DeFi

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Traditional finance wants into <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/tag/crypto" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">crypto</a>. The language is a large part of what keeps them out, according to Scarlett Sieber, chief strategy and growth officer of Money20/20.
She sat down with TheStreet Roundtable at the conference’s flagship U.S. show in Las Vegas in October to share her thoughts on the issue, which she covers extensively in her new book, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-New-Intersection-of-Money-Where-TradFi-and-DeFi-Converge/Sieber/p/book/9781041337775" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The New Intersection of Money: Where TradFi and DeFi Converge</a>, published in June.
<blockquote>
 “The traditional side of the world is extremely curious of these topics,” Sieber said. “But it can be quite overwhelming if you’re not in the lingo.”
</blockquote>
<h2 id="why-she-wrote-it">Why she wrote it</h2>
Sieber said the conference noticed people from the <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/tag/defi" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">DeFi</a> world showing up in larger numbers, because payments and banking sit at the center of both of them.
The goal was to make the topic accessible and relatable, so traditional businesses can start using the technology themselves.
One deal in particular stood out as a turning point. At the same conference in 2025, <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/tag/western-union" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Western Union</a><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/business/175-year-old-fintech-giant-reveals-plans-to-launch-stablecoin-on-solana" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">announced</a> that the company was launching its own <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/stablecoins" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">stablecoin</a> on the <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/tag/solana" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Solana</a> network.
<blockquote>
 “It’s literally the embodiment of this convergence,” Sieber said.
</blockquote>
Western Union was founded in 1851, making it 175 years old. The token, called USDPT, <a href="https://ir.westernunion.com/news/archived-press-releases/press-release-details/2026/Western-Union-Launches-USDPT-on-Solana-Advancing-Regulated-Digital-Infrastructure-for-Global-Payments/default.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">launched in May</a>, issued by <a href="https://www.anchorage.com/press-room/anchorage-digital-western-union-partner-launch-usdpt-federally-regulated-stablecoin-solana" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Anchorage Digital Bank</a>, the first federally chartered crypto bank in the U.S., and backed one-to-one by U.S. dollars.
That put a blockchain rail inside one of the largest retail payment networks in the world, with more than 550,000 agent locations across more than 150 countries.
<figure>
 <figcaption>
 Western Union’s agent network as its USDPT stablecoin launches on Solana. Source: Western Union, Anchorage Digital
 </figcaption>
</figure>
The wider stablecoin market has grown to about $298 billion in circulation as of Nov. 2, according to <a href="https://defillama.com/stablecoins" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">DefiLlama</a>.
<h2 id="who-the-book-is-for">Who the book is for</h2>
Sieber says the book was created for the crypto curious crowd, not industry natives.
<blockquote>
 “If you are an expert in DeFi, probably not for you,” she said.
</blockquote>
The book, written with five of her Money20/20 colleagues, unpacks regulation across regions, stablecoins and CBDCs in cross-border settlement, tokenization and digital identity.
She also had a personal reason.
<blockquote>
 “Parents who still don’t know what I do for a living,” she said. “Here, read this book, this is what I do.”
</blockquote>
For an industry still trying to explain itself, that may be the point.
Money20/20 is betting on the same idea. Its dedicated <a href="https://europe.money2020.com/agenda/stages" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Intersection stage</a>, built around where TradFi meets DeFi, drew leaders from Citi, Visa, Western Union, Coinbase and Circle at the Las Vegas show, according to the <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027376648/en/Money2020-USA-2026-AI-Agents-Stablecoins-and-the-Fight-Against-Fraud-Reshape-the-Future-of-Finance" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">organizer</a>.
<h3 id="popular-on-thestreet-roundtable">Popular on TheStreet Roundtable</h3>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/innovation/solana-exec-says-stablecoins-are-top-of-mind-for-everyone" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Solana Foundation exec says ‘stablecoins are top of mind for everyone’ as Western Union launches stablecoin on Solana</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/solana-foundation-exec-emerging-markets-embrace-stablecoins-first" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Solana Foundation exec: Emerging markets embrace stablecoins first</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/innovation/genius-act-factored-into-samsung-stablecoin-move-solana-foundation-exec-says" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">GENIUS Act factored into Samsung stablecoin move, Solana Foundation exec says</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile and risky. Always conduct your own research before making any investment decisions.

Money20/20 exec: crypto lingo keeps traditional finance out

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