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.

FinovateEurope Best of Show winner Keyless on using facial recognition without storing sensitive biometric data on a specific device.

Detailed Summary:

In this episode, Tobin Broadfoot and host Greg Palmer highlight the challenges of traditional authentication methods, such as remembering passwords and using SMS one-time passcodes, which are both inconvenient and vulnerable to security breaches. Keyless addresses these issues by offering a decentralized, privacy-focused solution that allows users to authenticate across multiple devices securely. Their unique approach uses zero-knowledge biometrics and secure multi-party computation to perform authentication without storing or accessing personal data.

Tobin also discusses the difficulties banks face when customers lose devices and how Keyless provides a more seamless and secure solution compared to traditional device-based authentication systems. The technology reduces reliance on weak factors like SMS and email verification, which are prone to account takeovers.

Tobin concludes with the thought that while AI enables more sophisticated fraud techniques, including “fraud-as-a-service,” companies like Keyless are already equipped with advanced defenses to combat these evolving threats. Keyless’ ability to process biometric data locally on devices while maintaining privacy gives it a significant edge in preventing large-scale fraud.

More info:

FinovateEurope: https://informaconnect.com/finovateeurope/

Keyless: keyless.io, https://www.linkedin.com/company/keylesstech/

Tobin Broadfoot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobinbroadfoot/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

#finovate #fintech #biometrics #security #ai #verification

In this third episode, we welcome Nadine Zoro as she makes her debut as a podcast host, co-hosted by Matteo Rizzi. Our guest, Divine Muragijimana, brings her expertise in brand storytelling, product marketing, and fintech growth to the conversation. She shares insights on how strategic branding empowers African entrepreneurs, the intersection of media and fintech marketing, and key takeaways from #IFF2025. Matteo also leads a discussion on the role of talent upskilling in driving fintech innovation. With an integral (no cuts) for Nadine’s first episode, join us while diving into an insightful discussion on African fintech’s evolving landscape.

Follow Divine:

This week on The Futurists retired-NASA astronaut and pilot of the Space Shuttle, is a former F14 fighter pilot, a test pilot, an engineer, and a veteran of four space flights. Kelly commanded the International Space Station (ISS) on three expeditions and was a member of the year long mission to the ISS. In October 2015, he set the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space, the single longest space mission by an American astronaut at that time. Host Brett King gets into what he misses about life on station and what Mars crews are likely to face when they land on Mars, along with why we should go to Mars. This is one of our best episodes yet!

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. 

Streamlining complex system integrations with FinovateEurope Best of Show winner R34DY.

Detailed summary: in this episode, host Greg Palmer speaks with Márk Katenyi, CEO and founder of R34DY, a company that won Best of Show at FinovateEurope. The two talk about Ablements, an integration platform designed for banks and financial institutions to simplify IT architecture and streamline complex system integrations.

Márk explains how the platform uses AI, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and agentic technologies, to ingest documentation, understand IT systems, and create deployable workflows. He highlights the industry’s long-standing struggle with integration and how AI is now enabling real solutions, rather than just theoretical improvements.

Throughout the conversation, Márk discusses the overwhelmingly positive response from banks at FinovateEurope, who have long awaited AI-driven integration solutions. He acknowledges that while there is still skepticism about AI’s effectiveness, R34DY has been able to demonstrate real results.

The discussion also touches on the broader role of AI in financial institutions, emphasizing the importance of focusing on enterprise use cases that reduce costs and improve efficiency. Looking ahead, R34DY aims to expand its platform’s capabilities and address market gaps, particularly in enabling faster, more secure, and compliant financial system integrations.

More information:

FinovateEurope: https://informaconnect.com/finovateeurope/

R34DY: https://www.r34dy.io/

Ablements: https://ablements.com/

Márk Hetenyi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hetenyi-64b7824/

Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/

Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/

Technology strategist Shelly Palmer returns to The Futurists to demystify abstruse concepts of quantum computing in practical terms with his characteristically sharp insights about artificial intelligence. Shelly explains: why code and content will be free;  why quantum encryption won’t create jobs for humans; what happens when Moore’s law compounds with Metcalfe’s and Cooper’s Laws; why we can bank on the proliferation of good ideas; and how to separate hype from reality in the realm of Big Tech research.  

A different approach to connecting community banks with fintechs, and predictions for the coming year

In this episode of Social Currency, hosts Tyler Seydel and Eric Schurr sit down with Emily Cisek, co-founder and CEO of Paige (Formerly The Postage®), a platform dedicated to simplifying long-term financial planning and legacy management. Emily shares her journey from startup life to founding Paige, inspired by personal experiences with loss and the challenges of end-of-life planning. They discuss the importance of financial preparedness, overcoming the social friction of these conversations, and how Paige is helping families and small business owners secure their futures. Tune in for insights on financial wellness, social connection, and the evolving role of community banks in supporting generational transitions.

In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, host Matteo Rizzi engages in an insightful conversation with key figures from the fintech and financial inclusion landscape in Africa. Guests include Thelma Quaye, Director of Digital Infrastructure, Skills, and Empowerment at SmartAfrica; Kosta Peric, Deputy Director of Inclusive Financial Systems at the Gates Foundation; Leila Rwagasana, FinTech Secretariat Lead at Rwanda Finance Limited; and Christian Kajeneri, Director of Payment Systems at the National Bank of Rwanda.

The discussion explores the evolution of financial inclusion and fintech in Africa, with a focus on Rwanda’s digital transformation. Highlights include the launch of the Rwanda National Digital Payment System (RNDP 2.0), the success of Mojaloop in facilitating payment system interoperability, and the inspiring stories of local innovators and entrepreneurs. The episode also touches on the challenges and opportunities for youth, particularly women, in the fintech sector. Through personal anecdotes and professional insights, the episode emphasizes the power of perseverance, passion, and seizing opportunities to drive change in Africa’s financial ecosystem.