Episodes
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In today’s financial landscape, innovation is more than just a buzzword—it’s a driving force separating industry leaders from those left behind. Finding, nurturing, and scaling the right technologies has become a specialized skill set all its own.
Joining us today is Ryan Falvey, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Restive. Ryan has spent the last 15 years at the forefront of identifying and championing market-changing innovations in financial technology. His track record speaks for itself—since 2015, he’s invested in 40 early-stage fintech firms that have collectively grown to represent approximately $3 billion in aggregate equity value.
Before founding Restive, Ryan led the development of the Financial Solutions Lab, a groundbreaking partnership between JPMorgan Chase and the Financial Health Network. His experience also includes developing payment solutions with leading tech companies at Silicon Valley Bank and serving as Strategy Group Lead at Enclude Solutions, where he oversaw global strategy consulting for mobile-enabled financial products.
“We’re not investing in fintech apps — we’re investing in infrastructure,” Falvey explains early on. That distinction underscores a larger trend he sees in the market: a move away from flashy consumer-based apps toward foundational financial APIs. It also focuses on backend tooling and embedded finance capabilities.
Falvey’s insights aren’t theoretical — they’re rooted in his day-to-day decisions as an investor. At Restive, he’s helping startups through early product development. He emphasizes practical scalability and regulation-ready business models. “You don’t build a consumer business by launching an app anymore,” he says. “It’s not about the app — it’s about access, context, and integration.”
From fintech regulation to platform economics, Falvey shares grounded wisdom. He focuses on how successful startups are navigating today’s uncertain investment landscape. What’s emerging is a more nuanced strategy for funding — one that prioritizes durability over disruption. -
In a world where financial inclusion remains one of our generation's greatest challenges, emerging markets are becoming the true laboratories of fintech innovation. While developed economies iterate on convenience, companies operating in regions with limited banking infrastructure are fundamentally reimagining what financial services can look like from the ground up.
Today, we're diving into this fascinating intersection of opportunity and impact with David Lask from Tala. Tala has built a reputation as a pioneer in financial inclusion, providing access to credit and financial services to underbanked populations across multiple continents.
David joins us fresh from the Fintech Americas Miami conference to share his insights on the rapidly evolving Latin American fintech landscape. We'll explore how the unique challenges and opportunities in this region are fostering innovative approaches to financial services, with a special focus on Mexico as a compelling case study of fintech evolution. -
Episodes manquant?
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Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the financial landscape, creating new opportunities for innovation while reshaping consumer expectations around speed, personalization, and security. As financial institutions and businesses race to integrate AI capabilities, we're witnessing a fundamental shift in how payments are processed, how fraud is detected, and how financial services are delivered.
Today, I'm delighted to welcome Davi Strazza, President of North America at Adyen, a global financial technology platform that's at the forefront of this AI evolution. Davi leads Adyen's North American operations, where the company is leveraging artificial intelligence as a strategic growth driver through initiatives like their recently launched Uplift platform.
In our conversation today, we'll explore how Adyen is implementing AI solutions to enable hyper-personalization, enhance fraud detection, and automate complex financial processes. Davi will also share his insights on the state of real-time payments in the US and what companies need to do to make instant payments a more fundamental part of our commerce and financial system. -
Joe Heck, CEO of Zip, joins me on the Tearsheet Podcast to discuss the evolution of alternative payment solutions in the US. Zip is a leading Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) company. Joe shares lessons from his 20 years of experience in consumer lending and fintech payment solutions. Heck brings insights from his previous leadership roles at Happy Money and TrueStage.
Heck’s background plays a role in his approach to financial services. Growing up in Flint, Michigan, he understands the challenges of paycheck-to-paycheck living. “There’s a consumer base largely ignored by traditional financial systems,” Heck explains. “FICO doesn’t serve them well, but they have a great ability to pay.”
Zip focuses on providing financial flexibility to these consumers. It offers structured repayment plans that don’t push them into revolving debt. According to Heck, “We win when the consumer wins. If they can’t pay us back, our model doesn’t work either.”
The Big Ideas
BNPL’s Growth Potential in the US – With only 2% of payments currently in BNPL, there is significant room for expansion compared to markets like Europe and Australia.
Financial Inclusion for Underserved Consumers – Zip is focusing on consumers who don’t fit traditional credit models but have strong repayment potential. “We provide access when and where they need it,” says Heck.
Strategic Partnerships Drive Accessibility – Integrations with Stripe and retailers like GameStop are making BNPL more available to consumers.
A More Transparent Alternative to Credit Cards – Unlike credit cards that encourage revolving debt, BNPL provides structured, predictable payments. “We’re not built in a way that traps consumers in debt,” Heck emphasizes.
The Role of Cash Flow Management in BNPL’s Future – Zip is investing in tools that help consumers manage unpredictable income streams, ensuring more repayment flexibility. -
Fintechs have pushed the industry to focus on client experiences, and our show today digs into how traditional banks can collaborate with global banks like Citi to improve experiences like cross border payments for their clients.
In our conversation today, Aashish Mishra, Citi’s Global Head for Banks sales and North Asia head for Financial Institutions and Fintech Sales, Treasury & Trade Solutions (TTS), dives into how the bank's 24/7 US dollar clearing business, as well as solutions like Worldlink ® Payment Services, are helping the firm’s bank clients deliver modern and intuitive experiences to its customers.
Aashish Mishra is part of Citi’s Services’ business based in Hong Kong, and he performs two roles: he's responsible for TTS sales and strategy for all FI client segments in North America, which spans banks, fintechs, insurance, asset managers, and broker dealers. And for the bank segment globally, his focus is on delivering the entire TTS solution set to his clients, including cash clearing, global payments and receivables, Banking as a Service, liquidity solutions and trade solutions. Prior to this role, he spent extensive time in Citi’s Security Services business, including as the Head of Custody Product and Head of Direct Custody and Clearing business for Asia.
Aashish has extensive experience in the financial institution space, and has worked closely with senior clients, regulators, and financial market infrastructure during his career. Today, he brings that insight from multiple arms of the vast Citi footprint to the show to explore how banks can push their products further without burdening their teams with technical lift, as well as where he expects client expectations to go in the future. -
In late January, Upbound Group completed its acquisition of Brigit, a leading financial health technology company. This deal brings together Upbound’s established brands like Rent-A-Center and Acima with Brigit’s digital platform that offers earned wage access, credit building products, and financial wellness tools. The combined company now serves approximately four million active customers, including Brigit’s impressive base of over one million paying subscribers.
I’m thrilled to welcome Zuben Mathews, co-founder of Brigit, to our podcast today. Zuben continues to lead the Brigit team as they now operate as a business segment within Upbound Group, alongside his co-founder Hamel Kothari.
In our conversation today, we’ll explore the strategic vision behind this acquisition, how Brigit’s technology will enhance Upbound’s existing services, and what this means for millions of Americans who have been traditionally underserved by mainstream financial institutions. We’ll also discuss how Brigit’s proprietary cash flow underwriting technology and machine learning capabilities might change the landscape for accessible financial products. -
Banking digital assistants may be common now, but in 2017, Bank of America was one of the first to be thinking about how they make the firm’s customer experience more powerful. The answer was an in-house build of a digital assistant that required the firm to hire PhDs in linguistics and build a collaboration structure that could facilitate teams from different departments.
In 2024, BofA clients interacted with Erica 676 million times bringing its total interactions since its launch in 2018 to 2.5 billion.
On the show today, Hari Gopalkrishnan, who leads Bank of America’s Consumer, Business & Wealth Management Technology team, joins us to tell the tale of how the firm built its industry-leading digital assistant, Erica.
Hari shares how the firm has gradually expanded Erica’s remit beyond consumer banking to also include multiple lines of business and individual and corporate clients across the firm’s global footprint.
It's a dive into what it takes to push the boundaries in this industry, how the firm thought about development, testing, expansion, and how Erica’s capabilities can be expanded with the recent innovations of Gen AI. -
Financial inclusion remains one of the most pressing challenges in today’s economy. Millions of Americans struggle to access basic financial services simply because they lack a credit history or have damaged credit. This gap in our financial system doesn’t just create inconvenience – it perpetuates cycles of financial inequity that can last generations.
In my latest episode of Tearsheet, I sat down with Julie Szudarek, CEO of Self Financial, a company working at the forefront of this challenge. Julie took the helm at Self just over a year ago, bringing over 20 years of leadership experience from companies like Groupon and Atida. Though fintech is a new arena for her, Julie’s expertise in building customer-focused businesses is exactly what’s needed to tackle financial inclusion at scale.
“I’ve never done fintech before,” Julie told me candidly. “But what I bring to the table is a deep understanding of how to build customer-focused businesses that are sustainable over time.” Her mission at Self aligns well with the broader movement toward more accessible financial services: “We are only here to make outcomes for our customers better than before they started working with Self.”
The Big Ideas
Decoupling Secured Credit Cards for Easier Access. “We decoupled the secured card so customers don’t need a credit builder account first. It’s about reducing barriers.”
The Power of Low Deposit and No Credit Check. “Our deposit is $100, and for many, there’s no hard credit check. That makes it much less intimidating for people facing rejection.”
Customer Education as a Core Focus. “About 65% of our customers say they had no financial education. So we focus on teaching them about interest, compounding, and managing credit.”
Expanding Product Offerings to Keep Customers Engaged. “We were limited in what we offered. Now we’re focusing on products that meet customers where they are and help them keep growing financially.”
Partnerships to Reach More Communities. “Regions Bank and Pathway Homes are some of our key partners — together, we’re helping more people build credit who might otherwise be left out.” -
Blockchain technology continues to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset ecosystem. Today, we're witnessing a fascinating convergence where decentralized finance protocols are being integrated into user-friendly platforms, making sophisticated financial tools accessible to everyday users.
One of the most significant developments in this space is the ability to leverage crypto assets without selling them—unlocking liquidity while maintaining exposure to potential appreciation. Coinbase has recently launched a groundbreaking product that allows customers to borrow USDC against their Bitcoin holdings in under a minute, all powered by onchain lending protocols.
I'm delighted to welcome Max Branzburg, Vice President of Product at Coinbase, to discuss this innovation. As a key architect of Coinbase's product strategy, Max has been instrumental in developing solutions that make crypto utility more tangible for millions of users. Today, we'll explore how Bitcoin-backed loans represent a pivotal step in Coinbase's vision for onchain financial services, the technical infrastructure making this possible, and what this means for the future of personal finance. -
Today we're examining the evolution of asset management and financial advisory services. As technology transforms how we invest and manage wealth, we're exploring the critical balance between innovation and human expertise.
We'll discuss how disruption in the advisory space creates new opportunities for clients and advisors alike, why personal relationships remain essential even as AI expands, and how progressive firms are reimagining compensation models. We'll also look at the hybrid approach resonating with next-gen clients who want both self-directed tools and personalized guidance.
Joining me to explore these topics are Steven Woods, CEO and Founder of Stirlingshire, and Jim Webb, VP of Investments. Their firm is working to remake the asset management model for both clients and advisors. Today, we'll hear about their non-traditional approach to wealth management, how they're balancing technology with the human touch, and why this matters for both financial professionals and their clients.
The Big Ideas:
Challenging the Traditional Asset Management Fee Structure: Stirlingshire allows advisors to keep 100% of asset management fees and commissions with zero expenses. This flips the traditional model where firms take substantial cuts from advisor earnings, creating better economics for both clients and advisors.
The "Advice on Demand" Innovation: Stirlingshire offers a hybrid model between self-directed investing and full management. Clients can self-direct at zero commission but access professional advisors when needed, with advisors only getting paid when their specific recommendations result in profits.
Technology-Enabled Compliance and Remote Work: By embedding compliance directly into their technology systems, Stirlingshire eliminates the need for physical offices and reduces compliance staffing. This automation significantly reduces overhead costs while increasing advisor flexibility.
AI as an Efficiency Tool, Not a Replacement: Rather than replacing human advisors, Stirlingshire uses AI to make them more efficient. Their AI tools quickly analyze portfolios and provide market context, saving advisors time without making actual investment decisions.
Disrupting the Industry to Drive Broader Change: Stirlingshire aims to force change across the entire financial advisory industry, similar to how Robinhood disrupted commission structures. Their goal is to push other independent firms toward more advisor-friendly compensation models by demonstrating a successful alternative approach. -
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Today I'm excited to introduce you to 4dFI Capital Partners — or as we call it, 4dFI — a new initiative bringing together the worlds of traditional finance and innovative fintech.
In this episode, we're diving into three key themes reshaping global financial services:
Hidden Innovations in Emerging Markets
As Russell Weiss points out, "There's some incredible innovations happening in emerging markets, and oftentimes investors and executives in the US and Europe are sort of missing it. They're not hearing those stories. They're not getting access to that technology." We'll explore how companies like Nubank are just the beginning of a wave of groundbreaking financial solutions coming from regions outside traditional financial centers.
From Fintech to Impact Investment
In regions where traditional credit infrastructure is lacking, services like earned wage access aren't just convenient—they're transformative. Josh Liggett explains how these solutions are "where a FinTech turns from a FinTech company to also an impact investment," creating both financial returns and meaningful change in consumers' lives.
Building a Value-Add Investment Community
Beyond just providing capital, Fortify aims to create a network of experienced professionals who can offer expertise, connections, and insights to emerging market fintechs. This collaborative approach benefits everyone involved—investors gain exposure to new models, startups receive valuable guidance, and ultimately, consumers get better financial products.
I'm joined today by my partners Russell Weiss and Josh Liggett, who bring complementary skills in data science, VC deal-making, and fintech expertise to this exciting venture. Whether you're a financial industry veteran looking for new horizons or simply curious about where global fintech is heading, today's conversation offers valuable insights into the future of finance beyond traditional markets.
Let's dive in. -
Student debt is a major financial challenge, with U.S. borrowers owing over $1.8 trillion in total. This ongoing debt burden affects millions of individuals. Traditional financial institutions are looking for ways to solve this issue. Meanwhile, fintech innovations are providing solutions. These new technologies are helping to address the problem.
Michelle Tran is the head of commercial at Summer and founder of NYC Fintech Women. She joins the Tearsheet podcast to discuss how fintech is streamlining student loan repayment. The conversation focuses on the improvements fintech brings to the process, highlighting how fintech is powering a new generation of financial wellness programs.
“For many borrowers, navigating student loan repayment is like filing taxes on their own,” Tran explains. “The process is complicated. And a simple mistake can lead to missed opportunities for debt relief.”
Tran highlights how fintech platforms like Summer act as a “TurboTax for student loans,” helping borrowers complete complex federal student loan relief applications accurately. There is a growing demand for employer-sponsored loan repayment benefits. Fintech solutions are helping connect employees with the right programs. These solutions play an essential role in meeting that demand.
The Big Ideas
* Employers Are Becoming Key Players in Student Debt Relief. “Graduates are considering job offers carefully. They are looking for companies that offer student loan repayment assistance. This benefit is becoming a key factor in their decision-making.”
* Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs Are Underutilized. “Many borrowers don’t realize they qualify for loan forgiveness. Fintech is helping them access these benefits more efficiently.”
* Technology Reduces Errors in Loan Applications. “Automation ensures borrowers submit accurate applications, increasing approval rates for federal programs.”
* Fintech Solutions Are Expanding Beyond Student Loans. “Managing debt holistically creates a more secure financial future. The debt includes credit cards and retirement savings.”
* Personal Finance Education is a Critical Component. “Helping borrowers understand their financial options leads to better decision-making and long-term stability.” -
I recently sat down with Geoff Charles, Chief Product Officer at Ramp, to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of corporate finance technology. Recently promoted to CPO, Geoff has been with Ramp since its early days when the company was just 10 people. His journey from product manager to C-suite exemplifies Ramp’s growth trajectory as a company now hiring hundreds of employees annually.
The Big Ideas
AI as a Financial Co-Pilot: “The average employee doesn’t have a degree in finance… our models are more accurate than the average employee,” Charles explains, highlighting how AI can democratize financial expertise.
Unified Financial Operations: “Why is it that you see receipts for expenses in one product and accounts payable in another? Makes no sense,” says Charles about the fragmented finance software landscape Ramp aims to consolidate.
Selective Automation: Charles emphasizes their approach to automating what makes sense: “Where there’s high criticality and where humans are very good at it… we need to be very cautious with where we apply AI.”
Financial Data as an Asset: “Because everything happens on Ramp… we know with your location, we know the receipts, we know the actual request,” Charles explains how comprehensive data improves AI accuracy.
Self-Disruption as Strategy: “If you don’t build the thing that kills you, someone else will,” says Charles on Ramp’s proactive approach to reimagining their products in an AI-first world.
“We’re continuing to really push leaders to build capabilities with their reporting lines,” says Charles. “It’s important for us to continue scaling and promoting internally, which is a big part of our culture at Ramp — to find early talent, to mentor them, to grow them, and to give them unlimited growth potential within the company.”
Geoff describes the product culture at Ramp as “intense,” with product managers serving as the “pace keepers and pacemakers” of the tech organization. This culture of speed, decision-making, and customer-centricity has helped position Ramp as an innovator in the corporate finance space. The conversation explores how AI is transforming traditional expense management, the strategic importance of owning transaction data, and the opportunities in automating financial workflows. -
Choosing the right bank to work with is a skill that fintechs need to develop and nurture. When the right choices are made, fintechs can find themselves working with banks that not only provide a strong compliance and banking layer but also have opportunities for the fintech to plug into the bank’s infrastructure and become more than just a client.
This evolving landscape is what Citi’s Global Head of Fintech Sales, Chafic Haddad, provided insight on when I spoke to him. He dove into the maturity cycle that fintechs go through by starting from offering basic products like accounts and then eventually growing enough to explore capital markets and investment banking. He also described how Citi helps these fintechs spread their wings beyond their local markets.
Listen to today’s conversation to learn from Haddad’s experience about how the bank helps fintechs grow sustainably and eventually spread their wings beyond their local geographies and the way Citi organizes and manages these relationships. -
I recently sat down with Dan Snyder, CEO and co-founder of Lower, to discuss the evolving landscape of mortgage lending. Lower was founded in 2014 and has grown into one of the largest venture-backed home lenders in the United States. Dan is driven by a commitment to simplifying the home financing process through technology.
“We’re not just building a mortgage company,” says Snyder. “We’re creating a comprehensive platform. It will make homeownership more accessible, especially for younger buyers.” Fresh off its acquisition of NeatLabs, Lower’s new proprietary platform, LowerOS, promises to reduce the cost and complexity of mortgage origination. Snyder bootstrapped his startup and went on to raise Ohio’s largest Series A, showcasing resilience and vision. His journey offers valuable lessons in leadership and innovation. It also highlights how to navigate the challenges of a volatile housing market. The conversation explores key topics like the role of venture capital in professionalizing a business, the strategic importance of owning a full tech stack, and the opportunities presented by serving next-generation home buyers.
The Big Ideas
Venture Capital as a Catalyst for Growth. “Raising money allowed us to professionalize the business and access top talent,” says Snyder. He highlights the impact of Accel’s investment.
The Strategic Importance of Owning Technology. “We didn’t want to rely on third-party software that didn’t align with our goals,” Snyder notes. LowerOS is the result of this strategic decision.
Challenges in Serving Next-Gen Buyers. “The average income for first-time buyers is over $200,000. We’re working to bring that down by improving affordability,” Snyder explains.
Adapting to Market Volatility. Snyder highlights that inventory and interest rates are major challenges. But, technology can help reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Combining Tech with Human Expertise. “Even with digital tools, a 15-minute conversation can save hours of back-and-forth,” says Snyder. He emphasizes the value of human interaction. -
In this episode of the Tearsheet Podcast, I sit down with Frank Chaparro, the host of The Scoop and Director of Special Products at The Block. He has years of experience at the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street. Frank offers a unique perspective on blockchain technology and tokenization, highlighting their early impact on financial markets and projecting out where Web3 may lead for financial services.
“When you’re managing trillions of dollars, offering new, innovative products isn’t just risky. It’s a massive operational challenge,” says Chaparro. His insights explain why tokenization, stablecoins, and blockchain technology are growing in popularity. These innovations overcome challenges faced by traditional financial institutions, offering new solutions and efficiencies in the financial sector. Frank explores how stablecoins bridge decentralized finance and traditional systems. For example, he explores the challenges of institutional investment in crypto ETFs. His analysis covers the complexities of this fast-evolving space.
The Big Ideas
Tokenization could revolutionize industries by making processes more efficient. Frank highlights its application in property transactions. He says, “Tokenizing deeds could bring unprecedented efficiency to a traditionally slow process.”
Stablecoins are enabling seamless transactions between traditional and decentralized finance. “It’s just so damn easy to send stablecoins compared to alternatives like PayPal,” says Frank.
Despite regulatory and operational hurdles, major banks are inching closer to crypto adoption. Frank predicts, “By 2025, we’ll see wealth management portals opening up to these assets.”
Regulatory clarity remains a double-edged sword. Frank explains, “Banks fear the potential repercussions of engaging with digital assets. Even when there’s no explicit rule against it.”
Meme coins and NFTs hint at a future where culture and finance intersect. Frank calls it “extracting value out of humor,” a concept that could reshape how we view digital assets. -
Banks have a challenging time responding to technological leaps like AI primarily because of their compliance-comes-first approach. Financial institutions must also manage the technological debt of their legacy systems when approaching modernization.
On this episode of the Tearsheet Podcast, Temenos Chief Product and Technology Officer, Barb Morgan, offers a refreshing perspective on how financial institutions can embrace technology while maintaining their human touch. Her insights reveal how banks, particularly regional institutions, are balancing innovation with customer service and regulatory compliance.
Morgan's approach emphasizes "augmented intelligence" over artificial intelligence, positioning AI as a collaborative tool for these firms. Her view of AI’s potential in this industry stems from her deep experience working with regional and large banks at Temenos, as well as her time at firms like FIS and Capital One.
The conversation highlights how Temenos is helping banks modernize at their own pace by offering flexible solutions that can be implemented module by module. It also dives into how these firms are measuring their ROI on modernization initiatives, a must-have in this market. Lastly, Barb shares how her firm partners with its banking clients to work on unique ideas. -
On this episode of the Tearsheet Podcast, Nigel Vaz, CEO of Publicis Sapient, discusses how AI is fundamentally changing the financial services industry.
Nigel shares his deep insights on how financial institutions can navigate this technological disruption, from enabling broader access to wealth management to AI-driven credit models in mortgage lending, and on why some banks are better positioned than others to capitalize on AI's potential. -
The Tearsheet podcast often explores the intersection of financial services and technology. What makes this exploration unique is its focus on emerging trends, like the connection of the Web3 technologies of crypto and blockchain with the traditional finance ecosystem. Today, Bam Azizi, the co-founder and CEO of Mesh, joins me on the podcast.
Founded in 2020, Mesh is an embedded financial platform designed to simplify crypto transactions by enabling real-time connectivity and asset transfers. Previously, Azizi co-founded the cybersecurity company, No Password. Azizi has a strong background in robotics and software engineering.
He is now leading Mesh towards a future focused on tokenized assets.“Everything will be tokenized because it’s easier to transfer and build,” says Azizi. He emphasizes the importance of addressing market gaps. Mesh integrates exchanges and enables crypto payments.
The Evolution of Crypto & Embedded Finance
Embedded finance has emerged as a pivotal market structure in fintech. It allows financial services to be seamlessly integrated into non-financial platforms. Azizi sees Mesh as a connection aggregator, not a data aggregator. This sets it apart from competitors like Plaid. “Plaid is the right solution for traditional assets,” Azizi explains. “We are the right solution for the crypto industry.” Traditional platforms focus on aggregating banking data -- Mesh enables transactional capabilities. This includes transferring assets between exchanges and using crypto for payments.
Crypto Payments and Practical Use Cases
Mesh’s offerings have evolved from enabling cryptocurrency deposits to powering crypto payments. Azizi describes the creation of MeshPay, which is a comprehensive solution that addresses the unique challenges of crypto payments within a commercial setting. “Imagine paying at a coffee shop with crypto through Apple Pay,” says Azizi. This vision stems from a real-world use case where a small business embedded Mesh to accept crypto as a payment method. For regions grappling with hyperinflation, functionality like this offers real practical advantages.
Tokenized Assets: The Future of Finance
Azizi strongly advocates adopting tokenized assets. He predicts that “everything will be tokenized” in the coming decade. Tokenization can simplify asset transfers, improving accessibility and mirroring the digitization wave of the past two decades. Azizi believes traditional processes are inefficient. He points to asset transfers between brokerage accounts as an example. These processes are often cumbersome. Tokenized systems promise to end these inefficiencies. They pave the way for streamlined financial operations.
Challenges and Opportunities with Regulation
Discussing regulatory frameworks, Azizi underscores the importance of clarity. “Healthy regulation benefits everyone,” he notes. Azizi emphasizes how clear guidelines could boost cryptocurrency adoption and innovation. Mesh’s non-custodial model aligns with the crypto community’s ethos of decentralization. It resonates with users who prioritize privacy and control over their assets. -
As blockchain technology seeps slowly into the traditional financial services ecosystem, it is offering new opportunities through tokenization and decentralized finance (DeFi). Today's episode of the Tearsheet podcast hosts Paul Brody, EY’s Global Blockchain Leader who shares his expertise on these developments. Paul is focusing on the promise of public blockchain and the challenges surrounding privacy. He is also the Chairman of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance. Brody's unique roles provide a distinctive perspective on blockchain adoption in enterprises.
Reflecting on his decade at EY, Brody explains, "One of the things I’m most proud of is how little our strategy has evolved. We’ve consistently believed in the value proposition of public blockchains." EY’s blockchain initiatives center around asset tokenization. It focuses on privacy-focused solutions and enabling enterprises to scale blockchain use effectively.
Addressing misconceptions, Brody highlights a critical distinction. He says, "A lot of people don’t realize private blockchains have no privacy. They’re centralized systems without the benefits of a decentralized ledger." This belief underpins EY’s commitment to public blockchains, which he argues are the only viable path for enterprises.
The big ideas
1. Tokenization is transforming B2B transactions. “Every transaction comes down to tokenizing money, tokenizing the stuff. And automating the terms via smart contracts,” says Brody.
2. Public blockchains offer a compelling value proposition. “Private blockchains have no privacy,” Brody explains. He emphasizes the importance of decentralized, public systems for scalability and security.
3. Privacy is essential for enterprise adoption. Brody highlights the need for privacy layers. He states, “Enterprises require privacy to share sensitive information securely on public blockchains.”
4. DeFi innovation is influenced by market conditions. Brody observes, “Lower interest rates make decentralized finance tools much more appealing. They do so by doubling potential returns compared to traditional options.”
5. Regulatory clarity will drive enterprise adoption. “The true race begins once the rules are clear. Until then, enterprises will hesitate to commit fully to blockchain-based solutions,” Brody asserts. - Montre plus
