Fintech Conversations & Insights with Efi Pylarinou

Efi Pylarinou
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Dr. Efi Pylarinou is a Top Global B2B Fintech & Tech Influencer, Thought Leader, and prolific content creator.No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv 2019 & 2020. She is included in Onalytica`s 2021, Top 20 Fintech Influencers & in their Top 20 in ‘ Who`s Who in AI’ professional influencers. In 2022, she was included in the Top 50 Digital Futurists list and Top 30 Linkedin Voice by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics.She has over 195,000+ followers on Linkedin and 20,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal

  1. Decoding Crypto Indexing: Challenges and Opportunities

    MAR 5

    Decoding Crypto Indexing: Challenges and Opportunities

    Can Crypto Be Indexed? In this episode I discuss with Jessica Ellerm co-founder of TheMelia https://themelia.co/, whether crypto can be indexed and why crypto indexing differs from traditional markets.  We explore the enormous token universe and the need for strong screening to avoid scams and illiquid assets, including Melia’s primary filters on minimum market cap and daily volume plus user-defined constraints.  We cover data integrity challenges such as wash trading and unreliable exchanges, and how multiple institutional-grade data feeds, averaging, and outlier detection can improve pricing.  We also examine operational realities like 24/7 trading, real-time rebalancing, changes in circulating supply, forks, and delistings, and why many crypto indexes struggle to beat Bitcoin on a risk-adjusted basis.  We close on more dynamic approaches that blend rules-based indexing with analyst and AI-agent insights, including long/short index-pair strategies.  Jessica https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaellerm/ is the CEO and Co-Founder of Themelia, a custom indexing platform for cryptocurrencies. She previously co-founded and sold an Australian superannuation fund, and has worked across high-growth fintech startups in the payments and funds management sector for the past 17 years.

    33 min
  2. bunq's CEO at Davos: AI, the US Bet, and a Contrarian Take on Stablecoins | Davos during the WEF 2026

    FEB 26

    bunq's CEO at Davos: AI, the US Bet, and a Contrarian Take on Stablecoins | Davos during the WEF 2026

    bunq's CEO at Davos: AI, the US Bet, and a Contrarian Take on Stablecoins | Davos during the WEF 2026 Description: Filmed at the House of Collaboration, in Davos during the World Economic Forum 2026. I sat down with Ali Niknam, founder and CEO of bunq, Europe's most profitable neobank, for a fireside chat that went places I didn't expect. We covered their subscription model that most neobanks ignored, the landmark legal battle bunq won against the Dutch Central Bank over AI-driven AML compliance, and what that win meant for all of Europe. We talked about bunq's US expansion strategy, the vision of making European credit history portable, and how Ali thinks about AI. And then he said something that surprised me. His take on stablecoins and blockchain is genuinely contrarian — and I don't agree with it. I'll let you decide where you stand. Thank you to the House of Collaboration and J3D.ai for hosting at Davos WEF 2026. Ali Nikman https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-niknam-50253913/

    16 min
  3. Agentic AI in Credit Solutions

    FEB 18

    Agentic AI in Credit Solutions

    From Trump’s Proposed 10% Credit Card APR Cap to AI Agents in Lending.  In this episode, I discuss with FinTech product lead and bestselling Indian author Shuchi Batra about Trump’s proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates and its implications for credit markets. The conversation covers how FinTechs have expanded access through alternative data—especially cashflow analysis—and why incumbents lag due to legacy systems and integration challenges.   Badra describes an AI-driven, gamified cashback card she launched at the Commercial Bank of Dubai that personalized merchant rewards based on spending history and secured a Visa brand collaboration.   The discussion then shifts to current AI adoption in lending, including automating loan origination (particularly mortgages and personal loans), speeding timelines from 30–45 days to under two weeks, enabling real-time portfolio monitoring, and using agentic workflows to improve underwriting, engagement, and delinquency management through proactive, flexible repayment support. Badra also shares how storytelling complements product leadership and lists tools she uses in her work—ChatGPT for brainstorming, Perplexity (including deep research) for research, Lovable for prototyping, and Notion for rapid website creation—highlighting how these tools help bridge communication between business and engineering. Shuchi Batra https://www.linkedin.com/in/shuchibatra/ is a fintech product leader with 10+ years of experience building and scaling credit, lending, and payments products across global markets. She has owned multi-billion-dollar portfolios, led high-impact growth initiatives, and is deeply passionate about designing financial products that are both profitable and humane. Outside of fintech, she is a bestselling author and poet, blending data with storytelling to create products people truly connect with.

    31 min
  4. Data is the Secret Sauce: Why AI Success in Financial Services Isn't About the Model

    FEB 5

    Data is the Secret Sauce: Why AI Success in Financial Services Isn't About the Model

    In Formula One, the drivers are the best in the world, all elite. The difference? The car. The same is true for AI. Tim Brophy, Principal Solution Architect at Elastic, argues the model wars are a distraction. The real differentiator is your data platform — and most financial institutions aren't ready. In this conversation, we discuss:  • Why AI is forcing the unified data issue in financial services • A European bank's decade-long journey from fragmented systems to AI-ready infrastructure • The difference between conversational AI and agentic AI — and where each belongs • How to implement AI responsibly without waiting for standards • Why "thinking small" is the path to real value The takeaway: You can have the best model in the world. Without the right data platform, you can't win the championship. Tim Brophy https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbrophy/

    33 min
  5. Post-GENIUS Act: Rethinking Compliance from the Ground Up

    JAN 29

    Post-GENIUS Act: Rethinking Compliance from the Ground Up

    We built compliance systems to fight financial crime. Instead, we created honeypots. In this conversation, Beth Haddock — General Counsel at AdvisorEngine, board director at GMO-Z Trust (a NY-regulated stablecoin issuer), and policy lead at The Stablecoin Standard — breaks down what's broken with legacy compliance and the emerging framework to fix it. The Stablecoin Standard just released a white paper that regulators actually asked for: "Programmable Compliance for Digital Money and Assets." We dig into the core ideas: → Why the "consent" model in financial services is a fallacy → How data collection meant to reduce risk creates new risk (the honeypot problem) → The 4-layer compliance taxonomy: Prevent, Detect, Trace, Protect → Why no single RegTech vendor covers all four — and what that means for builders → The critical distinction between AML and cybersecurity (and why conflating them is dangerous) → How AI changes the compliance paradigm without replacing compliance officers → What Beth is advocating for in the GENIUS Act and global policy discussions If you're in fintech, compliance, RegTech, or digital assets — or just trying to understand where financial infrastructure is heading — this one's for you. References: Programmable Compliance for Digital Money and Assets- https://www.stablecoinstandard.com/wh... Trust Without Intermediaries: A Programmable Risk Management Framework for the Future - 30 Oct 2025 by Jessi Brooks, Ribbit Capital and Katherine Kirkpatrick StarkWare https://buff.ly/FT9zDZ0 BIO -Beth Haddock   / bethhaddock  is a strategic advisor, General Counsel, and board member with a track record of helping fintech and digital asset companies execute on growth, innovation, and regulatory complexity. She currently leads legal and compliance at AdvisorEngine, a Franklin Templeton-backed platform, and advises top DeFi projects and Web3 ventures including Grayscale, Balancer, and Orca. Beth serves on the board of GMO-Z Trust Company, a NYDFS-regulated stablecoin issuer, and helps shape global policy through The Stablecoin Standard - https://www.stablecoinstandard.com/. With 25+ years of experience across firms like Guggenheim, Brown Brothers Harriman, and AXA, she brings hands-on legal and strategic support to companies scaling new products, entering new markets, or managing regulatory inflection points. A frequent speaker, CoinDesk cont

    35 min
  6. Standards-Driven Core Modernisation in Banking - Insights Day 1 at the BIAN Banking Summit, Chicago

    12/08/2025

    Standards-Driven Core Modernisation in Banking - Insights Day 1 at the BIAN Banking Summit, Chicago

    A discussion with leaders at the BIAN Summit, where the focus is on Banking banking, integration, innovation, transformation, and AI.  Steven Van Wyk, Chairman of the Board at BIAN, and Shanker Ramamurthy, Global Managing Partner of Financial services at IBM, discuss BIAN's shift from a standards to a service organization, the risks of technological stagnation, and the implementation of BIAN frameworks using AI.  Learn how IBM's ecosystem approach and technological advancements like hybrid cloud, generative AI, and quantum computing are driving banking transformation and simplifying complexity.

    15 min
  7. Banking Modernisation with AI & Open Standards - IBM at BIAN Summit 2025

    11/05/2025

    Banking Modernisation with AI & Open Standards - IBM at BIAN Summit 2025

    AI is upending thebanking pyramid—and open standards are foundational to this transformation. I discuss this transformation with Shanker Ramamurthy https://www.linkedin.com/in/shankerramamurthy/ , IBM's Global Managing Partner for Banking & Financial Markets,ahead of the BIAN Summit in Chicago. We explore IBM's collaboration with BIAN, focusing on open standards and the role of generative AI in transforming the banking industry.  The discussion highlights how IBM's technologies, including the Watsonx portfolio, are aiding banks in achieving operational efficiency, risk management, and regulatory compliance. The conversation also delves into the future of banking models, the significance of breaking down silos, and the strategies banks need for leveraging AI to drive growth and innovation.  Key insights from the upcoming BIAN Summit in Chicago are discussed, where IBM will showcase cutting-edge tools and methods to help banks accelerate their modernization journeys. Join the conversation at the3rd annual BIAN Banking Summit, November 18-19 in Chicago 👉 https://web-eur.cvent.com/event/6ee854bc-50d0-45a8-ae0e-dd676f380d80/summary?environment=production-eu #fintech #banking #ai #openstandards #digitalbanking

    12 min
  8. The AI Reshuffle: Revolutionizing Business Models, Work, and Industry Control

    10/29/2025

    The AI Reshuffle: Revolutionizing Business Models, Work, and Industry Control

    A provocative way of understanding the impact of AI at the system's level, on businesses, and jobs. Listen to this episode which challenges all AI cliches. We discuss the bold ideas from Sangeet's latest book, Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Rewrites the Knowledge Economy.  We explore how AI is fundamentally transforming job roles, organizational structures, and industry control points. Learn about the new unbundling and rebundling processes, the architectural impact of AI, and the vital role of wallets in the new digital economy. This episode is a deep dive into understanding the broader implications of AI beyond mere automation. The examples in this episode are brilliant.  Join me in this thought-provoking conversation with Sangeet Paul Choudary, a renowned thinker and author of the bestselling book, The Platform Revolution.  Sangeet Paul Choudary (LinkedIn, Wikipedia) is the best-selling co-author of Platform Revolution and author of the new book Reshuffle. He has advised leadership teams at over 40 Fortune 500 companies—including Nestlé, ExxonMobil, Daimler, ING, and Booking.com—as well as pre-IPO tech firms. Sangeet currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley and has spoken at global forums such as the G20 Summit, World50 Summit, and the World Economic Forum. His Harvard Business Review article Pipelines, Platforms, and the New Rules of Strategy was named one of the top 10 management ideas of 2017 and is featured in four HBR 10 Must Reads anthologies. His ongoing research and commentary are published regularly on his

    30 min
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About

Dr. Efi Pylarinou is a Top Global B2B Fintech & Tech Influencer, Thought Leader, and prolific content creator.No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv 2019 & 2020. She is included in Onalytica`s 2021, Top 20 Fintech Influencers & in their Top 20 in ‘ Who`s Who in AI’ professional influencers. In 2022, she was included in the Top 50 Digital Futurists list and Top 30 Linkedin Voice by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics.She has over 195,000+ followers on Linkedin and 20,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal

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