London greeted me with its signature drizzle, the usual rush of black cabs, and hurried footsteps. I arrived at MoneyLive running on coffee and curiosity, ready to dive into the whirlwind of fintech discussions, networking, and—let’s be honest—a fair share of industry buzzwords. But this time, something felt different. It wasn’t just talk. It was execution.
Open banking dominated conversations again, as expected. We’ve debated its potential for years, but it felt like we had turned a corner this time: fewer hypotheticals and more real-world use cases. Companies are moving past compliance checkboxes and actually delivering seamless, customer-focused integrations. The shift is happening, albeit slower than we’d like, but the progress is undeniable. The real challenge now is adoption. Regulators and banks may be aligned on the bigger picture, but making it truly work for consumers at scale is still a work in progress. Until open banking becomes as natural as tapping a card at a coffee shop, we’re not quite there yet.
Then came cross-border payments—a topic that always sparks debate. Someone asked the golden question: “Why does it take three days to send money internationally when I can send a text in seconds?” No one had a perfect answer, but I saw a shift in the industry’s mindset. Companies are actively building solutions instead of just acknowledging the problem: faster settlements, clearer fee structures, and genuine innovation beyond flashy user interfaces. There’s still a long way to go, but real progress is happening. Companies are also exploring blockchain-based solutions, stablecoins, and alternative rails to circumvent the inefficiencies of legacy systems. The promise is there—but the friction between regulation, compliance, and practicality still needs to be resolved before we see a true shift.
A session on fraud prevention turned out to be one of the most thought-provoking. The panelists didn’t sugarcoat it: fraudsters are getting smarter, and businesses need to be two steps ahead. One comment stuck with me—”If you’re detecting fraud when it happens, you’re already too late.” That summed up the industry’s new approach: proactive fraud detection through AI and behavioral analytics. The goal isn’t just to catch fraud; it’s to prevent it before it even happens. It’s a game-changer, and the companies investing in this now will set the standard for financial security in the future. Another emerging challenge? The rise of authorized push payment (APP) fraud, where customers are tricked into making fraudulent transactions themselves. As AI becomes more sophisticated in detecting fraud, criminals are adapting just as fast. The ongoing battle between security and convenience will define the next decade of financial crime prevention.
Between sessions, the real magic happened. Over hurried coffees and impromptu introductions, I had some of the most valuable conversations of the entire event. One particularly fascinating discussion was with a startup founder who is rethinking the way we assess creditworthiness. Instead of relying on outdated credit scores, his company analyzes real-time financial behavior—how people manage their money today, not how they did three years ago. If this model scales, lending could be reshaped as we know it. Traditional credit assessment models don’t account for financial resilience as a behavioral approach does. Will this become the new standard? Possibly. But legacy institutions aren’t always eager to rewrite the rulebook overnight.
Artificial intelligence was, of course, everywhere, not just as a buzzword but as a tangible force that reshapes finance. The next phase isn’t just automation—it’s intelligent banking. Imagine a banking app that doesn’t just display your balance but actively helps you manage it. “If you make this purchase, your budget for the month will be tight.” “Rent is due in three days—consider adjusting your spending.” This level of personalization isn’t years away—it’s happening now. And the banks that fail to embrace it will struggle to keep up. AI is also making an impact on customer service. Chatbots are getting smarter, reducing the need for human intervention in routine banking inquiries, but the key challenge is ensuring that AI-powered services remain personal, empathetic, and genuinely helpful rather than frustrating black holes of automated responses.
As always, the best moments weren’t in the formal sessions but in the unscripted interactions. The quick “Hey, I think we’ve met before” conversations that turn into unexpected collaborations. The late-night strategy discussions are where real insights surface. These are the moments that drive fintech forward—not just presentations but people solving real problems together. I even found myself in a spontaneous debate about the future of decentralized finance (DeFi). Some believe it’s the inevitable evolution of banking; others see it as an overhyped experiment. What’s clear is that DeFi has forced traditional financial institutions to rethink their approach. Whether or not it becomes mainstream, the ideas it has introduced—borderless transactions, trustless systems, and financial inclusivity—are influencing the broader industry.
As I walked through London that evening, reflecting on the event, one thing was clear: fintech isn’t slowing down. The companies that innovate relentlessly will lead the industry. The ones that hesitate? They’ll be playing catch-up. MoneyLive reinforced one thing above all—this industry doesn’t wait for anyone. After this event, I left not just with insights but also with a clearer vision of where fintech is headed. The next year will bring more changes, more breakthroughs, and undoubtedly, more questions. But if there’s one certainty, it’s this: we’re just getting started.
