From Nepal to Wall Street: He Works for the Bank Powering America's Biggest Fintechs | Pravesh Rijal

  From Wall Street trading floors to Nepal's hydropower-fed data centers, we're diving deep into the collision of artificial intelligence, banking, and national ambition a conversation about who controls the future of money, why accountability matters more than speed, and whether a young, resource-rich nation like Nepal can finally stop importing outcomes and start exporting intelligence with Pravesh Rijal.   In this episode, we talk about:   -Why does a Wall Street quant with a PhD in transformer architecture believe Nepal can leapfrog nations decades ahead of it -How $24 billion sitting in Nepali bank vaults and $10 billion in yearly remittance could become the country's biggest untapped weapon -What happens when AI stops being a tool humans use and starts becoming the distribution channel for all of finance -Why banks are terrified fintechs are quietly stealing the one thing that actually matters — data -How a 2017 research paper called "Attention Is All You Need" secretly built the foundation for every AI tool the world uses today -What it really means when a bank tells you "we're just custodians" while billions move invisibly through their rails -Why speed without accountability is the fastest way to destroy trust in the age of AI -How Nepal's 9-10% remittance transaction cost is silently taxing millions of families every single month -What the future of embedded finance looks like when banks disappear completely and come to you instead This episode asks the one question every Nepali dreamer needs to sit with: are we ready to stop importing outcomes, and finally start exporting intelligence. Because the tools exist. The talent exists. The only thing left to decide is whether we're bold enough to use them.   TIMESTAMPS   00:00 Introduction 04:54 What is Quant? 09:54 "Attention Is All You Need" Is the Foundation of GPT 12:16 My PhD Research Is on Transformers 14:19 Our Philosophy at Cross River 21:13 Where Is Fintech Headed Globally? 28:41 Embedded Finance Might Become Bigger Than Fintech 33:18 The Biggest Moat Is Intelligence and Distribution 35:06 The First Decentralized Data Marketplace Developed in Nigeria 40:00 Something Is Happening in Nepal 45:21 Cities Are More Similar Than Countries 50:16 What Is a Stablecoin? 1:05:20 How Would You Train the Next Generation Differently? Want to become a video podcaster? Get info: https://becomeadoer.com/programs/beco...   If you love reading, don't miss our newsletter on Substack Link: https://substack.com/@doersglobal?   Want to join us live in the studio as an audience member? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/xZi8yptyoxkkc6aa8   ✉ Reach out to us at [email protected]   🎧 Listen on audio platforms: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-32f7s-...   🎤 Host: Anup Ghimire Founder of The Doers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anup-ghimire-9366aa5a/   👥 Guest: Pravesh Rijal EVP, Chief Data & AI Officer, Cross River LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/praveshrijal/   📲 Follow The Doers Nepal: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedoersglobal/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedoersnepal/   🎬 Production Partner: Viewfinders Production Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viewfinders...   This episode is brought to you by Become a Doer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomeadoer_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becomeadoer2026/ Website: https://becomeadoer.com/programs/beco...   This episode is strengthened by Hama Steels Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamaironandsteel/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamasteel/   Our ISP Partner: Vianet Communication Pvt. Ltd.   Need help building a high-quality podcast? They’ve got you covered – from set design and shooting to post-production and guest curation.   📸 Wedding Dreams Nepal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddingdreamsnepal/ Website: https://weddingdreamsnepal.com  #GlobalFinance #TechLeadership #Fintech #CareerTrajectory #NepalTech #EmergingMarkets #Innovation