CEO

Darin Petty

"The Fintech Infrastructure Architect"

Darin Petty is a recognized authority in composable fintech infrastructure and the CEO & Co-Founder of Chisel.

With over 25 years of experience spanning every layer of the financial services ecosystem—from traditional banking to cutting-edge fintech platforms—Darin has built his reputation as the executive who predicted the BaaS consolidation and consistently delivers systematic and educational insights that help financial institutions and fintech companies navigate complex infrastructure decisions.

As a former key executive in the industry, Darin brings unparalleled depth in banking infrastructure, having worked on all sides of the payments equation: banks, networks, processors, and fintech startups.

This unique 360-degree perspective positions him as a true visionary in the composable fintech infrastructure space, where he advocates for the "Infrastructure Ownership Model" or "Direct Member Ownership" model that enables companies to own their financial stack rather than rent access to someone else's platform.

Professional Experience & Credentials

Banking & Payments Ecosystem Expertise

Darin's career spans the complete financial services value chain, providing him with insider knowledge of how banking infrastructure actually works:

Leadership Roles:

Chisel - CEO & Co-Founder (2025-Present)
FinTech Tradecraft - Co-Founder (2018-Present)
Pomelo, Inc. - Head of Operations and Compliance, Current Company Advisor (2020-2023)
WebBank - SVP Payments & Technology (2018-2019)
Galileo Financial Technologies - EVP Operations and Program Management (2006-2011)

Enterprise Roles:

Chisel - CEO & Co-Founder (2025-Present)
FinTech Tradecraft - Co-Founder (2018-Present)
Pomelo, Inc. - Head of Operations and Compliance, Current Company Advisor (2020-2023)
WebBank - SVP Payments & Technology (2018-2019)
Galileo Financial Technologies - EVP Operations and Program Management (2006-2011)

Proven Track Record:

Built Galileo's Foundation: During the startup phase, Darin helped establish Galileo's operational infrastructure including live agent support, disputes and chargebacks, fraud prevention, and company-owned card program management
Predicted Industry Trends: Successfully forecasted the BaaS consolidation that led to platform failures like Synapse, positioning clients to avoid vendor lock-in risks
Cross-Industry Expertise: The only executive with hands-on experience across banks, networks, processors, and fintech startups
Scale & Growth: Contributed to growing organizations from startup phases to multi-billion dollar operations

Areas of Expertise

Composable Infrastructure Design

Darin pioneered the concept of composable fintech infrastructure, advocating for modular, plug-and-play systems that give companies ownership and control over their financial technology stack. His "Infrastructure Ownership Model" framework helps organizations:

Evaluate build vs. buy decisions with realistic cost and timeline assessments
Design composable architectures that avoid vendor lock-in
Implement regulatory-compliant systems from day one
Scale infrastructure efficiently without platform dependencies

Banking Infrastructure & Compliance

With experience at WebBank and across traditional banking institutions, Darin provides deep expertise in:

Bank partnership strategies and sponsor bank relationships
Regulatory compliance frameworks (KYC/AML, FFIEC, OCC guidelines)
Risk management and operational resilience
Direct Member Ownership (DMO) program structures

Payments & Processing Systems

Darin's technical expertise covers the complete payments ecosystem:

Card issuing and processing system architecture
Interchange economics and network relationships
API integration and system interoperability
Payment system optimization and performance

Fintech Program Management

From concept to launch, Darin has managed complete fintech program implementations:

End-to-end program design and execution
Vendor selection and contract negotiation
Financial modeling and revenue optimization
Operational process design and team building

Signature Frameworks & Methodologies

Infrastructure Ownership Model

Darin's flagship framework that helps fintech companies and financial institutions evaluate the true cost of platform dependency versus infrastructure ownership. This methodology has helped dozens of companies avoid the vendor lock-in that led to the Synapse collapse and similar platform failures.

Composable Stack Methodology

A systematic approach to building modular financial infrastructure that can adapt and scale without requiring complete platform migrations. This framework emphasizes:

Modular component selection and integration
Regulatory compliance by design
Cost optimization through bulk-negotiated partnerships
Risk mitigation through vendor diversification

Post-Synapse Architecture Principles

Following the collapse of major BaaS platforms, Darin developed a set of architectural principles that help organizations build resilient financial infrastructure:

Platform independence and vendor diversification
Direct banking relationships and DMO structures
Compliance-first design and implementation
Sustainable economics and realistic growth modeling

Thought Leadership & Content

Darin writes extensively about composable fintech infrastructure, banking partnerships, and the evolution of financial technology. His content consistently demonstrates the systematically educational approach that has made him a trusted advisor to fintech executives and banking leaders.

Speaking & Media Appearances

Darin is a frequent speaker at major fintech conferences and industry events, sharing insights on:

Composable infrastructure design and implementation
Banking partnership strategies and compliance
Post-Synapse market evolution and risk mitigation
The future of embedded finance and financial technology

View Darin's complete media appearances and speaking history

Test Post

Test Post ...more

Infrastructure

August 07, 2025•0 min read

Why Darin's Perspective Matters

In an industry where many consultants and executives have experience on one side of the financial services equation, Darin brings the rare perspective of someone who has "been on all four sides"— banks, networks, processors, and fintech startups. This cross-industry experience, combined with his track record of predicting major market shifts, makes his insights particularly valuable for:

Fintech CEOs and CTOs seeking to build scalable, compliant infrastructure
Banking executives evaluating partnership strategies and technology investments
Investors and advisors assessing fintech business models and platform risks
Compliance and risk professionals implementing regulatory frameworks

Educational Philosophy

Darin's communication style is fundamentally educational, breaking down complex fintech concepts into digestible, step-by-step explanations. He naturally assumes a teaching role, ensuring that clients and readers understand not just what to do, but why and how financial systems work at a fundamental level. This approach reflects Chisel's core value of "Simplify" - whittling everything down to the simplest solution that works better and can be built faster.