Fintech One-on-One
Daren Guo, Co-Founder of Reap, on Building Stablecoin-Powered Infrastructure for Global Finance
Fintech One-on-One
•January 8, 2026•34 min
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Fintech One-on-One•Jan 8, 2026
Key Takeaways
- •Stablecoin cards enable global, programmable payments across borders.
- •REAP built world's largest stablecoin card infrastructure, processing $6B annually.
- •Vision: tokenized economy moving FX, bonds, real estate on-chain.
- •Emerging markets drive demand for stablecoin infrastructure and financial inclusion.
- •REAP expanding to US, leveraging new regulations for tokenized assets.
Pulse Analysis
In this episode, Darren Guo explains how stablecoin infrastructure is reshaping the financial landscape by turning payments, foreign exchange, bonds and even real‑estate into programmable, on‑chain assets. He frames the shift as a move toward a tokenized economy where value flows seamlessly across borders, unlocking liquidity for all 8 billion people. REAP, the Hong Kong‑based firm he co‑founded, has become the world’s largest stablecoin card infrastructure, processing over $6 billion annually for neobanks, centralized exchanges and traditional institutions, positioning itself at the core of this emerging financial fabric.
Guo details why REAP began with stablecoin‑backed credit cards, a familiar product that serves as a bridge between legacy payment networks and blockchain‑like programmability. The cards are fiat‑denominated but collateralized with stablecoins, allowing partners in regions such as Mexico, Brazil, Ireland and Singapore to offer global payment capabilities without building the underlying stack themselves. This model fuels financial inclusion in emerging markets where crypto adoption often outpaces traditional equities, and it provides the “picks and shovels” for innovative use cases like payroll streaming, embedded payments and future lending services.
Looking ahead, REAP is preparing for a US launch as regulatory clarity around stablecoins improves. Guo sees the United States as a beachhead for tokenized assets—stocks, securities and real‑world commodities—that will cascade globally. By establishing a principal Visa membership and integrating with U.S. financial institutions, REAP aims to deliver the same programmable, borderless infrastructure that powers its Asian and Latin American operations, accelerating the broader tokenized economy vision.
Episode Description
Today, I sit down with Daren Guo, co-founder of Reap, the stablecoin infrastructure company and the world's largest stablecoin card issuer, processing over $6 billion annually. Daren shares his journey from being employee #90 at Stripe to building the next generation of financial rails based on stablecoin infrastructure, serving everyone from neobanks in Brazil and Africa to traditional financial institutions expanding globally.
The conversation explores why stablecoins represent more than just faster cross-border payments, they are the foundation for a fully tokenized economy where FX, bonds, equities, and real estate all move on-chain. Daren discusses Reap's recent MPI license in Singapore, their expansion into the US market, and how programmable money enables entirely new financial products like payroll streaming and on-chain escrow that simply weren't possible with legacy infrastructure.
In this podcast you will learn:
Daren’s background setting up Stripe’s Asia business.
Why he decided to leave Stripe to start his own company.
Their initial product vision.
His thesis around stablecoins and why they represent the future of payments.
Why they decided to start with stablecoin-powered credit card infrastructure.
Where they are a Visa Principal member and the markets they serve.
The types of companies that Reap is working with today.
How the flow of funds work for users of Reap’s credit card.
Who is providing the stablecoin collateral.
Reap’s expansion plans for the US market.
Why they applied for a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license in Singapore.
The product suite that they are working on right now.
The scale that Reap is at today.
How they are serving traditional firms as well as crypto-native companies.
Daren’s vision for the next generation of money movement.
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Show Notes
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