London Fintech Podcast

Interviews with key players in the London FinTech Scene. It really is a Golden Age of Innovation in Financial Services. Perhaps even larger than the last wave of innovation starting around Big Bang time in the 1980s. It is a once in a lifetime epochal shift. Who will be the Financial Services equivalents of amazon, google, facebook? Whoever they will be they will have captured a huge territory and will become the new, difficult to dislodge incumbents. How will this affect banking, insurance and the rest of Financial Services? Who are the people raiding the citadel? What are their stories?

London Fintech Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Tony Clark, with 305 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Tony Clark hosts London Fintech Podcast, a business show with 305 episodes published.

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  London Fintech Podcast

  Borrowing With Bitcoin, Paying With AI: Money’s Next Big Shift | Benefit Street Partners Anant Kuma

  Sep 23, 202639 min

  Anant Kumar discusses the current state and future potential of blockchain in finance, exploring how institutions are beginning to adopt the technology and where it could have the greatest impact: collateral, settlement and tokenisation .Drawing on real-world examples, including Benefit Street Partners’ Bitcoin-backed loan and Galaxy Digital’s tokenised commercial paper transaction on Solana, Anant explains how blockchain is being applied to traditional financial processes, and what needs to happen for adoption to scale. In this episode, you’ll hear: • Why institutional blockchain adoption is likely to begin with collateral, followed by settlement. • How Galaxy Digital’s tokenised commercial paper transaction demonstrates the potential of on-chain finance. • Why traditional processes, such as leveraged loan settlement, can take up to two weeks, and how blockchain could help. • The role of regulation and regulatory clarity in enabling institutional adoption. • The technical infrastructure required to support on-chain collateral and settlement. • How tokenisation could extend across asset classes, including equities, bonds, real estate and aircraft. • Why atomic settlement presents both opportunities and challenges for financial institutions. • How digital assets could intersect with emerging areas such as AI infrastructure and GPU financing. • What institutions should consider now as they prepare for tokenisation, including security and operational readiness. If you’re working in financial services, private credit or digital assets, this conversation offers a practical look at blockchain’s evolving role in traditional finance and the opportunities and challenges shaping its adoption. Chapters 01:04 Introduction: blockchain’s role in institutional finance 03:16 Why collateral comes before settlement 06:41 Bitcoin-backed lending and the Galaxy Digital deal 08:04 What institutions need to bring assets on-chain 10:40 Inside Galaxy Digital’s tokenised commercial paper transaction 12:19 Atomic settlement and stablecoin repayment 13:17 What comes next for tokenised commercial paper 13:39 Choosing a blockchain network 14:21 Why leveraged loan settlement takes up to two weeks 17:12 The move towards atomic settlement 18:15 Swift’s shared ledger and interbank transfers 18:47 Managing volatility in Bitcoin-backed lending 22:34 Aircraft as collateral 23:30 Tokenising equities and other traditional assets 24:45 How far along is institutional blockchain adoption? 26:15 Blockchain’s role in Benefit Street Partners’ strategy 26:39 Tokenised funds and GPU financing 28:44 How on-chain capital can finance AI infrastructure 30:01 Smart contracts, execution risk and bridge loans 31:41 AI’s impact on private credit 33:03 Preparing financial institutions for tokenisation 34:37 Practical steps for getting ready 35:36 Building blockchain expertise at Franklin Templeton 36:42 What could come next for digital assets 38:12 Advice for navigating change

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  London Fintech Podcast

  Why Moving Faster Starts With Slowing Down | ClearBank’s Emma Hagan

  Sep 10, 202630 min

  When you’re under pressure to grow, slowing down can feel like the wrong move. But rushing past the difficult questions can leave you fixing problems just as your business starts to scale. Emma Hagan, UK CEO of ClearBank, joins the London Fintech Podcast to explain why investing time in the right people, processes and conversations early on can help you move faster later. Having moved from leading risk and compliance to running the UK bank, Emma shares how ClearBank approaches growth, launches new services and decides which opportunities deserve its attention. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why missing expertise can hold up a launch, and how bringing the right people in early helps. How building risk management into your plans can make it easier to scale. What ClearBank learned from expanding into Europe and securing a second banking licence. Why more funding won’t solve every growth problem, and when to say no to a good idea. How to make conversations with regulators more productive. If you’re building, launching or growing a financial business, this conversation will help you spot where extra preparation now could save you time later.

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  London Fintech Podcast

  Blockchain is disappearing into finance. What changes next?

  Aug 26, 202653 min

  Blockchain may have its greatest impact on finance when customers stop seeing it. In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, about the convergence of blockchain and traditional financial infrastructure — and why the future of digital finance may be less about replacing existing systems and more about making blockchain invisible beneath familiar financial products. The conversation explores what stablecoins are already making possible, what the growing adoption of blockchain infrastructure actually tells us, and why faster settlement alone is not enough to transform financial services. Marc also explains Polygon's Open Money Stack and the thinking behind bringing more of the payment journey together while keeping the underlying infrastructure open and interoperable. The discussion looks beyond payments and digital assets to ask why banks, wealth managers, insurers, fintechs and market infrastructure providers should be paying attention. Tony and Marc also examine the limits of the current technology, including regulation, risk, integration, liquidity and customer protection — and where existing financial rails may still be the better answer. Most importantly, the episode asks a practical question for financial-services leaders: what should you act on now, what should you watch, and what can safely wait? Topics covered • Why blockchain could disappear into mainstream finance• What stablecoin adoption really tells us • Why faster settlement isn't enough • Polygon's Open Money Stack and open financial infrastructure • The future of payments and digital assets • Blockchain's implications for banking, wealth, insurance and fintech• Integration, interoperability and chain abstraction • The role of regulation, risk and customer protection • What remains unresolved or overhyped • What financial-services leaders should act on now Learn more: Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/ Marc Boiron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcboiron NextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.com Polygon: https://polygon.technology/ ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:05 Welcome to the show 1:55 Blockchain as an upgrade 3:52 What should customers notice? 5:31 Speed under the hood 6:54 What TradFi brings to the table 11:02 The Great Rewiring: real examples 15:40 $3T in stablecoin volume 17:28 Anatomy of a cross-border payment 20:50 Blockchain like AWS, not "crypto" 22:03 Gaps and the Open Money Stack 24:37 88% committed, 16% live 27:05 Is "open" really open? 30:11 How many chains are connected 31:54 Agentic use cases and fraud 35:04 Agentic commerce moving fast 38:01 Talent was the missing piece 40:22 Priorities for the next two years 45:12 Designing your future architecture 46:22 Where clients start: chains and wallets 48:57 What could go wrong 52:06 Closing thoughts

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  London Fintech Podcast

  Where Is the VC money going? The UK startup funding landscape

  Aug 12, 202656 min

  Where is the VC money going in the UK, and what does it take for a startup to become investment-ready in today’s funding market? In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark speaks with Thomas Easterby from HSBC Innovation Banking about the state of the UK innovation economy, the latest venture capital trends, the surge in AI investment, and what founders need to know when raising capital. The conversation explores a rapidly changing funding landscape, where AI investment has reached record levels, but investors are becoming increasingly thoughtful and diligent about where they deploy capital.Thomas shares his perspective on the companies and sectors attracting funding, what counts as frontier AI, why fintech and healthcare remain important parts of the innovation economy, and how the relationship between traditional finance and decentralised finance is evolving. They also discuss why London continues to lead the UK VC market, the emerging "hourglass" shape of startup funding, and the growing importance of regional innovation hubs outside the capital. For founders, the conversation gets practical: what makes a company investment-ready? Thomas shares insights into what investors are looking for, the different types of VC and corporate venture capital, and why demonstrating how AI is genuinely changing your business can help a company stand out. The discussion also looks at an often-overlooked part of scaling a business: choosing the right banking partner. As companies move from startup to growth stage, their banking needs evolve — making specialist support increasingly important. Whether you're a founder preparing to raise, an investor tracking the UK innovation economy, or simply interested in where the next generation of high-growth companies is coming from, this episode offers a grounded look at the opportunities and challenges ahead. Topics covered • UK startup funding and the current VC landscape • Record AI investment and the rise of frontier AI • Which sectors are attracting investment • FinTech, healthcare and the convergence of TradFi and DeFi • Why London continues to lead UK venture capital • The "hourglass" shape of today's funding market • Who today's founders are and what investors want to see • How founders can become investment-ready • Different VC models and corporate venture capital • Why the right banking partner matters as companies scale • The outlook for the UK innovation economy • Advice for founders and investors Learn more: Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/ Thomas Easterby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-easterby-3189709b/ NextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.com HSBC Innovation Banking: https://www.hsbcinnovationbanking.com/

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  London Fintech Podcast

  The stablecoin revolution is here — are banks ready?

  Jul 29, 202639 min

  Crypto is no longer operating at the edges of finance. It’s becoming part of the core infrastructure powering global payments, treasury operations, and digital asset innovation.In this episode of the London Fintech Podcast, Tony Clark sits down with Ran Goldi, SVP Payments & Network at Fireblocks, to explore the rapid rise of stablecoins, institutional crypto adoption, and the technologies reshaping the future of financial services.Broadcast live from Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, the conversation examines how traditional financial institutions are increasingly embracing blockchain-based financial rails. Ran shares insights from Fireblocks’ unique vantage point, with the platform now supporting approximately $15 trillion in annual stablecoin transaction volume and serving thousands of organisations across banking, payments, fintech, and digital assets.The discussion explores the evolution of the crypto industry through three major waves: trading, payments, and tokenisation. Ran explains why stablecoins have become one of the fastest-growing areas of financial infrastructure, how regulatory clarity is accelerating adoption, and why the “hottest thing in DeFi is TradFi.”They also dive into the emerging role of tokenised deposits, the future of digital asset infrastructure, and how AI-powered agents could transform the way businesses and consumers interact with money.Whether you're a fintech founder, banker, payments executive, or digital asset investor, this episode offers practical insight into where financial infrastructure is heading next. Topics covered • Fireblocks’ role in digital asset infrastructure• Institutional adoption of crypto and stablecoins• Why stablecoin transaction volumes are accelerating• The evolution from crypto trading to payments and tokenisation• Tokenised deposits vs stablecoins• The impact of regulation on institutional adoption• Blockchain infrastructure for banks and payment providers• AI, automation, and agent-based financial services• What the next decade of digital finance could look like• Advice for founders building in emerging technology markets Learn more: Tony Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclark100/ Ran Goldie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rangoldi/ NextWave Consulting: https://www.nxwave.com Fireblocks: https://www.fireblocks.com #Crypto #Stablecoins #Fireblocks #DigitalAssets #Blockchain #Tokenization #InstitutionalCrypto #Payments #Fintech #DeFi #TokenizedDeposits #AI #FutureOfFinance #Money2020 #LondonFintechPodcastcrypto, stablecoins, fireblocks, ran goldie, digital assets, institutional crypto, blockchain infrastructure, tokenization, tokenised assets, tokenized deposits, defi, traditional finance, tradfi, crypto payments, stablecoin payments, digital asset custody, fintech podcast, london fintech podcast, money2020, blockchain adoption, web3, crypto regulation, financial infrastructure, ai in finance, payments innovation, cross border payments, fireblocks network, digital asset platform, crypto rails, future of finance, fintech innovation, institutional adoption of crypto, stablecoin infrastructure, blockchain payments, tokenized finance, crypto banking, treasury management, digital finance, fintech leadership, financial services innovation

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