Glen speaks with the CU De Novo Collective’s Denise Wymore about the grassroots groundswell of interest in starting new credit unions, overcoming the challenges of progressing from concept to market, and why a voice for CU creation is needed to counter a one-way trend. Also- Fiserv’s stablecoin play, The FTA’s attempt to preserve open banking, and how AI regulation became a budget issue.

Links related to this episode:

The CU De Novo Collective: https://www.cudenovocollective.org/
The University of North Carolina’s student-led credit union initiative: https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2025/06/university-student-credit-union
George Washington University’s initiative: https://gwucui.com/
America’s Credit Union Museum: https://www.acumuseum.org/ (check the Herstory exhibit)
Finovate’s take on Fiserv launching a “bank-friendly stablecoin”: https://finovate.com/fiserv-launches-stablecoin-for-banks/
The Bank Policy Institute/Fintech Association Open Banking standoff: https://thecudaily.com/fintechs-tell-court-banks-want-to-thwart-open-banking-to-stop-competition/

Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday July 9 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. For this session we’ll be focusing on youth banking and how CUs can appeal to the next generation of members. The CU Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Join us on Bluesky! @bigfintech.bsky.social; @154advisors.bsky.social (Glen); @jbfintech.bsky.social (John)

And connect on LinkedIn for insights like the Friday Fintech Five:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

Glen chats with the Atlanta Fed’s Claire Greene about the latest Diary and Survey of Consumer Payment Choice and the messy realities of dealing with real world data. Also- next steps in the stablecoin saga and…Fintech’s answer to GameStop?

Links related to this episode:

• The Atlanta Fed’s Survey and Diary of Consumer Payment Choice: https://www.atlantafed.org/banking-and-payments/consumer-payments/survey-and-diary-of-consumer-payment-choice/2024-survey-and-diary
• The Fed’s 2024 SHED Survey: www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/2024-report-economic-well-being-us-households-202505.pdf
• The FDIC’s 2023 Survey of Un/Underbanked Households: https://www.fdic.gov/household-survey/2023-fdic-national-survey-unbanked-and-underbanked-households-report
• Our recent episode on consumer data gathered by the Georgia Fintech Academy: https://www.big-fintech.com/are-younger-generations-branching-out/
• Glen’s Genius Act/Stablecoin blog: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-stroke-of-genius-regulation-comes-full-circle/
• Arnold Porter’s take on the Genius and Stable Acts: https://www.arnoldporter.com/en/perspectives/advisories/2025/06/incoming-stablecoin-legislation-stable-and-genius-acts
• JPMorgan Chase’s close stablecoin cousin, the tokenized deposit: https://www.bankingdive.com/news/jpmorgan-chase-to-launch-deposit-token/751083/
• The Atlanta Fed’s newblog analyzing potential impacts of retiring the penny: www.atlantafed.org/blogs/macroblog/2025/06/23/penny-dilemma
  
  

Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday July 9 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. For this session we’ll be focusing on youth banking and the need to appeal to the next generation. The CU Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Join us on Bluesky! @bigfintech.bsky.social; @154advisors.bsky.social (Glen); @jbfintech.bsky.social (John)

And connect on LinkedIn for insights like the Friday Fintech Five:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

John and Glen ruminate on a pair of major events reshuffling the fintech world- The Circle IPO’s impact on venture funding, and the Big Beautiful Bill’s unorthodox approach to throttling AI regulation. Also- John gets “spun out on quantum,” and admits a surprising change of heart regarding his outlook for AI.

Links related to this episode:

Glen’s blog on the Circle and Chime IPOs: https://www.big-fintech.com/what-the-chime-and-circle-ipos-mean-for-fintech-investment/
The Senate alters the House budget provision curtailing states’ ability to regulate AI: https://rollcall.com/2025/06/05/ai-regulation-moratorium-dropped-in-senate-budget-package/
Axios’ story about AI’s newfound ability to blackmail: https://www.axios.com/2025/05/23/anthropic-ai-deception-risk
CNBC’s take on the Genius Act: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/13/what-the-genius-act-could-mean-for-crypto-and-other-investors.html
TechCrunch’s recap of Chime’s circuitous path to a successful IPO: https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/12/chime-almost-died-in-2016-turned-down-by-100-vcs-today-it-ipod-at-14-5b/
Pitchbook’s take on the inevitability of Chime’s “down round” IPO: https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/chimes-ipo-signals-down-rounds-are-here-to-stay

Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday July 9 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. Industry developments keep coming fast and furious- the CU Town Hall is the place to make sense of these items together. It’s free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Join us on Bluesky! @bigfintech.bsky.social; @154advisors.bsky.social (Glen); @jbfintech.bsky.social (John)

And connect on LinkedIn for insights like the Friday Fintech Five:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

Glen speaks with Georgia State University Finance Professor Jonathan Godbey about new student-led consumer research that yields some unexpected findings about Gen Z banking attitudes. Plus- Circle’s IPO is roundly celebrated, Illinois kicks the interchange can down the road, and the AI Easter Egg hiding in the Big Beautiful Bill.

Links related to this episode:

• The Georgia Fintech Academy: https://georgiafintechacademy.org/
  
  
• The Technology Association of Georgia’s Fintech Ecosystem Report: https://www.tagonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2025-Fintech-Ecosystem-Report.pdf
  
  
• Fintech South- in Atlanta August 19-20: https://www.fintechsouth.com/
  
  
• Contact Georgia State Finance Professor Jonathan Godbey at jgodbey@gsu.edu
  
  
• Payments Dive’s coverage of Illinois’ Interchange Fee Prohibition Act extension: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/illinois-legislature-delays-interchange-fee-ban-law/749526/
  
  
• Circle’s IPO: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/circle-stock-surges-15-extends-gains-for-third-day-in-a-row-since-blockbuster-ipo-153657180.html
  
  
• The Senate alters the House budget provision curtailing states’ ability to regulate AI: https://rollcall.com/2025/06/05/ai-regulation-moratorium-dropped-in-senate-budget-package/
  
  Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday June 11 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. Industry developments keep coming fast and furious- the CU Town Hall is the place to make sense of these items together. It’s free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Join us on Bluesky!
@bigfintech.bsky.social
@154advisors.bsky.social (Glen)
@jbfintech.bsky.social (John)

And connect on LinkedIn for insights like the Friday Fintech Five:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

Glen speaks with Edelman Smithfield’s Deidre Campbell to explore her firm’s new Financial Services Trust Barometer and the (mostly) positive signs for banks and credit unions. Also- the latest Gen AI fiasco has a familiar ring, Illinois’ unworkable interchange law moves bizarrely close to reality, and why the CFPB’s withdrawal of its open banking rule isn’t necessarily cause for celebration.

Links related to this episode:

The 2025 Edelman Financial Services Trust Barometer: https://www.edelmansmithfield.com/trust/2025/trust-barometer/report-financial-sector
Our February conversation with Deidre on global trust overall: https://www.big-fintech.com/scams-grievances-and-the-enduring-value-of-trust/
The Chicago Sun-Times’ mea culpa for printing invented book titles: https://chicago.suntimes.com/press-room/2025/05/20/chicago-sun-times-response-to-may-18-special-section
Our May 2023 “Package Delivery Blues” episode exposing some familiar AI shortcomings: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3njgklKC8n2fehQrjj9s6U si=Uhhi0sSVR1q2qBOLjj_Hmg&nd=1&dlsi=00114d6259894dfa
CU Broadcast’s recent coverage of the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act with the Illinois Credit Union League: https://www.cubroadcast.com/episodes/3983-how-illinois-interchange-fee-prohibition-act-could-affect-entire-financial-services-industry
Coverage of the CFPB’s decision to pull its Section 1033 (Open Banking) rule: https://www.consumerfinancemonitor.com/2025/05/28/cfpb-will-kill-section-1033-open-banking-rule/

Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday June 11 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. Industry developments keep coming fast and furious- the CU Town Hall is the place to make sense of these items together. It’s free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Join us on Bluesky! @bigfintech.bsky.social; @154advisors.bsky.social (Glen); @jbfintech.bsky.social (John)
And connect on LinkedIn for insights like the Friday Fintech Five:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

Recapping this month’s Finovate Spring event, Glen connects with Steven Ramirez (Beyond the Arc) and Elias Kruger (Long Range AI) to compare notes on the standouts and key takeaways- such as agentic AI- from San Diego. Also- Coinbase packs a year’s news into a single week, and Nevada looks to enter the payments fray.

Links related to this episode:

Finovate Spring demo videos: https://finovate.com//videos/?filtertype=&showtypes=FinovateSpring&videostartyear=2025&showletters=A-Z

Beyond the Arc: https://beyondthearc.com/blog/category/fintech

Long Range AI Consulting: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekruger1/

Our 2023 interview with Crissi Cole of Penny Finance: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tFFHhmaXPlPO2TbjobAEw

Glen’s blog on Coinbase’s wild week: https://www.big-fintech.com/a-tale-of-two-coinbases/

Payments Dive’s coverage of Nevada’s proposed legislation to create “Payments Banks”: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/nevada-bill-would-charter-new-payment-banks-retailers-swipe-fees/748041/



Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday May 21 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. This session will feature a crowdsourcing of takeaways from spring’s credit union/ fintech conference season. The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Join us on Bluesky!
@bigfintech.bsky.social
@154advisors.bsky.social (Glen)
@jbfintech.bsky.social (John)

And connect on LinkedIn for insights like the Friday Fintech Five:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

Thank you to our friends at William Mills Agency for providing this week's featured image.
*Image source: William Mills Agency

Glen connects with Paylume’s Andrew Gomez to unpack the burgeoning pay by bank model, explore lessons learned from other countries’ rollouts, and consider the pros and cons facing banks and credit unions. Also- a possible open banking do-over, more stadium naming rights, and resisting the urge to spike the ball before the goal line.

Links related to this episode:

Andrew Gomez/Paylume: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-andrew-gomez/

Nacha’s Remote Connect, June 6-9: https://payments.nacha.org/remote-connect

Part One of our Nacha Payments conference coverage: https://www.big-fintech.com/getting-direct-about-ach/

CU Daily’s coverage of a positive sign for CUs’ tax exemption: https://thecudaily.com/in-victory-for-credit-unions-cu-tax-exemption-not-targeted-in-committees-bill

The recent CU Town Hall on which we debated implications of the tax exemption: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Bloomberg Law’s coverage of potential Open Banking (Section 1033) reconsideration: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/banking-law/cfpb-plans-to-revisit-open-banking-rule-despite-workforce-cuts

BECU’s partnership with the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, one of several recent naming rights deals: https://storm.wnba.com/news/storm-announce-becu-as-partner-for-performance-center

Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday May 21 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. This session will feature a round robin on the countless recent regulatory twists and turns. The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Join us on Bluesky! @bigfintech.bsky.social; @154advisors.bsky.social (Glen); @jbfintech.bsky.social (John)

And connect on LinkedIn for insights like the Friday Fintech Five:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

A pair of conversations from last week’s Smarter Faster Payments conference- Glen’s annual check-in with Nacha CEO Jane Larimer, and PASA CEO Ghita Erling shares insights on modernizing South Africa’s payment system through collaboration rather than mandate. Also- AI shopping agents, Uber discovers paper, and the vultures circle around checks.

Links related to this episode:

Nacha: www.nacha.org

Payments Association of South Africa: https://pasa.org.za/

Glen’s blog on 2024 Faster Payments volumes: https://www.big-fintech.com/zelle-hits-a-trillion-same-day-ach-says-hold-my-beer/

TechCrunch on Visa and Mastercard’s new AI shopping agents: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/30/visa-and-mastercard-unveil-ai-powered-shopping/

Payments Dive on Uber’s expanding acceptance of cash: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/uber-expands-test-with-an-exotic-payment-cash/746464/



Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday May 7 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. This session will feature a round robin on the countless recent regulatory twists and turns. The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/

Join us on Bluesky! @bigfintech.bsky.social; @154advisors.bsky.social (Glen); @jbfintech.bsky.social (John)

And connect on LinkedIn for insights like the Friday Fintech Five:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/