While attention often focuses on developed markets, the most exciting fintech innovations are emerging where mobile technology, young digital-native populations, and gaps in traditional banking converge. These regions aren’t just adopting Western models – they’re creating entirely new paradigms that may eventually reshape global finance.

Today I’m joined by Nadia Costanzo, Director of Banking for the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America at Wise. Nadia drives Wise’s expansion across these regions by building banking relationships, securing licenses, and navigating complex regulatory frameworks.

Her background is uniquely valuable – before Wise, she worked with Kiva in Nairobi facilitating microfinance across Africa, contributed to the World Bank’s Universal Financial Access agenda, and worked directly with microfinance institutions in Paraguay.

Today, we’ll explore how fintech evolves differently across emerging markets, examine key challenges, and discuss surprising innovations where traditional banking is limited. We’ll also consider what these developments mean for established financial institutions looking to engage with these dynamic markets.

How Wise captured 25% of Brazil's cross-border market

From insurance commissioner to healthcare fraudster to federal prison inmate.

From Insurance Watchdog to Prisoner: A Cautionary Tale for Healthcare Professionals

There’s a reason why Medicare Advantage is fertile ground for fraud enforcement.

Did They Sell Their Seoul? The $62+ Million Settlement

The credit industry is shifting how it evaluates borrowers. Traditional credit scoring has left over a billion people without access to financial services, but lenders are increasingly turning to alternative data—bank transactions, spending patterns, real-time financial behavior—to make more informed decisions about creditworthiness.

Andrew Endicott has been at the center of this shift. As co-founder of Petal, he pioneered what they called “cash flow underwriting”—using real-time bank data alongside traditional credit reports to approve people for credit cards who would otherwise be turned away. The approach worked: Petal raised nearly $1 billion, proving that alternative underwriting isn’t just better for consumers—it’s good business.

How Petal founder Andrew Endicott proved alternative credit works, and what he's betting on next

Peter Stenehjem is the Pres/CEO of First International Bank and Trust in North Dakota.  He's a returning guest, friend of Barret, and a fascinating banker to talk to.  FIBT has been family owned for over 110 years now by Peter's family and has branched out into doing some really cool stuff in the world of fintech and payments.

They've owned Kotapay (https://www.kotapay.com/) for years now and are a Top 40 Payment Processor and, through Kotapay, they've launched Kavinu (https://kotapay.com/kavinu) as an embedded payment solution.  It's really cool stuff!

Be sure to check them out and a big thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities (https://www.icba.org/icba-securities)

A New Idea From First International Bank and Trust

Interledger Community Call - 9 July 2025

I have to be honest here...one of the things that I didn't fully understand in my time in production was treasury services.  I understood what they were...but it was never really part of the strategic process.  The more I'm around banking, I see the same thing with other banks and I don't think it's because it's a bad idea but rather it's because we don't understand it very well.

Laura Wetherell with Treascent LLC has a history of working with bankers (and being a banker herself!) understand and implement this often misunderstood part of banking.  

Check out her site: http://www.treascentllc.com/
Follow her on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/laurawetherellctp

And as always, thanks to ICBA Securities for their support and sponsorship!  
https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Treasury Services: What It Is...and Isn't

ICAEW’s Iain Wright hosts a conversation with Emma Jones CBE, the government’s newly appointed Small Business Commissioner, in this special episode of Accountancy Insights.

Bonus episode: how to tackle late payments

Fresh out of the studio, Paul Harapin, Chief Revenue Officer for Asia Pacific and Japan at Stripe, joined us in a conversation discussing Stripe's explosive growth in the region that represents 40% of global GDP. Paul dived deep into how Stripe is revolutionizing commerce through AI and stablecoins, sharing fascinating customer stories in the Asia Pacific and Japan. He delved into Stripe's current innovations specifically on agentic commerce toolkits, virtual card issuing, and adaptive pricing solutions that are transforming how businesses scale across the dynamic Asia Pacific region. Last but not least, Paul shared the key trends in AI-powered payments and stablecoin adoption, defining what great would look like for Stripe's user-first approach to building the financial infrastructure of the internet economy in APAC.

"APAC represents 40% of global GDP. So you can see that there's huge opportunity in a very, very diverse region. The needs of Japan are different to the needs of China. India is exploding with SaaS, software, AI. Australia one of our larger markets, again, very different. And so Southeast Asia, the complexities of Asia make it a joy to work in." - Paul Harapin

Episode Highlights
[00:00] Quote of the Day by Paul Harapin
[02:30] Building tech companies, helping Silicon Valley expand Asia
[03:27] How Paul talked himself into Stripe role
[04:30] Key career lessons: people and passion matter most
[07:05] Stripe's mission to increase GDP of internet
[09:00] Asia represents 40% of global GDP opportunity
[12:42] AI transformation like discovering fire, very early cycle
[14:12] Agentic commerce toolkits downloaded thousands times weekly
[18:04] Virtual card issuing for secure AI transactions
[19:00] Stripe Link enables six second checkout process
[21:26] Adaptive pricing increases conversion by 18 percent
[24:23] Bridge acquisition brings stablecoin payment capabilities
[26:00] Stablecoin enables stability in volatile currency markets
[27:00] Japanese car exporter Zimbabwe cash bag example
[29:20] Digital currency adoption growing at consumer level
[31:00] Working closely with regulators across Asia Pacific
[33:40] Asia's fast digitizing economy leads global innovation
[34:05] India's UPI 10 billion transactions forecasted 100 billion
[36:30] How Stripe helps businesses in Asia Pacific to scale
[38:42] User-first founding principle drives everything at Stripe
[40:20] Closing

#stripe #stablecoins #bridge #agenticai #generativeai #payments 

Profile: Paul Harapin, Chief Revenue Officer, Asia Pacific & Japan, Stripe https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulharapin/

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. The proper credits for the intro and end music are "Energetic Sports Drive." G. Thomas Craig mixed and edited the episode in both video and audio format. Here are the links to watch or listen to our podcast.

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Transforming Asia's Financial Infrastructure: Stripe's AI and Stablecoin Strategy with Paul Harapin

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https://getusait.com/product/buy-verified-coinbase-accounts/

Buy Verified coinbasr Accounts to Simplify Cross-Border Payments

A weekly podcast dissecting the pulse of business, technology & media in Asia. Hear our host interviewing leading journalists, senior executives, respectable authors & thinkers, entrepreneurs & thought leaders to discuss the most important issues that move and shake the business landscape in the Asia Pacific. The show is originally created and hosted by Bernard Leong.

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Tearsheet is news, opinion, and analysis on the business of finance.

Candid conversations with senior executives, fintech entrepreneurs, investors, industry experts -- all weigh in on the trends impacting the industry and the disruptive impact technology is having on the business.

Where social media, technology and finance intersect.

The Paul W. Barret, Jr. School of Banking is a non-profit independent school created by and governed by a Board of Regents, whose members are executives from banks and other firms involved with the financial services industry.The mission of the School is to provide an adult learning experience for the career-oriented individual in commercial banking or a related financial services industry business.

ICAEW is a professional membership organisation that provides insight and leadership to the global accountancy and finance profession.

New tracks tagged #payments