In this episode of Stablecoin 101, Corey Cooper from Circle’s Developer Relations team unpacks what stablecoins are, why they exist, and how they function in the broader crypto ecosystem. He explains that while cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have transformed digital finance, their price volatility makes them impractical for everyday use or real-world applications. Stablecoins were created to address this challenge by maintaining a stable value, often pegged to traditional assets like fiat currencies.
Corey explores the three main models of stablecoins — fiat-backed, crypto-backed, and algorithmic — explaining how each is structured to preserve price stability in different ways. He also highlights how developers can build with stablecoins to enable both financial and everyday use cases, from global payments to programmable money systems.
By the end of the episode, listeners will understand the fundamentals of stablecoin design, the reasons behind their growing importance, and the opportunities they unlock for developers building the next generation of financial applications.
