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Bo Harald

Bo Harald Chairman/Founding member, board member at Trust Infra for Real Time Economy Prgrm & MyData,

Credit risks and costs – and how the tide may be turning

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Expert opinions

Stanley Epstein

Stanley Epstein Associate at Citadel Advantage Group

Risk Analysis: Central Bank Digital Currencies as a Mechanism for Authoritarian Control

A few days ago, I published an article, “Understanding Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs): A Guide to the Core Concerns”. To continue on this theme, I am now publishing a more detailed risk analysis, which I hope will help in the understanding of these concerns. 1. Introduction: Defining the "Digital Prison" Central Bank Digital C...

/regulation Operational Risk Management

Bo Harald

Bo Harald Chairman/Founding member, board member at Trust Infra for Real Time Economy Prgrm & MyData,

Credit risks and costs – and how the tide may be turning

Travelling offers time to read — and Buttonwood’s Into Thin Air column in The Economist, reflecting on receivables risks and fraud - reminded me of questions I have asked for decades. It all started when I was a young banker listening to a Helsinki taxi owner complain that my bank offered him a more expensive car loan than the car dealer. As i

/regulation /retail Financial Supply Chain

Ritesh Singhania

Ritesh Singhania CEO at Zango

The AI Growth Lab could be the UK's next fintech moment

Earlier this week, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall MP announced plans for an AI Growth Lab - an ambitious shift in how the UK approaches AI regulation. The initiative would create regulatory sandboxes where firms can test new AI products and services under real-world conditions, with certain rules temporarily relaxed under strict supervision. It...

/ai /regulation Artificial Intelligence and Financial Services

Stanley Epstein

Stanley Epstein Associate at Citadel Advantage Group

Understanding Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs): A Guide to the Core Concerns

1. Introduction: What is a CBDC? A Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is a digital currency issued directly by a country's central bank, such as the Federal Reserve in the United States or the European Central Bank. Unlike physical cash, which is anonymous, or commercial bank deposits, which are liabilities of private banks, a CBDC would be a di...

/payments /regulation

Mete Feridun

Mete Feridun Chair at EMU Centre for Financial Regulation and Risk

The Crypto Crash: A Stress Test for Global Financial Stability

The recent crypto market collapse, which wiped out more than $150 billion in value within days, was not merely another episode of volatility in a speculative asset class. It was a revealing stress test of the systemic fragilities that continue to define digital finance. For academics, regulators, and market participants alike, the crash provided ...

/regulation /crypto Cryptocurrency Insights

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Bo Harald

Bo Harald Chairman/Founding member, board member at Trust Infra for Real Time Economy Prgrm & MyData,

Credit risks and costs – and how the tide may be turning

Mete Feridun

Mete Feridun Chair at EMU Centre for Financial Regulation and Risk

The Crypto Crash: A Stress Test for Global Financial Stability

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Research

Event Report

Tackling the next ISO 20022 milestone: Structured addresses

Unstructured address data will be phased out in November 2026. What do banks need to do to prepare?  The first critical ISO 20022 deadline is upon us in November 2025, as the CBPR+ coexistence period ends. However, the transition does not stop there and the next migration is right ahead: from unstructured to structured addresses. Whereas traditionally, addresses could be entered both in both structured and unstructured formats, in November 2025, a hybrid option will become available. In November 2026, unstructured address formats will be phased out. Migrating to ISO 20022 structured addresses offers banks a strategic opportunity to modernise their payments infrastructure. However, this transition demands a comprehensive overhaul of address data management, storage, and utilisation across systems. This report highlights the key takeaways of a Finextra webinar, hosted in association with RedCompass Labs, by a panel of industry experts. Discover:  Industry readiness for the ISO 20022 structured address migration;  How banks can create strong data strategies;  The roadmap toward structured addresses; and  How to overcome the key migration challenges. 

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Impact Study

AI’s promise-delivery gap: Bridging the chasm with process orchestration

As financial services’ AI arms race accelerates, institutions must now begin to produce concrete results for the benefit of their clients, internal operations, and investors. How can FIs ensure their AI implementations live up to expectations? The financial services industry is past the point of experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI). Statista finds that AI investment across the sector reached an estimated $45 billion USD in 2024 versus $35 billion in 2023 – with almost 70% of financial services firms having reported AI-driven revenue increases. Yet, despite this overwhelming buy-in, it seems that countless institutions still do not access the full potential of their investments. Gartner predicts that over 40% of agentic AI projects (one of the technology’s latest use cases) will be cancelled by the end of 2027. In the United States, meanwhile, bank productivity is declining despite the sector’s high technology spend, underlining an urgent need to more effectively implement AI. The key to unlocking AI’s enterprise value is embedding it within orchestrated, automated processes. This provides AI with governance, auditability, and the flexibility to adapt in real-time. In fact, the firms that embed AI within orchestrated, governed processes will lead the next era of technological transformation. This Finextra impact study, in association with Appian, analyses the gap between AI’s potential and its current impact. We explore: The current state of AI in financial services; The orchestration imperative; How to successfully scale AI; and Case studies for real-world AI implementation.

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Event Report

Faster & further: 2025 insights on the evolution of the Nordic payments landscape

What's shaping Nordic payments? As NextGen Nordics 2025 unfolded in Stockholm, Sweden, there was a keen sense of discussion and debate. In particular, the conversation focused on how the Nordic region has been evolving to meet the intersection of instant and cross-border payments. As a discussion, some remained optimistic and positive about the efforts made, whilst others were less impressed and more cynical about the region’s ability to meet regulatory deadlines and improve its readiness.  Sourced from FinextraTV interviews filmed at the event, this report helps to break down some of the key talking points. From the impact of fraud on faster cross-border payments to the inability of banks to catch up to customer expectations, this report guides you through the (sometimes clashing) consensus on Nordic payments progress.  Discover:  Why cross-border payments demands outpace banks;  How digital first players are reshaping the industry;  How the Nordics are maintaining instant payments progress;  The necessity of strong safeguards;  And more.    Save the date for NextGen Nordics 2026 in Stockholm – Tuesday, 28th April 2026  Get involved – Register your interest here. 

123 downloads

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FinextraTV

Why Operational Resilience Starts with Smart Regulation and Smarter Technology

At Sibos 2025 in Frankfurt, James Hollands, CRO, Smartstream discussed the impact of evolving regulation, particularly DORA, on operational resilience and vendor accountability. He emphasised the need for firms to identify, prioritise, and resolve vulnerabilities while maintaining transparency across subcontractor relationships. Hollands also highlighted how rapid market shifts and emerging payment rails demand flexible, interoperable platforms. By leveraging machine learning for reconciliation and exception management, it enables firms to integrate their preferred large language models for AI-driven workflows. His advice: embrace AI responsibly, ensuring it’s embedded in a way that supports compliance, agility, and operational efficiency.

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Events

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Long reads

Charlotte Hill

Charlotte Hill Partner at Charles Russell Speechlys

Safeguarding overhauled: What the FCA’s new rules means for payments firms

What’s the issue? On 7 August 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published Policy Statement PS25/12, confirming sweeping changes to the UK safeguarding regime for payments and e-money institutions. The new Supplementary Regime will come into force on 7 May 2026. These changes represent a crucial recalibration of expectations around how c...

Gavin Meyers

Gavin Meyers Partner at Pierson Ferdinand LLP

The GENIUS Act’s impact on foreign stablecoin issuers

The US is in the midst of redrawing the map for stablecoins. With the signing of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act) into law on 18 July, 2025, foreign (non-US) stablecoin issuers face a new reality: issuing, offering, and/or selling payment stablecoins in the US will soon be tightly regulated, with...

Madhvi Sonia

Madhvi Sonia Head of Content at Finextra

Europe’s Instant Payments Regulation and the 9 October deadline, explained

Adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council in March 2024, the Instant Payments Regulation (IPR) was set in motion to speed up the roll-out of instant payments in Europe and cover credit transfers denominated in euro within the EU. This regulation also amends the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) regulation, adds specific provisions...