Loyalty becomes lifestyle: Rain and Uptop on stablecoin rewards
Quick Take
- Rain and Uptop leaders share how stablecoin cards and onchain loyalty are reshaping payments, rewards, and fan engagement.
Episode 7 of Layer One, hosted by The Block's Kelvin Sparks and Hypha founder Steven Gates, was recorded with Charles Yoo-Naut, co-founder of Rain, and John Gomez, co-founder and former CEO of Uptop.
Listen below, and subscribe to Layer One on YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please send feedback and revision requests to podcast@theblock.co.
In episode seven of Layer One, The Block's Kelvin Sparks and Hypha Founder Steven Gates were joined by Charles Yoo-Naut, co-founder of Rain, and John Gomez, co-founder and former CEO of Uptop. The group discussed the convergence of stablecoin payments and onchain loyalty infrastructure, why rewards plus payments are becoming table stakes, and how sports and IP are driving real-world adoption.
OUTLINE
00:00 - Intro
03:58 - What is Rain
04:30 - Uptop + acquisition fit
06:01 - Fundraise & M&A lessons
12:43 - Why rewards matter
16:29 - Stablecoin “aha” moment
25:26 - Regulation, timing, builders
33:53 - Lifestyle banking & IP
41:59 - Marketplaces, on-ramps, costs
47:35 - Why raise $250 million
50:11 - Stablecoins in three years
51:56 - Proliferation of issuers
53:59 - Closing remarks
GUEST/HOST LINKS
Charles Yoo-Naut - twitter.com/cnaut
Rain - twitter.com/raincards
John Gomez - linkedin.com/in/john-timoney-gomez-a64b669b/
Uptop - twitter.com/uptop_xyz
Steven Gates - twitter.com/stvngts
Kelvin Sparks - twitter.com/imyoungsparks
The Block Newsletters
The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters
Are you hiring in crypto?
Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.
Faster hiring, stronger teams.
Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campus
Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.
© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.