Fintech in 2025: Key Industry Predictions
As the fintech industry evolves to meet shifting consumer preferences and technological advancements, 2025 promises to be a pivotal year for innovation and regulation, as highlighted in Fintech Futures. Insights from industry leaders, including ClearBank, Griffin, Broadridge, and Zumo, shed light on the trends that will shape the sector in the coming year.
Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform financial services, offering new capabilities while raising concerns about fairness, transparency, and security. Joseph Lo, head of enterprise platforms at Broadridge, predicts that 2025 will see AI become truly multimodal, integrating text, images, videos, and even robotics to enhance user interactions. «AI will begin to take action on behalf of users, fundamentally changing how we interact with computers,» Lo remarks.
However, the rise of AI also attracts heightened regulatory scrutiny. Dora Grant, chief risk officer at Griffin, anticipates regulators will intensify their focus, especially concerning customer onboarding and AI-led services. She notes, “Specific attention will be directed to the security and safety challenges AI poses.”
Echoing this, Rui Dos Ramos of Fusion Risk Management highlights the need for firms to demonstrate robust control frameworks to address evolving AI threats.
Blockchain adoption gained momentum in 2024 and is set to unlock more use cases in adjacent industries. For instance, Zumo’s CEO, Nick Jones, highlights blockchain’s role in training large language models like ChatGPT, enhancing efficiency across sectors.
Stablecoins are also poised to redefine cross-border payments in 2025. Chloe Mayenobe of Thunes emphasizes their potential to reduce volatility, speed up transactions, and improve liquidity. She envisions 2025 as a turning point for stablecoin adoption.
Similarly, Sean Forward of ClearBank foresees stablecoins reaching a tipping point in payments but stresses the need for banks to develop supporting infrastructure to stay relevant.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting is set to face a critical technology bottleneck in 2025, driven by the demand for consistent, high-quality data. Andrea Fritschi of Tenity points to the emergence of «data harmonisation» platforms to ensure standardisation across regions and frameworks. “The key differentiator won’t be regulatory knowledge but the ability to deliver reliable, consistent ESG data at scale,” she states.
With the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) expanding requirements for both large firms and SMEs, Raquel Orejas of Payhawk predicts that businesses will adopt carbon tracking solutions embedded in spend management platforms to enhance transparency and accountability.
In 2025, fintech will balance innovation and adaptation as technological advances in AI and blockchain intersect with regulatory challenges. The industry will see new AI-led efficiencies, payment solutions, and standardised ESG reporting processes. Success will hinge on navigating these complexities while embracing transformative technologies.