Can Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Drive Fintech Innovation? 

Could cryptocurrency be the key to bridging financial gaps? Can it create a more inclusive global economy? Digital assets like stablecoins and blockchain technology are reshaping how we think about money. Their potential to level the financial playing field is becoming clearer. In today’s episode of the Tearsheet podcast, I sit down with Lisa Nestor, Research Director at the Stanford Future of Digital Currency Initiative to discuss how fintech innovation is paving the way for broader financial inclusion. Lisa’s expertise spans blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and fintech innovation. This makes her a leading voice in understanding the intersection of these fields. Lisa’s career reflects a deep commitment to financial inclusion. “When I started researching Stellar,” Lisa shares. “It brought together what I had seen [and demonstrated] the power of providing open-source financial infrastructure.” This passion for creating accessible financial systems has guided her work. It also included her current research on stablecoins and digital dollar adoption.  Lisa explains how cryptocurrency, stablecoins, and blockchain can make finance fairer. Her insights show how these innovations affect cross-border payments and financial inclusion. She also discusses their role in the evolving fintech landscape.Cryptocurrency has the potential to address the uneven access to financial services worldwide. Blockchain technology allows people in underserved regions to access digital wallets and stablecoins.With new financial tools, more people can save, transact, and even earn. “Access to financial services is not an even playing field,” Lisa notes. “Distributed ledger technology can help level that field. It can do so by providing accessible and stable financial options.”Stablecoins are already impacting cross-border payments and savings in regions with unstable economies. Lisa highlights Argentina as a case study. She says, “Argentina’s economic situation has created a huge demand for digital dollars, with stablecoins playing a crucial role in hedging inflation and providing financial security.”Lisa emphasizes how digital dollars simplify cross-border payments, especially for regions with limited traditional banking infrastructure. “Being able to hold a stablecoin in a digital wallet and earning some yield on it is a small but significant step towards democratizing finance,” she says.Another emerging trend Lisa identifies is the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA). Blockchain makes traditionally illiquid assets, like real estate and art, more liquid.This opens up global markets. “This approach improves liquidity. It makes these assets move seamlessly across the globe,” Lisa explains.Lisa explores CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies) and private stablecoins. She looks at how governments and businesses are adopting digital assets. She also discusses the opportunities and challenges they face. “Most central banks are re