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State regulators are expanding oversight of commercial financing, bringing new licensing, disclosure and consumer-style protections to the small business lending market. In this episode of RegFi, hosts Jerry Buckley and Sherry Safchuk examine the evolving regulatory landscape, including California's latest requirements and their implications for lenders, fintechs and financing providers. They explore challenges surrounding merchant cash advances, factoring, ability-to-repay standards and crypto-backed lending. The conversation also raises a forward-looking question: Could AI-powered agents help small businesses navigate complex financing options more effectively than traditional disclosures? Tune in for insights into the changing rules and future of commercial lending. Links Jerry Buckley Bio Sherry Safchuk Bio RegFi's Sister Podcast, Barefoot Innovation Upcoming AIR Events Upcoming AIR Speaking Engagements

Technology is transforming financial services faster than traditional regulatory processes can adapt. So how can regulation keep pace while preserving the safeguards that protect consumers and the financial system? In this episode of RegFi, Jerry Buckley and Sasha Leonhardt are joined by AIR's Nat Weber to explore adaptive regulation and new approaches to rulemaking. They examine lessons from the Administrative Procedure Act, the CFPB's Section 1033 rulemaking and past alternatives to traditional rulemaking. The conversation considers how collaboration, standards-setting and more adaptive regulatory processes could help create a financial regulatory system built for continuous technological change. Links Nat Weber Bio Jerry Buckley Bio Sasha Leonhardt Bio RegFi's Sister Podcast, Barefoot Innovation Upcoming AIR Events Upcoming AIR Speaking Engagements

When people are forced to cross borders, their identity, education, employment and financial histories may not travel with them. In this episode of RegFi, Jerry Buckley and Sherry Safchuk speak with Civitas ID founder and Chairman Colin Walsh about breaking this "documentation wall." Walsh explains how Civitas ID is developing secure, portable digital credentials that can help displaced people prove who they are and access employment, banking and other essential services. The conversation explores decentralized identity, privacy, KYC requirements and the potential for technology to expand financial inclusion while giving individuals greater control over their credentials. Links From Exclusion to Agency, the Civitas ID technical white paper, 52 pages, September 2026 Civitas ID Colin Walsh on LinkedIn Colin Walsh Bio Jerry Buckley Bio Sherry Safchuk Bio

Public policy moves fast, and the information shaping it is scattered across legislation, regulatory actions, hearings, speeches and countless other sources. Kate Flocken, Co-Founder and CEO of Revere, joins RegFi Co-Hosts Jerry Buckley and Sherry Safchuk to explore how AI can help professionals find the signal in that noise. Kate explains how Revere is building a purpose-built public policy intelligence platform designed to surface relevant developments earlier, provide critical context and help users understand where issues may be heading. They also discuss privacy, human judgment and the broader potential for AI to support better-informed policymaking. Links RegFi Episode 37: Adapting to Change: Fintech's Public Policy Environment Jerry Buckley Bio Sherry Safchuk Bio Kate Flocken on LinkedIn Revere

In her final episode as a RegFi co-host, Caroline Stapleton joins Jerry Buckley, Sasha Leonhardt and Sherry Safchuk to reflect on more than two years of conversations about the changing future of financial regulation. Caroline shares what she sees ahead as regulators respond to AI, automated decision-making and agentic commerce, including the evolving roles of state and federal policymakers. The group also explores questions of trust, authorization and liability as AI agents begin acting on consumers' behalf, along with the growing role of stablecoins, tokenized deposits and blockchain. The episode closes with a personal look back at Caroline's time with RegFi. Links RegFi Episode 107: Agentic AI and the Future of Consumer Finance Jerry Buckley Bio Sherry Safchuk Bio Sasha Leonhardt Bio Caroline Stapleton on LinkedIn

What if regulators could strengthen oversight without writing a new rule? In this episode of RegFi, co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Sasha Leonhardt examine a reported FDIC-backed initiative to create industry-led standards and independent certification for fintechs that partner with banks. They explore how the model could streamline third-party risk management, where its limits lie and whether market adoption could make it durable even without formal regulation. The conversation also looks ahead to agentic AI and asks whether a similar standards-and-certification model could help financial institutions establish trust with AI agents acting on consumers' behalf. Links Jerry Buckley Joins AIR to Focus on Emerging Role of Agentic AI in Consumer Finance Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR) RegFi Episode 107: Agentic AI and the Future of Consumer Finance Jerry Buckley Bio Sasha Leonhardt Bio

AI regulation is taking shape across the U.S. — but states are taking markedly different approaches. In this episode of RegFi, co-hosts Jerry Buckley, Sherry Safchuk and Caroline Stapleton examine AI laws in Colorado, California, Texas and Utah and what they could mean for financial services. They explore requirements around automated decision-making, disclosures and human review, as well as key questions about whether emerging rules apply to AI agents working on behalf of consumers. The conversation also looks ahead to the need for a national framework that supports responsible innovation while helping consumers benefit from AI-powered financial tools. Links Jerry Buckley Joins AIR to Focus on Emerging Role of Agentic AI in Consumer Finance Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR) RegFi Episode 107: Agentic AI and the Future of Consumer Finance Jerry Buckley Bio Sherry Safchuk Bio Caroline Stapleton Bio

RegFi begins a new chapter at the Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR) with a conversation about the future of consumer finance. Jerry Buckley and co-host Sherry Safchuk join AIR Co-founder and CEO Jo Ann Barefoot to explore how agentic AI could help consumers protect their digital identities, counter increasingly sophisticated scams and make better financial decisions. They also examine the regulatory frameworks, privacy protections and industry collaboration needed to introduce these tools responsibly. The discussion considers how AI agents could reduce information imbalances, improve financial products and modernize a consumer protection system built for a different technological era. Links Jerry Buckley Joins AIR to Focus on Emerging Role of Agentic AI in Consumer Finance Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR) RegFi Episode 61: Reimagining Financial Regulation for the Digital Age RegFi Episode 6: Modernizing Financial Regulation with Jo Ann Barefoot Jo Ann Barefoot Bio Jerry Buckley Bio Sherry Safchuk Bio RegFi is now produced and published by the Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR).

Steve Boms, Executive Director of FDATA North America, joins RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Sherry Safchuk to examine the evolving public policy framework governing consumer financial data. Building on the history of open banking and consumer-permissioned data sharing, they discuss the future of the CFPB's Section 1033 rule, the ongoing debate over data access fees, and the operational, competitive and consumer protection issues that will shape the next phase of implementation. The conversation also offers a preview of FDATA's forthcoming policy report on agentic AI and financial services, examining how existing regulatory and fiduciary frameworks may apply as AI evolves from providing financial recommendations to acting as a consumer's agent. They also discuss the implications for data privacy, cybersecurity, liability and consumer protection, and explore how policymakers can support innovation while preserving consumer trust in an increasingly AI-driven financial system. Links: Financial Data Technology Association (FDATA) Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory RegFiPodcast.com

Orrick partner Joseph Kolar joins RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Caroline Stapleton to discuss the Executive Order on Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit and the regulatory reforms it could set in motion across the mortgage industry. The conversation examines proposals to reduce mortgage origination costs, streamline TRID disclosure requirements, modernize servicing and appraisal rules, and encourage greater participation by banks and community lenders. They also explore the CFPB's authority to tailor, exempt and revise regulatory requirements under TILA and RESPA, and how emerging technologies, including AI, could reshape the mortgage lending process while preserving consumer protections. Links: Executive Order: Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory RegFiPodcast.com

Federal banking regulators have signaled a renewed openness to de novo bank applications, creating new opportunities for fintechs evaluating whether becoming a regulated financial institution aligns with their long-term strategy. In the latest episode of RegFi, Jerry Buckley, Caroline Stapleton and Nathaniel Reisenburg discuss what it takes to secure a bank charter in today's environment. They examine regulator expectations around capital, governance, management experience and operational readiness, along with the strategic considerations fintechs and their investors should weigh when deciding whether the benefits of a charter outweigh the costs and constraints. Links: RegFi Ep103: Why More Fintechs Are Pursuing Bank Charters Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory RegFiPodcast.com

American Fintech Council Chief Policy Officer Ian Moloney joins RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Sherry Safchuk to examine why a growing number of fintech companies are pursuing bank charters. They discuss the evolution of bank-fintech partnerships, the factors driving renewed charter activity, and the business, regulatory and operational considerations fintechs must weigh when deciding whether to become regulated financial institutions. The conversation explores chartering pathways, access to deposits and the payments system, and the implications of state and federal regulatory developments. The group also consider how recent policy developments aimed at promoting financial innovation and competition may influence the future of bank chartering and the fintech ecosystem. Links: American Fintech Council Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory RegFiPodcast.com

John Coleman, Orrick Partner and former CFPB Deputy General Counsel, joins RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Caroline Stapleton to examine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's authority to interpret, tailor and exempt requirements under the consumer financial protection laws within its jurisdiction. Prompted by the May 19 Executive Order directing federal financial regulators to modernize financial services regulation, they discuss the CFPB's broad rulemaking powers under the Dodd-Frank Act and other federal consumer protection statutes. The conversation explores the Bureau's ability to create exemptions, authorize trial disclosure programs and adapt regulatory requirements to evolving technologies, as well as whether existing authorities could be used to improve consumer disclosures in an increasingly digital marketplace. Links: "Integrating Financial Technology Innovation into Regulatory Framework" (Executive Order, May 19, 2026) Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory Practice RegFiPodcast.com

Orrick partners Dan Ullman and Ben Hutten join RegFi co-hosts Jerry Buckley and Sasha Leonhardt to examine the mechanics of tokenized deposits and the evolving regulatory framework surrounding digital payments. They discuss the FDIC's proposed treatment of tokenized deposits under the GENIUS Act, the infrastructure banks would need to support tokenized payment systems, interoperability challenges, and the implications for liquidity, compliance and financial crime monitoring. The conversation also explores how tokenized deposits may develop alongside stablecoins in the broader digital asset ecosystem. Links: RegFi Ep. 98: Tokenized Deposits and the Evolving Structure of Digital Currency Orrick Blockchain & Digital Assets Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory Practice RegFiPodcast.com

Marking RegFi's 100th episode, co-hosts Jerry Buckley, Sasha Leonhardt, Sherry Safchuk, and Caroline Stapleton revisit the thesis on which they launched the podcast in October 2023: that financial regulation, driven by technology, will change more in the next 10 years than it has over the previous 50. When RegFi launched, generative AI was less than a year old, agentic AI was still on the horizon, the GENIUS Act had yet to be written, prediction markets were in their infancy, state privacy legislation was still evolving, the Section 1033 rule had not yet been proposed, and the CFPB itself was a very different agency than it is today. Reflecting on the rapid developments of the past two and a half years, the pace of change is only accelerating — requiring regulators to embrace new technology-enabled approaches in a world where agentic AI may transform the delivery of financial services, quantum computing is drawing nearer, data security and fraud threats are intensifying, and new entrants continue to reshape the financial services marketplace. Links: Orrick Financial & Fintech Advisory Practice RegFiPodcast.com