What It Takes for Stablecoins to Scale at Checkout w/ Jess Houlgrave (WalletConnect)

Presented by Stablecon; Powered by BVNK. In episode 17 of Money Code, hosts Chuk Okpalugo and Raj Parekh are joined by Jess Houlgrave, CEO at WalletConnect. They use the recent Ingenico partnership to unpack what it really takes to scale stablecoin payments at the physical checkout: incentives that move behavior, compliant routing from on-chain to fiat, UX that feels like Web2, and privacy constraints that shape whether merchants and consumers will ever choose on-chain settlement.Subscribe and listen to the Money Code podcast here:https://lnk.to/MoneyCodeSNChapters01:08 WalletConnect as the “messaging layer” between apps and wallets02:49 Why crypto checkout feels wrong and what WalletConnect Pay changes04:34 The coffee shop walkthrough: QR, wallets, assets, chains07:40 Where funds go after on-chain payment: transit accounts and off-ramps10:03 The supply-side reality: merchants, acquirers, and incentives to enable14:42 Which merchants care first: luxury, cross-border, LATAM QR familiarity19:18 Why B2C is harder25:38 Incentives and “on-chain interchange” to shift consumer behavior35:15 Privacy: why transparent ledgers collide with payment norms38:19 The end-state: tap-like UX and settlement routing users never seeConnect with the Hosts & GuestChuk Okpalugo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuk-okpalugo/ | https://x.com/chuk_xyz/ | http://stablecoinblueprint.com Raj Parekh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajparekh7/ | https://x.com/rajparekh | http://monad.xyz Jess Houlgrave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houlgrave/ | https://x.com/Houlgrave | https://walletconnect.network/ About Money CodeMoney Code is the show that decodes stablecoins and the evolution of programmable money for builders, investors, and decision-makers. Each week, join hosts Chuk Okpalugo, Author of Stablecoin Blueprint and Raj Parekh, Head of Payments/Stablecoins at Monad Foundation as they break down the systems and strategies of seasoned operators in the space, revealing the insights you need for better build and buy decisions.About StableconStablecon (https://stablecon.com/) is the premier gathering for those at the intersection of DeFi, economic policy, financial infrastructure, and institutional integration, and those reinventing global commerce. By convening the brightest minds in fintech and crypto, Stablecon provides attendees with world class thought leadership and fosters unparalleled networking and strategic collaboration across the digital payments industry.   Whether you’re building, advising, or navigating this new frontier, this is the room where it happens.About BVNKBVNK is the leading provider of stablecoin payments infrastructure, helping businesses move money faster, settle globally, and even launch their own stablecoin products. Head to https://bvnk.com/ to learn more.