Welcome to the latest episode of At the Forefront: Fintech Conversations!
To learn more about this podcast and explore our episode archive, click here.
In this episode, we’re joined by Glendy Kam, Chief Product Officer at Tassat, a blockchain-based real-time settlement platform that facilitates transactions for the B2B community. Forefront VP and Head of Content Sam Belden sits down with Glendy to discuss how the blockchain topic is so much bigger than crypto alone, and how banks, fintechs and regulators are responding to the surge of innovation within this space.
To open the discussion, Glendy defines blockchain technology for our audience. An advanced database mechanism that is nearly impossible to change or manipulate, blockchain can be thought of as a distributed ledger that disperses transaction information across a network of participants. The cryptocurrency use case, she states, has accelerated its adoption, but Tassat has been working with its partner network to build over 20 blockchain use cases spanning logistics, mortgage warehousing, commercial construction, private equity and beyond.
Next, Glendy discusses her role at Tassat. Throughout her career, she has worked to transform traditional banking institutions into cutting-edge technological front-runners. She brings this same mindset to Tassat, where she leads a team of product managers and designers in conducting product research, conceptualization, design and development, all the way through to the launch of innovative new products or services.
Glendy talks about her belief in the transformative potential of blockchain infrastructure – not only due to its immutability, but also its smart contract capabilities. Designed to reduce the need for intermediaries in transactions, these self-executing programs can be stored on, governed and executed by blockchain to automatically act on agreements or contractual requirements in a bilateral fashion. Glendy sees this ability to bring together disparate parties as the future of transactions.
Lastly, Glendy and Sam discuss how different industries can benefit from blockchain. Glendy highlights an increase in fintech partnerships designed to help traditional financial services firms tap into the latest advancements in blockchain, AI and open banking. By collaborating to leverage these innovations for transactions, without the capital-intensive commitment of in-house builds, these partnerships provide a great avenue for firms to find mutual efficiencies. Glendy also states that blockchain in combination with AI can be a game-changer for loan approval, payment disbursement and settlements, as well as secure sharing of information in the healthcare industry.
To learn more about the transformation that Glendy and her team are driving, visit the Tassat website here.
See below for a breakdown of what was discussed. Happy listening!
Timestamps:
1:40 – The potential of blockchain in financial services
3:30 – Glendy’s role and how Tassat fits into the financial ecosystem
7:30 – How banks and fintechs are adapting to benefit from blockchain innovation
9:20 – Other sectors where there are strong use cases for blockchain
