In this conversation, Robert Hackett (@rhackett), co-founder of Circle and USDC stablecoin co-founder Sean Neville (@psneville), and Bridge (now part of Stripe) founder Zach Abrams (@zcabrams) delve into the real story behind stablecoins, how to find product-market fit, and the future of payment infrastructure. They look back at the early development of USDC—when the concept of stablecoins was far from widespread and regulatory frameworks were yet to be established. Sean shares how his belief in "making money move at internet speed" helped shape this multi-billion dollar asset. Zach recounts Bridge's journey from NFTs to stablecoin infrastructure and the changes in the company's business after joining Stripe. They discussed the following: - Why stablecoins are currently in the spotlight - The definition of product-market fit (and why founders rarely "feel" it) - The challenges of building cryptocurrency and AI products in a heavily regulated environment - Why new underlying chains like Arc and Tempo are needed - How decentralization, liquidity moats, and interoperability will define the widespread adoption of blockchain in the next decade - The future landscape of programmable money and AI-driven financial workflows Whether you are a founder, a developer interested in cryptocurrency, or someone looking to understand the future of global payments, this conversation—originally recorded at our recent a16z Crypto Founders Summit—offers insightful perspectives from two operators at the heart of industry change. The following is an excerpt from the conversation. @rhackett @psneville @zcabrams Click here to see the full conversation: