Bridge CEO Zach Abrams eyes tokenized local currencies as next growth frontier in Asia

Bridge’s co-founder Zach Abrams recounts how the firm unexpectedly grew by serving markets in Latin America, Europe and Africa, where users needed cheaper, faster cross-border payments. Following Stripe’s $1.1 billion acquisition, Abrams is targeting the next phase: tokenizing non-dollar currencies to give local businesses digital cash that can be invested for yield. The company already supports tokenized euros, Mexican pesos and British pounds and plans to add Brazilian reais, with Singapore dollars under consideration.

Abrams notes that over 95 % of stablecoin transactions are dollar-denominated, a fact that worries governments fearing deeper U.S. dollar dominance. He believes this reflects the sector’s infancy and that a future tokenized ecosystem will require local stablecoins. Regulatory frameworks are emerging in Singapore and Hong Kong, while China and India remain cautious, shaping the pace of adoption across Asia.