Fintech Trends To Look Out For

Fintech is one of the fastest-growing economic sectors. Companies must respond to consumer habits like digital wallets or online banking to remain competitive. At the same time, fintech solutions help adapt businesses to meet ever-evolving customer requirements. Fintech funding in Q2 2022 saw its lowest level in five quarters, down 39% since reaching its high point in Q4 2021 and attracting 21.5 billion in investment rounds globally by Q2 2022. Roughly 90% of Americans now utilize fintech services, with global quarantines and lockdowns creating more customer-oriented digital financial processes. Fintech companies are encouraged to adopt cutting-edge technologies and Fintech trends to deliver excellent service and ensure customer satisfaction. Fintech trends that were popular in 2022 will still have an effect in 2023, so make sure your fintech app development company stays at the forefront with these top Fintech trends for 2023.

What Is Fintech?

Fintech refers to combining finance and technology. Financial technology (FT) encompasses an array of online innovations designed to streamline banking and finance sector processes. Fintech companies use artificial intelligence, data, and encryption technologies to make money services more cost-effective, accessible, and secure. Fintech has long been used as an umbrella term, initially by banks and lenders, to describe their money; later, it gained widespread use through credit cards, gaining more prominence during the middle 20th century. All these examples serve the same function: simplifying and expediting business-consumer transactions. Fintech, or financial technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI),blockchain, big data, and nontraditional models to provide more effective financial instruments, aims to offer more cost-efficient financial tools.

Top Fintech Trends to Watch Out For in 2023

Fintech trends are gathering steam worldwide. Some have existed for some time, while others are emerging. We extensively researched these points to identify those that will shape the future of Fintech trends by 2023. We recommend that fintech products quickly introduce features based on our list.

Embedded Finance Solutions

These embedded finance solutions integrate financial products and services into non-financial applications or products, such as mobile apps or websites, to make them more available to customers. When purchasing something online, for example, customers may use digital wallets or fintech-based payment methods such as online savings accounts to complete the transaction. Fintech emerged when financial services realized they could offer their services without relying on traditional banks for financing, leading traditional banks to provide integrated finance solutions while digital-only banks emerged. 2023 will see growth in fintech trends continue as more businesses recognize the cost and time savings embedded finance solutions can offer them. In 2023, more companies will turn to fintech solutions as a source of tailored financial services. Dealroom, a market intelligence firm, recently released a report projecting that the embedded finance market will reach $7.2 trillion by 2030, surpassing fintech startups, global banks, and insurers combined. According to this estimate, this growth will be driven by lending, insurance, and payment-related services such as branded cards.

Neo Banking

The pandemic has taught us to believe we can accomplish anything at home, and the financial industry has taken notice. FinTech has enabled the rapid proliferation of neo-banks that resemble traditional banks but do not possess physical locations.

• Neo Banks offer all the features of traditional bank branches while remaining more cost-effective and easier for customers to access than conventional models. Many new FinTech businesses focus exclusively on neo-banking models for cost savings and better accessibility for companies and customers. This approach benefits all involved.
• Neobanks are fintech companies designed to reduce the fintech application development cost associated with banking services. Compared with larger banks, neobanks typically focus on offering fewer service categories at higher quality levels for greater cost efficiency.

Statista estimates that 39.1 million people will hold at least one account with a neobank by 2025, up from 20 million today. Neobanks offer instant transfers, quick registration, IBAN/ACH accounts, allowing complete online banking access, instantaneous transfers, and convenient ACH accounts that facilitate remote work, which makes them an appealing option in today's remote working environments.

Digital Transformation

As digital transformation evolves year after year, its next wave will focus on discovering unmet banking needs for previously unattainable or nonexistent customers. Once again, banking core digitization efforts have been accomplished; therefore, our focus now should be creating and providing new products or services in real time on any device via that digitization. As we have witnessed, integrating banking services into social media messaging apps and IoT suggests an omnichannel approach. Integrating banking across various channels - not only mobile - will be key for large banks who wish to maintain customer relations throughout their interactions with them.

Moving forward, banks and fintechs should also prioritize "humanizing" banking. Now that scale and efficiency have been achieved. Technology needs to be used to rehumanize banking - using data collection, analysis, and generation of actionable insights using machine learning/AI and artificial intelligence (AI).  Data can help bring back some of the human element once seen as central in-person bank relationships. By 2023, financial services need to embrace change while remaining agile enough to adapt to innovate continuously.

Buy Now, Pay Later Model

Fintech trends indicate that "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) models have become incredibly popular. Customers can purchase goods or services without incurring interest or fees until later when making the payment; rather, merchants pay a fee to the provider of such services for offering this option to their customers. Consumers have increasingly turned to BNPL for payment of purchases. Because BNPL allows people to make payments without upfront payment or credit card use, it has become an attractive solution for those without access to such cards who wish to avoid debt accumulation and unnecessary repayments. Furthermore, many BNPL providers provide additional features, such as pausing payments or splitting purchases into smaller instalments.

Open Banking

Open Banking is one of a unique fintech trends that combines banks and financial technology, enabling data networking between multiple institutions. Part of the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2),Open Banking makes banks understand their data in a standardized, secure format for sharing digitally among genuine businesses. Open banking gives FinTech users greater control and flexibility over their finances by enabling the secure transfer of financial data to third parties. It creates conveniences for consumers while opening doors for commercials looking to enter new markets, implement innovative online services, or boost platform reliability with data exchange. Financial institutes, payment-centric companies, FinTech employees, banking institutions, API industry figures, clients, and even underserved communities can use Open Banking solutions to increase operational efficiency.  Open Banking solutions also provide governance over financial data storage while quickly sending fund transfers directly to recipients and offering the option to share that data with third parties when needed. With all these offerings, the open banking adoption rate has steadily risen alongside mobile payment adoption. By May 2022, it had crossed 6 million adopters, 5 million of which had signed up in November 2021. That marks an astounding 10-11% rise compared to March (2021 when active users only rose 3-4%. It's certainly interesting! Therefore, the global open banking market is projected to reach $135.17 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 26.9% from 2022-2030.

Neobanking 2.0

With 77 challenger banks operating across Europe and 64-54 across North America and Latin America, respectively, competition between Neobanks is growing increasingly fierce. It has created virtual alternatives to branch-based banking that enable account opening without monthly fees or account maintenance charges. Competition among Neobanks has made differentiation among them even more vital. Neobanks, or digital banks, operate entirely online with no physical presence whatsoever. Like traditional banks, they provide the same services - savings accounts, debit/credit cards, and loans - via mobile apps or websites like PayTM bank's services. From apps focused on financial recommendations and credit-building to niche platforms - digital-only banks of today offer more than debit cards and basic checking. This trend will primarily arise among non-FinTech organizations with established client/employee bases that could benefit from banking services. Organizations operating at scale may offer employee banking that deducts withholdings and collects wages while permitting advances based on earnings history.

Business cost-management tool providers have also introduced banking platforms designed for small businesses that combine credit lines for cash flow management, deposit accounts, and corporate cards into one package. Neobanking transaction rates are projected to grow steadily and reach $4.53tn by 2023 and $8.86tn by 2027 at an expected compound annual growth rate of 18.255%.

Biometric Security Systems

Mobile banking and digital financial services have become increasingly accessible, offering convenience at one's fingertips. While this is undoubtedly impressive, their widespread availability raises security-related questions, with cybercrime increasing daily. Digital services offer conveniences and personalization capabilities with account authentications. However, that also opens a gateway for cyberattacks affecting financial institutions, increasing by 61% since 2022 (phishing attacks specifically). Therefore, multi-factor authentication along with biometrics may become essential. To successfully build a Fintech company, businesses must implement all appropriate security measures, with biometric authentication providing the greatest defense against financial crime. Here's why! Biometric technology gives users peace of mind, knowing their information is secure; however, its market is experiencing dramatic shifts due to certain circumstances. Biometric sensors that require physical contact will become less prevalent as we progress in biometric technology for verifying identities, with contactless solutions taking over market share from physical touch fingerprint readers. According to statistics:

• 61% of FinTech solution users prefer biometric authentication over typing passwords;
• 70% see biometrics as the faster solution;
• 80% plan on using fingerprint or facial recognition for unlocking their banking apps;
• Banks that still need to integrate biometric technology into their apps could lose up to 50 percent of their customers.

On average, an individual could have around 100 passwords, which leads to four out of five forgetting them within 90 days. So, biometrics for banking and financial services is trending upward and is expected to reach $15.2 billion by 2030 with an anticipated compound annual growth rate of 14.4%.

RegTech Solutions

With digital technologies becoming ever-more prevalent, regulators scrutinize FinTech companies to ensure they operate safely and securely. Compliance processes play a pivotal role here, which refers to company steps to comply with relevant laws and regulations. RegTech (Regulation Technology) can provide automated compliance solutions. Utilizing cloud technology, machine learning development, and data analytics - RegTech solutions will become widespread within the industry by 2023 - don't miss out! It is one of an exciting fintech trends. Finance companies should take full advantage of being part of an industry so heavily regulated as finance is. Regulation is meant to identify legal risks and help businesses operate safely and efficiently while improving productivity and accuracy. Investing in these solutions will ensure regulatory compliance, give you peace of mind, and simplify your operations so your staff can devote their time and efforts to more important projects.

• Evaluate your regulatory requirements to identify areas where RegTech solutions can have the greatest effect, then assess their potential use cases accordingly.
• Assess ease of integration for optimal results.
• Research the vendor and assess their reputation and track record to ensure commitment to customer service and support.
• Request a demo of the solution to understand its capabilities and limitations better and ascertain if it suits your organization.
• Consider scalability when planning upgrades that might impact your business as it grows and develops. Doing this will reduce costs and disruptions associated with advancements in the future as it grows.

Virtual Bank Cards

Digital Credit/debit cards reside in an e-wallet instead of your pocket, provided by both neobanks (like Revolut, Monzo, Monobank, and N26). Virtual credit cards provide customers a valuable benefit: paying in stores via NFC, online platforms, or anywhere without risking losing money to fraud schemes using traditional credit/debit cards. Each purchase made with virtual cards typically involves authorization through customer banking apps; if any compromised virtual card becomes compromised, it can easily be voided and replaced within moments with another one. Revolut, Monzo, and N26 neobanks utilize virtual cards to enable customers to make P2P transactions, in-app purchases, and online payments before their physical card arrives. Some challenger banks also provide "disposable" virtual cards that change details after every transaction to reduce the fraudulent use of these virtual accounts.

Robo-Advisors

With artificial intelligence's rapid advancement, more investors may reap the rewards of computerized financial guidance. Robo-advisors and personal financial managers use AI ideas to demonstrate to their investors how best to spend their funds. Robo-advisers have emerged as a disruptive force within the industry and have proven immensely profitable. Utilizing AI data analysis algorithms, Robo-advisors can:

• Analyze massive volumes of data quickly while being more adaptable in adapting rapidly to changing environments than human advisors can
• Provide investors with the ideal investment solutions to reach their objectives.

They are particularly appealing to novice investors who need access to traditional advice, as alternative investing instruments have greatly decreased the upfront burden for investors and enabled nearly anyone with limited resources to generate returns and make money.

Smart contract

It is an outstanding FinTech innovation with diverse financial applications, from managing virtual agreements between buyers and sellers to signing them with cryptographic keys for signing purposes - no attorneys or paper documents necessary! Smart contracts in finance allow users to sign contracts without involving third-party services like banks or loan officers - giving buyers and sellers the power to reach legal agreements without needing banks as a mediator.

DeFi fintech apps could facilitate the future standardization of smart contracts. Consider that you require a mortgage: With smart contract-based loans, instead of going directly to banks for the loan, money can arrive in just minutes or less!

Rewards and Loyalty

Gen-Z, one of the fastest-growing segments of credit card users, is fueling record digital shopping numbers across retail; connecting with this customer segment has become a priority and challenge for brands in 2023. Gen-Zers are value seekers with technological sophistication who grew up in an on-demand society; speed is their number one concern.  Young cardholders, in particular, have shown Fintech trends of redeeming card rewards quickly and in smaller increments than older generations, compared with holding onto them longer. The younger generation values both immediate access to saving their compensations and making an impactful statement with them - 2023 will see Fintech trends of consumers giving back earned rewards to charities or organizations they care deeply about.

AI-Driven Hyper-Personalized Customer Experiences

Fintech companies are turning to artificial intelligence-driven hyper-customized customer experiences to attract new customers, expand loyalty programs and boost revenues. The role of AI in Fintech has significant increased, helping companies to develop intimate customer knowledge. The more intimately they know their customers, the more effectively they can serve them. ML models can be tuned to predict purchase desires using first-party data collected with user consent through purchase history and customer info stored in companies' data marts, which can then be organized as consumer signals-based groups. By creating signal groups -- such as users interested in low-risk investments -- fintech companies can hyper-personalize offerings, develop new products and services, and better meet the customer's demands at any given moment. Companies must offer personalized customer experiences to compete effectively in an increasingly crowded global fintech market, where hundreds of thousands of startups vie for success. At the same time, traditional large institutions transform to stay ahead of the competition.

Quantum Computing

TechRepublic recently reported how leading global financial organizations and institutions such as Credit Agricole successfully experiment with quantum computing. This technology, which exploits the laws of quantum mechanics to surpass classical computer computing power, quickly evolves from experimental phases toward testing and deployment. Quantum computing processing capabilities attract fintech industries due to their speed, accuracy, reliability, and security - characteristics that translate into better calculations that generate increased profits with lower risks. IBM Quantum, Microsoft Azure Quantum, and Google Quantum AI are leading the charge in finance with their quantum computing offerings. By giving fintech customers access to cloud resources, they've eliminated many technical requirements and costly upfront costs of creating quantum computers. Quantum computing will revolutionize all facets of finance, from portfolio creation and analysis, profit margin calculations, asset price fluctuation estimations, and trading to credit risk analysis and factor predictions, as ESG regulations set higher standards and complicate calculation challenges.

The Key Takeaway

Fintech trends has already entered 2023, facing an unpredictable economic landscape inherited from 2022. Factors responsible for global tectonic shifts - war in Ukraine, inflation, job market disruptions, supply chain issues, environmental pressures, and regional socio-political tensions -- will continue to play out over the year ahead. With Fintech opening up new business avenues worldwide, technology will remain a central driving force.

FAQs

What are some key Fintech trends to watch out for in 2023? 

2023 will likely witness increased adoption of blockchain technology, AI-powered personalization features, and expansion of decentralized finance (DeFi). Furthermore, digital currencies could see widespread social acceptance as an investment vehicle.

What will blockchain do for Fintech in 2023?

Blockchain will revolutionize financial processes with faster transactions, increased security, and lower costs by making functions such as cross-border payments or supply chain finance faster and more transparent than before.

What role will Artificial Intelligence (AI) play in Fintech in 2023?

AI will facilitate personalized financial services, enhance fraud detection capabilities, and enhance customer experiences; chatbots and robo-advisors will become even more common as customer support or investment advice tools.

Can you discuss the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platforms' projected expansion by 2023?

DeFi platforms continue their rapid rise, providing decentralized lending, borrowing, and trading services as traditional banks struggle with more accessible and transparent solutions these newcomers offer.

How will digital currencies evolve by 2023, and how will they impact Fintech companies?

Digital currencies, including central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and cryptocurrencies, will see greater adoption within Fintech products to promote financial inclusion and global accessibility.

Will there be any emerging regulatory challenges facing Fintech in 2023? As Fintech continues its rapid expansion, regulators may face new difficulties when ensuring consumer protection, combatting money laundering, and managing risks associated with emerging technologies like DeFi and cryptocurrency.