Fintech Confidential

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Jun 2026

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Entertaining information focused on Fintech industry insights, market trends, news, and life stories from Fintech leaders, thinkers, and doers.

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June 9, 202642 min

Identity Verification Is Broken: The Truth Behind Detection Rates

Industry experts estimate synthetic identity fraud costs the financial industry as high as $95 billion a year, and the most damaging attacks pass every verification check without triggering a single alert.Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, brings 25 years of payments and fraud infrastructure experience to a direct conversation with Hal Lonas, Chief Technology Officer of Trulioo, the identity verification platform trusted by Google, JP Morgan Payments, Stripe, Airbnb, and Meta.Lonas explains why detection rates hide more than they reveal, how fraudsters now add intentional imperfections to AI-generated deepfakes to beat detection systems, and why agentic commerce requires an entirely new verification layer beyond KYC and KYB. The conversation covers Trulioo's Know Your Agent (KYA) framework, the Digital Agent Passport, Google's Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), and the privacy regulation debate most compliance teams have not fully worked through.Find out more1️⃣ Ask your identity vendor for their false negative rate, not just their detection rate, and demand specific numbers.2️⃣ Build continuous monitoring into your post-onboarding workflow so your system is still watching on day 30, 60, and 90.3️⃣ Audit every automated decision model in your stack and document the logic before your next regulatory exam.4️⃣ Map your verification flow and tier friction based on real-time risk signals instead of running flat checks on every customer.5️⃣ Get your compliance and growth teams in the same room with a shared dashboard showing fraud loss rates and abandonment rates side by side.Guest:Hal Lonas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hal-lonas-4555b1Hal Lonas X: https://x.com/hal_lonasCompany:Trulioo: https://www.trulioo.comFintech Confidential:Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSupporters:Under.io streamlines application and underwriting by digitizing PDFs for digital signature: under.io/FTCSkyflow is a zero trust data privacy vault delivered as an API, covering PCI, CCPA, GDPR, SOC 2, and beyond: skyflowsecure.comDFNS provides wallets as a service, API first, multi-chain, secured with MPC, used by Stripe, Fidelity, and others: fintechconfidential.com/dfnsHawk AI offers real-time payment screening, AML monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating to reduce false positives: gethawk.comAbout:Hal Lonas is the Chief Technology Officer of Trulioo, where he leads technology strategy, product development, and engineering. He co-founded BrightCloud, a cloud-native threat intelligence company, and previously served as CTO at Webroot, Carbonite, and OpenText before joining Trulioo in 2021.Trulioo is a global identity verification platform operating across 195 countries, covering 14,000+ ID document types, 6,000+ watchlists, and 700 million business entities.Tedd Huff is CEO of Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential. The show is produced by DD3 Media and brings you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.Chapters: 00:00 Introduction01:28 Meet Trulioo CTO02:48 From Space to Security04:11 Dfns: Wallets as a Service (sponsor)05:32 Sleeper Accounts Explained08:33 False Negatives Metric11:43 Explainable Adaptive ML13:23 Deepfakes Raise Stakes15:03 Asymmetric Defense Signals17:51 Privacy Versus Safety21:25 Sky Flow: Building Fast and Secure (sponsor)22:27 Friction Based Risk24:16 Case Study ConsenSys26:04 Know Your Agent Future27:52 Agent Passport Checks32:43 Open Standards AP234:35 Are Defenders Losing36:05 Leader Advice Wrap40:37 Final Thoughts and Outro41:36 Hawk AI - Realtime Fraud Monitoring (sponsor)42:23 DisclaimerDisclaimer: The information provided in this episode is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice.#syntheticidentityfraud #identityverification #KYC #KYB #agenticcommerce #KnowYourAgent #deepfakedetection #fintechfraud #fraudprevention #AML #trulioo #AP2 #GoogleAP2 #AIfraud #fintechcompliance #fintechconfidential

May 25, 202629 min

Bank Charter Confusion Exposed: Trust Charters, Fed Access, and Hidden Risks

The OCC's 376-page proposed rule under the GENIUS Act is converting stablecoin policy into binding compliance requirements with formal issuer categories. Paxos, BitGo, and Ripple all received OCC trust charter approvals, but a trust charter does not guarantee Fed payment rail access. Klarivis data shows deposit movement from stablecoin-adjacent products is already measurable at community banks. The 26-month application timeline puts anyone starting today against a potential administration change, and sponsor bank programs face new pressure from charter competition and yield-based products.Bank charter confusion, trust charter risks, and Fed Master Account access gaps are creating real problems for fintech operators, sponsor banks, and community bank executives right now. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, and co-host Steve Bishop sit down on Inside the Vault with three former and current regulatory insiders: Syed Raza, former Acting Chief Innovation Officer at the OCC and Managing Director at FTI Consulting; Michele Alt, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Klaros Group; and Ian Moloney, Chief Policy Officer at the American Fintech Council.Find out more1️⃣ Answer four questions before filing: who grants the charter, what powers it includes, what activities are limited, and who examines the institution.2️⃣ Start compliance documentation now; controls, funds flow maps, and exception handling should be ready before the examiner asks.3️⃣ Read the conditions attached to charter approvals; those conditions reveal what regulators did not trust in the application.4️⃣ Align cost sharing, control ownership, and data ownership with your partner before examination forces the conversation.5️⃣ Price the M&A path into your charter strategy; the 26-month timeline means the political window may close before your application clears.Guest LinksSyed RazaFTI ConsultingMichele AltKlaros GroupIan MoloneyAmerican Fintech CouncilSteve BishopFintech ConfidentialPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSupportersUnder: Streamline your application and underwriting process by digitizing PDFs for digital signature. under.io/ftcSkyflow: Zero-trust data privacy vault delivered as an API covering PCI, CCPA, GDPR, and SOC 2 compliance. skyflowsecure.comHawk AI: Real-time payment screening, ML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating to fight fraud and financial crime. gethawkai.comAbout the GuestsSyed Raza is a Managing Director at FTI Consulting with over 30 years in risk management and regulatory compliance. He previously served as Acting Chief Innovation Officer at the OCC, guiding regulatory policy for fintech licensing.Michele Alt is Co-Founder and Managing Director at Klaros Group. She spent 22 years in the OCC Law Department and advises banks and fintechs on charter applications, regulatory strategy, and bank design.Ian Moloney is Chief Policy Officer at the American Fintech Council. He previously led policy and regulatory affairs at Cross River and served as a Senior Analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office.About the Co-HostSteve Bishop is Founder and Chief Ally at amBaaSsador, an education and advisory platform focused on embedded finance and Banking-as-a-Service for financial institutions.About the HostTedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and host of Fintech Confidential. Fintech Confidential is a production of DD3 Media, bringing you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.Chapters00:00 Episode Highlights00:36 Welcome to Fintech Confidential03:31 Sky Flow: Building Fast and Secure (Sponsor)04:33 What a Charter Means07:06 OCC Rules and Stablecoins09:43 Why Trust Charters Boom13:50 Under.io: AI-Powered Onboarding & Risk Verification (Sponsor)14:20 Fed Master Account Gap17:59 Sponsor Banking Under Pressure22:15 What to Watch Next25:28 Action Steps and Wrap27:50 Hawk.ai: AI-Driven Financial Crime Detection (Sponsor)28:36 Disclaimer#bankcharter #trustcharter #fintech #occ #stablecoin #geniusact #fedmasteraccount #sponsorbank #baas #fintechregulation #communitybank #bankingcompliance #fintechpolicy #occcharter #depositinsurance #stablecoinyield #bankholding

May 12, 20261 hr 15 min

The Stablecoin Rulebook Is Here: What Banks and Fintechs Need to Do

Crypto regulation in Q1 2026 reshaped the stablecoin and digital asset markets with the OCC's 376-page Genius Act proposed rule, the SEC's five-category crypto asset classification, and new AML data from FATF and Chainalysis. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, breaks it all down with Robert Musiala, Partner at Baker Hostetler and co-lead of their Web3 practice.The OCC introduced the PPSI framework that every future stablecoin issuer must follow, while at least 15 crypto-native companies raced to file trust charter applications. The SEC named 18 tokens as digital commodities, replaced the "decentralization" test with a central party control standard, and Chairman Atkins previewed up to three safe harbor proposals under a tentative Regulation CA. On the enforcement side, 84% of illicit crypto transactions in 2025 involved stablecoins, the DOJ seized $61 million in USDT, and North Korea expanded state-sponsored theft into remote IT worker schemes targeting US businesses.Find out more1️⃣ Map your Genius Act transition now; the 18-month implementation window is closing fast and companies that filed trust charters in late 2025 are already positioned.2️⃣ Vet every outsourced IT vendor accepting stablecoin payments for shell company ties to state-sponsored actors.3️⃣ Audit your tokens against the SEC's five-bucket test before the safe harbor proposals drop.4️⃣ Stress test your AML program against stablecoin-specific risks like peer-to-peer transfers, multi-hop wallet chains, and shell IT vendor payments flagged by the DOJ and FATF in Q1.5️⃣ Model your Q3 budget with and without yield revenue in case the OCC's related third-party restrictions survive.LINKSGuestRobert MusialaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-musiala/Baker Hostetler: https://www.bakerlaw.com/people/robert-musialaBlockchain Monitor: https://www.blockchainmonitor.com/CompanyBaker HostetlerWebsite: https://www.bakerlaw.com/Web3 & Digital Assets Team: https://www.bakerlaw.com/practices/web3-digital-assetsLegal Resources: https://www.bakerlaw.com/insightsHostTedd Huff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddhuff/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialFintech ConfidentialYoutube: https://youtube.com/@fintechconfidentialPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNewsletter: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSUPPORTERSDFNS: Wallets as a service, API first, multi-chain, secured with MPC across 50+ blockchains - fintechconfidential.com/dfnsSkyflow: Zero trust data privacy vault for PCI, CCPA, GDPR, SOC 2 compliance - skyflowsecure.comHawk: AI tools for real-time payment screening and fraud prevention - gethawkai.comABOUTRobert Musiala is a Partner at Baker Hostetler where he co-leads the firm's Web3 practice. He authors The Blockchain Monitor, one of the longest-running legal blogs covering crypto regulation, enforcement, and policy developments. His practice spans both traditional financial institutions and crypto-native companies.Baker Hostetler is a national law firm with deep expertise in financial services, securities, and emerging technology law.Tedd Huff is the CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential. The show is produced by DD3 Media and brings you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.CHAPTERS00:00 Episode Highlights01:18 Welcome to Fintech Confidential01:27 Dfns: Wallets as a Service (sponsor)02:47 Show Intro And Guests05:30 Genius Act Rulebook07:38 Reserve Rules Explained13:08 Charter Rush Begins18:11 Banks Vs Crypto Score20:49 Deposit Flight And Yield25:58 Wyoming And SoFi Models29:38 SEC Five Bucket Guide32:49 Digital Commodities Line37:35 Munchee Vs Meg Prime39:21 Sky Flow: Building Fast and Secure (sponsor)40:23 Back To Atkins Agenda40:58 Atkins Next Moves43:21 Regulation CA Safe Harbors45:39 Stablecoins And Illicit Use50:25 Freezing Burning Reissuing54:13 Offshore Crackdown FATF56:24 North Korea Crypto Threats59:28 Q2 Watchlist OCC Yield01:05:11 Safe Harbor And CLARITY01:10:33 Advice For Builders Q201:13:20 Wrap Up And Sponsor01:14:08 Hawk AI - Realtime Fraud Monitoring (sponsor)01:14:53 Disclaimer

April 28, 202659 min

Cross-Border Payments Explained: Why 50 US Jurisdictions Still Can't Agree

Open finance infrastructure, agentic banking, and cross-border payments converge as Prometeo connects 7,500+ financial institutions across Latin America and the US through a single API. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, sits down with Ximena Aleman, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Prometeo, to unpack what it takes to standardize fragmented banking systems across 30 countries and bring that playbook to the American market.Tedd and Ximena cover why US banking infrastructure is more fragmented than most people realize, how Prometeo's account verification now covers 85% of US bank accounts, and what agentic banking looks like when AI agents operate real bank accounts with built-in compliance controls. The conversation also addresses the open banking pricing debate, CFPB 1033 as a US expansion accelerant, the Nacha preferred partner announcement, and why only 2 to 3% of VC funding reaches female-led startups.Find out more1️⃣ Disaggregate your payment stack layer by layer; calling it "mature" hides gaps that cost you money.2️⃣ Build infrastructure for corridors, not single countries, starting with the highest-volume trade routes your customers operate.3️⃣ Bring non-bankers onto your product team to challenge workflows that insiders have normalized for decades.4️⃣ Give smaller financial institutions a revenue stream tied to open banking adoption instead of pricing them out.5️⃣ Pitch the outcomes your infrastructure enables, not the technical specs of what you built.LINKSGuest:Ximena Aleman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ximena-aleman-7913439a/Company:Prometeo Website: https://prometeoapi.comPrometeo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prometeo-openbankingFintech Confidential:Podcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSUPPORTERSUnder.io: Streamlines application and underwriting by digitizing PDFs for e-signature. under.io/FTCSkyflow: A zero-trust data privacy vault delivered as an API covering PCI, CCPA, GDPR, SOC 2, and beyond. skyflowsecure.comDFNS: Wallets as a service, API first, multi-chain, secured with MPC across 50+ blockchains. fintechconfidential.com/dfnsHawk AI: Real-time payment screening, AML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating. gethawk.comABOUTGuest: Ximena Aleman is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Prometeo. She started her career in journalism before moving into marketing and tech leadership, completing an MBA at Universidad ORT Uruguay. She was named one of the Top 100 Women in FinTech in 2024 and is a World Economic Forum Agenda Contributor.Company: Prometeo is an open finance infrastructure company providing a single API for cross-border banking, connecting 7,500+ financial institutions across Latin America and the US. The company is backed by PayPal Ventures, Samsung Next, and Antler.Host: Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and host of Fintech Confidential. The show is produced by DD3 Media, delivering entertaining and informative content focused on the people, tech, and companies changing how you pay and get paid.DD3 Media is a multimedia and marketing agency founded by Tedd Huff specializing in content creation and production for the fintech and payments industry. As the production company behind Fintech Confidential, DD3 Media produces podcasts, live streams, video content, and onsite events for global audiences.CHAPTERS00:00 Episode Highlights00:54 Welcome to Fintech Confidential01:03 Dfns: Wallets as a Service (sponsor)02:25 Meet ProMateo Founder04:39 Outsiders Spot the Gap06:38 Infrastructure Before Open Banking10:21 Borderless Banking Explained16:21 Why US Banking Feels Messy18:56 Standardizing Fragmented Systems20:42 Agentic Banking Kickoff23:34 Limiting Agent Liability24:49 Compliance and B2B Accountability27:32 Monitoring Agents Like Card Rails30:07 Sky Flow: Building Fast and Secure (sponsor)30:30 Skyflow Privacy Vault31:10 AI Bookends And Middle32:01 US Credibility Milestones33:06 Account Verification Playbook35:56 FDATA Advocacy Meets Sales39:51 Crystal Ball Agentic Payments41:39 Open Banking Pricing Debate48:44 LatAm Vs US Open Finance51:27 Strategic Investors And Trust53:42 Women In Fintech Funding Gap55:36 Founder Advice And Farewell57:43 Show Wrap And Sponsor Reads58:29 Hawk AI - Realtime Fraud Monitoring (sponsor)59:15 DisclaimerThis has been a production of DD3 Media with all rights reserved. This content is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.© DD3 Media. All Rights Reserved.

April 21, 202655 min

78% of ADA Lawsuits Target Small Business

Website compliance, ADA accessibility lawsuits, and privacy law enforcement are creating real financial exposure for small and mid-sized businesses. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, sits down with Michael Williams, co-founder and CFO of Clym, to unpack the growing wave of website regulation hitting SMBs and why most operators have no idea they are at risk.Watch episode hereOver 5,100 federal ADA lawsuits were filed in 2025, up 30% from the prior year, with 78% targeting small businesses. Twenty US states now have active privacy laws, GDPR fines hit $1.2 billion globally, and California's CCPA issued a record $1.35 million penalty. Michael breaks down how enforcement works based on consumer location rather than business headquarters, why third-party scripts and chatbots create hidden liability, and how compliant websites saw roughly 30% more search visibility over the past year. New HHS enforcement requires healthcare organizations to meet elevated accessibility standards, with fines up to $150,000 per incident starting within weeks.Find out more1️⃣ Audit every third-party script, tracking pixel, and embedded tool on your website to identify consent gaps before a plaintiff's attorney does.2️⃣ Map your customer traffic by state and match it against the 20 active US privacy laws to build compliance around your actual footprint.3️⃣ Run accessibility and privacy fixes through your marketing budget since compliant sites rank higher and capture customers competitors are losing.4️⃣ Profile your own business first, including headcount, revenue, locations, and data collected, before evaluating any compliance vendor.5️⃣ Require audit-ready, timestamped consent records from day one so you have receipts when a regulator or attorney comes knocking.GUEST LINKSMichael Williams LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-williams-clym/COMPANY LINKSClym Website: https://www.clym.io/Clym LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clymLearn More: https://fintechconfidential.com/climbFINTECH CONFIDENTIALPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSUPPORTERSUnder.io streamlines application and underwriting by digitizing PDFs for digital signature: under.io/FTCSkyflow is a zero trust data privacy vault delivered as an API, covering PCI, CCPA, GDPR, SOC 2, and beyond: skyflowsecure.comDFNS provides wallets as a service that is API first, multi-chain by design, and secured with MPC: fintechconfidential.com/dfnsHawk AI offers real-time payment screening, AML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating: gethawk.comABOUT THE GUESTMichael Williams is the co-founder and CFO of Clym. He started his career as a state and local tax attorney at Ernst & Young before serving as CFO of a global travel management company, where a failed $100,000 GDPR consulting engagement inspired the creation of Clym in 2018. Michael holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law.ABOUT CLYMClym is an all-in-one website compliance platform founded in 2018 that covers 160-plus regulations, catalogs over 1,200 third-party services, and integrates with WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Magento, and other major platforms.ABOUT THE HOSTTedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential. Produced by DD3 Media, Fintech Confidential brings you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.CHAPTERS00:00 Episode Highlights01:03 Welcome to Fintech Confidential01:12 DFNS: Wallets as a Service (sponsor)02:30 Meet Michael Williams and Clym03:41 Why Compliance Gets Ignored05:24 SMB Lawsuit Reality Check06:49 ADA CCPA and GDPR by the Numbers08:21 How Big Is the Problem Really09:13 Consumer Location Based Enforcement10:12 Third Party Script Risks11:55 Compliance as a Growth Lever14:19 Restaurant Menus Losing Customers15:16 New ADA Enforcement Wave17:27 Will Enforcement Follow FTC Pattern18:36 Why Clym Goes Broad20:25 Clym Origin Story22:52 Staying Ahead of 160 Regulations24:32 Beyond Basic Cookie Banners26:38 Skyflow: Zero Trust Privacy Vault (sponsor)27:40 Edge Cases and Flexibility28:38 Company Intake Profiling29:54 Five Minute Setup Promise30:52 Ecommerce Platform Gaps32:34 Vibe Coding Compliance Risks33:49 Why Copying Big Brands Fails35:42 Trusted Advisor Partnerships37:29 Compliance as a Service Response39:05 Lawsuit Economics and Dress Shop Story40:45 Audit Ready Litigation Support42:25 Shared Liability Hosted Pages43:28 Third Party Script Tracking45:51 Enforcement Trends Ahead47:45 Crystal Ball Future Outlook49:49 Browser Companies Wont Fix It51:01 Proactive Compliance Benefits52:49 Wrap Up and Resources54:19 Hawk AI: Realtime Fraud Monitoring (sponsor)55:05 Disclaimer

April 14, 20261 hr 14 min

Credit Scores vs Bank Data: Why Lenders Are Switching

Cash flow underwriting, explainable AI, and credit risk analytics are changing how lenders approve borrowers and set loan terms. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, sits down with Jamie Twiss, CEO of Carrington Labs, and Kasey Kaplan, Chief Product and Commercial Officer, to break down how behavioral signals in bank transaction data outperform traditional credit scores.Over 50 percent of loan applicants cannot produce a reliable credit score, leaving self-employed workers, gig earners, and younger borrowers locked out of the system. Carrington Labs uses billions of lines of transaction data to build personalized, explainable machine learning models per lender, per product, and per customer segment. The conversation covers their "control point" approach to AI, lifecycle underwriting beyond origination, open banking friction in the US, and a five-year outlook on embedded, agent-driven lending.FIND OUT MORE1️⃣ Map analytics to every step of your lending funnel to find exactly where borrowers drop off and why.2️⃣ Buy best-of-breed origination and servicing tools instead of building proprietary underwriting tech in-house.3️⃣ Start with off-the-shelf models, lend small, collect performance signal, then shift to custom models fast.4️⃣ Offer higher loan limits to borrowers who sync more accounts through open banking.5️⃣ Track how borrowers respond to financial scarcity and build those behavioral patterns into your credit criteria.GuestJamie Twiss LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-twiss/Kasey Kaplan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaseykaplan/CompanyCarrington Labs: https://www.carringtonlabs.com/Carrington Labs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carringtonlabs/Beforepay Group: https://www.beforepaygroup.comFintech ConfidentialPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialAbout the GuestsJamie Twiss is CEO of Carrington Labs and Beforepay Group. He began his career at McKinsey & Company, held senior banking roles including Chief Data Officer at a major Australian bank, and now leads the development of explainable AI credit risk models for lenders globally.Kasey Kaplan is Chief Product and Commercial Officer at Carrington Labs. With over 15 years across payments, program management, and fintech lending, he leads commercial execution across credit risk scoring, cash flow underwriting, and loan limit solutions.About the CompanyCarrington Labs is the AI and enterprise software division of ASX-listed Beforepay Group. The company builds explainable AI credit risk scoring, cash flow underwriting, and loan limit solutions for banks and non-bank lenders worldwide, having powered over 4 million loans through its sister business.About the HostTedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential. With 25+ years in fintech and payments, he brings entertaining and informative conversations focused on the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.DD3 MediaFintech Confidential is a production of DD3 Media, a media creation, management, and production company delivering engaging fintech content globally.Chapters00:00 Episode Highlights01:04 Welcome to Fintech Confidential01:13 DFNS: Wallets as a Service (sponsor)02:34 Meet Carrington Labs04:48 Casey FinTech Origin06:05 Jamie Credit Risk Path07:59 Mission Beyond Scores10:16 Cashflow Underwriting13:35 Alternative Data Behaviors17:37 Built Inside Beforepay21:01 AI Control Points24:07 Deterministic Vs Inference28:35 Keeping Bias Out34:48 Real Client Turnaround36:44 Funnel Friction Signals38:25 Optimizing Drop Off39:21 Sky Flow: Building Fast and Secure (sponsor)40:21 Product Specific Risk Models42:32 From Shelf To Custom43:34 Model Retraining Workflow47:05 Siloed Versus Consortium48:59 Cashflow Behavior Insights50:25 Feature Engineering Matters51:41 Macro Shocks In Data56:07 Lifecycle Servicing Signals57:36 Limit Management Uplift58:55 Open Banking Pushback01:03:53 Crystal Ball AI Lending01:09:11 Advice And Wrap Up01:13:24 Hawk AI: Realtime Fraud Monitoring (sponsor)01:14:10 Disclaimer

April 7, 202648 min

Bitcoin Yield Without Custody Risk: Inside Lightning's Payment Infrastructure

Bitcoin Lightning payments, self-custody yield, and stablecoin interoperability are converging on one infrastructure layer, and the companies building it are already seeing massive demand. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, sits down with Jesse Shrader, co-founder and CEO of Amboss Technologies, to break down how Lightning Network infrastructure is reshaping payment processing, treasury strategy, and compliance for fintech operators worldwide.Card networks charge 2% to 5% per transaction. Lightning brings that to 0.29%. Square just announced zero Bitcoin processing fees for its entire retailer network. The Genius Act is flooding the market with stablecoins, but those assets live on blockchains that do not talk to each other. Jesse explains how Taproot Assets on Lightning can unify fragmented stablecoin systems through cross-asset, in-flight currency exchange. He also walks through how Rails, a self-custodial Bitcoin yield product with over 2,600 on its waitlist, lets companies earn yield from payment routing without giving up custody. The conversation includes real founder lessons on fundraising, board strategy, and preparing for a future where AI systems pay each other.FIND OUT MORE1️⃣ Lightning payment processing at 0.29% is a 10x reduction from card network fees; run the math on what your business saves annually.2️⃣ Self-custody yield is now possible on Bitcoin without handing your asset to a third party; Rails automates the infrastructure so you do not need to be an expert.3️⃣ Build your board with the smartest people you have ever met, and replace anyone who is not fully invested in your success.4️⃣ Map your fiat compliance obligations into decentralized payment environments now, before a sanctions violation forces the conversation.5️⃣ Start designing guardrails for AI agents with spending authority; machine-to-machine payments are expected within three to five years.LINKSGuestJesse Shrader on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shraderjesse/CompanyAmboss Technologies: https://amboss.tech/Amboss Space (Lightning Network Explorer): https://amboss.space/Rails: https://www.amboss.tech/railsAmboss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ambosstechFintech ConfidentialPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSupportersDFNS provides wallets as a service that is API first, multi-chain by design, and secured with MPC so you can launch across over 50 blockchains without managing private keys. Request a demo at fintechconfidential.com/dfnsSkyflow is a zero trust data privacy vault delivered as an API that lets you collect, secure, and tokenize personal information with built-in features for PCI, CCPA, GDPR, and SOC 2 compliance. Visit skyflowsecure.comHawk AI provides AI tools for real-time payment screening, ML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating to make compliance more effective and help fight fraud and financial crime. Visit gethawkai.comAboutJesse Shrader is the CEO and co-founder of Amboss Technologies. He holds a degree in Environmental Resources Engineering from Humboldt State University and previously worked in highway asset management at the Oregon Department of Transportation. His experience handling calls for class action lawsuits against banks exposed him to predatory overdraft practices and pushed him toward building decentralized payment infrastructure.Amboss Technologies is a payment infrastructure and data analytics company built on Bitcoin's Lightning Network, founded in 2021. Its products include Magma (liquidity marketplace), Rails (self-custodial yield), Reflex (compliance automation), and Amboss Space (network explorer).Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and host of Fintech Confidential. Fintech Confidential is a production of DD3 Media, bringing you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.Chapters00:01:02 DFNS: Wallets as a Service (Sponsor)00:02:20 Welcome to Web3 with FTC00:02:51 Meet Jesse Shrader and Amboss00:05:32 Rails Launch and Bitcoin Yield Demand00:06:37 From Engineering to Bitcoin Infrastructure00:09:18 Stablecoins, Genius Act, and Interoperability00:12:39 Self-Custody Yield with Rails00:16:40 Why Lightning Over Layer One00:19:08 Amboss Product Suite00:21:45 Compliance, Sanctions, and Reflex00:24:15 Skyflow: Data Privacy Vault (Sponsor)00:25:17 How Rails Generates Yield00:29:31 Lower Fees and Merchant Adoption00:35:24 Founder Lessons and Fundraising00:39:30 Build Your Board Strategically00:41:50 Crystal Ball: AI Paying AI00:45:18 Voltage Partnership Announcement00:47:12 Hawk AI: Fighting Financial Crime (Sponsor)00:47:57 Disclaimer

March 31, 202642 min

Payment Processing Secrets: 13 Companies Merged Into One Platform

Unified commerce and European payments are under pressure as merchants juggle fragmented vendors, local debit schemes, and country-by-country compliance. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, sits down with Niv Liran, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Unzer, to break down how one platform serves over 85,000 merchants across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark.Niv explains how Unzer consolidated 13 acquired companies into a single system using a one-application-per-purpose rule, why local language sales and compliance expertise outperform global common-denominator approaches, and how open banking and the European Payments Initiative are creating new payment rails. The conversation gets specific on merchant migration tactics, daily workflow savings from eliminating multi-vendor reconciliation, and where AI-powered tools fit for small businesses within the next three to five years.FIND OUT MORE1️⃣ Gate your best features to the new platform so merchants have a reason to migrate without being forced.2️⃣ Ask prospects to walk through their daily actions before pitching; let the pain sell the solution.3️⃣ Set a one-app-per-purpose rule before consolidation starts to prevent political gridlock across acquired teams.4️⃣ Test every partnership against two filters: does it help the merchant, and will consumers actually adopt it.5️⃣ Connect directly to local accounting software in each market; it locks in retention and kills reconciliation overhead.GuestNiv Liran on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nivliranUnzer: https://www.unzer.comFintech ConfidentialPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSupporters of Fintech ConfidentialUnder.io: Streamlines application and underwriting by digitizing PDFs for e-signature. under.io/FTCSkyflow: A zero-trust data privacy vault delivered as an API covering PCI, CCPA, GDPR, SOC 2, and beyond. skyflowsecure.comDFNS: Wallets as a service, API first, multi-chain, secured with MPC across 50+ blockchains. fintechconfidential.com/dfnsHawk AI: Real-time payment screening, AML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating. gethawk.comAbout the GuestNiv Liran is Chief Product and Technology Officer at Unzer. He entered fintech at Groupon in Berlin solving chargebacks on billions in monthly volume, then held leadership roles at Rocket Internet and AUTO1 Group, where he scaled the tech department from 5 to over 350 employees. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and an MBA from INSEAD.About UnzerUnzer is a payments and commerce platform serving more than 85,000 merchants across Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Luxembourg with unified online, in-store, and back-office solutions through its UnzerOne platform.About the HostTedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential. Produced by DD3 Media, Fintech Confidential brings you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.Chapters00:00 Episode Highlights01:02 Welcome to Fintech Confidential01:10 DFNS: Wallets as a Service (sponsor)02:32 Meet Niv Inbar05:08 Why Unified Commerce Is Hard07:02 Falling Into Payments09:46 Unser vs Stripe Adyen11:30 Localizing Across Europe12:44 One Platform Consolidation15:12 Merchant Migration Playbook17:43 Merchant Day to Day Example20:21 Skyflow - Your Privacy API (sponsor)21:18 Taming Local Debit Schemes23:29 Selling ROI and Reducing Risk26:29 Partnerships Open Banking EPI29:20 EPI and Digital Wallet Future31:06 Market Consolidation Ahead32:27 Crystal Ball Unified Commerce35:26 AI Agents for Small Business37:32 One Sentence Founder Advice39:11 Wrap Up Key Takeaways41:03 Hawk AI - Realtime Fraud Monitoring (sponsor)41:47 Disclaimer

March 24, 20261 hr 7 min

Crypto Tax Secrets From an IRS Agent Who Audited 14 Platforms

Crypto tax software flaws, IRS audit risk, and data manipulation are putting millions of investors in danger. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, sits down with Janna Scott, founder and CEO of DeFi Tax and an IRS Enrolled Agent, to break down why the tools crypto investors trust may fail them in an audit.Janna conducted forensic audits of 14 major crypto tax platforms and 53 firms claiming crypto tax expertise. The same 70 transactions produced a $99 gain on one platform, a $2,990 gain on another, and a $351 loss on a third. She explains how platforms allow users to edit immutable on-chain data like dates, currency types, and cost basis, making reports inadmissible in audits the same way the IRS rejects QuickBooks files. Her peer-reviewed research, published in Tax Notes, was shared with the IRS crypto division and SEC FinHub, and contributed to pausing IRS crypto audits. With enforcement expected to resume within months, this is a wake-up call for anyone holding or trading crypto.FIND OUT MORE1️⃣ Screenshot your crypto tax reports now; platforms have silently changed algorithms, producing 25-35% different results on the same historical data without notifying users.2️⃣ Never edit immutable transaction fields like dates, spot prices, fees, or cost basis; the IRS treats altered reports the same way it treats manipulated bank statements.3️⃣ Connect every wallet and exchange login you have ever used, including discontinued US exchanges, so transfers are not misclassified as taxable income.4️⃣ Run your transaction data through multiple products and compare results; if the numbers diverge significantly, get professional review before filing.5️⃣ Ask any firm claiming crypto tax expertise whether they can manually calculate your transactions and defend the work in front of the IRS before you pay them.Guest LinksJanna Scott | DeFi TaxWebsite: https://defitax.us/X: https://x.com/defitax_usFintech Confidential LinksPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSupportersDFNS provides wallets as a service that is API first, multi-chain by design, and secured with MPC so you can launch across over 50 blockchains without managing private keys. Request a demo at fintechconfidential.com/dfnsSkyflow is a zero trust data privacy vault delivered as an API that lets you collect, secure, and tokenize personal information with built-in features for PCI, CCPA, GDPR, and SOC 2 compliance. Visit skyflowsecure.comHawk AI provides AI tools for real-time payment screening, ML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating to make compliance more effective and help fight fraud and financial crime. Visit gethawkai.comAbout the GuestJanna Scott is the founder and CEO of DeFi Tax, an IRS Enrolled Agent, and an MBA with over 20 years of experience in tax compliance, financial analysis, and government finance. Her forensic research across 14 platforms and 53 firms was peer reviewed, published in Tax Notes, and shared with the IRS and SEC.About the CompanyDeFi Tax is a crypto tax compliance platform that calculates obligations using direct blockchain data, locks immutable transaction fields, traces NFT basis through the chain of custody, and supports users through audit and tax court.About the HostTedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential. Produced by DD3 Media, Fintech Confidential brings you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.Chapters00:00 Episode Highlights01:07 Welcome to Fintech Confidential01:15 Dfns: Wallets as a Service (sponsor)02:37 Show Intro and Guest06:13 Jana Origin Story09:15 Inside Government View11:38 John Doe Summonses15:43 Forensic Platform Audits22:05 Transfers and 1099 Traps24:41 Variance and Real Costs29:04 Taking Findings to Regulators32:16 Terms Changes and Report Drift34:07 Building It Yourself34:59 Why Reports Fail Audits35:39 Sky Flow: Building Fast and Secure (sponsor)36:41 Cryto Tax and Quickbooks38:46 Editing Breaks Credibility40:27 Defi Tax Guardrails42:24 Validator Income Burn Fees43:25 NFT Basis Tracing45:08 Pricing Sources Averaging46:29 Self Transfer Verification48:53 Audit Packets Evidence49:41 Silent Algorithm Changes54:00 Enforcement Crystal Ball56:05 Middle Class Snowball59:08 Practical Wallet Tracking01:02:05 Recap And Next Steps01:05:09 Show Wrap01:06:18 Hawk AI (sponsor)01:07:04 Disclaimer

March 17, 202640 min

Banking as a Service: Why Most Sponsor Bank Deals Fail Before Launch

Banking as a service and embedded finance get a practical breakdown as Academy Bank's David Robinson explains how a family-owned Kansas City institution built a BaaS program from the ground up. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, and co-host Stephen Bishop sit down with David to unpack what it takes to launch, staff, and scale an embedded banking practice at a community bank.Find out more at fintechconfidential.comAcademy Bank, a subsidiary of Dickinson Financial Corporation, operates alongside Armed Forces Bank with roughly $4.8 billion in combined assets and a stated goal of reaching $6 billion. David walks through why the bank chose Treasury Prime as its middleware provider, how it integrated Lithic for card processing, and why keeping compliance and BSA functions in-house was a non-negotiable. The conversation gets specific about due diligence red flags, deals that fell apart mid-process, fee income versus deposit economics, and what changed internally when embedded banking finally showed up in every team's annual goals.1️⃣ Prepare for bank meetings like an earnings call; anticipate every compliance question before the first conversation.2️⃣ Build your AML, BSA, and fraud monitoring team before approaching a sponsor bank, not after.3️⃣ Bring your operations and compliance leads to early bank meetings, not just the founder.4️⃣ Treat banker feedback as a data point; show how you tested it and what you changed.5️⃣ Ask your bank partner if embedded work appears in the annual goals of their compliance, risk, and legal teams.GUESTDavid Robinson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmrembeddedbanking/COMPANYAcademy Bank: https://www.academybank.comAcademy Bank BaaS: https://www.academybank.com/business/banking-as-a-serviceFINTECH CONFIDENTIALPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSUPPORTERSSkyflow: Build fast without breaking privacy. A zero-trust data privacy vault delivered as an API. Visit https://skyflowsecure.com Under: Streamline your application and underwriting process by turning PDFs into smart, signable forms. Get started free at https://under.io/ftcHawk AI: Real-time payment screening, AML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating to fight fraud and financial crime. Sign up for a demo at https://gethawkai.comABOUTGuest: David Robinson is Director of Fintech and Embedded Banking at Academy Bank. He brings over 20 years of financial services experience across State Street, UMB Bank, and now Academy Bank, where he built the embedded banking practice from the ground up starting in December 2022.Company: Academy Bank is a full-service community bank under Dickinson Financial Corporation, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Named one of Fortune's Most Innovative Companies in 2023, it operates over 70 branches across Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri.Host: Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential. The show is produced by DD3 Media and brings you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.CHAPTERS00:00 Episode Highlights01:24 Skyflow Sponsor Read02:26 Meet the Hosts03:39 Introducing David Robinson04:37 Defining BaaS and Embedded Finance05:29 Academy Bank Growth Strategy06:56 Rapid Fire: This or That08:11 Choosing Treasury Prime09:22 Future Programs and Segments09:53 What Stays In-House12:42 Managed vs. Bank-Owned Compliance14:35 Marketplace Shift and Multi-Platform16:53 Partnerships Are a People Business18:26 Under Sponsor Read18:56 How Banks Vet Fintech Fit19:25 Diligence and Fit20:21 Regulators and Scale21:30 When Deals Fall Apart23:23 Greenlights and Redlines24:23 Advice for Fintechs26:12 Why Academy Bank27:49 Top Tips and Misconceptions29:38 Fees vs. Deposits30:46 Internal Shift and Speed35:47 Crystal Ball and Closing36:54 Final Advice for Founders38:51 Wrap Up39:23 Hawk AI Sponsor Read40:09 Disclaimer