From gift cards to a global payments network of digital value, with Runa CEO Aron Alexander

Lex chats with Aron Alexander - CEO, and Founder of Runa - a digital value infrastructure and network that enables people to pay and get paid by anyone, anywhere, instantly. The discussion delves into the founding story of Runa, which was inspired by insights from commerce experiences. Together Lex and Aron explore the significance of payment networks and loyalty programs in aligning incentives for merchants and providers. Runa's integration, impact, and impressive numbers in simplifying payments for merchants are unveiled. The conversation also covers the industry structure of third-party gift card providers, considering concentration, diversity, and geographic impact. The decision-making process behind building a global API layer and the mechanism of cross-border money movement are discussed. Aron dives into international transactions, scale, and the best customer use case—an embedded finance layer for business-to-consumer payouts. The growth strategy and revenue model are explored, focusing on incentives for success. The episode concludes with an insightful discussion about alternative forms of value, including equity shares, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs, and how Runa embraces alternative assets to mitigate volatility and facilitate seamless transactions. MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION Runa's Website: https://bit.ly/45coLOs Aron's LinkedIn profile: https://bit.ly/3QrdAgF Topics: payments, paytech, infrastructure, cryptocurrency, digitalization, embedded finance Companies: Runa, WeGift, PayPal, TransferWise, CoinBase, Twilio ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT 🔥Subscribe to the Fintech Blueprint newsletter to stay at the forefront of Fintech and DeFi: https://bit.ly/3hyhlC2 🤝 Partner with Fintech Blueprint through sponsorships: https://bit.ly/3UZllsV 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LexSokolin TIMESTAMPS 1’19”: Unveiling the founding story: How commerce insights led to startup ideation 7’36”: Understanding the role of payment networks and loyalty programs: Aligning incentives for merchants and providers 12’34”: Introducing Runa: Integration, impact, and numbers in simplifying payments for merchants 17’52”: Decoding the industry structure of third-party gift card providers: Concentration, diversity, and geographic impact 20’16”: Building a global API layer: Navigating the choice of wide coverage vs. deep focus 24’20”: Mechanisms of cross-border money movement: Understanding infrastructure, risk, and partnerships 27’16”: Handling international transactions and scale: Bank accounts, volumes, and consumer impact 30’17”: Exploring the best customer use case: An embedded finance layer for business-to-consumer payouts 33’01”: Understanding the growth strategy and revenue model: Structuring incentives for success 36’14”: Exploring alternative forms of value: Role of equity shares, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs in the business 39’13”: Embracing alternative assets: Mitigating volatility and facilitating seamless transactions 40’59”: The channels used to connect with Aron & learn more about Runa