Smaller Bank Advantages and Focus Areas

Innovation in banking is often talked about, but rarely understood.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Giovanni Everduin, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and Head of Ventures at Commercial Bank International, joins the couch to unpack what innovation really looks like inside a regulated bank.

From legacy systems and institutional mindsets to AI, digital assets, and on-chain finance, this conversation goes beyond buzzwords to explore where real value is being created and where the industry may be getting ahead of itself.

Giovanni shares why regulation can act as a catalyst for innovation, how banks and fintechs are moving from competition to partnership, and why the future of finance will be hybrid rather than fully on-chain or off-chain.

A candid discussion on tokenization, stablecoins, privacy, and why understanding the problem always matters more than chasing the latest technology.

🎙️ In this episode:
 • What innovation actually means inside a regulated bank
 • Why legacy systems, data, and mindsets slow transformation
 • How fintechs shifted from challengers to infrastructure partners
 • The real opportunities and misconceptions around tokenization and stablecoins
 • Why privacy will be critical for institutions moving finance on-chain
 • How banks can experiment safely without breaking trust
 • Why partnership-driven innovation is becoming the dominant model
 • What the next 3 to 5 years of banking could realistically look like

👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how banks are navigating innovation without losing trust, stability, or relevance.

#CouchonomicsWithArjun #BankingInnovation #Fintech #DigitalAssets #AIinBanking #Tokenization #FutureOfBanking #UAE #Leadership #FinancialServices

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