BACK AGAIN! SEASON 3 OF STABLEMINDED

NO DAYS OFF

We just wrapped Season 2 this week, and we're coming right back at you with Season 3 of stableminded! No breaks needed when we're this excited about what's coming next.

Our new season, "Stablecoin Settlement. Secured," dives into the essential infrastructure making stablecoin payments possible and safe. While previous seasons explored the builders and use cases, Season 3 focuses on a critical yet often overlooked component of the stablecoin ecosystem: security.

Because what good is instant, borderless payment technology if you can't trust it with your assets?

Our premiere episode features Clarisse and Chris, the dynamic duo behind Dfns - a wallet infrastructure company securing over $1 billion in monthly transactions for enterprises worldwide, but first, here’s a quick preview on what to expect from this season:

THE BACKBONE OF
STABLECOIN INFRASTRUCTURE

As stablecoin volumes continue to explode, it's easy to focus on the visible layer - the apps, the UX, the speed of transactions. But beneath every successful stablecoin application lies critical wallet infrastructure that often goes unnoticed.

When Clarisse and Chris founded Dfns in 2020, they saw something most missed: the fundamental security infrastructure for blockchain applications was fragmented, expensive, and too complex for most businesses to implement properly.

Five years later, they've built the wallet infrastructure powering some of the biggest names in stablecoin payments, including Bridge (acquired by Stripe for $1.1B), Iron, Sphere, and 130+ other fintechs.

What makes their perspective unique? Three key insights stood out:

1. Security isn't just a feature - it's foundational: "At the core, there is security. We've poured significant investment into multi-party computation and MPC security because if you build on something fragile, everything falls apart."

2. The wallet spectrum: There's no binary "custodial vs. non-custodial" - instead, there's a spectrum of approaches that should be driven by use cases rather than ideology.

3. Frictionless ≠ Secure: Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to valuable assets, users actually want appropriate friction. As Chris explains, "People, when it comes to their most valuable assets, from their cars to their money to their kids, they want you to slow down."

What excites me most about this conversation is seeing how foundational infrastructure is finally getting the recognition it deserves. After years of building in relative obscurity, wallet infrastructure is now being recognized as the critical layer that enables everything else.

SECURITY CHALLENGES
IN THE STABLECOIN ECOSYSTEM

The interview with Clarisse and Chris highlighted several critical challenges facing the stablecoin ecosystem today:

• The irreversibility problem: Unlike traditional financial systems, blockchain transactions are permanent. As Chris puts it, "If you send money to one [address] in the wrong direction, your money is in space literally, and you will never find it again."

• Increasing sophistication of attacks: With the rise of AI, deep fakes are becoming a major concern for identity verification. Dfns is already adapting their systems to counter these emerging threats.

• Balancing security and user experience: While many wallet providers prioritize a slick, one-click experience, Dfns is pioneering what they call "healthy friction" – security measures that actually increase user confidence rather than frustrating them.

• The need for composable solutions: Different businesses have different security requirements. Some prefer MPC-based solutions while others need FIPS-certified hardware security modules (HSMs). Dfns has evolved to support both approaches with a "bring your own device" mentality.

As private blockchains like the Canton Network gain traction with financial institutions, wallet infrastructure becomes even more critical as the connective tissue between private and public ecosystems.

What sets them apart is their composable approach to security. While they pioneered secure multi-party computation (MPC) solutions, they also support companies that prefer hardware security modules (HSMs). This flexibility has made them particularly valuable for fintech companies navigating complex regulatory environments across different jurisdictions.

As stablecoin adoption grows beyond trading into payments and treasury management, Dfns continues to expand their integrations with compliance tools, banking systems, and exchanges – becoming the connective layer between traditional finance and blockchain infrastructure.

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE

Watch Episode 1 with Clarisse and Christopher from Dfns now to dive into the world of secure wallet infrastructure and learn how they're powering the stablecoin ecosystem behind the scenes.

And don't miss our upcoming episodes featuring:
→ Ep. 2 — Nilos
→ Ep. 3 — Due
→ Ep. 4 — Wallapay
→ Ep. 5 — Triple-A
→ Ep. 6 — KeyRails

Follow Dfns on X: @DfnsHQ
Learn more at: https://www.Dfns.co/

STABLEMINDED RECAP

• Season 3: "Stablecoin Settlement Secured" launches today with Dfns co-founders Clarisse and Chris

• All episodes will be streaming on YouTube and Spotify

• Upcoming episodes feature builders from across the stablecoin payment ecosystem

• Stay tuned for exciting announcements about upcoming IRL events

• NEW: We just launched Stableguide this week! Our comprehensive directory of stablecoin infrastructure companies is now live. Check it out to discover and compare solutions across the entire stablecoin ecosystem.

  Sign up for early access to Stableguide

  Stay Stable,

  Zach & Drew

_{DISCLAIMER: *The content of this newsletter is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or legal advice. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any decisions based on the information discussed in this newsletter. This content reflects the authors' personal views and has not undergone detailed verification by a research team. While we aim for accuracy, these are thoughtful opinions open to reevaluation. Some citations may be incomplete or absent; we'll make every effort to provide updates and corrections to the live version as needed.}