Bridging Crypto and Traditional Finance | Guardarian CEO

Quick Take

Episode 7 of The White Papers, hosted by The Block's Kelvin Sparks, dives deep on crypto compliance with Guardarian CEO Petr Sergeev.

Key topics

• How crypto regulation and compliance requirements are reshaping the industry
• Navigating fragmented regulatory frameworks around the world
• How relationships with traditional banks remain critical for crypto businesses
• Guardarian's 2027 plans and the industry's key themes at Token2049

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 02:25 - Regulation and compliance in crypto
• 06:58 - Europe vs APAC: navigating disparate regimes
• 11:08 - Building bridges with the banking industry
• 13:54 - Petr's Token2049 highlights
• 15:27 - The future for Guardarian

Summary

Regulatory compliance is becoming increasingly important for cryptocurrency firms as the industry's ties with traditional finance deepen. For companies that provide a bridge between traditional finance and the crypto space, navigating these requirements is central to their ability to operate.

In episode 5 of The White Papers, recorded at Token2049 in Singapore, Petr Sergeev, CEO of crypto payments infrastructure firm Guardarian, joins The Block's Kelvin Sparks to explore this shifting regulatory landscape. As a veteran operator with seven years of experience in the space, Sergeev shares his insights on the new challenges and opportunities this has brought.

He explained that while regulation introduces additional requirements, predictable rules actually allow companies to establish a foundation for long-term growth.

Beginning with a discussion on the state of play in Europe, Guardarian's home turf, Sergeev painted a positive picture of the continent's shift toward the unified Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. European regulators, he claimed, are particularly receptive to industry feedback: "When a regulator doesn't act as a limiting factor, [we can] communicate, give feedback, be heard, and get advice. That's what helps us to develop the industry as a whole."

However, this is not the case in every jurisdiction where the company operates. Its expansion into a global financial services provider has meant dealing with fragmented regulatory regimes.

The Asia-Pacific region is one major example of this. In contrast to Europe's unified approach, APAC's regulatory landscape is defined by a patchwork of jurisdictions, each tailoring its approach to local conditions and demand. Local payment preferences also play a role — QR codes and mobile payments are prevalent in Asia, while Europe relies more heavily on card payments and traditional banking.

To illustrate, Sergeev highlighted Hong Kong's focus on payments and stablecoin adoption and Singapore's connections to traditional finance and global banking. Despite these differences, he said fundamental compliance principles, including know-your-customer and anti-money laundering provisions, remain broadly consistent.

When pressed on which regions the company may venture into next, Sergeev identified Central America and Latin America as regions where it intends to establish a stronger local presence in 2027.

The conversation then turned to the evolving relationship between cryptocurrency companies and traditional financial institutions. Sergeev recounted how, in days gone by, even the brief mention of cryptocurrency was enough to give banks cold feet. Now, however, this is no longer the case: "Now the amount and variety of banks which support it grow, so it's, well I put it that it's a bit easier to enter the banking relations."

Looking ahead to 2027, Sergeev outlined his company's plans to transition from primarily offering crypto on- and off-ramp services toward a broader infrastructure platform. This means the launch of custody and deep liquidity services — what he calls "two building blocks based on which other consumer products can be built."

About the guest

Petr Sergeev is the CEO of Guardarian, a crypto payments infrastructure provider offering fiat-to-crypto on- and off-ramp solutions for businesses and consumers. A serial entrepreneur with a background in software engineering, payment systems and blockchain, he focuses on building scalable financial infrastructure that connects traditional finance with Web3.