The Sky’s the Limit for Credit Union Communication

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Glen quizzes John about his initiative leveraging social media app BlueSky’s open source architecture to create a moderated, inclusive platform for credit union dialogue and experimentation. Also- threading the needle at the Governmental Affairs Conference.

Bringing Loans out of the Lab

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Glen speaks with DePaul University professor and financial innovation expert Lamont Black about his recent work on a blockchain-based secondary loan market to unlock credit union liquidity and reduce costs. Also- Chase tries to keep Zelle in the “friends and family,” and 2024 payment stats beg the question “how fast is fast enough?”

Scams, Grievances and the Enduring Value of Trust

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Glen shares a pair of interviews from last week’s Deluxe Exchange conference- Scamnetic co-founder Al Pascual on a startup’s mission to preempt fraud earlier in the pipeline, and Deidre Campbell on a few financial services silver linings amid troubling data from the annual Edelman Trust Barometer. Also- Bingo cards and the CFPB carousel.

Reimagining Innovation, CUSOs and Big Ideas

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Glen speaks with NACUSO’s Interim CEO- and serial CUSO founder- Miriam Ackerman about plans for the group’s Reimagine conference this April in Las Vegas, including a juiced up Next Big Idea competition. Also- a quick summary of the busiest credit union news week in recent memory.

Where Do the Chips Fall After DeepSeek?

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John and Glen (mostly John) sort through the details of the still-evolving DeepSeek story. They assess how much of the freakout is warranted (is it “a Sputnik moment”?) and propose a scenario in which it may actually represent a *plus* for credit unions. Also- yet another twist in the Illinois interchange saga.

How Quickly to Quantum?

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John and Glen connect with noted security expert Roger Grimes to untangle the recent developments in quantum computing and discuss why Roger believes the big encryption-obliterating breakthrough will come sooner rather than later- if it hasn’t already.

Crypto Clarity- The Next Frontier

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Glen speaks with BankSocial COO and former credit union CEO Becky Reed about what credit unions should expect from “the most crypto-friendly administration in US history,” including regulatory clarity and a symbiotic relationship between crypto and AI. Plus- notes from the DC Crypto Ball, and a very busy Bingo card.

Without Data, It’s All Just Vibes

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Glen kicks off the 2025 BIGCast season with Bancography President Steve Reider and a deep dive into branch dynamics. We all know the number of branches is declining but a close look at the data reveals several intriguing subplots (psst… it’s not the credit unions downsizing). Plus the return of BIGCast movie reviews!