Stepping into the familiar ballrooms and event corridors of The Venetian in Las Vegas can only mean one thing, event season is well and truly underway. This time it was Fintech Meetup (FTM) 2025.
Now in its third physical edition, after launching online during the pandemic, it puts a focus on content, networking and deal-making. FTM has quickly established itself as a major player in the fintech event space filling the void of a large scale Q1 event.
It kicked off on Monday 10 March with a content focused first day before the expo and networking driven activities (plus a game of pickle ball or two) were unleashed.
From Tuesday 11 to Thursday 13 March, the agenda cycled through in-depth content conversations, news-breaking keynotes and the real magic: the rapid-fire networking sessions that had attendees streaming in, ready to claim their spot at one of 1000 awaiting tables.
A three-part event with a secret weapon
FTM’s structure is built around three pillars. First, its content schedule is packed with long-form discussions on highly relevant topics, featuring well-known industry names. Each ballroom at The Venetian was dedicated to a different content track, and thanks to a clever seating setup that mixed traditional rows with tables, the sessions felt open, inviting and interactive.
Second, the expo hall provided a platform for both emerging fintechs and established brands. A consistently popular area was the community stage where alongside panels, startups had the chance to pitch in front of seasoned investors. Back on the show floor, big players showcased their latest innovations, with a focus on seamless onboarding tools to loyalty-driving fintech solutions.
But the highlight was certainly the signature networking sessions which involved 15-minute speed meetings powered by an advanced matchmaking platform. Twice a day, the expo floor transformed into a sea of fast-paced, high-energy conversations. It was clear that many attendees came specifically for these sessions, some returning year after year because they found the structured networking so valuable.
That said, not everyone was aware of how it worked. I met a surprising number of attendees who arrived without pre-scheduled meetings, unsure of how to make the most of their time. Given that networking slots are assigned weeks in advance, late registrants found themselves missing out on what many consider Fintech Meetup’s biggest advantage.
The big themes: AI, open banking and fintech’s next moves
Beyond the networking and deal-making, FTM 2025 highlighted some of fintech’s most pressing trends. Within wider AI-driven topics fraud detection was an interesting one, in the session Dealing with AI, Fighting on both sides of Financial Fraud, experts discussed the dual role of AI, both as a weapon for fraudsters and a defence mechanism for financial institutions.
“Fraud has never been easier,” said Catherine Porter, chief business officer at Prove. “That’s the problem.”
Her words landed with weight. Generative AI has created a new breed of fraudsters who don’t need years of experience to manipulate financial systems. With tools like deepfake identity generators, fake KYC documents, and automated phishing scams, cybercriminals are launching sophisticated attacks at scale.
The panel, moderated by Chris Caruana, founder of C6 Intelligence, was a mix of concern and cautious optimism. On the defensive side were industry veterans like Bart Willaert, EVP global open banking Americas at Mastercard, who explained how financial institutions are scrambling to keep up.
“We’re seeing an explosion of synthetic identity fraud,” Willaert said. “These aren’t stolen identities, they’re identities that never existed, crafted from a mix of real and fake data.”
Mastercard is fighting back with AI-driven fraud detection, layering device intelligence, transaction behaviour analysis, and proprietary identity networks to separate real users from digital ghosts. But even the best defences aren’t foolproof.
AI is not just a threat
Soups Ranjan, Sardine’s CEO, described how his firm analyses micro-behaviours like typing cadence, mouse movements, phone tilt angles to verify identity. “Fraudsters can fake documents, but they can’t fake how they use their devices,” he explained.
Ronen Assia, managing partner at Team8, pointed out that AI isn’t just a threat it’s also a tool.
“Fraud prevention is an arms race,” he said. “If we don’t use AI to fight fraud, we’re already losing.” Meanwhile, Fernando Paulin, CEO of Truly by Unico, brought a global perspective, highlighting the stark rise of identity fraud in Latin America.
“In Mexico, it increased 54 per cent last year,” he noted. “The single biggest factor in fighting fraud? Data sharing. When financial institutions pool their intelligence, fraud rates drop.”
But therein lies the challenge. Caruana pointed out that cross-industry data sharing is still a regulatory minefield. “We talk about collaboration,” he said, “but the reality is, financial institutions are often afraid to share data because they don’t know where the regulatory line is.”
If fraud is fintech’s nemesis, open banking might be its biggest opportunity.
In the panel Unleashing Open Finance’s Transformative Potential for Banking and Payments, moderated by Alex Johnson, founder of Fintech Takes were panellists Rory O’Reilly (CEO, Knot) and Ximena Aleman Silva (CEO, Prometeo) who agreed on one thing: open banking is no longer just about compliance. It’s unlocking a new financial ecosystem.
“In the US, open banking started because of regulation,” O’Reilly said. “Now, it’s being driven by consumer demand and competitive pressure.”
The shift is significant. Instead of focusing solely on API mandates and regulatory requirements, open banking is evolving into open finance, a system where financial data is shared across a much broader range of services, from merchants to lenders to subscription platforms.
One of the biggest breakthroughs is Pay by Bank transactions. “Consumers are realising they don’t need a credit card to pay online,” said Brian Dammeir, head of payments and financial management at Plaid. “They can authorise payments directly from their bank accounts, cutting out expensive card fees.”
The appeal of faster, cheaper transactions is obvious. But it also represents a fundamental shift in power. If banks and fintechs control direct payment flows, do traditional card networks become less relevant?
More than payments
The conversation quickly turned to how fintechs are using open finance for more than just payments. “Think about chargebacks,” O’Reilly said. “If we connect to a user’s entire financial footprint, we can resolve disputes instantly, before they become chargebacks. That’s massive for merchants.”
Silva, who leads one of Latin America’s biggest open banking platforms, nodded. “In regions where credit cards aren’t dominant, open banking is financial access,” she said. “It’s how people pay for utilities, loans, and even government services.”
But while fintechs are pushing innovation, the regulatory backdrop remains murky. The Dodd-Frank Act’s final rule implementation has encountered delays due to the Trump administration’s directive to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to halt its investigations and suspend certain finalised rules, a move which has left fintechs in limbo, unsure how aggressively they should build open finance products.
Dammeir shrugged at the uncertainty. “The big players aren’t waiting for regulators,” he said. “They’re moving ahead, because whoever controls financial data controls the future of fintech.”
Keynotes that packed a punch
FTM’s keynote line-up delivered compelling stories of resilience and reinvention. One of the most anticipated sessions featured Ryan Breslow, the founder of Bolt, who took the stage for the first time since reclaiming his role as CEO after a three-year hiatus just a few days before.
His journey, marked by leadership upheavals, boardroom battles and loan queries now begins with an ambitious plan to launch a fintech super app.
Also on the main stage, Ally Bank’s CEO Michael Rhodes outlined why they’re doubling down on core businesses like auto financing while stepping away from credit cards and mortgage lending, areas that have seen recent redundancies. He believes this focus on strategic differentiation, rather than chasing competitors, will keep them a strong force in digital banking.
A community-focused fintech event
Beyond the business deals, FTM had a strong community feel. Attendees gathered early for breakfast sessions, stayed late for networking drinks, and engaged in conversations beyond the official agenda. One senior individual at a major credit score outlet revealed that he is a big fan of the conference for meetings he can secure outside of the show floor, so it’s no surprise that coffee shops and restaurants surrounding the event were busy.
Of course, the event wasn’t perfect. Some exhibitors noted that foot traffic on the expo floor dipped when content sessions were in full swing. And for those who hadn’t locked in their networking slots ahead of time, the event felt less structured. However, these were minor issues in an otherwise well-executed conference.
Fintech Meetup 2026: Moving on Up
With its reputation growing the event is set to move to Mandalay Bay in 2026, a clear signal that it plans to scale up. If it continues refining its unique blend of content, networking, and deal-making, Fintech Meetup is set to be a must in the North American region Q1 calendar.
