Pantera Capital investor on Hyperliquid’s USDH, Paradigm’s Tempo, and the massive potential of stablecoins
Episode 44 of The Crypto Beat was recorded with The Block's Co-Hosts Kelvin Sparks and Tim Copeland, who were joined by Pantera Capital Junior Partner Mason Nystrom.Listen below, and subscribe to The Crypto Beat on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Twitch, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please send feedback and revision requests to [email protected] this episode of the Crypto Beat, Tim Copeland and Kelvin Sparks were joined by Mason Nystrom, Junior Partner at Pantera Capital, to discuss how stablecoins could be the tech that transforms fintech rails to be more internet blockchain native, what the Hyperliquid USDH bidding war signals for capturing payment flow, and the tokenization of real-world assets, including collectibles like Pokémon cards.OUTLINE 00:00 - Introduction 01:44 - Mason's origin in crypto 03:35 - Research vs. VC investing 04:46 - The $1T stablecoin thesis 06:31 - Tempo: Stripe/Paradigm's payments L1 08:55 - Retail upside & neutrality questions 14:18 - Why Stripe self-disrupts 20:12 - Hyperliquid's USDH bidding war 23:43 - RWAs: tokenized collectibles 28:48 - Launchpads & DeFi platformization 33:08 - SocFi: Pump.fun vs. FriendTech 43:59 - Prediction markets & regulationThe Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newslettersGuest links: Mason Nystrom - x.com/masonnystrom Pantera - x.com/PanteraCapital Are you hiring in crypto? Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test. Faster hiring, stronger teams.Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campusDisclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.