Visa Spotlights

In this episode of Visa Spotlights, we explore how stablecoins are moving from speculation to real-world utility—and what this means for the future of payments across CEMEA. Host Dan Baxter, Vice President of Corporate Communications, CEMEA at Visa, sits down with Shahebaz Khan, SVP Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, CEMEA, Visa.
Together, they discuss how stablecoins can enable faster, always-on and programmable money movement, from cross-border remittances and business liquidity to payouts and everyday payments. Shahebaz also shares how Visa is helping financial institutions build and scale stablecoin solutions through Visa Direct, its Stablecoin Advisory Practice and strategic partnerships.
The conversation also explores the role of stablecoins in Gen Z’s digital economy and the emerging world of agentic commerce, where AI agents could increasingly transact on behalf of consumers.
You’ll hear how Visa is:
• Turning stablecoins into practical payment and settlement solutions
• Enabling faster, more flexible cross-border money movement
• Helping financial institutions build and scale stablecoin products
• Unlocking new opportunities across remittances, payouts and digital commerce
• Preparing for the next generation of AI-powered and programmable commerce
For more podcasts by Visa, visit: https://km.visamiddleeast.com/en_KM/about-visa/cemea-podcast.html#1

In this episode, we explore how performance, scale, and partnership are redefining global payments in an era of rapid digital acceleration. Host Dan Baxter, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEMEA) at Visa, sits down with Matthieu Barral, Global Head of Partnerships at Checkout.com, during the Visa Payments Forum in Paris.

Together, they unpack Checkout.com’s growth journey to processing over $300 billion in annual payment volume and what it takes to build a high-performing global payments business. From shifting customer expectations to the rise of real-time, data-driven commerce, Matthieu shares his perspective on the most consequential changes shaping the payments ecosystem—and the opportunities they unlock for merchants worldwide.

The conversation dives into the concept of “payment performance” and why reliability, optimization, and seamless user experiences have become critical competitive advantages. Matthieu also explains how Checkout.com balances global scale with local expertise across more than 50 markets, enabling businesses to operate with precision in diverse regulatory and consumer environments.

You’ll hear how Visa and Checkout.com are:

•Driving higher payment acceptance and performance for merchants globally
• Enabling seamless, scalable commerce across borders with local market expertise
•Responding to industry shifts including real-time payments, AI-driven optimization, and evolving consumer expectations
•Strengthening the payments ecosystem through deep strategic partnership
•Building resilient, high-performance infrastructure to support the next generation of digital commerce
For more podcasts by Visa, visit: https://km.visamiddleeast.com/en_KM/about-visa/cemea-podcast.html#1

In this episode, we explore how fraud and cyber risk are evolving across the payments ecosystem as commerce becomes more digital, automated, and AI‑enabled. Threat actors are adapting in parallel, using automation, social engineering, deepfakes, and ransomware to move faster and at greater scale.
Host Dan Baxter, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEMEA), sits down with Charles Lobo, Senior Vice President and Regional Risk Officer for CEMEA, to unpack how AI is reshaping both attacks and defenses, and what institutions need to do to stay resilient. Together, they look at how consumer expectations are changing as people embrace new ways to shop—from social commerce to AI‑assisted discovery—and what it takes for banks, merchants, platforms, and payment networks to keep those experiences secure, trusted, and seamless.
You’ll hear how Visa is:
Using AI and advanced analytics to detect and disrupt emerging fraud patterns
Partnering across the ecosystem to strengthen cyber and payments resilience
Helping clients protect new digital experiences, from social commerce to AI‑driven journeys
Supporting risk, compliance, and security teams with tools and insights to stay ahead of evolving threats
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Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3NSt0Lz
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3YNIz9S
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4rt38V5
For more podcasts by Visa, visit: https://km.visamiddleeast.com/en_KM/about-visa/cemea-podcast.html#1

In this episode we explore how policy, technology, and public‑private partnerships are reshaping financial inclusion as we move deeper into 2026. Host Dan Baxter, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEMEA), sits down with Joanne Kubba, Visa’s SVP & Head of Government Affairs for CEMEA, to unpack the frameworks, regulatory models, and emerging technologies accelerating inclusive economic growth.
Together, they dive into how financial inclusion has shifted from a philanthropic aspiration to a cornerstone of global economic stability — and what it takes to scale it responsibly. Joanne breaks down the critical role of harmonized regulation, modern infrastructure, and cross‑sector collaboration in unlocking equitable access to financial services across diverse markets.
You’ll hear how Visa is:
• Enabling digital transformation through public‑private partnerships
• Modernizing cross‑border money movement through Visa Direct and regulated, payment‑grade stablecoin settlement
• Powering AI‑enabled opportunities for MSMEs through Visa Intelligent Commerce and the Trusted Agent Protocol
• Supporting government adoption of modern payment technologies while balancing innovation, interoperability, and consumer protection
• Strengthening ecosystem resilience with tokenization, digital identity, and global policy collaboration
SUBSCRIBE
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3NSt0Lz
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3YNIz9S
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4rt38V5
For more podcasts by Visa, visit: https://km.visamiddleeast.com/en_KM/about-visa/cemea-podcast.html#1

Visa Spotlights returns with a deep dive into the fast‑evolving world of payments as we enter 2026. In this episode, host Dan Baxter, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEMEA), sits down with Tareq Muhmood, Visa’s Regional President for CEMEA, to unpack the forces reshaping how people pay, shop, and interact with money across one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

Together, they explore the state of the digital economy across CEMEA, the rapid acceleration of cash displacement, the rise of tokenization, and a fast‑maturing financial ecosystem. Looking ahead, Tareq breaks down six major trends defining 2026—from stablecoins moving into real‑world utility, to AI‑driven agentic commerce, to hyper‑personalized financial experiences built on trust and agility.

You will hear how Visa is:
• Expanding stablecoin settlement and enabling 7‑day‑a‑week cross‑border movement
• Building the trust framework for agentic commerce and next‑gen AI‑protected payments
• Fighting evolving fraud threats through biometrics, Visa Protect AI models, and Passkeys
• Powering the era beyond OTPs, manual guest checkout, and friction-heavy online purchases
• Accelerating financial inclusion through local partnerships across Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia
• Helping banks and merchants unlock “Segment of One” personalization with modular, data-rich systems

A forward-looking, insight-packed conversation for anyone interested in the future of payments — and how innovation, trust, and inclusion will shape the next wave of digital commerce in 2026 and beyond.

SUBSCRIBE
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3NSt0Lz
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3YNIz9S
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4qCTEa8
For more podcasts by Visa, visit: https://km.visamiddleeast.com/en_KM/about-visa/cemea-podcast.html#1