Ep. 60 - From Fragmentation to Unified Infrastructure: The Future of Payments with ISX Financial

In this episode, hosts Grant Evans and Justin Hanna are joined by Nikogiannis (John) Karantzis, Managing Director & CEO of ISX Financial, to unpack why global payments infrastructure still feels so fragmented — and what it takes to fix it.John shares his view on how the industry ended up with complex, stitched-together ecosystems, and the hidden cost this creates for merchants operating across borders. The conversation dives into why legacy systems, regulatory complexity, and disconnected providers continue to slow innovation — and why a more unified, end-to-end approach is needed.They explore the shift toward real-time payments as a baseline expectation, what “real-time” actually means in practice, and how it changes everything from treasury to customer experience. The discussion also tackles the uneven progress of open banking and A2A payments, what’s holding them back from mass adoption, and how they fit into a broader multi-rail strategy.Looking ahead, the episode turns to AI, embedded finance, and the next phase of payments evolution, including where real value is being created today — and where governance and risk still need to catch up.Plus, John steps up for The Payments Shed’s legendary Shelf of Shame — calling out one thing in payments he’d happily banish forever.***The Payments Shed Podcast is headline sponsored by ISX Financial.ISX Financial, delivers a unified ecosystem with multi-currency accounts, online payments,  real-time UK and EU transfers and global mass payouts. Within that platform, PaidBy® provides Pay by Bank with real-time settlement notifications, automated reconciliation and integrated refund management. One partner, one integration — helping your business transact with confidence. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.isx.financial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Cyclops.Cyclops is a crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform for payments companies, enabling PSPs, acquirers and processors to offer crypto acceptance, stablecoin settlement and payouts without building their own blockchain stack. It provides a unified solution for pay ins, payouts and fiat to digital asset conversion, with simple API or low code integration. Built specifically for the payments ecosystem, Cyclops focuses on making stablecoins practical, scalable and commercially viable.Learn more at - https://www.cyclops.io/***The Payments Shed Podcast is supported by PCN.PCN is a boutique recruitment agency rooted in Amsterdam, driven by a singular mission: connecting top talent with industry leaders. PCN specialises in five core pillars — Fintech, Cybersecurity, SaaS, E-Commerce, and Salesforce — backed by a global network across borders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://teampcn.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***Disclaimer. Any views or opinions referenced in this podcast episode are our own, or those of our respective guests, and they do not represent any views, opinions, or statements from our respective employers, or those of our guests. Additionally, any views expressed here are not intended as investment, legal, tax, or financial advice.