Over the last 10 years, fintech has evolved from a niche and elusive industry trend into a transformative force in the global financial landscape. Initially associated with small startup ventures, fintech today includes multibillion-dollar enterprises. During the last decade, the fintech sector has witnessed a substantial surge in the number of companies, with a
. Concurrently, there has been a remarkable uptick in fintech users globally, particularly in digital payments, where the
was estimated at over three billion in 2024. Despite the growing number of fintechs and the expanding user base,
has slowed down notably in recent years. In 2024, investment levels continued to decline compare to 2023, but the rate of decline has moderated significantly, suggesting a stabilization in the market following a sharp downturn that brought 2023 investment levels to their lowest point since 2017.
Pinning down a precise definition of fintech proves challenging because of the segmentations within the industry. Digital banking, digital payments, cryptocurrency and blockchain, insurtech, wealthtech, artificial intelligence, all classify as fintech as they combine innovation in the financial industry with technology. In recent years, artificial intelligence has garnered significant attention for enhancing services from fraud detection to automated financial advice, while open finance has enabled seamless data sharing between institutions.
Fintech investment landscape
Investments into fintech companies rose sharply between 2012 and 2021, culminating in a record-high global investment value by 2021. While the significant downturn that began in 2022 continued through 2024, the pace of decline moderated considerably compared to previous years. The investment landscape in 2024 showed notable divergence across segments, with payments, wealthtech, and regtech bucking the overall trend by recording increased investment flows. Similarly, while M&A and venture capital activities continued their downward trajectory, the rate of decline slowed substantially, suggesting a gradual market stabilization. This stabilization became particularly evident in the second half of 2024, coinciding with central bank interest rate cuts. On the one hand, the overall moderation in investment activity reflects the sector’s maturation from its earlier high-growth phase.
Fintech trends: AI and open finance
Artificial intelligence and open finance emerged as key drivers transforming financial services in recent years. Financial institutions are set to significantly increase their AI investments between 2025 and 2028, drawn by the technology’s ability to create operational efficiencies, strengthen competitive advantage, and enhance customer experience. This momentum accelerated in 2024 with widespread adoption of generative AI solutions across the sector. Simultaneously, open finance has gained traction globally, with most jurisdictions opting for a regulation-led rather than market-driven approach. While advanced markets like the European Union, Australia, and Brazil have implemented comprehensive data-sharing frameworks encompassing diverse financial data types, emerging markets have typically started with more focused regulatory scope, prioritizing specific data categories for their initial open finance implementations.
The fintech landscape has evolved significantly in recent years, transitioning from explosive growth to a more mature market phase. While the sector may no longer exhibit the dramatic boom of its early years, steady user growth and moderating investment trends reflect an industry shifting toward sustainable development. As emerging technologies like AI and open finance reshape financial services, fintech’s transformative impact on the global financial system continues, albeit in a more strategic and integrated manner.
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