iWorld
The $1.75 Billion Lifeline: Why Financial Inclusion Stole the Spotlight at Davos 2026
This year at the WEF conference in Davos, Binance led a discussion forum event at Goals House, an event series and meeting space, to discuss how crypto can be used to improve financial inclusion. That means providing financial services and market access to the still over one billion people that lack access to such services. The discussion also covered pressing issues facing the developing world that crypto has shown serious promise in being able to improve, if not resolve outright. The session brought several Binance thought leaders to meet face-to-face with government and civil leaders to discuss real solutions.
The discussion was split into three goal-oriented topics, each one aimed at targeting a specific, concrete need that crypto can address.
Remittances and Cross-Border Payments
Traditional remittance fees function, in practice, as a tax on the world’s poorest families. Every year, billions of dollars are siphoned away through intermediaries simply for moving money across borders. By contrast, Binance’s payment and settlement technology has already returned nearly $2 billion directly to families by reducing fees and friction in cross-border transfers; an outcome that represents not just financial efficiency, but a tangible social victory.
As Binance CMO Rachel Conlan commented, “Between 2022 and 2024, Binance helped users save $1.75 billion in remittance fees by enabling $26 billion in instant crypto remittances. A significant proportion of this was done in stablecoins due to their speed, low cost, and cross-border efficiency. That’s not just a statistic; it’s a lifeline for families and small businesses relying on affordable, fast cross-border payments.”
In 2023, the World Bank estimated remittance flows to lower and middle income countries at $656 billion, with the number expected to grow annually. Traditionally, banks and money transfer operators (think Western Union, Wise, etc) were the only choices for quickly moving money. While these services get the job done, they come with a cost that can often be steep.
During the Goals House conference with Binance, participants identified how crypto could level the playing field between those sending remittances, and those moving the money. Specifically, they discussed the idea that blockchain payment rails can significantly shorten settlement times and enhance the transparency of fee structures.
In short, blockchain payments can make remittances faster, cheaper, and more transparent. This could prove to be a significant win for remittance senders as the fees they paid in 2023 almost exceeded US foreign aid itself at $51 billion.
The same cost, speed and transparency benefits would apply to cross-border payments as well, drastically reducing the costs of cooperative global trade and helping small business players to compete more effectively.
Better Settlement, Bolstering Flexibility for Emerging Market Businesses
The second topic of discussion at the Goals House forum was all about how to “reduce frictions, expand access to credit, and make working capital more available to businesses that are underserved by traditional channels”.
In business terms, friction can be thought of as anything that slows or interferes with the normal process of business. For example, it may be difficult in some parts of the world to get a business bank account that is able to receive cross-border payments or handle foreign currencies. Or perhaps banks may not be interested in investing the time in setting up an account for a business that they consider as being too small or just not worth it.
Settlement, on the other hand, is the concept of defining when the movement of money is complete. For example, buying something with a credit card typically means the selling business won’t actually get the funds you paid to them until at least several days later, when the funds finally “settle”.
At the Binance forum, participants discussed how crypto infrastructure can help or even bypass many of these frictions entirely. For example, cryptocurrencies can allow for near-instant cross border business payments with similarly fast and transparent settlement. Smaller businesses can be included in the global economy without fear of a bank acting as a gate keeper. The group also discussed how “on-chain financing mechanisms” can help SMEs get investments that are sourced globally.
A New Model for Foreign Aid
The issue of foreign aid has been a prickly one for ages. Lack of transparency, slow speed and unaligned goals have raised complaints since the concept began. However, the idea of what Binance calls “programmable assistance and targeted grants” changes the game entirely.
Instead of the black box process that foreign aid money handling can feel like, the idea proposed here is that aid money can be distributed through smart contracts that are tied to specific goals and outcomes. Such a system could mean increased accountability, transparency, and effectiveness of funds.
Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/06/what-the-data-says-about-us-foreign-aid/sr_25-02-06_foreign-aid_4/
Rather than operating as a black box, foreign aid could function on a transparent, programmable ledger. In the United States alone, annual foreign aid totals $71.9 billion, with 22.3% allocated to Health, 21.7% to Humanitarian Assistance, and 14.7% specifically directed toward HIV/AIDS programs. Today, those funds are largely “disbursed” through layers of intermediaries, reporting requirements, and delayed oversight.
Under a programmable aid model enabled by blockchain infrastructure, that funding would instead be coded with conditions. Resources earmarked for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, or medication delivery would be released automatically as predefined milestones are met. Every dollar committed would be traceable, every release auditable, and every outcome visible ensuring that public funds are not only spent, but spent exactly as intended.
This approach does not change the mission of foreign or humanitarian aid. It changes the mechanism by replacing opacity with accountability, and trust-based disbursement with verifiable execution.
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iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
