Unchained
Unchained
Laura Shin
Crypto and Fintech Are Colliding. Who Wins, and How? - Ep. 856
1 hour 18 minutes Posted Jun 24, 2025 at 4:00 pm.
Intro
What Africa’s early payments scene looked like and how Elizabeth launched the first Bitcoin exchange there
How the continent’s payment rails evolved
How Western Union dropped its pricing after her company launched
Why stablecoins became a game-changer for cross-border payments
What the real volume drivers are
How crypto adoption in Africa shifted post-COVID
Why AZA decided to acquire two companies
How the FTX partnership hurt AZA
How the dLocal deal came together behind the scenes
Why crypto and fintech are on a fast path to convergence
Which players Elizabeth thinks will win in the new payments race
Why “mobile money” is still tough competition for crypto
How USDT has an edge in emerging markets
How China’s deep ties to Africa have shaped the game
What it’s been like to build AZA as a young woman founder in crypto
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Show notes
Cross-border payments. Mobile money. Stablecoins. Crypto.
Elizabeth Rossiello has lived through every cycle, not from a trading desk, but the front lines of African markets.
Now, the founder of AZA Finance is selling her company to global fintech giant dLocal, a signal that the line between crypto and traditional finance is blurring fast.
In this episode, she talks about:
How stablecoins are powering 24/7 commerce in emerging markets
Why new entrants keep failing to gain traction
And how liquidity, not tech, will determine who wins this new game
All that, plus the inside story of AZA’s journey from a Nairobi-based Bitcoin exchange to one of the most important fintech players in Africa.
Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com
Bitwise
Human Rights Foundation
Xapo Bank
Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO and Founder of AZA Finance
Previous appearance on Unchained: BitPesa's Elizabeth Rossiello on Necker Island
dLocal announces intention to acquire AZA Finance to strengthen
AZA Finance: dLocal announces intention to acquire AZA Finance to strengthen presence in Africa and expand capabilities
Bloomberg: Uruguay’s DLocal to Buy AZA Finance in Africa Push
American Banker: What experienced payment execs can pass to a new generation
The Startup Leap: Building A Remittance App for Africa’s $1tr Market | Elizabeth Rossiello | Aza Finance
Jack Zhang of Airwallex tweet saying he doesn’t see “a single use case” for crypto
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