Fintech Tuesdays

Record-high stocks meet record-high risks in 2025. Goldman Sachs' latest market outlook shows why next year could bring both big opportunities and major challenges. Here are my key takeaways: 🔶 The combination of high valuations and potential policy shifts creates an unusually wide distribution of possible market outcomes. 🔶 European growth faces multiple headwinds: trade uncertainty, China competition, and limited fiscal space due to defense spending needs. 🔶 Bond-equity correlations are likely to drift higher, potentially challenging traditional portfolio diversification strategies. 🔶 Credit spreads are historically tight while equities suggest 3% long-term returns, highlighting the growing valuation challenge 🔶 Emerging markets must increasingly rely on domestic drivers as global capital flows face headwinds. The easy gains might be behind us. Success in 2025 will depend more on managing risks than chasing returns. #investment #marketoutlook #finance #couchonomics #payments #fintech #embeddedfinance #digitalassets #futureofmoney #futureoffinance Couchonomics with Arjun Couchonomics Crunch Fintech Tuesdays - ⁠- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - If you found the above post useful then please do the following: 👍 Like the post ♻️ Repost to your community 📢 Leave a comment 🎙️ Subscribe to my podcast Couchonomics with Arjun on YouTube 📖 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter Couchonomics Crunch on LinkedIn 🕺💃 If you’re in the MENA region, join our Fintech Community called Fintech Tuesdays 🤝 Connect or Follow me - ⁠- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒….𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 At the time of writing this post, Bitcoin is at USD 94,648 (that’s up 127% in the past year) but that’s not what makes #bitcoin the story of the year for me. It’s all the other milestones - from #institutional adoption to greater #regulatory clarity, Bitcoin has, in my opinion, transitioned from the fringes of financial services to the heart of the conversation (even across folks like me who know very little about it). While it still stays as a #speculative asset; it’s increasingly accepted as a financial instrument which is playing a growing role in reshaping the future of #payments, #investment, and monetary policy. Here is a list of reasons which warrants the nomination for being the ‘Story of the year’ within financial service. 🛋️ Resurgence in #MarketCap and nearing the $2 Trn mark. It market cap surged this year, marking a dramatic recovery from the lows of 2022 and 2023. 🛋️ In 2024, major financial institutions such as BlackRock the world’s largest asset manager, led the pack by pushing forward with its Bitcoin spot ETF application. Firms like Fidelity Investments Vanguard and Invesco US also ramped up their Bitcoin-related offerings, signaling that Bitcoin is a legitimate #assetclass in modern portfolios. 🛋️ The number of Bitcoin #wallets holding over 1 BTC reached an all-time high, reflecting retail confidence 🛋️ Nigeria and Argentina, grappling with inflationary pressures, saw Bitcoin’s use skyrocket. Peer-to-peer Bitcoin #trading volumes in #Africa hit record highs, showcasing Bitcoin’s utility as an alternative financial system. 🛋️ Major retailers like PayPal and eBay began integrating Bitcoin for payments, while Starbucks extended Bitcoin acceptance across multiple locations, proving Bitcoin’s viability as a medium of exchange (although I personally struggle with this use case) 🛋️ From a regulatory perspective we saw interesting moves by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission , the European Union’s MiCA framework and in the Middle East, the #UAE emerged as a hub for Bitcoin and #blockchain innovation 🛋️ Bitcoin Halving Event Added to the Momentum and its Lightning Network, Bitcoin’s second-layer scaling solution, gained greater traction in 2024 🛋️ Countries like #Russia and #Iran reportedly explored Bitcoin and other #digitalassets to circumvent international sanctions As 2024 comes to a close, Bitcoin’s journey this year underscores its #resilience and relevance. The question now isn’t whether Bitcoin belongs in financial services—it’s how much further it will go. ᴅɪsᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇʀ: ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏsᴛ ɪs ᴍʏ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴀs ɪɴᴠᴇsᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀᴅᴠɪᴄᴇ. ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴅᴜᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏᴡɴ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴsᴜʟᴛ ғɪɴᴀɴᴄɪᴀʟ ᴀᴅᴠɪsᴏʀs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀɴʏ ɪɴᴠᴇsᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴄɪsɪᴏɴs.

Is this the biggest upgrade to Crypto UX of all time? #crypto #embeddedfinance #applepay #wallets

OB to OF! Should the financial regulators even bother to take a two step approach or go straight to Open Finance? With the advantage of hindsight, launching Open Finance regulation directly or rapidly transitioning from Open Banking is not only a logical step but a necessary one to realize the full potential of data-driven financial ecosystems. Open Finance promotes greater innovation, enhances financial inclusion, reduces costs, and provides a wider platform for financial innovation. Doesn’t the holistic benefits of Open Finance far outweigh the incremental gains of Open Banking, making it the optimal choice for regulators and stakeholders? What do you think? Panagiotis Kriaris Dr Ritesh Jain Sam Boboev Mohammad Nikkar, PhD Prasanna Lohar #openbanking #openfinance #opendata #innovation #regulation

Wall Street's Bitcoin moment has arrived. For years, major institutions dismissed Bitcoin – now they're investing billions every week. Find out what's driving this historic change in today's edition of Couchonomics Crunch. Also, in today's #Finception by WhiteSight, they're breaking down how Bitcoin is changing institutional investment in Q3 2024. They explore how traditional finance giants like BlackRock are leading the charge, while governments and corporations are building massive Bitcoin positions. Don't miss this one 🔥 if you want to see how #OpenFinance is creating new ways for businesses to handle payments, lending, and security. I also have some more updates on… 🛋️ 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Tap Payments and Mastercard transform eCommerce with Click to Pay Payment Passkey. 🛋️ 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Mastercard and Unzer expand open banking payments across Europe. 🛋️ 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀: Hong Kong plans crypto tax breaks for hedge funds. 🛋️ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Cardless raises $30M for co-branded credit card expansion. 🍏 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 by Diego Carrete: How temperature and light affect your energy levels …and more. To our 26,028 subscribers, get ready to dive deep into.the world of embedded finance. And if you're new, subscribe to get weekly updates of the Couchonomics Crunch. Mr. Couchonomics #fintech #crypto #web3 #openbanking #openfinance #embeddedfinance

𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝔸𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤, ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝔹𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕤: ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝔸𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝔸𝕀 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕆𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕋𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝔹𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘’𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 Historically, banks thrived by controlling information #asymmetry —leveraging consumers’ lack of knowledge to benefit through opaque fees, complex products, and friction-heavy processes. Despite this, consumers stayed loyal, not because they loved their banks but because they lacked better alternatives and fear was a key part of the #trust equation Enter agentic AI: intelligent systems designed to act #autonomously on behalf of consumers. These agents, paired with #OpenFinance, will impact the trust factor which consumers have towards their #legacy banks by doing what banks have struggled to do for decades: act in the consumer’s best interest. The evidence of the above is already there with the sucess of challenger banks worldover, the likes of Nubank Revolut Kaspi.kz Tinkoff who have moved consumers away from their incumbent banks by being more customer centric. With the aid of Agentic AI, these #challengers will be even better placed to hurt the #incumbent banks even more. How quickly Agentic AI becomes a reality in banking will depend on a number of factors, including regulation, but early signs should serve as yet another wake up call for the traditional banks, otherwise, TRUST — long the linchpin of incumbents’ dominance - will become their Achilles’ heel. In this new era, the players who truly empower consumers, will own the future of financial services (but we all knew that already, agentic AI or not 🤷🏻♂️) #FintechRevolution #FutureOfBanking #ConsumerTrust #AIinBanking #BankingInnovation

SuperApp Week at Couchonomics with Arjun as my latest episode with Kaniyet Rayev , Founder of Boxo (which aims to make every app a SuperApp) is published later today. This post from Lucas Iván Gonzalez could not have come at a more appropriate time, hence resharing it. Personally, I too am a big fan of Kaspi.kz and recently had Mikhail Lomtadze on my show too - link in the comments box below. Coincidently enough, Kani is also from Kazakhastan. It’s so amazing to see two companies emerge from Central Asia who are both focussed on the #superapp space. Personally, can’t wait to get to Almaty in person and experience the #futureoffinance which is being built in this nation of 20m people. On the list of trips for 2025. David Ferguson #kaspi #beyondbanking #futureoffinance

Simple Steps to living a healthier and hopefully longer live (the former we all must strive for as a healthier life, arguably leads to a happier life. Whether you want to live longer then becomes the function of how healthy and happy you are; as most of us won’t want to live a miserable long life…. #livehealthy #worklifebalance #stressfree #funtimes

“𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝔸𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤, ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝔹𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕤: ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝔸𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝔸𝕀 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕆𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕋𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝔹𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘’𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤” The financial services industry has long rested on a sturdy (stubborn) foundation: 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭. For decades, #incumbent banks and financial institutions (FIs) have talked up their reputations, perceived stability, and #regulatory #protections to maintain their dominance. But this era could be potentially drawing to a close. The twin forces of #AgenticAI - intelligent, #autonomous agents acting in consumers’ best interests—and the global rollout of Open Finance Regulation are set to dismantle the final #bastion of defense that banks hold over challenger banks and fintechs. Consumer trust, once #monopolized by incumbents, will soon shift towards AI-driven agents designed to eliminate friction, maximize transparency, and truly serve their users. Why Agentic AI Will Redefine Consumer Trust 👽 Knowledge Empowerment: Agentic AI gives consumers unparalleled access to financial insights, advice, and decision-making tools. These systems operate without bias, actively looking out for their users’ best interests—the days of opaque fees, complicated terms, and unnecessary financial friction are potentially numbered 👽 Elimination of Friction: Unlike traditional banks, which often profit from consumer inertia and inefficiencies, Agentic AI streamlines financial management. From identifying better savings accounts to #automating loan repayment strategies, these agents reduce the #mental and #operational burdens of personal finance. 👽 24/7 Advocacy: Agentic AI doesn’t sleep, doesn’t take holidays, and doesn’t make decisions driven by quarterly profit goals. It #advocates relentlessly for the consumer, providing a level of #trust and reliability that banks cannot match. The Great Equalizer called #openfinance Open Finance regulations #supercharge the effectiveness of agentic AI by breaking down the silos that have protected incumbents. Consumer data, once locked away within traditional institutions, will be accessible to #fintechs and challenger banks more freely and efficiently. This creates a level playing field where trust is earned through superior service, not historical dominance The Fall of Banking’s Final Fortress Banks’ inability to match the #speed and customer-centricity of AI-powered solutions will erode their value proposition. As consumers shift their trust from banks to their digital agents, challengers who integrate agentic AI with Open Finance will capitalize on the #exodus TRUST — long the linchpin of incumbents’ dominance - will become their Achilles’ heel. In this new era, the players who truly empower consumers, rather than exploit them, will own the future of financial services (but we all knew that already, agentic AI or not 🤷🏻♂️) #FintechRevolution #FutureOfBanking #ConsumerTrust #AIinBanking #BankingInnovation

Unboxing Boxo : A platform helping businesses develop their super app! 📲 Super Apps have been the talk of the town and in the latest episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we’re diving into this interesting topic with Kaniyet Rayev, CEO of Boxo . Based in Singapore, Kaniyet leads Boxo—a #platform that empowers any apps to become #superapps by seamlessly integrating e-commerce, travel, financial services, and many many other services. Here’s what you can expect from our tête-à-tête: 👉 Insights into the global rise of super apps and their role in #simplifying the lives of consumers. 👉 Whether the market needs more super apps 👉 How does Boxo stand out from its #competition and how do they localize their offering to the different markets and varying strategies  👉 How Boxo uses #miniapps to make app functionality expansion seamless, efficient and fast. 👉 The evolution of #eSIM, e-commerce, and #beyondbanking services. 👉 Challenges and opportunities for super apps across Asia and the Middle East. Don’t miss Kaniyet’s insights into the future of superapps and how Boxo is setting the stage for the next generation of digital innovation.   This episode is now available on YouTube and all the leading podcast platforms. The link is in the comments. 🖇️ 👇 Thank you to season 3 sponsors: Mastercard, Adyen, Thunes, ToYou | تويو and M2P Fintech Khalifa AlShamsi Hasan Fardan Al Fardan Joseph Cleetus Shrouq Al-Hadyan Abdallah Abu-Sheikh Gina Petersen-Skyrme Tammer Qaddumi Kushal Shah Amith Rajan Couchonomics Crunch Fintech Tuesdays Gozem - Africa's Super App Sitoyo Lopokoiyit MBS Careem Wechat Alipay Grab Gojek noon ROSHN l روشن GCash Revolut Paytm Rappi Kaspi.kz #TechInnovation #DigitalTransformation #Couchonomics #EmbeddedFinance #DigitalAssets #Innovation #FutureOfFinance