This Week in Fintech

This week, Stablecon’s Justin Friedman was joined by Bhau Kotecha, co-founder and CEO of Paxos Labs, for a discussion on the transformative potential of stablecoins and tokenization. Bhau and Justin examine how these technologies are redefining the way we think about financial tools, usability, interoperability, privacy, and the economics of stored value. Finally, Bhau offers predictions on whether stablecoin liquidity will consolidate into U.S. dollar-denominated assets or grow organically across the world’s currencies.

This Week in Fintech's Nik Milanovic sat down on February 12th, 2026 to talk with Coinbase CFO Alesia Haas about 2025 year-end earnings.Some topics they covered:Market Expansion: Coinbase doubled trading volume and market share in 2025, diversifying beyond crypto with Deribit acquisition.Revenue Resilience: Despite market softness in Q4, Coinbase showed strength through diversified revenue, supported by retail investors’ “buy the dip” behavior.On-Chain Vision: Coinbase aims to lead the shift to on-chain financial services, blending traditional and crypto assets for a tokenized future.Institutional Growth: Thousands of institutional clients are driving increased trading and demand for cross-margining products, with custody for 80% of ETF balances.Stablecoin Strategy: USDC holdings grew to $18 billion, enhancing trading and payment services while driving growth in Coinbase One membership.Future Focus: Heavy investment in derivatives as key growth area, emphasizing diversification to meet evolving customer needs and market trends.

In this episode, Nik Milanovic interviews Ram Palanappian, the CEO and Founder of Earnin, a fintech company that is revolutionizing how employees access their wages. Ram shares the origin story of Earnin, which began when he realized that many employees were struggling with cash flow issues, leading to late fees and overdraft charges. He discusses how he initially provided employees with early access to their earned wages, which evolved into a full-fledged product that allows users to access their pay in real-time, thereby reducing financial stress and improving overall financial health. Ram emphasizes the importance of shifting payroll systems from being employer-centric to employee-centric, allowing workers more control over their earnings.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Setup00:39 Multitasking in Conversations00:44 Introduction to FinTech Trends00:44 The Future of Digital Banking00:47 Introduction to Earnin and Its Mission04:10 Revolutionizing Payroll: Employee-Centric Solutions10:36 Adoption Across Industries: Who Benefits Most?11:50 The Small Business Perspective: Benefits of Earned Wage Access12:59 How Earnin Works: A User's Journey14:03 Monetization Strategies: How Earnin Generates Revenue17:06 Consumer Risks and Mitigation Strategies20:18 Ensuring Data Accuracy: The Source of Truth21:54 Employer Customization: Tailoring Earnin to Specific Needs22:46 Insights from Data: Understanding Consumer Financial Health23:58 Collaborations and Studies: Researching Labor Dynamics25:52 Looking Ahead: The Future of Earnin and Payroll26:36 Cross-Border Challenges in Business Growth29:57 Future Product Development and Innovations31:48 Inspiration from Other Industries34:49 Leveraging AI for Financial Products37:13 The Role of Stablecoins in Transactions39:28 Wage Growth vs. Inflation Dynamics42:32 The Future of Payroll: Continuous Pay43:44 Team Growth and Hiring Opportunities

In this engaging conversation, Michelle Gill, EVP at PayPal, sheds light on the exciting future of agentic commerce. With a background in law and finance, she forecasts a shopping revolution led by AI agents, reshaping how consumers discover and purchase products. Michelle discusses the critical need for small businesses to adapt to chat-based shopping and emphasizes the importance of rich product descriptions for discoverability. She also dives into trust challenges and how loyalty can thrive in a world where agents handle shopping on behalf of consumers.

Christina Junqueira, co-founder of Nubank and a visionary in fintech, shares her journey from a traditional bank to revolutionizing Brazil's banking. She discusses overcoming challenges in a tough market and the importance of customer-centric products. Christina also emphasizes emotional intelligence in leadership and the need for compelling storytelling. With a focus on transforming customer experiences, she highlights the impact of fair credit and savings, and predicts the future of banking through AI and open finance.

Dan Mottice, former Visa product lead and CEO of Beam, and Matt Marcus, co-founder of Modern Treasury, discuss the evolving role of stablecoins in payments. They explore Beam's acquisition and how combining fiat and stablecoin payments enhances developer experience. The conversation highlights regulatory clarity as key to scaling innovations and the future of digital payment systems. They also envision programmable money workflows, real-time reconciliation, and the opportunities created for non-US platforms and cross-border transactions.

Bret Taylor, Co-founder & CEO of Sierra and Chair of OpenAI, shares insights from his illustrious career at Salesforce and Facebook. He discusses Sierra's innovative AI agents that are revolutionizing customer service and transforming traditional models with outcome-based pricing. Taylor predicts a shift from apps to AI agents as the primary customer interface, citing impressive metrics from partners like Rocket and Ramp. He also addresses the potential AI bubble, the need for accountability in tech, and the future role of AI in financial services.

Natalie Wexler, VP at Adyen, and Jamie Kennedy, Payments Manager at Jackrabbit Technologies, discuss the vast $185B opportunity in embedded finance, especially for small and medium businesses. They explore how SaaS platforms can enhance customer experiences with capital products and streamlined payments. The conversation shifts to the role of AI in predicting cash flow and the emerging interest in stablecoins. Additionally, they highlight the transformative impact of embedded finance on customer loyalty and business growth.

In this conversation, Georgina Merhom, founder of SOLO, discusses the transformative potential of collaborative data sharing in the financial sector. She shares her journey from cybersecurity to fintech, emphasizing the importance of incentives, consumer experience, and the evolving regulatory landscape. Georgina highlights the need for a decentralized approach to data sharing, which fosters trust and efficiency, ultimately aiming to revolutionize open banking and expand beyond financial services.

In this episode, Nik Milanović interviews George Kurdin, co-founder of Monk, a company focused on automating accounts receivable processes using AI. George shares his unique career journey from professional poker player to fintech entrepreneur, discussing the lessons learned along the way. He highlights the significant problem of accounts receivable, valued at $3 trillion, and explains how Monk aims to address this issue. The conversation delves into the role of AI in automating the contract to cash workflow, the challenges faced in current AR processes, and the key metrics that define success in this space. In this conversation, George discusses the evolving landscape of finance solutions, emphasizing the need for financial rigor among founders and VCs. He highlights the challenges posed by fragmented systems in accounts receivable and the importance of leveraging agents for collections and reporting. George also shares insights on customer needs as businesses grow, the significance of effective reporting, and the company's future roadmap, including cash flow predictability and contract intelligence. He reflects on the early days of customer acquisition and the importance of adapting pitches for different business sizes. The conversation concludes with a focus on hiring for growth and the vision for a more efficient accounts receivable process.Check out Monk.com to save time on accounts receivables and get paid faster