Fintech Business Podcast

In this engaging conversation, Peter Piatetsky, co-founder and CEO of Castellum.AI—an expert in AI-driven financial compliance—discusses the transformative power of agentic AI in AML/KYC workflows. He outlines how compliance leaders can effectively evaluate these solutions and the importance of integrating them with legacy systems. Peter emphasizes the role of regulators in fostering innovation while ensuring safety and the critical need for proper model governance. He predicts that agents will revolutionize compliance teams by streamlining processes and enhancing human oversight.

Alex Johnson, a savvy fintech commentator from Fintech Takes, dives into the captivating story of Kontigo, a fintech service supporting Venezuelans amidst severe economic turmoil. They unpack the nuances of anti-money laundering versus sanctions, and why stablecoin services matter. The discussion includes the complex infrastructure behind Kontigo, the accountability (or lack thereof) of service providers, and the geopolitics tied to crypto. Alex warns about rapid growth often hinting at financial mischief, all while maintaining a light-hearted tone.

In this year-end episode, Alex and I took a look back at major themes and stories from 2025 and look ahead to 2026. We had the chance to discuss:* The major shifts in the US banking regulatory landscape* The explosive growth of interest in stablecoins* Open banking’s setbacks* Why everything seems to be gambling now* Fintech IPOs* Our predictions for 2026, such as they are* And, as always, what we just can’t let go of Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Alex and I had the chance to discuss:* The latest developments in the “do over” of the CFPB’s open banking rule* Apple’s fledgling Digital ID* Green Dot going private* 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

Alex Johnson, creator of the Fintech Takes newsletter, and I are happy to bring you the latest episode of our monthly podcast, Fintech Recap, where we unpack some of the biggest stories in fintech, banking, and crypto.This episode is brought to you by Cross River Bank, the bank behind the bold.In this abbreviated episode, Alex and I had the chance to discuss:* The 14,000 or so comments on the CFPB’s open banking do over* Erebor’s conditional charter approval* And, as always, what we just can’t let go of Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts | SpotifyHey all, Jason here.In this episode recorded live in Las Vegas this Tuesday during Money20/20, I had the chance to talk with Oscilar cofounder and CEO Neha Narkhede. We had the chance to discuss:* Neha’s background as co-creator of Apache Kafka and cofounder of Confluent, which eventually scaled to a $10 billion IPO* How Oscilar is helping both fintechs and banks — including household names like Sofi — to power real-time risk stacks* Thinking about risk as a data and AI problem* Why organizations need to move beyond point solutions and data silos to manage risk effectively* The importance of real-time decisioning across the customer lifecycle, from onboarding/KYC to fraud, credit risk, and transaction monitoring* And more! Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

Brian Reshefsky, founder and CEO of EDGE, Timothy Li, co-founder of LendAPI, and Vincent Zhang, chief growth officer at Braviant Holdings share insights on the transformative power of cashflow analytics in lending. They discuss how banks and fintechs can enhance underwriting through transaction data and real-time decision-making. The trio highlights the shift toward embedding finance in everyday transactions and the future potential of consumer-controlled financial passports, aiming for seamless lending experiences.

Kunal Datta, the Head of Product at Unit21, shares his expertise in AI and automation for fintech fraud and compliance. He discusses a new playbook for fintechs focusing on eliminating repetitive tasks rather than just smoothing out processes. AI's power in enhancing decision-making for financial crime operations is highlighted, along with the importance of real-time detection in preventing harm. Kunal also dives into the challenges of AI accuracy and the critical data types needed for effective fraud prevention. A must-listen for anyone interested in the future of fintech and compliance!

In this episode, I was joined by Charles Calomiris, Henry Kaufman Professor Emeritus of Financial Institutions in the Faculty of Business and Professor Emeritus of International and Public Affairs at Columbia Business School, Stephen Haber, A.A. and Jeanne Welch Milligan Professor, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Professor of History and, by courtesy, of Economics at Stanford University, and Kiah Haslett, bank reporting veteran and creator of the Fintech Takes Banking newsletter.Charles and Stephen are the authors of 2014’s excellent comparative analysis of banking and political systems, Fragile by Design, which informed our discussion and I highly recommend anyone involved in financial services read if they haven’t already.Charles, Stephen, Kiah, and I had the chance to discuss:* The nature of the “Game of Bank Bargains”* Why Canadians love their banks* Some of the underlying reasons behind the growth of the shadow banking system in the US* Charles’ argument that Biden-era regulators were staunchly opposed to innovation in the banking system and why he thinks that former acting Comptroller Michael Hsu was “a complete hack”* Why young people should pay more attention to the fiscal decisions coming out of Washington* The risks of “progressive ideology” and why more government may not be the answer* And much, much moreYou can find more of Charles’ work here and and Stephens’ here. More information on the Hoover Institution, including the ability to sign up for its newsletter, here. Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe

This episode was recorded live during last week’s MX Money Experience Summit in Park City, Utah. During the event, I had the chance to sit down with Brian Reshefsky, founder and CEO of cashflow analytics platform EDGE, and Matt West, chief revenue officer of open banking infrastructure company MX. We had the chance to discuss:* What makes EDGE unique among cashflow analytics platforms, including its ability to help lenders make better use of their first-party data* How EDGE works with open banking data companies like MX to power a variety of use cases across the borrower lifecycle, from customer marketing to underwriting and servicing* How cashflow data helps lenders better understand risk across the credit spectrum* Why EDGE decided to structure itself as a credit reporting agency and what that means for lenders using its data* and more! Get full access to Fintech Business Weekly at fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/subscribe