After several years defined by higher interest rates, tighter funding markets and greater investor scrutiny, fintech has regained momentum. 

BCG reports that funding increased by 53% to $58 billion in 2025, while global fintech revenues exceeded $500 billion for the first time, reaching $504 billion and growing 22% year-on-year.

Revenues are increasing more than four times faster than those of traditional banks and almost three-quarters of the world’s largest listed fintechs are now profitable.

Taken together, these figures paint a picture of an industry that has strengthened through a difficult period and reflect the themes that emerged from Chatsworth’s recent Fintech 100 Leadership Survey, conducted with our partner, Censuswide. 

While fintech leaders remain aware of ongoing economic and regulatory pressures, there is growing confidence in the sector’s long-term prospects. The conversation has shifted towards growth, adoption, reputation and commercial execution.

Many fintech businesses that began life as challengers now operate at the heart of the financial ecosystem. They move money, support lending decisions, power investment platforms, help firms manage compliance and provide infrastructure relied upon by banks, corporates and consumers every day.

This mirrors findings from the Chatsworth survey, where fintech leaders increasingly described their businesses as long-term partners to financial institutions rather than disruptors operating on the fringes of the sector.

The payments breakout 

Payments remain the dominant vertical, making up a solid proportion of global fintech revenue. Demand for the instant movement of money continues to grow globally and the US is making strides to close the gap with the UK and Europe in this area.  

Couple this with global initiatives like Project Agora that seek to explore the use of tokenisation for cross-border payments, an area in dire need of innovation, payments-related fintechs continue to grow their status as valuable financial infrastructure. By helping banks to keep up with the operational pressure borne out of rising demand and regulatory requirements, payments fintechs are becoming an irreplaceable cog in the payments machine. 

Within digital assets, projects are progressing across the globe in earnest creating new opportunities for fintechs and incumbents to collaborate. Whether the use of tokenisation in wholesale markets or giving crypto firms direct access to payments rails, we are likely to see the use of digital assets broaden beyond crypto natives going forward.  

A global growth pipeline

As the fintech sector globally continues to mature, this should contribute to the IPO pipeline over the coming years and different territories will be keen to win the battle for listings. The UK and Europe are in the midst of a massive capital markets overhaul, and this modernisation will play an important role in ensuring that their markets are efficient and globally competitive.  

Across LatAM, fintechs are playing a growing role in the financial ecosystem, plugging the gaps left by incumbents and fostering financial inclusion to drive economic growth. The monumental growth of Nubank in Brazil is the poster child, with the unbanked population decreasing by 20% since its launch in 2014. We can expect this success to be repeated in other Latin American countries and emerging markets where financial inclusion is low. For example in Mexico, brands like Finsus are growing apace attracting local customers and international investors. 

Trust is increasingly linked to growth

One of the strongest themes from the Chatsworth survey is the growing importance of trust. As fintech businesses scale, leadership teams are spending more time thinking about reputation, visibility and credibility with customers, investors, regulators and partners.

The BCG report reinforces this trend. Capital is returning to the sector, but investors are concentrating on businesses that can demonstrate strong fundamentals, clear paths to profitability and operational maturity.

This reflects the broader evolution of fintech over recent years. Many of the industry’s success stories have moved beyond proving the technology works. The focus today is proving that businesses can operate at scale, serve large customer bases and navigate increasingly complex regulatory environments.

For growing fintechs, trust is becoming closely linked to commercial success. It influences investment decisions, partnership opportunities, customer adoption and recruitment.

AI needs a business case

Artificial intelligence remains a major area of investment and innovation across financial services.

Fintech leaders continue to invest heavily in AI, particularly across compliance, risk, operations and customer service. At the same time, customers, investors and regulators remain focused on practical outcomes. Security, reliability, transparency and performance continue to shape decision-making.

The UK remains in a strong position

The report highlights the UK’s continued strength as a global fintech centre. A deep financial services market, experienced talent pool, strong regulatory engagement and active investor community continue to make the UK an attractive place to build fintech businesses.

Hats off to Innovate Finance and all that they do to ensure that regulation keeps pace with fintech innovation, so that the UK can maintain its status as a hub for this strategically important sector.  

They have played an important role in maintaining constructive dialogue between regulators, policymakers and the sector. That collaboration has helped create an environment where innovation can develop alongside appropriate safeguards.

While leaders identified challenges around funding, regulation and talent, there remains a strong belief that the UK is well positioned to remain one of the world’s leading fintech ecosystems.

Maintaining that advantage will require continued investment and reform. Competition for talent, capital and future listings is intensifying globally.

A sector entering its next phase

Funding has recovered. Revenues are growing strongly. Public fintechs are becoming more profitable. Larger firms are acquiring competitors and expanding internationally. Capital markets are beginning to reopen.

Many of the fintech businesses founded over the last decade are now established companies serving millions of customers and processing vast volumes of transactions.

Leadership teams are focused on growth, profitability, trust, adoption and long-term market position. The firms that attract investment, customers and partners over the coming years will be those that combine innovation with scale, credibility and sustained market presence.