August recap!
In case you missed out on August episodes of Voice of FinTech podcast, here is the monthly recap! You can listen to all the episodes on the Episodes pages of this website or when you subscribe to your favorite podcast apps under Subscribe.
The Currency Cold War and more with David Birch
David Birch is an author, advisor and commentator on digital financial services, based in the UK.
In this episode, we cover:
David's activities as a keynote speaker, an author, advisor and commentator on digital financial services
David's digital finance consulting work
Big picture views on digital money and digital identity - before and after the pandemic
E-currencies - developments and prospects. Setbacks and upside
David's views on Big Tech's move to the financial services sector, as articulated in his latest article in Forbes Bye Fintech. Hello Techfin
Crypto and blockchain: pure vs. enterprise, which one will have an upper hand?
Plans for the rest of the year
Best way to reach out
New type of economy, digital economy, needs a new type of money, i.e. digital currency.
David Birch
Find his latest book, The Currency Cold War: Cash and Cryptography, Hash Rates and Hegemony, on Amazon or any of your favorite booksellers.
with Gregor Braun and Henrik Husman
Gregor Braun is Head Sales Switzerland & Europe for Equities and ETFs at SIX, Henrik Husman is President Nasdaq Helsinki, VP, Head of European Cash Equities Nasdaq and Reinier Boeschoten is Board Member at 12H.
In this episode, we cover:
Gregor explains SIX's services as primarily cash equities exchange - as the third-largest operator of financial market infrastructure in Europe by revenue and his team's mandate
Henrik outlines activities of Nasdaq in Europe - the only exchange group active in the US and Europe, operating more than 25 markets and its role as a technology provider to over 130 exchanges and financial institutions worldwide
Reinier describes how microwave or radiofrequency (RF) technology connects markets around Europe. We also dive into the pros and cons of optical fiber technology vs. microwave technology (e.g. across speed, bandwidth, capacity parameters)
The strategic rationale for SIX acquiring majority stake in 12H earlier this year
Benefits of a three-way partnership between SIX, Nasdaq and 12H for its partners and customers
The role of computers in trading - robots and algorithms vs. jobs and safeguards against flash crashes
What's the best way to find out more about the microwave network of SIX, available routes, etc. for interested parties
You can more about SIX's microwave network here.
This episode of the Financial Markets Series was brought to you by SIX, the Swiss Exchange Group. If you would like to learn more about SIX, please go to www.six-group.com.
with Arianna Elena Maschietto and Gabrielle Inzirillo
Arianna Elena Maschietto, Corporate Partnerships & Program Manager at Plug and Play Tech Center in Milan, Italy and Gabrielle Inzirillo, Director, Fintech (EMEA) at Plug And Play Ventures in Paris, France. Plug and Play Tech Center is an early-stage investor, accelerator and corporate innovation platform with global headquarters in Sunnyvale, California in Silicon Valley.
We talk about:
Gabrielle's and Arianna's journeys to their current roles
Plug and Play origins - landlords to PayPal:
Plug and Play chief executive Saeed Amidi got his start 15 years ago when he was trying to rent some real estate. Amidi and his brother, Seena, were considering startups to lease space in their Palo Alto, California, office and met a couple of young, promising entrepreneurs behind a then-unprofitable product. The entrepreneurs were Max Levchin and Peter Thiel and the startup was PayPal. After seeing the Amidis’ ambivalence, Thiel pushed an offer they couldn’t refuse. He said he would pay his rent — then, a paltry $10,000 per month in Silicon Valley — upfront, for two years. “We said, ‘sure,’” Saeed told Business Insider at Plug and Play’s first New York demo day. “And then, we took half the money and invested it in their seed round.” Putting more than $100,000 in PayPal’s very first funding round proved to be a wildly successful investment.
What kind of start-ups Plug and Play supports: alignment with corporate sponsors is crucial
Their programs feature: no fee, no equity
The character of the start-up scene in Europe vs. the rest of the world
FinTech is a key vertical for Plug and Play
What does successful participation in the program means
Success stories
How to get involved
Digital Transformation with David M. Brear from 11:FS
with David M. Brear
David M. Brear is Group CEO of 11:FS, Host of the Fintech Insider Breakfast Show and FinTech Insider Host by 11:FS.
We talk about:
How pandemic exposed organizations that haven't truly embraced digital transformation and what lies ahead of them
Potential opportunities for FinTechs despite the economic downturn
David's advice to start-ups attempting partnerships with banks or enterprise sales
Best way to reach out and get in touch with 11:FS and David
As David points out:
I've seen the good
