What is the metaverse, how will we use it and why might the financial innovations of Web3 and blockchain technology be crucial to its success? Citi’s Ronit Ghose, one of the world’s foremost analysts of technology’s influence on financial innovation, returns to the podcast to discuss how money will function in the metaverse with Azeem Azhar. Ghose argues that we shouldn’t think of the metaverse as replacing our real world with a virtual world, but instead imagine how real and virtual experiences could be combined to create an entirely new experience that will touch every aspect of our lives – from commerce to health, industry, and education. They also discuss: The importance of differentiating between the centralized and decentralized metaverse to understand how the experience could be widely adopted. What “Web 2.5” is and why it might allow centralized gatekeepers of the metaverse (e.g., Meta, Apple, Tencent, etc.) to offer the benefits of blockchain technologies without a befuddling user experience. Why corporate excitement remains, even as consumer interest in the metaverse has waned. @Azeem @exponentialview @RonitA380 Further resources: Metaverse and Money: Decrypting the Future (Citi Global Perspective & Solutions, 2022) Crypto and the Future of Money (Exponential View Podcast with Do Kwon, 2022) Bubbles, Golden Ages & Tech Revolutions (Exponential View Podcast with Carlota Perez, 2019)

Gaurav Dhar, CEO of Marshal Fintech Partners, Nameer Khan, founder of sustainability fintech Fils, and Ronit Ghose, author of Future Money and fintech expert at Citi, discuss the fintech landscape in the MENA region. They explore personal career journeys and the significance of mentoring young entrepreneurs. The trio delves into innovation in consumer lending, sustainability, and the UAE's unique regulatory environment, emphasizing how local contexts drive fintech growth and resilience amid challenges.

Experts in fintech, including Jeff Tijssen, Ronit Ghose, and Anthony Craufurd, discuss the future of transformative technologies in the industry. Topics include practical applications, research impacts on investments, dividing ventures, revenue growth, overhyped technologies, and proof points for pioneering companies.