Provoke.fm Media

Is DeepSeek a massive disruption of the AI landscape? Or just another entrant in a brutal contest between Big Tech and feisty startups? In this episode, Brett and Rob examine the advent of DeepSeek R1 from all angles:  China’s rising AI prowess, the new Cold War, the myth of American exceptionalism, protectionism and export controls, the power of open source software, the winners and losers, and some surprising insights about the massive 17% drop in Nvidia’s market cap. 

In this episode of News From The Fintech Front, host Matteo Rizzi is joined by Alexander Gaillard, CEO of InvestGlass, to discuss the biggest fintech stories of January 2025. The month saw a major funding round in Europe, with French fintech Swan raising €42M to expand embedded banking across the continent, highlighting strong investor confidence in the sector. In payments, Elon Musk’s X announced a partnership with Visa Direct to power X Money, introducing real-time P2P payments for U.S. users. Meanwhile, the AI space saw a significant development as OpenAI launched o3-Mini, a powerful reasoning model aimed at countering rising competition from DeepSeek. Additionally, the financial infrastructure space witnessed a key partnership as Euroclear signed a seven-year deal with Microsoft to modernize operations through cloud computing and AI. With Alexander Gaillard’s expert insights, this episode explores how these developments are shaping the fintech landscape in 2025.

Follow Alexandre: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandre-gaillard-fintech
investglass.com

We are excited to introduce you to Provoke.fm‘s newest podcast….a-spinoff-of-a-spinoff of Breaking Banks. Bankers Bookshelf brings cutting edge banking and fintech research to life, sharing the stories and strategies behind financial innovation, bridging the gap between technology and finance — a perfect fit for the Breaking Banks family! Host Paolo Sironi, global research leader in banking and financial markets at IBM Institute for Business Value, is a trailblazer in fintech himself.

In this episode, Paolo connects with Ronit Ghose who runs the Future of Finance team in Citi’s thought leadership unit “Citi Global Insights”, and is the author of Future Money: Fintech, AI and Web 3.

The world of money is rapidly changing, but what does it all really mean? The duo discuss insights from the book with Ronit bringing technical topics to vivid life via narrative deep dives into selected founders and their companies. From London to Lagos, via Ahmedabad, Dubai, Hong Kong, Karachi and more, this episode pulls together the story of how money is changing in the internet era.

Subscribe to Bankers Bookshelf https://provokestage.wpengine.com/show/the-bankers-bookshelf/ or listen via your preferred podcast platform now!

Crypto, the SEC, and what shifting regulations mean for the fintech industry.

While the 2025 wildfires still burn, a special eyewitness account from Rob, located deep in the fire zone in Los Angeles. He and Brett discuss the economic, environmental and psychological toll of one of the nation’s worst natural disasters.  Also, the looming instance crisis and the challenge of measuring the true economic toll of ecological disaster and inaction by Congress. 

FinovateFall Best of Show winner Nest on their partnership with Efigence, conversational banking, and the future of customer service

Getting digital right can be challenging for anyone –small banks, big banks, incumbents, challengers, you name it.

In this episode, Brett King meets up with Akbank’s Consumer Banking & Digital Solutions, EVP, Burcu Civelek Yuce to talk about Akbank and Akbank LAB, Akbank’s Innovation Lab. The discussion focuses on the incumbent bank ‘s digital engagement and excellence in collaborating and partnering with fintechs and big tech.

Turkey is the 18th largest country in the world in terms of population size, with Akbank one of the largest banks (77 years young) in Turkey. Akbank has nimbly undergone a smoothe digital transformation with the majority of its customers now coming through digital channels — be it new customer acquisition, servicing or sales.

Akbank LAB is the innovation center that coordinates Akbank’s pioneering fintech developments. Here, they study best working models and implement solutions to make the lives of Akbank’s customers easier. Fintech partnership and collaboration are key components of Akbank LAB’s success, with partners working hard to create value for their customers.

Akbank is embracing AI with Banking IQ, hyper personalized information on customers, and is actively reskilling employees to lead the way forward.

Listen to this engaging conversation to learn best practices relevant for all banks and financial institutions.

For further information: akbanklab.com or [email protected]

Read the entire transcript here.

An introduction to the discussion on digital transformation in traditional banks. The host shares insights from a recent visit to Istanbul and the rapid changes observed in the Turkish banking sector.

EVP Bircu Sivilek shares key data on how Akbank has embraced digitalization, with significant growth in digital customer acquisition and engagement. The discussion covers the bank’s transformation into a digitally-led institution.

How Akbank fosters partnerships with fintechs and big techs through Akbank Lab. The conversation explores how the bank accelerates innovation through strategic collaborations.

A discussion on the role of artificial intelligence in banking, including how Akbank uses AI for hyper-personalized financial insights, enhancing the customer experience.

An exploration of how Akbank integrates fintech solutions to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) manage their financial operations, including a successful partnership with a Spanish fintech.

Comparing Akbank’s development process to digital-first banks like Nubank and Revolut. Insights into how Akbank has reduced time-to-market for new banking products.

A deep dive into how Akbank rebuilt its technology stack from the ground up to support seamless fintech integrations and AI-powered banking services.

How Akbank is positioning itself as a leader in AI-driven banking, with a focus on generative AI, customer experience, and further digital transformation in the next three to five years.

How Akbank’s digital push has reshaped the role of physical branches, transitioning to a cash-light model with a stronger focus on customer advisory services.

Final reflections on Akbank’s innovation journey and how fintech partnerships will continue to shape the bank’s future. An invitation for fintechs to collaborate with Akbank Lab.

Paolo Sironi meets Ronit Ghose, who runs the Future of Finance team in Citi’s thought leadership unit “Citi Global Insights”, and is the author of “Future Money: Fintech, AI and Web 3”.

The world of money is rapidly changing, but what does it all really mean? Paolo discusses some book insights with Ronit, who brings technical topics to vivid life via narrative deep dives into selected founders and their companies. Spanning multiple geographies from London to Lagos, via Ahmedabad, Dubai, Hong Kong, Karachi and more, Future Money pulls together the story of how money is changing in the internet era.

As we head into Davos at the end of the month, we are bringing in world class futurists that will be participating at the World Economic Forum. This week we have an Artist turned Futurist,  Dina Baenninger, who debates the need for real  artistry, creativity and modeling in scenario planning  and how it’s not just all about strategic thinking and trending. Dina is heading to Davos to apply this level of creativity personally. 

What’s the key to financial security today? As technology and a shifting economy reshape how we save, spend, borrow, and plan for the future, mastering the art of money management is critical for achieving financial health. Listen as Jennifer Tescher, host of sister podcast Emerge Everywhere and Founder of the Financial Health Network, speaks with Suze Orman – personal finance expert, author, Emmy Award winner, and Co-Founder of workplace emergency savings platform SecureSave – about the critical role of savings and an important step companies can take to support employees’ financial success today.

Dedicated to improving financial health for all, especially the most vulnerable among us, Emerge Everywhere tackles the complex issues intersecting the financial well-being of people across America while exploring how to build an inclusive economy.

Listen now! Read the entire transcript here.

A reflection on how financial habits have evolved over the past two decades, with a focus on new tools, technology, and the challenges people face today.

Suze Orman discusses the stark difference between national economic indicators and individual financial realities, emphasizing that many Americans are still struggling despite a strong stock market.

A look back at how financial behaviors changed after the Great Recession, the long-term effects of financial fear, and how past economic crises still impact people’s financial decisions today.

Examining how government stimulus during the pandemic created short-term financial stability, only for many people to fall into debt when support was removed.

The debate between personal financial responsibility and the role of systemic challenges, including inflation, job access, and government policies in shaping financial well-being.

Suze Orman raises concerns about how young people are learning about personal finance, questioning whether influencers and social media platforms are reliable sources of financial education.

A deep dive into SecureSave, Suze Orman’s initiative to help employees build emergency savings, and why she believes savings—not investing—should be the foundation of financial security.

Suze speculates on the future of AI-powered financial advisors, discussing both the potential benefits and risks of AI replacing human financial guidance.

A discussion on financial security for aging populations, including how women often outlive their partners and the financial struggles they face later in life.

Suze Orman shares her final thoughts on how individuals and businesses can take action to improve financial stability, and the need for a more holistic approach to financial education.

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