital assets, discussing the evolution of 3iQ as a digital asset manager. He emphasizes the importance of regulatory frameworks in shaping the crypto landscape, the need for global perspectives on regulation, and the future of tokenization and financial inclusion. Pascal also offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, highlighting the significance of enjoying the journey rather than focusing solely on the destination.

We unpack:

• The evolution of 3iQ’s mission—from ETFs to on-chain innovation

• Why institutional adoption is key to crypto's future
• Real-world tokenization use cases from Africa to the Middle East
• Canada’s missed opportunity and how 3iQ is pushing forward anyway

Whether you're a tech builder, policy watcher, or capital allocator—this episode is a masterclass in the convergence of macro, crypto, and capital markets

Takeaways

• Pascal's journey into Bitcoin was influenced by macroeconomic factors and technology.
• 3iQ aims to provide regulated access to digital assets for both institutional and retail investors.
• The regulatory landscape is crucial for the growth of the crypto market.
• Canada's regulatory challenges have impacted its position in the global crypto space.
• Tokenization has the potential to enhance financial inclusion globally.
• The integration of traditional finance with crypto is essential for innovation.
• Pascal believes in the importance of enjoying the entrepreneurial journey.
• The future of finance will involve on-chain solutions and global access to capital.
• Regulatory evolution is necessary to meet the demands of the crypto market.
• Collaboration between innovative startups and established financial institutions is key.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Bitcoin: A Technologist's Perspective

09:58 3iQ's Mission: Advancing Digital Asset Management

18:12 The Future of Digital Assets: Innovation and Regulation

21:26 Canada's Lost Opportunity in Crypto Innovation

23:25 Global Expansion and Market Dynamics

24:24 The Future of Crypto in Canada

25:32 Comparative Analysis of Global Crypto Regulations

27:17 Integrating Innovation with Traditional Finance

28:40 The Role of Stablecoins in Financial Systems

30:09 Protectionism vs. Innovation

32:02 Global Trends in Crypto and Innovation

35:50 Tokenization and Real-World Assets

37:55 Global Financial Inclusion and Tokenization

39:22 Adoption and Regulation in Tokenization

41:16 The Future of Education and Employment

43:00 The Role of Crypto in Global Economy

45:04 Decentralization and Community-Driven Capital

47:21 Institutionalization of Crypto and Future Trends

50:04 Personal Growth and Learning

54:09 Advice to Younger Self and Conclusion

Find Info on 3iQ:

www.3iq.io

https://www.linkedin.com/company/3iq-corp/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pstjean 

In this episode of the Candid Capital podcast, host Josh Seerattan speaks with Christian Pedrosa, founder of Digi.ai and winner of the 2025 Rio Web Summit Pitch Competition. They explore Digi.ai’s journey from a social impact coding project to an enterprise-grade AI agent platform operating across seven countries. Christian shares how Digi.ai helps large companies deploy voice-based conversational AI through WhatsApp, reshaping recruiting, customer service, and collections at scale. They also dive into fundraising realities, the evolution of work in the AI era, and tips for nailing pitch competitions. A must-listen for investors and founders at the frontier of automation.

In this episode of the Candid Capital Podcast, we sit down with José V. Fernández, CEO and founder of Bankuish and winner of the 4YFN pitch competition at Mobile World Congress. From building credit systems in West Africa to rethinking underwriting for Uber drivers and creators, José shares the origin and evolution of Bankuish — a fintech solution unlocking financial access for the modern workforce.

We explore why traditional credit bureaus fail to serve the growing gig economy, how alternative data can reshape risk models, and what it takes to build trust between banks, platforms, and independent workers.

🔑 Topics Covered Include:

In this episode of The Candid Capital Podcast, host Josh S. speaks with David Palmer, Chief Product Officer at Vodafone’s Pairpoint, about how blockchain is quietly becoming the next layer of digital infrastructure for enterprise.

They dive into how Pairpoint is leveraging blockchain to enable trusted identities, interoperability, and dynamic transactions between billions of IoT devices — all while integrating with telecom, AI, and enterprise systems.

Topics covered include:

• The origins and business case behind Pairpoint

• Real enterprise blockchain use cases beyond DeFi

• AI + IoT + blockchain: the convergence of intelligent systems

• Data ownership, tokenization, and interoperability

• Why emerging markets may lead adoption

• Visionaries, infrastructure, and the invisible success of blockchain

A future-forward conversation for tech leaders, enterprise strategists, and anyone exploring how Web3 is shaping real-world systems.

🔗 Learn more and connect with David Palmer:

In this Market Updates Playback, Josh is joined by veteran investor Matt Roberts for a candid conversation on what lies ahead for Canada’s innovation economy. From rising cross-border friction for Canadian founders to the Middle East’s trillion-dollar push into AI infrastructure, Matt shares deep insights from his global vantage point. They dive into Canada’s structural venture capital issues, the exodus of top talent, and what a post-tariff era could mean for Canadian tech. A must-listen for founders, investors, and policy-watchers navigating this new economic cycle.