From trading to infrastructure: Crypto’s real future
From trading to infrastructure: Crypto’s real future  
Podcast: London Fintech Podcast
Published On: Wed May 20 2026
Description: Crypto is moving from the margins to the core of global financial infrastructure — but the real question is how fast that transformation will happen, and who will lead it.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Keith Grose, UK CEO at Coinbase, to explore the evolution of crypto, institutional adoption, and the technologies shaping the next decade of finance.The conversation traces Coinbase’s journey from early conviction in digital assets to becoming one of the world’s largest regulated crypto exchanges. Keith explains how a compliance-first mindset, product innovation, and long-term strategic thinking have been central to building trust in an emerging asset class.As the discussion turns to market evolution, a key theme emerges: institutional adoption. From stablecoins to tokenised assets, Keith shares how traditional financial institutions are increasingly embracing crypto as new financial rails — unlocking faster, more efficient global transactions and entirely new business models.A major focus of the episode is scalability. Keith dives into Layer 2 solutions, including Base, and explains how these technologies are addressing blockchain limitations — enabling high-performance, low-cost infrastructure for developers, businesses, and the next generation of “crypto-native” applications.They also explore the UK market and regulatory landscape, highlighting the importance of trust, compliance, and collaboration with policymakers in scaling crypto responsibly. From embedded finance to AI integration and the convergence of crypto with traditional equities, the discussion offers a forward-looking view of financial services.Whether you’re a fintech founder, investor, or operator, this episode provides practical insight into how crypto is reshaping financial infrastructure — and what it takes to build at scale in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.📌 Topics covered:• Coinbase’s growth and key success factors• Institutional adoption of crypto and stablecoins• Layer 2 solutions and blockchain scalability (Base)• The UK regulatory landscape and building trust• Embedded finance and infrastructure growth• AI and digital currency integration• Future trends in finance and crypto markets• Advice for fintech founders building at scale🔗 Learn more:Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/Keith Grose: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithgrose/ & https://x.com/kmgroseNextWave Consulting: www.nxwave.comCoinbase: https://www.coinbase.com/The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch: https://amzn.eu/d/04tOEa62There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak: https://amzn.eu/d/0hGlwUGfThe Knowledge Project Podcast by Shane Parrish: https://www.youtube.com/@UCLtTf_uKt0Itd0NG7txrwXA Acquired Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Fj0XEuUQLUqoMZQdsLXqpGo Beyond the Podcast: https://resources.nxwave.com/hub/london-fintech-podcast?c=cG9zdDo5OTI5NzY%3D&nav=aHViX3BhZ2U6MTA%3D&s=null#Crypto #Coinbase #Stablecoins #Layer2 #Fintech #InstitutionalAdoption #Blockchain #UKFintech #DigitalCurrency #financialinfrastructure #Web3 #Base #CryptoRegulation #AI #FutureOfFinance #LondonFintechPodcast