Explore every episode of the podcast Breaking Banks

This week on Breaking Banks, host Brett King takes us to Shanghai for a riveting discussion with Jason Cao, CEO of Huawei's Global Financial Services competency. In this eye-opening episode, they uncover how China is shaping the future with AI—not as a mere tool for profit, but as core infrastructure driving the world's fastest-growing economy. Discover why GenFi LLMs (Generational Financial Language Models) don’t exist yet—and what’s holding AI like ChatGPT back from transforming banking as we know it. Explore how China’s unique approach to technology infrastructure is setting them apart from the West, with Huawei leading the charge in algorithmic advancements. But here’s the billion-dollar question: as China forges ahead in creating a Smart Economy of the Future, can the U.S. even compete? The stakes are higher than ever. Tune in for a conversation that could redefine the future of global finance and AI dominance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCqmVDiKms4

In This Episode Strong partnerships and value creation can make even solid companies better! Serving over 80% of the top digital payment and neobank fintechs on the CNBC Global Fintech list, Mastercard takes a collaborative approach to innovation. By viewing fintechs as true partners—and bringing data insights, market expertise, and solutions to the table—Mastercard helps fintechs scale by unlocking new opportunities and driving smarter decisions for better outcomes. In today’s episode, Brett King connects with Jenique McNaught, Mastercard’s Senior Principal, Advisors & Consulting Services, UK & Ireland, and Revolut’s Fiona Davies – Head of Growth UK, Ireland & Nordics. Together, they discuss important market dynamics and the trends they see in the regions they cover. One big takeaway is how customers want to have a meaningful relationship with their financial services provider. Trust is more than just a cool factor, it is earned through a solid track record of picking the right partner and interacting with customers in their preferred manner. Everywhere, customers are embracing innovative fintech solutions that embrace convenience and meet their changing needs, with many consumers multi-banked. The trio then dive into Mastercard and Revolut’s exciting partnership and spotlight Revolut’s incredible growth story.Marking a major milestone -- 50M customers in less than 10 years—Revolut is celebrating and sharing its success with “Revolutionaries,” a one-of-a-kind two-day experiential event for Revolut customers, highlighting revolutionary figures who have challenged norms and pushed boundaries. Then, the latest on bitcoin...Bitcoin has seen a 42% increase in price in just the past month, lots of crypto is up. Listen as Brett King and Henri Arslanian, author, industry expert and speaker, share thoughts on the election impact on #bitcoin and #crypto markets. Hear about this and more in this engaging and dynamic episode! ******************************************************************Interested in learning more about how Mastercard Services can help you innovate? Explore https://go.mastercardservices.com/fintech For more about Revolut and the Revolutionaries:https://www.wired.com/sponsored/story/the-revolutionaries/

In This Episode We kick off with a crossover segment featuring Fintech Takes host and fintech insider Alex Johnson, who joins Jason to break down major themes from Money20/20 2024. Together, they explore the hot topics shaping fintech right now: bank-fintech partnerships, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), open banking (1033), and the evolving role of AI. Alex shares highlights from his on-stage interview with CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, where they discussed the finalized 1033 rule, the ongoing legal pushback from big banks, third-party risk management, and new BaaS standards aimed at creating more balanced partnerships. The duo also dives into the rapid-fire world of AI. Is it all just hype, or are we approaching real innovation? With regulation on the rise, there’s a lot for the industry to figure out—standards, safeguards, and perhaps even a looming digital divide. Finally, Jason wraps things up with a lively chat with Mary Wisniewski, Editor-at-Large for Cornerstone Advisors. They discuss financial therapy, Mary’s perspective on the latest 1033 updates, and even squeeze in a bit of Texas Hill Country fun. Hit play and join us for a packed episode! https://youtu.be/ZPQWCMOHOWI

In This Episode How can merchants take control of their finances and fuel growth directly through their commerce platform? This week, Shopify unveils Shopify Finance, a powerful new hub that unifies financial tools for merchants directly within the Shopify admin and mobile app. In this episode of Breaking Banks, Brett King sits down with Vikram Anreddy, Head of Product, Financial Services for Shopify, to break down how Shopify Finance empowers merchants to manage their business, cash flow, and make strategic decisions on-the-go. From Shopify Capital, offering flexible growth loans for merchants and lower costs for faster repayment, to Shopify Balance and Bill Pay for better cash management, Shopify Finance brings a comprehensive suite of tools to merchants. With Shopify Credit—a Visa card with 3% cashback on business purchases—and Shopify Tax for simplified tax compliance, this hub offers a complete view of financial health anytime, anywhere. Good things in store! ********Define your career in fintech with a Masters of Science in Fintech, NYU SternTo learn more stern.nyu.edu/MSFT-BreakingBanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap3B6S1m0Gs

In This Episode This week, we’re shining a spotlight on our sister podcast, Breaking Banks Europe, as they celebrate their 250th episode! Host Matteo Rizzi marks the milestone by reflecting on five incredible years and 500 unique guests. He’s joined by six of the show’s hosts for an engaging conversation on what fintech means to them, each summing up the past 15 years with a single word. From culture (which shapes fintech’s future) to strategy (the key to success), and foresight (looking ahead at how fintech is evolving), these hosts dive deep into the industry. They also explore the possibilities found in challenges, the rollercoaster ride that is fintech, inclusion in emerging markets, and the crucial role of talent and upskilling.Join us as we celebrate the show’s favorite moments and raise a toast to five more years of exploring what fintech means. Don’t miss out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfu10WzZsx4

In This Episode This week cohosts Brett King and Jason Henrichs have a far reaching conversation, tapping into guest expertise on all things open banking and digital finance. John Pitts, Global Head of Policy at Plaid, Christy Sunquist, Head of Open Finance at Plaid, and Cameron Taylor, Chief Product Officer at Ninth Wave join Jason and Brett as they dive into topics from international open banking and the standards that we can expect out of open banking in the U.S., to how Plaid and Ninth Wave are partnering to assist financial institutions ahead of the rulemaking here in the States. Plaid recently announced their Gateway Partner Program, which gives financial institutions a way to streamline their integrations ahead of open banking requirements, to make it easier for financial institutions to choose an approach that works for their unique needs as they enable open banking. Ninth Wave is Plaid’s inaugural partner for the Gateway Program, and will support financial institutions who want to simplify their API integrations while ensuring their customers have access to the thousands of apps and services in the Plaid network. Together, Plaid and Ninth Wave are solving open banking requirements for financial institutions who may be at varying stages of preparedness. Hear about this and much more on this episode of Breaking Banks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CstYX_XLZn0

In This Episode The Fed just cut rates. The 50-basis point cut was welcome news for many financial institutions, but the pressures the industry faces are not going away. In fact, rate cuts may mask the underlying changes going on. In our first segment, Jason Henrichs connects with Lake Michigan Credit Union's EVP, Chief Lending and Experience Officer, Eric Burgoon and James White, General Manager, Banking at Total Expert talk about the future of banking. Customers are always in search of highest yield and the best terms. It's easier than ever to move money and customers have options. Institutions need to be reliable, relatable and credible. To do that institutions need an overarching organizational strategy and data to drive personalized products. Where can you find everyone from the collective world of money? Vegas of course, October 27-30! To provide insight into Money 20/20 2024 and this year's money and fintech story, Chief Strategy Officer Scarlett Sieber and Zach Anderson Pettet, VP of Global Fintech Strategy, connect with Brett King to talk about the conference and the dynamics as they see it shaping financial services. Keynotes from industry experts and rising stars lead the agenda with sessions on open banking, AI, borderless payments, embedded finance, fraud, policy & regulation and of course, they've built in lots of fun...no spoiler alerts here! If you are headed to Vegas, join us for the Fintech Luminaires reception. You can apply for an invitation with this link: https://lu.ma/p0zcx7ki See you in Vegas!! https://youtu.be/3lIHDhzVfnU

In This Episode AI is simultaneously taking over the world and disappointing in it’s ability to take over the world depending on the publication you read. No doubt we are in the first innings. Today Derek Higginbotham, CEO of First Electronic Bank, Matt Bochenek CEO of Avant and John Sun, CEO of Spring Labs, and Jason Henrichs talk about why everyone needs to be getting up to bat with AI, no matter the size of institution you work for. Spring Labs AI Native Banking and Fintech conference is next week and has a powerhouse lineup. Register at conferences.springlabs.com and use code SpringLabsXBreakingBanks for a discount. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=untcDneZ6Rw

In This Episode Globetrotter and Host Brett King shares banking news and investment conversations from around the world We start today's podcast on banking with Brett's one on one discussion on tech in Thailand with Dr. Supachai Kid Parchariyanon. Dr. Kid is CEO and Co-Founder of consulting company Rise, and managing partner for SeaX Ventures, a Thai venture capital firm with presence in Silicon Valley. Rise’s company goal is to drive 1% of the GDP in Thailand as well as reduce 1% of carbon emissions in all of Southeast Asia. Earlier in his career, Dr. Kid was a key figure responsible for bringing the social media app Twitter (now known as X) to Thailand, it was a technical challenge, and one that had legal barriers as well. Later, he and his team were also able to code software for the Nokia phone, creating in his words a “Robin Hood-like app” for Thailand. He speaks to us today about the Thai tech scene, what's happening in fintech and the VC world, and specifically what's helping drive the Thai economy -- from fintech to health tourism to the Thai lifestyle movement and digital nomad visas, the conversation is wide-ranging as this small country slowly recovers from covid and faces demographic headwinds. With an aging society they are looking to attract new talent and people to the country, collaborate not compete and expand investment in deep tech, AI, agritech, medical, and tourism tech. Then, from the 24 Fintech Conference in Saudi Arabia, Brett introduces us to Saudi Arabia's Barq, making headlines around the region and other parts of the world, as he sits down with its Chief Business Officer, Saad Almuhana. Barq is the newest and fastest growing private wallet and challenger bank in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and potentially the world, having garnered 1.5M customers in 35 days -- having hit the amazing milestone of 1M customers in 21 days. In Saudi Arabia, younger people represent 70% of the population, tech savvy, mobile banking is very successful in the Kingdom with mobile penetration off the charts. Consumer appetite is high for help with finances in a quick manner. Remittance is a big part of Barq's offering, assuring customers that the optimal rail is selected at the right time for payment transactions. The journey started August 2024 with an EMI license (e-money), expansion plans are already in the works. In their second month, Barq is enhancing service offerings through multiple partnerships and hoping to hit 2M customers. If the evolution of the fintech is such, they have the option to upgrade to a full bank. It's an interesting and unique journey, one of incredible growth. But......one last thing before you listen to the latest episode of our financial podcast,,,,you know what season it is? Not just pumpkin spice, it's conference season and there is a new show to add to your list. The AI-Native Banking & Fintech Conference is happening October 7 in Salt Lake City and Breaking Banks is proud to be a media partner. Our listeners get a 20% discount when they register at conference.springlabs.com and use the code SpringLabsXBreakingBanks. They have an outstanding set of speakers and this is not to be missed. Once again, you have the link http://conference.springlabs.com and the code is: SpringLabsXBreakingBanks, don't forget to claim your discount! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZNxqyOfV6M

In This Episode Warning: Extra spice added -- new sauces and participants! The stream of consent orders against banks that offer BaaS continues. Fintech partner banks drew 1/3 of all formal enforcement orders by federal banking agencies in the 4th quarter of 2023, that's quite a bit when you consider that fintech partner banks only account for roughly 3% of all U.S. banks. BaaS is here to stay -- it's a great way for community banks to grow, big banks are already on board and will do more, and entrepreneurs will want to continue to create better banking experiences which means they'll need to partner with banks. Jason Henrichs brings you our latest Hot Takes with regulars Kiah Haslett, Bank Director; Alex Johnson, Fintech Takes; and Jason Mikula, Fintech Business Weekly, as they are joined by Barb MacLean, SVP, Head of Tech Operations & Implementation, Coastal Community Bank and Allen Denson, Partner, Litigation, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP.  The flaming hot panel discusses why BaaS is facing regulatory headwinds, what banks should do, and how the North Star needs to be a BaaS solution that provides the optimal blend of technology and compliance, all while having some fun. From the stage of FinovateFall we bring you this episode of Breaking Banks. https://youtu.be/Fk01H61HlJc

In This Episode It's a mashup between Breaking Banks and Dave and Dharm Demystify, a podcast that takes you on a journey through the ever evolving world of fintech and digital finance. In this episode triple hosts, Brett King, Dave Wallace and Dharmesh Mistry offer thought provoking discussion and insights, covering off the fintech movement and relevancy in this new state of banking. Integration is key in the new world order. Special shout out to JPMorgan Chase for all they are doing. What will the banking experience look like in the future? When Q-Day comes there will be radical transparency, get those strategies in place. Join the discussion, weigh in, share your thoughts and feedback! https://youtu.be/CxtFxiEE27Y

In This Episode In this week's episode of Breaking Banks we bring you the next feature in our Killing It series as host Jason Henrichs connects with Ohad Samet, Co-Founder and CEO of TrueAccord. Several calls from unknown numbers and one unpleasant conversation about a forgotten credit card with a relatively small balance was the impetus for Ohad to reimagine the debt collection process and the genesis of TrueAccord. Prior experience as the Chief Risk Officer of Klarna, a European payments company, and experience with other start-ups in the area of risk and analytics served him well. Development is an upward spiral and founding a company (companies actually) involves a lot of self-expression and is often less about the money and more about what you want to do. At some point, though, you may need to fire yourself. Another candid and enlightening conversation in the series with relevance for all. https://youtu.be/Ev2DwaPJh-o

In This Episode The FDIC recently issued a proposed rule change on how brokered deposits are treated. This isn't so much a proposed change but a rollback. A roll way back. Way back to 1989 when the original brokered deposit rule was written. As Jason Mikula points out, that's when Taylor Swift was born. Jason M, Alex Johnson, Kiah Haslett and Alex Barrage of Troutman Pepper have some hot takes with Jason Henrichs on how the business of banking has changed through the eras and the implications for the future. Also, the views expressed are those of the individuals and not their respective employers - the lawyers made us add that. https://youtu.be/yW6m7yCif-A

In This Episode Opening doors to high-potential fintech startups that share a mission to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible has been a goal of Mastercard's with the founding of Start Path in 2014. Since its inception the program has helped over 430 startups in 57 countries. With partnership in its DNA, Start Path is helping define how the company innovates for the future and creates meaningful, sustainable impact for society. Working with players large and small, Mastercard is helping fintechs push the boundaries of what's possible, to foster innovation, expand access and ensure trust. This symbiotic relationship helps the partners innovate at scale and, together, change the game for the wider commerce ecosystem. In this episode, Brett King connects with Sabrina Tharani, SVP, Global Fintech Programs at Mastercard and Jordan Wright, Co-Founder & CEO of Atomic Financial, a leader in payroll and merchant connectivity solutions, and a member of the Mastercard Start Path Open Banking program. Listen as they discuss Start Path and how their commercial partnership is enabling consumers to automatically switch their direct deposits and update recurring bill payments. A secure, seamless online banking experience through Mastercard Open Banking, solutions delivered in partnership with Atomic, ultimately helping drive account primacy for financial institutions. As fintechs look to build, launch and grow their business, Mastercard is helping drive smarter decisions for better outcomes across the payments ecosystem. Interested in joining Mastercard Start Path? Click here to learn more about the programs and apply online. https://youtu.be/hw7GjWWjtwI

In This Episode Consent orders are dropping with increasing frequency. Historically consent orders were viewed as failing grades. It's no surprise that bankers are a breed that don’t respond well to failing grades, it is the credit mentality around loss avoidance that leads to an overly developed risk-mitigation culture. Doing new things, by definition, requires taking on risk at some level. In this episode, Jason Henrichs is joined by guests Gilles Gade, Founder & CEO, Cross River Bank, Phil Goldfeder, CEO, American Fintech Council, Clayton Mitchell, Managing Principal, Fintech, and Mandi Simpson, Partner, Accounting Advisory & Finance Transformation Leader at Crowe as they dive into the critical topic of organizational resilience for banks in the wake of receiving a regulatory consent order. Together they explore how financial institutions can not only comply with regulatory requirements but also use this challenge as an opportunity to strengthen their operations and culture. Spoiler Alert: Lots of great quotes in this episode! https://youtu.be/YJRPtez0pU0

In This Episode Digital banking is reshaping market share. All the fastest growing banks these days are fintechs.  After a three year battle, fintech challenger Revolut has provisionally secured a UK Banking License. With this, Revolut can now represent themselves as a bank, having the rights and obligations of a chartered financial institution in the UK. Revolut already had a license in the EU but the UK license could help with entry into the US. With 45M customers, revenue over $2B and profitable, they are making a mark for themselves. Listen as hosts Brett King and JP Nicols share their take on the news and implications for the industry. Then, it's Tyme....TymeBank, South Africa's (and the African continent's) most successful challenger bank aimed at the lower income market. Listen as Co-Founder, Coen Jonker, speaks with Brett to share Tyme's origin story and progress. Tyme is challenging the notion of how neos might work in this space. It began with BaaS and several years later, 2019, TymeBank launched in South Africa (SA). Launching during CoVid taught Tyme (Take Your Money Everywhere) to build an anti-fragile business.One of three banks since 2000 to have been granted a SA banking license, TymeBank uses a phygital operating model to work towards it's goal of financial inclusion and democratizing access to banking. In 2022 they expanded to the Philippines, GoTyme, and now, Vietnam. Via digital kiosks for onboarding in physical retail stores -- you can open an account in 3 - 5 minutes and be issued a debit card -- they are building trust and educating customers, integrating banking into the shopping proposition. TymeBank is in it for the long game. https://youtu.be/9tKswSs2SaY

In This Episode Another thrilling episode of Breaking Banks' special series Killing It!. Host Jason Henrichs connects with fintech superstar, dare we say fintech Olympian (Paris 2024!), Bill Harris, industry veteran, founder of 10+ tech and fintech companies, author, and current Founder & CEO of Evergreen Money. Together Jason and Bill look back at Bill's career to date, the different companies, the lessons learned and the tough calls made. Among those hard decisions, the need, at times, to avoid prolonging a failing venture and the need to conserve resources. It's a race to the finish where Bill shares details about his latest endeavor. https://youtu.be/zh-rAm6t_DY

In This Episode Integration is a team sport these days. There is a need for constant adaptation and innovation, it can be complex and expensive, a lack of standards in the U.S. has introduced a lot of competing standards and solutions challenging business and consumer adoption. Partnerships and tighter focus can be key to bringing down cost to exchange funds and complement the current payments system with $80 Trillion processed on the ACH system in 2023, $55 Trillion of it B2B payments. Listen as Brett King catches up with Dwolla's CEO, David Glaser and CTO, Skyler Nesheim. Dwolla was first featured on Breaking Banks back in 2013, they bring us up to date on the innovative interfaces that Dwolla offers to the US banking system and their ability to work with innovators of all sizes. It's an interesting discussion covering RTP payments, open banking, pay by bank, connections to the ACH Network and RTP Network for institutions of all sizes. Then Jason Henrichs chats with veteran financial services executive, founder & CEO Sanjib Kalita, about fintech events from Money 20/20 to Fintech Meetup and beyond. From best practices to the need to create the right culture and maximize the value of content and improve ROT (Return on Time), differentiation is important as is contributing to greater knowledge. Are there too many events? It's a master class in events! https://youtu.be/PaD1IcU4NxU

In This Episode Deposits are the aqua vitae of banking, the water of life. The very core of the traditional banking business model is gathering deposits at no to low-cost and lending the money back out at higher rates. Bankers used to reference the “3-6-3 Rule”: bring in deposits at 3%, make loans at 6%, and be out on the golf course by 3:00PM. Money is the primary raw material in the business of banking. The difference between what financial institutions pay for that raw material is subtracted from what they earn from lending it out right at the very top of their income statements. That difference is net interest income, and it is the largest component of earnings for virtually every bank. As much as 95% or more for some. Expressed as a ratio, the net interest margin or NIM is a key metric in measuring bank performance, and it’s been under considerable pressure lately. The traditional levers have been trying to lower deposit rates and raise loan rates, and hope you don’t lose too much volume. As the business has become more complex, so have the tools and strategies to reduce that pressure. Today we get into some of the hidden levers that banks are using to add non-rate value, one focus is SBA lending. How new approaches and new technology is expanding the market for banks large and small, and also for fintechs; and how the secondary market is helping to improve liquidity and improve NIM. Joining host JP Nicols in this episode are Steve Tanzer and Joel Updegraff, both Managing Directors at Brean Capital. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOZCuKPrBcY

In This Episode This Breaking Banks episode's Killing It guest went from software engineer to investment banker to founder of a community supporting the next generation of fintech founders to adviser then founder of the fintech team at Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z) and now solo venture fund founder in the fintech space investing at the angel, pre-seed and seed stage. Meet Rex Salisbury, founder Cambrian Ventures, backing early-stage companies, as he shares his journey and founder stories -- his path, motivation and the support that ultimately led him to being a solo fund founder after clearly being bitten by the fintech bug. He shares thoughts on putting talents and strengths to good use, creative destruction and how to think about failure to get you where you want and ought to be. In short, he's killing it! https://youtu.be/v8MC6xGc_lo

In This Episode Soft landings are a topic of hot conversation these days. The go-go days where you can always raise another round are gone. The ecosystem is littered with companies with little product market fit, less revenue and even less runway. Many of these are looking for a soft spot to land. Unfortunately M&A is hard in the best of times and many fintechs are now looking to banks as a potential exit. In the first half of today's show, Jason Zaler, partner at Oliver Wyman, joins Jason Henrichs to discuss Oliver Wyman's  new report on bank fintech M&A. In the second half,  Robert Antoniades, General Partner at Information Venture Partners, and Jason H talk about 3 decades of venture cycles and M&A more broadly including strategies for big banks, community banks, fintechs and even VCs. https://youtu.be/1e5Vtj3fiEQ

In This Episode Come for the expert views on how the Synapse bankruptcy has led to regulatory consent orders for three banks (so far), stay to find out what happens when two regulatory lawyers and a self-declared ‘bank nerd’ editor break down the issues and the lessons for the rest of the industry. Matt Janiga from Trustly, Jesse Silverman from Troutman Pepper, and Kiah Haslett from Bank Director dive deep into what went wrong on the bank side, and what banks need to do to avoid a similar fate. Jesse has ideas for a better regulatory system, and says banks need to think beyond disclosures. Matt says banks need to step up their AML/BSA compliance systems and not try to do too much at once. Kiah gives a little history lesson and goes on a rant about how much of banks’ risk management systems are anything but. Everyone agrees with JP that banks keep stumbling over well-known issues, and that the risks of inaction are too big to ignore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC4LF19DAfs

In This Episode It's a Breaking Banks and Finovate collab! Fresh off of FinovateSpring hosts JP Nicols, Greg Palmer and Brett King talk trends, takeaways and best of show; bringing the best to you in this episode. If you missed FinovateSpring, enjoy the recap and themes, and some of the best fintech innovations covering artificial intelligence, open banking, future payments, CX and more. With new market entrants and the loosening of capital, creativity is coming back into the ecosystem, and the bar is being raised, pushing everyone forward. We also introduce you to one of FinovateSpring's Best of Show winners, Maya Mikhailov, SAVVI AI, Founder & CEO. Meeting users where they are, SAVVI AI offers a powerful AI tool to unlock data and make finserv and fintech goal driven AI use cases easier, distilling data natively into excel, to offer insights for institutions on new product offerings to benefit customers and business. In the coming weeks, tune into sister podcast Finovate for profiles, a deep dive and one-on-ones with all FinovateSpring 'Best of Show' winners: Bloom Credit, Remynt, Kobalt Labs, QuickFi, SAVVI AI, Cascading AI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZUWot-48E8

In This Episode Jake Gibson, former investment banker, entrepreneur / co-founder NerdWallet, angel investor, now VC founder Better Tomorrow Ventures, who crossed career paths with host Jason Henrichs 10+ years ago, have an honest discussion about the twists and turns of co-founding a boot-strapping start-up particularly when you are young, on to something and quickly have to figure everything out. After years of hard work and being all-in, tough decisions needed to be made as NerdWallet continued to grow quickly. Jake knew it was time to move on, but so hard to do. The arrival of twins and focus on strengths, honesty, lessons learned, and giving advice to others in similar situations, helped Jake figure his calling and path forward, and has enabled him to keep many 'cards in his wallet'.  https://youtu.be/aQnekFgirVU

In This Episode There's more to episode 543 -- Killing It: The Story Behind the Synapse Story -- right here! The Synapse saga continues but we make it easy to stay current and benefit from expert analysis as host Jason Henrichs unpacks the latest news with Jason Mikula, publisher of Fintech Business Weekly. The two are watching the topic closely, offering insight into what it all means, from a Chapter 11 Trustee, to new account and financial resilience concerns, FDIC insurance disclosure, challenges and regulation not to mention potential risks and implications for banking and fintech. A takeaway from it all, the importance of regulation in promoting responsible innovation. https://youtu.be/JrbIignFP64

In This Episode In this episode Jason Henrichs and Kiah Haslett, Bank Director's Banking and Fintech Editor riff on FBO (For Benefit Of) accounts, implications for banks, banking as a service and the future of fintech. Then, Jason connects with Paul Davis, Founder, The Bank Slate about fintech partnerships, future landscape, consent orders and AI in banking. https://youtu.be/403ajB3n9mo

In This Episode In this episode Brett King catches up with Ali Paterson, Editor-in-Chief, FF News about ... fintech and banking! Having been part of the architecture, or rather furniture, of the industry for many years, these two leaders, writers and influencers look at fintech -- through rearview mirrors and what's on the road ahead -- in a lighthearted discussion from respective vantage points. There are standout moments (does anyone remember the literal payments race?), personalities, culture, and some favorite stories. https://youtu.be/MEpeF1Wp2uY

In This Episode Brett King connects with industry leaders and influencers Joao Bezerra Leite, 2W Ecobank and former CTO, Banco Itau, and Bruno Diniz, fintech advisor, author, professor, speaker and top 10 influencer in Ibero America for another engaging episode of Breaking Banks about the fintech / payments boom in Brazil and Latin America. The trio focus on several success stories to include Pix pay; NuBank, the reasons NuBank has been so successful; Creditas, and other companies to watch. Can these successes be replicated elsewhere? How might the market react if / when NuBank becomes the largest market cap bank in LatAm? These are just some of the questions the industry veterans tackle in this episode. https://youtu.be/0sMFejq_TQk

In This Episode It's another engaging episode from Breaking Banks' new series, Killing It. Host Jason Henrichs shares a candid conversation with Sankaet Pathak, Synapse CEO and Co-Founder, about Synapse's just completed, very public bankruptcy and acquisition that came with highly opinionated social media commentary. Listen as Sankaet shares his personal story as well as a behind the scenes narrative of Synapse's journey, the challenges faced, and what ultimately brought him to the decision to kill Synapse as a stand-alone entity. Sequencing is important. https://youtu.be/tkIwAiaI2dA Full Show Transcription [00:00:00] Welcome to Breaking Banks. The number one. Killing it. Killing it. There's often a story behind this story. The explosion of social media, private Slack and WhatsApp groups, newsletters, make it difficult not only to decipher fact, but even put together a cohesive story. Synapse is just completing a very public bankruptcy and acquisition with highly opinionated social media commentary. Sankat Pathak, Synapse's founder and CEO, joins me on this episode to share his side of the story and the journey that brought him to the decision to kill Synapse as a standalone entity. Well, thanks for agreeing to have a difficult if not painful conversation about the last chapters of Synapse's journey as a standalone entity. [00:01:00] Building in public is hard and, you know, finding a soft landing is admirable and difficult enough without public commentary. I guess I should be thankful Twitter didn't have the reach and vitriol in 2014 when we like tried to crash land, you know, Perk Street, same maneuver. I sometimes tell people it's like, we landed the plane. People were definitely on fire. But no one died, right? Um, I'm going to start with, you know, there are some of the experts on X saying, you know, all sorts of things, here's what went wrong. Why don't we start with, what are people getting wrong about the narrative in what transpired with Synapse and the TabaPay acquisition? I think the biggest thing that people don't realize is that We didn't file for bankruptcy, and then somebody bought our assets. Uh, we filed for Chapter 11 because that's what Tapupe wanted, uh, as a safe way to be able to acquire the [00:02:00] asset. Um, because of all the noise around the company, specifically with one of our, uh, Ex customers. Um, uh, It starts with a capital M, maybe? Yeah, Mercury. Yeah. Yeah. Um, that was the core of the reason, but I think a lot of people, uh, and again, like on Twitter, I think the mob mentality is vicious and it's fine. Um, uh, sometimes it's fun. Mostly it's painful, but that's okay. Um, their whole narrative was bankrupt Synapse has its Assets being acquired by TabaPay, but it's kind of the opposite. It's more so the liability piece and sequencing is important, but that's the piece that people missed. Yeah, well, I mean you did have two million dollars of cash still on the balance sheet It's not like you were out of runway, you know There are other maneuvers that you could have executed and I don't think that people really understand That asset purchase agreements are the way that a lot of tech companies are acquired [00:03:00] Just because the acquirers don't want any lurking, you know, calm the iceberg liabilities that you don't even know what they are. And you have some that are above the surface, let alone below the surface, not lurking there in court papers that that's actually way more common to do an asset purchase than people would think. Not always bankruptcy. Right. Yeah. Um, but I think that's an important part of the narrative. Anything else that you'd add that you're like, they're just getting that it's wrong. Well, I think, uh, the piece that people don't ask is why did have to, uh, why did we even have to sell? Yeah. Um, and what is the reason, because of which Synapse had to sell? Is it the market? Is it the bank partners? Is it customer churn?

In This Episode Pay by bank is gaining momentum in the U.S., it's a natural evolution of how we pay with funds from our bank accounts. What will it take to get more people to use it and what about readiness for different use cases? Listen as host Brett King, Eric Sager, Plaid's COO and Trevor Nies, Adyen's SVP, Global Head of Digital discuss the state of pay by bank, what is driving it in the U.S., the value it delivers, the next segments to adopt, and how key challenges are being overcome to make it good for consumers and for businesses. Will we start seeing pay-by-bank in everyday e-commerce experiences? Listen to our latest episode of Breaking Banks to find out! https://youtu.be/HDybRTh0mmE

In This Episode Embedded banking is reshaping the industry for those with the right approach. To succeed, banks of all sizes will need a strategy, tools, and technology. Listen as host Brett King connects with Booshan Rengachari, CEO of Finzly, pioneering provider of modern money movement systems to financial institutions, as they uncover the opportunities and keys to success in embedded banking. Attract more corporate banking customers with new advanced features, learn how to handle KYC & KYCC compliance for fintech partnerships, and how open APIs, virtual accounts and ISO 20022 nativity enable embedded banking.

In This Episode Todays’ Breaking Banks spotlights sister podcast Finovate, featuring host Greg Palmer’s recent interviews on the Future of Real-Time Payments with The Clearing House's, Jim Colassano, SVP Product Development & Strategy and a new report on Cost of Living, Lending and Insights from Tink with Jack Spiers, Banking & Lending Director, UK & Ireland. Finovate Spring is around the corner, May 21 - 23, 2024 in San Francisco, CA. Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yIeYTZbXpQ

In This Episode This week on Breaking Banks, we feature an episode from sister podcast EMERGE Everywhere. Is artificial intelligence the key to providing personalized financial advice for all? While companies like Credit Karma are tapping into AI’s vast potential to help customers manage their money, the technology also raises weighty questions about how to use it responsibly. In this episode, Jennifer Tescher, host of EMERGE Everywhere speaks with Credit Karma CEO Ken Lin about how the company has embedded AI into its solutions, the biggest opportunities and challenges right now, and what an AI-enabled future might look like.

In this Episode This week, Jason Henrich connects with Mary Wisniewski to talk about her new podcast, Money Isn't Everything, which will explore unconventional ideas and strategies within the financial services sector.  In her biweekly podcast Mary will tap into her passion for uncovering counterintuitive concepts, sharing stories and looking at complexities, gaps and opportunities in our market with focus on the role banks and credit unions play in driving and improving outcomes, The first episode of Money Isn't Everything airs 4/18, catch it on Apple, Spotify or the Cornerstone Advisors website. https://youtu.be/3PsqPUDBmO8

In This Episode Giving credit when credit is due is always appreciated and a good thing to do. In this case, it is also a solid base for a fintech, one that is socially responsible and financially inclusive. Meet Kashable's Co-Founder and CEO, Einat Steklov, as she speaks with host Brett King about Kashable making its mark in financial services with low cost loans for employees, those with low or no credit scores. With its data models and ability to create new risk profiles and open up access to credit, Kashable underwrites consumers for unsecured loans based to a large extent on employment information. With Kashable's ability to offer access to low cost credit, economic mobility, as an employee benefit with easy repayment -- embedded financing -- everyone benefits. Then, Breaking Banks is delighted to introduce Social Currency, Provoke.fm's latest podcast powered by Sunrise Banks that will introduce you to some of the most innovative changemakers in finance, tech and ESG, and how they are dismantling barriers and reshaping their industries for a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future. Spotlighting those at the forefront of positive change through social entrepreneurship, Social Currency unveils the stories behind the revolution that is propelling us toward a world where everyone has equitable access to opportunities. In the first episode, Ahead of the Curve, Strategic Foresight, Tyler Seydel, Chief FinTech Officer at Sunrise Banks and co-host Eric Schurr, Chief Strategy Officer, Sunrise Banks and certified practitioner in strategic foresight, get into just that, Strategic Foresight, how organization can solve market opportunity challenges using provocative questions to look at future challenges in new ways, reimaging opportunities. A planning oriented discipline related to futures studies, you'll be surprised as new tools and this new way of future thinking begins to infiltrate projects and everyday work. https://youtu.be/B0iLiO6Sy54

In This Episode SXSW is a safari to the future according to Todder Moning, Lead Futurist at U.S. Bank. But, as Mike Bechtell, Chief Futurist at Deloitte, pointed out in his Fintech House fireside last year: futurists are always wrong. Why attempt to predict the future if you are likely to be wrong? This year Todder and Eric Schurr, Chief Strategy Officer at Sunrise Banks and host of the Social Currency podcast at Provoke.fm, have a fireside chat with Dara Tarkowski, Founder of Actuate Law and host of the Tech on Reg podcast, about which rules to break and which to keep when thinking about the future. From large bank to small, both use the tools of Foresight to gain a competitive advantage when thinking about a future, even when it is likely wrong. Listen in to learn how to break out of your current mindset and preconceptions, including Todder's favorite: Future Safaris. https://youtu.be/VJ5OvH-f-00

In This Episode What happens when two financial futurists get together? They chat about money of the future and related topics worthy of debate. This week, host Brett King connects with Chris Skinner, author, influencer, The Finanser blogger, and advisor to leading organizations, governments and firms across the world to talk about Chris' new book, Intelligent Money, due out this summer. Lots of great banter and thought provoking discussion as they look at cross border payments, smart wallets / super wallets that act as an agent on your behalf, embedded intelligent financial services and payments, and of course AI, to name just a few of the topics they get into. What's your vision for Main Street 2034? Is the need for growth at the heart of some of our problems? Enjoy the debate! https://youtu.be/DC03x1pySWg

In This Episode What's your legacy? Host Brett King connects with the 695th Lord Mayor of London, Michael Mainelli, who is the first American born Lord Mayor of London. A scientist, economist and accountant, as well as a self-proclaimed space junkie who studied aerospace at Harvard (fun fact his father was at one time involved with the Apollo capsule for Boeing), the Lord Mayor shares some of the key initiatives that will keep him busy during his mayoralty -- climate change, space debris removal, a smart economy networks project, and most importantly that London is a partner when it comes to solving global problems, it is a solutions center for technology, science, engineering and finance. Then, a new podcast Beyond Banking by CBD Talks! from the Commercial Bank of Dubai. Beyond Banking by CBD Talks! delves into trends that drive the UAE, middle east, and global economies. In the first episodes host Brett King has welcomed phenomenal guests, and covered topics from climate and sustainability to unicorns and the future of money and banking, while spotlighting leaders shaping financial services and the UAE, Frank Bisignano, CEO, Fiserv and Her Excellency Raja Al Mazrouei. Learn about the UAE and other regions by downloading Beyond Banking by CBD Talks! via Amazon, Apple, or Spotify. From digitization to decarbonization, through the evolution of AI, and the advent of smart economies, listen as we foster conversations Beyond Banking, with an eye towards the future. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-banking-by-cbd-talks/id1711240163 https://youtu.be/G_jql0YSqE4

In This Episode In this next episode of our special series, Killing It!, hosts Jason Henrichs and Alex Johnson sit down with Matt Harris, current coach, consultant, advisor and Bloom Credit (credit data solutions) co-founder. Starting a company is hard, at any age, Matt was 22 when he began his journey. It's not just having an idea for your startup, financial backing, energy and good people around you, as most know, it's all the hurdles and discoveries of everything you need to fix and do, that affects your idea, along the way. The journey, and roller coaster, comes with lots of stressors and takes its toll. It can be difficult to step away or step aside. How do you process? How do you separate your identity from the company after investing so much of yourself in it. The founding journey is hard but doesn't have to be.  Accept what is. 'Failure' (whatever that may mean, and it's different for everyone) is not the end of the story. This candid discussion is a master class for startup founders; coaching founders, rather than just investing in their businesses, has become an impactful and authentic way for Matt to make even more change in the world. https://youtu.be/4_FzT8ff0Ms

In This Episode This week host Jason Henrichs hears about all that he unfortunately missed at Bank Director's annual AOBA (Acquire Or Be Acquired) conference for bank senior leadership from Bank Director rock stars and conference session and track leaders, Emily McCormick, VP of Editorial & Research and Kiah Haslett, Banking & Fintech Editor. They cover it all from banking sector challenges, innovations, and market outlook to enthusiasm for balance sheets (yes!), deposits, and necessity of tech adoption for growth and the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBBVrehJ3Yg

In This Episode You heard it here last week, a new series from Breaking Banks, 'Killing It' with co hosts Jason Henrichs and Alex Johnson, Fintech Takes. In this first episode we feature a candid discussion with Shamir Karkal, Alliance for Innovation Regulation, Co-founder and CEO of Sila, formerly Co-founder of Simple (BankSimple), America's first neobank which operated 2009 - 2021. A FinTech pioneer, he shares learnings, successes, failures and some of the tough decisions made along his 'simple' journey while reflecting on what it means for him today. Then, Brett King connects with DIVINE, Victor D. Lombard, CEO & Founder, Solvent with tag line, The Future is Freedom. You may remember DIVINE from 2022 when we interviewed him about a venture with AWS' Impact Accelerator. Today he is joined by Brent Chandler, CEO and Eric Lapin, President of FormFree to talk about their new partnership aligned around their missions to empower underserved demographics. The focus is lending, specifically the mortgage space, with new products to help underserved individuals get access to credit and a new two-sided marketplace, FormFree Exchange, connecting lenders and borrowers -- helping credit invisibles get loans and institutions to lend without bias. Tech for good, who doesn't love that! https://youtu.be/xhY6_rHjU4g

In This Episode Drumroll...it's a new series from Breaking Banks, Killing It, candid discussions with entrepreneurs sharing lessons, failures, successes and some of the tough decisions they had to make. From VCs to unicorns, it's a high stakes game with high rates of failure. Not everything goes up and to the right, and success looks different for everyone -- you can grind away and do all you are supposed to do, and get to the point that you have to deliver terrible news to your cofounder and employees who believed in you. There are lots of stories from awesome people who have been knocked to the mat multiple times and gotten back up. It's not uncommon, but how do you bounce back and what does it take to walk away from it. Listen as hosts Jason Henrichs and Alex Johnson bring these stories to life. Then, investing in the next frontier, we turn to Greg Palmer, host of sister podcast Finovate as he speaks with Tamara Steffens, Managing Director, Thomson Reuters Ventures, about her perspectives on what’s on tap for fintech and the funding ecosystem this year. Enjoy the show! https://youtu.be/2mcKIL3PNnE

In This Episode Does BaaS go boom, and other predictions and projections for the year. Listen as host Jason Henrichs connects with hot takers Alex Johnson, Fintech Expert & Workweek Creator and Jason Mikula, Managing Director, Fintech Business Weekly about what they've been seeing and what they hope to see in our industry. For those that like analysis they jump into the current state of BaaS, theories on implications for the rest of the year not to mention any projections they think they might need a mulligan for and which are proving true! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoYKt1b0Zo0

In This Episode This week on Breaking Banks, Money in the 21st Century, a special episode from sister podcast Breaking Banks Asia Pacific. Listen as Breaking Banks Asia Pacific host Charis Palmer sits down with economist and professor of economics Richard Holden to chat about his new book: Money in the 21st Century and why he believes that the US Fed needs to get going with a 'Fedcoin'. They also cover the global economics of #crypto #cbdcs #mobilemoney and #cheapmoney, and how we’ll all transact in our future cashless world. Enjoy the episode! https://youtu.be/q0uNPddxiDo

In This Episode Excitement over new technologies, new capabilities, new business models, and new companies often turns to hype, but what goes up, must come down. We seem to be working through hype cycles faster and faster, but what’s on the other side is rarely a return to the status quo. In this episode, Simon Taylor,  Fintech Brainfood, Jim Marous, The Financial Brand and Theo Lau, Unconventional Ventures join hosts Brett King and JP Nicols to share insights and debate what upward and downward forces will most impact fintech and banking in the next 12 months, and what that new reality looks like. https://youtu.be/V-7Mo6x9rpE

In This Episode 2023 was the hottest year on record in terms of temperature. ESG, sustainability, clean tech / green tech and corporate responsibility have been hot topics. Are we at war with climate? This week we feature Brett King's recent sit down in Bangkok, Thailand with former banker, fintech investor and now venture capitalist, Paul Ark, with The Radical Fund, an early-stage VC fund investing in founders who are delivering climate resilience for Southeast Asia. Where are investment dollars going? Climate mitigation (how to prevent the world from getting warmer) and climate adaptation (dealing with a warmer world) and what it means for infrastructure resilience and food insecurity, to name some areas of concern, are top of mind. Climate is a complex systemic issue and requires a buffet of technologies to address, improve and help us reclaim our environment. It's an enlightening conversation with The Futurists! https://youtu.be/o2C0X1E8oEw

In This Episode Should you increase your social media savviness to sell products? With digital acquisition reshaping financial services it's certainly something to think about for your organization's benefit. In this episode, host Brett King speaks with Dr. Robin Kiera, Founder and CEO, Digitalscouting about his book, Attention Hacking: The Power of Social Media Selling in Insurance and Finance. Listen as Dr. Kiera delves into the topic and shares industry examples, opportunities and his belief that you need to position yourself and your organization as influencers among your target market. The premise is simple, you need to be where your customer is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uGvauRU2s4

In This Episode Identity, and the future of it, continues to be a hot topic as digital adoption increases in all aspects of our lives. When you are verifying your identity, you want to do it with as little friction as possible and expect it to be fast, secure and compliant. In this episode, host JP Nicols speaks with Incode Technologies' Domingo Guerra, EVP of Trust, and industry veteran with a strong background in cybersecurity and data privacy, about the latest innovations in verifying identity. User expectations are bigger than ever. Positive user experiences and biometric acceptance can make what once seemed scary less so, but are all biometrics created equal? https://youtu.be/pDr66sLB8Jw

In This Episode Iceland is a small country doing big things in fintech, but also in healthtech, renewable energy, gaming, and the ocean-based blue economy. Few countries fared worse during the 2008 global economic crisis, which had a profound impact on the country’s financial system, currency, and overall economy. The economy gradually recovered, and by the 2010s, Iceland experienced steady economic growth. Today Iceland has a high standard of living. Its citizens enjoy access to quality healthcare and education with a relatively low level of income inequality, and it is the global leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion. JP Nicols visited Reykjavik to meet with some of the people innovating to drive these outcomes, including the country’s First Lady who is proud of her country’s achievements, yet declares that “good enough, is not good enough”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atOEvLoB8dQ

In This Episode Does financial services ever have an off-season? Is now the time to update your playbook? . Today, host JP Nicols tackles a few of these questions and then speaks with James Anderson, Paze's Managing Director, about a new launch on track for early next year. Paze is a new digital bank wallet from Early Warning Services, the fintech company that brought us Zelle several years ago and is owned by some of the largest banks in the US. A completely separate venture focused on e-commerce payments, Paze no doubt benefits from learnings in creating Zelle. The US payments world is complicated, Paze aims to be ubiquitous on both consumer and merchant sides, the piece in the middle connecting financial institutions, providing better outcomes, and making purchases more convenient and secure. Launching with more than 1,000 banks, Paze is 100% online payments focused, offered by participating banks and credit unions, built to simplify and secure checkout by tokenizing credit and debit card numbers so users never have to enter card data, usernames or remember passwords. A new product, a new year and the next era of banking just around the corner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJYx8wG_5fs