I sit down with Dima Kats, the visionary CEO behind Clear Junction, a company on a mission to reshape the landscape of global payments. Founded in 2016, Clear Junction emerged from a need identified by Kats and his financial experts: a gap in the market for efficient, cost-effective cross-border payment solutions for businesses and financial institutions.

With a background rich in fintech and a keen eye for the challenges faced by the industry, Kats set out to revolutionize how financial institutions engage with banking partners and handle international transactions.

Clear Junction's journey involves innovation, perseverance, and strategic foresight. The company, leveraging its proprietary technology, has successfully addressed some of the most pressing issues in global payments, such as high foreign exchange fees, prolonged settlement times, and limited access to multi-country payment options. These solutions have propelled Clear Junction's growth and provided a lifeline to many businesses and financial institutions previously marginalized in the realm of international finance.

Much of our conversation delves into the unique challenges of the "severely underbanked" financial institutions, a sector Kats has been passionately committed to serving. The lack of corresponding banking accounts and the barriers this creates in the financial world are crucial areas Clear Junction aims to dismantle. The company has effectively tackled issues such as unpredictability in transfer times and fees by providing access to local instant payment systems for international transfers, thus enhancing competition and service quality.

Beyond the technicalities, Kats shares insights into the strategic decision-making that has guided Clear Junction's growth and independence. Eschewing external investment, the company has maintained a focus on serving regulated financial institutions, a decision that has been instrumental in its sustainable scaling. This approach and meticulous risk management and compliance adherence have allowed Clear Junction to venture into innovative territories, such as introducing an escrow service in digital asset trading.