FinTech Futures

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Rolf Njor Jensen, VP of Technology at Nordic digital bank Lunar, to explore the concept of invisible banking and what it means for the future of how customers interact with their money. Rolf discusses why the interface customers use to manage their finances is changing, moving away from a bank's own app and toward AI platforms and agents acting on a customer's behalf, and explains what it means for banks when AI becomes the primary point of contact. The conversation then examines what it looks like in practice for banks to become the infrastructure AI agents run on, rather than the interface customers interact with directly. Rolf and Paul also explore how banks can maintain customer relationships, trust, and brand loyalty in a world where third-party AI agents sit between the bank and the customer, as well as where accountability sits if something goes wrong with an AI-driven transaction. The episode finishes with a look at how AI-assisted development is reshaping engineering output at Lunar, the bank’s approach to AI and its broader technology strategy, and what to look forward to as the agentic era in banking continues to unfold. Tune in to hear what this all means for the future of banking and the role Lunar aims to play in shaping it.

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Evelien Witlox, director of the digital euro project at the European Central Bank (ECB), to explore how the ECB is working to bring its central bank digital currency (CBDC) from concept to reality. With the project currently in its pilot phase, Paul and Evelien discuss the latest developments with the digital euro, the key milestones achieved so far, and what this testing phase will reveal about the currency's readiness for widespread adoption. The conversation also examines the potential use cases for the digital euro and the role it will play in Europe's already advanced payment infrastructure, how it will benefit consumers and businesses across the eurozone, and the ECB's approach to critical issues like privacy, data protection, and interoperability with other global CBDC initiatives. Finally, the discussion looks beyond the pilot phase to explore the roadmap for full-scale implementation, how the digital euro will co-exist with stablecoins, and what decision points will determine when this transformative project moves from testing to widespread rollout across all EU member states. Tune in to hear how the European Central Bank is designing the future of digital currency and what the digital euro could mean for payments across Europe and beyond.

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by David Crawford, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Pay.UK, to explore how AI is revolutionising payment infrastructure and what this technological shift means for the UK's critical national payment systems. David discusses the current state of the UK payments ecosystem, examining the most significant developments taking place and the forces driving change across the national payments infrastructure that Pay.UK operates. The conversation then examines how AI is being integrated into these essential payment systems today, what AI-ready infrastructure means in practice, and the foundational building blocks organisations need to successfully deploy AI while maintaining the reliability and trust that payment systems demand. Paul and David also explore the emerging challenges that come with AI-driven payments, from accountability and explainability to operational resilience and fraud prevention, particularly as criminals leverage AI for increasingly sophisticated attacks, and how Pay.UK is using AI to help combat these threats. The episode finishes with a look ahead to the future of the UK payments ecosystem, with David discussing how industry participants can work together to build AI literacy and ensure the UK remains at the forefront of global payments innovation. Tune in to hear how AI is transforming the backbone of UK payments and what it takes to build trusted, resilient infrastructure for the next generation of digital transactions.

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Debopama Sen, Head of Payments, Services at Citi, to explore the rapidly evolving global payments landscape, examining how emerging technologies and regulatory developments are reshaping the future of institutional payments and cross-border transactions. With stablecoins gaining significant traction, tokenisation transforming payment infrastructure, and agentic AI beginning to revolutionise the payments ecosystem, Debopama discusses how major financial institutions like Citi are building winning payments strategies that balance innovation with the security, compliance, and reliability that institutional clients demand. The conversation examines the dominant trends shaping today's payments market from a global perspective, the regulatory challenges and opportunities surrounding cross-border payments across different jurisdictions, and how AI and machine learning are being leveraged within payments operations to combat increasingly sophisticated fraud while maintaining seamless customer experiences. Finally, Paul and Debopama look ahead to the future of payments, discussing the key initiatives Citi is undertaking around payments innovation and infrastructure modernisation, the main talking points expected at this year's Sibos conference, and the critical steps banks must take today to ensure they're not left behind as the industry transforms. Tune in to hear how Citi is navigating the convergence of stablecoins, tokenisation, and AI to build the next generation of payments infrastructure for institutional clients worldwide. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Timothy Flacke, co-founder and CEO of Commonwealth, to explore the critical work of advancing financial inclusion for families and individuals in the US, and how Commonwealth has been at the forefront of testing and scaling innovative solutions to help consumers build financial security. With Commonwealth celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Timothy discusses how the organisation's approach has evolved since its founding in 2001, its most significant accomplishments over the past quarter century, and why this anniversary is as much about preparing for the future as it is about celebrating past successes. The conversation also examines the evolving landscape of financial security, including the work Commonwealth is doing in the space to support consumers, what the broader industry needs to do to help further advance financial inclusion, and the opportunities and risks presented by emerging technologies such as agentic and generative AI. Finally, Timothy and Paul discuss Commonwealth's Vision 2027, exploring the strategic priorities that will guide the organisation's work and its plans for the next generation of inclusive financial products. Tune in to hear how 25 years of innovation and collaboration are shaping the next generation of financial inclusion for people across the US. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Margaret Ryan, SVP and Head of Product for Amex Digital Labs, to explore the rapidly developing world of agentic commerce and agentic payments and how American Express is positioning itself at the forefront of this evolution. Margaret discusses the current state of play with agentic commerce today, unpacking the benefits the technology offers for both consumers and merchants, and takes a deep dive into the ACE Developer Kit that Amex launched earlier this year, explaining the vision behind this framework and how it's designed to help merchants navigate this fundamental shift in how transactions happen. The conversation also covers the debate around trust and consumer confidence when it comes to agentic commerce—asking whether people will fully trust AI agents to spend their money and what safeguards need to be in place to make that leap possible. Margaret and Paul also look ahead at how agentic payments will transform the consumer experience over the next few years, what role American Express will play as AI agents become the primary transaction interface, and what other agentic AI innovations are in the pipeline at Amex. Tune in to hear how one of the world's leading payment networks is building the infrastructure for an AI-agent-driven future of commerce. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Seth Moran, SVP, General Manager of Digital Banking and Strategic Markets at Equifax, to explore the evolving landscape of fraud and credit risk. Seth explains how synthetic fraud is exploiting new entry points through deposit accounts, how AI has dramatically lowered the barrier for fraudsters to create sophisticated synthetic identities, and why financial institutions may be struggling to accurately classify losses between fraud and credit risk. The conversation also covers how Equifax is helping banks build a more complete view of the customer by integrating fraud and credit risk assessment across the entire lifecycle, and how AI is enabling institutions to drive operational efficiencies while strengthening their defences. Finally, Paul and Seth look ahead at the emerging trends shaping the industry and what risk leaders should be prioritising as we move through 2026. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Ryan King, co-founder of US fintech Chime, to learn more about Chime's development and deployment of ChimeCore, its proprietary core banking platform. Ryan discusses the factors that drove the decision to build rather than buy, how the team successfully migrated more than 9 million members without any downtime, and the key lessons learned along the way. The conversation also covers how owning the entire tech stack is accelerating Chime's ability to deploy AI and machine learning at scale, the tangible benefits this is delivering to customers, and what this means for the competitive landscape between fintechs and traditional banks. Beyond ChimeCore itself, Paul and Ryan also take a closer look at how AI is fundamentally reshaping banking operations and customer experiences, and what new possibilities emerge when you combine modern infrastructure with emerging AI capabilities. Tune in to hear how Chime is redefining what's possible in banking by building its own core infrastructure and unlocking the full potential of AI. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Jude Melville, CEO of b1BANK, to explore how US regional banks are actively embracing AI to compete in an increasingly technology-driven industry. Jude discusses how b1BANK, the largest Louisiana-headquartered regional bank by assets with a significant and growing presence in Texas, is developing its AI strategy, including its partnership with Covecta on agentic AI implementation, and how the bank is navigating the practical challenges of embedding AI into workflows while measuring ROI and managing the cultural shift required to bring teams along on this journey. The conversation also covers the competitive landscape for regional banks, discussing how institutions like b1BANK can innovate against national banks with significantly larger technology budgets, and the delicate balance between moving fast with new technology and managing risk in a heavily regulated industry. Tune in to discover how b1BANK is turning AI into a competitive advantage in the regional banking arena.

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, recorded live at Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Lee McNabb, Payment and Digital Asset Lead at NatWest, to explore the growing role of digital assets in payments and financial services, and how banks such as NatWest are positioning themselves to lead in this rapidly evolving landscape. Paul and Lee discuss how banks should approach their payment strategies in an era of multiple payment rails and emerging technologies like stablecoins, what the mainstream adoption of tokenised deposits and programmable payments could mean for both retail and corporate customers, and the technical challenges of modernising legacy infrastructure while maintaining 24/7 availability. The conversation also covers NatWest's digital asset strategy, including their participation in major UK and international pilots, how the bank is managing the balance between innovation and interoperability, and their approach to building customer confidence and literacy in technologies that many people don't yet understand. Whether you're a banking executive navigating digital transformation, a fintech professional exploring the future of payments, or simply curious about how digital assets will reshape the way money moves, this episode offers essential insights into the strategies, challenges, and opportunities defining the next era of financial services. Tune in to hear how one of the UK's leading banks is preparing for a multi-money future. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures