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
The End of Bank Accounts: How Money Is Moving On-Chain
What if the future of money isn’t about creating new currencies, but redefining what money really is?
In this episode, Arjun sits down with Tony McLaughlin, CEO and Founder of Ubyx Inc, to talk about why he believes the bank account is dead and how the next version of money could live on public blockchains.
They break down what stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and CBDCs really mean, and how they could quietly replace the systems we’ve used for decades.
🎙️ In this episode:
→ Why blockchain is simply a “who owns what” machine
→ How stablecoins could become the new form of fiat
→ Why tokenization could replace ACH, SWIFT, and cards
→ How Ubyx is building a clearing system for the age of digital money
→ How stablecoins could transform global trade and cross-border payments
→ The balance between privacy, regulation, and innovation
👉 Watch now to understand how the next phase of finance will be built on tokens, trust, and interoperability.
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 Teaser
02:45 What Fintech Really Built: Layers on Legacy Rails
05:30 Blockchain as the “Who Owns What” Machine
09:15 Regulation, Policy, and the Shift to Public Blockchains
11:20 Stablecoins and the Irony of Perfecting Fiat Currency
15:00 The Death of the Bank Account and Rise of Tokens
17:10 CBDCs, Tokenized Deposits, and the Ancient IOU
23:00 How Ubyx Fits into the Global Clearing Puzzle
26:20 Why Banks Will Love Stablecoins for FX Revenue
32:00 The $300B E-commerce Stablecoin Opportunity
37:00 CBDCs vs. Stablecoins: Parallel Systems, Not Rivals
39:10 How Europe Should Respond to USD Stablecoins
41:00 Turning Regulation Fear into Opportunity
45:00 Privacy, Surveillance, and Life on the Ledger
47:40 Ubyx’s Journey from White Paper to Product
50:00 Building the Mastercard of Stablecoins
53:00 Lessons from an Older Founder and What Comes Next
Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0
Find us on our social media platforms:
- Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
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- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
- Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
- TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics
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