EP 91 | Building the Crypto-Native Banking Blueprint with Bitcoin Pioneer Joey Garcia

Can a crypto-native company become a fully licensed bank? Joey Garcia not only believes it, he has done it.

In this episode, Bitcoin pioneer and Xapo Bank’s Executive Director Joey Garcia joins Ari, to share the story of building a crypto-native bank. From advising government in the early days of Bitcoin in Gibraltar to leading Xapo’s transformation into a regulated financial institution, Joey offers a blueprint for blending digital asset innovation within the rigor of traditional banking regulation.

They explore how Gibraltar’s principles-based approach became a model long before MiCA or US market structure bills, why FATF standards are just one piece of the compliance puzzle, and how Xapo integrates Bitcoin-native infrastructure with full bank licensing.

Joey also draws lessons from swimming 36 kilometers across open water with his teenage daughter — explaining that whether you are charting a new course for finance or crossing a choppy sea, success comes from preparation, persistence, agility, and the willingness to take bold risks.