

Fintech Daydreaming
Pål Krogdahl and Ville Sointu
Between digital native customers demanding instant gratification and the ever increasing amount of regulation, financial institutions are between a rock and a hard place.
The era of the fintech started after the 2008 financial crisis, challenging the status quo. More than a decade later banks haven’t gone anywhere, yet fintech is more relevant than ever.
What happened with all the fintech hopes and dreams?
In this podcast Pål Krogdahl & Ville Sointu pick one topic in every episode and try to look at it through the lens of fintech disruption - or lack thereof.
This is Fintech Daydreaming.
The era of the fintech started after the 2008 financial crisis, challenging the status quo. More than a decade later banks haven’t gone anywhere, yet fintech is more relevant than ever.
What happened with all the fintech hopes and dreams?
In this podcast Pål Krogdahl & Ville Sointu pick one topic in every episode and try to look at it through the lens of fintech disruption - or lack thereof.
This is Fintech Daydreaming.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 9, 2025 • 1h 54min
Live in Copenhagen from Nordic Fintech Week
This year Pål and Ville set up shop in the official backstage of the event venue – meaning our little “studio” has probably seen more rock stars, comedians, and magicians than fintech podcasters. But for two days, it was home to us… and the now famous podcast couch.On that couch we hosted a parade of fintech’s brightest people – founders, authors, bankers, thinkers – all crammed into one room with us, the noise of the conference bleeding through the walls, and way too little coffee. The result? The longest Fintech Daydreaming episode ever recorded – nearly two hours of conversations, debates, and jokes that we just couldn’t cut down. (Turns out once you get fintech people comfortable on a couch, they don’t want to leave.)Across those two hours, you’ll hear from:.- Thomas Hahn-Petersen (Copenhagen Fintech) on why Copenhagen is buzzing..- Philippe Höij (DFRNT) on shaking up investing..- Jakob Lage Hansen (DoLand) and Ulrik Koefoed Johnsen (Giv Effektivt) on impact and giving..- Kim Norbye (Nexi Group) and Paolo Sironi (IBM) on future rails of finance..- Leda Glyptis with her trademark truth bombs..- Panagiotis Kriaris (Unzer) and Lotta Domonkos (Fimento AB) on payments and platforms..- Daniel Alter (Enfuce), Ronit Ghose (Citi), and Rune Kallehauge (Mastercard) bringing the global view..- Christie H. Kristensen (Danske Bank), Veikko Koski (FinanceKey), and.- Wassa Camara (Copenhagen Fintech) closing out the Nordic perspectives.It’s raw, it’s noisy, it’s almost two hours long – but if you want to get into the buzz of Nordic Fintech Week this does it better than any LinkedIn highlight reel you saw before.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Fintech Daydreaming- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/

Sep 26, 2025 • 30min
Emergency Episode - Nine Banks, One Stablecoin, Zero Chill
Forget the usual schedule — Ville and Pål hit the big red button and jumped on the mics less than 24 hours after nine European banks dropped their bombshell: a MiCA-compliant euro stablecoin.Fresh off a late flight from Copenhagen (and still running on coffee and questionable airport snacks), we dive straight into the questions everyone’s asking:.- Do we actually need a bank-issued euro stablecoin?.- Why are Danske and SEB — two banks outside the eurozone — in on the action?.- Is this the next chapter of money… or just a rerun of 19th century wildcat banking with shinier marketing?Expect a crash course in what stablecoins really are, why this joint venture might matter (or not), and plenty of healthy skepticism about timelines, use cases, and whether anyone will actually use these coins outside PowerPoint decks.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Fintech Daydreaming- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/

Sep 26, 2025 • 41min
Where did all the FinTech action Go? | Nordic Fintech Highlights August 2025
August in Nordic fintech felt like a Christopher Nolan script: confusing, overlong, occasionally brilliant. Coop Norge’s core banking migration, Visma’s latest acquisitions, and Swedbank buying out Barclays in Entercard all unfolded like plot points you only understand after the credits roll.We argue about whether it was the quietest fintech month of the year, make questionable jokes about beef stroganoff, and somehow get lost in a time loop about Copenhagen.And here’s the twist: read this description backwards and it still makes sense.Because in August, Nordic fintech really did move forward and backward at the same time — and no one was entirely sure what just happened.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville Sointu & Janne SalminenEpisode produced and edited by Fintech Daydreaming- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/

Sep 11, 2025 • 49min
From Hygge to Hype on The Road to Nordic Fintech Week
We’re going to Copenhagen! Fintech Daydreaming is an official podcasting partner of the Nordic Fintech Week, and to kick things off Ville and Pål are joined in this pre-event episode by David Grundy (COO, Copenhagen Fintech) and Marie Louise Roth (Head of Partnerships, Copenhagen Fintech) for a sneak peek at what’s brewing in the Danish capital. We talk key themes, the rise of Copenhagen as a fintech hotspot, and why Nordic Fintech Week is no longer just a local gathering but a global fintech magnet.Expect behind-the-scenes stories, some honest chat about what it really takes to pull off an event of this scale, and a preview of the big debates coming up — from regulation to AI to the ever-slippery concept of “partnership.”A lively warm-up for the main event — with the usual Fintech Daydreaming mix of curiosity and (somewhat) questionable humor.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Fintech Daydreaming- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/

Aug 29, 2025 • 43min
Nordic Fintech did not get the Holiday Memo! | Nordic Fintech Highlights July 2025
In this Nordic Fintech Highlights episode, Ville, Pål, and Janne trade beach stories for headlines as we unpack a surprisingly busy July and August. On the menu: Nordic banks snapping up fintechs like they’re on summer sale, Zimpler’s shiny new ID+ passkey (is it the future or just another password we’ll forget?), and Nordea teaming up with Mynt to finally give SMEs the attention they deserve.We wrestle with whether banks are genuinely innovating or just panic-buying talent, what Sweden’s latest investment platform deal really signals, and how identity and payments keep crashing each other’s parties.And of course, there’s the obligatory bad joke — which, let’s be honest, might actually be funnier than some of our analysis.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Fintech Daydreaming- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/

Aug 14, 2025 • 53min
Hype, Hope, or the Spotify of Money with Tony McLaughlin
Season 12 blasts off with Tony McLaughlin – payments visionary, fintech provocateur, and freshly minted CEO of Ubyx.We go deep on stablecoins as the next general-purpose technology, why the legal wrapper matters more than the code, and how the industry’s plumbing – clearing, settlement, trust – will quietly decide the winners. Tony shares why permissionless networks aren’t the enemy of banks, how blockchain skepticism can turn into advocacy, and what it really takes to make digital money work at scale.From “vinyl to Spotify” money analogies to the occasional dad joke detour, it’s part masterclass, part reality check – and a reminder that the future of payments might be closer than your last coffee tap.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Fintech Daydreaming- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/

Jun 20, 2025 • 45min
Sandbanks, Stablecoins & Summer Breaks
In this laid-back wrap-up to the season, Ville and Pål ditch the guests and go full retrospective—sharing their favorite episodes, personal fintech frustrations, and just how close we are to needing a crank-powered POS terminal.🎙️ Highlights include:🏆 Top guest moments: from Brett King to Sampsa from Alisa Bank (finally!)💸 Is Revolut the fintech iceberg about to sink the Nordic cruise ships?📦 Embedded finance, offline payments, and the unstoppable spread of… digital receipts🔮 Predictions for the rest of 2025: stablecoins, CBDCs, and geopolitical “fun”🧠 AI hype vs. actual progress: spoiler alert—ChatGPT still can’t unpack your groceriesPlus: summer vacation plans, a banking advisor who had to Google Revolut (seriously), and perhaps the worst fintech joke in podcast history.☀️ Pack your bags, charge your devices, stash some emergency cash, and join us as we sign off for summer.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Femi Apanishile- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/- Femi Apanishile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/femi-apanishile-935a74a1/

Jun 6, 2025 • 43min
The Summer Fintech Slowdown | Nordic Fintech Highlights May 2025
Sun’s out, fines out! In this sizzling episode of Fintech Daydreaming and Helsinki Fintech Farm Nordic Fintech Highlights, Ville, Janne, and Pål serve up a refreshing mix of Nordic fintech news—with a splash of sarcasm and a shot of hydration advice.💳 Enfuce declares war on fraud with its bold Fortitude Pledge to eliminate financial crime. The gang debates whether 100% fraud prevention is ambitious, admirable—or just asking for trouble.📊 S-Bank + Swiss robo-advisors = potential wealth tech magic? Or just more “index funds for your loyalty points”? We’ll let you decide.🔌 Offline payments make a comeback, not with retro card swipers (yet), but with serious moves from Nordic central banks to boost resilience before the digital euro shows up… eventually.Also featuring: marathon-induced dehydration, questionable fintech jokes, and the reminder that yes—cash is still a thing but perhaps not a king anymore.Like, share, hydrate, and subscribe. This is Fintech Daydreaming.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Femi Apanishile- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/- Femi Apanishile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/femi-apanishile-935a74a1/

May 23, 2025 • 48min
Live from Nordic Fintech Summit 2025 – Buzzwords, Bankers & Banter
This week, Fintech Daydreaming goes live from the heart of Helsinki for a special episode recorded at the 2025 Nordic Fintech Summit! With espresso (and later some beers) in hand and mics at the ready, Pål and Ville roamed the event to capture the freshest insights, boldest predictions, and too many slightly questionable karaoke references.We caught up with:• Janne Salminen, CEO of Helsinki Fintech Farm and event mastermind, on what makes this year’s summit bigger, better, and even more Nordic.• Christie H. Kristensen from Danske Bank, on whether open banking is finally living up to the hype.• Taru Möller from Nordea, who explains how strategy and reality sometimes even get along.• David Cunningham from Citi, dropping hard truths (and soft predictions) on the future of digital assets.• Lars Markull, founder of Embedded Finance Review, decoding what “embedded finance” actually means in 2025.• Kristian Sørensen from IN Groupe, holding up the Mobey Forum banner high and making digital identity sound both exciting and at the same time making us slightly worried that many of our predictions from over ten years ago are becoming reality.It’s fintech in the field: unfiltered, slightly chaotic, and packed with sharp takes from some of the smartest minds in the industry. Tune in and get a front-row seat—minus the lanyard.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Femi Apanishile- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/- Femi Apanishile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/femi-apanishile-935a74a1/

May 9, 2025 • 45min
Nordic Fintech + Coachella, what a rave! | Nordic Fintech Highlights April 2025
Nordic Fintech Highlights is back with Pål, Ville & JanneHold onto your wallets — it’s another round of Fintech Daydreaming’s Nordic Fintech Highlights! This month, the crew dives into:💸 Froda’s fresh funding round – Pål kicks things off with Froda’s impressive new investment and what it means for the embedded finance scene in the Nordics. Is Froda quietly becoming the Stripe of SME lending? Or are we just slapping “embedded” on everything now?🛍️ Klarna x Clover – Janne breaks down Klarna’s latest move to bring BNPL into U.S. brick-and-mortar stores via Clover’s POS system. Will Americans now split their taco payments into four easy installments? The gang debates Klarna’s global stretch and whether in-store BNPL is genius or just fintech déjà vu.🎟️ Coachella + BNPL – Ville brings some festival flair with a quirky story: 60% of Coachella 2025 tickets were bought using BNPL — but not through Klarna or Affirm. What’s going on here? Is “Buy Now, Cry Later” the new concert norm?As always, expect banter, bold takes, and the occasional accidental startup pitch. Warning: contains strong fintech opinions and light Coachella FOMO.Episode hosted by Pål Krogdahl & Ville SointuEpisode produced and edited by Femi Apanishile- Email us on Hello@FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming home page - https://www.FintechDaydreaming.com- Fintech Daydreaming on Twitter - https://twitter.com/FintechDaydream- Fintech Daydreaming on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintech-daydreaming- Pål Krogdahl - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/- Ville Sointu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ville-sointu-54682b/- Femi Apanishile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/femi-apanishile-935a74a1/