Money20/20 Europe, the world's leading fintech show, once again converged in Amsterdam, gathering an impressive force of over 8,000 movers, shakers, and innovators from 2,300+ companies. Spanning banks, neobanks, fintechs, tech giants, and startups, the event transformed the RAI Exhibition Center's five halls into a hub of unparalleled discussion and networking. Over 4,000 participants from 1,900 companies explored the latest trends and future directions.

Where Money Does Business: Key European Payment Trends

The core theme revolved around the future of money movement in Europe. Discussions rigorously debated the impact of fragmentation on market differentiation and emphasized the critical importance of regulatory clarity. While the potential of European stablecoins was explored, their priority appeared lower compared to the immediate focus on real-time payments and digital wallets. Resiliency and operational risk were heavily emphasized, with particular attention paid to payment substitutability and robust contingency planning.

These critical discussions raise pertinent questions for the future, which DIGI PAY will continue to explore. What are the next steps for European payment schemes? How can risks, fraud, and anti-money laundering efforts be effectively addressed?

Key Findings from Money20/20 & FXC Intelligence Joint Report

Money20/20, in collaboration with FXC Intelligence—the foremost provider of cross-border payments data and insights—officially launched their joint report: "How Will Europe's Money Move in the Future? 2025's View of 2035."

The report highlighted several key findings:

• Industry Priorities: A significant 83% of leaders prioritize reducing transaction costs, while 82% focus on the expansion of real-time payments.

• Technology Drivers: Real-time payments and digital wallets emerged as the primary catalysts for transformation.

• Market Leaders: The UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Estonia are leading innovation, with Wise (45%) and Revolut (37%) at the forefront.

• Growth Outlook: Despite potential reductions by US tariffs, global sector growth remains strong, though projections might decrease by $1.2 trillion.

Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at Money20/20, noted, "Europe is at the tipping point of a new era in money movement." The report further revealed that 94% of industry leaders anticipate a significant transformation in Europe's cross-border payment infrastructure by 2035. Currently dominating with 46% of global retail cross-border payments, EMEA's outbound flows are projected to reach an astounding $25.9 trillion by 2032.

The report identified five critical priorities for the industry:

• Reducing transaction costs (83%)

• Expanding real-time payments (82%)

• Increasing payment speeds (74%)

• Integrating digital wallets (73%)

• Enhancing transparency (70%)

Daniel Webber, CEO and Founder of FXC Intelligence, added, "This report shows that change in Europe's payments landscape will be profound yet deliberate. Europe's ability to harmonize regulatory leadership with innovation gives it a powerful edge as it builds the next chapter of global payments." This white paper is the second in a global series from Money20/20 and FXC Intelligence, following the Asia edition released earlier this year, offering a regional deep dive that contributes to a broader global view of money movement trends.

Building a Pan-European Payment Ecosystem

The European Payments Market currently benefits from a robust regulatory framework and a strong presence of national champions. The adoption of instant payments is poised to accelerate following regulatory reviews and increasing merchant demand. However, acceptance for cross-border payments, particularly for merchant payments at the Point of Sale (POS), still largely depends on International Card Schemes. New initiatives like the Digital Euro remain a hot topic, with ongoing developments by Payment Service Providers (PSPs) completing with X-Pays approval by the ECB to launch the Digital Euro's preparation phase.

A key conversation on this topic featured Fernando Rodrigues Ferrer, Chief of Business Development and International Expansion, and Martin Ascie Lopez of Bizum, Spain. Bizum, with over 29 million users, stands as Europe's largest P2P platform.

Challenges and Opportunities for European Solutions:

The Challenges:

• SEPA Solutions: SEPA solutions are still evolving and do not yet fully cover all merchant use cases. Current legislative proposals should ensure a level playing field across payment methods, and European standards for points of interaction are still under development.

• Market Alignment: Aligning diverse market preferences and behaviors is crucial to eliminate barriers for cross-border payments.

• Stakeholder Support: Support from European stakeholders is essential to foster innovative business models that can effectively compete with existing payment methods.

The Opportunities:

• Sovereignty: European players are not yielding sovereignty; they have successfully gained significant market share in their markets by competing with International Card Schemes and are willing to invest in solutions leveraging European standards.

• Value-Added Solutions: Existing value-added payment solutions are pioneers in SEPA adoption, both by convincing the market of its benefits and by legally contributing to its improvement and evolution to fit market needs.

• SEPA Inst Integration: Value-added solutions and SEPA Instant-based solutions are a strong fit, especially for services not fully covered by non-European players (P2P, e-commerce, POS). P2P is often the easiest entry point for market acceptance before expanding into merchant use cases, and it enables alternative business models not solely based on interchange fees.

Key Announcements at Money20/20: Revolut Joins WERO

One of the most significant announcements at Money20/20 was the partnership between Revolut and WERO. The EPI Company, a European player committed to offering a sovereign payment alternative, announced a membership agreement with Revolut, the global fintech and licensed European bank. This marks a pivotal milestone for both entities, enabling consumers to access a localized, simple, and convenient payment method.

Through Wero's integration, Revolut will offer its customers in France, Belgium, and Germany an additional local payment solution, ensuring high security standards and ease of use. Wero, EPI's mobile-first wallet and instant account-to-account (A2A) payment solution, is designed to transform European payments. Launched in Summer 2024 for person-to-person (P2P) transactions in Belgium, France, and Germany, Wero has already attracted over 40 million registered users. With the ambition to become Europe's main payment solution, Wero plans to expand its features to e-commerce payments in the second half of 2025, followed by in-store payments, subscription management, and loyalty services from 2026 onward.

Revolut customers in these three countries will have direct access to Wero's core features within their Revolut app, including instant, free-of-charge money transfers between Wero users, facilitated by Wero's secure and frictionless technology. This partnership will allow both companies to deliver a compelling and increasingly local payment offering to millions of Europeans. Revolut plans to integrate additional Wero-supported use cases to further enhance customer value across Europe.

David Tirado, VP of Global Business at Revolut, stated, "This partnership with EPI underscores our dedication to providing greater value for our European customers who want payments to be simple and integrated with their day-to-day banking, so they can pay like a local, wherever they are. Facilitating seamless access to free and instant payments is no longer a 'nice to have,' it's a 'must.' By enabling Wero within the Revolut app, alongside our other local peer-to-peer payment partners, we're empowering our customers to make instant and secure payments seamlessly within European borders, in the most suitable way for them."

Martina Weimert, CEO of the EPI Company, added, "We are very delighted to welcome Revolut as a member of the European Payments Initiative. Revolut's extensive footprint and their commitment to innovation make them a valuable partner in our shared mission: to offer a secure, easy, pan-European solution and to expand payment sovereignty and freedom of choice to all Europeans. It's a new chapter in how payments are experienced in this continent."

Creating and Leveraging FinBank Partnerships

A discussion at Money20/20 focused on the evolution and success of fintech partnerships with banks. Key points included a significant shift from purely transactional partnerships to more collaborative, value-driven relationships, emphasizing joint Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and co-creation of products.

Cecilia Tamez, Chief Strategy Officer at Dandelion Payments, highlighted: "It really is cutting the line to be able to deliver opportunity for customers and to be able to expand propositions for new customers. The economic development supply chains shifting to low- to middle-income countries are incredibly important right now, and cross-border payment rails have not been good in low- to middle-income countries."

Where Fintech Goes Next: Tapping into Platforms and Verticals

This discussion centered on the democratization of financial services through embedded finance. The panel emphasized the importance of data quality, personalization, and strategic partnerships in delivering seamless financial experiences – ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and improving business efficiency.

Hiba Chamas, Growth Strategy Consultant - Independent, observed: "Embedded finance is going to be defined by region and use cases."

Zack Powers, VP Commercial & Operations - Mangopay, added: "Most platforms or merchants out there trying to diversify revenue will get auxiliary revenue, or maybe get primary revenue through FinTech activity."

Innovating When Regulation Can't Keep Up: Lessons from NASA

Lisa Valencia, Programme Manager/Electrical Engineer - Pioneering Space, LC (formerly NASA), covered an array of topics. Drawing from her 35-year career at NASA and her Guinness World Record, she discussed the rise of private entities like SpaceX, which has launched an astonishing 180 missions this year, and the increasing role of public-private partnerships in space exploration. She also touched on international collaborations, particularly with the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, and the exciting potential for space tourism and colonization of the moon.

Valencia shared: "Back in the day, NASA got 4% of the national budget. Now it's down to just 0.1%, so we've had to get creative with private partnerships. SpaceX is the perfect success story. They came to us in 2007 needing money after some rocket mishaps, and look at them now! From my balcony, I see their launches every other day. They're planning 180 launches this year alone. Talk about a return on investment! We're planning to colonize the South Pole on the moon. The idea is to extract water and hydrogen from the regolith—both for living there and for fuel."

The Neobanks Strike Back

In a dynamic exploration of neobanking's evolution, Ali Niknam revealed bunq's remarkable journey from a tech-driven startup to a sustainably profitable digital bank. By leveraging AI across every aspect of their operations, bunq has transformed traditional banking, significantly reducing support times to mere seconds and creating a hyper-personalized user experience. Niknam emphasized the power of user-centricity, demonstrating how innovative features like simple stock trading and multi-language support can democratize financial services. The bank's strategic approach—focusing on user needs rather than investor expectations—has enabled them to expand thoughtfully, with plans to enter the UK and US markets. By embracing technological change and maintaining a relentless commitment to solving real customer problems, bunq exemplifies the next generation of banking.

Putting The F In Fintech: The Role of Women in Fintech

A compelling panel discussion focused on the role of women in FinTech, drawing on personal experiences.

Iana Dimitrova, CEO, OpenPayd: "At times, being underestimated is helpful, because if you're seen as the competition, driving an agenda is becoming more difficult. So what I found, actually, over a period, is that bringing your emotional intelligence, leaving the ego outside of the room, and just focusing on execution is incredibly helpful."

Megan Cooper, CEO & Founder, Caywood: "The moment we start defining ourselves as a female leader or a female entrepreneur, you almost kind of put yourself in a bit of a box. And so I think just seeing yourself on an equal playing field and then operating on an equal playing field and interacting in that way is quite advantageous. We can't just want diversity and hope it happens. We actually have to be intentional about creating it."

Valerie Kontor, Founder, Black in Fintech: "Black women make up 1.6% of the FinTech workforce, but when we look at the financial reality of black women by the age of 60, only 53% of black women have enough money in their bank account to retire. We need to start marrying people in FinTech and the people that we need to serve."