Mr. Open Banking

Recorded live at Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, Eyal is joined by two guests at the center of the great debate surrounding open banking in the United States: John Court, EVP & General Counsel at the Banking Policy Institute (BPI) and Penny Lee, President & CEO at the Financial Technology Association (FTA). In late 2024, after many years of deliberation, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released the final version of their Personal Financial Data Rights rule, also known as Section 1033. On the day of its release, the rule was immediately challenged in court, marking the beginning of a drama unlike any other in the open banking space. John and Penny represent the two major players on either side of the court case itself, making them uniquely qualified to discuss where American open banking is headed.  Specifically they discuss: How Section 1033 came to beWhat happened the day of its releaseMajor issues in the great debateThe validity of charging for data accessWhere 1033 currently stands

Recorded live at Fintech Americas in Miami, Florida, Eyal is joined by author and advisor Chris Colbert, former Managing Director at the Harvard Innovation Lab and Partner at Digital Fuel Capital. Technological innovation is often a double-edged sword; despite our best intentions, the progress we make often comes with unintended consequences. As open banking and other technological initiatives change the nature of money itself, we must be thoughtful and intentional about the direction of that change, with a particular focus on human values. This episode looks at open banking and technology in general through a philosophical lens, asking how our innovations can help bring us closer to each other and closer to understanding ourselves. Eyal and Chris discuss the negative impact of technology, the role of humanism in designing better systems, and how open banking has a part to play. Specifically they discuss:The three technological pillars of societyModern negative consequencesHow humanism leads to better systems Measures for a successful societyKeeping the human at the center

In the final episode recorded live from Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Eyal sits down with leaders from the the three major U.S. core banking providers: Hashim Toussaint, General Manager of Digital & Open Banking at FIS; Chad Killingsworth, Head of Engineering at Jack Henry; and Sunil Sachdev, SVP, Head of Embedded Finance at Fiserv. Among them, these three providers serve not dozens or even hundreds of banks, but thousands, as they enable the long tail of a richly diverse and populous American banking ecosystem. Given their reach, for open banking to succeed in the U.S. the cores will have to embrace it, and throughout this discussion our guests break down exactly how their firms intend to do so. The conversation covers the latest regulatory developments, including the new compliance timeline, the exclusion of smaller banks from regulatory requirements, and how the U.S. cores are ultimately being driven by the real demands of digitally-savvy consumers more than by regulatory mandates. Specifically they discuss:The role of core banking providersThe CFPB rule and compliance timelines Security frameworks and API strategies Smaller banks’ exclusion from regulationThe choice to build vs. buy vs. partner

Recorded live at Money 20/20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Eyal is joined by the open banking leads from three major US aggregators: John Pitts, Head of Policy at Plaid; Jane Barratt, Chief Advocacy Officer at MX; and Anil Mahalaha, Chief Evangelist at Akoya. Aggregators, sometimes called data access networks, provide third parties with connectivity to a wide range of banks. In the US in particular, they are uniquely crucial, having built out an early form of open banking over the past few decades. As the region moves towards standardization and regulation, they will continue to play a pivotal role. Together, Eyal and his guests discuss the continued implications of the CFPB’s final ruling on Personal Financial Data Rights, the evolving role of aggregators, and the impact of API-driven connectivity. The conversation explores whether regulation is truly necessary, how it will shape the competitive landscape, and what’s next for the future of financial data access in America.  Specifically they discuss:CFPB’s Personal Financial Data Rights RuleThe role of aggregators in the U.S.The transition from screen scraping to APIsPerspectives on secondary data useThe commercialization of data access

Open banking aims to revolutionize data sharing by giving individuals full control over their data - deciding who can access it, for what purpose, and for how long. Instead of personal data being locked in silos and exchanged without consent by an opaque and precious few, this shift empowers people to gain value from their data for themselves, using it, trading it and protecting it as they see fit, while engaging in the data sharing economy. In this episode, Eyal dives into these possibilities with fintech visionary Ghela Boskovich, Head of FData Europe and founder of FemTech Global. By putting control back into the hands of individuals, Ghela envisions a future where consumers can derive personal economic benefits by deciding how, and with whom, their data is shared. They explore the foundational keystones of this economy, the varying approaches nations are taking to implement it, and the transformative potential of a more equitable digital landscape. Specifically they discuss:Data as a renewable resourceConcentration of data in few handsKeystones of the data sharing economyGlobal regulations and perspectives  A more just approach to training AI

We are living through a period of unprecedented technological change, an era that has been dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Building upon the previous three, this current transformative era is marked by the convergence of advanced technologies, such as robotics, AI, IoT and blockchain, that together are reshaping both industries and society at large. Navigating all these changes can be a challenge; more and more, it feels like looking into the future offers nothing but a blur. But among the interconnections between these technological trends lies opportunity. In this episode, Eyal sits down with Dr. Efi Pylarinou, renowned Fintech influencer and Co-author of Fast Future Blur, to discuss how this period of rapid digital transformation is shaping our future, including how business archetypes are evolving, the types of leaders we need and the crucial role of open standards.Specifically they discuss: The Fourth Industrial RevolutionThe four business archetypesMoving from digital native to AI nativeHow the nature of banking is changingThe importance of openness

The open banking community has long believed the path to open data starts with open banking. The general idea is that the common standards used to share banking data will inevitably expand in scope, leading to open data standards which will eventually cover all sectors of the economy. Australia, unique among open banking regions, has been on that road for several years. Although some now say their ambitious regulatory effort, the Consumer Data Right (CDR), has fallen short of its initial bold vision. In this episode, Eyal sits down with Jamie Leach, Open Data Strategist for Raidiam, and a self-proclaimed data champion. Jamie and Eyal discuss the origins of open banking in Australia, the significant challenges the CDR now faces, and the future of open data in the region.Specifically they discuss: The origins of Australia’s foray into open dataWhat made CDR so ambitious and forward-thinkingThe challenges that have caused the CDR to stallHow ConnectID offered a market-driven alternativeWhere Australian open banking is headed from here

The growth of open banking is historically driven by environmental factors. In environments marked by wealth inequality, or a lack of trust in traditional finance, open banking flourishes as a promising alternative. Conversely, in stable environments, it often stagnates, viewed as a needless risk. Canada, known for its risk aversion, exemplifies this trend. To open season 5 of Mr. Open Banking, Eyal sits down with Abraham Tachjian, Director of Digital Banking at PwC Canada and the former Open Banking Lead for all of Canada, to discuss whether conservative Canada will be ready for the coming wave. In March of 2022, Abraham was appointed by the Canadian Department of Finance to lead the development of a national open banking framework, and for the last two years he has been doing just that. Eyal and Abraham explore the key role Abraham has had in delivering a guidebook for open banking in Canada, lessons learned along the way, and what the next steps are for all stakeholders involved. Specifically they discuss: • The formative years of open banking in Canada• The importance of strong governance • How the work was structured and approached• Canadian open banking versus the other regions• The future of open banking in Canada

Europe, widely considered the birthplace of open banking, has been on a journey to digitize their financial system for over 20 years. In this episode, we speak to a guest who has been on that road since the beginning, at the nexus of finance, technology and regulation. Dr. Ruth Wandhöfer has been instrumental in shaping the future of finance in Europe, having positioned herself as one of the leading experts in the region. She is a widely sought after speaker, writer and professor, with her opinions published in Sifted, The Financial Times and Forbes. She has published three books on digital finance, most recently, Redecentralisation – Building Our Digital Financial Ecosystem in 2023. Together, Eyal and Ruth delve into the origin of open banking in Europe, from the original Payment Services Directive to PSD2 , through to the future under PSD3. They then go well beyond, as they explore the future of our digital society at large.  Specifically they discuss: • The history of open banking• Going from PSD to PSD2 to PSD3• How Web3 and CBDC will play a role• The Digital States that run our lives• Creating a Digital Social Contract

Data fuels our digital lives, helping us make decisions, build relationships, and stay organized. To achieve these goals, we willingly share our personal data with various service providers, who give us search engines, social networks and e-commerce. But somewhere in the bargain, those providers encroached far beyond what the typical user understood. Our personal information, what makes us us, wasn’t just given, it was taken, in a way that makes it very hard to get back. To unpack this asymmetry and discuss a way forward, Eyal sits down with Liz Brandt, Co-Founder and CEO of Ctrl-Shift, a strategy and business innovation consultancy specializing in helping businesses realize the strategic value of trusted personal data. Anticipating that the use of personal data would become critical, Liz started the consulting firm Ctrl-Shift over 13 years ago, dedicating her career to identifying the opportunities and solving the challenges presented by the emergent personal information economy.Specifically they discuss: Why privacy remains importantUnderstanding the information sharing relationshipThe evolution of Ctrl-Shift Striking a balance between privacy and growthThe role of standardization and legislation

Open banking is often cast as an antidote to the dominance of big banks. Given that its origins stem from the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, this perspective is not terribly surprising. But is this characterisation a fair one? Does open banking have to be a threat to big banks, or can it be turned into an opportunity? To answer these questions and more, we turn to Paul LaRusso. Paul is a business leader with over 20 years of experience in mobile financial services and technology. Paul is the CEO of Akoya, a bank-sanctioned data access network that is leading the way in the US open finance sector. Prior to joining Akoya, Paul served as the Head of Open Banking and Connected Banking at JP Morgan Chase, where he held technology leadership positions for almost 15 years. Today as head of Akoya, Paul aims to transform the way people share their data, making it more secure, private, reliable, and transparent. In this episode, Eyal and Paul unpack the history of open banking and the evolution in the market-driven approach that Paul has had the benefit of seeing up close.Specifically they discuss: The history of open bankingThe benefits of CFPB regulationsWhat the US can learn from the UKWhat the big banks need to knowWhy open banking is a two-way street

In the extended season finale of Mr. Open Banking, Eyal directly tackles the question of how open banking will change the way we interact with our money, in an attempt to build a vision of the open future. To do so, he breaks the problem down into the three core concepts at the heart of that claim: money, identity and open banking. When it comes to exploring the interplay between digital money and digital identity, one would be hard-pressed to find someone more knowledgeable than his guest, David G.W. Birch. An internationally-recognised author, advisor and commentator on digital financial services, David is often a keynote speaker at industry conferences and international events, a featured guest on business and finance television programs, and a regular contributor to prominent financial publications, including Forbes and The Financial Times. He is also the author of four books, including The Currency Cold War in 2020 and 2014’s Identity is the New Money, his seminal and prescient work on the future of finance. During their discussion, Eyal and David explore a wide range of topics, including the importance of reputation and how the money of the future resembles the money of the past.Specifically they discuss: The shifting form and function of moneyThe relationship between money, identity and reputationWhy cash becoming irrelevant is a good thingHow money is really a platform for trustHow digital identity differs from identity in the real worldWhy open banking standards should support identityBanks as the antidote to the one-sided Internet of today

When it comes to open banking globally, there are several factors that have acted as drivers for the movement, like competition, inclusion, stability and innovation. Although innovation takes a back seat in some regions, there is one place where it is firmly front-and-center: the Middle East. The Middle East and North Africa, a region known by the acronym MENA, has embarked on its own open banking journey, where Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel and Egypt have all introduced some form of open banking initiatives. While they may vary in scope and approach, they all have one thing in common: a laser focus on modernizing their banking sectors with innovation acting as the primary driver. In this episode, Eyal will sit down with guest Hakan Eroglu, the Global Open Banking Lead at Mastercard. With more than 13 years of international experience in open banking strategy, Hakan is global in both title and practice. Eyal and Hakan’s focus on a subset of the MENA region, the countries who are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, or the GCC. Specifically they discuss: The meaning of the term “over-banked”Key drivers of open banking in the MENA regionHow market vs. regulation is really a spectrumAn open banking tour of the the GCC members The differences between one country and anotherDigital ID, real-time payments and other extensions Open banking as a vehicle for innovation