Fintech Business Podcast

In this episode, Alex and I had the chance to discuss:* Why seemingly every bank, crypto, and stablecoin company wants to become a bank (and what it could mean for their valuations)* A return to BaaS Island: CFSB’s consent order, and how it compares to those of other fintech partner banks* President Trump’s fintech- and banking-related executive orders* And, as always, what Alex and I just can’t let go of Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I had the chance to chat with Edward Woodford, the founder and CEO of crypto, stablecoin, and tokenization infrastructure platform zerohash. Edward and I had the chance to talk about:* Why zerohash is applying for a national trust bank charter* How the CLARITY Act (crypto market structure legislation) may impact the U.S. crypto industry* What Edward is hearing from non-financial industry execs about crypto, stablecoins, tokenization, and blockchain* Thinking about crypto as an “asset class” vs. crypto as “software”* The potential synergies between crypto/stablecoins and AI agents* What keeps Edward up at night and what he’s most excited about* And much more! Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I had the chance to chat with merchant connectivity platform Knot’s cofounder and CEO Rory O’Reilly. Rory and I had the chance to discuss:* Rory dropping out of Harvard to start his first company* How Knot became the industry’s go-to solution for card switching* Expanding from its initial card switching product to building the merchant connnectivity layer, and how Knot complements other core fintech infrastructure* Hitting a 100 million API call per month milestone* Knot’s international expansion to Canada and Latin America* And much more! Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Alex and I had the chance to discuss:* If there’s one idea fintech founders can’t quit, it’s solving personal financial management. There’s a new wave of AI-powered tools. But can they solve some of the fundamental challenges that have prevented a breakout company from emerging in the category?* Bolt, the one-click checkout turned financial “super app,” is in headlines, again, with further layoffs and as it struggles to pay its vendors. Why Americans don’t really want a “super app.”* Congress actually tries to legislate: the bipartisan PACE Act could offer a pathway for non-banks to have direct access to payment rails. But, even if it were to become law (a big if), as a layer on top of existing requirements and at a time when getting a bank charter seems easier than ever, is the PACE Act fit for purpose? Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe