Your banking app looks smooth for the same reason a city looks calm from street level: the messy machinery is buried. We peel back that surface and map the financial market infrastructure that actually moves value, from payment rails and clearing houses to the cloud vendors and software dependencies that can take the whole system down with one bad update. The through-line is engineering trust in a world that is faster, more interconnected, and increasingly automated.

We dig into how the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) changes the game by forcing operational transparency, not just compliance. That leads to integrated governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platforms that link ICT assets to controls, vendors, and business impact so institutions can trace cascading failure before it hits. Then we jump to the identity layer: the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) as a global public good born out of the 2008 information blackout, its mapping services that translate legacy codes, and the verifiable LEI (vLEI) that uses cryptography to prove a real person is authorized to act for a real firm. We also connect ISO 20022 payment messaging to fewer false positives in sanctions screening and faster straight-through processing.

From there, we tackle tokenization, wholesale CBDC, and atomic settlement: smart-contract delivery versus payment that compresses T+2 into near real time, cuts counterparty risk, and frees collateral. Finally, we look at agentic commerce where AI agents read contracts and negotiate on our behalf, the hallucination problem and fixes like retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and the looming “know your agent” challenge as bots start acting as financial counterparts. We close on the data avalanche: narrative data, disinformation, and why trusted data oracles may be as important as the money rails themselves. If this made you rethink how finance actually works, subscribe, share, and leave a review. What part of the new trust stack feels most fragile to you?

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Koen Vanderhoydonk
koen.vanderhoydonk@jointheconnector.com

#FinTech #RegTech #Scaleup #WealthTech

We sit down with Hind from GraydonCreditsafe to unpack how global data, clear indicators, and ethical AI help banks and SMEs make faster, safer decisions. From cross‑border risk and KYC/KYB orchestration to partnerships that fight fraud, we map the path to trusted growth.

• Graydon Creditsafe merger unlocking local depth and international reach
• Balancing KYC, KYB and AML with operational speed
• Standardising cross‑border company data and formats
• Turning complex reports into clear, intuitive indicators
• Empowering SMEs with credit health, governance and resilience signals
• Responsible AI principles and training with quality data
• Partnerships with Harmony for orchestration and Data Village for fraud prevention
• How to connect for collaboration and next steps

To connect and keep up to date with all the latest, head over to www.jointheconnector.com or hit subscribe via your podcast streaming platform

Thank you for tuning into our podcast about global trends in the FinTech industry.
Check out our podcast channel.
Learn more about The Connector.
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Cheers
Koen Vanderhoydonk
koen.vanderhoydonk@jointheconnector.com

#FinTech #RegTech #Scaleup #WealthTech

Deals worth millions still start with a handshake, even as AI prices risk in milliseconds. We dive into Finance X’s milestone 20th edition to map how insurance is shifting from shiny apps to deep architecture—modern MGAs that wrap legacy balance sheets with real-time data, AI underwriting engines, and API-driven distribution. We explore why authenticity is the scarce signal in a world of perfect pitches, how events flip mindsets from inbox defense to open discovery, and why only a small slice of conversations become sales yet compound into 12–18 month wins.

From there, we trace the product and capital overhauls defining 2026. Cyber coverage now operates like an active security service, preventing claims before they exist. Embedded insurance matures beyond checkout buttons into full lifecycle servicing that handles midterm changes, complex claims, and audits without ejecting users into legacy workflows. As data volumes surge, open insurance and the EU’s FIDA framework push hard questions about governance, access, and monetization—balancing privacy with the data liquidity AI needs to perform.

On the balance sheet, risk migrates into global capital markets via insurance-linked securities. Parametric triggers and smart contracts deliver instant, objective payouts and uncorrelated yield, while sovereign ILS turns pre-funding resilience into a macroeconomic stabilizer. Regional spotlights ground the theory: Belgium’s SME consolidation accelerates with M&A insurance replacing escrow; Romania’s Web3 oracles reveal the clash between “code is law” and civil law; and Ireland sets the bar with a simple standard—tested, evidenced, defensible. We close with the core dilemma: when frictionless systems fail, does accountability rest with the algorithm or the human who shook on the deal?

If this lens helps you navigate AI underwriting, MGAs, embedded servicing, ILS, and the coming wave of financial market infrastructure change, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest question—we’ll feature the best ones next time.

Thank you for tuning into our podcast about global trends in the FinTech industry.
Check out our podcast channel.
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Cheers
Koen Vanderhoydonk
koen.vanderhoydonk@jointheconnector.com

#FinTech #RegTech #Scaleup #WealthTech

Your money choices no longer start inside a banking app—they start with a question to an AI. We unpack how that single shift rewires the entire financial stack: banks scramble to reclaim the decision moment with governed insights, advisors fight the “swivel chair” of disconnected tools, and investors treat digital businesses like rental properties while silver surges on AI and solar demand.

We walk through the new playbook for banks: stop being a toll booth and become a trusted guide. That means using verified data, personal risk profiles, and legal accountability to outclass generic models and earn the moment of conviction. On the human side, we dig into portfolio intelligence that quietly reduces drag, flags the one action that matters, and gives advisors time to deliver the real value—timely calls, calm in volatility, and clear communication.

The asset map has expanded. Online businesses now trade through matching engines that bundle diligence and legal workflows, creating liquidity for the missing middle. At the same time, silver’s rally is a tech story, not a doomsday hedge: inelastic supply collides with soaring demand from chips and solar. Infrastructure tells its own story too—Latvia’s embrace of MIFID compliance turned regulation into a trust signal, while tokenization shed its hype and became plumbing for faster settlement and fractional access.

All of this meets a generational tide: $83.5 trillion shifting to younger investors who want education over sales. We highlight platforms that teach through micro-lessons and safe sandboxes, and small-business tools that bring back relationship banking with data-driven empathy. The throughline is simple: technology wins when it makes finance feel human and accountable. If algorithms move faster than oversight, governance and trust become the hard currency. Stream the conversation, then tell us: who earns your first question—and why? Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Thank you for tuning into our podcast about global trends in the FinTech industry.
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Cheers
Koen Vanderhoydonk
koen.vanderhoydonk@jointheconnector.com

#FinTech #RegTech #Scaleup #WealthTech

Tired of brittle report pipelines that buckle under volume and stall behind IT tickets? We sit down with Marko, CEO of CxReports, to unpack how modern teams automate client statements, invoices, and performance reports at massive scale without sacrificing security or brand consistency. From the first spark of buyer frustration to a confident, phased migration, we trace the path that moves organizations off legacy tools and into a streamlined, API-driven workflow.

Marko explains why automation and integrations matter more than ever, especially for finance and healthcare, where compliance is nonnegotiable. You’ll hear how CxReports functions as a pass-through engine, pulling data to generate documents and discarding it immediately, to satisfy strict data protection requirements. We also discuss real operational wins: a pension fund consolidates five fractured tools into one flow, generating 40,000 multi-page statements in an hour, automatically emailing digital recipients, and exporting a single print-ready PDF for postal delivery. The payoff is faster cycles, clear audit trails, and documents that finally look as good as they read.

We dig into the hidden costs of outsourced IT, where simple updates can take weeks and drain budgets. Reclaiming ownership inside business teams shortens feedback loops and keeps reporting responsive to market and regulatory changes. Finally, we look ahead to AI-first reporting, where natural-language prompts design templates, map data, and propose visualisations bringing true self-service to high-stakes communication. If your organisation sends thousands of PDFs a month and needs reliable, compliant delivery, this conversation will help you see what a modern reporting stack can do.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a colleague who fights reporting fires every month, and leave a quick review with your biggest reporting challenge. We might feature it next time.

Thank you for tuning into our podcast about global trends in the FinTech industry.
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Koen Vanderhoydonk
koen.vanderhoydonk@jointheconnector.com

#FinTech #RegTech #Scaleup #WealthTech

We map how Belgium’s e‑invoicing mandate and EU initiatives like VIDA, PSD3, and PSR are changing payments, and why compliance delivered via APIs is now a competitive product. We also unpack AI’s impact on onboarding, verification of payee (VoP), and the push for lower, more sovereign fees.

Join us for a podcast with Cedric, CEO of Digiteal.

• API-based payments, e‑invoicing, QR, and open banking
• Belgium’s Peppol mandate and fast adoption
• VIDA and the road to cross-border e‑reporting
• Compliance as a service under PSD2/PSD3 passporting
• Aera acquisition and retail card-present synergies
• Fintech for good through lower transaction fees
• AI-driven onboarding with authentic sources
• Verification of pay for IBAN-to-name matching
• Expansion across Europe using a repeatable playbook
• How to start with GTeal’s docs and APIs

To connect and keep up to date with all the latest, head over to www.jointheconnector.com or hit subscribe via your podcast streaming platform

Thank you for tuning into our podcast about global trends in the FinTech industry.
Check out our podcast channel.
Learn more about The Connector.
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Cheers
Koen Vanderhoydonk
koen.vanderhoydonk@jointheconnector.com

#FinTech #RegTech #Scaleup #WealthTech

We unpack why KYC in payments became so heavy and how to make it almost invisible with data orchestration, deep KYC, and thoughtful UX. NABU’s approach prefills profiles from trusted sources, uses AI to verify the real world, and gives analysts clear, auditable evidence.

• mission to move from onboarding to no boarding
• why payments face extra AML and sanctions scrutiny
• balancing seamless UX with regulatory obligations
• EU AMLD6, UBO access, and national eID schemes
• API orchestration across multi-country data sources
• deep KYC using unstructured data and storefront checks
• analyst-first design with explainable reports and flags
• access and fairness gains when onboarding gets easier

To connect and keep up to date with all the latest, head over to www.jointheconnector.com or hit subscribe via your podcast streaming platform

Thank you for tuning into our podcast about global trends in the FinTech industry.
Check out our podcast channel.
Learn more about The Connector.
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Cheers
Koen Vanderhoydonk
koen.vanderhoydonk@jointheconnector.com

#FinTech #RegTech #Scaleup #WealthTech

We sit down with Xavier Corman to unpack how Finrack turns inventory into financeable collateral using real-time pricing and a sale-and-buyback model. The conversation spans EU cross-border advantages, practical AI, and why better inventory KPIs drive both growth and sustainability.

• founding story and links to FinTech Belgium and EDFA
• the SME financing gap when inventory is the asset
• how real-time pricing enables flexible funding
• case study of an organic bakery scaling seasonal output
• regulation via sale and buyback rather than loans
• cross-border VAT mechanics inside the EU
• integrations with WMS and ERP for daily data
• operational KPIs that reduce waste and warehouse size
• practical use of AI for data cleaning and analysis
• broker-led go-to-market and market expansion
• client testimonials and rising demand across Europe
• where to enquire and how to qualify

If you want to know more, go to finrack.com, fill in the three fields, and we will contact you back.

Thank you for tuning into our podcast about global trends in the FinTech industry.
Check out our podcast channel.
Learn more about The Connector.
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Cheers
Koen Vanderhoydonk
koen.vanderhoydonk@jointheconnector.com

#FinTech #RegTech #Scaleup #WealthTech