Zach Abrams
Zach Abrams is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure company. His responsibilities include guiding product and operational decisions to ensure alignment with financial and regulatory standards. [6]
Education
Abrams graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor’s in Economics and History in 2007. [7]
Career
Abrams began his career as an analyst in media and technology leveraged finance at Wachovia Securities from June 2007 to June 2009. He then worked as an associate at Littlejohn & Co in Greenwich, Connecticut, from June 2009 to June 2011. In June 2011, Abrams co-founded Evenly, a peer-to-peer payment application focused on campus networks, and served as CEO until October 2013. During the same period, he joined Square following an acquisition and helped create and lead the Square Customers business unit, growing the team and overseeing operations until September 2015.
From September 2015 to August 2017, he was the director of product management at Remind, a widely used platform in U.S. schools. He then served as head of product for Coinbase’s consumer business from August 2017 to July 2019, followed by a role as chief product officer at Brex from May 2019 to April 2022. Abrams has also been involved with governance and advisory roles, including as a board member at Spot Insurance from January 2022 to September 2023 and as a member of Skip Community for CPOs since January 2020. Since April 2022, he has been a co-founder of Bridge, a payments infrastructure platform. [8]
Interviews
Company Stablecoins
On the Unchained podcast in September 2025, Abrams emphasized the rising trend of businesses wanting their own stablecoins following Bridge's acquisition by Stripe. He noted that the introduction of Open Issuance would enable banks and fintech companies to create their own stablecoins, giving them greater economic control and facilitating use cases that current providers restrict. Abrams acknowledged the potential fragmentation in the stablecoin market but argued that having multiple issuers would ultimately benefit the ecosystem and prevent monopolistic practices. The conversation highlighted the importance of stablecoins in enabling cross-border payments, offering competitive rewards, and ensuring operational efficiency for merchants by providing instant access to funds. The growth of Bridge's partnerships, including those with Shopify and M0, was presented as critical to expanding stablecoin adoption, underlining a significant shift in the financial landscape driven by technological advancements in cryptocurrency and payments. Overall, the discussion reflected optimism for the future integration of stablecoins within the global economic system. [3]
Scaling Stablecoins
In a fireside chat with AJ Asver (Parcha AI), Abrams reflected on his extensive background in fintech, including early ventures like his first startup, which Square acquired, and roles at Coinbase and Brex. He discussed the early days of Bridge, initially launched as a platform for purchasing NFTs with stablecoins, which later pivoted to focus on stablecoin infrastructure. Despite the uncertain climate for stablecoins during their launch—coinciding with major events like the FTX collapse—Bridge grew steadily by catering to underserved markets and demonstrated the utility of stablecoins through various use cases. This persistence culminated in a billion-dollar acquisition by Stripe, where Abrams saw the potential for stablecoins to become a significant new platform in financial services. He emphasized the importance of building a compelling product over time and the necessity of creating markets for the successful rise of stablecoins. [2]
Breaking the Bank Summit
At the Breaking the Bank Summit in May 2025, Abrams reflected on his work with stablecoins at Stripe, including differing perspectives among industry peers on issues such as debanking. He explained that selling Bridge to Stripe was motivated by a shared belief in the long-term relevance of stablecoins and an opportunity to expand their impact. He referenced recently launched Stripe products tied to global stablecoin payments and card issuance, positioning these tools as foundational elements for a more efficient cross-border financial system. Abrams described stablecoins not as replacements for existing card networks but as a separate infrastructure that can support new payment flows and programmable financial services, especially in international commerce. He noted that stablecoin usage patterns may diverge from broader crypto markets and identified business value in helping companies manage multiple digital dollar formats. Looking ahead, he pointed to regulatory clarity as a key factor for broader enterprise adoption. He emphasized the importance of developing safeguards against fraud and security risks as the technology evolves. [1]
Stripe x Bridge
In a January 2025 interview with Rex Salisbury of Cambrian Fintech, Abrams discussed Stripe’s $1 billion acquisition of Bridge — the largest crypto exit to date — noting that Bridge will continue operating independently while relying more on Stripe’s APIs. He described a surge in inbound demand following the announcement, underscoring how trust drives adoption in financial services, and reflected on how rapid changes in the stablecoin landscape shaped Bridge’s approach to staying autonomous. Abrams also outlined regulatory and banking challenges the company faced early on, particularly during the FTX collapse, and how partnerships with firms like Zulu and Bitso demonstrated practical use cases that helped fuel growth. Looking ahead, he highlighted investments in fiat rails, card issuance, and new wallet and payment capabilities, including the ability for users to earn yield on stablecoin balances, with strong optimism about global market opportunities — especially in regions where traditional financial infrastructure is limited. [4]
Panels
Executive Insights
During a panel in March 2025 featuring Dante Disparte (Circle), Thomaz Fortes (Nubank Crypto), Chris Zuehike (DRW), and Abrams, the group examined the expanding role of stablecoins like USDC in global finance, noting rapid growth in circulation and payment volume alongside major improvements in blockchain speed, safety, and usability. They discussed increasing regulatory clarity across multiple regions, the rise of real-world applications such as remittances and humanitarian payments, and the importance of infrastructure providers, including Bridge under Stripe, in enabling efficient cross-border payments and developer adoption. The conversation highlighted the gradual mainstream integration of stablecoins, potential convergence with tokenized deposits, and continued disruption of traditional payment systems as digital money matures, with panelists emphasizing the broader shift toward a global digital economy. [5]