This week on Breaking Banks host Brett King is joined by Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation. As Political Leader of the City of London Corporation, Chris acts as a principal spokesperson and advocate for London as a global financial and professional services capital. In the segment, Brett and Chris discuss

Then, sister podcast, Finovate host Greg Palmer interviews Nick Evens, President and CEO of Curql. Nick shares his journey from working within credit unions to leading Curql, a strategic investment fund focused on credit union innovation. Curql invests in startups and fosters an ecosystem where over 130 credit unions collaborate and share resources, often co-investing in companies that serve both banks and credit unions. Born from a need to support credit unions in staying competitive with big banks by pooling resources to invest in transformative financial technology, Curql bridges a gap between fintech and credit unions, helping credit unions gain access to tech solutions they otherwise couldn’t afford on their own. More on the topic at FinovateSpring.

This week’s episode of Breaking Banks features host Brett King in a one-on-one discussion with Dave Birch, speaker, author and internationally recognized thought leader in digital identity and digital money. Listen as they explore the future of AI-based payments, money, and the concepts surrounding Agentic AI.

Their conversation delves into key areas such as:

* KYA (Know-your-Agent, a counterpart to KYC – Know Your Customer)
* How we’ll tell if specific agents have the authority to make payments
* The utility problem of money in a highly autonomous world

This episode is the future of money, identity and payments all wrapped into one, featuring two of the most future-thinking people in the finance space today.

Today, we bring you a special episode of Breaking Banks, live from the Alloy Labs Annual Member Meeting —a three-day event focused on critical discussions and deep strategy sessions for today’s bank executives. While we can’t disclose what was said behind closed doors, we can share some of the critical (and fiery!) conversations and topics that executives need to be thinking about and discussing, some of which we asked and addressed in this special recording.

Host Jason Henrichs brings the sauce and is joined by recognized industry voices and Hot Takes contributors Kia Haslett from Bank Director, Alex Johnson of Fintech Takes, and Chris Nichols, Director of Capital Markets at South State Bank and writer of South State’s Banker to Banker blog.

Leave us a comment on LinkedIn about what you liked, and you may just find yourself the winner of one of the limited-edition Hot Takes hot sauces the panelists enjoyed! First come, first served on the sauce (while supplies last). Don’t delay—listen now and join the discussion.

It is 2014, and Breaking Banks host Jason Henrichs is having coffee with Nektarios Liolios, an early leader in financial services innovation. Jason is in London—the uncontested fintech capital of the world at the time—sitting in the shadow of the Tower of London, seeking advice during what feels like the wreckage of his life post-Perkstreet.
Nektarios, today’s guest, was on a journey of his own. He joined SWIFT, the global payments messaging service, in 2007 and held various roles, from working with funds to collaborating with startups. He had recently left to co-found Startup Boot Camp Fintech and Rainmaking Innovation, a corporate innovation studio. He stepped away from both five years later for a period of reflection—which you’ll hear about—before co-founding another fintech venture, Radish Credit, which recently wound down. Along the way, he’s gathered an abundance of hard-earned wisdom.

For those unfamiliar with Killing It, the name comes from a private joke between Jason and his Perkstreet co-founder. When asked how things were going, they would say, “We’re killing it,” then mutter under their breath, “like putting a knife in it.” Perkstreet, founded in 2008, was one of the first neobanks and one that crash-landed when an acquisition fell through. Listen in as Jason and Nektarios continue the candid conversation they began years ago.

Breaking Banks’ Killing It series isn’t just about startup failures; it’s about transitions and changes in identity. It’s about founders who sell successfully, only to see their dream owned by someone else. It’s about entrepreneurs who step away or are forced to. Killing It is about the journey of reinvention. This episode is a masterclass in entrepreneurship from a seasoned fintech founder, ecosystem builder, and mental health advocate.

This week on Breaking Banks, Don Ginsel, host of our sister show Breaking Banks Europe, takes our mic and brings the conversation stateside. Don is joined by Nik Milanović, founder of This Week in Fintech, for a wide-ranging and energizing discussion of the latest forces shaping the fintech landscape.

From the evolving role of traditional banks and increasing interest in stablecoins to the current state of fintech M&A, the rise of fraud, and the impact of AI on financial services, Don and Nik cover the topics on everyone’s mind.

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or financial exec, this overview of the trends, risks, and opportunities is not to be missed.

In a rare and inspiring crossover episode, Breaking Banks teams up with Barefoot Innovation to bring you a special dispatch from Necker Island, BVI. Hosted by Brett King and Jo Ann Barefoot, this episode captures the energy and insight of a one-of-a-kind fintech gathering organized by Virgin Unite: an event bringing together innovators from around the world, from a cross section of industry, exploring what the future of finance could (and should) look like.

Podcasts hosts and speakers Brett and Jo Ann share their talks and insights from this carbon neutral event, connecting with Dr. Nick Hughes, OBE, father of M-Pesa, co-founder of M-Kopa and now Managing Director 4rdigital.com, the fourth revolution is digital, to cover all things fintech. Listen as these leaders discuss applications of fintech in other markets and all that is possible if we come out of our silos and collaborate — the combination of problem solving perspectives, resources, networks and more can make an impact on some of the world’s toughest challenges. We have the tech to do what we need to do, the potential is enormous! If you’re looking for inspiration and forward-thinking ideas this episode delivers!

Killing It is back! Jason Henrichs’ series on banking and fintech entrepreneurs returns with Cokie Hasiotis

In this episode of Breaking Banks, Jason Henrichs connects with Cokie, serial entrepreneur and exited founder of Twali and drippi. Cokie candidly shares her entrepreneurial journey, providing insights into the emotional challenges and tolls inherent in entrepreneurship, and the stress of pivoting business. She also reflects on how these experiences have shaped her, underscoring the significance of community, the importance of self-awareness and filtering advice from others. Tune in to hear more about identity as a founder, navigating loss, soft landings, and transitioning to new opportunities.

This week on Breaking Banks, it’s a powerhouse podcast mashup you won’t want to miss.

What happens when two leading voices in fintech join forces? You get a fast-paced, insight-packed conversation on the future of finance, banking innovation, and emerging technologies—recorded live in Finland.

Breaking Banks host Brett King teams up with Pål Krogdahl and Ville Sointu, hosts of the Nordics’ #1 fintech podcast Fintech Daydreaming, for a high-level exploration of where the industry is headed next.

In this episode, they dive into some of the most important developments shaping the future of financial services, including:

     *The rise of mobile money and how it’s reshaping economies

     *The role of digital identity in secure, seamless transactions

     *The concept of Q-Day and its long-term implications for cybersecurity in banking

     *Smart contracts and business process in an autonomous algorithmic marketplace

     *Agentic AI, KYM (Know Your Machine) and AI in Financial Transactions, and

     *A sneak peek at Brett’s upcoming book, Branch Tomorrow

This wide-ranging conversation serves as both a primer and a deep dive into the innovations transforming fintech right now. Whether you’re tracking the next big trend or trying to stay ahead of digital disruption, this episode delivers high-value insights from three thought leaders at the forefront of change.

Listen now and get future-ready!

There’s something happening beneath the surface of every pizza order, every childcare payment, and every invoice sent by businesses across America. A quiet revolution that most people— sometimes even business owners themselves— have barely noticed.

Traditional banks are being methodically extracted from the daily financial lives of businesses, replaced by something more streamlined, more embedded, as banking becomes just another node in a business operating system.

We dug into those threats last episode on “The Invisible Heist”. This week, Jorge Garcia, Founder and CEO of Linker Finance, and Samer Saab, SVP of Product for Alloy Labs, join host JP Nicols and co-host Barb MacLean as we look at some viable options for banks to foil the heist and create a competitive response.

We’ll look at the surprising opportunities sitting right in front of us, and how banks are rewriting the playbook to land and expand commercial customers through digital banking.

Banking executives, your business customers aren’t leaving you for another bank—they’re leaving banking altogether— at least partially. For now.

As a part of our “Unbreak the Bank” series we dissect the most significant existential threat to community financial institutions since the 2008 crisis: the systematic extraction of business banking services into everyday business software.

Community banks are hemorrhaging 12-18% of operational deposits annually to companies that don’t even consider themselves “banks”, and they’re moving upmarket.

The competitive battlefield has shifted, and “relationship banking” is not enough to compete. Customers are integrating business solutions into their daily workflow, and banks risks being shut out altogether.

Discover why the future isn’t about being the best business bank – it’s about being a relevant layer in the best business experience.

Fintech Takes founder Alex Johnson and Velocita founder Barb MacLean join host JP Nicols to reveal how embedded lending is systematically dismantling banking relationships as Quickbooks, Square, Toast, and others integrate financial services directly into business workflows, and explore some options for how banks can respond.