Zebec Spaces: Community Check-In

The Spaces addressed a turbulent week in crypto and offered a concise status update on Zebec. Ben hosted, with Simon outlining why payments—powered by stablecoins—are emerging as crypto’s clearest long‑term use case amid a shift from retail to institutional dominance. Simon framed recent institutional M&A as validation of Zebec’s thesis to integrate with existing financial rails, noting Zebec’s own acquisitions and resilience through FTX, banking shocks, the USDC depeg, and SEC pressure. Zebec continues to build a multi‑chain payments layer, announcing deployment on Circle’s ARC testnet (its 19th chain) to connect institutions directly to real‑time flows across payroll, card issuance, and remittance. Compliance is a top‑three initiative: SOC 2 achieved, EU MiCA licensing secured, ISO 20022 underway, and interoperability with NACHA and SWIFT targeted—paving the way for more token exchange listings. Near‑term, Zebec will host a Stablecoin Summit Spaces with major platforms and is speaking with large payroll providers to integrate streaming payroll. The team encouraged the community to focus on fundamentals—real users, real flows, and institutional partners—and to stay tuned for upcoming announcements and giveaways.

Zebec Community Pulse Check — Steady Hands in a Storm

Participants and Roles

• Ben (Host/Moderator): Framed the session as a candid pulse check amid market turbulence; prompted key topics (institutional moves, compliance, stablecoin rails, upcoming plans) and handled community engagement.
• Simon (Zebec founder/leader): Provided the strategic and operational update; articulated market diagnosis, Zebec’s positioning, compliance progress, and near-term initiatives.
• Co-host (name not clearly captured, likely a team/community lead): Managed community logistics, giveaways, and closing notes.

Purpose and Tone of the Space

• Brief, high-signal check-in to reassure the community during a turbulent week in crypto markets.
• Emphasis on fundamentals, long-term mission, and transparent updates on Zebec’s progress.
• Key theme: “Steady hands in a storm” — navigating volatility with focus and execution.

Market Conditions: Simon’s Diagnosis

• The industry is in a unique “reckoning” phase: retail participation is receding while institutions increasingly lead.
• Noise and speculative narratives are fading; the durable, core use case is becoming clear: payments.
• Implication: Projects with real-world utility, institutional connectivity, and compliant infrastructure are best positioned.

Institutional Activity: Competition or Confirmation?

• Ben cited a wave of institutional moves (examples mentioned included Coinbase and others; a few names were unclear in audio), Mastercard/Zero Hash, BlackRock’s expanding presence, Ripple acquisitions, and Hidden Road.
• Simon’s view: This is confirmation, not competition. When Wall Street builds, it integrates with existing rails rather than reinventing them.
• Zebec’s early M&A validated the same thesis:
  • First acquisition in March 2023 in payroll; four additional deals since, expanding Zebec’s footprint.
  • Built and acquired through the depths of the last bear (post‑FTX, during the US crypto banking blow-up, USDC depeg, and SEC crackdowns).
  • Result: “Battle-tested” infrastructure and increased institutional trust in Zebec as the rails connecting regulated finance with Web3.

Zebec’s Positioning and Product Focus

• Zebec is a payments infrastructure layer for real-time money movement (programmable, streaming finance), not a speculative project.
• Stablecoins are becoming the backbone of blockchain activity; Zebec’s suite already delivers what many “institutional blockchains” aim to replicate.
• Multichain by design: announced deployment on Circle’s ARC testnet, bringing Zebec to its 19th connected chain.
  • ARC will help Zebec interface with 100+ institutions currently on testnet.
  • Use cases across the network: real-time payroll streaming, card issuing, remittances, and broader financial transactions.
  • Circle’s technology and USDC are core to Zebec’s programmable money architecture.

Industry Outlook: The Stablecoin Race and What’s Next

• Simon framed the current era as analogous to the internet boom or the 1960s space race—an inflection for digitizing traditional finance via stablecoins and asset tokenization.
• Expectation:
  • Real-time, blockchain-based payroll will become the default once stablecoins dominate.
  • Crypto-native spending cards will replace traditional debit/credit cards over time.
• Barriers to adoption are falling as major players enter through acquisitions/investments; mass adoption is moving closer.

Compliance: A Top-Three 2024 Initiative and Milestones

• Strategic rationale: To work with major financial institutions, Zebec must meet stringent payments and infrastructure compliance requirements.
• Key 2024 milestones and in-flight standards:
  • SOC 2 certification achieved over the summer.
  • European progress: MiCA-licensed in the EU (per Simon’s statement), expanding regulated capabilities on the European side of the business.
  • Advancing toward ISO 20022 support for payroll on compliant blockchains and interoperability with traditional routes.
  • Building connectivity to NACHA (US) and the SWIFT network globally, enabling Zebec’s on-chain rails to “speak” to incumbent financial systems for scale payroll and payments.
• Compliance leadership and resourcing:
  • Zebec acquired the compliance platform “Gatenox” earlier in the year.
  • Voitech Zatarski (Gatenox CEO/founder) leads Zebec’s compliance programs.
• Token implications:
  • Compliance upgrades are paving the way for additional top-tier exchange listings for the Zebec token (commonly referred to as ZBC).
  • Simon reiterated: “Fall is listing season for us.”

Near-Term Initiatives and Partnerships

• Stablecoin Summit (Twitter Spaces) in the next two weeks:
  • Will convene leaders from major stablecoin platforms/ecosystems to discuss adoption, compliance, and connectivity to the Zebec network.
  • Announcement expected within days.
• Enterprise/payroll integrations:
  • Active talks with large global payroll providers to embed Zebec’s real-time streaming payroll technology into their global routes—conversations that would have seemed aspirational years ago.

Strategy in Volatile Times: Guidance for the Community

• Focus on fundamentals: who has real users, real flows, and top institutional partners.
• Filter out noise; instead, watch who is building, shipping, and hiring.
• Zebec’s mission remains unchanged: enable real-time global money movement, reduce friction, and increase the velocity of payments.
• Conviction and execution are the strategy through volatility.

Regulatory Backdrop Noted

• Ben highlighted policy momentum:
  • Switzerland considering issuing stablecoins.
  • UK preparing to unveil stablecoin regulations (target mentioned: November 10; described as “long‑awaited”).
• Simon underscored that Zebec stays close to these developments, seeing regulation as a tailwind for mainstream adoption.

Community and Marketing Notes

• Engagement asks: Like/repost the Space; stay tuned to Zebec’s account for the Stablecoin Summit announcement.
• Giveaways update (co-host):
  • Jersey winners (NBA/NHL campaign) have been DM’d and locked in.
  • More giveaways planned as the campaign continues.

Key Takeaways

• Market transition: Institutions are now leading; payments are the core crypto use case.
• Validation through M&A: Institutional builds confirm Zebec’s long-standing integration-first strategy; Zebec executed early M&A and built through the harshest market conditions.
• Product and network: Zebec is a multichain, real-time payments infrastructure with USDC at its core; now live on Circle’s ARC testnet (19th chain) and interfacing with 100+ institutions there.
• Compliance moat: SOC 2 achieved; MiCA licensing in the EU; progressing toward ISO 20022 and interoperability with NACHA and SWIFT—crucial for enterprise-scale payroll/payments.
• Token outlook: Compliance progress supports upcoming top exchange listings for the Zebec token.
• Pipeline: Stablecoin Summit Spaces imminent; enterprise discussions with major payroll providers for global streaming payroll integration.
• Operating principle: Ignore noise; focus on builders with users, flows, partners. Zebec’s mission continues unchanged—real-time global money movement.

What to Watch Next

• Official announcement and speaker lineup for the Zebec Stablecoin Summit Spaces.
• Additional exchange listings for the Zebec token aligned with compliance milestones.
• Further news on payroll provider integrations and enterprise deployments.
• Regulatory updates in the UK/EU and broader institutional adoption signals.