FinTech Fundamentals

Explore what fintech is, its history, and open banking via API, then examine architectures, applications, landscape, business models, a case study, and DeFi comparison.

Trace fintech's evolution from signature validation and Fed wire to 2.0's ATMs and electronic markets, 3.0's identity management and blockchain, culminating in 3.5's global fintech, with Alipay, Stripe, and Klarna.

Open banking uses APIs to let third-party providers access bank and credit data with consumer consent, enabling payments, lending, and new services while bridging banks and fintechs.

Fintech reshapes consumer and business experiences by expanding payment options like PayPal and Klarna, boosting security, enabling identity verification, unbanked inclusion, and broader access to capital.

Fintech technology varies across platforms, but open APIs underpin deployments. Plaid serves as identity as a service, with blockchain, tokens, encryption, and mobile or desktop apps enabling fintech infrastructure.

Explore fintech applications and features enabling ach transfers, peer-to-peer and merchant payments, with back-end smart contracts, virtual accounts, and simple customer and business validation for automated, cross-border transfers.

Explore the fintech landscape from digital money, cryptocurrencies, and nfts to open banking with Plaid, regtech and KYC, insurance tech, robo-advisors, and cybersecurity risks as fintech expands.

Discover fintech business models that extend credit scoring with alternative data, enable alternative insurance underwriting, and offer pay-over-time options while connecting borrowers with lenders through interpersonal lending.

Explore psd2, an eu directive in effect since 2020, enabling open APIs for third parties to access bank data and improving consumer transparency in financial decisions.

Explore DeFi, or decentralized finance, and its contrast with fintech through wallet-based access and user-controlled funds. The talk notes open access, signups are minimal, and reduced reliance on centralized authorities.

Explore how fintech uses technology to improve consumer financial apps through open banking and APIs, and examine PSD2 regulation in the EU and its reach to US firms.

Review fintech models such as interpersonal lending and alternate credit scoring; psd2 benefits of transparency and complaint management; and impacts including reaching unbanked and improving access to small business capital.

Explore fintech challenges and risks, focusing on risk management, compliance requirements, and fraud, and conclude with a module review and review questions.

Navigate fintech challenges by securing data access with proper permissions, APIs and services, meeting PSD2 requirements, while safeguarding cybersecurity as rogue actors threaten data with a growing footprint.

Identify risk management and operational risks in fintech, including market fluctuations, service disruptions, regulatory changes, and data breaches, and implement governance, risk assessments, and third-party service level agreements.

Navigate fintech compliance in a digital-only landscape, addressing consumer and provider challenges. Implement identity verification with Elm and KYC, and uphold PCI DSS and privacy laws like GDPR and CFP.

Explore fintech fraud risks, including identity fraud, first-party fraud, deposit fraud, and dispute fraud. Discover prevention through onboarding, biometrics, transaction monitoring, fraud alerts, and risk scoring with a risk matrix.

Review the module concepts on PSD2 and GDPR, their impact on payment information, privacy, and regulatory risk, and discuss AML and KYC requirements for secure fintech networks.

Explore GDPR as the EU data protection law, learn how data first philosophy leverages data points to create value, and acknowledge fintech challenges from online competition and fewer personal connections.

Explore fintech technology, its common concerns, how the technology is used, and the role of digital identity. The module includes a section review and knowledge questions.

Explore APIs, mobile banking, and cloud computing, with APIs providing guardrails for secure integrations. Identify AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and distinguish front-end from back-end tech like machine learning and blockchain.

Explore how fintech leverages blockchain, smart contracts, and cloud APIs, including ICO fundraising and legacy services. See how AI enables risk assessment, fraud detection, and personalized investing insights.

Balance seamless user experience with secure digital IDs and verification in fintech settings. Explore AI-assisted validation, automated and manual checks, and KYC/AML considerations.

Explore how fintech leverages blockchain and smart contracts while exploring technology types and challenges, including AP, AIS, cloud computing, and automated intelligence for digital ID and KYC/AML compliance and personalization.

Explore how fintech relies on APIs, cloud computing, and mobile banking, with blockchain as a shared database, driving scalable, economical financial technology solutions.

Explore what it takes for fintech to succeed today, examine the ecosystem and supply and demand dynamics, and gain insights into the future and startups, before closing the course.

Highlight fintech ecosystem success by identifying capital sources, including government grants, hedge funds, incubators, and venture capitalists, and show regulators balancing investor risk with consumer requirements.

Explore supply and demand factors in fintech, from regulation, licensing, governance, and data privacy across US, Europe, and Asia, to consumer demand driven by convenience and price.

Explore how fintech models vary and integrate with services while navigating governance and consumer acceptance. Open APIs, IoT, biometrics, and blockchain-based smart contracts will drive growth with investor support.

Explore five leading fintech platforms, from Stripe’s payment and analytics APIs to Klarna’s buy now pay later, Chime’s mobile banking, Platt’s integration focus, and Opensea’s NFT marketplace.

Discover what fintechs need to succeed, how government oversight, licensing, and industry organizations shape development, and how demographics and incubators drive fundraising amid 20% growth.

Test your knowledge with module review questions on supply factors around regulations, supervision and licensing, cross-country competition, forward-thinking regulators, favorable regulations, and fintech growth projected at 20% through 2028.

Access fintech and blockchain resources, ebooks, and courses (defi, polygon, web3 fundamentals, hyperledger fabric, ethereum, NFTs on Opensea), and join meetups; contact us for assistance and interview prep.