Regulation, deals, crypto: Fintech themes for 2025

THE CLOUDS THAT hung over the financial-technology industry in 2024 appear to be clearing as interest-rate cuts, recoveries in fintech stocks and promises of a looser regulatory environment in the second Trump administration paint a more promising outlook for startups.

- EMILY MASON

After capturing a windfall of investment during the period that followed the Covid-19 pandemic, the fintech industry's vast crop of startups across payments, lending, consumer banking and other categories faced a challenging adjustment period.

As venture-capital funding dried up, some fintechs cut their spending through layoffs and more-focused product strategies. Others with significant war chests held onto valuations that now appear to have been inflated during the frenzied funding period.

These factors all combined to stall deal activity, slow growth and inspire laments of a "fintech winter." For 2025, however, industry insiders are optimistic that the tide will turn and momentum will build around new technologies like stablecoins and that capital raising, acquisitions and public listings will begin to pick up. Here are three fintech themes to watch in 2025:

Relaxed regulation