Latest long reads: Finextra Research

The Data (Use and Access) Act has passed - what will change and what’s next?

Chris Holmes Peer at House of Lords

The Data (Use and Access) Act has passed - what will change and what’s next?

After six years in the making, the Data (Use and Access) Act is finally here. The Act gained Royal Assent on 19 June 2025 and is set to have a significant impact despite more controversial parts of the Bill being dropped before the law was passed. The Data Act amends the UK GDPR, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations and the Data Pr...

1 hour /regulation

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

What is predictive analysis?

Predictive analytics is a method of data analysis used within the financial services industry – and beyond – to forecast business-related outcomes. It sits on a spectrum, beginning with descriptive analytics, the most basic form of data analysis, then moving to diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics, and finally prescriptive analytics – the mo...

1 hour /ai

Why do customers and business leaders diverge on client experience views?

Scott Hamilton Contributing Editor at Finextra Research

Why do customers and business leaders diverge on client experience views?

Customers aren’t ‘buying’ companies’ improved customer experience (CX) claims or promises, and company leaders aren’t buying the value of spending more to delight the customer. At least not in large percentages on either side of the commerce spectrum, according to a recent global study. When it comes to the leaders of the companies surveyed, respo...

27 June 2025 /retail

How proptech and fintech is coming together for a smarter future

Kalina Staykova Assistant Professor at Warwick Business School

How proptech and fintech is coming together for a smarter future

The convergence of proptech and fintech is reshaping the future of both sectors. It brings all-embracing implications for the entire real estate sector, from planning and construction to loans, sales, and maintenance, and significant implications for the finance sector in expanding access to a major asset class that can be easily accessible, funda...

24 June 2025 /devops

Mounting geopolitical tensions underscore the need for public cloud diversification

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

Mounting geopolitical tensions underscore the need for public cloud diversification

Today’s industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, is characterised by smart systems, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), advanced robotics, and automation. If these innovations are the locomotives of Industry 4.0, then their fuel is data. Be it customer behaviour, engagement, attitudes, or personal information, data – ...

24 June 2025 /cloud

The UK’s moment to lead digital verification: A roadmap to economic growth and financial security

Chris Hayward Policy Chairman at City of London Corporation

The UK’s moment to lead digital verification: A roadmap to economic growth and financial security

Following London Tech Week, the spotlight is on the technologies shaping our future, and one of the most important is digital verification. With more of our lives happening online, from banking to healthcare to everyday shopping, the need for secure, reliable ways to prove who we are has never been greater. That’s why digital verification is high ...

23 June 2025 /security

Why 65% of the banking industry is not fully prepared for DORA: Key Insights from NextGen Nordics

Henna Cheema Researcher at Finextra

Why 65% of the banking industry is not fully prepared for DORA: Key Insights from NextGen Nordics

Set against the dynamic backdrop of the Nordic financial landscape, the NextGen Nordics 2025 event in Stockholm, Sweden on 29 April 2025 featured key findings from Finextra’s latest survey, highlighting the Nordic community’s concerns and aspirations. Real time data gathered from interactive audience polls throughout the event offered live insight...

20 June 2025 /payments

Mitigating cyber-risks in outsourcing: Contract strategies for compliance and protection

Luke Stubbs Partner at Shoosmiths LLP

Mitigating cyber-risks in outsourcing: Contract strategies for compliance and protection

A clear and present danger In recent years, several prominent UK businesses have faced significant technology and cybersecurity challenges and the consequences of data protection breaches. For example, in October 2023, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined Equifax over £11 million for failing to manage and monitor the security of UK consumer ...

20 June 2025 /security

The UK’s next Big Bang: Digital assets, blockchain, and Web3

Simon Jennings Executive Director at UK Cryptoasset Business Council

The UK’s next Big Bang: Digital assets, blockchain, and Web3

With HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) actively consulting on the future regulatory framework, real progress feels within reach. But as ever, the devil is in the details. Warm words and platitudes alone won’t deliver what is required, and regulation is only part of the puzzle. That’s why today, the UK Cryptoasset Business Counc...

19 June 2025 /crypto

eIDAS 2.0: Europe’s digital future for regulating privacy and AML

Renate Prinz Partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP

eIDAS 2.0: Europe’s digital future for regulating privacy and AML

This piece has been co-authored by Renate Prinz, partner, and Dr. Cornelius Hille, associate, at McDermott, Will & Emery. The European Union’s European Digital Identity Framework Regulation (eIDAS 2.0) introduces a standardised framework for digital identity and trust services across all EU Member States, massively benefiting anti-money launde...

18 June 2025 /regulation

To ESG or not to ESG? Britain’s ‘Big Four’ banks buck the trend of DEI retreat

Hamish Monk Senior Reporter at Finextra

To ESG or not to ESG? Britain’s ‘Big Four’ banks buck the trend of DEI retreat

A counterbalance to claims of trans-Atlantic ESG de-prioritisation, Finextra’s investigation into the UK’s top financial institutions prove that some industries are keeping ESG front of mind. On Sunday 6 June 2025, The Observer published an article in its business and economics section which revealed how leading British firms had “re-written” thei...

17 June 2025 /inclusion

Are we finally seeing the shift to blockchain-as-infrastructure?

Chris Holmes Peer at House of Lords

Are we finally seeing the shift to blockchain-as-infrastructure?

The real news about digital asset innovation is often drowned out by ‘crypto’ noise such as the collapse of FTX and the launch of Trump Coins, but what should we really be listening to? 2025 is the year that Stripe went all in, heralding reports of a stablecoin gold rush in financial services as the UK’s Insolvency Service announces they have hired...

17 June 2025 /regulation

Long reads