Lex chats with Steve McLaughlin, CEO and founder of FT Partners - the premier financial technology investment bank, and Jon Lear, president and co-founder of Fintech Meetup - the leading fintech conference in the world today. They discuss the early days of fintech, the growth and evolution of the industry, and the current market trends. They also touch on the definition of fintech and its boundaries, as well as the sectors that are seeing the most activity and opportunity in the coming year. The...
Jan 12, 2024•52 min•Ep. 146
Lex chats with Jeff Boortz, the Chief Product Officer of Blockstream. Blockstream is a company at the forefront of Bitcoin ecosystem development, and they discuss the new developments and innovations in the Bitcoin space. Boortz talks about his career background, including his time at Google, and how he transitioned to Blockstream. They also discuss the skills and differences between tech companies like Google and financial institutions when it comes to product management. Boortz explains the co...
Dec 23, 2023•45 min•Ep. 145
Lex chats with Yat Siu, co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands - a global leader in blockchain and gaming that is working to provide property rights for virtual assets via NFTs and related technologies. Yat discusses his journey into technology and gaming, as well as the intersection of gaming and decentralized finance. He shares his early experiences with technology, including writing MIDI software in the 1980s and discovering the power of online communities. Additionally, Yat discusses the ...
Dec 15, 2023•50 min•Ep. 144
Lex chats with Ed Maslaveckas, the founder and CEO of Bud, a FinTech company focused on data aggregation and artificial intelligence in financial services. They discuss the evolution of Bud's business model, the atmosphere of the FinTech industry in the UK, the challenges of data enrichment and customer insight, and the potential of AI agents and generative AI in transforming financial products. Maslaveckas highlights the value of accurate transaction data in reducing call center costs, improvin...
Dec 08, 2023•46 min•Ep. 143
Lex chats with Dan Finlay, co-founder of MetaMask, and Dean Tribble, CEO of Agoric, about the future of wallet strategy and the underlying technological changes in the Web3 space. They discuss the growth and usage of MetaMask, the philosophy behind its development, and the core dimensions in which they have tried to grow the wallet. They also talk about the concept of "Snaps," which allows developers to extend the functionality of MetaMask using JavaScript. The conversation touches on the potent...
Dec 01, 2023•47 min•Ep. 142
Lex chats with Christopher Pallotta - founder and CEO of Templum, a company focused on alternative investments and private markets. Pallotta discusses his background in technology and investing, as well as the journey of Templum and its transformation into becoming the operating system for private markets and alternative assets. He explains how Templum's technology, broker-dealer and alternative trading system (ATS) capabilities enable the trading of regulated private securities in a compliant m...
Nov 24, 2023•38 min•Ep. 141
Lex chats with Eva Shang, CEO of Legalist - a technology-powered investment firm specialising in alternative assets. Shang discusses her company's strategies in litigation finance, bankruptcy, and government receivables. She explains that Legalist uses technology and data analysis to identify investment opportunities in the legal space. Shang also discusses the challenges and complexities of underwriting litigation cases and the importance of human judgment in the process. She highlights the nee...
Nov 17, 2023•36 min•Ep. 140
Lex chats with Guy Young - the CEO and Founder of Ethena Labs, the crypto infrastructure company building USDe which is the first-ever scalable stablecoin not reliant on existing banking institutions alongside a permissionless 'internet bond'. They discuss Ethena, a new protocol for the synthetic dollar, and the market dynamics around Ethereum and the concept of the internet bond. Young explains his background in distressed investing and the risks and mistakes commonly seen in financial services...
Nov 10, 2023•41 min•Ep. 139
Lex chats with Sam Bobley, founder and CEO of Ocrolus - a fintech infrastructure company that powers underwriting processes for lenders like SoFi, Lending Club, and Enova. In this episode Sam starts off by sharing how he got started in entrepreneurship at a young age and the influence of his father, who was a serial entrepreneur. Bobley explains how Ocrolus focuses on document automation using OCR technology and the challenges they faced in the early days. He also discusses the evolution of mach...
Nov 03, 2023•47 min•Ep. 138
Lex chats with Matt Bivons, the founder and CEO of Canopy, a modern digital lending company. Bivons discusses his background in fintech and his journey from being a product designer to starting his own company. He explains the importance of designing products for others and how he identified a gap in the market for a lending infrastructure solution. Bivons also talks about the evolution of the digital lending sector and the role of infrastructure companies in enabling fintech innovation. He shar...
Oct 27, 2023•41 min•Ep. 137
Lex chats with Nassim Eddequiouaq and Riyaz Faizullabhoy - Co-Founders of Bastion - a transaction and Web 3 orchestration company that aims to provide infrastructure for businesses to build user-friendly experiences on top of blockchain technology. The founders, Nas and Riyaz, have a background in security and have worked together for several years at companies like Docker, Anchorage, and Facebook. They believe that custodial wallets offer the best user experience and are focused on building a p...
Oct 20, 2023•42 min•Ep. 136
Lex chats with Adam Felesky, CEO and co-founder of Portage - an investment firm focused on fintech and financial services. Felesky discusses his background in finance and tech, his experience as an entrepreneur, and the investment opportunities he sees in the fintech sector. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the nuances of different verticals within fintech and the potential for incumbent transformation in the industry. Felesky also discusses the current market environment for fintec...
Oct 13, 2023•46 min•Ep. 135
Lex chats with Chandini Jain, founder and CEO of artificial intelligence company Auquan. Together, Lex and Chandini discuss the use of AI in financial services. Jain explains that AI can help optimize information flow and improve decision-making by efficiently processing and analyzing large amounts of data. Jain highlights the importance of accuracy in AI models, particularly in the financial industry where incorrect information can have significant consequences. She introduces the concept of re...
Oct 06, 2023•47 min•Ep. 134
Lex chats with Arik Shtilman, CEO of Rapyd - a leading fintech-as-a-service platform. In this episode, Shtilman discusses his background in technology and financial services, as well as the journey of building Rapyd into a leading payment company. He talks about the challenges of starting a consumer payment company and the pivot to becoming a fintech-as-a-service platform. Shtilman explains the importance of building a global business and the need for a platform that enables companies to build f...
Sep 29, 2023•42 min•Ep. 133
Lex chats with Cynthia Kleinbaum Milner, CMO at MoneyLion - a mobile banking and financial membership platform that integrates spending, saving, borrowing, and investing tools to empower consumers towards better financial wellness. Kincking off the conversation, Cynthia delves into the intricacies of charting a career in the ever-evolving landscape of digital transformation, sharing her transition from brand marketing to holistic marketing. As they navigate through industry insights, Cynthia pro...
Sep 22, 2023•43 min•Ep. 132
Lex chats with Pete Townsend, Managing Director of the Techstars Web3 Accelerator - one of the largest pre-seed investors and accelerator programs in the world. Pete kicks off the conversation by sharing his career journey, from early experiences in finance to the present, highlighting the evolution of finance, where technologists have emerged as key wealth creators. Their discussion covers successful go-to-market strategies in the blockchain industry and reevaluates these strategies in fintech ...
Sep 16, 2023•53 min•Ep. 131
Lex chats with Caitlin Long, CEO of Custodia Bank (formerly Avanti Financial Group) - a Wyoming payment system provider and a custodian of digital assets required to fully comply with Know Your Customer, Anti-Money Laundering, and related laws and regulations. Together they delve into the fascinating world of fintech, US banking history, and the evolution of banking and payment networks. Starting with Caitlin's early experiences in finance and the unique dynamics of the US banking industry, they...
Sep 08, 2023•49 min•Ep. 130
Lex chats with Farouk Ferchichi, the President of Data and Analytics at Envestnet - supplies financial and wealth management technology and services to financial institutions. Farouk starts off by delving into the journey of understanding data and analytics. The conversation explores the challenges and dynamics of embracing quantitative decision-making across industries, emphasizing the transformative power of Yodlee in financial data aggregation. Farouk explains how Yodlee's scope has evolved f...
Sep 01, 2023•37 min•Ep. 129
Lex chats with Aman Behzad, Managing Partner of Royal Park Partners - A group of Corporate Finance advisors focused on Fintech. Amas kicks off the conversation talking about his early experiences in banking and his strategic focus on financial institutions, the discussion covers the dynamics of investment banking, the success vectors in fintech at Financial Technology Partners and Royal Park Partners, and the ongoing innovations shaping capital markets. Together, they analyze fintech's performan...
Aug 25, 2023•34 min•Ep. 128
Lex chats with Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Bitfinex (one of the largest crypto exchanges) and Tether (a US-dollar pegged stablecoin). Paolo kicks off reflecting on his journey into the crypto space and the pivotal role of technology, community, and opensource in his learning. The discussion navigates through Bitcoin's diverse potentials, Bitfinex's growth, and the intricate challenges of crypto exchanges. Paolo emphasizes the importance of learning from past industry mistakes to guide future strategie...
Aug 18, 2023•48 min•Ep. 127
Lex chats with Asaf Horesh - General Partner at Vintage Investment Partners - who invest in the leading venture funds and growth-stage technology companies that are spearheading disruptive innovation. Asaf shares insights into his venture journey, highlighting core lessons in becoming a successful investor. Emphasizing the significance of people and recognizing signals of success, Asaf delves into the essence of venture investing. He unveils a key strategy flywheel that drives venture success an...
Aug 11, 2023•42 min•Ep. 126
Lex chats with Aron Alexander - CEO, and Founder of Runa - a digital value infrastructure and network that enables people to pay and get paid by anyone, anywhere, instantly. The discussion delves into the founding story of Runa, which was inspired by insights from commerce experiences. Together Lex and Aron explore the significance of payment networks and loyalty programs in aligning incentives for merchants and providers. Runa's integration, impact, and impressive numbers in simplifying payment...
Aug 04, 2023•42 min•Ep. 125
Lex chats with Emma Kerr - Senior Vice President, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Europe at Visa - one of the world's largest payment networks. In this episode, Emma unravels Visa's comprehensive definition of commerce and the nuances of being a merchant. She shares her remarkable journey within Visa and the evolution of payment networks over time. The discussion delves into the intriguing concept of the "network-of-networks," exploring Visa's strategic position amidst the ever-changing landscap...
Jul 28, 2023•34 min•Ep. 124
Lex chats with Leif Abraham, Co-CEO and Founder of Public - Public.com is an investing platform that helps people be better investors. Members can build a diverse portfolio of stocks, funds, and crypto within a single platform. In this episode, Leif delves into his journey through design, creativity, and venture, including early career insights in video game web development. Together, Lex and Leif discuss the prescience of "Pay with a Tweet" and its connections to attention, payments, and Web3. ...
Jul 21, 2023•46 min•Ep. 123
Lex chats with Sankaet Pathak, the founder and CEO of Synapse - the largest regulated banking-as-a-service platform that provides payment, card issuance, deposit, lending, compliance, credit and investment products as APIs to more than 18 million end users. In this episode, Sankaet delves into his journey that led him to fintech and the decision to build a robust financial infrastructure. Together, Lex and Sankaet explore the value of modular architecture in dissecting financial infrastructure a...
Jul 14, 2023•43 min•Ep. 122
Lex chats with Sandy Carter, COO at Unstoppable Domains - a company on a mission to create user-owned, digital identity for every person on the planet. Sandy opens up about her journey from big tech companies - IBM and Amazon, to the realm of Web3 and crypto. Together, Lex and Sandy discuss the challenges of navigating large tech companies and the innovative services offered by Unstoppable Domains. Sandy explains the concept of non-custodial data, the process of acquiring a blockchain identity, ...
Jul 07, 2023•46 min•Ep. 121
Lex chats with Jeff Dorman, CIO at Arca - an asset management firm that creates and manages institutional grade products using crypto and blockchain technology. Together they discuss key aspects of crypto finance, starting with Jeff's transition into crypto from investment banking, and then delving into the impact of the Fed on financial markets and institutional investment on digital asset trends. Jeff shares insights on the role of digital assets in the context of Ray Dalio's civilizational ex...
Jun 30, 2023•49 min•Ep. 120
Lex chats with Sasha Orloff, CEO and Co-founder of Puzzle - “the first smart accounting software,” which combines a streaming financial data platform that’s connected to a general accounting ledger. Sasha starts the conversation detailing his journey from traditional banking to fintech entrepreneurship. Reflecting on the early days of fintech, contrasting the East and West Coast perspectives, and sharing his experiences from leading innovative fintech ventures like LendUp. The conversation dives...
Jun 23, 2023•47 min•Ep. 119
Lex interviews seasoned fintech expert Teana Baker-Taylor - Circle VP of Policy and Regulatory Strategy EMEA. Circle began as a peer-to-peer payments technology company that now manages stablecoin USDC, a cryptocurrency the value of which is pegged to the U.S. dollar. Teana discusses her journey from traditional finance to the frontier of blockchain and crypto exchanges. Together Lex and Teana explore the tangible economic impacts of banking and navigate the complex digital asset landscape, focu...
Jun 16, 2023•29 min•Ep. 118
Lex interviews Ashwin Kumar - Stripe's Head of Startups for Banking-as-a-Service. Stripe is a financial technology (FinTech) company based in San Francisco, CA, whose software allows individuals and businesses to make and receive payments online. In this episode, Lex and Ashwin explore Stripe's strategic positioning in the transformative world of fintech. From unraveling Stripe's core mission and approach, Ashwin and Lex provide an enlightening comparison with Amazon's strategy, shedding light o...
Jun 09, 2023•25 min•Ep. 117
