Unchained

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

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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


      Links

    • 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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              UnchainedBy Laura Shin