Stablecoins, BaaS & The Future of Community Banks | Danica Hudson, CCBX

Can a small community bank compete with national giants? Danica Hudson, Head of Partnerships at Coastal Community Bank, joins Anurag Mukherjee to reveal how their CCBX division drove growth from $700M to over $4B in assets through strategic Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) partnerships.In this episode of Women of Community Banking, we debunk the "plug-and-play" myth of BaaS and explore why trust, compliance, and "the why" are the true engines of fintech innovation.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Reality of BaaS: Why successful bank-fintech partnerships require deep regulatory expertise and are never just a technology integration.Scaling Secrets: The operational shifts required for a regional bank to support national fintech scale.Leadership Lessons: Danica shares a "tough love" moment regarding professional ownership and the transition from tactical management to strategic influence.2026 Trends: Why stablecoins and evolving crypto regulations are becoming essential for community bank and credit union strategy.The Power of Risk: Why staying stagnant is often the greatest risk a leader can take.Featured Guest:Danica Hudson, Head of Partnerships at Coastal Community Bank (Seattle, WA).Host:Anurag MukherjeeTimestamps:00:00 – Intro: Meet Danica Hudson02:32 – The Three Pillars of Bank-Fintech Trust03:58 – Debunking the BaaS "Plug-and-Play" Myth04:59 – How Coastal Bank hit $4 Billion in Assets06:12 – Future Trends: Stablecoins & Regulatory Shifts07:43 – Leadership: Moving from "The Weeds" to Strategy12:12 – Career Advice: Why you must take the riskSubscribe to Women of Community Banking for more insights from the leaders shaping the future of finance.