Holly Sraeel

When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its final rule under Dodd-Frank’s Section 1033, the world of open banking and finance was set to change in unprecedented ways, not least of which is banks’ ability to innovate faster and remain agile by “co-creating” value-added products and services developed by fintechs, while still remaining compliant with requirements to protect the consumer data that is accessed and shared. An expert panel discusses the monetization and innovation potentials of APIs-as-a-Service to fintechs and the emergence of open API marketplaces, advantages of proactive compliance, third-party risk management, the need for data architecture upgrades to handle real-time access and sharing, and monitoring systems to track data access and security.

The tidal wave of fintech innovation that is transforming financial services shows no signs of retreating, as open banking, emerging technologies and customer expectations continue to evolve the industry at an accelerated pace. Bank-fintech partnerships have been instrumental in shaping the future of global digital finance, delivering seamless, mobile-first solutions, but operational risks and regulatory compliance must be managed and met by models that foster collaboration and ensure safety and soundness. Industry participants and experts weigh in on how these innovation-based partnerships are expanding access to banking services, optimizing the customer experience, speeding product development, and increasing operational efficiency—all with an eye on establishing a framework for bank-fintech partnership that manages risks and compliance without compromising innovation.

Payroll and workforce management providers are embedding instant wage access and virtual wallets into their platforms to give employers the ability to provide employees with greater options as to when and how they get paid. Yet these embedded solutions suggest another emerging trend: That employees could soon also have access to more affordable consumer bank products and financial tax and health benefits through their employers’ payroll and workforce management platforms, particularly as younger workers look to “unbank” themselves.

The urgency of personalization and customer experience over the next five years is being driven by customers that are demanding products and services tailored—in real time—to their individual needs and smoother, frictionless experiences across platforms and channels. The ability of banks to deliver on both will drive customer acquisition and growth. Artificial intelligence is playing a central role in banks’ ability to use data-driven insights to capitalize on the hyper-personalization of financial services, including predictive engagement for real-time CX. Yet the vast opportunities must be balanced with operational commitment and execution on privacy, trust and compliance concerns.

Perhaps nowhere is artificial intelligence more vital to digital banking than in identifying risks and ensuring compliance with regulations, while also increasing operational efficiency and futureproofing against known and unknown risks. If financial institutions want to develop a modern-day playbook for AI-driven compliance and risk management, then learn from these experts and practitioners on how to develop an integrated approach that will ensure a compliance framework that meets banks’ needs in a complex regulatory environment with greater efficiency.

Why Digital-First Wealth Platforms and Banks See a Hybrid Model as a Wealth Generator for All

As innovation accelerates, economic uncertainty grows and the regulatory environment seems fluid, this super-panel discussion with high-profile executives from across the digital finance landscape, including banks and financial institutions, fintechs, venture capitalists, and management consultants, takes the audience through five or so critical themes that will drive the future of digital finance over the next five years and the implications for players industry-wide. Themes to be explored include the dramatic rise of account-to-account (A2A) payments, social commerce and payments, the institutionalization of generative and agentic artificial intelligence, the mainstreaming of stablecoin payments and on-chain finance, the emergence of new models for Banking-as-a-Service and Payments-as-Service, and the impact of cyber risks on identity verification, privacy and compliance are among the top-of-mind trends.