This week on #Couchonomics, Arjun sits down with Walter De Oude, the visionary Founder & CEO of Chocolate Finance—a high-yield cash management platform designed to bring better returns on idle cash. Joining from Singapore, Walter shares his inspiring journey from launching SingLife to creating Chocolate Finance, along with his vision for empowering “lazy savers” with higher returns.

Exciting plans for Season 4 are already in motion, and in this 100th-episode special, Arjun takes a turn on the other side of the #couch! Hosting this special edition is Vuk Zlatarov, Co-founder and CEO of Poddster, who delves into Arjun’s journey behind the scenes. Vuk leads Arjun through a candid discussion about the journey of building the show, from its early days to becoming a space for the region's most insightful conversations. They explore the challenges, standout moments, and the future direction of the show as it continues to grow.

We continue celebrating the 100th episode of Couchonomics with Arjun! For this milestone episode, we’re happy to welcome back Roelant Prins, Chief Commercial Officer at Adyen. Roelant and Arjun had an interesting conversation at the end of Season 1, where we filmed a special episode in Amsterdam. Today, Roelant joins us remotely to discuss the evolving payments landscape and explore the critical shifts happening in both Europe and the Middle East. Catch this insightful conversation with Roelant as we celebrate 100 episodes of learning innovation, and community!

We’re celebrating the 100th episode with the return of Ramana Kumar, CEO of Magnati! Ramana first joined us in Season 1, and now he’s back to share how Magnati has evolved into a leading cloud-based payments company. In this special episode, we explore the shift to tech-driven payments, the rise of embedded finance, cross-border payment challenges in the MENA region, the role of CBDCs, and the potential of stablecoins in transaction banking. Plus, how Magnati is navigating the regulatory landscape across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Celebrating the 100th episode of Couchonomics With Arjun with a special guest, Mr. FinTech himself, Sopnendu Mohanty, Chairman of the Board at Elevandi and Chief FinTech Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). In our humble opinion, he's been the chief catalyst in turning Singapore into a FinTech powerhouse.

In this part of our 100th-episode special, Sopnendu and Arjun explore significant shifts in the FinTech landscape, including the evolution of digital assets and CBDCs, the impact of AI, and Singapore’s initiatives for a seamless digital finance ecosystem and cross-border payments. They also discuss Singapore’s role in the FinTech ecosystem and the upcoming 9th edition of the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF), which has become one of the most influential FinTech events globally.

Joining us on the latest episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, all the way from Tbilisi, Georgia 🇬🇪, is Salim Dhanani, founder and CEO of Pave Bank—the world’s first programmable bank. 

In our conversation, Salim explains how Pave Bank is shaping the future of financial services by leveraging blockchain and smart contracts to revolutionize trust and eliminate counterparty risks. We also dive into why they adopted the full reserve banking model, the impact of tokenization, and how evolving regulations are influencing the fintech space.

Joining us on the latest episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, all the way from Tbilisi, Georgia 🇬🇪, is Salim Dhanani, founder and CEO of Pave Bank—the world’s first programmable bank. 

In our conversation, Salim explains how Pave Bank is shaping the future of financial services by leveraging blockchain and smart contracts to revolutionize trust and eliminate counterparty risks. We also dive into why they adopted the full reserve banking model, the impact of tokenization, and how evolving regulations are influencing the fintech space.

Dive into the future of Fintech with J.K. Khalil, General Manager at MasterCard GCC & Pakistan! Join Arjun and J.K. as they explore the partnership dynamics between fintechs and banks, the game-changing role of governments in innovation, embedded finance, and MasterCard's bold new initiatives! Don't miss out on this epic start to the third season!

In the season finale of Couchonomics S02, Arjun was joined by David Chaum, inventor of electronic money and privacy technology. He is known as a pioneer in cryptography and privacy-preserving technologies, and widely recognized as the inventor of digital cash. His 1982 dissertation is the first known proposal for a blockchain protocol. Complete with the code to implement the protocol, Chaum's dissertation proposed all but one element of the blockchain later detailed in the Bitcoin whitepaper.

In this gripping episode of Couchonomics, host Arjun delves into the intricacies of Web 3.0, blockchain's influence on the internet's evolution, and the emerging carbon economy with Prakash Somosundram, the innovative Co-Founder & CEO of Enjinstarter. Together, they navigate the realms of blockchain gaming, metaverse developments, and the potential of decentralized finance. Prakash offers enlightening insights on digital ownership, content security, and the significant promise of carbon credits as a new asset class. From the essence of trust in Web3 projects and the global carbon trading scene to the realities of starting blockchain ventures, this episode is a riveting blend of tech insights, environmental concerns, and startup dynamism. Perfect for tech enthusiasts, eco-advocates, and startup aficionados alike, Arjun and Prakash's exchange is a beacon of knowledge in today's rapidly changing world.

In this riveting episode of Couchonomics, we dive deep into the intricate world of blockchain, metaverse, and web 3.0 with Amna Usman Chaudhry, a renowned Financial Economist & Emerging Tech Strategist. From the mechanics of blockchain and metaverse to its implications on fintech, Islamic fintech, and the efforts towards gender equality, this conversation explores the intersection of technology and societal norms.

Welcome to a milestone episode of Couchonomics with Arjun - a golden journey through the intricate labyrinth of global finance. Our 50th episode features an exciting guest, Renier Lemmens, the seasoned CEO of Geidea. Renier unveils the riveting dynamics of fintech in the MENA region, the rise of cashless societies, and how Geidea is contributing to this transformative shift.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in blockchain, cryptocurrency, or the future of decentralized systems. Saqr Ereiqat, with his vast experience and vision, provides valuable insights into the ongoing evolution of these technologies and the potential they hold for reshaping our world.

Meet Navin Gupta, Managing Director of South Asia and MENA at Ripple, a global payments network that enables fast and efficient cross-border payments. On this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Navin shares insights on how Ripple uses blockchain technology to solve cross-border remittances and how CBDCs could revolutionize the public sector.