FinTech Without Borders | GFTN's Pat Patel on the Global Corridors Shaping AI & Digital Finance

The On Call Podcast

In this episode of On Call with Insignia, we go on a world tour of fintech innovation with Pat Patel, Co-CEO of GFTN Forums & CEO of USA, LATAM, MEA at the Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN), the non-profit behind the Singapore FinTech Festival.

Over the past decade, Pat has been at the intersection of tech, finance, and policy—shaping ecosystems from London to Kigali, Tokyo to Perth. Drawing from his deep experience building corridors between regulators, founders, and investors, Pat gives us a first-hand look at how fintech markets are evolving worldwide.

We cover everything from programmable banking and AI-native fintech stacks to unlocking corridors between Japan, Africa, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Pat also shares what’s next for Singapore as it marks a decade of the FinTech Festival and what the next wave of fintech disruption might look like.

Whether you’re a founder expanding globally, a regulator exploring innovation, or an investor scouting cross-border opportunities—this episode is your field guide.

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro to Pat Patel and GFTN’s global footprint

(02:00) Three frontier technologies redefining fintech: AI, tokenization, quantum

(04:30) The rise of programmable banking and agent-stablecoin integration

(06:30) Key stablecoin use cases: e-commerce, supply chains, cross-border B2B

(08:00) Japan’s fintech evolution and why it’s now open for global startups

(10:30) Working with the JFSA and navigating Japan’s regulatory shift

(12:30) Building corridors between Japan and Southeast Asia

(14:00) Tips for founders entering Japan: long lead times, local trust

(16:00) What makes Australia’s fintech scene unique—and what to watch

(18:00) Why GFTN chose Perth: green energy, academia, and real Black Swans

(20:00) Preparing for the next Black Swan through tech-academic collaboration

(21:00) How Southeast Asia startups can scale into Africa

(22:30) Corridors and harmonization: Rwanda, Ghana, and Project 54

(24:30) Africa’s “Singapore”: Why Rwanda could lead in fintech governance

(26:00) What advantages SEA fintechs have in African markets

(28:00) Opportunities in payments, banking infrastructure, and open finance

(29:00) What SEA fintechs can learn from Europe’s consumer UX game

(31:00) The next decade of Singapore’s FinTech evolution

(33:00) GFTN’s strategy: from forums to advisory to fund

(35:00) The three foundational techs of Web3: AI, quantum, decentralized networks

(36:00) Where competitive advantage lies: regulator relationships and AI-native stacks

(37:00) Why legacy fintechs must reinvent—or be disrupted

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Directed by Paulo Joquiño

Produced by Paulo Joquiño

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.