London Fintech Podcast

How do the rules that govern new financial services actually get written? And what happens when a regulator tests them on real products before finalising them?

In this episode of The London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark is joined by Matthew Long, Director of Payments and Digital Assets at the FCA, to explore how the UK built its crypto and stablecoin regime. They also look at what happened when the regulator tested its proposed stablecoin rules with real firms in a live sandbox.

Matthew, who has led the design of the regime since 2022, explains what the testing revealed and how the final rules changed after consultation and testing.

The changes range from simplifying how backing assets are calculated to making disclosure requirements less prescriptive. He also shares what surprised the regulator about how quickly fintech firms could develop new solutions.

The conversation also covers the opening of the FCA’s authorisation gateway for crypto firms and the early response from applicants. Matthew sets out what firms need to show to be authorised, including clear governance, wind-down plans and strong financial crime controls.

Matthew also discusses how the UK is working with regulators internationally and the upcoming work on decentralised finance and tokenised payments. He explains how the FCA is beginning to examine questions such as liability when AI makes payments, through its supercharged sandbox.

For anyone building, investing in or following the UK’s digital asset market, this is a rare look at how financial regulation is made, tested and changed, and what comes next.

00:00 Trailer & Intro

01:20 How the UK's Crypto Rules Get Written

02:09 The Authorisation Gateway Opens

04:03 Guidance, Timelines and the Market the FCA Wants

06:11 What Counts as a Crypto Firm

07:47 From Registration to Full Authorisation

08:54 Inside the Stablecoin Sandbox

12:08 What Testing Changed in the Final Rules

14:33 What Surprised the Regulator

15:38 What Firms Need to Show to Get Authorised

20:23 Working With Regulators Globally

23:48 What's Next: DeFi, Tokenised Payments and New Payment Rails

29:06 Keeping Up With Fast-Moving Technology

31:38 AI Making Payments and the Supercharged Sandbox

37:39 Advice for Firms Not Yet Involved in Crypto

40:01 The FCA's Mission for the UK Market

43:15 Career Lessons and Life Outside Work

How do the rules that govern new financial services actually get written? And what happens when a regulator tests them on real products before finalising them?In this episode of The London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark is joined by Matthew Long, Director of Payments and Digital Assets at the FCA, to explore how the UK built its crypto and stablecoin regime. They also look at what happened when the regulator tested its proposed stablecoin rules with real firms in a live sandbox.Matthew, who has led the design of the regime since 2022, explains what the testing revealed and how the final rules changed after consultation and testing. The changes range from simplifying how backing assets are calculated to making disclosure requirements less prescriptive. He also shares what surprised the regulator about how quickly fintech firms could develop new solutions.The conversation also covers the opening of the FCA’s authorisation gateway for crypto firms and the early response from applicants. Matthew sets out what firms need to show to be authorised, including clear governance, wind-down plans and strong financial crime controls.Matthew also discusses how the UK is working with regulators internationally and the upcoming work on decentralised finance and tokenised payments. He explains how the FCA is beginning to examine questions such as liability when AI makes payments, through its supercharged sandbox.For anyone building, investing in or following the UK’s digital asset market, this is a rare look at how financial regulation is made, tested and changed, and what comes next.00:00 Trailer & Intro02:05 How the UK’s Crypto Rules Get Written02:59 The Authorisation Gateway Opens05:33 Early Applications and Who’s Applying08:28 What Counts as a Crypto Firm10:05 From Registration to Full Authorisation11:15 Inside the Stablecoin Sandbox16:11 What Testing Changed in the Final Rules18:44 What Surprised the Regulator19:49 Building Trust Between Fintechs and the FCA21:16 What Firms Need to Show to Get Authorised26:35 Working With Regulators Globally30:06 What’s Next: DeFi, Tokenised Payments and New Payment Rails35:23 Keeping Up With Fast-Moving Technology38:06 AI Making Payments and the Supercharged Sandbox43:48 Advice for Firms Not Yet Involved in Crypto46:20 The FCA’s Mission for the UK Market49:37 Career Lessons and Life Outside Work

Where should a financial services business expand next? And what makes a market attractive enough to justify the move?

In this episode of The London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark is joined by Mr King Leung, Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion 2 at InvestHK, to explore why Hong Kong continues to attract financial services, fintech and technology businesses from around the world.

Drawing on his experience as an entrepreneur, consultant and investment promotion leader, King shares what companies consider when deciding where to establish a presence, from market size and access to capital to talent, regulation and government policy.

The conversation also looks at Hong Kong’s growing role in wealth management and cross-border payments, its approach to digital assets and new financial infrastructure, and how InvestHK helps international companies land, find clients and build their networks.

King also discusses the growing two-way relationship between Hong Kong, mainland China and the UK, including his recent delegation of 25 companies to Britain, and why Hong Kong FinTech Week is becoming an important meeting point for Asian and international businesses.

For financial services and fintech businesses considering international expansion, this is a practical look at how companies assess new markets and how Hong Kong is positioning itself as a gateway between Asia and the global economy.

Chapters:

00:00 - Trailer & Intro

01:25 - Introduction to Hong Kong's Financial Landscape

03:19 - Key Factors Influencing Investment Decisions

07:10 - Hong Kong's Market Size and Policy Environment

10:54 - Talent and Infrastructure Support for Fintech

14:38 - Case Study: Liquidified's Growth in Hong Kong

18:46 - Government Initiatives and Accelerators

22:12 - Hong Kong's Role in Digital Assets and Stablecoins

25:42 - Hong Kong-UK Trade and Investment Opportunities

33:46 - Upcoming Events and Future Outlook

37:41 - Personal Insights and Career Lessons

Anant Kumar discusses the current state and future potential of blockchain in finance, exploring how institutions are beginning to adopt the technology and where it could have the greatest impact: collateral, settlement and tokenisation

.Drawing on real-world examples, including Benefit Street Partners’ Bitcoin-backed loan and Galaxy Digital’s tokenised commercial paper transaction on Solana, Anant explains how blockchain is being applied to traditional financial processes, and what needs to happen for adoption to scale.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why institutional blockchain adoption is likely to begin with collateral, followed by settlement.

• How Galaxy Digital’s tokenised commercial paper transaction demonstrates the potential of on-chain finance.

• Why traditional processes, such as leveraged loan settlement, can take up to two weeks, and how blockchain could help.

• The role of regulation and regulatory clarity in enabling institutional adoption.

• The technical infrastructure required to support on-chain collateral and settlement.

• How tokenisation could extend across asset classes, including equities, bonds, real estate and aircraft.

• Why atomic settlement presents both opportunities and challenges for financial institutions.

• How digital assets could intersect with emerging areas such as AI infrastructure and GPU financing.

• What institutions should consider now as they prepare for tokenisation, including security and operational readiness.

If you’re working in financial services, private credit or digital assets, this conversation offers a practical look at blockchain’s evolving role in traditional finance and the opportunities and challenges shaping its adoption.

Chapters

01:04 Introduction: blockchain’s role in institutional finance

03:16 Why collateral comes before settlement

06:41 Bitcoin-backed lending and the Galaxy Digital deal

08:04 What institutions need to bring assets on-chain

10:40 Inside Galaxy Digital’s tokenised commercial paper transaction

12:19 Atomic settlement and stablecoin repayment

13:17 What comes next for tokenised commercial paper

13:39 Choosing a blockchain network

14:21 Why leveraged loan settlement takes up to two weeks

17:12 The move towards atomic settlement

18:15 Swift’s shared ledger and interbank transfers

18:47 Managing volatility in Bitcoin-backed lending

22:34 Aircraft as collateral

23:30 Tokenising equities and other traditional assets

24:45 How far along is institutional blockchain adoption?

26:15 Blockchain’s role in Benefit Street Partners’ strategy

26:39 Tokenised funds and GPU financing

28:44 How on-chain capital can finance AI infrastructure

30:01 Smart contracts, execution risk and bridge loans

31:41 AI’s impact on private credit

33:03 Preparing financial institutions for tokenisation

34:37 Practical steps for getting ready

35:36 Building blockchain expertise at Franklin Templeton

36:42 What could come next for digital assets

38:12 Advice for navigating change

When you’re under pressure to grow, slowing down can feel like the wrong move. But rushing past the difficult questions can leave you fixing problems just as your business starts to scale.

Emma Hagan, UK CEO of ClearBank, joins the London Fintech Podcast to explain why investing time in the right people, processes and conversations early on can help you move faster later.

Having moved from leading risk and compliance to running the UK bank, Emma shares how ClearBank approaches growth, launches new services and decides which opportunities deserve its attention.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why missing expertise can hold up a launch, and how bringing the right people in early helps.

• How building risk management into your plans can make it easier to scale.

• What ClearBank learned from expanding into Europe and securing a second banking licence.

• Why more funding won’t solve every growth problem, and when to say no to a good idea.

• How to make conversations with regulators more productive.

If you’re building, launching or growing a financial business, this conversation will help you spot where extra preparation now could save you time later.

Blockchain may have its greatest impact on finance when customers stop seeing it.

In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, about the convergence of blockchain and traditional financial infrastructure — and why the future of digital finance may be less about replacing existing systems and more about making blockchain invisible beneath familiar financial products.

The conversation explores what stablecoins are already making possible, what the growing adoption of blockchain infrastructure actually tells us, and why faster settlement alone is not enough to transform financial services.

Marc also explains Polygon's Open Money Stack and the thinking behind bringing more of the payment journey together while keeping the underlying infrastructure open and interoperable. The discussion looks beyond payments and digital assets to ask why banks, wealth managers, insurers, fintechs and market infrastructure providers should be paying attention.

Tony and Marc also examine the limits of the current technology, including regulation, risk, integration, liquidity and customer protection — and where existing financial rails may still be the better answer.

Most importantly, the episode asks a practical question for financial-services leaders: what should you act on now, what should you watch, and what can safely wait?

📌 Topics covered

• Why blockchain could disappear into mainstream finance• What stablecoin adoption really tells us

• Why faster settlement isn't enough

• Polygon's Open Money Stack and open financial infrastructure

• The future of payments and digital assets

• Blockchain's implications for banking, wealth, insurance and fintech• Integration, interoperability and chain abstraction

• The role of regulation, risk and customer protection

• What remains unresolved or overhyped

• What financial-services leaders should act on now

🔗 Learn more:

Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/

Marc Boiron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcboiron

NextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.com

Polygon: https://polygon.technology/

⏱️ Chapters:

0:00 Intro

1:05 Welcome to the show

1:55 Blockchain as an upgrade

3:52 What should customers notice?

5:31 Speed under the hood

6:54 What TradFi brings to the table

11:02 The Great Rewiring: real examples

15:40 $3T in stablecoin volume

17:28 Anatomy of a cross-border payment

20:50 Blockchain like AWS, not "crypto"

22:03 Gaps and the Open Money Stack

24:37 88% committed, 16% live

27:05 Is "open" really open?

30:11 How many chains are connected

31:54 Agentic use cases and fraud

35:04 Agentic commerce moving fast

38:01 Talent was the missing piece

40:22 Priorities for the next two years

45:12 Designing your future architecture

46:22 Where clients start: chains and wallets

48:57 What could go wrong

52:06 Closing thoughts

Where is the VC money going in the UK, and what does it take for a startup to become investment-ready in today’s funding market?

In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Thomas Easterby from HSBC Innovation Banking about the state of the UK innovation economy, the latest venture capital trends, the surge in AI investment, and what founders need to know when raising capital.

The conversation explores a rapidly changing funding landscape, where AI investment has reached record levels, but investors are becoming increasingly thoughtful and diligent about where they deploy capital.Thomas shares his perspective on the companies and sectors attracting funding, what counts as frontier AI, why fintech and healthcare remain important parts of the innovation economy, and how the relationship between traditional finance and decentralised finance is evolving.

They also discuss why London continues to lead the UK VC market, the emerging "hourglass" shape of startup funding, and the growing importance of regional innovation hubs outside the capital.

For founders, the conversation gets practical: what makes a company investment-ready? Thomas shares insights into what investors are looking for, the different types of VC and corporate venture capital, and why demonstrating how AI is genuinely changing your business can help a company stand out.

The discussion also looks at an often-overlooked part of scaling a business: choosing the right banking partner. As companies move from startup to growth stage, their banking needs evolve — making specialist support increasingly important.

Whether you're a founder preparing to raise, an investor tracking the UK innovation economy, or simply interested in where the next generation of high-growth companies is coming from, this episode offers a grounded look at the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Topics covered

• UK startup funding and the current VC landscape

• Record AI investment and the rise of frontier AI

• Which sectors are attracting investment

• FinTech, healthcare and the convergence of TradFi and DeFi

• Why London continues to lead UK venture capital

• The "hourglass" shape of today's funding market

• Who today's founders are and what investors want to see

• How founders can become investment-ready

• Different VC models and corporate venture capital

• Why the right banking partner matters as companies scale

• The outlook for the UK innovation economy

• Advice for founders and investors

Learn more:

Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/

Thomas Easterby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-easterby-3189709b/NextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.com

HSBC Innovation Banking: https://www.hsbcinnovationbanking.com/

Crypto is no longer operating at the edges of finance. It’s becoming part of the core infrastructure powering global payments, treasury operations, and digital asset innovation.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Ran Goldi, SVP Payments & Network at Fireblocks, to explore the rapid rise of stablecoins, institutional crypto adoption, and the technologies reshaping the future of financial services.Broadcast live from Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, the conversation examines how traditional financial institutions are increasingly embracing blockchain-based financial rails. Ran shares insights from Fireblocks’ unique vantage point, with the platform now supporting approximately $15 trillion in annual stablecoin transaction volume and serving thousands of organisations across banking, payments, fintech, and digital assets.The discussion explores the evolution of the crypto industry through three major waves: trading, payments, and tokenisation. Ran explains why stablecoins have become one of the fastest-growing areas of financial infrastructure, how regulatory clarity is accelerating adoption, and why the “hottest thing in DeFi is TradFi.”They also dive into the emerging role of tokenised deposits, the future of digital asset infrastructure, and how AI-powered agents could transform the way businesses and consumers interact with money.Whether you're a fintech founder, banker, payments executive, or digital asset investor, this episode offers practical insight into where financial infrastructure is heading next.📌 Topics covered• Fireblocks’ role in digital asset infrastructure• Institutional adoption of crypto and stablecoins• Why stablecoin transaction volumes are accelerating• The evolution from crypto trading to payments and tokenisation• Tokenised deposits vs stablecoins• The impact of regulation on institutional adoption• Blockchain infrastructure for banks and payment providers• AI, automation, and agent-based financial services• What the next decade of digital finance could look like• Advice for founders building in emerging technology markets🔗 Learn more:Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/Ran Goldie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rangoldi/NextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.comFireblocks: https://www.fireblocks.com#Crypto #Stablecoins #Fireblocks #DigitalAssets #Blockchain #Tokenization #InstitutionalCrypto #Payments #Fintech #DeFi #TokenizedDeposits #AI #FutureOfFinance #Money2020 #LondonFintechPodcastcrypto, stablecoins, fireblocks, ran goldie, digital assets, institutional crypto, blockchain infrastructure, tokenization, tokenised assets, tokenized deposits, defi, traditional finance, tradfi, crypto payments, stablecoin payments, digital asset custody, fintech podcast, london fintech podcast, money2020, blockchain adoption, web3, crypto regulation, financial infrastructure, ai in finance, payments innovation, cross border payments, fireblocks network, digital asset platform, crypto rails, future of finance, fintech innovation, institutional adoption of crypto, stablecoin infrastructure, blockchain payments, tokenized finance, crypto banking, treasury management, digital finance, fintech leadership, financial services innovation

Embedded banking is moving from concept to reality. According to Andrew Ellis, CEO of NatWest Boxed, the future of financial services will be shaped by organisations that can seamlessly integrate banking products into the experiences customers already use every day.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Andrew Ellis, CEO of NatWest Boxed, about the evolution of Banking-as-a-Service, embedded finance, and how major brands are creating new opportunities through financial products.Andrew shares the journey behind NatWest Boxed, from building a modern banking platform to powering partnerships with organisations including Sainsbury's, Saga, and the AA. The conversation explores how embedded banking is changing customer expectations, creating new revenue opportunities, and enabling brands to deepen customer relationships.They also discuss the realities of AI adoption in financial services, the importance of governance and trust, and why many firms are focusing on practical business outcomes rather than simply chasing the latest technology trends.At the heart of the conversation is a bigger question: what happens when banking becomes an invisible, integrated part of the customer experience?📌 Topics covered• The growth of embedded banking and Banking-as-a-Service• The story behind NatWest Boxed• Building partnerships with brands including Sainsbury's, Saga, and the AA• How customer expectations are changing in financial services• The role of trust, governance, and resilience in modern banking• Practical AI adoption in financial services• Why firms struggle to move from AI pilots to production• Trends shaping banking, fintech, and customer experience over the next 12–18 months🔗 Learn more:Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/Andrew Ellis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-a-ellis/NatWest Boxed: https://www.nwboxed.com/NextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.com/#EmbeddedFinance #BankingAsAService #NatWestBoxed #Banking #FinancialServices #FinTech #AI #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #CustomerExperience #OpenBanking #LondonFintechPodcast

Most AI projects don't fail because of the model. They fail because organisations don't trust the data.In this special live edition of the London Fintech Podcast, recorded from Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, Tony Clark sits down with Remco den Heijer, Vice President APJ & EMEA Channels at Alteryx, to explore why data readiness has become the defining challenge in enterprise AI adoption.As organisations move from AI experimentation to real-world deployment, the conversation is shifting away from models and prompts towards trust, governance, and operational execution. Remco explains why AI success depends not on having the latest model, but on having data that is visible, understandable, repeatable, and auditable.Drawing on experience working with some of the world's largest enterprises, Remco shares how organisations are modernising legacy processes, replacing spreadsheet-driven workflows, and creating the foundations required for AI to deliver measurable business outcomes.The discussion explores agentic AI, enterprise automation, regulatory expectations, and the infrastructure needed to support AI at scale. They also examine how businesses are using governed workflows to bridge the gap between raw data and trusted decision-making.Beyond technology, the conversation covers leadership, ecosystem partnerships, global perspectives on AI adoption, and why organisations that treat data as a strategic asset are emerging as the winners in the AI era.Whether you're a data leader, fintech operator, AI practitioner, or executive responsible for transformation, this episode offers practical insight into what it really takes to become AI-ready.📌 Topics covered:• Why most AI projects fail despite advances in AI models• What "AI-ready data" actually means• The VURA framework: Visible, Understandable, Repeatable, Auditable• Data governance, trust, and the EU AI Act• Agentic AI and governed workflows• How Alteryx powers enterprise-scale automation• The role of data infrastructure in AI adoption• Why businesses run on workflows, not prompts• AI readiness across Europe, Asia, and North America• Lessons from investing in startups and scaling technology businesses🔗 Learn more:Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/Remco den Heijer: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/remcodenheijerAlteryx: https://www.alteryx.com/platformNextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.com/NextWave Alteryx Knowledge Hub: https://resources.nxwave.com/hub/nxw-alteryx-hubFree Alteryx License: https://www.alteryx.com/trial/workflow-automation?prid=0033n00002qVAafAAG&crp=0033n00002qVAafAAG&apid=0012R00002DwbwTQARAlteryx Training Courses: https://www.nxwave.com/alteryx-trainingGo Beyond the Podcast: https://resources.nxwave.com/hub/london-fintech-podcast