Fintech Garden

Igor Tomych & Dumitru Condrea
  • 5.0 (1)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Fintech Garden Podcast

  1. Crypto's "Valley of Death” | Fintech Garden Episode 136

    5D AGO

    Crypto's "Valley of Death” | Fintech Garden Episode 136

    Igor Tomych speaks with Lex Fisun, CEO & Co-Founder of Global Ledger, about how trust is built at the intersection of blockchain, stablecoins, and traditional finance. The conversation includes a deep dive into how blockchain analytics, wallet de-anonymization, and real-time compliance tools help financial institutions detect fraud, meet regulatory obligations, and operate safely in crypto markets. The two executives go back and forth on regulation clarity, money laundering dynamics, stablecoins vs blockchains, North Korean hacking groups, and why speed, usability, and compliance must coexist for crypto adoption to scale. Lex's insight on how sanctions slowed Grinex trading, but users increasingly turned to centralized exchanges to keep things moving: http://bit.ly/49f05Zo

    35 min
  2. AI vs Fraud: Inside Device Fingerprinting | Fintech Garden Episode 135

    12/23/2025

    AI vs Fraud: Inside Device Fingerprinting | Fintech Garden Episode 135

    Igor Tomych speaks with Catherine Woneis, VP of Product at Fingerprint, about how device intelligence and AI are used to detect fraud without compromising user privacy. The conversation explores device fingerprinting, browser tampering, VPNs, and intent-based fraud detection, highlighting how signals from browsers and apps help financial institutions identify suspicious activity before and after authentication. They also discuss agentic AI, fraud-as-a-service, social engineering, and why humans remain the weakest link in digital security.

    35 min
  3. Busting Credit Union Myths with Amber Harsin | Fintech Garden Episode 134

    12/18/2025

    Busting Credit Union Myths with Amber Harsin | Fintech Garden Episode 134

    Igor Tomych and Dumitru Condrea rifle through a series of myths surrounding credit unions in the US. While you may expect a list of comparisons regarding interest rates and availability, our hosts seize the chance to take a deep look at how legacy systems used by such organizations compare to modern systems used by fintechs The guest, Amber Harsin, Vice President of Credit Unions at Mambu, is not shy to point out the chinks in credit union armors and why they lag behind alternative lending institutions.

    35 min
  4. How Europe Won the Real Time Payments Race | Fintech Garden Episode 133

    12/11/2025

    How Europe Won the Real Time Payments Race | Fintech Garden Episode 133

    Igor Tomych sits with Dome Scaffidi, Member of the Bank of England Standard Advisory Panel and CEO of DS Payments, to talk about the state of real-time payments in 2025. The two fintech executives agree that real-time payments have shifted the entire banking industry towards a new trajectory. Dome highlights the role European regulators played in placing the EU at the forefront of the real-time payments world. As the host and guest predict the coming year in the industry, they come to an agreement that innovations such as CBDC and stablecoins are direct results of consumers’ need for better security.

    28 min
  5. Why are taxes stuck in the paper age? | Fintech Garden Episode 132

    12/04/2025

    Why are taxes stuck in the paper age? | Fintech Garden Episode 132

    Fintech Garden’s host Igor Tomych connects with Roman von der Höh to talk about revolutionizing withholding tax. Our guests points out the degree at which the current tax system is outdated, needing a true digital transformation. This conversation puts into perspective how tax systems are becoming increasingly complex due to factors such as overseas investments and the introduction of key regulatory systems. In the meantime, banks are struggling to keep up with the everyday demand of end-to-end tax workflows with lower costs and fewer specialists, to which Roman provides a solution.

    32 min
  6. Is compliance a fintech product or a set of navigational instructions? | Fintech Garden Episode 131

    11/26/2025

    Is compliance a fintech product or a set of navigational instructions? | Fintech Garden Episode 131

    Fintech Garden’s hosts Igor and Dumitru go head-to-head, debating what compliance actually is, whether it can be offered as a product. As professionals with over 25 years of experience in the industry, they’ve seen all kinds of outcomes from compliance. Whether compliance can be sold as a product, or it’s a map that tells how to get from point A to point B, its absence is duellly fielt. Just ask the crypto industry. Listen to our hosts talk about the ‘wild west’ of crypto and how its biggest scandals are pushing people to demand more safety.

    29 min
  7. Banking Transformation, Core Infrastructure, and Human-Centered Service | Fintech Garden Episode 130

    11/19/2025

    Banking Transformation, Core Infrastructure, and Human-Centered Service | Fintech Garden Episode 130

    Hosts Igor Tomych and Dumitru Condrea discuss service, legacy infrastructure, and human-centered design in banking with David M. Brear, Group CEO of 11:FS Holdings. David shares lessons from his fintech career and athletic background to illustrate the importance of discipline, resilience, and leadership in transformation. “The real question is not technology or strategy, it’s culture, leadership, and the people making change happen every day.” What You Will Learn: • Why service matters more than scale in modern banking • How fintechs deliver personalized experiences at mass scale • The challenges of legacy systems and technology debt • Why culture, empowerment, and leadership drive real innovation • How an athletic mindset influences resilience and strategic thinking

    46 min
  8. The Behaviour and Culture Behind Wealth Management - Rukayyat Modupe Kolawole | Fintech Garden Episode 129

    11/12/2025

    The Behaviour and Culture Behind Wealth Management - Rukayyat Modupe Kolawole | Fintech Garden Episode 129

    Hosts Igor Tomych and Dumitru Condrea talk with Rukayyat Modupe Kolwole, founder of PaceUP, about how empathy, culture, and AI are reshaping the future of wealth management. They discuss why traditional finance fails to connect with real human behavior, and how technology can help people make smarter, more confident financial decisions. This episode explores: • How emotional intelligence improves financial planning • Why cultural context matters in fintech design • AI’s role in democratizing personalized advice • Balancing empathy and automation in financial products • What “inclusive wealth management” really looks like

    35 min
See All (36)

About

Fintech Garden Podcast

Information

  • Creator
    Igor Tomych & Dumitru Condrea
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    36
  • Show Website
    Fintech Garden