Executive Editor, Technology
American Banker
Penny Crosman is Interim Editor-in-Chief at Digital Insurance and Executive Editor, Technology at American Banker and Arizent. Prior to taking on these roles, she was Editor in Chief of Bank Technology News and Technology Editor of American Banker. She has held senior editorial roles at Bank Systems & Technology, Wall Street & Technology, Intelligent Enterprise, Network Magazine and Imaging Magazine.
The U.S. digital banking landscape in 2026 is undergoing a profound transformation as regulators shift toward a more innovation-friendly and deregulatory stance, moving away from previous cycles of caution and restriction toward a mandate for technological integration. Experts will discuss the “regulatory sea change” under the current administration, including the rescinding of restrictive crypto guidance and the push for standardized licensing for digital asset service providers.
The panel will also consider the maturation of AI-driven lending regulations, meeting enhanced cybersecurity mandates for real-time payment systems, and managing the evolving balance of power as state regulators increasingly step into consumer oversight roles. This discussion will provide attendees with actionable insights on how these 2026 shifts redefine compliance from a cost center into a strategic driver of operational stability and competitive advantage.
The regulatory ground is shifting beneath the fintech industry. The CFPB’s landmark 1033 open banking rule—finalized in October 2024—is now under reconsideration by new agency leadership, with enforcement enjoined and compliance timelines uncertain. Meanwhile, fintech-bank partnerships face heightened scrutiny following high-profile failures, and embedded finance providers navigate a patchwork of state licensing requirements that vary wildly by product and jurisdiction. This panel brings together fintech policy advocates and regulatory practitioners to examine the most pressing questions: Will open banking regulation survive in recognizable form? How should institutions prepare when the rules keep changing? And where can industry advocacy shape outcomes that balance innovation with consumer protection?
Banks struggle to move AI from pilots to permanence because they treat intelligence as a tool rather than infrastructure. This fireside chat examines how to embed AI agents into enterprise workflows, measure integration beyond efficiency metrics, and lead transformation that builds trust rather than erodes it. Drawing from her book Return on Intelligence, Kristin Milchanowski shares frameworks for scaling AI across complex organizations while maintaining human-centered leadership. The conversation addresses why innovation without empathy creates resistance, how to move from experimentation to embedded ecosystems, and what return on intelligence actually means when efficiency alone isn’t enough.
Every click away from your platform is a conversion risk. Buy-now-pay-later proved that embedded finance isn’t just convenience—it’s a revenue driver. Platforms offering seamless, embedded financial products see higher average order values, increased conversion rates, and stronger customer loyalty. This session examines how leading platforms turn embedded finance into competitive advantage: which financial products drive the most revenue, designing experiences that feel native rather than bolted-on, understanding the unit economics, and when to partner with fintech providers versus building in-house. The future belongs to platforms that never make customers leave.
Financial institutions face a fundamental challenge: customers expect speed and agility, but complex regulatory environments and legacy infrastructure make rapid transformation extraordinarily difficult. This panel examines what enables operational velocity at scale: transforming payments and operations at institutions processing massive transaction volumes, building the data infrastructure that enables both enterprise agility and AI deployment at scale, and understanding which architectural patterns from modern financial institutions can be adapted to legacy environments. The conversation addresses what traditional banks must modernize to achieve velocity, how AI and automation compress timelines without sacrificing reliability or compliance, and real-world examples of achieving speed while maintaining security and regulatory standards at enterprise scale.
Generative artificial intelligence is driving significant innovation in data analytics, which, in turn, is accelerating business outcomes and mitigating risk in banking and financial services. It’s also changing how customers interact with and benefit from their banking relationships. This expert panel will delve into the evolving use cases of GenAI within banking and provide a roadmap for success.
How Co-Locating Talent Across Tech, Operations, and Client-Facing Teams Accelerates Innovation and Responsiveness
By bringing together diverse skill sets and perspectives, how can companies foster a culture of collaboration and creativity, driving solutions that meet client needs? In this fireside chat, BNY’s Chief Administrative Officer Alejandro Perez will discuss the global bank’s strategy in co-locating talent in order to break down silos, increase knowledge sharing, reduce time-to-market for new products and services and deliver a world-class client experience.
As financial institutions navigate complex regulatory requirements and prioritize data security, the right foundation and architecture ensures they can fully exploit AI technologies while safeguarding sensitive information. What are the enabling architectural principles of supply chain data? Join us to learn strategies for building an adaptive, intelligent banking ecosystem with generative AI at its heart.
Gain strategic insights and practical tactics for optimizing your banking environment to effectively combat the threats posed by cyber risks and losses resulting from increasingly sophisticated attacks and fraud.