It’s Sibos time again. This year’s conference welcomes thousands of attendees from across the world who will converge in Frankfurt to build connections, exchange ideas and work on new opportunities.
The digital elephant in the room
As the narrative around stablecoins and other digital assets moves to implementation, the conference will focus on the practicalities of implementation and adoption, and the wider implications of this on the financial system.
There’s always been an uncomfortable dance between hosts, Swift, and blockchain/digital assets. Many in the DeFi community saw Web3 and digital assets as the final nail in the coffin for Swift.
Indeed, a few years back in Toronto, the team from Ripple rather rudely turned up claiming blockchain would see off the likes of Swift once and for all and had a load of buses to take Sibos delegates to their alternative party in the city.
But years on Swift and Sibos endure. Chatsworth thinks that Swift CTO Tom Zschach has always done a rather decent job of articulating how and where the FMIs sit in this landscape. Check out his LinkedIn – he’s good and usually right.
Sibos is still the place to be for banking and cross-border payments, and Chatsworth clients will be in attendance throughout the conference – attending, exhibiting and leading panels.
Klopptocurrency
It’s also set to be a very German affair, topped and tailed by two of Germany’s most prominent financial leaders: Joachim Nagel, President of Deutsche Bundesbank, and Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank.
It concludes with a fireside chat featuring Jürgen Klopp, former Liverpool FC manager, who will share his insights on authentic leadership. It’s fair to say he knows a thing or two about international payments, given the fee he paid for Núñez…
Payments, payments and more payments
As always, payments will be centre stage, with sessions exploring whether regulation acts as a catalyst or constraint, what the “perfect payment experience” looks like, and the types of market infrastructures we can expect to see in the future.
Elsewhere on the payments front, ex-Swift executive Dave Scola of Chatsworth client Form3, will sit down with J.P. Morgan’s Renata Fracaroli Vilanova Lobo to assess how the U.S. payments industry is positioned after its ISO 20022 migration, and the upcoming shift to real-time payments, driven by the launch of FedNow and ongoing adoption of RTP networks.
Faster settlement
This year’s conference will also spotlight the UK’s upcoming move to T+1 with a dedicated panel discussion exploring the move in the context of early adopters of T+1 and the lessons learned.
This panel will be moderated by the irrepressible Andrew Douglas, Chair of The UK Accelerated Settlement Taskforce, and will also feature Marc Bayle de Jesse (CLS Group), Gareth Jones (Euroclear), Jane Masen (HSBC), Camille Papillard (BNP Paribas) and Michalis Sotiropoulos (DTCC).
Expect detailed discussion on the impact of this shift on securities, FX and collateral markets. They will also explore how innovations such as automation and real-time data are shaping a faster, more resilient financial system.
AI
It wouldn’t be a finance conference in 2025 without AI headlining.
As tech giants pour enormous sums into AI and corporate interest in using these models increases, AI and Innovation will be another hotly debated area at Sibos.
Planned panels range from discussions on cross-border governance of AI and the ROI of generative AI to the future of cybersecurity and the compliance frameworks behind it.
In an era where cyberattacks have dominated the news agenda and hackers are becoming bolder by the day, these latter two topics could not be more important.
Listen out for bold claims on successful AI integration. Believe some of what you hear.
Bonus: Fintech networking meets futuristic fun at Sibos 2025
Swift revealed that at Sibos 2025, the traditional fintech networking experience gets a high-tech twist — combining meaningful business connections with immersive, futuristic elements. We don’t know what this means. But it sounds fun? An insider explains:
- Blended networking formats: Traditional face-to-face meetups are enhanced with dynamic, tech-enabled interaction methods to spark creativity and collaboration.
- Futuristic elements: Expect immersive installations, digital gamification, or interactive zones designed to inspire and surprise.
- Amplified collaboration: The whole setup is oriented toward helping fintechs, incumbents, regulators, and investors form deeper connections and explore forward-looking partnerships.
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