CoinDesk Podcast Network

RealFi CEO John O'Connor joins CoinDesk's Sam Ewen to explain how his platform is reimagining the stablecoin model, replacing reflexive DeFi yield with real-world fixed income assets, and giving holders of sUSDr the returns that issuers like Tether and Circle currently keep for themselves. He breaks down the portfolio construction behind USDr, why crypto treasurers are the ideal first customer, and what he learned from testnet ahead of a mainnet launch.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - RealFi's John O'Connor Joins CoinDesk

00:56 - What Makes USDr Different From USDC and USDT

05:22 - Cross-Chain Interoperability and the New Risk Surface

06:46 - How RealFi Manages Portfolio Risk and Liquidity

11:39 - Who Is RealFi's Ideal Customer?

12:42 - The Pitch to Crypto Treasurers

14:22 - Yield-Bearing Collateral and Looping Strategies

15:44 - How TradFi Is Adopting DeFi's Best Ideas

18:10 - Testnet Learnings: UX Debates and Community Excitement

19:41 - What Success Looks Like in 18 Months

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This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. RealFi is launching August 2026. Join the Testnet now at realfi.co.

Johann Kerbrat, SVP and GM of Crypto at Robinhood, breaks down why Robinhood built its own blockchain and what it unlocks for the tens of millions of retail investors already on the platform. From Robinhood Earn, offering approximately 7% yield on stablecoins, backed by an insurance program with Lloyd's of London, to stock tokens that can be traded on weekends, used as collateral, and transferred to any wallet, Johann lays out a vision where the line between TradFi and DeFi disappears entirely.
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Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro: Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood
0:12 - Ecosystem excitement at chain launch
0:48 - Robinhood Chain is permissionless
1:24 - Morpho lending protocol partnership
2:04 - Stock tokens on Robinhood Chain
2:45 - Weekend trading and DeFi volume
3:07 - Tokenization of real-world assets
3:37 - Beyond stocks: real estate, art, private equity
4:36 - Blockchain as backbone for AI/agentic trading
6:00 - Accessibility and giving customers tools
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JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets: https://x.com/jpegtrading
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Check out CoinDesk Research’s report on Zcash’s push toward private scale and quantum resilience at: https://www.coindesk.com/research/building-the-zcash-machine-tachyon-and-quantum-readiness

BNY's $8.6T move onchain.

BNY is bringing its transfer agency business — which services about $8.6 trillion across 7.6 million accounts — onto the blockchain, with Baillie Gifford, BlackRock and Dreyfus lined up to use it. It's one of Wall Street's biggest bets yet on tokenized funds. CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie hosts "CoinDesk Daily."

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This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management's Global Head of ETFs Ally Wallace breaks down the firm's newly launched Ether and Solana ETFs from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Wallace explains why Morgan Stanley priced all three of its crypto products at 14 basis points — the cheapest on the market — and how its April Bitcoin ETF became the firm's most successful launch ever. And, she unpacks the staking component of the new proof-of-stake products, including Morgan Stanley's decision to pass back 100% of staking rewards to investors.

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00:00 Morgan Stanley Launches Ether and Solana ETFs

00:17 Launching Into a Subdued Crypto Market

00:57 Bitcoin ETF Pulls In $400M, MS's Best Launch Ever

01:27 Competing at 14 Basis Points, the Cheapest on the Market

02:15 The First Bank-Owned Asset Manager in the Space

02:33 Passing Back 100% of Staking Rewards

03:02 How the Staking Economics Work

03:52 Positioning Solana and ETH in Portfolios

04:46 Why Morgan Stanley Chose CoinDesk Benchmarks

05:28 Coinbase and BNY Mellon on Custody

The Senate puts off the CLARITY Act.

The U.S. Senate has shelved the crypto Digital Asset Market Clarity Act for the moment as it proceeds with different bills on Russian sanctions and federal nominations. CoinDesk's Uyen Truong hosts "CoinDesk Daily."

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This episode is brought to you by RealFi, a smarter stablecoin, backed by real-world assets. Find out more at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ realfi.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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JPEG Trading is a global proprietary trading firm specializing in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets. From market structure and liquidity provision to quantitative trading strategies, JPEG Trading operates across the full spectrum of blockchain-based assets. Follow @jpegtrading on X to stay ahead of the latest developments in digital asset markets:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://x.com/jpegtrading⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This episode was hosted by Uyen Truong. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and edited by Victor Chen.