Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock´n´Roll – The finance podcast between the traditional and the future financial system built on blockchain
Latest
Latest
21X Journey: Transforming Capital Markets with Blockchain
Discover how 21X, Europe’s first regulated blockchain-based trading and settlement system, is transforming capital markets. From stablecoin settlements to tokenized securities, 21X pioneers instant, on-chain transactions that merge regulatory trust with blockchain efficiency — a glimpse into the future of global finance.
When Banks and Nations Enter the Digital Money Arena | News
A new era of Digital Money is unfolding as banks, market operators, and even governments move from blockchain experiments to full-scale adoption. Europe leads the charge with sovereign Bitcoin investments, cooperative blockchains, and stablecoin integration — signaling that traditional finance is now rebuilding itself on digital rails.
Architecting DLT Financial Infrastructures with SWIAT-CTO Ivica Aračić
Explore how Europe is building the next generation of DLT financial infrastructures—moving from blockchain pilots to scalable, regulated systems. Swiat CTO Ivica Aračić explains the architecture, governance, and convergence shaping the future of digital assets, payments, and tokenized finance.
National digital currencies in practice
Explore how national digital currencies are reshaping global finance through real-world examples from El Salvador and Bolivia, as expert Tristan Thoma shares insights on financial inclusion, sovereignty, and the future of money in this episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll.
A journey through the era of digital money with Rod Garratt
Explore how digital money is reshaping global finance — from Bitcoin’s early rise to central bank experiments with CBDCs, tokenized deposits, and stablecoins, and the political debates shaping its future.
Stablecoin focused payment infrastructure developments | News
Explore how stablecoin innovations, new payment infrastructures, and tokenization efforts are reshaping global finance in September 2025.
Stablecoins and the singleness of money with Rhys Bidder
Rhys Bidder, a lecturer at King’s Business School and former researcher at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, argues that stablecoins are forcing finance to revisit first principles—sometimes uncomfortably, often fruitfully.
Building the Bridge: AMINA Bank’s Architecture for Crypto-TradFi Integration
In a year when stablecoins finally broke into the financial mainstream, most banks still can’t process a simple USDC transfer. One exception is AMINA Bank, a Switzerland-based institution that says it has spent six years learning to do something deceptively hard: speak the languages of both traditional finance and blockchains at the same time.
From Ordinary to Crypto Millionaire: The Sociology of Digital Wealth
A Thousand Times More Money Than You Have Now turns away from founders and influencers to the “sleepers”—ordinary retail investors who kept their heads down and, in some cases, woke up rich. It is basically the story from ordinary to crypto millionaire and therefore tackles the sociology of digital wealth.
Bullish sentiment: Yet another stablecoin? | News
August closed with a paradox: roaring numbers and a muted mood. Global crypto capitalization hovered near $4 trillion and briefly touched a record $4.2 trillion, yet the fanfare was subdued. Bitcoin set a mid-month high around 124,000 before ending lower; Ether climbed roughly 20 percent to about $4,500 and posted its own record. The indifference to fresh highs was telling. Crypto’s spectacle is giving way to something sturdier—and more consequential: the slow consolidation of power in pipes, rules, and rails. Stablecoins also play an increasing role.
From BitMEX to AllUnity: Why Alex Höptner is Building Europe’s Stablecoin
Alex Höptner, chief executive of the crypto start-up AllUnity, he is betting on something that might sound unlikely: a Euro stablecoin designed not for day traders, but for the backbone of European commerce.
Fighting Bitcoin Fraud: Insights from 21bitcoin’s CEO
On a summer evening at the Electric Love Festival in Salzburg, amid pounding basslines and light shows, the conversation turned to one of the quieter but more urgent issues in modern finance: the persistence of crypto fraud. The setting might have been unconventional, but for Daniel Winkelhammer, founder of 21bitcoin, it was fitting.
Germany’s Security Token Issuances & Deka’s Digital Asset Monitor
Explore the latest insights from the Deka Digital Asset Monitor — tracking Germany’s evolving tokenized securities market, key issuers, blockchain adoption trends, and regulatory developments.
Bullish sentiment: ETH, Coinbase, Genius, and more | News
July held a plethora of crypto news. One example: Once a straightforward crypto exchange, Coinbase is now signaling a platform ambition that could reshape how everyday users interact with digital assets.
Genius Act vs MiCAR and what it means for Europe
In a conversation between Alexander Bechtel and transatlantic legal expert Anja von Rosenstiel, a licensed attorney in both Germany and the U.S., the contrasts between the U.S. Genius Act and MiCAR were laid bare.
The Evolution of Digital Currencies
In a landmark 350th episode of the Bitcoin Fiat & Rock’n’Roll (BFRR) podcast, a panel of leading voices in institutional finance gathered at the London Blockchain Finance Summit to discuss one of the most pressing questions in global finance today: how digital currencies, assets, and decentralized technologies are reshaping the financial system.
CBDCs at the Crossroads with John Kiff
At the heart of this transformation are central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), which are now being piloted, reconsidered, or quietly shelved by central banks around the world. One of the field’s foremost experts, John Kiff, formerly of the Bank of Canada and the International Monetary Fund, has been at the forefront of these developments.
Inside the ECB’s Digital Euro Project and Stablecoins with Ulrich Bindseil
In his final days at the ECB, Ulrich Bindseil finds himself at the center of a different kind of transformation: the digitization of money itself. We talked about the digital euro project and more.
US Senate Passes GENIUS Act | News Recap June
This month’s developments in the world of digital assets were shaped by a series of transformative events — from the passage of landmark U.S. regulation with the US Senate passing the GENIUS Act, to renewed momentum in tokenized deposits and corporate Bitcoin adoption.
Digital Fiat That Never Sleeps: Stablecoin Developments in Payment
Once relegated to the fringes of cryptocurrency markets, stablecoins are beginning to force a structural rethink of how digital money is defined, regulated, and used—particularly in the realm of cross-border payments and financial infrastructure. So let’s dive deeper in the stablecoin developments in payment.
Digital Freedom, Privacy & Innovation: A Conversation with Joachim Schwerin
In this episode of the Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll podcast, Joachim Schwerin, Principal Economist at the European Commission issued a clear call to action: preserve the core values of decentralisation. Schwerin supports a new initiative: the Digital Freedom Declaration.
The Future of DeFi: AI-Powered Hypercustomized Crypto Yields
Revealing a compelling vision for the future of finance—one in which hyper-customized crypto yields are accessible at scale, thanks to AI and DeFi convergence.
Stablecoin and Real World Tokenization Adoption Accelerates | News
The month of May 2025 marked a pivotal shift in the evolution of digital money, as developments in stablecoins, institutional crypto adoption, real world tokenization and new technical standards suggested a deeper integration of blockchain infrastructure into the mainstream financial system.
From Citi Bank to Stablecoins: Tony McLaughlin’s Bold Pivot
In this recent episode of the *Bitcoin, Fiat, and Rock and Roll* podcast, veteran payments expert Tony McLaughlin laid out a sweeping vision for the future of money—a future, he argues, that will be built not on traditional banking infrastructure, but on public blockchains and stablecoins.
Quo Vadis Bitcoin (with Co-Pierre Georg)
A New Vision for Blockchain: Frankfurt School’s Co-Pierre Georg on Bitcoin, Risks, Regulation, and the Role of Academia.
US vs EU: The Stablecoin Policy Divide
Stablecoin Policy in the U.S. and the EU are carving different paths in regulating cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and blockchain infrastructure—an ideological and practical split with global consequences. Joining us is Jón Helgi Egilsson, Executive Director and co-founder of Monerium, whose unique vantage point spans central banking, fintech entrepreneurship, and both sides of the Atlantic. With a PhD in economics, leadership roles in central banking, and nearly a decade running a European blockchain finance company, Jón breaks down the core philosophical and strategic differences between...
Stablecoins Reshape Global Finance: Circle IPO, PYUSD Rewards & ECB Panic | News
In a significant move for the digital asset industry, Circle Internet Financial has filed for an initial public offering (IPO), offering unprecedented visibility into the financial underpinnings of one of the world’s largest issuers of stablecoins.
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: Genius Move or Costly Mistake?
In the evolving world of national finance, an unlikely contender has entered the discussion: Bitcoin. Once dismissed as a speculative asset, the digital currency is now being seriously evaluated for inclusion in sovereign reserves — strategic Bitcoin reserve: a move that could profoundly reshape global financial strategies.
Permissionless blockchains for financial services
Can permissionless blockchains provide the base layer for the next generation of financial services? In a digital era marked by growing distrust in centralized authorities and increasing complexity in global finance, a debate over the foundational infrastructure of tomorrow’s financial markets is gaining new momentum. At the center of this conversation is a question once relegated to blockchain enthusiasts and DeFi pioneers: Can permissionless blockchains provide the base layer for the next generation of financial services? A recent podcast episode of Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll...
DeFi and DAO Research with Dan Liebau
In a time of tectonic shifts within global finance, few concepts embody both the promise and peril of innovation as thoroughly as decentralized finance (DeFi) and its organizational counterpart, the Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). At the intersection of digital assets and traditional banking, Dan Liebau—founder of Lightbulb Capital and affiliate faculty member at Singapore Management University—is one of the field’s most pragmatic yet forward-thinking voices in the DeFi and DAO research space.
BX Digital’s FINMA Win with CEO Lidia Kurt
BX Digital, a Swiss financial market infrastructure company, recently received FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) approval for its DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) trading facility, making it the first of its kind in Switzerland.
Trends in Digital Asset Infrastructure | News
In this month's news episode, we focus on digital asset infrastructure. The financial world may be on the brink of one of its most transformative shifts since the dawn of electronic trading. If the latest industry developments are any indication, the once disparate universes of traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) are no longer headed for collision—but convergence. From Wall Street titans exploring public blockchains to crypto natives adapting to regulatory demands, March has been a month of remarkable alignment. Central to the momentum is a rising focus on...
Dollar Dominance Through Stablecoins
Dollar Dominance Through Stablecoins – In the high-stakes world of digital finance, regulation has become a geopolitical weapon. As the United States charges ahead with a pro-stablecoin agenda under the new administration, Europe finds itself navigating increasingly turbulent waters—caught between safeguarding investor protection and maintaining global competitiveness. Few understand the implications of this shift better than Dr. Hagen Weiß, head of corporate blockchain at Dentons Germany. A former BaFin official and contributor to Germany’s first Electronic Securities Act, Weiß has sat at the...
Scaling B2B Stablecoin Payments: SAP’s Digital Currency Hub
In a shift that could redefine corporate finance, global enterprises are beginning to integrate B2B Stablecoin Payments into their traditional financial systems. The move, driven by increasing frustration over slow and expensive cross-border transactions, is being enabled by enterprise software giant SAP through its Digital Currency Hub. Companies like EY and PayPal are among the early adopters, signaling a major shift in the way businesses handle digital payments. Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Finance and Blockchain For years, one of the biggest challenges in...
Downsides of a Bitcoin Reserve (with ECB Advisor Dr. Jürgen Schaaf)
As Bitcoin continues its rollercoaster ride in financial markets, discussions surrounding its role in national economies have intensified. The idea of states or central banks holding Bitcoin reserves has gained traction, particularly in political and economic circles advocating for financial sovereignty and diversification. What are the downsides of a Bitcoin reserve?
Crypto Chaos: Hacks, Memes, and Market Meltdown | News
Crypto Chaos: Hacks, Memes, and Market Meltdown: The cryptocurrency market has been rocked by volatility in recent weeks, with significant price contractions, regulatory upheavals, and one of the largest hacks in history.
Crypto and Digital Assets Business Opportunities in 2025
At last week’s Frankfurt Digital Finance 2025 conference, leading figures from Europe’s crypto industry converged for a spirited panel discussion on the burgeoning Crypto and Digital Assets Business Opportunities within digital assets. Moderated by Stefan Grasmann, the session revealed a dynamic picture of an industry poised for rapid innovation and broader institutional acceptance.
Bitcoin’s Quantum Vulnerability
The financial world and Bitcoin as part of it is on the verge of a technological upheaval that could redefine security, asset management, and economic forecasting. The catalyst? Quantum computing. So let’s take a deep dive into Bitcoin’s quantum vulnerability.
Why the FDP demands a Bitcoin Reserve | German
We explore why the FDP has included the Bitcoin reserve initiative in their election program
The concept of a „strategic Bitcoin reserve“ is gaining increasing international significance. What Donald Trump brought up in the US election campaign is now being seriously considered by a growing number of nations – including Brazil, Japan, Russia, and China alongside the US.
Making Bitcoin accessible: Interview with Relai CEO Julian Liniger
In this episode of the podcast Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock and Roll, host Alex sat down with Julian Liniger, CEO of Relai, to discuss the company’s ambitious expansion plans across Europe. The mission: Making Bitcoin accessible.
Bitcoin Reserve, Trump Inauguration & Agentic AI | News-recap January
In this episode of ‚Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll‘ (BFRR), we dive deep into the seismatic shifts reshaping the landscape of blockchain adoption in January 2025. Following Trump’s inauguration and Bitcoin’s ATH at $109,356, our expert panel unpacks the implications of potential strategic crypto reserves and evolving regulatory frameworks.
Smart Contracts in Action: Siemens’ Blockchain Journey
How does Siemens use blockchain technology in cash management and payments In this episode of 'Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock’n’Roll' (BFRR), Co-Host Manuel interviews Heiko Nix, global head of cash management and payments at Siemens Treasury. After a short presentation of his Career at Siemens and how Siemens treasury operates, Heiko explains what cash management at a multinational corporation like Siemens looks like and which challenges such a large corporate brings for payments and cash management. Heiko then explains which blockchain technology Heiko uses and explains the use cases of Blockchain...
Zero-knowledge proofs: The future of privacy?
An Introduction to zero-knowledge proofs: their potential, applications, and challenges In this episode of 'Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock'n'Roll' (BFRR), we explore zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), a technological innovation helping to protect privacy in our increasingly digital world. Co-host Jonas Gross discusses with Johannes Sedlmeir, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Luxembourg, how ZKPs work, their relevance, applications, and potential. They address key terminology and clarify common misconceptions. Johannes illustrates ZKPs through a simple cave analogy: Imagine being trapped in...
Our Predictions for Digital Assets in 2025
What will the co-hosts focus on in 2025 and what are their predictions for market events and the bitcoin price? In this first episode of the Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock'n'Roll (BFRR) podcast of 2025 and the debut episode of switching the podcast to English you will hear again short intros into the (professional) life of the co-hosts, about their interests and their main focus points for the podcast throughout 2025. We continue with predictions about key events of 2025 in the intersection of Crypto, Blockchain politics and the financial sector where each co-host presents 2 predictions which are...
Bitcoin, Fiat & Rock´N´Roll
The co hosts of the podcast

Dr. Alexander Bechtel
Co-Host

Dr. Michael Blaschke
Co-host

Dr. Jonas Groß
Co-host

Manuel Klein
Co-host

Stefan Grasmann
Co-host
Podcast










