FinTech Trends

The financial industry is in the middle of a massive digital revolution—and the pace of change isn’t slowing down. FinTech trends are driving new opportunities, disrupting traditional banking, and redefining how consumers and businesses interact with money. If you’re not paying attention, you’re already falling behind.

1. Digital Payments

FinTech is no longer a US story.  FinTech funding is now larger in Asia than in the North America and Europe.

China is the best digital currency model in the world.  Cash has largely disappeared from China.  WeChat and Ali pay are $5.5 trillion dollars.  Because China leapfrogged credit cards… never caught on.  It is a cashless society.  There’s no interchange.  You built a proprietary system.  Two payment systems where everybody uses.  China is allowing massive growth with limited oversight. Over 3 years, there has been enormous adoption. The only mechanism to dissuade corruption without $50k without approval is a yearly cap.  If you want to move a lot of money around, you’ll need to get approval.

In the US, you have Visa, American Express, or Mastercard, which are the transaction holders.  In China, Tencent and Alibaba are the entire stack. In the US, we have 500 apps.  In China, there are far fewer apps.  Customers go to 1 or 2 apps, and do everything in there.

FinTech innovation is happening in South East Asia.  In India, there’s PayTM which is using public funds.  Thailand got started earlier on digital payments earlier, but never achieved what China has done.  A lot of it is cultural in Thailand, where people pay bills via 7/11 stores. 

2. Customer Centricity

Customer centricity is a huge trend.  Banks are now more than ever subject to competition from rising FinTech start ups and technology companies.

Banking is the third most visited type of app, after Social Media and Weather.  Surveys show a vast majority of millennials believe online banking is better than going to the bank.

Surprisingly, large national banks are more customer-centric, followed by regional banks, followed by overall, followed up by credit unions, and community banks.

Customer Centricity no longer means knowing your name at the local bank.  What matters to more customers now is that the App works.  Smaller financial institutions may suffer as a result of revolutionary changes in customer needs.  Fewer people care about human interaction.  So, massive shifts are occurring from Credit Unions to the top large national banks.

3. Tech Skills Increasingly Dominate Financial Services

Much of the growth in Finance is emerging from Technology.  Today’s business environment increasingly requires aligning your workforce for the new view of what customer centric is.  Talented professionals increasingly have IT, Data Science, Programming and Algorithm backgrounds. What matters now is really good data and User Experience (UX).

Face-to-face employees are becoming less common in the Financial Services job market.  Analyst jobs are becoming less prominent.  Top analysts may stay, but Robo-analysts may increasingly replace lower-level analysts. Robo Advisors ask a specific number of questions and have a finite number of decision made on it.  Decision-making may increasingly rely on Robo advisors. 

A significant number of banking jobs will be lost to AI and automation within the next 5 years.  This loss is happening much faster than the loss in the manufacturing sector.  Much faster.  This can be a real social issue for societies and governments.

Increasingly, Computer Science majors are in higher demand than traditional business degrees.  Processing jobs are largely gone as there is less of a need for manual check adjudicators anymore.

Tech companies increasingly need Just-In-Time hiring.  This is in contrast to the traditional long hiring lead times.  Hiring in financial services requires less planning ahead in advance. This is because timing is everything as companies become more technology-driven.

4. The Human Element in Financial Services

Where does Face-To-Face matter in today’s Financial Services?  It’s the jobs that are less prone to automation.  These include:

• M&A, which has a high degree of human analysis and dealmaking
• Consulting engagements
• Some capital raising on equity requiring story telling, qualitative analysis and relationships
• Product development and product management

However, there are very few roles that don’t have a significant amount of software and digital disruption.

5. Evolving FinTech Ecosystems and Competition

Ecosystems are evolving in Financial Services.  There are 3 main constituencies in the ecosystem:

• Banks
• Fintechs 
• VCs

There’s increasing “Co-opetition,” meaning cooperation and competition, where VCs are funding FinTechs which are working directly with banks.  

6.  Changing Strategic Priorities for Traditional Banks

Even traditional large banks are reconsidering their assumptions and priorities.  Here are the new strategic priorities for Financial Institutions:

• Customer centricity
• Mobile first
• Deeply integrated
• World-class technology
• Frictionless Digital Experiences
• Long-term strategic focus on growth
• Disciplined Strategy Execution

7. New Emerging Opportunities

Here are some of the opportunities that financial services companies are considering:

• Growth boards
• Startups Coaching
• Real-time payment schemes
• Ripple and Blockchain
• InsurTech, Wearables and HealthTech
• Micro-payments
• AI, ML & NLP
• Robotic process automation (RPA) 
• APIs (Between Financial and Tech companies)
• Consumer banks for Millennials like Goldman Sach’s Marcus and Chase’s FINN

8.  Fee Compression and Digital Disruption

The FinTechs are removing the Fee-Based models of the past.  This innovation is happening especially in Europe with players like Revolut and N26.  Previously, people almost never change bank accounts.  On average, they change it every 17 years. Usually with divorce, or marriage or moving.  FinTech is changing that.

9.  Hot FinTech Market Research Approaches

• The Kano Model
• NPS
• Customer Effort Score (CES)
• A/B Split test

10. Blockchain, DeFi, and the Tokenized Future

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is challenging the very foundations of traditional banking. Blockchain technology, smart contracts, and tokenized assets are opening new doors for peer-to-peer lending, decentralized exchanges, and transparent financial transactions.

The future of finance is:

• Trustless: No intermediaries, just blockchain-powered transactions

• Accessible: Global users can participate in DeFi ecosystems

• Transparent: Smart contracts execute transactions with full visibility

11. Open Banking: Data-Driven Financial Power

Consumers want more control over their financial data—and open banking is making that possible. By securely sharing financial data via APIs, banks and FinTech companies are creating seamless, customer-centric experiences.

Open banking is enabling:

• Personalized financial products tailored to consumer spending habits

• Faster, more secure transactions

• Cross-platform banking solutions that empower users

12. Hyper-Personalization: One-Size-Fits-All is Dead

Financial services are no longer about generic products—they’re about customized, hyper-personalized experiences. With AI, big data, and predictive analytics, FinTech firms can offer tailored financial solutions that meet individual customer needs.

Examples include:

• Personalized credit scoring based on alternative data

• AI-driven financial coaching that adapts to real-time spending habits

• Predictive savings tools that automate budgeting

13. Cybersecurity and Fraud Prevention: Non-Negotiable Priorities

As FinTech adoption skyrockets, so do cyber threats. Security is no longer optional—it’s a business imperative.

Leading FinTech firms are leveraging:

• Biometric authentication for secure logins

• AI-driven fraud detection that identifies threats before they happen

• Decentralized identity solutions powered by blockchain

What’s Next for FinTech?

AI will become the core of financial decision-making

🚀 The metaverse and Web3 will create new digital financial ecosystems

🚀 Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) will reshape the payments industry

🚀 FinTech firms will partner with regulators to scale responsibly

Final Thoughts from Ruth Stanat, CEO of SIS International Research

FinTech isn’t a trend—it’s a revolution. The companies that embrace these changes will thrive, while those that resist will become obsolete. This is the era of digital-first finance, and only the bold will lead the way.

At SIS International Research, we provide the insights, data, and strategies you need to stay ahead of the FinTech curve. 

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About SIS International

SIS International offers Quantitative, Qualitative, and Strategy Research. We provide data, tools, strategies, reports, and insights for decision-making. We also conduct interviews, surveys, focus groups, and other Market Research methods and approaches. Contact us for your next Market Research project.