Agora 執行長 Nick van Eck 談穩定幣在新興市場中的作用

穩定幣發行商 Agora 的執行長兼聯合創始人 Nick van Eck 走遍了許多新興市場，他敏銳地意識到了這些問題

Nick van Eck, CEO and co-founder of stablecoin issuer Agora, is no stranger to the challenges faced by citizens in emerging markets due to currency debasement and a lack of sound financial systems. Having traveled extensively through these regions, van Eck is keenly aware of the problems that can arise.

穩定幣發行商 Agora 的執行長兼聯合創始人 Nick van Eck 對新興市場公民因貨幣貶值和缺乏健全的金融體係而面臨的挑戰並不陌生。範埃克曾廣泛地遊歷這些地區，他敏銳地意識到可能出現的問題。

With AUSD, Agora’s flagship stablecoin product, van Eck is focused on solving the unique challenges these nations face. “People in places like Argentina or India can save money without worrying about inflation or capital controls,” van Eck said in a recent interview with CoinDesk. “It’s a simple yet revolutionary tool that can change lives, especially when and where traditional banking systems fall short.”

憑藉 Agora 的旗艦穩定幣產品 AUSD，van Eck 致力於解決這些國家面臨的獨特挑戰。範埃克最近在接受 CoinDesk 採訪時表示：“阿根廷或印度等地的人們可以省錢，而不必擔心通貨膨脹或資本管制。” “這是一個簡單但革命性的工具，可以改變生活，特別是在傳統銀行系統無法滿足要求的時間和地點。”

Van Eck has extensive experience as a tech investor and a family background in the gold sector — vanEck, the fund company founded by his grandfather, manages one of the world’s largest gold mining funds. Early on, Nick van Eck recognized BTC’s potential as a store of value and aligned himself with the principles of early Bitcoiners.

Van Eck 擁有豐富的科技投資者經驗和黃金行業的家庭背景——vanEck 是他祖父創立的基金公司，管理著世界上最大的金礦基金之一。尼克·範·埃克 (Nick van Eck) 很早就認識到 BTC 作為價值儲存手段的潛力，並與早期比特幣支持者的原則保持一致。

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Fresh off a two-week trip with his family to South America’s Patagonia region, van Eck spoke about the evolving role of stablecoins in emerging markets, the catalysts driving stablecoin adoption and the unique dynamics of the Asian market. In addition, he described Agora’s approach to building blockchain-based payment infrastructure and the importance of what he calls “credible neutrality.” What follows is a lightly edited transcript of our discussion.

範埃克剛與家人前往南美巴塔哥尼亞地區進行為期兩週的旅行，他談到了穩定幣在新興市場中不斷變化的作用、推動穩定幣採用的催化劑以及亞洲市場的獨特動態。此外，他還描述了 Agora 建立基於區塊鏈的支付基礎設施的方法以及他所說的「可信中立」的重要性。以下是我們討論的經過輕微編輯的文字記錄。

What’s been your journey from a technology investor to starting Agora? What sparked your interest in blockchain-based payments?

從科技投資人到創辦 Agora，您經歷了什麼樣的歷程？是什麼激發了您對基於區塊鏈的支付的興趣？

I started my career investing at the private equity firm JMI Equity and knew I wanted to be an investor from an early age. I was working at a hedge fund in 2016 when I first got exposed to Bitcoin. The concept of Bitcoin as “digital gold” resonated with me, and I shared many beliefs with early Bitcoiners. That’s when I first got involved, but I continued to work as a tech investor for many years.

我的職業生涯始於私募股權公司 JMI Equity，從小就知道自己想成為投資者。 2016 年，當我第一次接觸比特幣時，我正在對沖基金工作。比特幣作為「數位黃金」的概念引起了我的共鳴，我與早期的比特幣愛好者有很多共同的信念。那是我第一次參與其中，但我繼續以科技投資者的身份工作了很多年。

During the DeFi summer of 2020, I was drawn back into crypto as applications like Uniswap and Aave made the idea of an open financial system tangible. For many globally, these tools were better than their existing financial systems. Blockchain enables people to save and earn money in ways that weren’t possible before, and it felt like the start of a revolution. So, about a year ago, I left VC firm General Catalyst to start Agora.

在 2020 年 DeFi 夏季期間，隨著 Uniswap 和 Aave 等應用程式使開放金融系統的想法變得切實可行，我又被吸引到加密貨幣領域。對全球許多人來說，這些工具比他們現有的金融體系更好。區塊鏈使人們能夠以以前不可能的方式儲蓄和賺錢，這感覺就像一場革命的開始。因此，大約一年前，我離開了創投公司 General Catalyst，創辦了 Agora。

How have your travels, including your latest trip to Patagonia, influenced your vision for Agora?

您的旅行，包括您最近的巴塔哥尼亞之旅，對您對 Agora 的願景有何影響？

I feel very fortunate to have traveled to parts of the world where access to financial services and opportunities is far more limited than what Americans often take for granted. Spending time in places like Argentina or India has made it clear to me just how diverse the world is in terms of opportunities and challenges. The idea of providing a financial instrument that allows someone to save money without worrying about inflation is incredibly valuable in places like Patagonia and Argentina. My grandmother was an immigrant who had a difficult childhood, growing up in conditions shaped by hyperinflation, capital controls and other financial challenges. I’ve seen similar situations in my travels, and while I didn’t live through them myself, those experiences made the realities of financial instability very real to me in a way that goes beyond intellectual understanding.

我感到非常幸運，能夠前往世界各地，那裡獲得金融服務和機會的機會比美國人通常認為理所當然的要有限得多。在阿根廷或印度等地度過的時光讓我清楚地認識到世界的機會和挑戰是多麼多樣化。在巴塔哥尼亞和阿根廷等地，提供一種讓人們省錢而不必擔心通貨膨脹的金融工具的想法非常有價值。我的祖母是一名移民，她的童年很艱難，在惡性通貨膨脹、資本管制和其他金融挑戰的環境下長大。我在旅行中見過類似的情況，雖然我自己沒有經歷過這些情況，但這些經歷讓我對金融不穩定的現實變得非常真實，超出了理智的理解。

What sets Agora and AUSD apart from other stablecoins like USDT or PYUSD?

Agora 和 AUSD 與 USDT 或 PYUSD 等其他穩定幣有何不同？

Firstly, we are credibly neutral. USDC, for example, shares half its income with Coinbase. Tether doesn’t have any partners, and PYUSD is essentially a PayPal subsidiary designed to compete with various remittance companies. We’re like a vanilla fiat coin. We take in a dollar, mint one AUSD, and that dollar is in a bank account somewhere. Our focus from day one has been to stay credibly neutral and concentrate on building the best digital dollar network without competing with our customers. We believe in an open model where we share revenue with the underlying applications or businesses using AUSD.

首先，我們是可信的中立。例如，USDC 與 Coinbase 分享一半收入。 Tether 沒有任何合作夥伴，PYUSD 本質上是 PayPal 的子公司，旨在與各種匯款公司競爭。我們就像一枚普通的法定硬幣。我們接收一美元，鑄造一澳元，該美元存在於某處的銀行帳戶中。從第一天起，我們的重點就是保持可信的中立，專注於建立最佳的數位美元網絡，而不與我們的客戶競爭。我們相信開放的模式，我們使用 AUSD 與底層應用程式或企業分享收入。

Why are stablecoins so critical to the crypto ecosystem, especially in Asia?

為什麼穩定幣對加密生態系統如此重要，尤其是在亞洲？

Stablecoins are the lifeblood of the crypto economy, just as money is for any economy. In Asia and Southeast Asia, they provide a stable unit of account in regions where access to financial services is limited and local currencies often face volatility. What’s often misunderstood is that stablecoins aren’t just about trading — they enable wealth preservation, lending and other financial services. For many people in emerging markets, they offer opportunities that traditional systems cannot.

穩定幣是加密經濟的命脈，就像貨幣對任何經濟體一樣。在亞洲和東南亞，它們為金融服務機會有限且當地貨幣經常面臨波動的地區提供了穩定的記帳單位。經常被誤解的是，穩定幣不僅用於交易——它們還可以實現財富保值、借貸和其他金融服務。對於新興市場的許多人來說，它們提供了傳統系統無法提供的機會。

What challenges do stablecoins face in achieving widespread adoption?

穩定幣在實現廣泛採用方面面臨哪些挑戰？

Regulation is the main hurdle. Businesses are keen to use stablecoins due to their cost efficiency and speed, but they need clarity on legal and compliance

監管是主要障礙。由於穩定幣的成本效率和速度，企業熱衷於使用穩定幣，但他們需要明確法律和合規性