This episode features Oliver Tonkin of BCB Group, Europe's leading payment service provider for the digital asset economy.

He notes "crypto within FSMA is the right thing to do, it's financial services and investments... I am not convinced about bringing stable coins into the FSMA regime".

Having just won "Best Provider of Crypto Innovation" at the Global Crypto Awards, Oliver explained the business, and his views on the industry:

- BCB's tagline "Pay, store, trade and earn fiat, stable coins and digital assets globally";

- The status quo on payments, including what SWIFT and CHAPS are;

- BCB's liquidity services and his views of Ripple's then failed attempt to buy Circle; - Reasons why people are using stable coins, and whether businesses are actually adopting them;

- Why BCB is a French Digital Asset Service provider, and what "your crypto assets are stored in our institutional- grade custody solution, secured with HSM technology" means;

- Oliver's own views on UK Treasury's draft legislation on the treatment of stablecoins under amendments to the The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Cryptoassets) Order 2025- defining: “qualifying cryptoassets” as “any cryptoassets which are fungible and transferable and not subject to one of the exceptions” and “qualifying stablecoins” as “is a subset of qualifying cryptoassets, which are referenced against a fiat currency, and purport to maintain a stable value in relation to that fiat currency, by holding or arranging for the holding of fiat currency or fiat currency and other assets.

- His views on the exceptions to "specified kind of activity" to carve out dcesigijg and minting, and the impact this statutory instrument may have on his business; and

- BCB's collaboration with Circle on global payment networks.

------ In Early is a podcast hosted by Matt Green who speaks to those at the forefront of the digital assets and technology sectors, telling real life stories, considering the growth and growing pains of the industry, and exploring how blockchain and other technology has made an impact on people's lives.

With guests including household names like Coinbase, BitGo, Coincover, Crystal Blockchain and Lockton, to more specialised enterprises like fractional mining farms for NFTs, to authors, artists and developers, from stable coin issuers backed by real estate, to Web3 gaming and sports projects, and forensic investigators to law makers, the podcast is a dialogue with those servicing, developing and implementing technology.

In Early was featured in The Lawyer's Briefing Room.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-early-podcast/

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This podcast is produced by Matt Green and Luke Carey. All rights reserved

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