392: The Company Putting Bitcoin on Kroger Shelves and Into Your Paycheck with Guest Speaker Will Reeves from Fold

--- EPISODE DESCRIPTION ---

I sat down with Will Reeves, CEO of Fold, and walked away genuinely excited about what they are building. Will breaks down how Fold is putting Bitcoin into the hands of everyday Americans — not by convincing them to buy it, but by letting them earn it as a reward on their normal spending. We talk about why airlines and banks can never truly compete with this model, how Fold customers have earned $70 million in Bitcoin rewards, and the wild insight that led to Bitcoin showing up on shelves at Kroger. Will also shares hard-won lessons on building a team, finding product-market fit, and why naivety combined with passion is actually a superpower for founders. This is a story about solving a real financial problem for real people — and the results are speaking for themselves. Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

--- CONNECT ---

Fold Website: https://foldapp.com/

Twitter/X: Will Reeves: https://twitter.com/WillReeves

Twitter/X : Fold: https://twitter.com/Fold_app

Web3 with Sam Kamani : Website: https://www.web3pod.xyz/

Twitter/X : Sam Kamani: https://twitter.com/samkamani

--- KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS ---

• [00:01] Sam introduces Will Reeves from Fold and sets the scene from Bitcoin Vegas 2026

• [01:21] Will shares his origin story — growing up in California, graduating into the 2008 financial crisis, and falling in love with startups in the Bay Area

• [03:21] The core problem Will wanted to solve: restoring paths to financial stability using Bitcoin as the vehicle

• [06:10] How Fold's rewards model works — turning everyday spending into Bitcoin savings using the familiar cash-back habit

• [08:01] Why Bitcoin rewards beat cash back and airline miles over the long term due to appreciation versus inflation

• [09:20] Why traditional banks and credit card companies can't copy Fold — the innovator's dilemma explained

• [14:53] Fold has hundreds of thousands of users and has given away $70 million in Bitcoin rewards

• [16:02] Removing barriers to Bitcoin: physical gift cards at Kroger and employee bonuses at Steak and Shake powered by Fold

• [19:06] The pivot moment — from "spend Bitcoin at Starbucks" to "earn Bitcoin on your normal card" and the hockey stick that followed

• [23:29] Why airlines desperately need Bitcoin as a rewards off-ramp — and the COVID liability crisis that exposed the flaw

• [26:46] The hardest part of making Bitcoin mainstream: overcoming short-term thinking and fear of volatility

• [28:54] Best growth channel for Fold: word of mouth, not paid ads, plus strategic distribution deals like Kroger

• [31:04] Founder lessons — staying naive and passionate, hiring for grit over credentials, and not holding the reins too long

• [32:23] The hardest role to hire for: marketing and growth, and why hunger beats credentials every time

• [34:33] Long-term vision: Fold as a great American financial institution that sends value back to the customer

• [36:07] The ask — use Fold, get on the credit card waitlist, and reach out to Will on X at @WillReeves