A return to reality: Money20/20 hosts first in-person event since COVID-19
After a year of virtual events, Money20/20 made a huge comeback in Amsterdam this week with more than 4,000 professionals and 1,500 companies in attendance.
The three-day event was tagged #money2020eu, which lit up social networks, letting people across the globe know that the European fintech sector is back and ready for business.
Embedded finance poses a challenge to traditional banks
Embedded finance was a key theme this year at Money20/20. Integration of financial services into non-financial websites, mobile applications, and business processes has accelerated, enabling a range of user-friendly and cost-effective financial services for customers. Forbes estimates embedded finance will generate around USD 230 billion in revenue by 2025, sparking a further flurry of interest around this innovation.
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) solutions, an off-shoot of embedded finance, were a second sizzling topic. Making sales a cinch at check-outs, this is an example of embedded finance being invaluable for businesses and consumers. The growth of the sector is all the more tantalising with an estimate that the global market size is expected to reach USD 20.40 billion by 2028. The opportunities associated confirm the consumer lending market is primed and ready to bounce back.
Cracking the crypto code
The crypto ecosystem and its legitimacy and stability was a theme addressed by the Dutch, and French central banks, American Express and JP Morgan to name a few. Far from focusing solely on crypto currencies, the topic expanded to include central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), smart contracts, ‘programmable’ money and the potential application of blockchain technology.
To 2022, and beyond…!
Building on the 2019 Money20/20 event’s focus on open banking, innovation in data trust and privacy were themes explored by several keynote speakers, along with the fintech opportunity in Africa and the importance of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance). #money2020eu impressed beyond expectations, reigniting the fire of fintech through imagination, innovation and long-awaited interactions with the industry’s best and brightest.