Episodes

  • Battling Fraud in Fintech: How Banks and Fintechs can Stay Ahead

    Battling Fraud in Fintech: How Banks and Fintechs can Stay Ahead
    Jun 26 2025
    In This Episode This week on Breaking Banks, we feature our sister podcast, Social Currency, powered by Sunrise Banks. Social Currency introduces us to some of the most innovative changemakers in finance, technology, and social impact—leaders who are dismantling barriers and reshaping their industries for a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future. Hosts Tyler Seydel, Chief Fintech Officer, and Eric Schurr, Chief Strategy Officer at Sunrise Banks, speak with those at the forefront of positive change through social entrepreneurship, unveiling the stories behind the revolution that’s propelling us toward a world where everyone has equitable access to opportunity. In this episode, Tyler and Eric connect with John Barbella, Founder and President of Neighborli—a network of financial institutions aligned to prevent and fight fraud in fintech. With over 30 years of experience in financial services, John shares insights on compliance, the evolving fraud landscape, and how banks and fintechs can collaborate to stay ahead. Tune in to learn how Neighborli is bridging the gap between financial institutions and fintechs to build a more secure and innovative digital banking future. Enjoy the episode, and check out other episodes of Social Currency at provoke.fm or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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    41 mins
  • Fintech FMK: Hot Takes on the Regulatory Wild West

    Fintech FMK: Hot Takes on the Regulatory Wild West
    Jun 19 2025
    In This Episode Live from the main stage at American Banker’s Digital Banking 2025, this high-energy episode of Breaking Banks brings the regulatory heat. Host Jason Henrichs is joined by Alex Johnson (Fintech Takes) and Dara Tarkowski (Actuate Law) for unfiltered, rapid-fire takes on the most urgent—and divisive—issues shaping digital finance regulation today. In a fintech twist on the classic ‘90s game FMK, the trio tackles which regulatory bodies to "love, leave, or reform"—from the CFPB and OCC to the NCUA and beyond. No topic is off-limits as they debate the shifting landscape around Section 1033, Open Banking implementation, UDAP enforcement, and the growing tensions between innovation and compliance. Plus: what do the STABLE Act, the GENIUS Act, and Stablecoin policy have in common? They all point to a regulatory future that’s as complex as it is critical to get right. This episode is not for the faint of heart, but essential listening for anyone working at the intersection of fintech, policy, and consumer protection.
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    41 mins
  • Breaking Borders: Africa’s Digital Leap and the Future of Global Payments

    Breaking Borders: Africa’s Digital Leap and the Future of Global Payments
    Jun 12 2025
    This week we bring you more insights from Cape Town South Africa as we continue to explore some great startups on the African continent and beyond from Crossfin's Circle of Fintech event. In our first segment, Brett speaks with Karl Westvig, CEO of TymeBank South Africa. Since receiving its banking license in South Africa in 2019, TymeBank has grown to 80 million customers globally, focusing on financial inclusion through accessible and frictionless banking. The expanding neobank has plans for further growth in several Asian markets. Key motivations include the immense scale of the Asian markets: the Philippines with 120 million people and Indonesia with 280 million alongside South Africa's 60 million. These regions boast young, digitally savvy populations that are largely underserved. Tune in as Brett and Karl discuss new opportunities, TymeBank's innovative "phygital" distribution strategy, tech stacks, Agentic AI, new products, and more Then, Brett sits down with Unitey Founder & CEO, Muzaffar "MK" Khokhar, for an engaging conversation about the payments ecosystem. Based in the UAE, Unitey's mission is to democratize financial services and level the playing field. MK is a veteran payments ecosystem player, creating and operating payment ecosystems for central banks and governments. With Unitey, he is focused on the serenity of the ecosystem. With our current system built back in the 60s / 70s, we now have better tech for more robust payment rails. Change is happening, efficiency is coming into the system, and interoperability with other rails coming up fast with RTP, mobile money, and more. Unitey specializes in demystifying the card payment rails but has clear roadmaps focused on creating interoperability with other rails, ensuring multiple rails can actually interoperate. Want fintech & banking insights every week? Subscribe to The Provoke.fm Briefing: https://mailchi.mp/91ca869a66ec/provoke-fm-newsletter Listen and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://provoke.fm/follow-provoke-fm/ Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-SWmY7HswQ5hI9LiIHJd7Q Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10459295 Connect With Karl Westvig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-westvig/ Connect with Unitey: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitey-digital/ Connect with Brett King: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettking/
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    26 mins
  • Africa’s Fintech Revolution: Mobile Money, Soft POS, and the Next Billion

    Africa’s Fintech Revolution: Mobile Money, Soft POS, and the Next Billion
    Jun 6 2025
    In This Episode This week's episode of Breaking Banks brings you insights from Cape Town, South Africa, and the Circle of Fintech event hosted by Crossfin. Africa accounts for a remarkable 70% of mobile money accounts globally, and over the past decade, fintech and mobile money have brought 1.1 billion Sub-Saharan Africans into the formal financial services system.. In the episode, Brett King is joined by Dean Sparrow and Anton Gaylard, Co-Founders of Crossfin to talk about next gen financial services infrastructure emerging from South Africa and extending across the planet. They explore the evolution of fintech across the African continent. the rapid adoption of mobile money, fueled by the limited legacy banking infrastructure and the widespread use of mobile technology. They then get into Crossfin's investment strategy with focus on supporting founder-led businesses in Africa, particularly those developing payment-oriented solutions, and showcasing the agility and innovation within the African fintech ecosystem. But first, Brett sits down with Barry Levett, CEO of Mypinpad, a fintech entrepreneur dedicated to creating secure and scalable infrastructure that transforms mobile devices into trusted platforms for commerce. As the founder of SmartPesa, Barry spearheaded the expansion of its payment and agency banking solutions across 11 countries. After a merger with Mypinpad in 2022, he assumed the role of CEO, bringing a unified strategic vision to the combined entity -- a vision emphasizing digital infrastructure that enhances freedom and efficiency, enabling individuals and businesses to transact more securely and simply on their own terms. A key focus is "Soft POS," a growing trend in finance that leverages the capabilities of ordinary mobile phones to accept payments, essentially turning a phone into a point of sale terminal. Stay tuned for this insightful episode!
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    34 mins
  • What if the race for the future of finance is a relay?

    What if the race for the future of finance is a relay?
    May 29 2025
    In This Episode Traditional banks just pocketed $268 billion in profit—even with loan growth stuck in first gear—while global fintech funding barely limped past $10 billion, thanks to a single blockbuster round. This week, Theo Lau and Greg Palmer join hosts JP Nicols, Brett King, and Jason Henrichs to untangle those contradictions and ask who’s really carrying the baton in the race for the future of money. Brace yourself for a knife-fight over BaaS regulation, a land-rush toward instant payments, and an AI gold rush that could super-charge compliance… or automate you right out of a job (and maybe swipe your wallet on the way). Is a 3 % NIM so cushy that banks will never reinvent themselves? Are stablecoins the rails of autonomous finance—or just more crypto hype? Add in deep-fake demos, a no-holds-barred scorecard of today’s leaders, learners, and laggards, and stark predictions of where they’ll be tomorrow. Whether you’re sprinting on a 150-year-old balance sheet or a Series A term sheet, the finish line is the same: deliver smarter, safer money experiences—before someone else does. And whatever you do, try not to low-key suck.
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    41 mins
  • UK Investment Hubs & The Rise of Collaborative Fintech

    UK Investment Hubs & The Rise of Collaborative Fintech
    May 22 2025
    In This Episode This week on Breaking Banks host Brett King is joined by Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation. As Political Leader of the City of London Corporation, Chris acts as a principal spokesperson and advocate for London as a global financial and professional services capital. In the segment, Brett and Chris discuss The impact to date of the Trump presidency on the UK financial services sector. Wider US-UK relations and the City’s view of the prospect of a UK-US free trade deal especially in services and tech. How the UK is a global gateway for US companies to access capital and advice, and Ongoing work with the UK Government to create an investment hub (a concierge service) to make it easier to channel foreign investment into the UK economy, and ongoing conversations on regulatory reform Then, sister podcast, Finovate host Greg Palmer interviews Nick Evens, President and CEO of Curql. Nick shares his journey from working within credit unions to leading Curql, a strategic investment fund focused on credit union innovation. Curql invests in startups and fosters an ecosystem where over 130 credit unions collaborate and share resources, often co-investing in companies that serve both banks and credit unions. Born from a need to support credit unions in staying competitive with big banks by pooling resources to invest in transformative financial technology, Curql bridges a gap between fintech and credit unions, helping credit unions gain access to tech solutions they otherwise couldn’t afford on their own. More on the topic at FinovateSpring.
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    39 mins
  • The Future Of Money & Machine Identity

    The Future Of Money & Machine Identity
    May 15 2025
    In This Episode This week's episode of Breaking Banks features host Brett King in a one-on-one discussion with Dave Birch, speaker, author and internationally recognized thought leader in digital identity and digital money. Listen as they explore the future of AI-based payments, money, and the concepts surrounding Agentic AI. Their conversation delves into key areas such as: * KYA (Know-your-Agent, a counterpart to KYC - Know Your Customer)* How we'll tell if specific agents have the authority to make payments* The utility problem of money in a highly autonomous world This episode is the future of money, identity and payments all wrapped into one, featuring two of the most future-thinking people in the finance space today.
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    50 mins
  • Breaking Banks’ Hot Takes, Live From The Alloy Labs Annual Member Meeting

    Breaking Banks’ Hot Takes, Live From The Alloy Labs Annual Member Meeting
    May 8 2025
    In This Episode Today, we bring you a special episode of Breaking Banks, live from the Alloy Labs Annual Member Meeting —a three-day event focused on critical discussions and deep strategy sessions for today's bank executives. While we can't disclose what was said behind closed doors, we can share some of the critical (and fiery!) conversations and topics that executives need to be thinking about and discussing, some of which we asked and addressed in this special recording. Host Jason Henrichs brings the sauce and is joined by recognized industry voices and Hot Takes contributors Kia Haslett from Bank Director, Alex Johnson of Fintech Takes, and Chris Nichols, Director of Capital Markets at South State Bank and writer of South State’s Banker to Banker blog. Leave us a comment on LinkedIn about what you liked, and you may just find yourself the winner of one of the limited-edition Hot Takes hot sauces the panelists enjoyed! First come, first served on the sauce (while supplies last). Don’t delay—listen now and join the discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr4Y_eTI_O8
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    1 hr and 1 min