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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.
Couchonomics with Arjun
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 the GCC.
Tuum isn’t selling digital lipstick. They’re rebuilding the real plumbing of modern banking — one composable, cloud-native layer at a time.
💡 In this episode:
- Why full core replacement is a myth — and composability is the real unlock
- How to modernize without breaking everything (or everyone)
- What it takes to scale infra platforms into the GCC
- Where AI fits in — and where it doesn’t
- Why institutional banking might be the biggest opportunity for transformation
If you’re in banking, infra, SaaS, or scaling into MENA, this episode is required listening.
#couchonomicswitharjun #CoreBanking #BankingInfrastructure #DigitalBanking #ComposableInfra #Fintech #MENA #GCCStartups #AIinBanking #Tuum #FutureOfFinance #BankTech #SaaS #Leadership
Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
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/
Hala https://hala.com/
Find us on our social media platforms:
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 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
00:00 Episode Highlights
01:59 Myles' Journey to Estonia
02:58 The Story of TOMB
05:40 Challenges and Trends in Banking
10:18 Cloud and Banking Infrastructure
15:17 Complexity in Banking Systems
20:03 Regulatory and Cultural Challenges
25:38 Competitive Landscape in Core Banking
26:41 Banking as a Service Evolution
27:45 Challenges and Opportunities in the Market
29:46 The Role of Technology Providers
31:20 Core Banking and Integration Strategies
40:03 AI in Banking: Potential and Challenges
45:57 Cultural Shifts and Technological Adoption
49:12 Regional Focus and Future Plans
51:25 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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