From the Block

Building the Future of Digital Asset Infrastructure

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:00:00 -0400

LayerZero Hack: Risks and Realities

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0400

By manipulating the cross-chain messaging layer that links together DeFi blockchain ecosystems, attackers highlighted how the trust assumptions embedded in crypto’s interoperability protocols can become liabilities, throwing into stark relief the landscape’s potential for not just isolated failures but systemic risk.

When Stablecoins Hit the Checkout

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0400

As well-backed startups and global institutions alike converge on a common goal of moving money instantly, safely and invisibly across borders, PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster and Citi’s Ryan Rugg chat with Rain CEO and Co-Founder Farooq Malik about why the question may no longer be whether digital assets will matter but who can make them actually work for everyday payments around the world, seven days a week. And how.

The Stablecoin Reality Check

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In the latest “From the Block” episode, PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster sits with Citi’s Ryan Rugg and Stable Sea’s Tanner Taddeo to unpack why, driven by risk-averse CFOs and the need for predictable, efficient money movement, enterprises are taking a surgical approach when deploying stablecoins to fix their payment pain points.

Kraken and the Future of Crypto Banking

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0400

Kraken got its own’s Fed account last week. It was a big news story but may be less of a crypto milestone than a payments and banking infrastructure shift. It was also the topic of the latest ‘From the Block’ podcast episode, in which PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster discussed the development with Citi’s Ryan Rugg. Together they unpacked what could be the first test of whether digital asset institutions can plug directly into the U.S. financial system.

Building the Rails for Institutional Crypto

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0400

Newly launched “Zero” network, backed by major market infrastructure players, targets institutional adoption by solving interoperability, security and scalability, the three hurdles keeping digital assets from mainstream financial rails.

Where Digital Assets Meet Payments: Mastercard’s View

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0500

Stablecoins were supposed to disintermediate the card networks. So why is Mastercard the one doing the building? In the latest “From the Block,” PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster and Citi’s Ryan Rugg puts the question straight to Mastercard’s Raj Dhamodharan—and get an answer that challenges almost everything the crypto faithful assumed.

Legislating Crypto's Future

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0500

On the latest From the Block podcast, Holland and Knight attorney Andrew Balthazor tells PYMNTS’ Karen Webster and Citi’s Ryan Rugg that until crypto solves for scams, user errors and consumer remedies, more adoption just means more losses. Here’s what he says has to change.

2026 Predictions

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

As blockchain heads into 2026, the conversation is shifting from big promises to hard realities. In the latest episode of “From the Block,” PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster chats with Citi Treasury and Trade Solutions Global Head of Digital Assets Ryan Rugg about why the year ahead will be defined by whether digital assets can integrate into the operational, regulatory and risk frameworks of mainstream finance.

Digital Assets and Stablecoins After GENIUS

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:00:00 -0500

In the debut episode of “From The Block,” PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster chats with Ryan Rugg, global head of digital assets for Citi Treasury and Trade Solutions, to separate digital-asset reality from market narrative. For banks and corporates, the shift is less about crypto and more about building always-on money movement that works inside the rules.

Trailer: Citi and PYMNTS Launch ‘From the Block’ Podcast: Straight Talk on Digital Assets

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0500

It’s a new must-listen show. Karen Webster and Ryan Rugg, global head of digital assets at Citi, are co-hosting ‘From the Block,’ a weekly podcast series that cuts through the noise and gives CFOs and treasurers the practical playbooks they need to evaluate stablecoins, tokenized assets and the infrastructure behind them.