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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
Build Cashflow, Not Hype: Abhi’s Liquidity Playbook
Most fintechs chased hype. Abhi chased cash flow.
In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we sit down with Omair Ansari, Co-Founder & CEO of Abhi, one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing fintechs.
Abhi began with earned wage access, giving workers instant liquidity. Today, it has scaled into payroll financing, SME lending, and invoice factoring — and even acquired a licensed microfinance bank in Pakistan to materially lower its cost of funds.
We explore:
- Why profitability and cost of capital decide who survives fintech’s winter
- How Abhi scaled from earned wage access into a full-stack working capital platform
- Pakistan as the anchor, GCC as the growth frontier
- The real potential (and limits) of tokenization & private credit
- Why licences and compliance, not glossy apps, are the true moat in fintech
- How embedded finance at payroll and receivables lowers costs and expands inclusion
This is more than a growth story — it’s a blueprint for building durable fintech in emerging markets.
🎧 Full episode now streaming on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
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/
chapters:
00:00 Episode Highlights
00:59 Welcome to Couchonomics
02:19 FinTech Evolution and Market Dynamics
06:28 Business Model Adaptations
12:21 Manual Operations and Testing
14:34 Credit Models and Market Realities
17:24 Funding and Capital Challenges
23:54 Regulatory Landscape and Innovations
27:38 Navigating Regulatory Challenges
29:14 The Debate on Fintech Regulation
32:07 Embedded Finance: Progress and Challenges
35:24 The Future of Banking and Fintech
38:44 Crypto and Digital Assets in Emerging Markets
43:27 Expanding into Pakistan: Opportunities and Risks
46:52 Strategic Focus and Future Vision
51:41 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
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