Fintech Takes – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I talk about fintech companies that we're definitely not giving investment advice on. We kick things off with Polar (think Stripe Billing but for LLMs). Polar tracks things like token usage, execution time, and even GitHub access to handle metered billing for AI-native products. It's not even payments; it’s pre-payments, too. Polar helps you charge for the thing before the thing happens. Hey, as AI agents start shopping for themselves, someone has to keep the receipts… Next up is Multiply Mortgage. “Mortgage-as-a-benefit” sounds cursed, but here we are. Multiply partners with employers to offer discounted mortgages (plus human advisors) to employees with zero cost to the company. Their bet is housing is the new healthcare: too broken to fix individually, but too big for employers to ignore. Especially useful in tech, where compensation is equity-heavy and underwriting gets weird. But it’s also a bet on this macro moment in time; if rates drop or unemployment spikes, the model may crack. Then there’s OpenTrade. Yield-as-a-service for stablecoins. Most stablecoins can’t offer interest directly (thanks, regulators), but OpenTrade does the regulatory gymnastics to plug stablecoins into money market funds via tokenized swaps. But I wonder what’s more disruptive: the yield or the regulatory workarounds? You can’t stop yield from sneaking in the side door (and honestly, why try?). Last up is Spinwheel (think Plaid, but for liabilities). While Plaid figured out the asset side of your balance sheet, Spinwheel builds pipes for the other half: credit cards, BNPL, student loans, and more. They started with embedded debt repayment and found their niche by giving lenders the kind of granular, real-time liability data that credit bureaus can’t (or won’t) offer. With Section 1033 on life support, is Spinwheel poised to become the only player with coverage that actually matters? Plus, manifestations: can someone please build a public credit bureau (kind of like a USPS for liabilities)? And while we’re at it, a stablecoin for the unbanked/underbanked that isn’t built on Tron? Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Companies featured: https://polar.sh/ https://www.multiplymortgage.com/ https://www.opentrade.io/ https://spinwheel.io/

Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) with my partner-in-fintech-recapping, Jason Mikula. Let’s get into it. First up: at long last, FICO score versions now include BNPL data, but there’s a catch (several, actually). Affirm is furnishing data, but other major players like Klarna and Afterpay? Not so much. We dig into why most BNPLs resist sharing data (hint: it’s expensive, complicated, and gives away their competitive edge), and how open banking could help—if you could reliably connect Klarna to Plaid (you can’t). Then, just when we abandon BaaS Island, the CFPB shows up with a lifeboat with a surprise move in the Synapse bankruptcy. A four-page filing could open the door to using the Civil Penalty Fund to repay depositors. It’s not quite a fintech bailout, but it might be the cleanest way to make people whole … and quietly shut the whole thing down. All of which still raises the bigger question: why did this happen in the first place (BaaS was supposed to be a thin layer on top of FDIC-insured banks)? Next, FHFA (which oversees Fannie and Freddie,  federal home loan banks, and a whole host of other interesting things) does crypto policy by tweet. Director Bill Pulte told Fannie and Freddie (via Twitter) to undertake a study for accepting crypto as mortgage collateral. According to the latest Federal Reserve data, only 8% of households used crypto in any fashion in 2024. So… why? Because someone asked. And in our Can’t Let It Go corner: Jason roasts ABN AMRO’s new sub-brand, BUUT (yes, BUUT), while I spiral over Circle’s $56B IPO valuation (this is meme coin math applied to a narrow bank!).  Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/  And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m your host, Alex Johnson, and today, one of our favorite guests is making a triumphant return visit—Frank Rotman, founding partner and CIO at QED Investors. Frank has a theory: in his words, the game of life is getting “harder to win.” Debt is piling up, wages are stagnant, and folks are being told they’re the only ones to blame for their financial struggles. His observation is that more people see themselves as playing PvE (Player vs. Everyone), prioritizing personal survival over collective outcomes. In a world where following the rules doesn’t pay off, so-called "irrational" moves like crypto gambles start making a lot more sense. We unpack what this shift means for finance, behavior, and the economy. Then, we take on a big question: is traditional financial theory broken? The old "work hard, save, invest in a 60/40 portfolio" model no longer delivers retirement security, and that's because rising costs, debt, and economic shifts have eroded its effectiveness. So, what might replace it? And how can avoiding financial mistakes be just as important as making smart investments? And finally, we explore how AI is rewriting the future of finance. Instead of generic, one-size-fits-all advice, AI-powered financial guidance could be real-time, scenario-based, and deeply personalized (aka imagine a 150-IQ financial strategist that can help you make smarter decisions on the fly...by actually talking to it? That future’s not so far away). Instead of shopping for financial products, what happens when AI can custom-build financial products to fit our specific needs? Would that create a system that works for everyone—or just make it even more complex? Join us for a deep, challenging, and necessary conversation about the future of money, markets, and human behavior. Newline™ by Fifth Third is an innovative, API-first platform that enables fintechs to launch embedded payment, card and deposit solutions directly with Fifth Third Bank. Visit ⁠Newline53.com⁠ to see how Newline can elevate your business. The world needs MoR. With ⁠Paddle⁠ as your Merchant of Record (MoR), the global growth is yours. The risk, compliance and accountability are ours. Simple.Paddle offers all the benefits of an enterprise-grade billing system but with MoR flexibility, MoR control, and MoR focus on your core product. Visit ⁠paddle.com⁠ to learn more. Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Frank: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-rotman/ X: https://x.com/fintechjunkie   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson X: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

You can’t disrupt fintech unless you fully understand its storied history. So what are the biggest lessons we can take away from the past?  Join Alex for a fascinating conversation with Charles Birnbaum, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and author of the article “The Five Waves of Fintech,” as they dive into the five major phases of disruption in the financial services industry. From before the term “fintech” was coined to the impending technological ripples in the future and beyond, Charles shares his insights on the different segments within fintech and the proof points needed for fintech companies to succeed in the coming years.  And later, Alex and Charles discuss the embedded fintech wave and its slower-than-expected progress, as well as the potential catalysts for a new wave of innovation.    00:02:55 - Understanding the History of Fintech 00:08:44 - Wave One 00:17:47 - Wave Two 00:21:29 - The Future of Valuing Fintech Businesses 00:29:38 - The Slow Rise of Fintech 00:34:07 - Navigating Sales in the Financial Industry 00:40:30 - Wave Three 00:41:35 - Wave Four 00:50:50 - Wave Five 00:56:07 - New Waves in Real-Time Payments   Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/   And for more exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube page.   Read “The Five Waves of Fintech”: Website: https://www.bvp.com/atlas/the-five-waves-of-fintech   Follow Charles:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbirnbaum/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson For more information, please visit www.crowe.com/fintech

Get ready for another episode of Not Fintech Advice with Simon Taylor!  In this episode, Alex and Simon dive into the world of generative AI and its potential as a disruptive innovation. How is AI revolutionizing middle and back-office processes? Alex and Simon also divulge their thoughts on the corporate spend management space and the broader world of ERPs (isn’t it time we finally reinvent the ERP?)  Selling to banks as a fintech company can be challenging, but Alex has a solution. Plus, meet Chargeflow, a company using AI and machine learning to automate chargeback fighting. And find out why Alex is making the case for CDs to bring sexy back.   00:00:00 - Fintech Takes: Not Fintech Investment Advice 00:03:00 - Parallel and the Corporate Card Space 00:09:23 - Rippling Launches Runway: Spend Management Platform 00:13:03 - Regulated Companies Use Chart to Ensure Compliance with Chatbots 00:18:36 - The Power of Context in Marketing 00:24:12 - Automating Chargeback Fighting with AI 00:28:19 - The Rise of Friendly Fraud: Explained 00:37:55 - Automating Banking Processes with AI 00:47:30 - Reviving the Sexiness of CDs 00:52:41 - Challenges of Bank-Fintech Partnerships    Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/   Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Substack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/   Follow Alex:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson For more information, please visit www.crowe.com/fintech

Get ready for another deep dive into the world of banking and fintech with this month’s “Bank Nerd Corner” with the brilliant Kiah Haslett, the banking and fintech editor at Bank Director.  In this episode, Kiah and Alex are diving into the challenges of defining unsecured deposits before tackling Alloy’s latest benchmark report, which revealed the compliance expectations from various fintech companies.  Why can’t Fintech companies get charters? And is doing the bare minimum when it comes to compliance actually a positive thing when it comes to running your fintech company?  And in this week’s “Wait… But Why???” segment, Alex and Kiah debate why everyone can’t just agree on what an uninsured deposit is. Then, stay tuned to find out what’s really irking Kiah this week and the answer (or non-answer) to an unanswerable question.    Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/   Follow Kiah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett   Follow Alex:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson All rights reserved. Crowe LLP, a member of Crowe Global, a Swiss verein. For more information, please visit www.crowe.com/fintech

On this week’s Fintech Recap, Alex and Jason unravel the latest industry buzz and breakthroughs in fintech. And in this episode, they’re diving into neobank Current’s unique credit-building charge card— how is it reshaping spending dynamics, and how will regulators manage to prevent losses? Plus, discover the intricacies of Plaid's partnerships with Pinwheel and Atomic. Later, Jason and Alex discuss the platform, Synapse, exploring BaaS deposits and their regulatory implications before getting into Roger's niche neobank tailored for military members and recruits.    And finally, it wouldn’t be an episode of Fintech Recap without a bit of crypto insanity to liven up the podcast, would it?   Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/   0:00 Intro 2:20 Current’s Credit Building Card 13:00 Plaid’s New Partnership 24:35 BaaS and Risk 35:21 Roger’s Military Recruit Neobank  44:45 Crypto Transactions   Follow Jason: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-mikula-1809a5126/ Substack: https://substack.com/@fintechbusinessweekly   Follow Alex:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson For more information, please visit www.crowe.com/fintech

In this month’s special episode of “Not Fintech Investment Advice,” Alex sits down with fintech guru Simon Taylor to talk through some fintech companies that have recently caught their attention. They delve into how AI is reshaping risk assessment and unpack how platforms like Chorus are utilizing custom GPT models to screen for risks, allowing financial professionals to focus on what truly matters most and leave the mundane paperwork behind. Is fintech a more creative process than most give it credit for?  Plus, Simon and Alex explore the potential of Grounded Technologies, a new-age platform aiming to reshape community banks' access to deposits and other assets. In a world where demand isn't the problem, but supply is, can community banks find their way to profitability without necessarily scaling up? And, with PayPal stepping into the stablecoin arena, Simon sheds light on his decades’ worth of crypto insights. For a deep dive into the future of finance and the innovations at its forefront, this conversation is a must-listen.   Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/   Follow Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sytaylor/ Newsletter: https://sytaylor.substack.com   Follow Alex:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

Chief Payments Executive of the Federal Reserve, Mark Gould, stops by the studio for this special episode of Fintech Recap with Alex and Jason to chat about the evolution of instant payment and how FedNow is attempting to make the clearing and settling of payments instant and final.  Are checks obsolete? How much money does the Fed clear daily? And has the amount of money in circulation increased or decreased within the last ten years?  Mark’s answering all of Alex’s and Jason’s questions and unraveling what a successful rollout of FedNow will look like in the imminent and distant future.  Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/   Follow Mark: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-gould-7241098/   Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/   Follow Alex:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson

It’s time for another episode of Bank Nerd Corner with America’s favorite banking and fintech editor, Kiah Haslett, and there’s only been one bank failure since she Alex last talked! This week they’re discussing Apple’s latest savings product and the company’s complete disinterest in playing the deposit gathering game the way that the big banks do. Then, what’s causing credit card balances to spike? Is it the weird ripples in the economy, or do consumers simply feel overly confident they can pay off their balances? Could it be a sign that consumer financial health is deteriorating?   Plus, Kiah and Alex also tackle government lending programs in fintech, what makes The Bancorp’s business model so great, and the case for making CDs sexy again. And last but not least, Kia goes off on why these absurd fintech acronyms need to stop.    Sign up for Alex’s Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/   Follow Kiah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaslett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaslett   Follow Alex:  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson