BIG Podcast

Glen speaks with Tony Hernandez about the power of CU Unplugged's "un-conference" model, why he couldn't wait a full year to rev up its collaborative engine again, and how a BOGGSAT can deliver impressive results. Fresh from the Innovation Club, Velir's Cory Caplette and Josh Hover share insights on retooling websites for agentic traffic, the risk of "AI invisibility," and the offsetting opportunity to gain mindshare. Also- X Money expands (but leans on the fine print).       Links related to this episode:   CU Unplugged, November 18-20 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://www.cu-unplugged.com/     VentureTech, November 16-18 at the same site: https://myventuretech.com/ (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE for those attending both events)   Velir x Brooklyn Data: https://www.velir.com/   Our recent interviews with Finovate standouts Go.AI https://www.big-fintech.com/a-fintech-by-any-other-name-2/ and Tweezr https://www.big-fintech.com/putting-an-accent-on-identity-code-modernization-and-fraud/ as discussed at BIG's recent Innovation

Glen does his best to corral VentureTech co-founders Jenny Jackson and Nick Evens, who offer a preview of this year's credit union/fintech throwdown, its move (slightly) west, its mission to introduce the latest wave of solutions to CU leaders, and an alliance with another outside the box industry event. Also- Jamie puts Muse in a corner, the CFTC tries Dodd-Frank as a path to crypto clarity, and news of an unexpected SEC/Big Ten merger.       Links related to this episode:   VentureTech, November 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://myventuretech.com/    CU Unplugged, November 18-20 at the same site: https://www.cu-unplugged.com/  (DISCOUNT AVAILABLE for those attending both events)   Jamie Dimon on Chase's approach to internal/external AI agents:  https://www.pymnts.com/cryptocurrency/2026/cftc-build-federal-rulebook-crypto-exchanges-after-clarity-act-fails/    American Express' agentic commerce framework: https://www.digitaltransactions.net/amexs-next-step-for-agentic-commerce-is-a-framework-forters-agenti

Glen interviews Fintech Sandbox co-founder Sarah Biller about agentic AI's "leapfrog moment," and Allon Advisors' Dan Murphy offers a perspective on how agentic AI could reset the entire Open Banking debate. Also- dispatches from the Atlanta and Boston Fintech Weeks, and a preview of industry events still on the fall docket.   Links related to this episode:   Allon Advisors: https://www.allonadvisors.com/    Fintech Sandbox: https://www.fintechsandbox.org/    Atlanta Fintech Week: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atlanta-fintech-week/posts/    DC Fintech Week October 13-16: https://dcfintechweek.org/    VentureTech, November 16-18 in Fort Worth, Texas: https://myventuretech.com/     FinovateFall's 72 demo videos are now available: https://finovate.com//videos/    Part 2 of our FinovateFall coverage, including Glen's Best of Show ballot and an interview with Go.AI, which recently completed an $85 million Series A funding round: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-fintech-by-any-other-name-2/    Go.AI's press relea

Our second wave of Finovate coverage includes interviews with two more standout first-time presenters: Go.AI and Young Early Starters. Also- Glen's Best of Show ballot, the emergence of the fourth channel, an appeal to protect the seed corn, and pondering the Maya Conundrum.   Links related to this episode:   Young Early Starters: https://www.youngearlystarters.com/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-marpole-bird/    Go AI: https://go.ai/     https://www.linkedin.com/company/hello-go-ai/   Last week's episode, including interviews with Goodbuy, Finzee AI and Doshi: https://www.big-fintech.com/drinking-from-the-finovate-firehose/    Our interview with Best of Show winner Tweezr from Finovate Europe:  https://www.big-fintech.com/putting-an-accent-on-identity-code-modernization-and-fraud/    Finovate's announcement of Fall Best of Show winners: https://finovate.com/finovatefall-2026-best-of-show-winners-announced/      Check out the Innovation Club- a curated group of credit union tech, data and strategy

Just back from Finovate, Glen shares interviews with the founders of three standout first-timers: Goodbuy, FinZee AI and Doshi. Also- Best of Show winners, explainable friction, Chime banks up, and more AI than you can shake an agent at.    Links related to this episode:   Goodbuy: https://www.trygoodbuy.com/    FinZee AI: https://finzeeai.com/    Doshi: https://www.doshi.app/    Doshi's study of AI model error rates on financial queries (the top model was wrong 19% of the time!):  https://www.conductbenchmark.com/    Tweezr episode: https://www.big-fintech.com/putting-an-accent-on-identity-code-modernization-and-fraud/    Finovate's announcement of Fall Best of Show winners: https://finovate.com/finovatefall-2026-best-of-show-winners-announced/    Banking Dive's take on Chime's acquisition of a bank: https://www.bankingdive.com/news/chime-buys-stride-bank-590m-acquisition-fintech/829857/     OpenAI's new financial services specific ChatGPT offering:  https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-financial-s

Glen speaks with Prismm Founder/CEO Martha Underwood about a new metric- the Deposit Mortality Index- gauging an FI's risk of deposit loss from the Great Wealth Transfer. Also- PayPal's acquisition drama draws to a close (for now) and Walmart opens its wallet for Apple Pay.   Links related to this episode:   Prismm's Deposit Mortality Index: https://getprismm.com/dmi  (a link to the complementary 12 -page market report is near the bottom)    Martha Underwood's book "The Death of Deposits": https://www.amazon.com/dp/1953653200    Axios' take on why Stripe and Advent's pursuit of PayPal led to nothing: https://www.axios.com/2026/09/01/paypal-takeover-stripe-advent    Tech Crunch on Walmart's Apple Pay 180: https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/21/walmart-to-finally-start-accepting-apple-pay-and-google-pay    Last week's BIGCast featuring interviews with three standout startup founders: https://www.big-fintech.com/fintech-souths-got-something-to-say/      A vreplay of the most recent CU Town Hall, featuring Brian Ley

Recapping last week's Fintech South conference, Glen interviews founders of the three startups selected as Innovation Challenge finalists- Hussain Punjani of Agentix, Nyah Chapman of LUXE AI and John Patton of Street Charity- then asks you to guess which the judges chose for the grand prize. Also- Rich & Regular hosts Julien and Kiersten Saunders get real about everyday finances, and Spirit Airlines' data is worth how much to AI developers?!     Links related to this episode:   Agentix: https://agentixpay.ai/    LUXE AI: https://unlock.luxe/    Street Charity: https://streetcharity.org/    Rich & Regular: https://richandregular.com/  https://www.youtube.com/@richandregular    DM the Best Innovation Group's LinkedIn page to share your pick among these startups: https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   Fintech South: https://www.fintechsouth.com/ For event highlights, photos, and updates for next year, follow @Fintech South on LinkedIn   A pair of stories about Google's bid to buy Spir

Glen connects with Fintech Sandbox Executive Director Lucas Timberlake to discuss the state of fintech investing- with and without AI- and to learn about his nonprofit's mission to bring critical financial data access to early stage fintechs.  Also- friends say that PayPal and Stripe are… "talking," and JD Power's credit card rankings have a K-shaped tilt- and an asterisk for Navy Federal.    Links related to this episode:   Fintech Sandbox: www.fintechsandbox.org    Boston Fintech Week: https://bostonfintechweek.org/    America's Credit Unions and the DCUC call on the FCC to rein in Caller ID spoofing: https://www.cutoday.info/site/Fresh-Today/Credit-Unions-Press-FCC-to-Crack-Down-On-Caller-ID-Spoofing    JD Power's Credit Card Satisfaction Study (scroll down for FI rankings): https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2026-u-s-credit-card-satisfaction-study/    TechCrunch on the ongoing PayPal/Stripe/Advent conversations: https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/14/talks-to-sell-paypal-to-stripe-and-advent-are

Glen catches up with Finovate's Greg Palmer to preview September's NYC Demo Parade and the evolution in the startup ecosystem he's noted. Also- the Fiserv Follies extends its run, and how CLARITY and credit cards suddenly became tied at the hip.   Links related to this episode:   Finovate Fall, September 9-11 in New York City: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/    Use code BIG20 for a 20% discount on Finovate registration: https://informaconnect.com/finovatefall/purchase/select-package/?vip_code=BIG20    Our recent interview with CUltivate AI CEO (and Finovate rookie demoer) Anthony Volpe: https://www.big-fintech.com/can-credit-unions-collaborative-superpowers-extend-to-ai/    CU Today on Sens. Lummis and Moreno's sudden addition as CCCA sponsors: https://www.cutoday.info/THE-feature/Lummis-Moreno-Join-Credit-Card-Competition-Act-As-Interchange-Threat-Grows    Fiserv's Q2 earnings and fiscal 2026 outlook, in its own words and that of its hometown paper: https://investors.fiserv.com/news-releases/new

Glen speaks with Rapid Finance's Patrick Lord about Zombie Business Fraud and other threat vectors given a bump by AI. Also, Stripe ponders a big play in AI routing, and SMBs send mixed messages to their multiple (banking) partners.   Links related to this episode:   Rapid Finance (for FIs and other SMB lenders): https://enterprise.rapidfinance.com/    Rapid Finance (for SMBs): https://www.rapidfinance.com/    Patrick Lord's LinkedIn (he loves to talk fraud!): https://www.linkedin.com/in/lordpcarl/     Velera's SMB report: https://www.velera.com/insights/market-research/cu-growth-outlook-2026    Stripe's reported $10 billion level of interest in OpenRouter: https://www.wellesleyhillsfinancial.com/2026/08/02/stripes-10-billion-bet-on-the-ai-economy-why-openrouter-matters/    Which begs the question, "What about PayPal?": https://www.big-fintech.com/looking-for-the-x-factor-in-stripes-paypal-bid/    Fintech South, Tuesday August 18 at Truist Park in Atlanta: https://www.fintechsouth.com/  USE CODE BEYO15 for

Glen speaks with author and Finavator CEO Michelle Beyo about her forthcoming book, her takes on the power of data and "trust as the new currency," and her open banking sessions at August's Fintech South Conference. Also, US instant payment volumes spike (relatively speaking) and Samsung/Barclays aim to take a bite of the Apple. Links related to this episode:   Fintech South, Tuesday August 18 at Truist Park in Atlanta: https://www.fintechsouth.com/  USE CODE BEYO15 for a 15% REGISTRATION DISCOUNT   Michelle's forthcoming book: https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Future-Finance-Reshaping-Economy/dp/1394402074/ref=sr_1_1    Michelle's podcast: "Step into the Future of Finance": https://open.spotify.com/show/6tfflOY52ClLkLxgJEJSmo?si=49ac079afb1845de&nd=1&dlsi=b67da683833b4461    Finavator: https://www.finavator.com/    Speaking of trust, here's our recent interview with Deidre Campbell on the Edelman Trust Barometer: https://www.big-fintech.com/is-trust-now-the-most-precious-metal/    Fintech Futures

Glen checks in with CUltivate co-founder Anthony Volpe for an update on his CUSO's progress in bringing practical AI to the back offices of a broad base of credit unions. Plus, ruminations on lesser covered aspects of the Stripe/PayPal intrigue. Links related to this episode:   CUltivate AI: https://getcultivate.ai/    Our interview with CUltivate's three founders immediately after its March launch at GAC: https://www.big-fintech.com/chicken-wings-not-sharp-elbows/    Glen's blog on PayPal's acquisition intrigue: https://www.big-fintech.com/looking-for-the-x-factor-in-stripes-paypal-bid/    Glen's blog on the latest Federal Reserve Payments data: https://www.big-fintech.com/christmas-in-july-the-fed-delivers-new-2024-payments-data/ Coming soon to a Wednesday near you: the CU Town Hall! https://www.cutownhall.com/      Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

John and Glen discuss the latest maneuvers in the stablecoin world- particularly the newly announced Open USD initiative spearheaded by Bridge, bringing its parent company Stripe into the game. Is it a game changer or a press release destined for Libra-land? Also, new Fed data finds credit cards in overdrive.  Links related to this episode: Open Standard's Open USD announcement:   https://joinopenstandard.com/blog/introducing-open-usd Glen's blog on the newly released Fed payments data: https://www.big-fintech.com/christmas-in-july-the-fed-delivers-new-2024-payments-data/ Andreesen Horowitz's take on stablecoins' outlook  (from before the Open USD announcement: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/p/why-stablecoins-wont-age-well     Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/ https://www.linkedin.com/n/glensarvady/

Glen meets with Edelman Smithfield Managing Director Deidre Campbell to break down the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, the public's "retreat into insularity," and the resulting action items for banks and credit unions. Also- Illinois turns its focus to BNPL while JD Power highlights an FI opportunity, X Money broadens its reach, and the murky NCUA waters begin to clear.    Links related to this episode: Edelman Smithfield's Financial Services Trust Barometer: https://www.edelmansmithfield.com/2026-Edelman-Trust-Barometer-Key-Insights-for-Financial-Services Edelman's 2026 Global Trust Barometer: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2026/trust-barometer Illinois' newly signed BNPL law: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/illinois-enacts-bnpl-law-pritzker-consumer-crypto/823835/ JD Power's Buy Now Pay Later customer satisfaction study (good news for FIs): https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2026-us-buy-now-pay-later-satisfaction-study PYMNTS.com on X Money's latest move toward general availability: https://w

Laura Gibson-Lamothe, the Georgia Fintech Academy's Executive Director, provides firsthand coverage of the key takeaways from Money 20/20 Europe. Laura and Glen also discuss broader trends in talent development/demand and regional differences in banking (and smoking! ) regulation. Plus- process reflections spurred by the passing of longtime Fed Chair Alan Greenspan, and the Bank of England sets a new stablecoin standard. Links related to this episode: The Georgia Fintech Academy: https://georgiafintechacademy.org/ Laura's recent post pondering A Tale of Two Georgias: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tale-two-georgias-stablecoins-financial-future-laura-gibson-lamothe-0t7bc/ One of Laura's Money 20/20 interviews onsite in Amsterdam, with The Fintech Accord's West Richards on Stablecoins, AI & Global Fintech Policy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYNAZKFEcy0 Fintech Futures' coverage of the Bank of England's new stablecoin policy: https://www.fintechfutures.com/regulatory-actions/bank-of-england-stablecoins-

Our second batch of interviews stemming from the Financial Health Network's EMERGE conference, both with founders of compelling fintech startups: ROX CEO Lara Hodgson (breaking down barriers to SMB credit/liquidity) and Poncho CEO John Brown (financial wellness for military families). Also- the sudden twist in Fiserv's turnaround story. Links related to this episode: ROX: https://www.roxwrite.com/   Poncho:  https://www.poncho.us/ Poncho CEO John Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnprestonbrown/ The Financial Health Network: https://finhealthnetwork.org/ Glen's blog on a VERY eventful month in interchange: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-remarkable-month-for-interchange-but-what-has-really-changed/ A replay of Glen's favorite EMERGE session, featuring Alex Johnson posing "lightning round" questions to a panel including former OCC head Michael Hsu: https://finhealthnetwork.org/event-session/hard-questions-for-the-future-of-finance Sister publications Banking Dive and Payments Dive publish differi

Glen shares highlights from the Financial Health Network's EMERGE conference, including interviews with a pair of trailblazing co-founders: Debbie Rewards' Frida Leibowitz and Prosprous.ai's Ted Leung. Also- Illinois kicks the interchange can down the road (again), Pope Leo pleads for humanity in AI, and a campaign to repurpose dopamine hits for financial wellness.      Links related to this episode: Debbie: https://www.joindebbie.com/ Prosprous.AI: https://prosprous.ai/ The Financial Health Network: https://finhealthnetwork.org/ Our interview with the Financial Health Network's Andrew Warren on a reconsideration of the definitions of un- and underbanked:  https://www.big-fintech.com/is-the-underbanked-concept-ripe-for-a-rethink/   Our interview with co-founder Eric Berg of Duome, the belatedly crowned winner of NACUSO's Next Big Idea Competition: https://www.big-fintech.com/two-conferences-two-coasts-one-exhausted-fintech-geek/   Illinois has now double-punted on its interchange legislation and Colorado's g

Glen and John dissect a recent online airing of grievances regarding AI's perceived shortcomings. To Glen's surprise, John finds validity to some of these criticisms. Also- the Pope weighs in, robots close the human gap, the term "neuro-symbolic AI" emerges, and the green shoots of a "slow tech" movement may be emerging.    Links related to this episode: The Reddit thread- from the AGI community- that prompted this discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/agi/comments/1t73hw7/i_was_once_an_ai_true_believer_now_i_think_the/ YouTube video on translating Claude's AI thoughts into language: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQgMCXPJRHXjjZvVNCqcswtpNNr?projector=1 JB dissects ChatGPT's new personal finance features on our recent CU Town Hall: https://www.big-fintech.com/cu-town-hall-episode-147-the-chatgpt-finance-era/ Last week's interview with Jack Henry's Lee Wetherington, including data on AI as a bank/credit union strategic priority: https://www.big-fintech.com/what-keeps-you-up-at-night-may-depend-on

Glen chats with Lee Wetherington about Jack Henry's newly minted survey of nearly 200 credit union and bank CEOs, exploring how strategic priorities and top concerns differ by group and how they've shifted over time. Also, a treasure trove of new industry data- on consumer payment choice, household economics, crypto/stablecoin usage, and a breezy 269-page NCUA stroke of GENIUS for your holiday reading pleasure.      Links related to this episode: Jack Henry's 2026 Strategy Benchmark Study: https://discover.jackhenry.com/strategy-benchmark-study-2026 FRB Services' Diary of Consumer Payment Choice: https://www.frbservices.org/news/research/2026-findings-diary-consumer-payment-choice The Kansas City Fed's paper on stablecoin use: https://www.kansascityfed.org/documents/15703/PaymentsSystemResearchBriefing26Noll0410.pdf The Federal Reserve Board's 2025 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED): https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/2025-report-economic-well-being-us-households-202605.pd

Our continuing coverage of the NACUSO Reimagine and Nacha Smarter Faster Payments conferences features a pair of interviews: NACUSO's advocacy lead Zach Pfister on modernizing investment rules to match 2026 realities, and Dykema's Lauren Quigley on FIs' role as open banking realists, creating a safe environment for the inevitable.    Links related to this episode: Lauren Quigley/Dykema's Fintech/Payments practice: https://www.dykema.com/services/industries/financial-services/fintech-payments-and-digital-commerce.html NACUSO CEO Randy Salser's Interview with the Credit Union Connection re: the 1% investment cap: https://thecreditunionconnection.com/cusos-nacuso-ceo-randy-salser-interview/ Security expert (and Friend of BIG) Roger Grimes voices his AI concerns: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rogeragrimes_share-7458496907447971840-n2hX Our recent CU Town Hall "AI Fear Factory" session: https://www.big-fintech.com/cu-town-hall-episode-146-credit-union-ai-fear-factory/ Prominent tech VC investor a16z explains why