Big Ideas, Fintech Madness (CUSO Optional)

Next Big Idea competition winner GoalSetter and runner-up Mahalo Banking, Fintech Madness winner Silvur, CU2.0 co-founder Chris Otey on instigating the madness, and a compelling startup (Harness) that waged battle in both events.
More CUSOs, More Service

From a record-setting NACUSO Network conference, Glen shares a motherlode of interviews with CUSO whisperer/attorney Brian Lauer, DePaul Defi professor Lamont Black, and a pair of founders: Leeman Baird (Hedera) and John Wingate (BankSocial).
Revolutionizing the Credit Union Experience: Best Innovation Group Unveils the Potential of AI Chatbots with OpenAI’s ChatGPT at Innovation Club Meeting in Phoenix

Best Innovation Group Showcases Potential of AI Chatbots, Including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, for Credit Unions at Innovation Club Meeting in Phoenix Phoenix, AZ – March 8, 2023 – Best Innovation Group (BIG), a leading technology and innovation consultancy for the financial sector, recently concluded a successful two-day Innovation Club meeting held at TruWest Credit Union in […]
Bowled Over- CUs and Crypto, a Year Later

One year removed from the Crypto Bowl, Glen connects with NYDIG’s Rahm McDaniel to assess what has and hasn’t changed for credit unions and members. Also- trying (and failing) to avoid addressing Silicon Valley Bank, Silvergate and USDC.
ChatGPT Runs off the (Guard)Rails

It’s all fun and games until someone falls in love with a robot.
A mere three weeks ago we were playing with ChatGPT to generate whimsical poems about Crypto Winter. In the short period since, Google parent Alphabet’s stock sank 11% when a video leaked of an internal demo of its competing generative AI engine going awry. Then the New York Times ran a lengthy front page story about the test version of Microsoft Bing’s chatbot going rogue and trying to seduce its reporter into leaving his spouse.
Phoenix without the Football

Glen’s visit to Deluxe Exchange- during Super Bowl week!- scores interviews covering the future workforce, a small business inflection point, an acceleration in payment speed, and an unexpected jolt of economic optimism.
Crashing – and Soaring – at CUNA GAC

Glen’s pre-gaming for CUNA’s Government Affairs Conference includes interviews with CUNA’s Chief Product Officer Todd Spiczenski about this year‘s priorities, and Filene’s Community Development Director Cortney Arnold about the storied history of the GAC Crasher program.
Our ChatGPT Poem is Funny- and Illuminating

Media coverage of last week’s Visa/Mastercard settlement predictably- and appropriately- focused on the impact to merchants and the card network behemoths. Fortunately most news outlets avoided the dubious claim that consumers would somehow benefit from the estimated $30 billion fee concession (there were exceptions- looking at you, New York Times).
Fintech Predictions for 2023

In our annual Prognostication Episode John Best flags an imminent Quantum Break, Anne Legg confronts shrinkflation, John Janclaes ponders employee burnout and Glen Sarvady charts FedNow’s road ahead. Also discussions of tech layoffs, the battle for deposits, SMBs’ health, and an even wilder than usual set of Bitcoin price predictions.
The Biggest Fintech Stories of 2022

John and Glen recap and update the biggest stories that impacted the credit union world and beyond during 2022: The Ethereum merge, inflation and the end of “free money,” a slowdown in VC cash, the FTX implosion, the intersection of the Ukraine, guns and payments, and more.