In this episode of Voices in Compliance, host Jason Thomas from Alexander Barnes is joined by John Stathacopoulos, Global Head of Compliance at Velocity.

John sits at the intersection of traditional finance and digital assets, bringing deep expertise from both regulated financial services and the fast-evolving world of crypto. At Velocity, he’s helping build next-generation financial infrastructure that connects fiat and blockchain rails, while ensuring compliance keeps pace with innovation.

The conversation explores the rapid rise of stablecoins, breaking down what they are, why they’ve become such a dominant force in financial services, and how their use cases have evolved alongside increasing institutional adoption. John also challenges common misconceptions around crypto, including its perceived links to illicit activity, and explains why transparency in blockchain can actually be a strength.

Jason and John dive into the growing role of regulation, particularly MiCA and how it’s shaping the future of digital assets across Europe and beyond. They discuss whether regulation slows innovation or strengthens the space, and what “good” compliance really looks like in high-growth fintech environments.

The episode also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the role of a modern Head of Compliance, including how to navigate tensions between commercial ambition and regulatory responsibility and why collaboration, not conflict, is key to success.

00:00 – Intro & crypto vs cash misconceptions
00:36 – Guest introduction: John Stathacopoulos (Velocity)
01:44 – Episode overview & welcome
02:18 – John’s background & role at Velocity
03:21 – Building compliance in a fast-scaling startup
04:01 – Where Velocity operates globally
04:21 – What are stablecoins? (simple explanation)
05:18 – The purpose of stablecoins & how use cases evolved
06:43 – Why stablecoins are booming right now
07:57 – Institutional adoption & “Stablecoin Summer”
08:39 – Why regulators are focusing on crypto now
09:37 – Stablecoins vs e-money vs other crypto
10:08 – Risks & challenges in the crypto market
11:06 – What is MiCA? (explained simply)
11:48 – How hard is it to get licensed?
13:11 – What regulators are really looking for
15:15 – Does regulation slow innovation?
16:43 – How MiCA is shaping the global market
17:53 – Staying up to date in compliance
19:03 – Difficult conversations as Head of Compliance
20:43 – Compliance vs commercial teams: finding balance
21:31 – The future: who wins in 5–10 years?