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How do you achieve peak performance while avoiding burnout? Big-wave surfing pioneer Laird Hamilton and former pro volleyball star Gabby Reece join a16z crypto General Partner Arianna Simpson to talk about what it takes.
with @LairdLife @GabbyRee
In this episode, Robert Hackett sits down with Sean Neville, cofounder of Circle and co-creator of the USDC stablecoin, and Zach Abrams, founder of Bridge (now part of Stripe), for a deep dive into the real story behind stablecoins, finding product-market fit, and the future of payments infrastructure.
They explore the earliest days of USDC — when stablecoins were far from obvious and regulatory frameworks didn’t exist. Sean shares how his conviction in “money running at internet speed” helped shape a multibillion-dollar asset. Zach recounts Bridge’s pivot from NFTs to stablecoin infrastructure — and how his business has changed since joining Stripe.
Together, they break down:
Why stablecoins are having their moment now
What counts as product-market fit (and why founders rarely “feel” it)
The challenges of building crypto and AI products within heavily regulated environments
Why new base-layer chains like Arc, Tempo, and others may be needed
How decentralization, liquidity moats, and interoperability will define the next decade of blockchain adoption
What the future of programmable money and AI-driven financial workflows looks like
Whether you’re a founder, a crypto-curious builder, or someone trying to understand where global payments are headed, this conversation — originally recorded live at our recent a16z crypto Founders Summit — offers insights from two operators at the center of an industry-defining transformation.
Guests:
• Sean Neville — Cofounder, Circle; CEO and cofounder, Catena
• Zach Abrams — Founder and CEO, Bridge (acquired by Stripe)
Highlights:
01:26 — Origins of USDC
02:44 — Why stablecoins are having their moment now
04:14 — Circle’s early product experiments
06:19— Surviving crypto cycles
07:35 — Bridge: From NFT payments to stablecoins
08:58 — What product-market fit actually feels like
20:02 — Inevitability and the founder vs. employer mindset
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As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments.
