Stablecoin Power Shift? Dollar Dominance, AI, and Europe’s Big Question (EP.301)

Why are stablecoins suddenly a geopolitical issue? Pete Townsend and Garrett Cassidy break down dollar dominance, EU pushback, AI’s role in digital money, and the future of global financial rails — in one fast 14-minute riff.We cover:• Why dollar-based stablecoins are spreading globally• Why European policymakers are pushing back• What Martin Wolf gets right (and wrong) in the FT• How AI could become a major stablecoin “super-user”• The real near-term use cases for consumers and enterprises• The future of onchain finance and global money railsSharp riffs, big ideas, real insights — in 10–15 minutes.New episodes weekly.Hosted by Pete Townsend.

Hey there, I’m Pete Townsend, and this is MoneyNeverSleeps - where we look inside the minds of entrepreneurs and at the crossover of startups, enterprise, finance, technology, and life as we know it.This one’s different.We’re live from The Podcast Studios at HeadStuff HQ in Dublin - the legendary former Westland Studios where artists like U2 and Hozier recorded in the past - for Episode 300.Seven years. Three hundred episodes. Hundreds of conversations with founders, investors, operators, technologists and builders. One story ends, another begins.To mark the moment, I’m joined by Mai Santamaria and Alejandro Gutierrez, two of the rocks who’ve carried the show forward in the post-Eoin Fitzgerald era. We look back on how it all started with “two mics and a backpack,” revisit some of our bold 2025 predictions, riff on tokenization, stablecoins, and AI, and reflect on what this community has built together.Big thanks to Search4Less and Barry Darmody for sponsoring this episode, to Conan Brophy for seven years of production wizardry, and to every single one of you who’s listened, shared, or joined in along the way.Featuring: Mai Santamaria, Alejandro Gutierrez, Conan Brophy, Paul Smyth, Barry DarmodyFull predictions recap at moneyneversleeps.ie🔗 LINKSLeave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

Alejandro Gutierrez joins me to talk Solana in Ireland, stablecoins, and tokenized securities - plus I share the launch of Norio Ventures Fund I and what’s ahead for Episode 300.🔹 Scaling Solana Superteam Ireland and building community across the island🔹 Stablecoins moving mainstream + tokenized securities gaining momentum with Nasdaq🔹 My launch of Norio Ventures Fund I and what’s next for MoneyNeverSleeps🔹 Plus, we look ahead to the Payments Innovation Roundtable in Dublin, and CryptoMondays BelfastAbout MoneyNeverSleeps:I’m Pete Townsend, host of MoneyNeverSleeps and General Partner of Norio Ventures. With nearly 300 episodes, this show dives into the minds of entrepreneurs at the intersection of startups, finance, technology, and life as we know it.References:Solana Superteam IrelandNorio VenturesCryptoMondays Irelandrwa.xyz (on tokenized securities)LINKS:Solana Superteam Ireland:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedInAlejandro Gutierrez: X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedInLeave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

This week, we're doing something different on MoneyNeverSleeps.You're coming inside the room for the Techstars Web3 Demo Day 2025, recorded live at Civic Hall in NYC during NY Tech Week, where we brought 5 incredible Web3 startups to the stage for a standing-room-only crowd of founders, investors, and builders.These aren’t founders chasing hype - they’re building with traction, with purpose, and with an eye on the next version of the internet.Along the way, you’ll hear:A powerful fireside chat with Clarisse Hagege, founder and CEO of Dfns, on her journey from TradFi to web3 and the reality of raising in tough marketsStartups introduced by their mentors and customers, not just the usual emcee banterClosing thoughts on what Techstars Web3 has meant to me and to Hugh McGirr, my partner in building this since 2021You’ll hear from:🧠 Autonom – web3’s first full-context real-world assets oracle🛡️ DABL – the essential risk layer for onchain hedging🔐 Nera Systems – privacy-enhancing tech for secure data sharing in AI workflows🌱 nodes.garden – one-click platform for running testnet nodes and earning token rewards🔍 TRUSTBYTES – bringing predictive intelligence to institutional walletsWhether you’re a founder, investor, or web3 builder—this one captures the energy, the ambition, and the conviction of what’s next.🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube: Techstars Web3 Demo Day 2025LINKS:Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

This week, I caught up with Jesse Phillips, co-founder and CEO of Trustware, and one of the most quietly determined founders I’ve ever backed.I invested in Jesse and his co-founder Jonathan Frazier through the Techstars Web3 accelerator in 2023, and since then, Trustware⁠ have done what most early-stage startups only dream of—shipping a real product, signing real customers, and generating real revenue… all on just $400K in capital and a team of six.In this conversation, Jesse and I get into what it really takes to build through the mud - when you’ve got more vision than runway, and the only way out of the mud is through the mud. We talk about the early decisions that shaped Trustware’s roadmap, the week Jesse had to tell his team he couldn’t promise their next paycheck, and why raising less money actually made them a stronger company.Trustware is building what Jesse calls “a switchboard for crypto” - a way for wallets and apps to exchange any asset for any other asset(s) across chains and identity layers. It’s a big vision with a deeply pragmatic approach - and one that’s already helping crypto-native teams clean up the mess under the hood.This one’s a masterclass in staying focused, tuning out the hype, and building for the long game.The early decision to bootstrap and stay leanHow Trustware helps wallets and apps simplify cross-chain opsWhy team culture matters even more when the money’s tightWhat Jesse learned about founder storytelling while fundraisingThe value of persistence over polish in the early inningsLINKS:Trustware:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn |  DiscordJesse Phillips:   X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn In this episode:MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

This week, I sat down with my longtime Techstars colleague and friend Allard Luchsinger, Managing Director of the ABN AMRO + Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator in Amsterdam.Allard and I have been on each other’s investment committees for years, so this conversation hits a bit differently. We’ve traded notes across dozens of startups, and we’ve seen each other call the shots on what makes an unstoppable founder. That theme became the golden thread through this episode.We get into Allard’s journey from building startups during the dot-com era, to co-founding a zero-commission trading platform years before Robinhood, to leading one of Europe’s most respected fintech accelerators. We also dig into:His experience investing in African fintech and why mobile-first changed everythingThe early signals from AI and how they mirror fintech’s formative yearsThe conviction you need to invest at pre-seed when all you have is a deck, a founder, and a feelingThe power of mindfulness, presence, and early-morning meditationWhy stablecoins and tokenized assets are quietly rebuilding the financial rails from the inside outThis one’s full of hard-earned wisdom from someone who knows both sides of the founder–investor equation, and delivers it all with a calm clarity that hits home.LINKS:Connect with Allard Luchsinger on LinkedIn ABN AMRO + Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator:  Website  |  LinkedInLeave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

This week, I’m joined by Scott Ashmore and Rob Halligan, co-founders of Shuttle - a platform giving individuals access to venture capital deals that have traditionally been reserved for the ultra-wealthy.Scott and Rob are best friends of 25 years, first-time founders, and the type of guys who rolled up their sleeves, built something that didn’t scale, tore it all down, and came back with something far more powerful - and regulated - with Shuttle.We get into:Their early days of investing together that kicked it all offThat raw turning point moment at Web Summit 2022 when they knew the original plan wasn’t going to workWhat it took to get regulated and launch a platform built for the digitally-native, tech-savvy retail investorWhy retail investors should have a front-row seat to venture capital opportunities—and how Shuttle is making that happenThis is a story of friendship, frustration with the status quo, and the belief that access to financial upside shouldn’t be limited by your net worth.Learn more about Shuttle: Shuttle enables busy professionals to co-invest alongside well-known venture capital firms, regardless of their knowledge, network or net worth. Since launching in December last year, they've already enabled their customers to invest alongside 15 VC funds.LINKS:Shuttle:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn |  Unsophisticated Investor NewsletterScott Ashmore:  LinkedInRob Halligan:  LinkedInLeave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

This week, I’m joined once again by Alejandro Gutierrez, now officially leading Solana Superteam Ireland, a new initiative powered by the Solana Foundation to accelerate Web3 innovation across the entire island of Ireland.In this conversation, Alejandro and I go deep on how Solana Superteam Ireland came to life, why the momentum is building so quickly, and what this means for Ireland as a Web3 hub.Alejandro shares how he went from convincing Dogpatch Labs to give him a table and a few chairs to creating a thriving Talent Hub that’s now attracting builders every Friday. That energy evolved into the Dublin BuildStation, a collaborative space supporting 19 project submissions to the recent Solana Colosseum Hackathon.From stablecoin payments and agentic AI to health tech and startup funding, we talk about the intersection of talent, ecosystem development, and the future of digital finance on Solana in Ireland.In this episode:How Alejandro kicked off Solana Superteam Ireland from the ground upThe role of Dogpatch Labs and Solana Foundation in backing Irish buildersWhy Ireland is uniquely positioned for Web3 leadershipThe Dublin BuildStation and how it supports foundersEmerging verticals in Solana: payments, AI, and healthcareThe potential for a silent stablecoin revolution in the Irish payments landscapeThe importance of community, continuity, and open collaborationWhat’s next: Dublin Startup Village, university engagement, and moreEVENTS:Dublin Tech Week - May 23rd- 30th, 2025 - full event listingCryptoMondays Ireland with ETHDublin, Solana Superteam Ireland & Techstars - 26th May 2025Techstars Web3 2025 Demo Day at NYTechWeek (NYC) - 4th June 2025LINKS:Solana Superteam Ireland:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedInAlejandro Gutierrez: X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedInLeave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

Simon Brown joins me to share how his role at Consensys has evolved since his last appearance in January 2024 and why he’s now leading the charge on the Consensys Network State. It’s all about reconnecting the sprawl of the Ethereum ecosystem, reinforcing the cultural gravity that made Ethereum magical in the first place, and creating a more cohesive network of builders, founders, and ecosystem experts.In this episode, we dive into how the Consensys Network State initiative is setting the stage for Ethereum’s next decade, how it’s bridging gaps between projects and people, and what it means for the future of decentralized coordination. We also get into some big-picture thinking around the evolution of Ethereum, the rise of network states, stablecoin growth, and what it takes to keep that cultural gravity intact as Ethereum continues to grow.Resources Mentioned:Sobol Agreements ProtocolConsensys Network State Flashbots BuilderNetPectra UpgradeConnect with Simon Brown and Consensys:Simon Brown: X(Twitter) |  LinkedIn  |  MediumConsensys:  Website  |  X(Twitter) Leave a review and subscribe onApple PodcastsSpotifyMoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] with Pete Townsend and MoneyNeverSleeps:Pete Townsend: X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps: X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

This week, I’m welcoming back Ollie Walsh, formerly the co-founder and CEO of Pipit Global, and now, the President of Qenta, following Qenta’s recent acquisition of Pipit.  This is Ollie’s fourth appearance on MoneyNeverSleeps, making him the all-time guest record holder on the show.This conversation is a special one. Not only has Ollie been building something purpose-driven and globally relevant for over a decade, but I’ve also had the privilege of sitting on Pipit’s board since 2019 and seeing the full journey from the inside.In this episode, we dive into the first public conversation about Pipit’s acquisition by Qenta. US-based Qenta is rethinking how money moves around the world, blending fintech, blockchain, and impact into one powerful payments platform.In this episode, Ollie and I get into the weeds on what it really takes to build a startup with social impact at its core, what it feels like to finally get a deal across the line after years of trying, and how it all unfolds when you're leading with purpose rather than flash.We also get into:The “rollercoaster on fire” of startup lifeWhat makes a startup acquirable, especially in emerging marketsWhy leading with social impact turned out to be Pipit’s greatest strengthLessons learned the hard way: cap tables, crowdfunding, and mental resilienceOllie’s unexpected deep dive into Daoism and Tai Chi, and how it shaped his founder mindsetThis one’s packed with honest reflections, tactical insights, and a rare look inside the real M&A journey from a founder who lived every second of it.If you're building with purpose, fundraising under pressure, or just trying to stay centered through it all, this one’s for you.Connect with Ollie Walsh and Qenta:Ollie Walsh: LinkedInQenta: LinkedIn  |  Website⁠Leave a review and subscribe onApple PodcastsSpotifyMoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: [email protected] with Pete Townsend and MoneyNeverSleeps:Pete Townsend: X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn MoneyNeverSleeps: X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter