Walmart Is Going Crypto | Walmart's OnePay Explained

Name: Walmart Is Going Crypto | Walmart's OnePay Explained
Uploaded: 2025-10-09T04:24:38+00:00
Duration: 27 min 56 s
Channel: Crypto Robot

Crypto Robot

Walmart just made a massive move that could change crypto forever. The retail giant’s new OnePay platform officially integrates crypto custody and payment support — potentially making digital assets usable at checkout for millions of customers worldwide. Meanwhile, Lloyds Bank is leveraging new financial technology to cut costs, boost efficiency, and bridge traditional banking with decentralized finance (DeFi) principles.

In this video, we break down how Walmart’s crypto-friendly payment system works, what it means for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins, and how Lloyds’ latest tech overhaul could save banks billions — and accelerate blockchain adoption across global finance.

Could this be the start of mainstream crypto integration between retail giants and financial institutions? We’ll explore the implications, winners, and long-term impact on crypto adoption, regulation, and mass usage.

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00:00Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today, we're really digging into some source material that points to, well, a pretty pivotal moment in global finance.

00:09Yeah, it feels significant.

00:10It really does. This isn't, you know, a story about hyped up assets or some far off future tech. This is happening now.

00:17We've got two huge financial players planting blockchain right into their core operations.

00:22It feels like we're seeing that undeniable shift, doesn't it? Where these massive traditional institutions, retail, banking, they're actively absorbing crypto infrastructure.

00:33Yeah.

00:34Integrating it.

00:34Exactly. It feels like the ultimate validation point, maybe.

00:38I think so. We've sort of crossed the chasm, you know, from maybe this could work to this is essential utility.

00:44These traditional pillars, they're not asking if anymore.

00:47Right.

00:48They're asking how fast can we deploy this DLT stuff to solve, like, immediate, really expensive problems they have.

00:55Absolutely. So our Deep Dive today is really built around these two case studies.

00:59They're different, but they complement each other perfectly, I think.

01:02First up, Walmart. They're launching this OnePay system, and the big deal is it includes native crypto custody support.

01:09That's all about grabbing customers, owning the future of digital payments, you know, massive reach.

01:14Right, the scale angle.

01:15Exactly. And then second, we're hopping across the ocean to the UK Lloyds Banking Group.

01:21They're adopting DLT, but for a totally different reason, basically, to slash internal costs.

01:27Things like handling physical cash, making settlements smoother.

01:30And that contrast, it's really telling, isn't it?

01:33You've got retail scale going for sheer user numbers, and then banking efficiency focused purely on the bottom line, on internal savings.

01:40That combination is probably the clearest sign yet that DLT is becoming, well, almost invisible, just foundational infrastructure.

01:48Yeah, plumbing.

01:49So our mission here is to really dissect these specific corporate moves.

01:53What do they actually mean for crypto maturing?

01:55Why should you, listening right now, care about Walmart and Lloyds doing this?

01:59And how does it shape that next big wave of adoption?

02:02Exactly. Because like you said, this isn't just another tech upgrade.

02:05It feels like a real institutional wave.

02:08Okay, let's unpack this.

02:10Starting with the sheer scale of retail.

02:13So Walmart.

02:15The numbers are just staggering, aren't they?

02:18Over 240 million customers.

02:21Every week.

02:22Every single week.

02:23It's hard to even picture that scale.

02:25Right.

02:25So when they launch something new, especially in payments, the gravity of that user base alone is immense.

02:31And this new OnePay platform, they're pitching it as an all-in-one digital payment system.

02:36Yeah.

02:37But the feature that really jumps out, the one making headlines, is the integrated crypto custody.

02:42Can you walk us through what that actually means for a regular Walmart shopper?

02:47Yeah, that functionality, the custody piece, that's the real game changer here.

02:50Custody basically means Walmart, or maybe a partner they bring in, holds the private keys for the user.

02:55Okay.

02:55So instead of forcing, you know, 240 million people to suddenly become crypto experts, figuring out self-custody seed phrases, finding an exchange, all that complex stuff.

03:04Which is a huge barrier.

03:05A massive barrier.

03:07Instead, Walmart offers this seamless kind of centralized experience.

03:12So the user can store crypto, transfer it, maybe even spend it eventually, probably starting with stable coins, all inside the app they already use, and importantly, trust.

03:23So it just removes all that friction we always talk about with crypto adoption.

03:26For most people, the hurdle isn't what is Bitcoin, it's how the heck do I use this thing safely?

03:32Exactly right.

03:33And this move, well, it potentially positions Walmart as maybe the largest crypto custodian in the world almost overnight, just by flicking a switch for their existing customers.

03:42And this is really different from their earlier blockchain experiments.

03:46You know, we saw the fun stuff, the NFTs, the metaverse thing in Walmart land, using DLT for supply chain.

03:52Right, those felt more like tests dipping a toe in.

03:55They're exploratory, yeah.

03:56OnePay feels different.

03:57It's laser focused on a core high frequency use case.

04:00Yeah.

04:00Just everyday crypto usability, making it normal.

04:03So when we talk about the power of this retail reach, the why it matters part, it's really about scale, creating this incredibly easy on-ramp, right?

04:11The ultimate soft on-ramp, yeah.

04:12Suddenly, if you need to get money from family overseas, or maybe make a tiny payment for something small online, the tool is just there, baked into the checkout process you use anyway.

04:24You don't need a separate app, a separate account.

04:26And that kind of infrastructure, that massive user base, it's perfect for assets that are built for speed and stability, like stable coins.

04:34You mentioned them earlier.

04:35They're ideal for things like remittances, microtransactions, because their value doesn't swing wildly.

04:41Walmart provides that trusted gateway, that massive scale you need to actually get these digital dollars used in daily shopping.

04:48And this has got to light a fire under their competitors, right?

04:51If Walmart, the biggest player in so many places, makes this work smoothly.

04:55Oh, absolutely.

04:56It becomes a competitive necessity almost instantly.

04:59You can bet Amazon, Target, maybe even the big grocery chains are suddenly having urgent meetings about their own crypto payment strategies.

05:08It accelerates the whole digital payment arms race.

05:11And the sources we looked at show this wasn't just some sudden idea either.

05:14This has been cooking for a while.

05:16Yeah, it looks like part of a really deliberate long-term corporate strategy.

05:20We know Walmart filed a pretty significant U.S. patent way back in 2019.

05:25Right. I remember that.

05:26And it was focused on blockchain-based digital currencies, even things like energy systems linked to it.

05:33So that 2019 patent, what does that tell us about how they were thinking way back then?

05:39It shows they were thinking really deeply about vertical integration.

05:42It wasn't just about, you know, let's accept Bitcoin.

05:45The patent actually described creating a Walmart-backed digital currency, maybe pegged to the dollar, used inside their own ecosystem.

05:53Wow. So like their own internal financial system.

05:56Pretty much.

05:57Yeah.

05:57It showed they weren't just reacting to crypto hype.

05:59They were designing the rails they wanted to control.

06:02So you combine that long-term planning with their more recent technical partnerships.

06:05They've worked with Coinbase.

06:07They've been experimenting with the Bitcoin Lightning Network.

06:09It shows they're getting comfortable with the actual tech stack underneath.

06:12Let's pause on that Lightning Network bit for a second, because that seems crucial for retail scale, doesn't it?

06:18Why is Lightning so important for something like OnePay?

06:21Yeah, absolutely critical.

06:23Because the main Bitcoin network, Layer 1, it's just too slow and, frankly, too expensive for buying, you know, a coffee or a pack of gum.

06:31Right. The fees would be more than the gum.

06:33Exactly. Lightning is what I call a Layer 2 scaling solution.

06:38Yep.

06:38It basically takes lots of small transactions off the main chain, processes them instantly for almost no cost, and then settles the final balance back on the main chain later.

06:47Okay.

06:47That instant, super cheap confirmation, that's non-negotiable for any kind of point-of-sale system in the store.

06:53Mm-hmm.

06:54So by playing with Lightning, Walmart signaling, they know they need that speed and efficiency for a high-volume retail.

07:00Makes sense. And this Walmart move, as big as it is, it's really just the most visible example of this broader trend, right?

07:06Corporate's getting serious about Web 3.

07:09Definitely. We need to connect the dots here with other big names building related systems.

07:13What's fascinating here, I think, is just the variety of ways big companies are engaging now. Like, look at Starbucks.

07:19Right, the loyalty program.

07:20Yeah. They partnered with Polygon, a big Layer 2 network, to build a Web 3 loyalty program using NFTs.

07:26That's applying blockchain to customer rewards, proving it can handle tons of users for things that aren't even strictly financial assets.

07:34And then purely on the payment side, you've got PayPal launching their own stablecoin, P-Y-U-S-D.

07:40Right.

07:40That's leveraging blockchain directly to make global payments and remittances easier for their massive user base.

07:47It's positioned as a more efficient, more transparent way than old-school bank wires.

07:54And even the network giants, the pipes that elves, like Visa, they took it a step further.

07:58Yeah. Integrating USDC stablecoin settlement right onto fast blockchains like Solana,

08:04they basically looked at the old ways, like SWIFT or ACH transfers, and said,

08:07these are too slow, too expensive for modern cross-border stuff.

08:10So they're building the new rails directly on-chain.

08:13Exactly. The shift to blockchain settlement is happening at basically every layer of the payment stack now.

08:18So the common thread, from Starbucks' NFTs to Visa's settlements, it's the same core idea, isn't it?

08:24Moving away from just marketing stunts or experiments and actually integrating DLT into core functions.

08:31Yeah.

08:31Payments, loyalty, and the really crucial bit here, custody.

08:35Because custody is what makes it feel safe and normal for your average person.

08:39Okay. So let's make that pivot now.

08:42We're shifting focus completely, going across the Atlantic to the UK, and looking at Lloyd's Banking Group.

08:47If Walmart is all about grabbing millions of customers, Lloyd's motivation seems totally different.

08:53It's purely internal, right?

08:54How do we run this massive bank cheaper, more efficiently?

08:58That's basically the story across European banking right now, yeah.

09:01Yeah.

09:01Lloyd's is pushing into distributed ledger technology, DLT, mainly because they're facing these huge rising costs.

09:07Costs tied to managing physical cash, costs from using, frankly, outdated settlement systems.

09:13DLT just offers them a really clear path to getting those costs under control.

09:17Physical responsibility, essentially.

09:18It's maybe not the sexiest reason to adopt crypto tech.

09:22Definitely not glamorous.

09:23But potentially one of the most impactful in the long run.

09:26So talk us through the mechanics.

09:28How does using DLT actually cut down on something like physical cash handling costs for a giant bank like Lloyd's?

09:35Well, the current system is just slow.

09:38And it requires tons of checking and double checking, reconciliation they call it.

09:42Think about banks sending money to each other or even moving funds between their own branches.

09:47Okay.

09:48It often involves intermediaries, clearinghouses, lots of manual verification steps, plus all the security and logistics of just moving actual cash around.

09:57DLT helps automate a lot of that.

09:58How specifically?

09:59So specific things Lloyd's is looking at include digitizing how payments are routed, using crypto-style verification for instant fund transfers.

10:08And this is a big one, reducing the fraud risk that comes with paper trails or older digital systems.

10:13So the DLT, the blockchain, it acts like a shared, secure digital logbook, replacing the endless paper chase banks use now to track money between themselves.

10:23Exactly. It's a shared ledger, secured by cryptography, that everyone involved can trust.

10:29It cuts out the need for a central third party to verify every single step.

10:33Which saves time and money.

10:34Precisely.

10:35So we're seeing banks adopt blockchain tech, not because they're excited about, you know, selling NFTs to customers.

10:42Right.

10:42But purely for optimizing their internal processes, improving their audit trails, and just radical cost cutting.

10:49They see DLT as a better, unchangeable database for tracking value internally.

10:55Okay, but here's a question then.

10:57If banks like Lloyd's are mostly using these private permission ledgers internally, meaning only they and other approved banks can see or use them,

11:06how does that actually help the public decentralized crypto world that, you know, many of our listeners care about?

11:12Is it just a fancy internal database?

11:14That's a really important point and a fair challenge.

11:16For the banks themselves, the benefit is that shared, unchangeable record.

11:21The decentralization for them means they don't all have to rely on one single entity, like a clearinghouse, to hold the master record.

11:27They all share the cryptographic truth.

11:29Okay.

11:30Now, you're right.

11:30It doesn't directly boost the price of Bitcoin or Ethereum tomorrow.

11:34But what it does do is provide huge foundational credibility for the underlying technology.

11:39Ah.

11:39Okay.

11:40It proves that DLT is reliable, secure, and robust enough for the most conservative, risk-averse financial players on the planet to use systematically.

11:50That validation is massive.

11:52So what's the scale of the financial impact here?

11:55To what for the banking sector?

11:57What kind of savings are we actually talking about?

11:59The potential savings are enormous.

12:01Billions annually across the industry.

12:04When DLT makes settlement systems faster and more efficient, it cuts down on something called float.

12:10Float.

12:11Yeah.

12:11That's the money that's kind of stuck in limbo between when a transaction starts and when it finally settles.

12:15For global banks, moving trillions of dollars every day, minimizing that float, cutting out intermediary fees, slashing the costs of reconciliation, it easily justifies spending billions up front on the new DLT infrastructure.

12:28And that spending is definitely happening now.

12:30We've got hard numbers on this.

12:32We do.

12:32The sources show global banks collectively poured over $25 billion into DLT projects just in the period between 2020 and 2025.

12:40Wow.

12:40$25 billion.

12:41That kind of investment isn't speculative.

12:44It's proof.

12:45They firmly believe the cost savings will deliver huge returns down the line.

12:49And that institutional buy-in, does that also help with regulators?

12:53Give DLT more legitimacy?

12:55Absolutely.

12:56It provides crucial regulatory credibility.

12:58When a major respected European bank like Lloyd's shows that DLT is mature, that they're using it for core banking functions, it makes regulators who are naturally cautious feel more comfortable.

13:10Right.

13:10It demonstrates this tech isn't just for wild speculation.

13:14It's a necessary tool for stable, efficient operations.

13:17And that credibility is vital if you want to attract the really big conservative money pension funds, wealth managers, sovereign wealth funds.

13:24They need that institutional stamp of approval before they'll touch anything crypto related.

13:30And Lloyd's isn't alone in this.

13:31It's part of a much bigger wave in banking.

13:33We should probably mention some other big institutional examples, right, to show this isn't just a one-off.

13:38Definitely need to anchor the trend.

13:40Look at HSBC, for instance.

13:42They've been using DLT for trade finance for a while now, right?

13:45They've processed something like over $20 billion worth of transactions on their blockchain system.

13:51Trade finance is notoriously slow and paper-heavy.

13:54So automating parts of it with DLT cuts risk and speeds up global trade significantly.

14:00And then even closer to the core of money itself, you've got the European Central Bank.

14:05Yeah, the ECB's Digital EuroPilot project.

14:08They're actively testing how a central bank digital currency, a CVDC, could be built using DLT.

14:14That's validation at the highest possible level.

14:16And in the U.S., JPMorgan has been very active too, haven't they?

14:19Hugely active.

14:20Their ONIX network is a great example.

14:22It focuses specifically on tokenizing bank deposits for settling trades between big institutions.

14:28So turning bank deposits into digital tokens.

14:31Literally.

14:32So they can be moved instantly between their institutional clients, bypassing the old, slow systems.

14:37It shows that banks aren't just waiting for others to build solutions.

14:40They're building their own private DLT networks to control their future business.

14:43And just to circle back on trade finance, HSBC is also involved with R3 Corda, right?

14:48Which is a specific type of DLT.

14:50Yeah, R3 Corda is important because it was designed specifically for regulated industries like finance.

14:55It's a permissioned DLT.

14:58HSBC uses it for cross-border trade.

15:01So what all these examples, HSBC, EECD, JPM really show, is that DLT isn't some future dream for banks.

15:10It's becoming the current operational fabric, optimizing the financial plumbing behind the scenes right now.

15:16Okay, so we've laid out these two really powerful parallel stories.

15:19And they're converging on the same underlying tech DLT.

15:23Right. Retail, led by Walmart, is using it for massive scale, huge user access.

15:28While banking, exemplified by Lloyd's, is using it for fundamental cost savings and building systematic trust.

15:34They're using the same basic technology, DLT, but their reasons are perfectly distinct.

15:39Walmart wants to own the future customer payment experience.

15:42Lloyd's wants to save billions on today's operating costs.

15:45And this convergence, this is what really marks the start of what we're calling crypto's invisible integration phase, isn't it?

15:51I think that's the perfect term for it.

15:53It's the shift away from crypto being this complicated, volatile thing you have to actively deal with,

15:57to being the unseen engine that just makes things work better, faster, cheaper in the background.

16:03The blockchain kind of disappears from view.

16:04So in retail, for the user, this changes everything about friction, right?

16:08Instead of that whole ordeal, sign up for an exchange, verify ID, link bank, figure out transfers.

16:16Which stops most people cold.

16:17Exactly.

16:18Soon, millions of people might be interacting with crypto infrastructure without even realizing it.

16:23They'll just notice checkout is faster, or their loyalty points are cooler, or sending money home is cheaper.

16:28The blockchain is just the engine under the hood of a better app.

16:32And for the banks, that invisibility is actually key for their credibility.

16:36By using DLT for boring internal efficiency, they take the conversation away from, Bitcoin price is crazy, and anchor it firmly in, this is a proven cost-cutting technology, an essential infrastructure upgrade.

16:50It removes the speculative taint.

16:53And this corporate embrace, it isn't happening in a vacuum.

16:56It's built on some serious growth trends already happening on-chain.

16:59Absolutely.

17:00Yeah.

17:00These huge companies, they invest where they see existing traction.

17:04The data really backs this up.

17:06Look at stablecoins.

17:07Yeah.

17:08Transaction growth is just off the charts.

17:10Volumes for things like USDC, USTT, they're climbing exponentially, year after year.

17:15You don't go and spend $25 billion building infrastructure around a payment rail unless you see massive proven usage already happening.

17:23And what about those small, fast transactions needed for retail, like the Lightning Network you mentioned?

17:27The efficiency metrics there are exploding, too.

17:29The data we have shows Bitcoin Lightning Network transactions are up something like 400% year-over-year.

17:36400%.

17:37Yeah.

17:37That massive growth and the ability to do rapid, almost free, small transactions is exactly what platforms like Walmart's OnePay need to work at scale.

17:47It validates their investment in layer two.

17:49So if we connect all this to the bigger picture, what does this corporate adoption, backed by these growth metrics, really signify?

17:56It fundamentally validates the underlying technology itself.

18:00It shows that the market, the serious corporate market, believes in the utility of DLT, almost regardless of what the price of Bitcoin or Ether is doing on any given day.

18:10The tech's fundamental usefulness is now being proven out in the real world by the biggest players.

18:15Okay.

18:16So the convergence is real.

18:17The validation is happening.

18:19What does this actually mean, then, for investors watching this space and maybe for the developers who are building all this stuff?

18:26Well, short term, you'd expect to see renewed investor interest, maybe some bullish sentiment, right?

18:31Especially focused on the specific protocols that are enabling this corporate adoption.

18:37So that likely means money flowing towards coins and tokens linked directly to payments, to infrastructure, and to those scaling solutions we talked about.

18:45Which would include Bitcoin, presumably.

18:48Not necessarily as the direct payment coin, but as that base settlement layer institutions seem to value.

18:54Exactly.

18:54Bitcoin is increasingly seen by institutions as that ultimate neutral, decentralized settlement layer.

18:59And, of course, projects enabling the Lightning Network are huge beneficiaries here, because they provide the speed needed for retail like OnePay.

19:07And stablecoins, too, presumably.

19:09Oh, definitely.

19:10Stablecoins provide those reliable currency rails that corporations need to move value without volatility.

19:16So projects behind major stablecoins should see increased demand and valuation.

19:20Okay, that's the short term.

19:22What about midterm?

19:23What happens as millions of Walmart customers potentially start using this stuff?

19:26Midterm, that retail integration is like rocket fuel for network growth.

19:32If Walmart successfully brings millions of users into a custodial crypto environment, even a simple one,

19:38that translates almost directly into more transactions happening on layer 1s and layer 2s.

19:43It means a massive surge in overall global crypto payment volume.

19:47This is the kind of thing that could shift crypto from being a niche tech into a genuinely global payment system.

19:53And then thinking longer term, this becomes about the infrastructure, right?

19:58Who are the developers, the protocols that really win in this enterprise-focused future?

20:04Yeah, long term, it's definitely an infrastructure game.

20:07You have to identify the protocols that are really built for what enterprises need.

20:11High speed, low cost, reliability, and often features that help with regulatory compliance.

20:17So who does that point to?

20:19Well, it points towards protocols like Ripple, XRP, which has always been laser-focused on cross-border payments and liquidity for banks.

20:27You look at Stellar XLM, which is strong in remittances, especially for individuals in emerging markets.

20:32Okay.

20:33And then you have Polygon, Matic, providing those layer 2 scaling solutions on top of Ethereum,

20:38which is attractive for corporations that want Ethereum security but need more speed and lower costs.

20:43Polygon really bridges that gap.

20:45Can you elaborate maybe just a bit on the tokenomics?

20:48Like for Polygon, how does Walmart potentially using it affect the Matic token itself?

20:52Sure.

20:52So increased adoption means increased utility for the token.

20:57On layer 2 networks like Polygon, pretty much every transaction,

21:01whether it's a Starbucks loyalty point update or point of a Walmart payment settlement, requires a tiny network fee.

21:08Right, the gas fee.

21:09Exactly.

21:10And that fee is usually paid in the network's native token, so when Polygon's case, Matic.

21:15The more companies use the network, the more demand there is for Matic to pay those fees.

21:20That demand supports the token's value, and the fees help secure and maintain the network.

21:25So corporate adoption directly drives utility and value for the underlying infrastructure token.

21:31Got it.

21:32And these protocols, they're not just for making today's payments faster.

21:35This is the foundation for future stuff too, right?

21:37Absolutely.

21:38This is the technical backbone for what's coming next.

21:41Think about true Web3 payroll systems, where employees get paid instantly,

21:45maybe even across borders without all the intermediaries.

21:49Or think about super efficient supply chain finance,

21:51where a payment is automatically triggered the moment a shipment is verified on the blockchain.

21:55The infrastructure getting built and tested by Walmart and Lloyd's today

21:59is really preparing for a future where almost every large company, from logistics to manufacturing,

22:05has DLT integrated into its operations, cutting out massive reliance on slow, expensive, centralized legacy systems.

22:14That's the real long-term investment picture here.

22:16Okay, this all sounds incredibly promising, maybe even inevitable.

22:20But we have to address the elephant in the room, right?

22:22The inherent tension here.

22:23Crypto started with this whole ethos of decentralization, transparency, giving power back to the individual.

22:31Corporate adoption, by its nature, often prioritizes efficiency, convenience, and, let's face it, centralized control.

22:38That's the conflict.

22:39It's a fundamental conflict.

22:40Yeah.

22:41And it forces us straight into the big critical question about Walmart's one-pay custody model.

22:45Right.

22:45Because convenience is absolutely king if you want to onboard 240 million mainstream users.

22:51Yeah.

22:51So a highly centralized custody system where Walmart holds the keys is the easiest path for them.

22:57But if Walmart is the custodian, do users really own their crypto?

23:02Or do they just have an IOU from Walmart?

23:05Does Walmart ultimately have the power to freeze their funds, sensor transactions, maybe even reverse things?

23:10That's the classic financial control paradox right there.

23:13Yeah.

23:14And here's where it gets really interesting, I think.

23:17Because the path of least resistance for the customer, the smooth, easy experience that drives mass adoption, is often the one that requires giving up the most control.

23:25Precisely.

23:26This friction, this battle between corporate needs and the original decentralized dream, that feels like the defining struggle for crypto over the next few years.

23:34Users want easy, but what's the philosophical price tag?

23:37And that convenience, especially wrapped up in a huge name like Walmart, it immediately rings alarm bells for regulators, too.

23:43Ah, yeah, regulation.

23:45When a giant retailer starts offering crypto custody services, regulators are instantly going to see that as providing a financial service, like a bank.

23:52So will one pay suddenly be hit with the same heavy-duty rules as banks?

23:57You know, strict know-your-customer, KYC, anti-money laundering, AML requirements?

24:02And if they are?

24:03Well, if they are, it could really slow down adoption.

24:06Or it might force Walmart to build something that looks and feels a lot more like traditional banking, potentially stripping away some of the unique crypto benefits.

24:16It's a massive regulatory gray area that needs clarity fast.

24:20And shifting back to the banks for a second, those internal DLT upgrades at Lloyd's, the efficiency drive, could that have unintended consequences down the line, specifically regarding CBDCs?

24:33That's a really critical point to consider.

24:36We know the European Central Bank is already playing with the digital euro.

24:39Could these internal DLT projects at commercial banks, designed initially just to cut costs?

24:44Yeah.

24:44Could they essentially pave the way technologically for integrating central bank digital currencies later on?

24:50How so?

24:50Well, CBDCs are centralized digital currencies issued and controlled by the central bank.

24:55By getting their own systems comfortable with DLT instant settlement, digital verification, immutable records, commercial banks are inadvertently building the rails needed to handle CBDCs smoothly when or if they arrive.

25:07So it makes a CBDC rollout easier, technically less disruptive?

25:10Potentially, yes.

25:11Which might sound good from an efficiency standpoint, but it also represents a further centralization of monetary control, perhaps happening almost invisibly as banks just upgrade their internal plumbing.

25:24Wow.

25:25So the dilemma is really clear then.

25:26We see this huge potential upside, massive cost savings for banks, millions of new crypto users via retail.

25:34Huge potential.

25:34But we also face this very real risk that the drive for corporate efficiency and convenience could end up compromising the core decentralist principles that made DLT interesting in the first place.

25:47It's a really tricky balancing act for the whole ecosystem.

25:50And that, I think, brings us towards the end of this deep dive into how corporations are really starting to absorb crypto.

25:55The main takeaway feels pretty clear, doesn't it?

25:58Yeah, this isn't speculation anymore.

25:59This is infrastructure.

26:00Right.

26:01Walmart brings that incredible user base, the retail scale needed for mass adoption, and Lloyd's brings the crucial efficiency validation that gets conservative global banking comfortable.

26:10And together, it shows blockchain tech is rapidly becoming this unseen, everyday operational layer in finance.

26:20It's moving out of the risky-ass back box and into the essential background tech category.

26:26Definitely.

26:27Now, before we wrap up, just a quick note.

26:29If you found this discussion helpful, if you got value from us breaking down how crypto is weaving its way into huge companies like Walmart and Lloyd's, please do consider subscribing to the channel.

26:39Maybe leave a comment, engage with the video somehow.

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26:53Absolutely.

26:53Okay, so for our final thought for you to chew on, we've laid out this tension, right, between the corporate need for efficiency and crypto's original decentralized ideals.

27:02So think about the path forward.

27:05Which force do you ultimately think will win out and define crypto's next big chapter?

27:10Will it be the efficiency demands of the big banks and retailers who prioritize convenience above all else?

27:15Or will it be the decentralized principles that the original builders championed, the focus on individual sovereignty, even if it's less convenient?

27:25It's a fundamental tension, and the answer will shape the future of money and the digital economy.

27:30Something to really mull over.

27:32Definitely something critical to consider.

27:34Thanks, everyone, for listening, and we'll catch you on the next Deep Dive.

27:45Thanks, everyone.