Advertise on podcast: News and Views by the Fintech Times

In this conversation, Will Moroney discusses the findings of the global banking expectations gaps report, highlighting the significant expectation gap between banking customers and the services they receive. He emphasizes the need for banks to modernize their core systems and adapt to changing customer expectations, particularly in the context of increasing competition from fintechs. Takeaways Expectation gap in bankingImportance of core modernization Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Report02:47 Understanding Customer Expectations05:52 The Role of AI in Banking Transformation09:01 Procurement Challenges in Banking12:07 Trends in Global Banking Markets

The conversation between Mark Walker and Mick Fennell delves into the current state and future potential of programmable money and agentic payments, highlighting the infrastructure needed for machine-to-machine transactions and the evolving landscape of digital currencies. They discuss the challenges banks face in adapting to new technologies while ensuring customer trust and managing risks associated with digital assets. Takeaways Programmable money is evolvingBanks must adapt to digital currencies Chapters 00:00 The Rise of Programmable Money08:31 Navigating Digital Currency Types15:37 User Experience in Banking Innovations21:33 Balancing Technology and Trust24:42 Future of Banking and Tokenization

Gary Anderson, a partner in Seward and Kissel's mergers and acquisitions group, discusses the role of legal advisors as strategic partners for investment managers. He emphasizes the importance of an institutional mindset, resilience, and ongoing support for founders in the asset management industry. Takeaways Strategic role of legal advisorsInstitutional mindset and resilienceOngoing support for founders Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Gary Anderson00:33 Role of Legal Advisors02:39 Strategic Partnership with Investment Managers03:14 Institutional Mindset and Resilience04:30 Raising Institutional Capital05:38 Characteristics of Founders10:43 Balancing Formation Advice with Ongoing Support12:36 Motivation and Success in Asset Management

Mark Rothwell-Brooks from VerityX discusses the program that connects the fintech community with banks to solve innovation challenges. The program aims to streamline the process and drive innovation in the banking community. Takeaways Fintech-Bank CollaborationAccelerating Innovation Chapters 00:00 Introduction to VerityX and the Program01:18 History and Experience of VerityX03:01 Connecting Fintech with Banks04:28 Involvement of Banks and Fintechs05:31 Process of Addressing Challenges06:29 Engagement and Registration for Fintechs08:59 Hopes for Outcomes and Program Continuity

Gada ElKenani, a former banker with over 30 years of experience, discusses her journey in banking, the restructuring of distressed banks, cost savings, regulatory alignment, digital transformation, and the Bridge Build Offload model. She emphasizes the importance of balancing automation with human oversight and the impact of her model on the US financial ecosystem. Takeaways Banking restructuring requires a disciplined approachBalancing automation and human oversight is crucial for efficiency Chapters 00:00 Gada's Journey in Banking01:31 Restructuring Distressed Banks03:22 Cost Savings and Profitability04:44 Regulatory Alignment and Valuation06:29 Handling Regulatory Concerns08:15 Capital Deployment and Objectives09:41 Digital Transformation and Technology12:34 Balancing Automation and Human Oversight14:39 Bridge Build Offload Model

The conversation covers the introduction of MEXC and its vision, the evolution of tokens and digital assets, the impact of stablecoins on global financial systems, the economic impact of stablecoins, the regulatory environment and taxation, the convergence of traditional and crypto finance, and the future of stablecoin adoption. Takeaways Tokenization of assetsStablecoins and their impact on global financial systems Chapters 00:00 Introduction to MEXC and Vision01:00 Evolution of Tokens and Digital Assets03:04 Stablecoins and Global Financial Systems05:06 Stablecoins and Economic Impact10:04 Regulatory Environment and Taxation19:36 Traditional and Crypto Convergence24:38 Future of Stablecoin Adoption

The conversation with Oliver Hughes provides valuable insights into the market of Uzbekistan, highlighting its remarkable reform path and the evolution of its fintech landscape. The unique payments ecosystem, regulatory environment, and TBC's role in the market are also discussed, offering a comprehensive view of the opportunities and challenges in Uzbekistan's financial sector. Takeaways Uzbekistan's Remarkable Reform PathSophisticated Payments Ecosystem Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Uzbekistan and Its Market03:03 The Evolution of Uzbekistan's Fintech Landscape05:57 The Unique Payments Ecosystem of Uzbekistan13:03 Regulatory Environment and Data Access in Uzbekistan26:08 TBC's Role and Future in the Uzbekistan Market

The conversation with Marc Boiron from Polygon Labs delves into the role of stablecoins in payments and their impact on consumer adoption. It explores the potential of stablecoins in cross-border transactions, marketplace transactions, and the role of MasterCard and Visa. Additionally, it discusses the adoption of stablecoins by banks, government regulation, and the future of stablecoins in the next six months. Takeaways Stablecoins in PaymentsConsumer Adoption Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Polygon Labs01:08 Stablecoins in Payments02:14 Consumer Adoption of Stablecoins03:09 Impact on Cross-Border Transactions05:14 Stablecoins in Marketplace Transactions08:39 Role of MasterCard and Visa15:28 Banks and Stablecoin Adoption25:37 Government Regulation and Stablecoins28:16 Future of Stablecoins

Arturs Kononovs, Deputy Head of Sales at COLIBRIX ONE, discusses the company's focus on processing services, direct banking accounts, and the challenges faced by companies in the fintech industry. He emphasizes the importance of a human approach in onboarding and the need for a balance between AI and human interaction in the banking process. Takeaways Fintech companies face challenges in onboarding due to the lack of a human approach.The future of banking and payments requires a balance between AI and human interaction. Chapters 00:00 Company Overview and Focus02:14 Challenges in Onboarding and AI05:18 Modern Fintech Banking Solutions06:23 Subscription Businesses and Payment Flow07:17 Geographical Focus and Future of Banking08:19 Combining AI and Human Approach11:12 Priorities for the Future

The Density Shift: Why Nvidia GB300 chips are pushing rack power requirements to 150kW, necessitating a move to liquid cooling. Regional Hub Status: How the Middle East is leveraging subsea cable connectivity and reliable power to become a global data hub. Infrastructure Obsolescence: The risks facing investors in legacy "powered shell" data centres as technology requirements leap forward. Data Sovereignty: The growing demand for "on-soil" data centres to protect confidential government and enterprise information. Inferencing vs Training: Why the next wave of data centres must be distributed and low-latency to support real-time AI applications. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to The FinTech Times News and Views. 00:41 - Milan Radia on his background in data centres and Taranis Capital. 01:32 - The transition from "glorified real estate" to high-complexity compute hubs. 05:15 - Subsea cables and the Middle East as a strategic information highway. 07:30 - Why the UAE and Saudi Arabia are winning the data centre race. 10:45 - The impact of Nvidia Blackwell architecture on data centre design. 13:20 - Moving from AI training to real-time inferencing and the latency challenge. 15:44 - Conclusion and closing remarks. The Fintech Times News &Views Podcast delivers strategic insight into the trends redefining global financial services, with commentary from industry leaders and innovators. Discover more coverage, interviews, research, and partnership opportunities at thefintechtimes.com and follow The Fintech Times across all major social platforms.

Key Topics Covered: Regional Growth: Comparing the energy and investment landscapes of Web Summit events in Lisbon, Rio, and Qatar. Scaling Success: How Started PR evolved alongside its clients from pre-seed stages through to international expansion. Market Trends: The current industry focus on AI applications and the role of stablecoins in modern finance. Globalisation Hurdles: Strategies for internationalising regulated fintech solutions across different jurisdictions. Impact Measurement: Moving beyond hype to identify where AI is delivering tangible results in onboarding and credit. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction to TFT News and Views 00:41 – Kimberly Waldron on the energy of Web Summit Qatar 01:50 – Transitioning PR strategies from startups to larger brands 03:00 – Key trends: AI, stablecoins, and capital efficiency 05:10 – 2026 Outlook: Moving from talking points to case studies 06:40 – Conclusion The Fintech Times News &Views Podcast delivers strategic insight into the trends redefining global financial services, with commentary from industry leaders and innovators. Discover more coverage, interviews, research, and partnership opportunities at thefintechtimes.com and follow The Fintech Times across all major social platforms.

Episode Notes: The Graph Advantage: Shifting from rigid data tables to mathematical nodes and relationships to mirror real-world systems. Financial Crime Prevention: How the ICIJ used graph databases to untangle the complex shell company webs of the Panama Papers. AI’s "Left Brain": Using knowledge graphs to provide deterministic logic, explainability, and access control for Large Language Models. Data Sovereignty: Managing the balance between on-premise security for regulated banks and managed cloud services like AWS, GCP, and Azure. The Context Revolution: Why venture capital identifies context graphs as a trillion-dollar opportunity for the next wave of AI deployment. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction to The Fintech Times News and Views. 00:41 – Meet Philip Rathle, CTO at Neo4j. 01:35 – Why networks fail when shoved into traditional tables. 03:32 – Case Study: Untangling the Panama Papers. 05:32 – Market nuances and expansion in the Middle East. 06:41 – AI agents and the transition to graph-based queries. 08:19 – Solving AI hallucinations and the need for explainability. 10:11 – Data sovereignty and cloud security options for banks. 11:32 – The future: From AI buzz to the "trillion-dollar" context graph. The Fintech Times News &Views Podcast delivers strategic insight into the trends redefining global financial services, with commentary from industry leaders and innovators. Discover more coverage, interviews, research, and partnership opportunities at thefintechtimes.com and follow The Fintech Times across all major social platforms.

Key Topics Covered: Leapfrogging Development: Why the Middle East and Africa are moving directly to open finance rather than following the incremental UK/Europe model. Inclusion over Competition: How regional frameworks are designed to foster collaboration between banks and fintechs to reach underserved segments. Infrastructure Foundations: The role of standardisation and quality APIs in building the "pipe work" necessary for market-wide connectivity. Modernising Legacy Payments: Utilising open finance to solve regional-specific challenges, such as transitioning away from physical rent checks. AI and Data Synergy: The potential for agentic AI to transform consented financial data into automated, high-value recommendations for users. Measuring Future Success: Why the industry focus will shift from technical connectivity to tangible social and economic impact by next year. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to News and Views 00:27 - Guest Introduction: Nihal Abughattas 01:32 - The State of Open Finance in the Middle East 03:05 - Use Cases: Inclusion, APIs, and the SME Gap 06:14 - Beyond Banking: Insurance and Rent Payment Innovation 08:45 - The Marriage of Open Finance and Agentic AI 10:43 - Predictions for the Coming Year The Fintech Times News &Views Podcast delivers strategic insight into the trends redefining global financial services, with commentary from industry leaders and innovators. Discover more coverage, interviews, research, and partnership opportunities at thefintechtimes.com and follow The Fintech Times across all major social platforms.

Key Topics Covered: The surge of new entrants in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi FinTech ecosystems, with a 20% increase in investment managers setting up shop annually. Trends in regional asset classes: Growth of private credit, hedge funds, and regulation of virtual assets and cryptocurrencies overseen by FATF and VARA. Challenges in attracting experienced talent for emerging asset classes, emphasizing the importance of local knowledge and the risks of international recruitment. The rise of family offices in the UAE, including generational shifts and increasing appetite for diversified and regulated investments like hedge funds, private credit, and virtual assets. The strategic role of regulatory frameworks in scaling family businesses and attracting global capital into the UAE's vibrant ecosystem. Oscar’s perspectives on the importance of infrastructure investments in virtual assets and the evolving gaming sector, highlighting the region's dynamic growth. Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome and podcast overview 00:17 - Introduction to Oscar Orellana-Hyder and his background 01:05 - Changes in the regional fintech landscape over recent years 01:28 - Increase in new entrants setting up investment management firms in the region 01:59 - Trends in asset classes: growth of private credit and hedge funds 02:25 - Regulatory developments in virtual assets and crypto funds 03:18 - Challenges in hiring experienced talent for emerging asset classes 03:44 - Strategies for talent acquisition and retention in nascent markets 05:34 - Oscar’s purpose at the Family Office Summit and regional ecosystem development 06:20 - The evolving role of family offices and generational wealth transfer in the UAE 07:01 - Regulating and legitimizing Emirati and global family businesses 07:54 - Cultural and lifestyle highlights in the region's ultra-luxury investments 08:13 - Key takeaways from the event: infrastructure investments in virtual assets and gaming Resources & Links: FATF - Financial Action Task Force VARA - Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority The Fintech Times News &Views Podcast delivers strategic insight into the trends redefining global financial services, with commentary from industry leaders and innovators. Discover more coverage, interviews, research, and partnership opportunities at thefintechtimes.com and follow The Fintech Times across all major social platforms.

Key topics discussed: How family offices and portfolio managers approach risk management during high volatility, especially in gold and silver markets The importance of portfolio diversification amidst global political and economic upheavals The shifting investment landscape from passive to active assets in response to policy changes The rising integration of AI in portfolio management and market analysis The debate over AI's potential to replace human roles in finance and journalism Strategic insights for managing risks in the current global economic climate Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to the importance of market analysis and risk management 00:44 - The role of Forex.com and StoneX Group in connecting global markets 01:11 - Differences in needs between family offices and other investment sectors 01:47 - The impact of recent market trends on risk strategies 02:44 - How market conditions influence diversification and risk mitigation 03:24 - Insights into assets, including digital and traditional assets, in volatile markets 04:03 - The effect of geopolitical shifts on asset classes and investment strategies 05:21 - The trending role of AI in global finance and portfolio management 05:54 - Concerns and opportunities surrounding AI's influence on jobs and markets 06:22 - The human element in finance amidst AI advancements 07:17 - Closing remarks and gratitude Resources & Links: Forex.com StoneX Group AI in Finance - McKinsey Report The Fintech Times News &Views Podcast delivers strategic insight into the trends redefining global financial services, with commentary from industry leaders and innovators. Discover more coverage, interviews, research, and partnership opportunities at thefintechtimes.com and follow The Fintech Times across all major social platforms.