The Future of Finances Will Be Defined By This One Shift

In conversations about fintech, the word disruption almost always takes center stage. Startups are often cast as challengers determined to outpace, outmaneuver and ultimately replace traditional financial institutions. And while disruption has an undeniable power to spark change, I’ve come to believe that no matter how quickly technology evolves, the role of legacy players — banks and other long-standing institutions — remains indispensable. These institutions have been tested across decades, weathering cycles of crisis and reform, and in doing so, they’ve provided the accountability and structure that safeguard the very thing all of us in this industry are entrusted with: people’s money.

Fintechs, by contrast, are built for speed. We move fast, we experiment relentlessly, and we unlock access in ways that traditional systems often cannot. But speed without structure carries risk. When something breaks in fintech, it tends to break fast, and recovery is rarely easy. That doesn’t mean fintechs are inherently unsafe, far from it. In fact, one of the achievements I am most proud of at my own firm is proving that innovation can move at record speed without compromising security. We’ve managed this not by operating in isolation, but by actively collaborating with legacy institutions. The formula is simple: Merge agility with stability, and you create solutions that are not just innovative but also resilient.

The longer I’ve worked at this intersection, the clearer it has become that the future of financial services will not be written by one side displacing the other. It will be built on the bridges between them. Collaboration makes it possible to combine the best of both worlds: Fintechs bring agility and creative problem-solving, while banks provide the guardrails of compliance, trust and rigor. Together, that blend creates growth that is not only fast but also sustainable.

Related: The Future of Finance Won’t Be Built on Innovation Alone — Here’s What It Will Depend On Instead

What collaboration looks like in practice

At its core, collaboration is about designing bridges sturdy enough for both sides to cross. Sometimes this means plugging fintech services into established banking rails to accelerate deployment without sacrificing compliance. Other times, it means sitting side by side with bank teams to co-design new offerings that balance customer needs with regulatory obligations. And often, it’s about aligning operations so that fintech processes don’t run in parallel but integrate seamlessly into a bank’s existing framework.

But beyond these mechanics, partnerships thrive only when certain fundamentals are present. I’ve seen three stand out consistently.

First, trust is built by people, not products. When banks evaluate a fintech, they look beyond the app or platform. They want to know the people behind it: where they’ve worked, what they’ve built and whether they understand discipline and accountability.

Second, compliance is not a checkbox; it’s a signal of competence. Banks may admire a fintech’s speed, but they will not compromise decades of hard-earned credibility by aligning with a partner that treats compliance lightly. Licenses, certifications and regulatory approvals aren’t just legal necessities; they are proof that a fintech has its fundamentals in order.

Finally, shared values create longevity. Not every institution is the right partner, and not every partnership is worth pursuing. When fintechs and banks align on values like trust, reliability and long-term thinking, the collaboration can weather the inevitable challenges that arise in financial services.

If these elements come together, trust in people, commitment to compliance and alignment on values, then collaboration doesn’t just work; it thrives.

Related: Time for Fintechs and Banks to Stop Competing and Start Working Together

Fintech with fintech: The next frontier

While much has been said about the power of fintech-bank collaboration, there is another partnership with equally transformative potential: fintechs working with each other. This is particularly relevant in regions like Africa, where financial inclusion still has vast room to grow and where moving money across borders remains a daunting challenge.

In such contexts, collaboration is not optional; it is necessary. Not every fintech has the scale, infrastructure or expertise to tackle these challenges alone. But together, they can. Some fintechs like ours, for instance, have already carved out a unique middle ground, bridging the needs of a younger, digitally native generation and the expectations of institutions steeped in governance.

By opening up their infrastructure, these fintechs allow others to build on top of it, creating a network effect where agility and accountability reinforce each other. In fintech-to-fintech partnerships, that middle ground is where the greatest value emerges.

Related: Collaboration, Not Competition, Is Key for Fintech Companies

Partnership, not rivalry

Fintech has too often been framed as a zero-sum game: startups versus banks, speed versus structure, innovation versus tradition. The reality is far less binary. True progress happens when these forces converge. It isn’t just about banks and startups; regulators and government agencies are equally central, ensuring that innovation unfolds in a way that protects the end customer.

When done right, collaboration allows fintechs to scale responsibly, banks to innovate meaningfully and regulators to uphold their mandate of safety. The strongest financial systems emerge not when speed and safety compete, but when they are balanced, each reinforcing the other.

This balance is what I’ve seen work best in practice. And as our industry continues to evolve, I am convinced of one thing: The future of financial services will be defined not by rivalry, but by partnership.

In conversations about fintech, the word disruption almost always takes center stage. Startups are often cast as challengers determined to outpace, outmaneuver and ultimately replace traditional financial institutions. And while disruption has an undeniable power to spark change, I’ve come to believe that no matter how quickly technology evolves, the role of legacy players — banks and other long-standing institutions — remains indispensable. These institutions have been tested across decades, weathering cycles of crisis and reform, and in doing so, they’ve provided the accountability and structure that safeguard the very thing all of us in this industry are entrusted with: people’s money.

Fintechs, by contrast, are built for speed. We move fast, we experiment relentlessly, and we unlock access in ways that traditional systems often cannot. But speed without structure carries risk. When something breaks in fintech, it tends to break fast, and recovery is rarely easy. That doesn’t mean fintechs are inherently unsafe, far from it. In fact, one of the achievements I am most proud of at my own firm is proving that innovation can move at record speed without compromising security. We’ve managed this not by operating in isolation, but by actively collaborating with legacy institutions. The formula is simple: Merge agility with stability, and you create solutions that are not just innovative but also resilient.

The longer I’ve worked at this intersection, the clearer it has become that the future of financial services will not be written by one side displacing the other. It will be built on the bridges between them. Collaboration makes it possible to combine the best of both worlds: Fintechs bring agility and creative problem-solving, while banks provide the guardrails of compliance, trust and rigor. Together, that blend creates growth that is not only fast but also sustainable.