Is digital banking really about technology anymore?

It is becoming a battle for customer relationships, trust, data, and who owns the financial experience.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Raheel Ahmed, Group CEO of RAKBANK, returns to discuss open finance, AI, stablecoins, SME banking, regulation, and the future of financial services in the UAE.

Digital finance is no longer only about banking apps and payments.

It is becoming a question of infrastructure, trust, customer behaviour, and how financial systems evolve in emerging markets.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Nika Kurdiani, CEO of TBC Uzbekistan, joins the show for a sharp conversation on digital banking, AI, open banking, and why Uzbekistan is becoming one of the most interesting financial markets to watch.

Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue, it is now a human, business, and financial system challenge.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Ralph Echemendia, Ethical Hacker and Cyber Security Expert, for a sharp conversation on hacking psychology, cybercrime, AI-driven fraud, and why financial institutions need to rethink security.

Before a trading app reaches a user, there is an entire system underneath it doing the real heavy lifting.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Yoshi Yokokawa, Co-Founder and CEO of Alpaca, for a sharp and wide-ranging conversation on brokerage infrastructure, on-chain finance, market access, and what it really takes to build financial products at global scale.

Money is no longer just held. It is moving, earning, and quietly reshaping the system around it.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Anton Golub, Founding Member of RWA Labs, for a sharp, grounded conversation on what is actually happening beneath the surface of crypto, stablecoins, and tokenization.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Navin Gupta, CEO of Crystal Intelligence, and Nick Smart, Chief Intelligence Officer at Crystal Intelligence, to unpack the evolving world of crypto-related fraud, institutional risk, and the uncomfortable truth about financial crime in a 24/7 digital economy.

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.

Technology is changing what people expect from money, and stablecoins are turning that into reality.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined from New York by Stephen Richardson (CSO and Head of Banking at Fireblocks) to break down why digital assets are back at the center of banking strategy, what stablecoins are really unlocking, and where banks are at risk of getting disintermediated if they treat this like “just another rails upgrade.”

Japan is often seen as a “mature” financial market.
But the real story is in what’s quietly shifting underneath.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined from Tokyo by Pieter Franken (Co-Founder & CEO at GFTN Japan) to unpack what’s actually changing in Japan’s fintech and digital assets landscape and what it means for founders, investors, and global players looking at the Japan opportunity.

Japan is often seen as a “mature” financial market.
But the real story is in what’s quietly shifting underneath.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined from Tokyo by Pieter Franken (Co-Founder & CEO at GFTN Japan) to unpack what’s actually changing in Japan’s fintech and digital assets landscape and what it means for founders, investors, and global players looking at the Japan opportunity.

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, Arjun sits down in Doha with Mohammed Suleiman, Co-Founder and CEO of Karty, to unpack what it really takes to build a regulated fintech company from the ground up in 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 Snoonu, to explore how one of Qatar’s most successful tech companies was built and why its journey matters for the region.

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 Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun sits down in Doha with Mohammed Al-Emadi, Executive Director of Incubation and VC Investment at QDB, to unpack how Qatar is intentionally building its startup and venture capital ecosystem.

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, to break down what the latest venture data actually says about emerging markets and where capital is really moving.

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, Managing Partner at Endeavor Catalyst, to unpack how world-class companies are being built far beyond Silicon Valley.

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 challenger banks are actually rebuilding SME banking in the UK.

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 couch to unpack what innovation really looks like inside a regulated bank.

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 customer experience, technology and trust are reshaping the future of banking.

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 unpack the evolution of modern core banking, the rise of cloud-native architectures, and why migration, resilience and payments complexity are the real bottlenecks shaping the future.

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 beneath the surface.