2025 Agenda
6 Content Stages

Official opening of the Digital Transformation Stage, setting the agenda for two days of sessions on the technology reshaping the financial services industry.

A forward-looking state-of-the-sector address examining where UK fintech stands, the regulatory environment shaping its next growth phase, and the technology investments that will define competitive positioning in the years ahead.

Have neobanks disrupted the UK market as much as predicted? How are traditional banks adapting to meet new expectations? This panel examines whether challenger banks are driving sustainable change and what the competitive landscape looks like going into 2026.

Building robust API infrastructure for real-time payments demands a fundamentally different approach to reliability, latency, and error handling. First-hand lessons from designing payments APIs at scale for instant settlement environments.

AI code generation is here - but is it producing teams that move faster, or teams that no longer understand what they've built? A session on raising the bar from AI-assisted coding to genuinely AI-elevated engineering practice in financial services.

How a platform-first approach to AI deployment enables digital banks to ship faster, scale more efficiently, and embed intelligence across customer journeys without rebuilding core infrastructure from scratch.

Where is AI genuinely accelerating digital transformation in banking - and where is it creating new complexity? Practitioners from tier-one institutions compare experiences and examine what responsible AI transformation looks like at scale.

A hands-on case study in building agentic AI systems for financial customer support - the architecture decisions, compliance constraints, and user experience trade-offs that determine whether AI agents earn customer trust or undermine it.

How connecting real-time business data to cross-border payment flows unlocks new value - from smarter FX decisions to faster reconciliation and lower counterparty risk in international transactions.

How regulations are driving open banking adoption; open banking's role in fintech innovation; concerns for data privacy and security; and the evolving collaboration model between banks and fintechs building on open API ecosystems.

A case study in building a generative AI product that earns and sustains customer trust in a regulated financial services environment - from data governance to interaction design, the decisions that determined success.

Principles for responsible AI are easy to write. Implementing them inside real financial institutions, under commercial pressure, with regulatory scrutiny, is considerably harder. The governance frameworks and practical tools that are actually being used.

Opening of day two of the Digital Transformation Stage.

How Lloyds Banking Group built a robust framework for measuring engineering productivity across one of the UK's largest technology estates, and what they learned moving from traditional banking metrics to modern engineering intelligence.

Infrastructure as Code for repeatable cloud deployments; CI/CD pipelines for agile improvement; containerised deployment; and monitoring to ensure reliability at scale inside regulated financial environments.

AI coding tools are boosting developer velocity - but also introducing new risk categories. Where AI coding tools genuinely accelerate delivery in financial services, and where they introduce fragility that teams haven't yet caught.

As AI inference moves closer to the point of data generation, edge computing is emerging as both a performance and privacy solution for financial services. Architecture options and real-world tradeoffs of deploying AI at the edge.

The case for incremental modernisation over wholesale platform replacement - how financial institutions can accelerate delivery and reduce risk by working intelligently with existing legacy systems rather than attempting costly full rewrites.

Addressing the lack of mentorship and visible role models in male-dominated technology disciplines; personal experiences of women building careers in fintech, AI, and DevOps; what the next generation of female tech leaders needs from the industry.

From intelligent prioritisation to automated testing and code review, AI is beginning to address the technology backlog challenges that have slowed delivery at large financial institutions. Practical evidence on what is being deployed and with what results.

Identifying which types of tech debt pose the greatest risk; balancing modernisation with product delivery and business goals; incremental refactoring vs. large-scale replatforming; building visibility and executive buy-in for technical investment programmes.

Official opening of the RegTech, Compliance & Security Stage, setting the agenda for two days of sessions on the technology reshaping financial regulation and compliance operations.

Quantum computing is approaching practical capability faster than most regulatory frameworks are prepared for. This session examines the implications for financial regulation - from cryptographic security to computational risk modelling - and what institutions should be doing now to prepare.

Strategies for minimising bias during data collection; challenges with autonomous decision making in AI-driven systems; developing ethical frameworks to guide use of AI in financial institutions; the impact of evolving regulatory expectations on AI governance programmes at scale.

How financial institutions are harnessing large-scale data pipelines to improve the accuracy, speed, and auditability of regulatory reporting - and the data governance challenges that arise when compliance depends on data quality across complex, multi-system environments.

How cross-institutional data sharing is improving fraud detection and financial crime prevention - exploring the practical frameworks, legal constraints, and technology architectures that make interoperable regtech infrastructure possible inside a regulated environment.

Cloud-native compliance platforms enabling financial institutions to consume regulatory technology as a managed service rather than building it in-house. This session examines what the RegTech-as-a-Service model looks like in practice and where it delivers the most value.

Where AI is genuinely automating compliance processes - from regulatory reporting and model validation to policy interpretation and audit trail generation. A practical session on what is being deployed at tier-one financial institutions and the risk and governance implications.

Key factors driving growth in the regtech sector; how investing in regtech can reduce costs and improve operational efficiency; emerging technologies creating new investment opportunities; the impact of evolving regulatory requirements on the addressable market.

FINTECH Circle's signature takeover session - a fast-format showcase of early-stage fintech and regtech companies presenting to an audience of compliance leaders, investors, and industry practitioners. Five founders. Five challenges. One hour.

Opening of day two of the RegTech, Compliance & Security Stage.

A practical briefing on the regulatory changes shaping UK financial services in 2025-2026 - from Consumer Duty to the FCA's data and AI strategy - and what compliance teams need to prioritise in their programmes now.

RegTech's role in automating compliance and preventing financial crime; how AI, ML, and data are transforming fraud detection; real-time monitoring and analytics to detect suspicious activity; automating AML and KYC processes at scale in regulated environments.

Financial influencer marketing is growing fast - and so is FCA scrutiny of financial promotions on social media. How fintech brands can work with finfluencers effectively without crossing the compliance line, and what the approved person regime means for creator partnerships.

A session from inside the FCA on how the regulator's innovation services - including the regulatory sandbox, digital sandbox, and innovation pathways - are designed to help fintech companies navigate authorisation and scale while staying compliant.

Digital business verification is a foundational piece of the UK's fintech infrastructure. This session examines CFIT's work on business identity and how a robust digital verification ecosystem can reduce friction, cut fraud, and accelerate onboarding across the financial sector.

A rapid-format session mapping the seven most significant AI risk vectors compliance leaders need on their radar - from model drift and adversarial attacks to data poisoning and hallucination in regulated decision systems - with practical mitigation approaches for each.

How are regulatory authorities approaching decentralised technology? Tackling concerns of legal uncertainty and security risks in DeFi protocols; standardisation of smart contracts; and what a workable regulatory framework for decentralised finance actually looks like in practice.

Closing reflections from the stage chair, summarising key themes and takeaways from two days of the RegTech, Compliance & Security Stage.

Official opening of the PayTech & eCommerce Stage, setting the agenda for two days of sessions on the technology reshaping payments, embedded finance, and digital commerce.

A forward scan of the technology trends reshaping global payments infrastructure and corporate cash management - from real-time rails to intelligent treasury platforms and the convergence of FX with payments data.

Utilising AI for fraud detection and prevention; AI for combatting financial crime, risk assessment and credit scoring; balancing security with privacy concerns; adapting to a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape while maintaining payment security at scale.

From account-to-account payments and digital wallets to buy-now-pay-later and instant credit, alternative payment methods are gaining share at the point of sale and in ecommerce. A central bank perspective on the competitive dynamics reshaping the payments landscape.

How corporate treasury teams are demanding real-time visibility and execution capability across their payment flows - and what the infrastructure investments required to deliver it actually look like from the inside of a global bank.

How payment technology is being deployed to extend access to financial services for underserved populations - from digitising cash-dependent communities to designing for low-income consumers and SMEs historically excluded from mainstream payment infrastructure.

Challenges in modernising legacy payment systems across borders and platforms; the role of open banking and APIs in streamlining B2B transaction flows; strategic opportunities in partnering with fintechs to accelerate B2B payments transformation at enterprise scale.

How embedded finance is redefining financial distribution; improving operational efficiency through integration; new roles and partnerships in the finance value chain; the effect of embedded finance on customer relationships, revenue models, and competitive positioning.

How embedded spend management platforms are enabling SMBs to control, automate, and optimise their business payments within the tools they already use - with implications for banks, card networks, and the fintechs building the next generation of business financial products.

Closing remarks from the PayTech & eCommerce Stage, wrapping up day one of the programme.

Opening of day two of the PayTech & eCommerce Stage.

Securing data across increasingly complex payment ecosystems; threat detection and response strategies in real-time transaction flows; managing third-party and API-related cybersecurity risks; evolving regulatory expectations for payment security and operational resilience.

The Bank of England's Meridian Securities settlement project - a demonstration of how securities settlement infrastructure can be modernised using distributed ledger technology, with practical lessons for market participants considering similar wholesale financial market infrastructure upgrades.

How AI-driven automation is cutting the cost and complexity of VAT compliance and tax payment workflows for ecommerce merchants operating across multiple jurisdictions - with specific focus on the UK, EU, and emerging market regulatory requirements.

How real-time payment rails are creating new demands on liquidity management - and how banks and treasurers are adapting their intraday liquidity strategies, funding models, and risk frameworks to operate in an always-on payments environment.

What it takes to architect payment systems that meet evolving regulatory requirements from the ground up - rather than retrofitting compliance onto existing infrastructure. A practitioner perspective on building payments products inside complex regulatory environments.

How innovation in cross-border payment infrastructure - from ISO 20022 to new correspondent banking alternatives - is being shaped, accelerated, and sometimes constrained by the regulatory environment across key corridors. Practical lessons from operating at global scale.

The rise of embedded finance and its impact on TradFi models; responses from banks and fintechs to commerce-led disruption; partnering with platforms to navigate ecosystems, APIs, and infrastructure; balancing speed of innovation with regulatory compliance in a commerce-driven world.

Closing reflections from the stage chair, wrapping up two days of the PayTech & eCommerce Stage.

Opening of the RWA Tokenization stage - framing the macro context for tokenisation of real-world assets, stablecoins, and decentralised finance as institutional adoption accelerates.

Challenges of regulatory compliance at scale; techniques to manage high transaction volumes; managing risks of third-party custody; predictions for the future of RWA tokenisation infrastructure.

Where tokenised asset regulation stands today and the key open questions that remain - covering the UK, EU, and US regulatory trajectories and what institutions need to be preparing for now.

A research perspective on how stablecoins are emerging as the settlement layer for tokenised assets - examining the liquidity mechanics, counterparty dynamics, and what institutional-grade stablecoin infrastructure actually requires.

Exploring how intellectual property and sovereign wealth assets can be tokenised and brought on-chain - with implications for government balance sheets, institutional investors, and the infrastructure needed to support non-traditional RWA categories.

How on-chain asset management is moving from proof of concept to live deployment - with a focus on the operational, legal, and technical architecture required to tokenise and actively manage real-world assets at scale.

How to present tokenised assets to appeal to traditional investors; the importance of transparency in attracting institutional capital; balancing risk, returns, and compliance; opportunities in different asset classes.

How fractional ownership enabled by tokenisation is democratising access to asset classes previously reserved for institutional and ultra-high-net-worth investors - and the regulatory and structural conditions needed to make this mainstream.

Why long-term conviction alone is not enough for institutional digital asset portfolios - exploring active yield generation, risk-managed exposure strategies, and the emerging toolkit for sophisticated investors who want more than directional exposure.

How high-quality, on-chain data feeds are becoming the critical infrastructure for AI agents operating in digital asset markets - and what this means for data providers, asset managers, and the next generation of automated finance.

Closing remarks from the RWA Tokenization stage chair.

Opening of day two of the RWA Tokenization stage.

What is structurally different about the current wave of asset tokenisation compared to earlier cycles - examining regulatory clarity, institutional infrastructure, liquidity depth, and whether the conditions now exist for mainstream adoption.

The financial data market is being transformed by on-chain oracle infrastructure - creating a multi-billion dollar opportunity for firms that can provide reliable, real-time price and reference data for tokenised assets.

How clearing and settlement infrastructure needs to be redesigned for a world of tokenised assets - and what digital asset banking looks like when settlement is instant and assets move on-chain.

Key drivers motivating enterprises to adopt blockchain; tackling scalability challenges for enterprise-grade systems; navigating regulation and compliance; the role of partnerships between banks, technology providers, and blockchain networks.

How on-chain auditability is transforming financial reporting and compliance for tokenised assets - and what the emerging standards for blockchain-native audit trails mean for finance teams, auditors, and regulators.

How data-driven market intelligence is being embedded directly into tokenised asset markets - with implications for price discovery, liquidity, and the information advantages available to institutional participants.

Broadening investment access through tokenisation; strategies to align traditional finance institutions with decentralised finance principles; benefits of integration for investors, institutions, and end users; practical examples of live TradFi-DeFi bridging.

Closing reflections from the RWA Tokenization stage, summarising two days of sessions on digital assets, tokenisation, and the future of institutional finance.

Opening the Blockchain Technologies stage with an examination of the competitive and co-existent dynamics between CBDCs, stablecoins, and deposit tokens - and what the emergence of multiple forms of programmable digital money means for the financial system.

Why trust, privacy, and compliance are the three foundational requirements for institutional blockchain adoption - and how the industry is addressing each through technical standards, governance frameworks, and regulatory engagement.

A real-world case study in blockchain for social impact - how Hive's blockchain infrastructure is being used to fund, verify, and track a clean water project in Ghana, demonstrating the technology's potential beyond financial markets.

Smart contracts for seamless property transactions and financing; tokenisation of real estate for fractional ownership and liquidity; the impact of blockchain on title management and regulatory compliance; AI-enhanced property valuation and due diligence.

How multi-issuer tokenised deposit platforms are creating interoperable digital money infrastructure - with lessons from Japan's DCP initiative on how to build bank-backed tokenised deposits that work across institutions.

How stablecoin rails are fundamentally changing the economics of cross-border payments - cutting costs, removing friction, and enabling near-instant settlement for corridors that traditional correspondent banking has failed to serve efficiently.

Exploring the vision of total tokenisation - where every asset class, from equities to commodities to IP, exists on-chain - and what needs to happen technically, legally, and commercially to make this a reality.

The creator of Kaspa explains the GHOSTDAG protocol and how blockDAG architecture is enabling fast, secure, and scalable proof-of-work consensus - and why this approach may underpin the next generation of decentralised financial infrastructure.

How programmable assets - assets with logic and conditions embedded at the protocol level - are enabling new financial instruments and settlement mechanisms, and what the post-Brexit regulatory environment means for the UK's ability to lead in this space.

The evolving threat landscape for institutional digital asset operations - covering smart contract vulnerabilities, wallet drainer attacks, and front-running exploits - and what real-time security infrastructure looks like for firms operating at institutional scale.

The potential for decentralised systems to boost supply chain efficiency; improved traceability to help ensure compliance; tackling scalability issues for global supply chain networks; ensuring interoperability with legacy ERP and logistics systems.

Closing reflections from the Blockchain Technologies stage.

Opening of day two of the Blockchain Technologies stage.

A practitioner's view on whether Web3 represents a genuine architectural shift in how the internet functions - examining decentralised identity, tokenised ownership, and programmable value transfer as the building blocks of a new internet layer.

Addressing vulnerabilities in smart contracts; tackling issues with custodial wallet security; adapting to risks of high-frequency trading in DeFi environments; and the regulatory frameworks needed to make Web3 safe for institutional participation.

Where UK crypto regulation stands now and what is coming - covering the FCA's cryptoasset regime, stablecoin authorisation, and how the UK is positioning itself relative to the EU's MiCA framework for financial services firms operating in both markets.

Looking beyond financial applications at the social and economic impact of blockchain technology - from financial inclusion in underbanked markets to supply chain transparency, identity sovereignty, and the potential for decentralised governance.

Concrete examples of tokenised assets that have been issued, distributed, and traded in live market conditions - with lessons on what worked, what didn't, and what the industry needs to learn from early deployments.

An exploration of the Hive blockchain ecosystem - its decentralised social and financial infrastructure, community governance model, and the expanding range of applications being built on the network.

The role of CBDCs in modernising government systems; how blockchain can enhance transparency in public spending; challenges in balancing transparency with data privacy; the potential to boost efficiency in public sector financial operations.

How biological authentication and blockchain are converging in intellectual property protection - using DNA-based provenance verification to create tamper-proof records of authorship and ownership for physical and digital creative works.

Closing reflections from the Blockchain Technologies stage chair.

Official opening of the Innovation & Start Up Stage, introducing the format of the Startup Launchpad Demos and setting the scene for two days of founder pitches, innovation showcases, and investor panels.

Tagline: "DaMoney - Instant Guidance, Total Compliance." An AI compliance guidance platform demonstrating how controlled AI can deliver instant, compliant financial advice without the regulatory risk of uncontrolled generative AI in consumer-facing applications.

Tagline: "Research. Reason. Trade." A live demonstration of how Edge Hound aggregates heterogeneous data sources into a unified research and reasoning platform for trading and investment decision-making.

Tagline: "Your key to the Dutch and EU financial markets." A demonstration of Finnick's platform for navigating Dutch and European financial regulation - targeted at international fintechs entering EU markets.

A live product demonstration from CalCom Software, showcasing their solution to the audience of investors, financial services professionals, and innovation leaders.

Tagline: "Narrative is the AI-native engagement layer for SME platforms." Demonstrating how AI-driven narrative generation is transforming how SME lending and financial platforms communicate with business customers.

Tagline: "Redefining Asset Financing with Tokenisation." A platform demo showing how AstroFinance is using tokenisation to unlock new asset financing models for alternative and real-world asset classes.

Tagline: "The simple app for options trading." Building the UK's first zero-commission options trading platform - making complex derivatives accessible to retail investors through a clean, mobile-first experience.

Tagline: "Predictive intelligence to understand customers, prevent risk, and power growth." A live demonstration of Serene's predictive analytics platform for financial services customer intelligence and risk management.

Tagline: "Unified Intelligent AI - Neo Banking Pod." Demonstrating the convergence of GenAI with neo-banking infrastructure - a modular AI banking pod for financial institutions looking to deploy intelligent banking services at pace.

Tagline: "The FP&A platform where strategy comes alive." Aurora, ONEPLAN's AI engine, builds, debates, and executes financial planning and analysis - demonstrated live as a next-generation alternative to spreadsheet-based FP&A.

A founder panel exploring the realities of building fintech companies in 2025 - from fundraising in a tighter capital environment to navigating regulation, building distribution, and competing against incumbent financial institutions.

A spotlight session from Bank of London on the innovation driving a new generation of clearing bank infrastructure - and what it means for fintechs building on top of modern, API-native banking rails.

How AI agents are transforming customer experience operations in financial services - creating intelligent feedback loops that turn every customer interaction into actionable intelligence for product, risk, and compliance teams.

How monday.com's work operating system is being deployed inside financial services teams to eliminate operational guesswork - giving leaders real-time visibility, automated workflows, and the speed and control needed to execute at pace.

An innovation spotlight from Aglide, presenting their solution to the audience of fintech professionals, investors, and innovation leaders at FinTech Connect 2025.

Tagline: "Building trust at scale." ComplyCube's real-time fraud detection and AML solutions platform - demonstrating how financial institutions can streamline identity verification and compliance without sacrificing conversion.

Tagline: "The Alpha Intelligence transforming global investing through explainable, self-learning AI." A live demonstration of 3AI's investment intelligence platform built on self-learning, explainable AI models.

Tagline: "Inovat helps travellers save money on shopping abroad." A demo of Inovat's API integration product enabling international travellers to reclaim VAT and access tax-free shopping benefits seamlessly across borders.

Tagline: "Your entire Consumer Duty landscape - one view. Fully mapped. Instantly clear." A demonstration of Profylr's Consumer Duty compliance mapping platform for UK financial services firms.

Tagline: "The foundational wealth platform for wealth owners." 1fs Wealth demonstrates a platform that consolidates all asset types into a single, accessible view for high-net-worth individuals and their advisers - anywhere, on any device.

Tagline: "Helping women grow their money, confidence, and power - one conversation at a time." A conversational wealth-building platform designed specifically for women, combining financial education with personalised guidance.

Modern businesses require more from banks than just payments and FX - they demand understanding, compliance, accuracy. ENTER demonstrates a business banking platform built to serve the full operational and compliance needs of fast-growing companies.

Tagline: "Digital Asset (Crypto and Real-World Assets) Investment, Risk and Compliance Intelligence powered by AI." A demonstration of SupraFin's AI-powered analytics platform for institutional digital asset risk and compliance management.

Tagline: "Plug-and-play white-labelled life and income protection insurance for the UK and US." Eleos Life demonstrates how financial services platforms can embed life and income protection products in minutes through a simple API.

Tagline: "The FinProm compliance platform behind the UK's top finance brands." Demonstrating how Adclear's financial promotion compliance platform helps firms save time, scale faster, and stay FCA-compliant across all marketing channels.

Tagline: "Next-Gen AI Reporting Automation Platform." A live pitch and video demo showing how Datox automates financial and regulatory reporting through AI - eliminating manual effort and reducing error rates for compliance teams.

An innovation spotlight from Trendmaster, presenting their technology and market thesis to an audience of fintech professionals, investors, and industry leaders at FinTech Connect 2025.

Apryse's document intelligence platform for financial services - enabling AI-powered document processing, e-signatures, and PDF automation for regulated industries where document accuracy and audit trails are non-negotiable.

How Cashflows is helping businesses take ownership of their payments infrastructure - moving from dependency on third-party processors to in-house payment capabilities that give merchants more control, better data, and lower costs.

An innovation spotlight from Corridorly, presenting their cross-border payments and remittance corridor technology to the FinTech Connect audience.