Fintech Business Weekly

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Michael Nicklas , Managing Partner at Valor Capital Group , a Brazil-based cross-border venture fund. Valor’s fintech and crypto portfolio companies include cross-border payment and trade finance network Hamsa , crypto exchanges Bitso and Coinbase , and stablecoin infrastructure company Circle , among many others. Michael and I had the chance to t...

Alex Johnson , creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap , where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto. This month we had the chance to talk about: * The launch of Klarna’s bank account gift card * Affirm’s killer earnings * Are niche neobanks back? * Apple opening up NFC (sort of)...

Alex Johnson , creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap , where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto. This month we had the chance to talk about: * Mercury, which partners with Evolve Bank & Trust and Choice Bank, informed users based in or with ties to certain countries, includin...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Kelly A. Brown , Chairman and CEO at deposit management startup Ampersand . Previously, she spent 13 years at the American Deposit Management Company. Kelly and I had a chance to talk about: * What inspired Kelly to get into banking * The sudden attention paid to deposit insurance in the wake of SVB’s collapse * How FBO and deposit insurance pass...

Frank Rotman of QED, Jason Henrichs of Alloy Labs, and I discussed “Balancing Growth With Risk In The Post-ZIRP Era,” including touching on: * How the extended low-interest rate environment impacted venture capital and fintech * How the evolving regulatory climate is shaping fintechs’ and banks’ risk appetite and strategies * What the next 12 months will look like * And more! Regular programming w...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Wade Arnold , cofounder and CEO of Moov , a fintech infrastructure company that enables and simplifies push and pull card payments. Moov also puts on the Fintech Devcon conference, which is August 7th-9th in Austin — more info and tickets here . We had a chance to talk about: * What to expect at (and what I should wear to) Fintech Devcon * Payment...

This month Alex Johnson and I had the chance to talk about: * Jason’s special news: I wrote a book! The book, Banking as a Service: Opportunities, Challenges and Risks of New Banking Business Models , will be available toward the end of the year — but you can preorder now, and if you order directly from the publisher here and use promo code “BAASISLAND,” you get 20% off! * Pirates invade BaaS isla...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Rhett Roberts, cofounder and CEO of API-first lending and credit platform LoanPro . Rhett and I had the chance to talk about: * LoanPro’s recent announcement of integrating with Visa DPS (and some background for folks who might not know why that’s important!) * LoanPro’s journey from homegrown software to powering some of the biggest lenders in fi...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Stuart Sopp , CEO and cofounder of Current . Stuart and I had the chance to talk about: * What’s change in fintech and banking since the last time we talked in 2023 (hint: a lot) * Current’s new products and features, including its credit builder card and an EWA-style offering * The challenges of state-by-state licensing and importance of complian...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Nicolas Benady , the CEO of French embedded finance platform Swan, live at Money2020 Europe earlier this month. Nicolas and I had the chance to talk about: * embedded finance and banking-as-a-service in Europe vs. the US * what being licensed as an emoney institution enables Swan to do and how it’s different than being or partnering with a bank *...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with John Stuart , the general manager of fintech and international at Apex Fintech Solutions , an investing and wealth management infrastructure platform. John and I had the chance to talk about: * What the capabilities Apex provides, including custody, clearing, and execution, enable its customers to build * How Apex scaled its platform across 150 co...

Alex Johnson , creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap , where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto. This month we had the chance to talk about: * Latest on Synapse bankruptcy and what it may mean for banking-as-a-service & fintech (this episode was recorded May 29th) * Visa’s ne...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with  Neepa Patel , cofounder and CEO of  Themis , a compliance collaboration tool for banks and fintechs, on stage at last month’s Empire Fintech Conference in New York. Neepa and I had the chance to talk about: * What “fintech people” misunderstand about regulators * What fintechs should think about when selecting a bank partner * Whether or not tech...

This month Alex and I had the chance to talk about: * “BaaS Island” is heating up: Synapse files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with TabaPay slated to acquire its assets, and Solid settles its dispute with its former investors, FTV. * Is 2024 going to be the year of “pay by bank”? Alex and I aren’t entirely convinced. * A federal earned wage access bill is in the works (but unlikely to pass anytime so...

This month we had the chance to talk about: * BaaS drama continues, with Piermont and Sutton receiving consent orders * Chime has HOW MANY customers? * Trade groups vs. Colorado on DIDMCA, or, where is an online loan “made”? * Quick takes on the Visa/Mastercard settlement * And, as always, what we just can’t let go of If you enjoy listening to this podcast and find value in it, please consider sup...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Tommy Nicholas , CEO of identity risk solutions platform Alloy , a global, end-to-end identity risk solution for banks and fintechs. Tommy and I had the chance to talk about: * factors impacting fraud risk today, including the growth of real-time payments and the dawn of the genAI age * key take aways from Alloy’s 2024 State of Fraud Benchmark Rep...

This month, we were joined by Jon Zanoff of Empire Startups , and we had the chance to talk about: * The deal of the century: Capital One’s acquisition of Discover * Another trip to “BaaS Island,” to discuss Lineage’s consent order and other developments * A preview of New York Fintech Week & Jon’s Empire Fintech Conference * And what we just can’t let go of If you enjoy listening to this podcast...

In this episode, I spoke with Michal Cieplinski , founder and CEO at CapStack . CapStack is the first integrated operating system for banks enabling cooperation across banks and other financial services institutions in order to drive profitability and asset diversification. Michal and I had a chance to talk about: * The importance and challenges of asset/liability management for banks * The risks...

This month, Alex and I had the chance to talk about: * Another trip to “BaaS Island” to discuss Blue Ridge & Choice Bank enforcement actions amid the ongoing regulatory sweep of banking-as-a-service * Buy now, pay later expansion strategies: subscription plans? Savings accounts? What is more or less likely to work and why. * PayPal’s attempt to “shock” the world falls flat * Alex tries to explain...

Alex Johnson , creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap , where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto. This month, we had the chance to talk about: * Changing dynamics in reimbursement rules for victims of authorized push payment fraud. * Revolut’s claims that is growing quickly an...

In this episode, I spoke with Jon Lear , President and cofounder of Fintech Meetup , taking place in Las Vegas March 3-6, 2024 (learn more and get your tickets here .) We had the chance to discuss: * the crazy year in fintech and banking that was 2023 * looking for silver linings in a challenging operating and fundraising environment * what’s in store for 2024 * key themes and topics for next year...

This month, Alex Johnson and I had the chance to talk about: * the growing “fintech reckoning,” especially among consumer fintechs, with reports of possible shutdowns, sales, and pivots for companies like HMBradley, Petal, Apple/Goldman Sachs, Mint, Braid, Catch, and many others you probably haven’t even heard of * Alex’s favorite topic, credit builder products: including Tomo’s perplexing offerin...

Alex and I had a chance to catch up LIVE at Money2020. We had a chance to talk about our hot takes and trends from Money2020, including: * what’s off trend (crypto) and on trend (generative AI, compliance) * trying to parse fact vs. fiction in companies saying they’re “AI-powered” * fintech infrastructure, including Alex’s visit to the FedNow® booth * cannabis banking and the SAFE (and SAFE-R) Ban...

In this episode, I spoke with Neal Desai , CEO of lease-to-own startup Kafene . We had the chance to discuss: * Kafene’s recently announced Series B extension * The impact of an uncertain economic environment on Kafene’s business * Regulatory activity in the lease-to-own space * Where Kafene is heading in 2024 * and much, much more! Existing subscriber? Please consider supporting this newsletter b...

Hey all, Jason here. In this episode, I spoke with David Brear , CEO of challenger banking and fintech consultancy 11FS . We had the chance to discuss: * The origin story of 11FS, including its “Pulse” and “Foundry” offerings * Some of the most interesting client projects David has worked on * How David and 11FS think about creating stand-out content in an extremely crowded information space * Whe...