In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive deep into the future of finance with Agne Linge, Head of Growth at WeFi. Fresh from Davos, Agne shares insights into the latest trends in DeFi, AI-powered fintech, and the evolving global economy. We explore how blockchain and AI are reshaping banking, why traditional financial institutions are falling behind, and how decentralized finance is unlocking economic freedom worldwide.

🎯 Key Takeaways

✅ Why DeFi & AI are disrupting traditional banking models

✅ How blockchain enables financial freedom & inclusion

✅ The role of AI in fraud detection, KYC, and wealth management

✅ The impact of US crypto policies and Trump’s stance on blockchain

✅ The latest insights from Davos on finance, trade wars, and digital assets

📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🔸 What makes DeFi superior to traditional banking?

🔸 How AI is being used in neobanks for security, automation, and compliance

🔸 How global regulations—including in the UAE—are shaping Web3 and crypto adoption

🔸 Will blockchain disrupt central banking and government spending transparency?

🔸 How financial institutions are preparing for the AI-powered banking future

🔹 About Agne Linge

Agne Linge serves as a head of growth and board member of WeFi, with a robust background in the crypto, DeFi, and fintech sectors. She brings over eight years of experience in the crypto industry, complemented by more than ten years in consulting, where she has honed her skills in advisory services, strategic planning, and business development.Her expertise spans blockchain technologies, including Layer 1s and Layer 2s, as well as centralized and decentralized exchanges and DeFi protocols.

With a solid foundation in traditional finance, Agne’s hands-on experience in crypto and DeFi positions her as a knowledgeable voice in the field. She is an active participant in the crypto community, with a vast network that fosters collaboration and innovation. A sought-after speaker, Agne regularly presents at major global conferences, including Devcon, ETH Denver, and ETH Barcelona. Her previous roles as a director at Binance and head of communications at DeGate further highlight her influential presence in the evolving landscape of digital finance.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnelinge/

WeFi Website: https://www.wefi.co/

🎙 Episode Highlights & Timestamps

⏳ [00:01:00] – Agne Linge’s background in finance & crypto

⏳ [00:04:30] – The vision of WeFi: AI & blockchain in neobanking

⏳ [00:10:00] – Why crypto, AI, and blockchain are more than just buzzwords

⏳ [00:15:30] – Understanding DAOs: How decentralized governance works

⏳ [00:21:00] – Trump, Elon Musk & blockchain: The impact of US policies on DeFi

⏳ [00:27:45] – The role of AI in fraud detection, compliance, and risk management

⏳ [00:32:00] – The future of finance: How AI & DeFi will shape the global economy

⏳ [00:37:00] – Crypto regulation in the UAE & MENA: Why Dubai is the global Web3 hub

⏳ [00:40:30] – Final thoughts & Agne’s advice for embracing financial innovation

Struggling to scale your tech team? Not sure when to move beyond an agency and build in-house? In this episode, we dive deep into engineering team optimization, startup scaling challenges, and the future of AI in development with Vygandas Pliasas—a Fractional CTO and expert in engineering management.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ When startups should transition from an agency to an in-house team

✅ The common traps founders fall into when working with external dev teams

✅ The step-by-step process for fixing tech bottlenecks and improving team efficiency

✅ How to scale remote engineering teams without chaos

✅ AI’s impact on development and how to integrate it into your tech strategy

✅ The biggest mistakes startups make when hiring developers

✅ The red flags that indicate it’s time for a change in your tech team

🎯 Key Takeaways:

📌 Miscommunication with agencies can slow progress—here’s how to fix it

📌 The right moment to build an in-house team and hire a Fractional CTO

📌 Scaling tech teams requires balancing technical leadership & business goals

📌 AI helps but doesn’t replace human decision-making—how to use it effectively

About Vygandas:

Vygandad is a seasoned Fractional CTO and software development executive with over 18 years of experience. He specializes in scaling startups, building dedicated remote teams, and driving technical innovation. With expertise in SaaS, e-commerce, and compliance-driven industries, he helps businesses align their technology with strategic goals, ensuring impactful, sustainable growth. From mentoring engineering leaders to streamlining operations, he empowers teams to deliver excellence while cutting costs and boosting performance.

https://www.cortip.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vygandas/

⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome & intro to Vygandas Pliasas

02:30 - Why founders struggle with agency-based development

05:15 - How to know when to bring development in-house

08:40 - The challenges of scaling remote engineering teams

12:10 - Hiring & firing: How fast is too fast, how late is too late?

18:45 - AI in development: What works, what doesn’t

30:10 - The biggest startup tech mistakes and how to avoid them

38:45 - Final thoughts & where to find Vygandas online

“Reducing the amount of time to receive cash unlocks working capital and fuels business growth. AI is transforming this process like never before.” – Fabio Fleitas

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive into the world of fintech and AI-driven financial operations with Fabio Fleitas, Co-Founder and CTO of Tesorio. Tesorio is revolutionizing cash flow automation, helping businesses collect payments faster and optimize financial operations with AI.

We discuss:

• The biggest pain points finance teams face in accounts receivable and cash collections

• How Tesorio uses AI to automate collections, predict payments, and improve cash flow

• The impact of AI and automation on financial operations

• The challenges of integrating fintech solutions with banking systems

• How startups and enterprises can leverage AI to streamline financial workflows

🚀 Key Takeaways

✅ AI is revolutionizing cash collections by automating invoices, follow-ups, and reconciliation

✅ Tesorio helps reduce payment delays by analyzing financial data and predicting when invoices will be paid

✅ Businesses lose millions in bad debt write-offs—AI-driven automation can significantly cut these losses

✅ Even enterprise finance teams remain understaffed, making automation essential for scalability

✅ The rise of AI agents and operators is making financial workflows more efficient than ever

🎯 What You’ll Learn

🔹 Why late payments are a major financial bottleneck for businesses

🔹 How AI-powered tools like Tesorio improve cash flow predictability

🔹 The importance of automating financial workflows to scale without increasing headcount

🔹 How neobanks and fintech innovations are changing the financial landscape

🔹 Insights into how AI is being used in fintech beyond generative models

🎙️ About Fabio Fleitas

Fabio Fleitas is the Co-Founder & CTO of Tesorio, a fintech platform transforming how businesses manage cash flow. He started the company while studying at the University of Pennsylvania and later went through Y Combinator in 2015. Over the past decade, he has led Tesorio’s evolution from a startup to a key player in AI-powered financial automation.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabiofleitas/

https://www.tesorio.com/

⏳ Episode Highlights (Timestamps)

📌 [00:02:00] – What is Tesorio? The problem it solves for finance teams

📌 [00:04:30] – Fabio’s startup journey: from university to Y Combinator

📌 [00:06:50] – The pain points in finance and why late payments are a major issue

📌 [00:10:00] – How Tesorio automates cash collections and integrates with financial systems

📌 [00:14:30] – Addressing objections: Why companies still need specialized fintech tools

📌 [00:18:00] – AI-powered automation: How businesses can reduce cash flow risks

📌 [00:21:00] – Banking and fintech evolution: What’s changed in the last decade

📌 [00:28:00] – AI’s growing role in predicting payments and automating financial decisions

📌 [00:33:00] – The future of AI in fintech and Fabio’s take on rapid AI advancements

📌 [00:45:00] – How AI agents can now fully automate invoice submissions

📌 [00:50:00] – Advice for fintech entrepreneurs: How to build impactful AI solutions