Welcome back to another edition of Creator Spotlight, where we tell stories of creators and entrepreneurs rewriting how their industries work, one transfer at a time. Today we're featuring someone whose business only works when money, and trust, travel far past a single zip code.
Matteo is a Miami native, former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, digital strategist, and yacht broker. He founded New Gen Yachts in 2023 after spotting a gap that was hard to ignore: yacht marketing still moved like the old world, while buyers already lived on social platforms.
New Gen Yachts is now one of the largest social-first brokerages in the space, reaching more than five million people a month and drawing hundreds of inbound buyer inquiries every week from around the world.
In under three years the firm has closed more than $40 million across 20+ transactions, on vessels from 40 feet to well over 100. Discipline, speed, and clear communication sit under every deal, whether Matteo is walking a first-time buyer or helping a seasoned owner sell.
That's the thread that ties his world to ours. Cross-border commerce isn't only freelancers invoicing U.S. clients. Sometimes it's a buyer in Europe, the Middle East, or Latin America wiring seven figures for a yacht they first scrolled past on a phone in Miami.
Stablecoins on both sides of the deal
For Matteo, stablecoins are not a novelty—they are how New Gen Yachts keeps a global operation moving. He pays overseas team members, including his executive assistant, in stablecoin so payroll does not sit behind international wire cutoffs, weekend banking hours, or multi-day compliance holds. Faster settlement means people who support listings, marketing, and closings get paid on the same timeline the firm promises clients.
The same rails show up on the revenue side. Matteo has closed transactions with international buyers who wanted to fund a wallet on closing day instead of pushing another large wire through a regulatory queue. In one sale paid fully in crypto, the buyer sent funds to the wallet at closing—it was straightforward enough that the deal could finish without the delays that often stall cross-border yacht purchases.
That combination—stablecoin payroll out, stablecoin or crypto settlement in—is what lets social-first marketing convert into closed sales across borders. When inbound interest comes from Dubai, São Paulo, or London, Matteo can meet buyers on the payment method they prefer while keeping a distributed team paid without friction.
Q&A
In conversation
SwiftFi co-founder Juan Terra asked Matteo what social-first brokerage looks like when marketing, closing, and payroll all cross borders.
What value did you bring to the yacht industry?
Active marketing on social media.
What made New Gen Yachts' social-first model actually close deals—not just rack up views—especially with buyers and sellers in different countries?
Merging traditional brokerage tools with intense knowledge of the product. Pairing those two created the perfect storm.
Would fast settlements provide momentum for your business?
Absolutely. We employ people overseas, and faster settlement lets us pay them quickly—stablecoins are a big part of that.
Do you ever use crypto or stablecoins? Any stories?
I've sold a boat paid fully in crypto. On closing day the international buyer sent money to the wallet—it was very straightforward, and we were able to complete the transaction without the wire delays we often see on cross-border deals. I also pay my overseas executive assistant in stablecoin so our team abroad is not waiting on traditional bank timelines.
When you're moving money across borders for a deal, a vendor, or your team, what breaks first today: speed, FX, or control of the funds?
Verification and KYC. Speed is a headache too—when you're running a charter overseas and need to send money quickly, there are always issues. Many times the wire gets caught in a regulatory check and that causes delays.
How is a stablecoin a game-changer for your business, given your international clients, vendors, and employees?
It opens up more clients—some international buyers want to do business that way—and it lets us pay staff abroad without getting stuck in wire holds. Stablecoins help us complete transactions with buyers in other countries while keeping our own team paid on time.
Today Matteo leads New Gen Yachts as Managing Broker from Miami, staying with clients from first walkthrough through closing — and after.
If you're buying or selling a yacht, he's the one to call.
Learn more at newgenyachts.com/team/matteo-vimo.
