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: www.couchonomics.com
Season 4 supported by:
Adyen | Mastercard | SC Ventures | Thunes | Hala | e& | Digit 9
About the host:
Arjun's expertise covers a broad range of areas including Fintech, Payments, Digital Assets, Embedded Finance, Application of Emerging Technologies, and the Emergence of New Business Models within the Financial Services Sector in the MEA region and globally.
Arjun is deeply engaged in the Tech Start-Up ecosystem. He serves as a passive investor, advisory board member, and a notable commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.
In recognition of his impactful contributions, Arjun was honored as a Top Voice of the region by LinkedIn in 2020.
Learn more at www.couchonomics.com.
Episodes
153 episodes
Digital Wealth Platforms vs Robo-Advisors: What Investors Need to Know
Wealth management is no longer just champagne perks and 2% fees. The new generation of investors demands digital, transparent, and affordable solutions.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we’re joined by Dhruv Arora, Founder &am...
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Season 4
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Episode 16
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51:42
Africa’s Fintech Boom: From Mobile Money to Purpose-Driven Lending
💡 Africa’s fintech story is no longer a local experiment — it’s a global test case for the future of inclusion, innovation, and capital flows.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we’re joined by Yustus Aribariho, Co-Founder of Fu...
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Season 4
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Episode 15
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55:48
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The New Rails of Money: Stablecoins, CBDCs & Tokenisation
Stablecoins are no longer on the sidelines — they’re stepping into the core of global finance.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we're joined by Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Global Policy at Circle, for ...
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Season 4
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Episode 14
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57:11
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Fraud-as-a-Service, Stablecoins & the Future of Financial Crime
Fraud just had its AI upgrade.It’s faster than your payments and industrialised at a global scale. Welcome to the Scamdemic — a global wave of scams and financial crime growing faster than almost any asset class.We’re joine...
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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43:25
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How Finternet Labs Is Building the Internet Layer for Finance
Is today’s financial system fit for a digital-first world?Not quite — and Siddharth Shetty is here to tell us why.In this episode of Couchonomics, Arjun speaks with Finternet Labs CEO Siddharth Shetty, one of the architects behind India...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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54:16
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Stablecoins, Wallets, and the Rise of Embedded Cross-Border Payments
The future of payments won’t be card-swiped or cash-counted — it’ll be fast, digital, and deeply integrated.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Floris de Kort, CEO of Thunes, joins to unpack what it really takes to build a globa...
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Season 4
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Episode 11
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43:44
Stablecoins, Tokenization & Regulation: Crypto’s Next Chapter
Crypto isn’t dead, it’s going institutional. In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Rifad Mahasneh, CEO of OKX MENA, joins the show to unpack what real digital asset adoption looks like beyond the headlines.We explore ...
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Season 4
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Episode 10
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58:31
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Scaling SME Lending Without Burning Capital
💸 What’s the real fintech miracle? Lending to SMEs — and staying alive 9 years later.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we’re joined by Nikhilesh Goel, Co-Founder & CEO of Validus, Southeast Asia’s largest SME financing pla...
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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Neo Ventures, Tokenized Assets & the Future of Wholesale Banking
AI isn’t a campaign. It’s a core banking reset.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we’re joined by Amith Rajan, CEO of Neo Ventures and Head of Digital Wholesale Banking at Mashreq, for a candid conversation on how AI, tokenizat...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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49:12
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Fixing the Core: Why Legacy Banking Infrastructure Can’t Be Patched
The core of banking is broken, and duct-taping legacy systems won’t fix it.This week on Couchonomics with Arjun, I’m joined by Myles Bertrand, CEO of Tuum, the modular core banking platform built in Estonia and now scaling across Europe and...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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52:43
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What VCs Get Wrong About Building Durable Startups with Tim Levene
In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we sit down with Tim Levene, CEO of Augmentum Fintech, the UK’s only publicly listed fintech venture capital firm.From going public to backing infrastructure instead of hype, Tim shares what p...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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56:57
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Why Most Digital Banks Fail - And How Engine by Starling Is Flipping the Script
The next banking stack won’t just be fast — it has to be human.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Nick Drewett, Chief Commercial Officer at Engine by Starling, joins the conversation to share what it actually takes to launch an...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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45:20
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Beyond the Buzz: Beehive’s Real Playbook for SME Lending
There’s a $260B SME financing gap in MENA, and most players are still offering copy-paste solutions.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Craig Moore, Founder and CEO of Beehive, shares how one of the region’s original fintechs is...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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56:25
Conviction Over Hype: What Great VCs Look Like Now
The Venture Model Broke. But Startups Are Still Building.In this episode, Arjun is joined by Devin Kohli, General Partner at Outward VC, for a candid conversation on what’s next for venture capital.They unpack:- Shifting VC tren...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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0:51
Reinventing Banking: Tyme’s CEO on Scale, Strategy & Survival
Phygital is the new digital.On Episode 2 of Couchonomics with Arjun Season 4, we sit down with Coenraad Jonker — Founder & Group CEO of Tyme — a digital banking pioneer who’s built real scale across emerging markets.Tyme raised ...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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50:36
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From Bank to Builder: How SC Ventures Launches 30+ Startups
Season 4 of Couchonomics with Arjun kicks off with a venture builder shaking up the system — Gautam Jain from SC Ventures by Standard Chartered.From launching digital banks in Asia to building full-stack ventures in the GCC, Gautam’s no...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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53:27
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Couchonomics with Arjun is BACK!
We're officially back - bigger, bolder, more diverse, and more global than ever. In Season 4, we’re asking the real questions: - What’s next for AI, digital assets, open banking, and embedded finance? - How ar...
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Season 4
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1:03
Programmable Money, Real-Time Payments & What Comes Next
Re-architecting Finance with Blockchain - Not Just Hype, But Real-World InfrastructureWe’re wrapping up this special Tokyo series of Couchonomics, filmed at the GFTN Forum — and what better way to close than with a bold conversation on ...
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22:31
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How Japanese Capital is Changing the Game in Microfinance
Redefining Microfinance — With Feet on the Ground & Fire in the BellyWhat if the future of financial inclusion wasn’t digital-first… but human-first?In this Tokyo edition of Couchonomics with Arjun, we had the chance to sit down wit...
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24:59
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Japan’s VC Market: Navigating a New Era of Investment
Rewiring fintech infrastructure — operator-led, globally scaledCouchonomics with Arjun is once again beaming in from Japan. This time, we're joined by Logan Allin, Founder & Managing Partner at Fin Capital. Logan’s journey from...
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31:57
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Inside SMBC’s Asia Innovation Center: The Future of Corporate Banking
Rethinking Core Banking — From the Inside Out In this special GFTN Japan edition of Couchonomics with Arjun, we welcome Mayoran Rajendra, Managing Director and Head of the Asia Innovation Center at SMBC — one of Japan’s largest ...
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33:52
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The Future of Financial Regulation: RegTech, AI & Innovation
What happens when alternative finance moves faster than regulation?On this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Professor Bob Wardrop — Co-Founder of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and RegGenome — breaks down why gl...
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35:57
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Regulators, Reform & Bitcoin: Japan’s Crypto Future
Japan is regulated, conservative — and still ahead of the curve in digital assets.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, recorded in Tokyo with the support of GFTN Forum Japan, we sit down with Genki Oda, Managing Executive Director at...
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25:43
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Why Japan’s Startup Ecosystem Isn’t Scaling — Yet
Why hasn’t Japan produced more global startup giants?In this special Japan series of Couchonomics with Arjun, recorded in Tokyo and in collaboration with GFTN Forum Japan, Arjun sits down with Jordan Fisher, Venture Partner at Antler and...
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31:38
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Special Episode: Japan FinTech Week and GFTN Forum
Japan has long been a leader in financial technology, from pioneering 24/7 ATMs to developing QR codes and digital payment systems. But in recent years, the country has struggled to keep up with the global fintech revolution. That might be abou...
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Season 3
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