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.

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/

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!

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 Stern
To learn more stern.nyu.edu/MSFT-BreakingBanks

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!

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.

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!!

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.

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!

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