October 2025 shook the crypto world. Bitcoin crashed harder than any October since 2015, someone accidentally minted $300 trillion in stablecoins, and traditional banks started an all-out war against crypto companies trying to get federal charters. Tedd Huff, founder of Fintech Confidential and CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre, sits down with Rob Musiala, partner at Baker Hostetler who co-leads The Blockchain Monitor, to break down what moved Web3 when it mattered most.

They walk through why stablecoins just crushed major card networks with $2.6 trillion in annual volume, how Western Union suddenly decided blockchain payments make sense, and what the Genius Act really means for everyone trying to operate in this space. This isn't theory. Banks are fighting to protect their turf while crypto infrastructure gets bought up for billions. The conversation covers enforcement crackdowns, court rulings that actually matter, regulatory battles over OCC charters, and why sitting this one out stopped being an option months ago.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1️⃣ Financial institutions must evaluate make-or-buy decisions on stablecoin infrastructure before competitors capture market share as platforms offering blockchain-based payments already process volumes exceeding major card networks.

2️⃣ Developers building on Ethereum layer-2 solutions can expect 30-60% lower transaction fees after Fusaka activates December 3rd, allowing projects to adjust pricing models or capture improved margins.

3️⃣ Stablecoin issuers, custodians, payment facilitators, and exchanges face different compliance requirements based on their specific business models under the Genius Act framework.

4️⃣ Retail investors and traders experienced 60-80% losses across major meme coins during October, while newcomers like Mini U and MemeCore surged during the same downturn.

5️⃣ Businesses operating cross-border payments between Japan and international markets gain new infrastructure as institutions push toward 10 trillion yen stablecoin circulation targets.

LINKS

Host:

Tedd Huff (LinkedIn) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddhuff/

Voalyre - https://voalyre.com

CI (Confidential Informant):

Rob Musiala (LinkedIn) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertmusiala/

The Blockchain Monitor - https://www.theblockchainmonitor.com

Company:

Baker Hostetler - https://www.bakerlaw.com

Fintech Confidential:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@FintechConfidential

Website - https://fintechconfidential.com

Newsletter - https://fintechconfidential.com/newsletter

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-confidential

SUPPORTERS

Dfns - Secure wallets built right. API-first, multi-chain MPC wallet infrastructure for payments platforms, custodians, and exchanges. Request demo: fintechconfidential.com/dfns

Skyflow - Build fast without breaking privacy. Zero trust data privacy vault delivered as an API for PCI, GDPR, and SOC 2 compliance. Learn more: skyflowsecure.com

Hawk AI - Fight fraud and financial crime with real-time payment screening, AML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating. Sign up for demo: GetHawkAI.com

Confidential Informant - Robert Musiala - Partner - BakerHostetler

Robert Musiala has been working in the blockchain and digital assets market since 2012 and has led multiple digital asset investigations, including as the court appointed receiver over cryptocurrency investment funds used in a major fraud. Robert also advises on a variety of regulatory compliance issues involving digital assets and has drafted/negotiated agreements for a wide range of transactions in the fintech, digital assets, Web3 and NFT markets. The inventor of two blockchain patents, he works directly with tech teams to build solutions that are compliant by design. Robert is co-leader of the Web3 and Digital Assets team at BakerHostetler.

BakerHostetler: A U.S. law firm with comprehensive blockchain practices serving clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies entering the asset class.

Host:

Tedd Huff:

Tedd Huff is the Founder of Voalyre a professional services and Advisory firm focused on global payments and banking. He is also a video podcast host and executive producer on the Fintech Confidential network.

Over the past 25+ years, he has contributed to FinTech startups as an Advisory Board Member, Co-Founder, and Chief Experience Officer, providing strategic and tactical direction for Global Payments OpenEdge, Heartland Payments, Nuvei, and TSYS, among others, focusing on growth while delivering innovation, process improvements and user experience-driven value to simplify the complexity of payments.

DD3, Media:

DD3 Media is a media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging content globally

Small businesses are owed over one trillion dollars in unpaid invoices. Host Tedd Huff the CEO of Voalyre a Fintech advisory firm and Founder of Fintech Confidential sits down with Prashant Fuloria, CEO of Fundbox, to discuss how embedded finance transforms working capital access for business owners managing teams of one or two while juggling payroll, invoicing, and growth decisions. Prashant left senior roles at Google, Facebook, and Yahoo to help solve this massive cash flow crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs.

This conversation covers how Fundbox embeds financing directly into platforms like QuickBooks and Stripe, eliminating lengthy applications and delivering instant capital when business owners need it most. Prashant explains why leadership culture drives sustainable growth, how daily team huddles prevent executive isolation, and why transparent partnerships built on trust outperform traditional direct marketing. The episode reveals practical strategies for scaling fintech platforms while serving underserved small businesses with flexible, responsible lending.

1️⃣ Use continuous platform integrations that monitor business health in real time and automatically adjust credit offers as revenue grows.

2️⃣ Remove lengthy forms by using existing platform data from accounting software or payment processors to complete underwriting instantly.

3️⃣ Access immediate capital when trucks break down or equipment fails without waiting for traditional loan approval timelines.

4️⃣ Structure financing to align with actual cash flow patterns rather than rigid monthly schedules that ignore seasonal business cycles.

5️⃣ Embed financing into industry-specific software platforms to create a one-stop experience where owners never juggle multiple logins.

Guest

Prashant Fuloria

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashant-fuloria/

Company

Fundbox

Website: https://fundbox.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fundbox/

X: https://x.com/Fundbox

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Fundboxcom

Fintech Confidential

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@fintechconfidential

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Newsletter: https://fintechconfidential.com/access

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

X: https://x.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

Supporters

Under: Streamlines application and underwriting with digital form processing. https://under.io/ftc

Skyflow: Zero-trust data privacy vaults as an API to secure and tokenize personal information. https://skyflowsecure.com

Dfns: Wallets as a service secured with MPC; powers crypto payments across 50+ networks. https://fintechconfidential.com/dfns

Hawk AI: Real-time screening and ML monitoring to strengthen fraud and financial-crime prevention. https://gethawkai.com

About

Prashant Fuloria is CEO of Fundbox, a product and technology leader with 25+ years of experience building platforms at Google, Facebook, and Yahoo. At Fundbox he has supported more than 500,000 SMBs and unlocked over $5 billion in working capital.

Fundbox is an embedded working capital platform built for SMBs using accounting, payments, and vertical SaaS tools. By integrating with QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and other platforms, Fundbox provides fast, flexible credit using AI-powered underwriting and real-time data.

Tedd Huff is Founder of Voalyre, a fintech advisory firm, and host of Fintech Confidential. Over 25+ years, he has contributed to FinTech startups as an Advisory Board Member, Co-Founder, and Chief Experience Officer at Global Payments, Heartland, Nuvei, and TSYS.

Chapters

00:00 Highlights

00:17 Challenges Faced by Small Businesses

00:31 Customer Segmentation Struggles

01:35 Under - Sponsor

02:05 Welcome to Leaders One-on-One

02:32 Prashant's Background

05:54 Connection to Fundbox Mission

06:33 Technology Levels Playing Field

07:55 Misunderstandings About SMBs

09:13 Trillion Dollar Opportunity

11:06 Leadership and Culture

14:29 Skyflow - Sponsor

17:55 Daily Leadership Huddles

18:53 Creating Psychological Safety

19:25 Intellectual Curiosity

21:03 Customer Segmentation

22:13 Ideal Fundbox Customer

23:34 Common Capital Use Cases

25:41 Unique Capital Uses

27:47 Embedding Financing Solutions

28:04 Cash Efficient Acquisition

30:48 Great Partners

32:10 Customer Data Decisions

34:41 Direct vs Partnership

37:45 Dfns - Sponsor

39:58 Future of Embedded Finance

42:05 Alignment of Incentives

44:35 Education and Transparency

46:58 Advice for Founders

47:55 Closing Thoughts

50:22 Hawk AI - Sponsor

51:06 Disclaimer

Bitcoin hit $116K before $3.45 billion in liquidations while stablecoins transferred a record $15.6 trillion with bots executing 70% of that volume. Host Tedd Huff, CEO of Voalyre, and BakerHostetler Partner Robert Musiala break down what happened in crypto this month and why it matters to your business now. The SEC issued two major no action letters creating roadmaps for DePIN networks and state bank custody while Treasury opened a 58 question comment period closing October 20th on Genius Act implementation. The Wolfsburg Group published global AML guidance requiring banks to know their customer’s customer when serving stablecoin issuers as nine European banks formed a consortium to launch a MICA compliant Euro stablecoin by 2026. Market fragmentation accelerates as purpose built stablecoins target specific communities while USDT and USDC slip to 84% combined share despite growing absolute volumes. Security threats remain the biggest adoption risk even as regulatory clarity emerges. Learn the five moves compliance and product teams should make today: display fees before sends, segment use cases by ecosystem, publish clear redemption rules, run cross chain incident drills, and build a one page control map that speeds both sales cycles and audits. If you manage risk, product, or finance in payments or crypto, this episode gives you the regulatory context and practical steps to act without waiting for Congress.

LINKS

Confidential Informant:

Robert A. Musiala Jr., LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-a-musiala-jr-esq-cfcs-b6534bb/

Firm Profile: https://www.bakerlaw.com/professionals/robert-a-musiala-jr/

The Blockchain Monitor: https://www.theblockchainmonitor.com/

BakerHostetler: https://www.bakerlaw.com/

Fintech Confidential

YouTube: https://fintechconfidential.com/watch

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Notifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/access

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

X: https://X.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

SUPPORTERS

Dfns: Wallets as a service with API-first, multi-chain design secured with MPC; powers crypto payments across 50+ networks. Request demo: https://fintechconfidential.com/dfns

Skyflow: Zero-trust data privacy vaults as an API to collect, secure, and tokenize personal information while keeping compliance and usability. Learn more: https://skyflowsecure.com

Hawk AI: Real-time screening, ML monitoring, and dynamic customer risk ratings to strengthen fraud and financial-crime prevention. Sign up for demo: https://gethawkai.com

ABOUT

Confidential Informant: Robert Musiala has worked in the crypto assets market since 2012. He has led major investigations, advised on compliance and product agreements across Web3 and NFTs, and co-leads BakerHostetler’s Web3 and assets team. He also authors The Blockchain Monitor with weekly legal insights.

BakerHostetler: A U.S. law firm advising clients from startups to Fortune 500 on blockchain-related matters, policy, compliance, and risk.

Host: Tedd Huff is Founder & CEO of Voalyre and DD3 Media and hosts Fintech Confidential, bringing clear, practical conversations on how money moves.

DD3 Media: A media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging fintech and Web3 content.

Chapters

00:00 Highlights

01:17 Dfns - Wallets as a Service (sponsor)

02:38 Kickoff

03:48 Lightning Round: Bitcoin and majors

05:15 Lightning Round: XRP, memecoins, staking pressure

06:28 Layer1 - Layer2 top News

07:29 Stable Coin Top News

09:02 Regulatory Landscape

11:38 Secuity Threats and Compliance

19:12 Bots = ~70% of the $15.6T stable coin transfers

20:37 Skyflow - Provacy Vault API (sponsor)

23:30 SEC pace and “rules of the road” setup

26:01 SEC rulemaking agenda explained

27:11 No-action letter: programmatic transfers and the Howey lens (DEPIN)

30:31 More no-action letters plus Treasury request for comments (ANPRM)

32:42 Wolfsberg guidance: bank risks and controls for stablecoin issuers

36:02 September summary: regulatory momentum and market impact

39:58 Rob's Top Three Take Aways

40:47 Tedd's Top Three Take Aways

43:22 Hawk Ai (sponsor)

44:08 Disclaimer

Building a successful fintech consulting firm without venture capital requires more than industry knowledge. It demands a willingness to sacrifice, a clear understanding of what customers need, and the ability to treat compliance as a commercial function rather than a cost center.

Tedd Huff founder & CEO of Voalyre a fintech advisory firm sits down with Jas Randhawa, founder and CEO of Strategybrix, a compliance consulting firm that serves high-growth fintechs, exchanges, and partner banks. The discussion covers the hard lessons learned from bootstrapping, the common mistakes fintech founders make, and why approaching compliance strategically can unlock growth rather than block it. Jas spent over 20 years working with major banks like Citibank, JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, and HSBC. His background as a computer science engineer gave him an inside view of how compliance systems work, from KYC and onboarding to transaction monitoring and fraud detection.

1️⃣ Prepare budget negotiations with specific numbers and risk examples so you walk in ready to win.

2️⃣ Replace compliance roadblocks with conditions for approval that define the guardrails needed to say yes safely.

3️⃣ Audit your onboarding flow against competitors to remove unnecessary friction that causes customer drop-off.

4️⃣ Create a one-page explainer showing how your AI compliance tools process data and produce outputs for regulators.

5️⃣ Build a trusted advisor network and schedule calls this week to validate major hiring and spending decisions.

Jas Randhawa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randhawajas

Strategybrix: https://www.strategybrix.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/strategybrix

Fintech Confidential:

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Newsletter: https://fintechconfidential.com/access

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

X: https://x.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

Under: Streamlines application and underwriting with digital form processing. https://under.io/ftc

Skyflow: Zero-trust data privacy vaults as an API to collect, secure, and tokenize personal information while keeping compliance and usability. https://skyflowsecure.com

Dfns: Wallets as a service with API-first, multi-chain design secured with MPC; powers crypto payments across 50+ networks. https://fintechconfidential.com/dfns

Hawk AI: Real-time screening, ML monitoring, and dynamic customer risk ratings to strengthen fraud and financial-crime prevention. https://gethawkai.com

Jas Randhawa is the Managing Partner at StrategyBRIX, a boutique Risk and Compliance Consulting firm. Before StrategyBRIX, Jas was the Head of Financial Crimes and Compliance at leading fintechs, including Stripe and Airwallex. In addition, at PwC, Jas built and led the firm's Financial Crimes practice across the US West Coast. He has over 18 years of experience building and managing programs in the Compliance space.

StrategyBRIX is a boutique consulting firm specializing in risk and compliance management for fintechs, crypto platforms, and digital banks. Founded in 2021, the firm helps organizations build sustainable financial crime compliance programs that balance regulatory rigor with operational efficiency.

Tedd Huff is the Founder of Voalyre, a professional services advisory firm focused on global payments. He is also a video podcast host and executive producer on the Fintech Confidential network. Over the past 25 years, he has contributed to FinTech startups as an Advisory Board Member, Co-Founder, and Chief Experience Officer.

DD3 Media is a media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging content globally.

Chapters:

00:00 Highlights

01:34 Under (Sponsor)

02:03 Welcome Jas Randhawa

03:26 Bootstrapping Strategybrix

04:45 Challenges in the Banking Sector

09:36 The Importance of Customer Focus

17:29 Skyflow Privacy Vault (Sponsor)

18:45 Scaling a Consulting Firm

25:41 Building and Leading a Team

32:48 Sustaining a Consulting Business

33:50 Importance of Team Dynamics

34:30 Curiosity and Learning in Team Members

36:01 Common Compliance Mistakes

38:35 Budgeting for Risk and Compliance

40:34 Effective Compliance Negotiation

43:54 Onboarding and Compliance Design

49:18 Dfns Wallet as a Service (Sponsor)

56:59 AI and Technology in Compliance

01:03:32 Advice for FinTech Founder

01:05:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

01:06:40 Hawk AI (sponsor)

01:07:27 Disclaimer

Duncan Barrigan left his high-profile Chief Growth Officer role at GoCardless, a $2.2 billion payments platform, to solve what he calls the biggest challenge in financial technology: broken B2B payments. This $70 trillion market is stuck, with 98% of B2B payments handled by outdated, manual processes. Rideshare giants deploy 50-person teams just to manage accounts receivable, exposing an enormous need for modern payment processing solutions.

Manual tasks and communication breakdowns are costing companies millions in wasted time. The core issue isn’t just sending or receiving money—it’s the chaos and disputes that slow down invoice payments and paralyze AP teams. Duncan saw that true progress means automating the entire workflow. Using the power of AI and AP automation, Lunos builds agents that handle accounts receivable at scale. These AI-powered tools negotiate, track, and resolve payment disputes without errors, never missing a detail, and supporting efficient electronic payments for modern businesses.

1️⃣ Start with monitor mode first to build trust and understand AR patterns before advancing to suggest or act modes.

2️⃣ Prevent disputes through real-time records instead of tracking payment promises in weekly spreadsheet downloads.

3️⃣ Let email handle customer communication rather than forcing customers onto new portals that create friction.

4️⃣ Use relationship-specific data for forecasting instead of broad machine learning patterns across different companies.

5️⃣ Integrate like a human worker by connecting with existing ERPs, CRMs, and communication tools without forcing massive changes.

GUEST

Duncan Barrigan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncanbarrigan/

LUNOS

Website: www.lunos.ai

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lunos-ai/

FINTECH CONFIDENTIAL

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Newsletter: https://fintechconfidential.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

X: https://x.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

SUPPORTERS

Under - Streamlines application and underwriting with digital PDF processing - https://under.io/ftc

Skyflow - Zero trust data privacy vault with simple API calls - https://skyflowsecure.com

Hawk - AI tools for real-time fraud detection and transaction monitoring - https://gethawkai.com

ABOUT

Duncan Barrigan is a technology entrepreneur and executive. He's the Founder and CEO of Lunos, the AI partner that manages receivables just like you would. Well, how you would if you worked on it 24/7, never forgot anything and read every message ever sent to you - you get the idea.

He has spent more than a decade helping businesses get paid, previously as Chief Product Officer and Chief Growth Officer at GoCardless for eight years, playing a leading role in its rise from a UK-based direct debit provider to a global bank payments unicorn worth $2.2bn, with revenue growing for $1m to well over $100m ARR. Prior to that he worked as a consultant, leading projects advising PE & VC clients on fintech and financial services M&A and strategy at Oliver Wyman. He has an MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge.

Lunos is an AI-powered accounts receivable platform that integrates with enterprise systems to automate tracking, communication, and resolution of unpaid invoices. The system operates like a human AR agent, managing customer interactions and adapting to responses in real time.

Tedd Huff is the Founder of Voalyre a professional services and Advisory firm focused on global payments and banking. He is also a video podcast host and executive producer on the Fintech Confidential network.

Over the past 25+ years, he has contributed to FinTech startups as an Advisory Board Member, Co-Founder, and Chief Experience Officer, providing strategic and tactical direction for Global Payments OpenEdge, Heartland Payments, Nuvei, and TSYS, among others, focusing on growth while delivering innovation, process improvements and user experience-driven value to simplify the complexity of payments.

DD3, Media:

DD3 Media is a media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging content globally

*CHAPTERS*

00:00 Highlights

01:07 Under (sponsor)

01:55 Meet Duncan Barrigan

02:50 Communication Chaos in Business

04:14 Duncan's Career Shift

05:19 The Light Bulb Moment

06:51 The Complexity of B2B Payments

09:08 Building AI to Handle Real-World Chaos

17:18 Skyflow (sponsor)

19:13 The Importance of Accurate Records

28:27 The Future of AI in B2B Payments

31:57 Advice for FinTech Founders

33:14 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

34:53 Hawk Ai (sponsor)

35:39 Disclaimer

The web3, cryptocurrency and blockchain markets moved fast in August 2025 and we’re covering Bitcoin’s rise, Wyoming’s state-backed coin, SoFi joining the Lightning Network, and Circle’s new Layer 1.

Host Tedd Huff teams up with Confidential Informant: Robert Musiala to unpack the GENIUS Act, stablecoin rules, bank use of Lightning, market structure, compliance shifts, custody standards, and global licensing moves that shaped August.

You get what changed, why it matters now, and how to apply it. You get a clear read on why Bitcoin strength ties to supply behavior, how monthly reserve disclosures affect stablecoin design, and why a bank’s Lightning rollout cuts payment friction.

The episode also covers risk programs moving to dynamic monitoring, custody standards that require segregation and clean recovery plans, and how Hong Kong licensing impacts cross-border builds.

1️⃣ Document Developer Programming Decisions

2️⃣ Monitor Wyoming’s FRNT Ten Billion Threshold

3️⃣ Assess EVM Compatibility Standards:

4️⃣ Prepare for Supervisory Examinations

5️⃣ Leverage Custody Guidance Roadmaps

Confidential Informant:

Robert A. Musiala Jr., LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-a-musiala-jr-esq-cfcs-b6534bb/

Firm Profile: https://www.bakerlaw.com/professionals/robert-a-musiala-jr/

The Blockchain Monitor: https://www.theblockchainmonitor.com/

BakerHostetler: https://www.bakerlaw.com/

Fintech Confidential

YouTube: https://fintechconfidential.com/watch

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Notifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/access

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

X: https://X.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

Dfns: Wallets as a service with API-first, multi-chain design secured with MPC; powers crypto payments across 50+ networks. Request demo: https://fintechconfidential.com/dfns

Skyflow: Zero-trust data privacy vaults as an API to collect, secure, and tokenize personal information while keeping compliance and usability. Learn more: https://skyflowsecure.com

Hawk AI: Real-time screening, ML monitoring, and dynamic customer risk ratings to strengthen fraud and financial-crime prevention. Sign up for demo: https://gethawkai.com

Confidential Informant: Robert Musiala has worked in the crypto assets market since 2012. He has led major investigations, advised on compliance and product agreements across Web3 and NFTs, and co-leads BakerHostetler’s Web3 and assets team. He also authors The Blockchain Monitor with weekly legal insights.

BakerHostetler: A U.S. law firm advising clients from startups to Fortune 500 on blockchain-related matters, policy, compliance, and risk.

Host: Tedd Huff is Founder & CEO of Voalyre and DD3 Media and hosts Fintech Confidential, bringing clear, practical conversations on how money moves.

DD3 Media: A media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging fintech and Web3 content.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Highlights

01:15 Dfns - Wallets as a service (sponsor)

02:36 Intro

03:06 Regulatory Landscape and Institutional Adoption

03:39 Market Context

06:01 Technological Innovations in Blockchain and Finance

09:08 Stablecoins and Their Impact on Financial Systems

12:04 The Future of Banking and Digital Assets

14:52 Challenges and Opportunities in Crypto Regulation

17:51 The Evolution of Financial Institutions in the Crypto Space

29:57 Regulatory Landscape of Digital Assets

30:19 Skyflow - Privacy has an API (sponsor)

36:12 The Genius Act and Its Implications

43:48 Global Perspectives on Stablecoin Regulation

51:55 Innovation vs. Regulation in the EU

57:41 The Future of Digital Assets and Banking

59:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

01:00:26 Hawk AI (sponsor)

01:01:12 Disclaimer

Fraud costs are climbing and fintech leaders face pressure to onboard customers faster while keeping trust intact. Host Tedd sits down with Ravi, a fintech veteran and CEO of KYXStart.AI, to break down how identity verification has shifted from a back-office task into a true growth driver.

This conversation tackles the reality that fraudsters now use deepfakes, synthetic identities, and AI-built scams while many companies still rely on outdated methods like scanning licenses. Ravi shares how the right approach can reduce onboarding time by 80%, cut fraud rates by 60%, and boost revenue by 20%. The insights go beyond security to show how stronger data, smarter compliance, and customer-focused design actually increase revenue.

1️⃣ Rethink Compliance

As StrategyUse compliance frameworks as tools to strengthen trust, open new markets, and support onboarding that scales growth.

2️⃣ Use Contextual Identity SignalsGo beyond static IDs.

Add phone, banking, and social signals to improve accuracy and cut false positives.

3️⃣ Design Teams Around Curiosity

Build teams that question, test, and adapt. Curiosity drives better fraud defenses and stronger customer experiences.

4️⃣ Adopt Continuous Verification Models

Move past one-time checks. Continuous verification keeps accounts secure, reduces fraud risks, and maintains trust.

5️⃣ Prioritize Deterministic Over Predictive

Choose deterministic checks for clear, real-time answers that deliver faster approvals and stronger compliance.

Guest: Ravi Bijlani

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravibijlani/

Company Website: https://kyxstart.ai

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kyxstart/

X: https://x.com/KYXStart_Ai

YouTube: https://youtu.be/meoKNa_C67A

Fintech Confidential

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Newsletter: https://fintechconfidential.com/access

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

X: https://x.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

Under - Streamlines application and underwriting with digital PDF processing - https://under.io/ftc

Skyflow - Zero trust data privacy vault with simple API calls - https://skyflowsecure.com

Hawk - AI tools for real-time fraud detection and transaction monitoring - https://gethawkai.com

Guest: Ravi Bijlani is the Founder & CEO of KYXStart.AI with more than 25 years in fintech. He previously served as GM at Equifax and Prove Identity. Ravi is an investor in SingularKey (acquired by Ping Identity) and holds multiple patents. He earned an MBA from Georgia Tech with Summa Cum Laude honors.

KYXStart.AI is a global identity verification platform that offers AI-powered verification, fraud detection, and compliance solutions. It is designed to improve match rates, reduce costs, and streamline onboarding with real-time data across more than 200 countries.

Host: Tedd Huff is CEO and Founder of Voalyre, a fintech advisory firm, and the host and executive producer of the FinTech Confidential network. With 25+ years in payments and fintech, Tedd has served as an advisor, co-founder, and executive, driving growth and simplifying global payment systems.

DD3 Media is a media creation, management, and production company focused on delivering engaging content globally.

00:00 Highlights

01:38 Under Sponsor

02:43 Welcome Ravi

04:47 Getting Into FinTech

06:29 Identity Verification Today

08:54 Evolution of Identity

11:05 Friction vs Security

18:27 Skyflow Sponsor

19:29 Market Dynamics

34:17 Light vs Deep Search

37:02 Success Story

40:41 Leadership Philosophy

45:07 Scaling Priorities

50:43 Future of Identity

57:01 Founder Advice

59:34 Episode Wrap

01:00:25 Hawk Sponsor

July 2025 marked when America officially positioned itself to become the crypto capital of the world. Tedd Huff and Rob Musiala break down the historic Genius Act, the White House digital assets report, and record $5.3 billion in monthly crypto funding. From Circle and Ripple chasing bank charters to Europe's USDG stablecoin launch, this episode covers how regulatory clarity triggered the biggest infrastructure shift in Web3 history.

The regulatory uncertainty that kept institutional capital on the sidelines has vanished. Banking intermediaries face elimination as stablecoin issuers go direct to federal charters. International competitive pressure mounts as European regulators worry about digital dollarization risks. Meanwhile, Bitcoin hit $123,000, Ethereum corporate holdings surged 127%, and Coinbase posted a 6200% increase in average trading volume year over year.

Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Genius Act creates first US cryptocurrency law with clear payment stablecoin framework

2️⃣ Circle filed for National Digital Currency Bank charter while Ripple pursues Fed master account access

3️⃣ Europe launched USDG under MICA regulation to counter US dollar stablecoin dominance

4️⃣ Rex Osprey launched first US ETF combining Solana spot exposure with on-chain staking rewards

5️⃣ S&P Dow Jones partnered with Centrifuge to tokenize the entire S&P 500 index

Guest:

Robert Musiala LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-musiala/

Robert Musiala Baker Hostetler: https://www.bakerlaw.com/people/robert-musiala

Blockchain Monitor: https://www.blockchainmonitor.com/

Company:

Baker Hostetler Website: https://www.bakerlaw.com/

Web3 & Digital Assets Team: https://www.bakerlaw.com/practices/web3-digital-assets

Fintech Confidential:

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@fintechconfidential

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Newsletter: https://fintechconfidential.com/access

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

X: https://x.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

Supporters:

Dfns provides wallets as a service with API-first, multi-chain design secured with MPC technology, powering crypto payments for major financial institutions across 50+ blockchains. Request demo: https://fintechconfidential.com/dfns

SkyFlow delivers zero-trust data privacy vaults as an API, helping you collect, secure and tokenize personal information while maintaining compliance and data usability. Learn more: https://skyflowsecure.com

Under.io streamlines application and underwriting processes by digitizing PDFs effortlessly for upload and digital signature, transforming document workflows. Get started: https://under.io/FTC

Hawk AI offers real-time payment screening, ML transaction monitoring and dynamic customer risk rating to revolutionize fraud and financial crime prevention. Sign up for demo: https://gethawkai.com

About:

Robert Musiala: Robert Musiala is a Partner and co-leader of Baker Hostetler's Web3 and Digital Assets team, one of the most comprehensive legal practices serving the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. As lead author of the Blockchain Monitor blog, Robert provides weekly analysis of the latest trends, regulatory developments, and legal implications in the crypto space. His expertise spans digital asset compliance, regulatory strategy, and emerging technology law, making him a trusted advisor to fintech companies, blockchain startups, and traditional financial institutions navigating Web3 integration.

Baker Hostetler: Baker Hostetler is a leading U.S. law firm with over 900 attorneys providing comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas. Their Web3 and Digital Assets team represents one of the largest and most experienced blockchain legal practices in the country, serving clients from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies entering the digital asset space.

Tedd Huff: Tedd Huff is the Founder of Voalyre and Diamond D3, professional services consulting firms focused on global payments and marketing. He is also a video podcast host and executive producer on the Fintech Confidential network. Over the past 25+ years, he has contributed to FinTech startups as an Advisory Board Member, Co-Founder, and Chief Experience Officer, providing strategic and tactical direction for global companies, focusing on growth while delivering innovation, process improvements, and user experience-driven value to simplify the complexity of payments.

DD3 Media: A media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging content globally, specializing in fintech and Web3 storytelling that makes complex topics accessible to business leaders and industry professionals.

Chapters:

00:00 Highlights

04:33 The Genius Act and Its Implications

08:02 Market Trends and Institutional Confidence

10:05 Record Venture Capital Investments in Crypto

12:47 The Rise of ETFs and Staking Opportunities

14:38 Tokenization of Real-World Assets

18:47 Market Dynamics: Bitcoin and Ethereum Surge

24:11 The Impact of Regulatory Clarity on Market Growth

27:05 Surprising Developments in Stablecoin Issuance

34:27 Future Prospects for the Digital Asset Market

37:49 Global Stablecoin Landscape and Regulatory Implications

44:35 The Impact of the Genius Act on US Stablecoin Issuers

48:35 The Shift in Stablecoin Infrastructure and Banking Access

58:16 Competitive Strategies Among Stablecoin Issuers

1:06:50 Future Outlook for Stablecoins and Digital Assets

[Guest Name] is the [Title] of the [Company Purpose/offering] company [CompanyName]. [Pronoun] shares [short summary of the episode].

Three essential items that we dive into.

1️⃣ [Item 1]

2️⃣ [Item 2]

3️⃣ [Item 3]

[link here]

[Company Name]

Website:

Linkedin:

Facebook:

Instagram:

Twitter:

Youtube:

Fintech Confidential

YouTube: https://fintechconfidential.com/watch

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Notifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/access

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

Supporters

Support is provided by MPC 2023, the premier event for fintech leaders. This is your chance to shake hands and rub shoulders with the world's top experts in payments, loyalty, blockchain, digital currencies, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and other emerging fintech solutions connecting you directly with the future of commerce.

If you haven't already, mark your calendars for August 23rd through the 25th and join me and Fintech Confidential at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North.

When you sign up for FinTech confidential notifications, you will receive a discount from $50 to 100% off.

Or use this link for $50 of registration. https://mpcevent.com/FTC50

[insert timestamps from transcript]

[Guest Name]: [Guest Bio]

[Company Name] : [Company info]

Tedd Huff: Tedd Huff is the Co-Founder of Voalyre, and the President & Founder of Diamond D3, a professional services consulting firm focused on global payments and marketing. He is also a video podcast host and producer of Fintech Confidential.

Over the past 24 years, he has contributed to FinTech startups as an Advisory Board Member, Co-Founder, and Chief Experience Officer, providing strategic and tactical direction for Global Payments OpenEdge, Heartland Payments, Nuvei, and TSYS, among others, focusing on growth while delivering innovation, process improvements and user experience-driven value to simplify the complexity of payments.

Diamond D3, Media: A media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging content globally

Bitcoin payments, Lightning Network, and fast crypto payments are here. Learn about cryptocurrency payment processing and blockchain technology with Tedd Huff, CEO of Voalyre, and Voltage CEO Graham Krizek. This conversation cuts through the noise around Bitcoin's practical applications, digital currency, and modern financial solutions.

The discussion reveals striking realities about payment processing that most people never consider. While traditional bank transfers take days and wire transfers take hours, Lightning Network transactions settle in under a second with complete finality. Graham shares how regulatory barriers are falling, with banks now able to hold cryptocurrency without special approval, and why businesses should default to Lightning for all Bitcoin transactions.

1️⃣ Switch to Lightning Payments

2️⃣ Leverage New Banking Rules

3️⃣ Avoid Infrastructure Building

4️⃣ Target Global Markets

5️⃣ Prepare for Consolidation

DFNS delivers secure wallets as a service API-first, multi-chain by design across 50+ blockchains - https://fintechconfidential.com/dnfs

SkyFlow provides zero trust data privacy vault API for collecting, securing, and tokenizing payment details - https://skyflowsecure.com

Under.io streamlines application and underwriting by digitizing PDFs for upload and digital signature - https://under.io/FTC

Hawk offers AI tools for real-time payment screening, ML transaction monitoring, and fraud prevention - https://gethawkai.com

Graham Krizek

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamkrizek

Twitter/X: https://x.com/gkrizek

Nostr: [email protected]

Voltage

Website: https://voltage.cloud

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voltagecloud/

X: https://x.com/voltage_cloud

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voltagecloud

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@voltage_cloud

Nostr: [email protected]

Fintech Confidential

Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listen

Newsletter: https://fintechconfidential.com/access

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidential

X: https://x.com/FTconfidential

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidential

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidential

Graham Krizek is the Founder and CEO of Voltage. With 10+ years in cryptocurrency, he contributed to Bitcoin Core and worked at Salesforce. He builds Lightning Network infrastructure to help businesses scale global payments with low-cost, fast settlements.

Voltage provides Bitcoin infrastructure enabling global payments via Lightning Network. It offers enterprise modular tools for exchanges, wallets, fintechs, and banks to cut costs, speed settlements, and simplify Bitcoin and stablecoin integration. Voltage powers fast, final low-fee transactions, bridging traditional finance and blockchain tech.

Tedd Huff founded Voalyre, a professional services and advisory firm focused on global payments and banking. He hosts and produces Fintech Confidential. With 25+ years in fintech, he's advised, co-founded, and led startups like OpenEdge, Heartland, Nuvei, and TSYS, focusing on growth, process improvements, and user experience to simplify payments.

DD3, Media: DD3 Media is a media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging content globally

Chapters:

00:00 Highlights

01:02 DFNS: Wallets as a Service (sponsor)

02:23 Intro to Web3 with FTC

03:06 Meet Graham Krizek: Founder and CEO of Voltage

05:05 Bitcoin's Evolution to Mainstream

07:04 Graham's Transition from Salesforce to Bitcoin

08:36 Bridging the Digital Divide with Bitcoin

11:30 Voltage: From Side Project to Real Company

13:10 Sky Flow Privacy Vault (sponsor)

14:09 Thunder Games

16:12 The Lightning Network: Speed & Efficiency

24:39 Real-Time Payments: Current State

25:10 Public Lightning Network Insights

26:48 Regulatory Landscape Shifts

28:13 Crypto Integration in Traditional Finance

30:45 Importance of Lightning Network Providers

31:30 Setting Up Nodes Efficiently

32:05 Under.io : Streamlining App Processes (sponsor)

32:38 Challenges in Node Setup

33:47 Stable Coins on the Rise w/ Lightning Network

37:28 AI & Payments

39:45 TradFi Meets Crypto

43:09 Real World & Digital Assets Converge

44:39 Voltage's Role in the Crypto Ecosystem

45:55 Encouraging Businesses to Adopt Lightning

46:17 Case Studies and Success Stories

46:59 Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook

47:34 Hawk : AI Fraud Fighting (sponsor)

48:20 Disclaimer