The original article belongs to On-Chain media and is published at the link.

FTT Fintech Festival 2024

London has once again reinforced its status as Europe’s fintech capital: last week, FTT Fintech Festival 2024 brought together industry visionaries who are shaping the future of finance.

Being at the epicenter of the event, you quickly realize — this is not just a conference, but a living ecosystem where trends are born. The festival space buzzed with innovation and networking energy.

Traditional bankers in suits mingled with startup founders in casual wear — a perfect symbol of how conventional finance meets cutting-edge technology.

The festival centered on three pillars of fintech’s future: AI revolution in finance, Open Banking 2.0, and the quantum leap in data security.

Additionally, discussions spotlighted the integration of blockchain into traditional finance, the evolution of digital identity systems, and the transformative potential of quantum computing for the industry.

Read on for key insights from this two-day festival, unexpected expert predictions, and a glimpse into the future of financial technologies.

Revolution in Payments: Open Banking 2.0

‘The future belongs to integrated financial ecosystems’ — this key message resonated throughout the most dynamic discussions at the London festival.

Speakers emphasized how transparent data exchange is transforming traditional banking, enhancing efficiency through payment personalization, predictive analytics, and transaction optimization.

FTT Fintech Festival 2024

The UK’s experience stands as a compelling example of this transformation, pioneering open banking in Europe. Over six years of development, the ecosystem has shown remarkable results: nearly 10 million users, 94 licensed neobanks, and over 340 market participants.

Today, British users manage their accounts through a single application, while small businesses secure loans based on real transaction data.

However, as innovations advance, security concerns gain increasing prominence. Festival experts emphasized that the future belongs to those who can ensure robust protection of user data while implementing new technologies.

This is why regulators, banks, and fintech companies are collaboratively building a balanced ecosystem, where the synergy between government regulation and industry standards becomes the foundation for sustainable development.

Embedded Finance: A New Era of Customer Experience

Imagine banking services that appear exactly where and when users need them. This approach — embedded finance — was highlighted by experts at FTT Fintech Festival 2024 as one of the most promising directions in financial industry development.

During the panel discussion, speakers presented impressive statistics: according to their forecasts, the embedded financial services market will reach $230 billion by 2025, showing a tenfold growth compared to 2020 ($22.5 billion).

How does this work in practice? Experts highlighted the example of Lyft’s ridesharing platform, where implementing proprietary banking with debit cards and instant payouts for drivers not only optimized financial processes but significantly strengthened the company’s ecosystem.

The key takeaway from the discussion was the necessity of building reliable partnerships between fintech companies and businesses to ensure seamless integration of financial services.

Artificial Intelligence in Finance: From Hype to Strategic Solutions

While AI emerged as a central theme of the festival, experts moved beyond the general hype, focusing on the technology’s practical value for the financial sector. Speakers shared specific AI implementation cases: from fraud detection systems to personalized customer service and internal process optimization.

The symbiosis of AI and blockchain in the financial sector drew particular attention. For instance, Fetch.ai is developing a decentralized network of AI agents for process automation, while SingularityNET is creating a marketplace for AI algorithms for business applications.

The cryptocurrency sector is also actively adapting to smart market analysis tools: leading exchanges like Coinbase and WhiteBIT now offer automated investment modes to minimize risks and optimize trading strategies.

Throughout panel discussions, speakers repeatedly emphasized the importance of a measured approach to AI implementation. The key message: avoid ‘AI for AI’s sake’ and focus on genuine business needs.

A fascinating part of the discussion centered on AI’s future in the financial sector. Experts explored the potential synergy between artificial intelligence and other breakthrough technologies, particularly VR. However, special emphasis was placed on ethical aspects and the need for clear regulation.

Addressing the question of AI replacing humans, speakers maintained a pragmatic stance: currently, AI is most effective as a tool for optimizing routine processes, enabling employees to focus on tasks requiring human expertise and creativity.

Quantum Revolution in Financial Security: A Double-Edged Sword

The discussion on quantum technologies revealed an interesting paradox: the same innovations promising unprecedented levels of data protection pose potential threats to existing encryption systems. Experts emphasized the need for preemptive investments in quantum-resistant solutions to protect financial information.

FTT Fintech Festival 2024

Summarizing the two-day festival, a key trend emerges: financial technologies are transitioning from an era of experimentation to mature, responsible solutions.

AI is becoming more pragmatic, Open Banking shows tangible results with nearly 10 million users in the UK, and embedded finance is setting new standards for user experience with a projected market of $230 billion by 2025.

The main conclusion from FTT Fintech Festival 2024: the future of finance depends not so much on technologies themselves, but on a balanced approach to their implementation. Success awaits companies that can combine innovation with responsibility, data protection with service accessibility, and technological progress with real user needs.