We celebrate a milestone with fun facts from the first 100 episodes of our CU Town Hall, and share highlights from last month’s session with author/futurist Brett King. Also, FedNow refutes CBDC conspiracy theories- in real-time.       Links related to this episode:   The CU Town Hall archives: https://www.cutownhall.com/    Town Hall #100 with Brett King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnwwyQ-QQHk&feature=youtu.be    Brett’s latest book, “The Rise of Technosocialism”: https://riseoftechnosocialism.com/    Episode #68- Cannabis banking with Sundie Seefried: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl5maAO2z78    Episode #85- CUs and Crypto with UNIFY CEO Gordon Howe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TeT9DFwE78    The Fed revises its FedNow FAQs to tamp down CBDC confusion: fednow-replacing-cash-is-it-a-central-bank-digital-currency.htm">https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/is-fednow-replacing-cash-is-it-a-central-bank-digital-currency.htm    Bitcoin.com’s coverage of the bizarre FedNow “controversy” (NOTE- Glen finds this narrative misleading, but indicative of the social media dialogue): https://news.bitcoin.com/not-related-to-a-digital-currency-us-central-bank-addresses-concerns-over-fednow-payment-network/    Check out the Best Innovation Group’s latest offering, BIG Support 365. Our expert technicians integrate seamlessly with your existing teams, relieving them of monotonous server administration tasks and allowing your staff to focus on high-priority, member-centric initiatives: fintech.com/Products-Services/BIG-Support-365">https://www.big-fintech.com/Products-Services/BIG-Support-365  

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Our second round of NACUSO coverage includes interviews with Next Big Idea competition winner GoalSetter and runner-up Mahalo Banking, Fintech Madness winner Silvur, CU2.0 co-founder Chris Otey on instigating the madness, and a compelling startup (Harness) that waged battle in both events.    Links related to this episode:   GoalSetter: https://www.goalsetter.co/   Silvur: https://www.silvur.com/     Mahalo Banking: https://www.mahalobanking.com/     Harness: https://www.harnessfi.com/    CU2.0: 2.com/">https://cu-2.com/  NACUSO: https://www.nacuso.org/ Last week’s episode with additional NACUSO interviews: fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/868/More-CUSOs-More-Service">https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/868/More-CUSOs-More-Service    Check out the CU Crypto Report, a crowdsourced data analysis of how CU members are already engaging with cryptocurrency. Now accepting volunteers to contribute anonymized data to our 2023 report: https://www.cucrypto.report/ 

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From a record-setting NACUSO Network conference, Glen shares a motherlode of interviews with CUSO whisperer/attorney Brian Lauer, DePaul Defi professor Lamont Black, and a pair of founders: Leeman Baird (Hedera) and John Wingate (BankSocial).   Links related to this episode:   NACUSO: https://www.nacuso.org/  Messick, Lauer & Smith: https://www.cusolaw.com/  Our prior conversation with Lamont Black: fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/822/Stoking-the-Flames">https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/822/Stoking-the-Flames  Lamont Black’s resource-rich webpage: https://lamontblack.com/  Leeman Baird’s company Hedera: https://hedera.com/  Our prior conversation with John Wingate: fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/829/A-Lone-Star-Lighting-the-Crypto-Path">https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/829/A-Lone-Star-Lighting-the-Crypto-Path BankSocial:: https://www.banksocial.io/ 

Check out the CU Crypto Report, a crowdsourced data analysis of how CU members are already engaging with cryptocurrency. Now accepting volunteers to contribute anonymized data to our 2023 report: https://www.cucrypto.report/ 

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Amplify Credit Union CEO Kendall Garrison shares thoughts on running a fee-free shop, explains why CU members need not be overly fearful of an SVB situation, and why conveying that message requires finesse. Also- the Godot Recession, and a skewed definition of small banks.    Links related to this episode:   Amplify Credit Union’s Fee-Free approach: https://www.goamplify.com/fee-free/  Reuters’ reporting on “small bank” deposit losses: https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/us-large-bank-deposits-rose-week-after-svb-collapse-fed-data-2023-03-24/  Our prior episode untangling the SVB mess: fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/865/Silicon-Valley-Bank-through-a-Credit-Union-Lens">https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/865/Silicon-Valley-Bank-through-a-Credit-Union-Lens  Fox Business shines a light on credit union safety: https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/how-safe-credit-unions-bank-turmoil    Join us on Wednesday March 29 at Noon ET/9am PT (note the earlier time) as we celebrate the 100th episode of our live, interactive CU Town Hall. We’re marking the occasion with an appearance by noted author and futurist Brett King. All are welcome but registration is required: https://www.cutownhall.com/    Follow the Best Innovation Group on Twitter: @bigfintech Follow Glen on Twitter @154Advisors Follow John on Twitter @jbfintech  

  Now that the dust has settled (a little), John and Glen unspool the SVB and Signature Bank crises and what they mean for CUs. Also- John's already getting into arguments with ChatGPT-4.    Links related to this episode:   Our earlier episode on ChatGPT’s promise and peril: fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/859/ChatGPT-Don%E2%80%99t-You-Just-Love-It">https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/859/ChatGPT-Don%E2%80%99t-You-Just-Love-It  CUNA’s rapid response webpage with resources to help CUs communicate with members and media on the banking crisis: https://news.cuna.org/articles/print/122240-cuna-launches-page-with-bank-collapse-response-resources 

The NY Times “Hard Fork” podcast covering ChatGPT-4 and the “group chat bank run”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hard-fork/id1528594034?i=1000604620320 

Another twist in the SVB saga: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/business/svb-collapse-peter-thiel-silicon-valley-    Join us on Wednesday March 29 at Noon ET/9am PT (note the earlier time) as we celebrate the 100th episode of our live, interactive CU Town Hall. We’re marking the occasion with an appearance by noted author and futurist Brett King. All are welcome but registration is required : https://www.cutownhall.com/    Follow the Best Innovation Group on Twitter: @bigfintech Follow Glen on Twitter @154Advisors Follow John on Twitter @jbfintech

One year removed from the Crypto Bowl, Glen connects with NYDIG’s Rahm McDaniel to assess what has and hasn’t changed for credit unions and members. Also- trying (and failing) to avoid addressing Silicon Valley Bank, Silvergate and USDC.   Links related to this episode:   NYDIG: https://nydig.com/  Our earlier interview with Becky Reed of Lone Star CU and John Wingate of BankSocial: fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/829/A-Lone-Star-Lighting-the-Crypto-Path">https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/BIGcast/ArticleID/829/A-Lone-Star-Lighting-the-Crypto-Path  CU 2.0’s Fintech Madness, Thursday March 30: 2.com/fintech-madness/">https://cu-2.com/fintech-madness/   NACUSO Network Conference, March 27-29: https://www.nacuso.org/conferences/2023-nacuso-network/information/   Check out the CU Crypto Report, a crowdsourced data analysis of how CU members are already engaging with cryptocurrency. Now accepting volunteers to contribute anonymized data to the 2023 report: https://www.cucrypto.report/    Follow the Best Innovation Group on Twitter: @bigfintech Follow Glen on Twitter @154Advisors Follow John on Twitter @jbfintech

Glen shares key takeaways from CUNA’s just-completed Government Affairs Conference, including interviews with CUNA’s economics team on their business outlook and hard data proving the CU advantage in auto lending, as well as the FedNow team on the mid-year rollout of a new set of payment rails. Also, NCR Digital Banking President Doug Brown on his unit’s momentum amid a company split.   (Photo courtesy of CUNA and EPNAC)   Links related to this episode:   CUNA’s Economic Data: statistics.html">https://www.cuna.org/advocacy/credit-union---economic-data/data---statistics.html  FedNow: https://explore.fednow.org/   NCR Digital Banking: https://www.ncr.com/banking/digital-banking  CUNA GAC: https://www.cuna.org/events/gac/schedule.html    BIG’s Innovation Club convenes thought leaders across the credit union movement several times each year, engaging in educational and innovative projects leveraging new technology- from robotic process automation to distributed ledger, conversational banking, machine learning and more- to address the most pressing issues facing the financial services industry. Visit fintech.com/Innovation-Club/Technology">https://www.big-fintech.com/Innovation-Club/Technology to learn more, find out about our March in-person retreat, and consider whether your organization may be a fit. 

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Maps Credit Union COO Rachel Pross shares business takeaways from a recent outdoor adventure that veered off script. Also, a big 2019 payments deal gets unwound, and Glen rants about recession.   Links related to this episode:   Rachel’s article on the business lessons of her ill-fated mountain trek: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7029157770209746944/  Maps Credit Union: https://mapscu.com/  Payment Dive’s coverage of FIS’s Worldpay spinoff: https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/fis-spin-off-merchant-unit-worldpay-earnings-acquisitions-mergers/642594/  Anne Legg’s “Big Data, Big Climb”: https://www.anneleggthrive.com/buy-the-book  The Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow: https://www.atlantafed.org/cqer/research/gdpnow    BIG’s Innovation Club convenes thought leaders across the credit union movement several times each year, engaging in educational and innovative projects leveraging new technology- from robotic process automation to distributed ledger, conversational banking, machine learning and more- to address the most pressing issues facing the financial services industry. Visit fintech.com/Innovation-Club/Technology">https://www.big-fintech.com/Innovation-Club/Technology to learn more, find out about our March in-person retreat, and consider whether your organization may be a fit. 

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Listen, man… ChatGPT shares its thoughts on junk fees, and John and Glen share their thoughts on ChatGPT- which have become more guarded given recent revelations. Also, why have the hands become AI’s Achilles’ heel?        Links related to this episode:   John’s January CU Town Hall demo of ChatGPT illustrating its credit union potential: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQljOyr7tXY  Our BIG blog posts highlighting some of ChatGPT’s fun and foibles:  fintech.com/Media/Blog/ArticleID/856/Our-ChatGPT-Poem%20is-Funny-and-Illuminating">https://www.big-fintech.com/Media/Blog/ArticleID/856/Our-ChatGPT-Poem%20is-Funny-and-Illuminating  The New York Times’ coverage of “The Online Search Wars” that shifted the chatbot narrative: chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html  The 2013 film “Her” is looking mighty prescient: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film)   This CNN story about Microsoft Bing damage control was posted less than an hour after we recorded our episode: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/17/tech/microsoft-bing-ai-changes    BIG’s Innovation Club convenes thought leaders across the credit union movement several times each year, engaging in educational and innovative projects leveraging new technology- from robotic process automation to distributed ledger, conversational banking, machine learning and more- to address the most pressing issues facing the financial services industry. Visit fintech.com/Innovation-Club/Technology">https://www.big-fintech.com/Innovation-Club/Technology to learn more, find out about our mid-March in-person retreat, and consider whether your organization may be a fit. 

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Glen’s visit to Deluxe Exchange- during Super Bowl week!- scores interviews covering the future workforce, a small business inflection point, an acceleration in payment speed, and an unexpected jolt of economic optimism.   Links related to this episode:   Deluxe Exchange: https://www.deluxe.com/  Barlow Research: https://barlowresearch.com/index.php  Kelly Palmer’s book “The Expertise Economy”: https://www.amazon.com/Expertise-Economy-smartest-companies-learning-ebook/dp/B078W5VTCN  The US Faster Payments Council: https://fasterpaymentscouncil.org/   Check out the CU Crypto Report- This newly issued report leverages anonymized, crowdsourced CU data to illuminate how credit union members fit into the cryptocurrency movement and what role CUs can play. Get your free copy here: https://www.cucrypto.report/ 

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Follow John on Twitter @jbfintech