04 Insights
🎤 Expert's voice
Look for accurate information from well-informed sources.
Staying up to date in fintech
Fintech is a broad playground, so who you should follow for the latest news depends on the “sub-topic.” Personally, I follow sources like Finextra and similar news providers.
On broader topics, you can find a lot of regulatory issues and trends in top world finance newspapers. While at the other end of the spectrum, there are some very specific expert blogs that are like having eyes and ears – and even part of the brain as they provide well-crafted analysis – in the market.
We follow mostly business-related media that are experts in finance and banking. This is a highly specific environment where accurate information comes from very well-informed sources. Only people in the field really know what is happening, when, and why.
As a payment provider, I’m particularly interested in the trends and variations around cash versus other means of payment ratios, and online versus offline payments.
Both are very difficult to verify, so we try to consolidate information. We use internal research (history and trends, customer feedback, online searches) and external reports, with a strict and detailed analysis afterward. This review strongly takes into account the region and data type of sources as data varies greatly from one place to another.
We also monitor business metrics internally. As a service provider, we consider operational KPIs and overall customer satisfaction (CSAT), in addition to more classical KPIs – we pride ourselves on customer trust and happiness. These include but are not limited to peak usage management, usage, fraud detection, and cybersecurity.
Major trends shaping the fintech landscape
The biggest trends of 2020 in the fintech space were central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), artificial intelligence, and the European Banking Authority’s legislation, PSD2. I expect all of these to continue but at varying speeds.
PSD2 is finally about to be enforced (finally), CBDCs are a very active and urgent topic – albeit extremely complex – and AI is a long-lasting trend that evolves every day.
Looking ahead, I predict that the fintech landscape will be shaped by:
- The sudden arrival of non-finance competition in the arena, which means technologies and user access that is just from another world.
- I don’t know if it is the cause or the result of the former point, but a broad ramp-up of pure digital payments versus cash/classical payment means. These will offer new possibilities like instant payment (even though oversold) and genuine online/offline capabilities.
- A clearer convergence of payment and identity services.
📧 Newsletters
New developments happen in fintech at a frenetic pace, and keeping track of everything can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources that can help you stay up to date easily and make sense of it all. We searched the web for the most valuable and interesting fintech newsletters to bring you ten of the best.
1. The Fintech Blueprint
Track developments across payments, banking, lending, investing, and insurance
The Fintech Blueprint provides fintech analysis to more than 75,000 readers spanning its newsletter, social channels, and the web. It aims to make sense of the noise and offers an experienced take on the models needed to operate at your peak.
Focus: Fintech news, banking, technology, finance, bitcoin, digital transformation, and more.
Website: fintechblueprint.com
2. CB Insights
Stay up to date on technology trends, venture capital, startups, and the industries of tomorrow
CB Insights’ daily newsletter provides 698,600 subscribers with insights and analysis covering everything from startups and venture capital to emerging technology and patents. Readers praise its clarity of analyses, interesting information, and free access to well-researched data.
Focus: Investment, VCs, banking, financing, software, technology, and more.
Website: cbinsights.com/newsletter
3. Fintech Takes
Get thoughtful takes on fintech and financial services
Fintech Takes is a biweekly newsletter written by Alex Johnson, a fanatical consumer of fintech research, observations, and analysis. The newsletter includes one long take (a deep-dive into a specific topic) and three short takes (summaries of interesting stories).
Focus: Fintech, finance, marketing, and more
Website: newsletter.fintechtakes.com
4. Net Interest
Enjoy insight and analysis on financial sector themes
Net Interest is a free weekly newsletter written by former analyst and hedge fund manager Marc Rubinstein. Each post draws on his 25 years of experience in the financial sector and explores a trending theme, from fintech and economics to investment cycles.
Focus: Financial sector, banks, investment firms, and more.
Website: netinterest.substack.com
5. Fintech Brain Food
Join the Fintech Brain Food community for the key trends in fintech
Written by Simon Taylor, co-founder and Head of Ventures at 11:FS, Fintech Brain Food is a weekly newsletter that provides a summary and analysis of the fintech space. Each post features new or emerging fintech startups, recommended reads, and things you should know.
Focus: Tech, BaaS, SaaS, fintech, banking, and more.
Website: sytaylor.substack.com
6. Pivot Assets
Discover new thoughts and views about change and innovation in fintech, banking, and elsewhere
Pivot Assets is run by former Gartner analyst Stessa Cohen. She aims her newsletter at people trying to differentiate their banking software in an increasingly competitive market, though it would appeal to anyone involved in banking, investing, or fintech.
Focus: Banking, fintech, banking software, and more.
Website: pivotassets.co
7. FinTech Weekly
Find out about everything important happening in the fintech business
FinTech Weekly is a free roundup of all the news, developments, stories, and events shaping the world of fintech. Each week, the team behind fintechweekly.com gathers what’s hot in the industry to keep readers on the cutting-edge of emerging trends and news.
Focus: Banking, financing, networking, and fintech development.
Website: fintechweekly.com
8. The Financial Brand
Stay on top of all the latest trends transforming the banking industry
The Financial Brand is a leading digital publication focused on marketing and strategy issues affecting retail banks and credit unions. Its newsletter delivers big ideas and best practices to more than 2.1 million financial services executives every week.
Focus: Fintech, banking, marketing, strategy, and more.
Website: thefinancialbrand.com/subscribe
9. American Banker
Access unmatched coverage for banking industry pros
American Banker aims to deliver transformative content that empowers its readers. Its paid subscription provides deep, best-in-class analysis of banking and financial services, spanning policy and regulation, fintech, and retail and commercial banking.
Focus: Banking, financial services, and more.
Website: americanbanker.com
10. Fintech Finance
Learn the latest global trends affecting fintech from leading executives in the industry
The insightful and entertaining Fintech Finance newsletter comes from the writers behind “The Fintech Magazine,” “The Paytech Magazine,” and “The Insurtech Magazine.” Its content covers a range of topics within financial services, from branches to blockchain.
Focus: Regtech, wealthtech, blockchain, paytech, insurtech, and more.
Website: fintechf.com
📰 Blogs and Magazines
Whether you’re looking for the latest news and interviews, cutting-edge research, or in-depth analysis and opinions, there’s a fintech blog or website that’s got you covered. To help keep you up to date in 2021, we scoured the web to bring you ten of the best.
1. Medici
Find articles, reports, and daily news that cuts through the noise in fintech
Established in 2013, Medici delivers news, research, and analysis to the fintech community, offering daily content and an archive of more than 5,000 insights. Its aim is to help foster a collaborative approach to innovation in the fintech industry.
Focus: Innovation, blockchain, lending, payments, wealthtech, regtech, and more.
Website: gomedici.com
2. Daily Fintech
Get insights created by market experts who have “walked a mile in your shoes”
Aimed at busy leaders in the global fintech industry, Daily Fintech is written by experts with experience in the field rather than journalists. Their aim is to go beyond simply tracking and analyzing the current news to providing an insight into the future.
Focus: Fintech, cryptocurrency, insurtech, and more.
Website: dailyfintech.com
3. PYMNTS
Find out what’s next in payments and commerce with the number one site by traffic
PYMNTS is an interactive platform that provides C-suite executives, company founders, and investors with breaking news and daily insights. It also gives individuals and companies in the payments community an outlet to distribute their own content.
Focus: Payments, commerce, AI, and more.
Website: pymnts.com
4. Finovate
Keep up to date on fintech, banking, and financial services innovation
Finovate is well-known for its fintech conference series, with events worldwide attracting tens of thousands of attendees since 2007. Its blog is updated daily and covers fintech news and interviews with a focus on innovation in financial services.
Focus: Innovation, banking, fintech, financial services, and more.
Website: finovate.com/blog
5. The Fintech Times
Rely on a trusted voice to bring you the brightest ideas from the fintech ecosystem
Established as the world’s first fintech newspaper, The Fintech Times is now a multimedia news outlet focused on delivering high-quality content to a global network. It provides insight, opinion, and expertise on the latest developments shaping fintech.
Focus: Wealthtech, regtech, blockchain, paytech, open banking, insurtech, and more
Website: thefintechtimes.com
6. Finance Magnates
Keep your finger on the pulse with multi-asset trading news, research, and events
The only financial industry-focused knowledge hub, Finance Magnates is a one-stop-shop for independent news, reports, and analysis. It also promotes thought leadership by hosting a growing community of bloggers.
Focus: Electronic trading, banking, and investing.
Website: financemagnates.com
7. Finextra
Learn what’s new with the leading independent newswire for the fintech community
Catering to fintech professionals, from startup founders to senior executives in established financial institutions, Finextra covers all the major news affecting the fintech industry. It also publishes a wide selection of research articles, white papers, and case studies.
Focus: Banking, capital markets, payments, insurance, and more.
Website: finextra.com
8. Sifted
Stay ahead with the media site dedicated to Europe’s innovators and entrepreneurs
Launched in 2019, Sifted is the voice of tech reporting for European startup entrepreneurs. The site is backed by the Financial Times and delivers in-depth coverage across the fintech industry, from insurance and innovation to funding and the future of work.
Focus: European startups and the fintech ecosystem.
Website: sifted.eu
9. Fintech Ranking
Keep up with global trends from a leading specialized blog on financial innovation
Fintech Ranking is the blog of Life.SREDA VC, an international venture capital firm headquartered in Singapore. It covers news on the hottest topics in fintech and provides information, data, and analytics on global trends.
Focus: Banking, payments, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, investing, and more.
Website: fintechranking.com
10. Amount
Get news and insights from a leader in digital financial services
Amount provides the technology to help financial institutions transition to digital services, including personal loans, credit cards, deposit accounts, and point-of-sale financing. Its blog covers related topics plus insights into fraud and risk, and culture.
Focus: Digital banking, fraud and risk, lending, culture, and more.
Website: amount.com/blog
🎙 Podcasts
Podcasts offer an easy and convenient way to keep up with the ever-increasing volume of news and information generated in the fintech space. They also give you a unique opportunity to meet the movers and shakers advancing the industry and get a diversity of expert thoughts and opinions. Our panel of judges voted on the best podcasts in fintech and this list is ten of the best.
1. a16z
Hear from experts, leaders, and interesting thinkers as "software eats the world"
The a16z podcast is produced by Andreessen Horowitz, the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm also known as a16z. Across multiple episodes a week, industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting voices discuss tech and culture trends, news, and the future.
Host: Sonal Chokshi, Lauren Murrow, Amelia Salyers, Zoran Basich, Das Rush, and more.
Focus: Innovation, banking, software, cybersecurity, blockchain, and more.
Website: a16z.simplecast.com
2. Appetite for Disruption
Learn more about the business and regulation of fintech
Broadcasted bi-monthly, Appetite for Disruption is a podcast hosted by Troy A. Paredes and Lee Schneider. In each episode, they are joined by guests and explore the business, technology, and regulatory trends and developments in fintech.
Hosts: Troy A. Paredes and Lee A. Schneider
Focus: Innovation, regulation, emerging technologies, and more.
Website: afdfintech.com
Social media: LinkedIn
3. Breaking Banks
Explore fintech with the number one global fintech radio show and podcast
Each week, Breaking Banks looks at the startups, innovators, personalities, and technologies that are disrupting financial services. Reaching almost 7 million listeners in 180 countries, the show is the number one fintech podcast in the world.
Host: Brett King, Jason Henrichs, and JP Nicols
Focus: Startups, innovation, banking, financial services, and more.
Website: provoke.fm/show/breaking-banks
4. Wharton Fintech Podcast
Connect with the leaders, companies, and ideas that are transforming global financial services
Featuring the top fintech founders, investors, executives, and thinkers from around the world, the Wharton Fintech podcast delivers insights and unique perspectives from the people who are shaping global fintech.
Hosts: Miguel Armaza and Ryan Zauk
Focus: Innovation, digital banking, investment, and more.
Website: whartonfintech.org
5. London Fintech Podcast
Tune in to interviews with key players in the London fintech scene
The London Fintech Podcast aims to provide insights, stories, and inspiration from what it has dubbed “a golden age of creativity, opportunity, and innovation.” Launched in 2014, the show has garnered over 500,000 downloads in 193 countries.
Host: Mike Baliman
Focus: Payments, innovation, blockchain, investment, and more.
Website: londonfintechpodcast.com
6. Bank On It
Stay in the fintech know with new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday
Each week, John Siracusa goes deep into conversation with fintech leaders and entrepreneurs to uncover the most important topics in fintech and banking today. The show covers topics from AI and blockchain to the partnerships between fintechs and banks.
Host: John Siracusa
Focus: Banking, blockchain, investment, and more.
Website: bankonitpodcast.com
7. Fintech Insider by 11:FS
Join a rotation of 11:FS experts for all things fintech, banking, technology, and financial services
Fintech Insider is a bi-weekly podcast where a variety of hosts are joined by thought leaders and innovators to discuss the latest news, developments, and trends in fintech. The show also features deep-dives on areas disrupting the industry.
Hosts: David Brear, Sarah Kocianski, Ross Gallagher, Jason Bates, and Simon Taylor
Focus: Banking, financial services, technology, and more.
Website: podbean.com
8. Voice of FinTech
Travel through the global fintech ecosystem with hosts around the world
Voice of FinTech is a weekly podcast created in 2019 by Rudol Falat, a senior corporate finance professional based in Zurich. Each episode features a range of hosts interviewing fintech founders and key players in the fintech ecosystem worldwide.
Hosts: Angela Conroy, Stacey Japhta, Chia Jeng Yang, Clementina Giraldo, Patrick Awori, and more.
Focus: Global fintech, entrepreneurship, AI, insurtech, blockchain, and regtech.
Website: voiceoffintech.com
9. Fintech Impact
Delve into the people behind the industry with one of the world’s most popular fintech podcasts
The Fintech Impact podcast is hosted by award-winning financial planner Jason Pereira. Each show features interviews with fintech entrepreneurs to explore their stories, what they do, and their impact on the fintech industry.
Host: Jason Pereira
Focus: Global fintech, banking, investment, and more.
10. For Fintech’s Sake
Cut through the noise with the show with no filter
For Fintech’s Sake is a broad look at the world of fintech from the perspectives of the founders, investors, and incumbents at the heart of the industry. In each episode, host Zach Anderson Pettet goes deep into conversation with guests to explore their stories.
Host: Zach Anderson Pettet
Focus: Banking, innovation, and more.
Website: forfintechsake.com
