Couchonomics with Arjun

Decoding the New World Order of Finance - Unfiltered, global, weekly As tectonic shifts reshape the financial world, Couchonomics continues to explore the trends transforming commerce, capital, and culture. This season, we expand our lens - building on our deep focus in the MENA region while bringing in voices, stories, and innovations from around the globe. Why? Because the future of finance is no longer regional - it’s interconnected. Whether it’s AI in Asia, tokenization in Europe, or fintech policy experiments in Africa, today’s financial shifts cross borders, industries, and disciplines. Whether you’re in the industry or just fintech-curious, tune in weekly as we decode the big moves, bold ideas, and brilliant minds shaping tomorrow’s economy. Episodes drop weekly. Arabic subtitles available on YouTube: youtube.com/@couchonomicswitharjunsingh438 Learn more: <a href="

Couchonomics with Arjun is a business podcast hosted by Arjun Singh, with 186 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Arjun Singh hosts Couchonomics with Arjun, a business show with 186 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #47

  Why Islamic Fintech Is Still Being Underestimated

  Aug 18, 202653 minS4

  Islamic finance is growing globally, but the companies pushing it forward are not always the ones talking about it the loudest. In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Abdullo Kurbanov, CEO and Co-founder of Ayan Capital, shares how he helped build Alif from a $200,000 start in Tajikistan into a profitable fintech processing $1.2 billion in transactions every month, and why he is now building again from scratch in the UK. They unpack what Islamic finance actually changes for customers, why Sharia-compliant fintechs still need to compete on speed, pricing and experience, how building technology in-house became a major advantage, and why Abdullo believes the next big Islamic fintech opportunity could come from Central Asia or the UK. ️ In this episode: Why successful Islamic fintechs do not need to lead with the Islamic label How Alif grew from $200,000 in capital to $1.2 billion in monthly transactions Why expanding into Pakistan required years of perseverance How building technology in-house became a competitive advantage What actually separates Islamic finance from conventional finance Why Sharia compliance can become a moat Why Ayan chose UK car finance as its starting point What Islamic fintech needs to reach its global potential ⏱️ CHAPTERS 02:29 Why successful Islamic fintechs do not lead with the Islamic label 08:23 Building Alif in a cash-first banking market 13:54 Why Alif expanded into Pakistan 19:06 Why Alif built its technology stack in-house 22:57 What actually makes Islamic finance different? 30:08 Is Islamic finance only relevant to Muslims? 35:02 Why Abdullo started again in the UK 40:43 Why Ayan started with car finance 46:28 The vision for a global digital Islamic bank 48:32 What Islamic fintech needs to reach its potential SOCIAL LINKS Arjun's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E PARTNERS Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by: Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/ Thunes → https://thunes.com/ Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/ e& → https://www.eand.com/ Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/ SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/ #CouchonomicsWithArjun #IslamicFinance #IslamicFintech #DigitalBanking #Fintech #Banking #FinancialServices #AyanCapital Our website https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0 Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

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  Episode #46

  The $80 Billion SME Lending Opportunity Banks Keep Missing

  Aug 11, 202652 minS4

  SMEs are central to the UAE economy, yet access to credit remains one of their biggest challenges. In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Hassan Reda, Co-Founder & CPO of CredibleX, and Anand Nagaraj, Co-Founder & CEO of CredibleX, unpack why SME lending has remained difficult for banks and fintechs, and what needs to change to close the financing gap. They explain how embedded lending can solve the distribution problem, why working-capital finance requires a different approach to traditional business loans, and how better underwriting, alternative capital and AI could reshape SME financing in the UAE. ️ In this episode: Why banks still struggle to serve SMEs effectively How CredibleX embeds lending into platforms SMEs already use Why working-capital finance needs a different approach to traditional business loans Why payments data alone is not enough to underwrite larger SMEs How fintech lenders can build the balance sheet needed to scale Which players could win as competition in SME lending increases Where AI is creating practical value in lending and KYC How alternative capital could unlock the next phase of SME financing ⏱️ CHAPTERS 01:59 Why SME credit remains difficult to solve 07:52 How CredibleX approaches embedded SME lending 13:53 The three working-capital products CredibleX offers 17:25 Why payments data alone cannot solve SME lending 23:23 Building the balance sheet to scale lending 32:49 Who will win the race for SME lending? 36:26 Where AI is actually creating value in lending 48:19 The untapped future of SME financing SOCIAL LINKS Arjun's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E PARTNERS Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by: Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/ Thunes → https://thunes.com/ Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/ e& → https://www.eand.com/ Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/ SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/ Our website https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0 Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

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  Episode #45

  Why Most Digital Banks Will Never Make Money

  Jul 28, 202656 minS4

  Digital banks have spent years chasing customer growth. But scale alone does not create profitability. In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Simon Loong, Founder and Group CEO of WeLab, explains what it takes to build a successful digital bank across Asia. He shares why lending remains central to profitability, why standalone fintechs face a harder path, and how banking licences, AI, stablecoins and regional expansion are shaping the next phase of digital banking. ️ In this episode: • Why customer numbers are the wrong measure of scale • What separates profitable digital banks from the rest • Why lending remains central to digital banking economics • The advantages and costs of obtaining a banking licence • Why ecosystems improve a digital bank’s chances of success • How digital banking strategies change across Asian markets • Where AI is actually creating value inside banks • How stablecoins and digital assets may connect with traditional finance • Why profitability deserves more attention than growth ⏱️ CHAPTERS 01:43 Building one of Asia’s largest fintech companies 08:22 Leaving banking to become a fintech founder 10:31 Why fintechs pursue banking licences 19:33 The playbook behind profitable digital banks 27:19 Serving mature and underbanked markets 39:40 Can a pan-Asian digital bank succeed? 45:32 Where AI is actually delivering value in banking 49:16 Stablecoins, tokenisation and digital assets SOCIAL LINKS Arjun's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E PARTNERS Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by: Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/ Thunes → https://thunes.com/ Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/ e& → https://www.eand.com/ Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/ SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/ Our website https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0 Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

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  Episode #44

  Could Your Data Become Your Next Asset?

  Jul 15, 202653 minS4

  Every day we create data, but almost none of us know who really owns it. In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, André Vellozo, Founder and CEO of DrumWave, joins the show to explore one of the biggest questions facing the digital economy: what if people could own their data the same way they own money? André explains why privacy is only the beginning of the conversation, why AI is accelerating the need for data ownership, and why he believes the world needs entirely new infrastructure that allows people, businesses, and governments to exchange data securely while creating value for everyone involved. 🎙️ In this episode: • Why owning your data is different from protecting your privacy • The idea behind data wallets and how they could work • Why AI is changing the value of personal data • How people could eventually earn from the data they create every day • Why governments, banks and technology companies are all competing around digital identity • Brazil's national experiment with data wallets • Whether data could become a new asset class • What it will take to build a global data economy ⏱️ CHAPTERS 01:51 What DrumWave is building 09:01 Why data behaves more like money than information 17:12 How data wallets could work 24:00 Turning everyday data into an asset 31:49 Who should issue data wallets? 38:24 Can people really earn from their data? 43:19 Building the infrastructure for a data economy 50:22 Why governments are paying attention to data ownership SOCIAL LINKS Arjun's LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E PARTNERS Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by: Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/ Thunes → https://thunes.com/ Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/ e& → https://www.eand.com/ Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/ SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/ Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0 Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

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  Episode #43

  Can AI Build Fintech Unicorns Faster?

  Jun 30, 202649 minS4

  Can Europe build the next generation of global fintech leaders? In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Stefan Klestil, General Partner Fintech EMEA, joins the show to discuss venture capital, fintech investing, AI, digital assets, founder psychology, and why the Middle East and Africa have become one of the world's most compelling investment opportunities. Stefan explains why Speedinvest launched its dedicated EMEA fund, what separates exceptional founders from everyone else, and why venture investors are increasingly looking beyond Europe for the next wave of global fintech success. The conversation explores the rise of AI-driven fintech, stablecoins, tokenization, venture capital, cross-border financial infrastructure, regulation, and why governance often determines whether startups become lasting businesses. 🎙️ In this episode: • Why Speedinvest launched a dedicated Middle East and Africa fund • What makes founders capable of building regional and global companies • Why AI could dramatically reduce the time needed to build fintech leaders • The future of stablecoins, tokenization, and on-chain financial services • Why venture capital is shifting toward growth markets • How governance determines long-term startup success • Why Europe still struggles to retain growth capital • The fintech opportunities investors believe are still being overlooked ⏱️ CHAPTERS 01:51 Why the next fintech giants may come from emerging markets 09:13 Investing across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa 17:12 What investors really look for in founders 24:31 Stablecoins, tokenization, and on-chain finance 28:28 Is European fintech losing momentum? 36:05 Meta Reality: AI, MENA, and the future of fintech 41:31 The hardest lessons from backing founders 46:08 The fintech opportunities investors still underestimate SOCIAL LINKS Arjun’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ Couchonomics LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter (X) → https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E PARTNERS Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by: Adyen → https://www.adyen.com/ Thunes → https://thunes.com/ Mastercard → https://mastercard.com/ e& → https://www.eand.com/ Digit9 → https://www.digitnine.com/ SC Ventures → https://scventures.io/ Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0 Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E

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