Stablecoin-focused blockchains are popping up everywhere. Stripe, Circle, and more are betting they can dominate payments. But are these chains even needed? And will Ethereum ever be ready for real-world assets? 

Austin Campbell, NYU professor and founder of Zero Knowledge Consulting, joins Unchained to cut through the hype. From why “the market eventually eats you” to how consumers, not companies, could be the real winners, Campbell unpacks the competitive landscape and warns that the ultimate champion might be someone who isn’t even on the field today.

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Guest:

Austin Campbell, NYU Stern professor and founder and managing partner of Zero Knowledge Consulting

Links:

Unchained: 

Circle to Launch Layer 1 Blockchain ‘Arc’

Stripe Is Building Its Own Layer 1 Blockchain: Report

Fortune: Top crypto VC Matt Huang to lead Stripe blockchain Tempo as CEO, stay at Paradigm

Timestamps:

🎬 0:00 Intro

💸 4:23 Whether the world really needs stablecoin-specific blockchains

🧪 9:45 How Stripe’s Tempo chain could gain an edge in the payments game

🌐 12:25 Why Circle’s Arc might struggle to stand out

🏆 15:19 Who could emerge as the winner of the stablecoin payments race

🗺️ 20:35 What the broader stablecoin chain landscape looks like right now

🏦 23:36 Whether crypto companies have a real shot at disrupting traditional finance

🙋‍ 27:51 Who could end up being the biggest winners

🧱 31:52 Why Ethereum may not be ready for the RWA moment

🔮 34:52 Who’s best positioned to capitalize on the next wave of blockchain-based payments

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