State of AI, AI in BPO, DeepSeek, Bitcoin, Lagarde, Pyth Network, Revolut, NVIDIA, Citi GPS

What week again! I highlighted two important reports - from NVIDIA and Citi GPS - on AI in Finserv. One is a survey and the other is forward-looking.

The most engagement this week was on a post about Lagarde`s stance on the potential of Bitcoin becoming a reserve for CBs.

The most practical and insightful conversation was with Nutun an award-winning South African BPO company, on ways of using GenAI in the collection processes.

DeepSeek in the spotlight! And my Fintech profile pick - Pyth Network because they are in bed with Revolut.

1. NVIDIA launched the State of AI in Financial Services survey results! ? ?

The Transformational journey for financial services towards becoming AI-native businesses has started!

Read the full post here ??

2. This week`s ?????????????????????????? & ???????????????? is with Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Nutun, Hans Zachar . ?

Many Fintechs face challenges as they have scaled, and more continue to scale !

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In this comprehensive conversation, discover:

??How financial inclusion creates new challenges in Customer Service especially for scaled up Fintechs

??The delicate balance between technological efficiency and human connection

??Emerging trends and several concrete ways to leverage AI in customer engagement, from collections to fraud detection

??South Africa's unique position in delivering empathy-driven BPO services globally

Read the full post here?

3. The Future of Finance – Where the Puck is Heading with Agentic AI? ?

The Citi GPS report on Agentic AI offers a glance into how autonomous, decision-making agents will transform financial services. ?It is a must read.

Three quotes stood out to me as signposts of where the puck is heading.

Read the full post here?

?4. Lagarde is confident that Bitcoin will not enter the reserves in the EU.? ?

The Solid arguments are that reserves should be liquid, secure, and beyond suspicion of Money laundering! ? ?

The comments and reactions to this post are insane.

Read the full article here? ? ?

5. Bridging TradFi and DeFi: Revolut’s Partnership with Pyth Network! ? ?

Data, Data Oracles, and Web3!

While most of the spotlight is on Revolut’s geographic expansions and its relentless product launches, there is a deeper shift underway in how traditional financial institutions are engaging with blockchain technology.? ? Revolut is traditional when compared to Web3 banking.? ?

Partnerships like the one between Revolut and Pyth Network are significant in advancing the future of digital finance into Web3.?

This is part of a Series profiling Fintechs.

? Read the full post here?

6.?Who Would Have Predicted This? The Surprising Speedy Integration of DeepSeek R1 by BigTech!? ?

In a move that has stunned the tech world, DeepSeek R1 has been swiftly integrated by major players. The speed of adoption for this disruptive AI model—known for its cost-efficiency and high-performance reasoning capabilities—has been nothing short of extraordinary. ? ?

Read the full post here??

In addition to all of the above, this week has been so intense with live discussions on LinkedIn and the FS Intelligence Hub and more. I will need a second edition of the week-in-review newsletter. Stay tuned for a special Sunday edition!