Stonks Go Moon

Why do intelligent, successful people make terrible decisions with money? And if wealth is supposed to make us happier, why does having more often leave us wanting even more?Dr. Robert J. van Eyden has spent more than three decades navigating financial markets, leading major financial businesses, and studying the psychology behind wealth creation and financial decision-making.In this episode of the Stonks Go Moon Podcast, Robert joins Rocco Strydom to explore the uncomfortable truths about money, financial literacy, artificial intelligence, and the human behaviour that shapes our financial futures.Drawing on lessons from his latest book, Jack of All Trades: How to Become the Complete Trader, published by Penguin Random House, Robert makes the case that understanding financial markets is only half the battle. Understanding ourselves might be considerably more important.Why does professional success not necessarily translate into financial intelligence? Is artificial intelligence creating a dangerous illusion of expertise? Have financial markets become another form of entertainment? And where exactly is the line between investing and gambling?The conversation also explores a question that rarely receives enough attention in discussions about wealth: What is money actually for?From protecting what we've earned to resisting the temptation of endless accumulation, Robert challenges the conventional definition of financial success and argues that real wealth should create opportunity, purpose, and positive change.Because becoming financially literate isn't simply about knowing how to make money. It's about understanding what to do with it, how to protect it, and when enough is enough.In this episode:Why intelligent people make irrational financial decisionsThe relationship between financial literacy and personal disciplineHow AI is changing our understanding of financial marketsThe dangers of confusing information with genuine expertiseWhere investing ends and gambling beginsWhy protecting wealth matters as much as creating itHow psychology influences our financial behaviourWhy having more money doesn't necessarily mean greater happinessThe responsibility of wealth and the importance of giving back

In this episode of the Stonks Go Moon Podcast, we sit down with Konstantins Vasilenko, Co-Founder of Paybis, to explore how cryptocurrency is evolving from a speculative frontier into a regulated global financial industry.Having navigated more than a decade of crypto market cycles, Paybis has grown to over 7 million users, with a focus on accessibility, compliance, and bridging traditional finance with digital assets.We discuss the impact of Europe's MiCA regulations, the rise of stablecoins as a payment solution, the future of cryptocurrency exchanges, and why the next major opportunity could lie in helping banks and financial institutions enter crypto without building their own regulatory infrastructure.In this episode:Why crypto regulation is both necessary and challenging.How Paybis survived multiple crypto booms and crashes.The importance of MiCA and PSD2 licensing.Why stablecoins are transforming business payments.Whether traditional crypto exchanges will remain relevant.The rise of decentralized prediction markets.How crypto and traditional banking could converge over the next decade.

Joseph Buttram, CEO of Field Digital, joins the Stonks Go Moon Podcast to discuss the infrastructure powering the next generation of digital finance.From stablecoins and institutional adoption to AI agents, regulation and the “picks and shovels” behind crypto, Joseph explains where digital finance is heading and how Field Digital is positioning itself for that future.

Zach Ipour, co-founder of MegPrime and Megatel Homes, joins the Stonks Go Moon Podcast to discuss rising mortgage costs, housing affordability, crypto payments, XRP, and MegPrime’s blockchain-based approach to rent and mortgage payments.We also discuss the MegPrime Z5 Protocol, rent and mortgage rewards, and MegPrime’s January 2026 SEC no-action letter.

South Africa’s electricity system is caught between rising tariffs, municipal debt, ageing prepaid infrastructure and a massive shift toward rooftop solar.In this episode of the Stonks Go Moon Podcast, Rocco Strydom speaks with Andrew Reeve of Mezura about building the technology that could connect these pieces.From secure prepaid metering and automated municipal revenue collection to prepaid residential solar and technology that could help turn homes into mini power stations, Mezura is rethinking how electricity is bought, sold and managed.Could smarter infrastructure help fix one of South Africa’s biggest problems?We unpack the technology, the business model and what the future of South Africa’s electricity system could look like.

In this episode of the Stonks Go Moon Podcast, Rocco Strydom sits down with Danilo Curillo, founder of The Miracle, to discuss why Web3 marketing has been broken for years—and how MetaMask's latest partnership could completely change the game.Instead of spam, banner ads, and token incentives, The Miracle is bringing personalized, on-chain rewards directly into crypto wallets, helping users discover products they're actually interested in while rewarding them for real activity, not empty clicks.They discuss:Why traditional crypto marketing failedHow MetaMask is changing user acquisitionWhy wallets could become the next operating system for the internetOn-chain data vs. traditional advertisingWhy rewards beat banner adsThe future of Web2 and Web3 marketing convergenceIf wallets become the primary interface for payments, identity, AI, and digital experiences, the advertising model of the internet may never look the same again.

Banks are finally taking stablecoins seriously.In this episode of the Stonks Go Moon Podcast, Rocco Strydom sits down with Ran Grushkowsky, CEO of MassPay, to discuss why the future of payments isn't about crypto speculation, it's about faster, cheaper, and fairer global money movement.They explore why cross-border payments remain slow by design, how stablecoins are disrupting decades-old financial infrastructure, why regulation is no longer the biggest hurdle, and why merchant adoption, not Bitcoin's price, will determine the next phase of growth.Topics include:Why stablecoins are becoming a payment infrastructureThe hidden incentives behind slow banking systemsVisa, Mastercard, and banks are embracing blockchainWhy merchants, not consumers, will drive adoptionThe future of cross-border paymentsWhy stablecoins are a fintech story, not a crypto story

Stablecoins are no longer about speculation; they're becoming real payment infrastructure.In this episode of the Stonks Go Moon Podcast, Rocco Strydom sits down with Wesley Rios from Morph to discuss why stablecoins could transform global payments, cross-border transactions, and financial infrastructure. From instant settlement and 24/7 availability to reducing banking friction, Wesley explains why the next phase of crypto adoption may happen quietly in the background while businesses simply enjoy faster, cheaper, and more reliable payments.Topics include:What stablecoins actually areWhy cross-border payments remain brokenStablecoins vs traditional banking railsThe rise of payment-focused blockchain infrastructureWhy "boring" payment technology often winsThe future of global money movement

Is AI actually in a bubble… or are we looking in the wrong place?In this episode of the Stonks Go Moon Podcast, Rocco Strydom sits down with Itamar Novick, Founder and General Partner at Recursive Ventures, operator, investor, and one of the early minds behind scaling companies from startup to IPO. The discussion dives deep into the current AI landscape, separating hype from reality and asking where the real opportunities are emerging.While everyone is slapping “AI-powered” onto products, Itamar argues the real bubble isn't AI applications — it's AI infrastructure. Data centers, energy, large language models, and the underlying stack are attracting enormous attention, while the real application layer may still be early.⚡ Topics covered:Are we in an AI bubble or an infrastructure bubble?Why vibe coding may be one of AI's first real winnersWill white-collar jobs disappear?AI and the future of reskilling the workforceWhy governments, VCs, and big AI companies all share responsibilityAI in sales, content creation, and autonomous agentsAdvice for founders raising capital in the AI eraWhy VCs no longer fund ideas — they fund tractionThe rules for startups are changing. The barrier to building has dropped dramatically, but standing out may be harder than ever.

What if Bitcoin wasn’t just something you hold… but something you actually use every day?In this episode of the Stonks Go Moon Podcast, Rocco Strydom sits down with Ben Blaine from MoneyBadger to unpack a quiet shift happening in South Africa right now:You can walk into a store, scan a QR code, and pay with Bitcoin - instantly.No banks. No selling. No friction.We break down:How Bitcoin payments actually work in real-world retailThe role of Lightning wallets and QR paymentsWhy major retailers like Pick'n Pay are already liveThe surprising adoption is happening across thousands of storesWhy this could completely change how people think about moneyFrom surf towns using Bitcoin to pay kids...to grocery stores accepting crypto at checkout.