
Fintech Beat
Welcome to Fintech Beat, the intersection of finance, technology, policy and regulation. Each episode features the latest trends, movers and shakers, ideas and policies in financial technology. Host Chris Brummer, a Georgetown law professor and world-renowned fintech expert, partners with the CQ Roll Call newsroom — Washington's leader for nonpartisan legislative and regulatory analysis — to bring insights that make this a must listen for anyone interested in finance.
Latest episodes

Nov 19, 2019 • 25min
The Digital Redback, Ep. 29
China has sent shockwaves through the global financial system announcing that its central bank would soon introduce a digital version of its domestic currency, the yuan. Fintech Beat sits down with key IMF officials to learn about what a state-backed ‘cryptocurrency’ means for the yuan as a potential rival to the dollar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 12, 2019 • 27min
Open Banking 101, Ep. 28
Open banking is set to shake up financial experiences for customers across the globe, enabling customers to allow third parties to access financial information needed to develop new apps and services. Fintech Beat sits down with the head of policy at Plaid, a unicorn fintech sitting in the middle of the revolution, to discuss the process of information sharing and how regulation shapes it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 5, 2019 • 35min
The Fintech Week, Ep. 27
In this joint podcast, FRT and Fintech Beat team up to cover October's whirlwind of fintech discussions taking place at the Institute of International Finance, DC Fintech Week, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank--and just after Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before Capitol Hill about Libra. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 30, 2019 • 16min
Ethereum 2.0, Ep. 26
Joe Lubin, the co-founder of Ethereum and founder of ConsenSys, is planning a big upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain. Fintech Beat sits down with him to discuss the changes--as well as what he thinks about Libra and the CFTC's stance that Ether is a commodity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 29, 2019 • 31min
The "Bridge" Currency, Ep. 25
Brad Garlinghouse, the CEO of Ripple, is laser focused on building out XRP's use case as a bridge currency. Fintech Beat sits down with him to discuss Ripple's business strategy--and what he thinks about Libra, central bank digital currencies, and navigating regulatory uncertainty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 22, 2019 • 17min
Blockchain and Remittances, Ep. 24
Remittances are poised to grow to $550 billion this year - making them the single biggest source of external funding for recipient economies according to the World Economic Forum. More money is pumped into developing countries this way than by direct investment. But it's often costly and inefficient. But Fintech, specifically blockchain technology, may be able to help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 15, 2019 • 17min
Uber meets Fintech, Ep. 23
What is Uber? It’s not just a ride share company and definitely more than a technology company. Increasingly, it’s a fintech company, too. We speak to the CEO of Uber Payments LLC and Uber's associate counsel to explore the company's identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 8, 2019 • 22min
The Magic Number, Ep. 22
Uncertainty is the bane of the crypto industry, with limited predictability about the scope of securities laws—and more fundamentally, whether or not any cryptocurrency is a security. The principal of Notation Capital and the former general counsel of the CFTC join Fintech Beat to shed some light on Block.one’s settlement with the SEC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 1, 2019 • 12min
The Bad Money Episode, Ep. 21
What is money? The answer is one of the most contested issues for regulators of fintech. As nonbank financial services and cryptocurrencies have hit the mainstream as substitutes for money, financial experts are also beginning to differentiate between "bad" and "good" money. Fintech Beat takes a closer look with the author of a new study conducted with SWIFT, the global payments firm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 24, 2019 • 21min
The Tax Man, Ep. 20
Cryptocurrencies are increasingly the tool of choice for drug dealers and corrupt actors. Prosecutors say they have seized nearly $1 billion worth of digital coins in busts around the world. But how is crypto treated as a matter of US law—and what does the IRS do with its seizures? To find out, Fintech Beat sits down with one of the IRS’s top crypto cops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices