Stablecoins may have edged ahead of agentic AI as the buzzword of the week, but beneath the headlines a different story is emerging. From packed meeting rooms and infrastructure plays to deeper policy discussions and new partnerships, Money20/20 Europe continues to prove why it remains fintech’s most important gathering place.
If your office has been quiet and your LinkedIn buzzing then that’s because this week was Money20/20 Europe, now celebrating its 10th year on the continent. As always, there’s lots to unpack. Not just from the stages, but from the corridors, meeting spaces and conversations happening across Amsterdam’s RAI.
The obvious talking points are there. Stablecoins appear to have narrowly overtaken agentic AI as the phrase most likely to be heard in halls and on stages. Unlike previous years, however, the conversation feels less theoretical. Stablecoins are no longer confined to crypto discussions. Banks, fintechs, infrastructure providers and regulators are all increasingly discussing them through a practical lens.
Yet perhaps the most interesting observation has little to do with any individual technology. It’s about how the industry itself is evolving.
For an ecosystem obsessed with growth metrics, Money20/20 has become remarkably adept at keeping attendees guessing. Delegates will inevitably debate whether the event feels larger or smaller than previous editions, but that may miss the point. The more noticeable shift is in how the space is being used.
The floor feels increasingly intentional. Additional walkways, more clearly defined areas and stages positioned at the end of halls have created a different rhythm to the event. Through rain and shine, what has been impossible to miss is the utilisation of the Connections Lounge, Meetings Village and SmartMeet areas. With one message surfacing repeatedly from exhibitors, sponsors and attendees alike.
“This is where we meet our customers.”
For all the discussion around automation, AI and digital transformation, Money20/20 continues to reinforce a simple truth: relationships still matter. Many of the biggest brands in attendance appear to be investing as much energy into scheduled conversations as they are into stage appearances.
Louisa Murray, Chief Sales Officer at Equals, a financial services group providing international payments, expense management and business banking solutions, noted the growing emphasis, something that feels more intentional than the ‘gold rush’ of M&A in 2021. For Equals, Money20/20 remains a key venue for connecting with banks, fintechs, embedded finance providers and infrastructure partners, many of whom become customers, collaborators or strategic relationships long after the event ends. Murray said the focus on meaningful conversations reflects a wider shift across the industry as firms prioritise long-term growth and collaboration over short-term visibility.
That focus on collaboration can also be seen in the conversations taking place on and off stage.
One notable characteristic of this year’s event has been the emphasis placed on expertise over hierarchy. Across emerging themes such as stablecoins and digital assets, speakers have increasingly been recognised for the value of their contributions rather than the seniority of their job titles. It is a subtle shift, but one that reflects the industry’s desire for practical insight over corporate positioning, especially prevalent in stage takeovers and the excellent deep-dive stage, MoneyLab.
At the same time, some of the most significant discussions have happened away from the exhibition floor altogether.
Initiatives such as Policy20 have created opportunities for regulators, policymakers and industry leaders to engage in more candid dialogue. As fintech matures, these conversations are becoming increasingly important. Innovation no longer exists separately from regulation, public policy or financial stability. The future of financial services will be shaped by all three.
Meanwhile, access to content has never felt stronger. Book launches (The New Intersection of Money: Where TradFi and DeFi converge), debates, audience Q&A sessions and more interactive formats have helped bring the community closer to the conversations shaping the industry.
The result is an event that feels increasingly connected. That sense of maturity was echoed in conversations with firms building the infrastructure that increasingly powers modern financial services.
Speaking to The Fintech Times, Denis Spasibo, CEO of SquareFi, described how his company evolved from tokenised real estate into payments infrastructure after discovering that liquidity, rather than tokenisation itself, was the real customer challenge.
What followed was not a grand strategic pivot but a series of customer requests. Clients wanted help moving between crypto and fiat. They wanted accounts, payments and simpler ways to access financial services. Each request led to another product, eventually transforming SquareFi from a tokenisation business into an infrastructure provider.
For Spasibo, the lesson for founders is straightforward: listen carefully to customers and be prepared to adapt. It is a philosophy that mirrors a broader trend across fintech. Increasingly, the companies gaining traction are not those chasing the latest technology trend, but those solving the practical problems sitting beneath it.
The same theme can be seen elsewhere across the ecosystem. This week also saw Equals Money and Railsr formally unite under the Equals brand, reflecting a broader move towards simplification and integration as firms seek to deliver more connected financial services experiences.
Taken together, these developments point to an industry that is becoming more focused on execution than experimentation.
Perhaps that is why Money20/20 continues to resonate. Speaking to first-time attendees this week, many were not newcomers to fintech. They were experienced industry professionals who had simply never attended the event before. Despite its scale and global reach, there remains a sense that Money20/20 is something of a rite of passage for those working in financial services. Everyone needs to experience it at least once.
That enduring appeal is not driven by any single announcement, keynote or technology trend. It comes from the ability to bring together founders, banks, regulators, investors, policymakers and technology providers in one place.
This is not a school reunion, although it undoubtedly reconnects old colleagues and friends. Instead, 10-years on, Money20/20 Europe is a celebration of the industry itself.
