FinTech Futures

Agentic commerce: How American Express is building the future of AI-driven payments

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Margaret Ryan, SVP and Head of Product for Amex Digital Labs, to explore the rapidly developing world of agentic commerce and agentic payments and how American Express is positioning itself at the forefront of this evolution. Margaret discusses the current state of play with agentic commerce today, unpacking the benefits the technology offers for both consumers and merchants, and takes a deep dive into the ACE Developer Kit that Amex launched earlier this year, explaining the vision behind this framework and how it's designed to help merchants navigate this fundamental shift in how transactions happen. The conversation also covers the debate around trust and consumer confidence when it comes to agentic commerce—asking whether people will fully trust AI agents to spend their money and what safeguards need to be in place to make that leap possible. Margaret and Paul also look ahead at how agentic payments will transform the consumer experience over the next few years, what role American Express will play as AI agents become the primary transaction interface, and what other agentic AI innovations are in the pipeline at Amex. Tune in to hear how one of the world's leading payment networks is building the infrastructure for an AI-agent-driven future of commerce. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures

What the FinTech? | S.7 Episode 15 | Managing fraud and credit risk in the AI era with Equifax

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Seth Moran, SVP, General Manager of Digital Banking and Strategic Markets at Equifax, to explore the evolving landscape of fraud and credit risk. Seth explains how synthetic fraud is exploiting new entry points through deposit accounts, how AI has dramatically lowered the barrier for fraudsters to create sophisticated synthetic identities, and why financial institutions may be struggling to accurately classify losses between fraud and credit risk. The conversation also covers how Equifax is helping banks build a more complete view of the customer by integrating fraud and credit risk assessment across the entire lifecycle, and how AI is enabling institutions to drive operational efficiencies while strengthening their defences. Finally, Paul and Seth look ahead at the emerging trends shaping the industry and what risk leaders should be prioritising as we move through 2026. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures

What the FinTech? | S.7 Episode 14 | Building ChimeCore: How Chime developed its own banking infrastructure

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Ryan King, co-founder of US fintech Chime, to learn more about Chime's development and deployment of ChimeCore, its proprietary core banking platform. Ryan discusses the factors that drove the decision to build rather than buy, how the team successfully migrated more than 9 million members without any downtime, and the key lessons learned along the way. The conversation also covers how owning the entire tech stack is accelerating Chime's ability to deploy AI and machine learning at scale, the tangible benefits this is delivering to customers, and what this means for the competitive landscape between fintechs and traditional banks. Beyond ChimeCore itself, Paul and Ryan also take a closer look at how AI is fundamentally reshaping banking operations and customer experiences, and what new possibilities emerge when you combine modern infrastructure with emerging AI capabilities. Tune in to hear how Chime is redefining what's possible in banking by building its own core infrastructure and unlocking the full potential of AI. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures

What the FinTech? | S.7 Episode 13 | Reimagining regional banking in the US with AI

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Jude Melville, CEO of b1BANK, to explore how US regional banks are actively embracing AI to compete in an increasingly technology-driven industry. Jude discusses how b1BANK, the largest Louisiana-headquartered regional bank by assets with a significant and growing presence in Texas, is developing its AI strategy, including its partnership with Covecta on agentic AI implementation, and how the bank is navigating the practical challenges of embedding AI into workflows while measuring ROI and managing the cultural shift required to bring teams along on this journey. The conversation also covers the competitive landscape for regional banks, discussing how institutions like b1BANK can innovate against national banks with significantly larger technology budgets, and the delicate balance between moving fast with new technology and managing risk in a heavily regulated industry. Tune in to discover how b1BANK is turning AI into a competitive advantage in the regional banking arena.

What the FinTech? | S.7 Episode 12 | Preparing for a multi-money future: NatWest on the digital asset revolution

In this episode of the What the FinTech? podcast, recorded live at Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, host and FinTech Futures Managing Editor Paul Hindle is joined by Lee McNabb, Payment and Digital Asset Lead at NatWest, to explore the growing role of digital assets in payments and financial services, and how banks such as NatWest are positioning themselves to lead in this rapidly evolving landscape. Paul and Lee discuss how banks should approach their payment strategies in an era of multiple payment rails and emerging technologies like stablecoins, what the mainstream adoption of tokenised deposits and programmable payments could mean for both retail and corporate customers, and the technical challenges of modernising legacy infrastructure while maintaining 24/7 availability. The conversation also covers NatWest's digital asset strategy, including their participation in major UK and international pilots, how the bank is managing the balance between innovation and interoperability, and their approach to building customer confidence and literacy in technologies that many people don't yet understand. Whether you're a banking executive navigating digital transformation, a fintech professional exploring the future of payments, or simply curious about how digital assets will reshape the way money moves, this episode offers essential insights into the strategies, challenges, and opportunities defining the next era of financial services. Tune in to hear how one of the UK's leading banks is preparing for a multi-money future. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT FINTECH FUTURES FinTech Futures is the #1 provider of global fintech news and intelligence. With a mission to empower the financial technology community, we bring you the latest updates and thought leadership from across the industry. From startups to established players, we cover the entire fintech ecosystem. Stay Connected with FinTech Futures: Visit our website: www.fintechfutures.com Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fintechfutures/ Sign up to our newsletter: www.fintechfutures.com/newsletter Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.com/@FinTechFutures