This episode of Changing the World One Blockchain at a Time is a special one for me. I had the opportunity to interview Raj Patel, founder of Speed Wallet, a cutting-edge payments platform built on the Bitcoin Lightning Network—and someone who started his journey as one of my students.

Raj credits his decision to dive deep into the world of blockchain and Bitcoin to the courses he took with me. Watching his growth from a learner to a visionary leader helping over 850,000 users make seamless Bitcoin and stablecoin payments is a powerful reminder of why I do what I do.

In our conversation, Raj shares:

• His path from discovering Bitcoin in 2012 to launching Speed Wallet
• Why studying blockchain early on made all the difference in his career
• How Speed leverages Lightning, ERC20, and TRC20 networks for secure, low-cost payments
• The important role of stablecoins in connecting crypto to traditional finance
• Real-world use cases, including his hands-on test at Steak ’n Shake!

If you’re interested in how education leads to innovation—and how Bitcoin, the Lightning Network, and stablecoins are reshaping the future of money—this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

It’s incredibly rewarding to see a former student now helping to shape the future of global finance. I hope Raj’s story inspires you as much as it inspires me.