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
173 episodes
How Deep Payments Infrastructure Creates Real Fintech Advantage
Payments in emerging markets are often discussed as infrastructure.But the real differentiation happens in how deeply payments are embedded into business operations.In the final episode of this special Qatar Development Bank series ...
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Season 4
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Episode 37
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32:42
What It Really Takes to Launch a Fintech in Qatar
Financial innovation in the GCC is often framed around payments, licenses, and launch timelines.But the harder work happens long before a product goes live.In this special Qatar Development Bank series of Couchonomics with Arjun, Ar...
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Season 4
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Episode 36
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27:52
What It Takes to Scale a Tech Company Like Snoonu From Qatar
Most startup stories focus on what companies become.This one focuses on how they are built.In this special Qatar Development Bank series of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun sits down in Doha with Hamad Al-Hajri, Founder and CEO of Sno...
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Season 4
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Episode 35
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32:12
Why Ecosystem Design Matters More Than Funding in Startup Growth
Innovation ecosystems in the GCC are often judged by funding numbers and startup announcements.But the real work happens in how institutions, capital, and regulation move together.In this special Qatar Development Bank series of Cou...
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Season 4
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Episode 34
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38:34
What the Data Actually Says About Venture Capital in MENA
Venture capital is often discussed through funding totals and headline deals.But the real signal sits underneath the numbers.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Philip Bahoshy, Founder and CEO of MAGNiTT, t...
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Season 4
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Episode 33
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54:48
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What It Really Takes to Build World-Class Startups Outside Silicon Valley
Startup success is often explained through geography, capital, or timing.But the real story is about people, resilience, and long-term commitment.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Allen Taylor, Managin...
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Season 4
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Episode 32
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57:19
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How Allica Bank Is Rebuilding SME Banking From Scratch
Banking innovation usually gets reduced to apps and features.But the real changes are happening underneath.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Richard Davies, CEO of Allica Bank, joins the couch to talk about how challenge...
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Season 4
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Episode 31
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53:00
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What It Really Takes for Banks to Innovate Without Breaking Trust
Innovation in banking is often talked about, but rarely understood.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Giovanni Everduin, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and Head of Ventures at Commercial Bank International, joins the couc...
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Season 4
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Episode 30
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57:37
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How CBD Is Reshaping Banking in the UAE
Banking in the UAE is entering a phase where digital expectations, AI, and trust are forcing banks to rethink everything from processes to culture.Arjun sits down with Dr. Bernd van Linder, CEO of Commercial Bank of Dubai, to unpack how ...
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Season 4
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Episode 29
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48:29
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How One Platform Went From 5,000 Cards to Powering Global Banks
Core banking is no longer a back-office topic.Cloud, payments, AI and digital assets are forcing banks to rethink the foundations of how money moves.In this episode, Arjun sits down with Vishal Dalal, Global CEO of Pismo, to unpac...
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Season 4
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Episode 28
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42:52
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How AI and Stablecoins Are Rewiring the Future of Fintech
Fintech is entering a new phase where technology, regulation and global markets are reshaping value at a deeper level.Arjun sits down with Sandeep Patil, Partner and Head of Asia at QED Investors, to break down how fintech is evolving b...
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Season 4
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Episode 26
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46:48
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Why Stablecoins Could Redefine Global Trade and Banking
What if the future of money isn’t about new currencies, but about rebuilding how value moves?Arjun sits down with Keith Grose, Senior Country Director at Coinbase UK, to explore how crypto is moving from hype to real infrastructure....
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Season 4
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Episode 25
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51:08
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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 d...
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Season 4
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Episode 24
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55:43
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The Next Decade of FinTech: AI, Tokenization & Quantum Finance
What if the next decade of finance isn’t about disruption, but inclusion?In this episode, Arjun sits down with Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO of GFTN and Advisor to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, to explore how technology, policy, an...
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Season 4
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Episode 23
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47:06
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How AI and Stablecoins Are Rewriting Payments
When money moves faster than ever, who really controls it? In this episode, Arjun sits down with Arik Shtilman, Founder and CEO of Rapyd, to explore how AI and stablecoins are rewriting the rules of global payments. From p...
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Season 4
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Episode 22
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46:45
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When AI Becomes the Banker: Inside Vietnam’s Cake Digital Bank
What if AI ran your bank? 🤯In this episode, Arjun sits down with Quang Nguyen, CEO of Cake Digital Bank, Vietnam’s AI-first bank that’s redefining what digital finance looks like.With only 300 employees serving 6 million custome...
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Season 4
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Episode 21
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42:28
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The Future of Wealth: AI, Trust & the Great $80 Trillion Shift
Over $80 trillion in global wealth is moving to a younger, more digital generation. But who will manage it—and how will AI, trust, and technology reshape investing?In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Caesar Sengupta, Co-Founder ...
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Season 4
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Episode 20
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51:26
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Latin America’s Fintech Giant: The Rise of PicPay with 60M Users
Episode 150 of Couchonomics with Arjun is here — and it’s a milestone.For the very first time, we go to Latin America. My guest: Eduardo Chedid, CEO of PicPay — Brazil’s biggest super app and one of the fastest-scaling fintechs in the w...
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Season 4
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Episode 19
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54:56
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From Crowdfunded Startup to Europe’s Fastest-Growing Wealth Platform
Turning Savings into Wealth — Inside Chip’s Fintech Playbook UK fintech is entering a new chapter. While funding slows, savers poured £103bn into ISAs — proving that trust, not downloads, is the real currency.In this epi...
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Season 4
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Episode 18
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57:10
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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 acc...
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Season 4
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Episode 17
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53:50
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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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55:21
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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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