How AI Agents and Stablecoins Are Reshaping Modern Banking

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Is banking really changing at the core, or are we just putting better apps on old rails?

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined in studio by Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank PJSC, to unpack what real transformation inside a bank actually looks like, how AI is reshaping operating models, and why stablecoins may compress time in money movement far more than most people realize.

They break down the difference between digitizing processes and restructuring around the customer, why SME banking still has structural gaps, and how Wio is building with micro AI agents, smart offices, and long term product bets like family banking. They also dive into crypto as an investment class, regulated stablecoins in the UAE, and whether banks should issue, distribute, or build on top of digital currencies.

🎙️ In this episode:

• Are banks truly transforming or just digitizing bureaucracy

• What customer obsession looks like beyond marketing language

• Why SMEs still struggle with onboarding and credit access

• AI micro agents and the shift toward a smart office model

• Crypto as an investment class and real user behavior on platform

• Stablecoins, regulation, and where real utility begins

• Payments strategy and building in house vs partnering

• Embedded banking through TAMM and platform distribution

• Competition in the UAE and what the next five years could look like

👉 Watch the full episode if you want a grounded view of how digital banks evolve from the inside, what stablecoins could mean for liquidity and payments, and where the real structural shifts in banking are happening.

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Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 Is banking really changing or just digitizing old rails

01:10 Jayesh Patel on building Wio and scaling a digital bank

05:30 Customer obsession vs legacy operating models

11:40 The SME banking gap and structural constraints

18:20 AI micro agents and the smart office model

27:30 Crypto as an investment class and user behavior

35:00 Stablecoins, regulation, and real world use cases

43:20 Payments strategy and in house build vs partnership

49:30 Embedded banking and the TAMM collaboration

54:30 Competition in the UAE and what the next five years look like