About this episode: It's our first news pod of 2026! Host Ross Gallagher, Head of Consulting at 11:FS, is joined by some great guests to discuss the biggest stories from the world of financial services over the past week. This week's guests: Sarah Kocianski, Fintech Consultant & Advisor Benjamin Dada - Fintech operator & Founder, Condia Miguel Armaza - General Partner at Gilgamesh Ventures Stories covered on the podcast this week include: In a fresh wave of fintech consolidation and strategic moves, Flutterwave has acquired Mono. JPMorgan has launched its Special Advisory Services initiative to give key clients access to consulting services drawn from the bank’s own practices. PicPay has filed for a U.S. IPO, and Mercury has applied to the OCC for a national bank charter. Timestamps/stories: Intro - (00:01) Flutterwave buys Nigeria’s Mono in rare African fintech exit - (05:10) JP Morgan forms “special advisory group” to share its “secret sauce” with clients - (18:45) Brazilian fintech PicPay files for US IPO as profits surge - (31:10) Mercury Applies for OCC National Bank Charter to Become the Bank for Builders - (41:43) UK cash withdrawals rise for a 4th year in a row - (51:48) Support our sponsors: Use code FINTECHINSIDER at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: https://incogni.com/fintechinsider -- Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/fintechinsider to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 additional months on top! It’s completely risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Links to check out: Join our WhatsApp community, where you can get the inside track on all all things 11:FS, as well as having your say on the things we should be paying attention to. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://chat.whatsapp.com/KpA4gFbbWDlLFm7kx39raf About Fintech Insider: Fintech Insider by 11:FS is a bi-weekly podcast that covers everything from finance and banking to technology and the latest trends in financial services. Our expert hosts, with hands-on industry experience, are joined by key decision-makers, VCs, and top reporters from across the financial landscape, including guests from companies like Stripe, Revolut, Plaid, PayPal, and Monzo. Together, they break down the biggest news and innovations shaping the space. Our weekly news show drops every Monday, covering major stories like mergers, new product launches, regulatory shifts, and emerging tech trends. On Thursdays, our Insights show goes deeper into the hottest topics driving the future of finance, including AI in banking, decentralised finance, and the evolving landscape of embedded finance. Whether you're already in the fintech game or just starting to explore, this is the #1 podcast for you. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! Got a question for us? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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