EPISODE DESCRIPTION
I sat down with Reid, co-founder of Ground, to explore what it actually takes to bring on-chain finance to institutions. Ground is building a non-custodial API platform, think Stripe, but for DeFi, so that banks, neobanks, and financial companies can access yield, lending, liquid staking, and real-world assets without rebuilding their entire stack. Reid shares his journey from Square to Stripe to Chime to founding Superstate and ultimately Ground. We dig into why large institutions move slowly, why the "just build it with AI" objection misses the point, and what the future looks like when blockchains are quietly powering the back end of your Robin Hood or JPMorgan account.
DISCLAIMER
Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.
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CONNECT
Ground Website: https://www.groundtech.co/
Ground LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ground-global/
Ground Twitter/X: https://x.com/ground_onchain
Reid Twitter/X: https://x.com/rmcuming
Web3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz/
KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS
• [00:00] Sam introduces Reid and Ground, a platform helping institutions access on-chain finance
• [01:20] Reid's nonlinear path from consulting to Silicon Valley to fintech at Square, Stripe, and Chime
• [02:00] How Reid joined Compound Labs, built Compound Treasury, then co-founded Superstate before incubating Ground
• [03:04] The core problem Ground solves: abstracting blockchain complexity into a Stripe-like API experience
• [04:26] What on-chain finance functions look like: stablecoins, lending protocols, LP pools, liquid staking, and RWAs
• [05:34] Why institutions are eager but slow, regulatory uncertainty, internal change management, and calcified tech stacks
• [08:08] How Reid navigates complex enterprise sales cycles versus faster-moving startup clients
• [10:40] Building during a market downturn: why Reid sees it as the best time to build with high signal
• [14:15] Ground as a non-custodial API: clients retain full control while Ground handles orchestration and security
• [17:26] Addressing the "we'll just build it ourselves with AI" objection, and why real clients never actually say this
• [21:30] Current institutional client conversations: time savings, security, compliance, and avoiding cannibalization of existing business
• [23:31] The Innovator's Dilemma in crypto: why incumbents like Stripe struggle to self-disrupt on fees
• [25:32] Key challenges bridging TradFi and DeFi: compliance, on/off ramps, RWA liquidity, and security insurance
• [27:33] The hardest role to hire for: go-to-market talent that bridges crypto-native and institutional worlds
• [30:54] What's next in crypto: tokenization plus DeFi becoming invisible infrastructure powering mainstream finance apps
• [33:26] Reid's advice for founders and investors: keep turning the crank, stay curious, never get complacent
• [34:56] Ground's asks: hiring engineers and a BD lead, onboarding corporate treasury clients, and building yield or investment products
