This Week in Fintech's Podcast

In today’s episode, Ryan Zauk sits down with Kate Earle Jensen, Head of Americas for Anthropic. Kate joined Anthropic in 2023 after 8 years helping scale GTM at Stripe. Over the last 2 years, she has had a front row seat to the AI revolution at one of the fastest-growing companies in history. In this episode, Kate dives into how Claude is being used by major enterprises to revolutionize their businesses, the state of Anthropic’s products and MCP, why they built in the application layer for financial services, what key blockers remain for enterprise adoption, why AI’s market size allows them to approach partnerships in a unique way, transitioning from Stripe to Anthropic, why siblings make great leadership teams, and much more.Takeaways: The AI market is unquantifiably large, which helps you play non-zero sum games in GTM, partnerships, and product. It helps breed greater collaboration because you know there is more than enough revenue opportunity to share. Hackathons, though not new, have proven to be one of the best sources of discovering novel AI applications in the enterprise. We host them internally and encourage our clients to do host them to get employees experimenting and uncover the art of the possible.Financial Services + Healthcare are proving to be the best industries for AI. They have huge data sets, antiquated technology systems, and manual workflows that make them prime candidates. AI is only as good as the quality of data and context that you feed it. It is as important as anything you choose, which is why MCP became so popular. Siblings often make the best cofounding teams. The Collisons and Amodeis both have very strong working styles that allow them to be brutally honest with each other while not breaking relationships.

Doug Rickett, the founder and CEO of PayJoy, discusses his fascinating journey from managing logistics in Africa for solar lighting to creating a tech-driven financial service aimed at underserved communities. He shares insights on the innovative use of smartphones as collateral and the impact of predictive AI in credit assessments. The conversation also delves into the balance between profitability and social impact, the lessons learned during COVID-19, and PayJoy's vision to expand into comprehensive financial services. A compelling listen for fintech enthusiasts!

This episode dives deep into the evolution of blockchain-powered lending and marketplaces in the FinTech sector, with guest Michael Tannenbaum, whose career has spanned senior roles at SoFi, Brex, and now Figure. Host Julie Verhage-Greenberg and Michael discuss how Figure’s vision—originally designed as one company with a strong blockchain backbone—has matured amidst regulatory and market shifts.Check out Figure Markets here: figuremarkets.onelink.me/Plnq/TWIFThis episode is brought to you by Figure Markets, the platform to Earn and Borrow.Democratized Prime lets you earn 9% by lending your money against real-world assets like home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) which only banks were able to do prior. Lend like a bank!Need liquidity without selling your crypto? Figure offers Crypto-Backed Loans, allowing you to borrow against your Bitcoin or Ethereum with 12-month terms and no prepayment penalties. They have the lowest rates in the industry at 8.91%, allowing you to access instant cash or buy more Bitcoin without triggering a tax event.Unlock your crypto’s potential today. Download their app and start earning your 9% today or taking out your Bitcoin-backed loan at industry low rates!DISCLOSURES: The 9% rate referenced is not guaranteed and subject to change as new offers are placed. Democratized Prime uses a Dutch auction method for its borrowers/lenders. There is an inherent risk due to interest rate volatility in a Dutch auction interest rates in the auction may rise rapidly. At the time of acceptance, your loan may be filled with a different or higher interest rate than offered at the time of selection. The interest rate is only fixed at the time of loan approval and not at the time of loan acceptance.Figure Lending LLC dba Figure. Equal Opportunity Lender.NMLS 1717824. Terms and conditions apply. Visit figure.com for more information.Figure Markets Credit LLC. 650 S. Tryon Street, 8th Floor, Charlotte, NC 28202. (888) 926-6259. NMLS ID 2559612. Terms and conditions apply. Visit figuremarkets.com/borrow for more information.

This week, Nik Milanovic sits down with Sandeep Pyapali, Founder and CEO of Mesta, a global cross-border payment network combining traditional rails with stablecoin systems.Mesta allows sending USD and stablecoins in over 50 currencies, cutting international payment costs by over 50%. Pyapali, with 17 years in payments – including Uber's $100 billion payment network – founded Mesta in 2024.Pyapali emphasized the importance of stablecoins for efficient international payments and predicts the growth of non-USD stablecoins. Mesta aims to disrupt traditional Fiat-to-Fiat payments with blockchain technology. Pyapali's vision for Mesta was informed not only by his time building payments systems at Uber but also by his international travel on a sabbatical afterwards, and the difficulty of converting currencies for international payments.You can learn more about what they're building at mesta.xyz----While stablecoins are one of our favorite topics to discuss, it's important to note that this episode was sponsored by Mesta.

Join Jillian Williams, co-founder of Field Ventures, and Dimitri Dadiomov, President of Modern Treasury, as they delve into the dynamic world of fintech. They discuss the evolution from Lending Club to today’s AI-driven innovations and the rebundling of financial services. Hear insights on the future of money movement, risk management, and the importance of customer trust in adopting new technologies. They also explore challenges in integrating crypto and AI into traditional finance, revealing promising opportunities for investors and startups.

Eli Wachs, Co-Founder and CEO of Footprint, discusses revolutionizing internet identity infrastructure. He shares insights from his exploration of identity at the Stanford library and collaboration with economist Raj Chetty. The conversation dives into Footprint's innovative onboarding solutions that simplify fraud prevention with just five lines of code. Eli also highlights challenges in digital payments and the role of user consent in data privacy. The potential of a centralized database of good actors takes center stage as a vital tool for enhancing security in the digital age.

Jack Zhang, Co-founder and CEO of Airwallex, has revolutionized global payments while Leif Abraham, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Public, is transforming the investing landscape for millennials. They dive into their unique journeys from humble beginnings to billion-dollar successes. The duo emphasizes the importance of first principles thinking in disrupting traditional finance, explores stablecoins and AI's transformative impact, and shares unconventional advice for aspiring fintech founders. Their candid experiences highlight creativity and resilience as keys to navigating the evolving fintech frontiers.

Alesia Haas, the CFO of Coinbase, dives into the company’s robust Q2 performance and its bold future. She discusses the substantial growth in stablecoin revenue, highlighting the partnership with Circle that fueled a $332 million influx. Coinbase is making waves in the derivatives market, especially after acquiring Deribit for $2.9 billion, enhancing options trading capabilities. With user-focused innovations like payment APIs for Shopify and the upcoming Base app, Haas outlines how Coinbase is gearing up to revolutionize crypto trading and cross-border payments.

David Haber, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and AI Apps Fund co-lead, teams up with Owen Jennings, Head of Product and Operations at Block. They dive into the evolution of fintech from the early days of Cash App to AI's role in transforming finance. Key discussions include innovative solutions for small businesses, the necessity of modernizing credit access through AI, and the ongoing challenges in financial stability. Their insights offer a masterclass on the intersection of technology and finance, bursting with opportunities for the future.

Join Alex Chriss, President and CEO of PayPal, as he shares insights from his journey in tech leadership after two decades at Intuit. He discusses the 'customer back' approach that drives PayPal's evolution and strategic priorities. Alex dives into the concept of agentic commerce, highlighting trends in merchant data and AI innovations that revolutionize customer experiences. He also introduces PayPal's new stablecoin, PYUSD, and how creative marketing campaigns are revitalizing the brand. Expect a riveting blend of tech disruption and visionary leadership.