An interview series spotlighting global tech influencers, disruptors, visionaries, and of course, innovators.
Season’s Greetings, Readers! Best wishes for a prosperous, peaceful and healthy 2025 to you and your loved ones.
It’s that time of year for the 9th annual Innovators’ predictions! Many thanks to the global experts who shared their insights and visions (again) for 2025.
This year’s predictions address a gamut of sectors, topics and trends seeking to find solutions, equilibrium and wealth, analyzing AI-driven innovation, GenAI, femtech, renewable energy, technology, fintech, cybersecurity, fraudsters, Bitcoin, Web3, corporate ESG reporting, venture investment activity, financial inclusion, synthetic media, compliance and asset management. Last year, more than half the world’s population went the polls; 2025 will reveal the impact of these elections, for better and for worse. Will realized $100K Bitcoin and strong economic predictions affect holiday gifts 😉, book sales, education, scientific research, human rights, humanitarian aid and philanthropic giving? How will growing AI usage affect creativity, free-thinking, privacy, marketing, civil rights, democracy, government policy, surveillance, regulations, financial crime compliance, transparency, future elections, geopolitics…?
In 2025, most experts concur that the convergence of AI, blockchain, decentralized finance, femtech, and innovations in cybersecurity and fraud detection will drive major changes in both business and personal life. Readers, expect these technologies to be more integrated, sophisticated, and widespread, affecting everything from healthcare to finance, security, and privacy. The major challenge will likely be balancing the immense opportunities with the ethical and regulatory frameworks needed to ensure these advancements benefit society as a whole.
As the saying goes, the past is prologue: click and read past predictions from 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 crypto, 2018 blockchain, 2018 fintech and 2017 marketplace lending.
Women’s Health and Science Writer Amy Harris, MPH:
As 2024 draws to a close, I place my faith in women worldwide for 2025. Their collective wisdom, courage, strength, and ingenuity give me hope. Despite these dark times for women’s health and reproductive freedom (especially in the U.S.), I predict that female physicians, scientists, technologists, and innovators will further close the gender health gap in 2025 with their innovation born of necessity. “Femtech” will move beyond its niche label and bring fundamental advances in healthcare diagnostics, treatments, delivery, and access. Women will continue their decade’s long fight to reduce the global burdens of gender-specific conditions such as maternal mortality, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), female cancers, menopause, endometriosis, and fibroids.
OurCrowd Investment Partner Liat Sverdlov:
In 2025, I predict that the global venture community will experience increase in venture investment activity. AI-driven innovations will continue to experience growing interest from investors. Specific areas of opportunities might include Advanced Multimodal Models (that seamlessly integrate and process different types of data), Embodied AI (which integrates AI into physical entities like robots, endowing them with the ability to perceive, learn from, and dynamically interact with their environment) and Physical AI (use of AI techniques to solve problems that involve direct interaction with the physical world) to name a few.
In addition, with the growth of AI, which pressures energy resources, finding new ways to conserve energy and generate energy from sustainable sources will have an increase in activity. I expect to see innovations around energy efficient data-center processing and cooling, as well as opportunities around renewable energy including nuclear energy and grid management.
Lastly, with both climate change pressures and the geopolitical tensions around the world, I expect to see growing interest in areas such as Climate Tech (specifically energy and new sustainable materials), Defense Tech and Space Tech.
ThetaRay CEO Peter Reynolds:
In 2025, compliance leaders will transform their role from gatekeepers to growth enablers, turning ‘no’ into ‘yes.’ AI in financial crime compliance will move beyond task-specific solutions to intelligent systems capable of understanding data in context, driving more accurate results and enabling smarter decision-making. Following a year of significant regulatory enforcement, CEOs will recognise AI-driven, cost-effective, and regulator-approved compliance as a competitive advantage, while fostering stronger customer relationships through improved risk management and tailored strategies.
IntellAct Founder and CEO Udi Segall
The aviation industry is poised for transformation as AI takes center stage, bringing unparalleled data pattern recognition. One of the most profound impacts of AI will be its ability to process and analyze vast quantities of data in real-time, enabling smarter decision-making across all aspects of aviation. IntellAct’s own AI-powered platform monitors critical turnaround processes like fueling, baggage loading, and passenger boarding, predicting potential issues and empowering airlines to act swiftly to reduce delays, potentially saving billions of dollars. The question isn’t whether AI will shape the aviation industry in 2025 but rather how quickly airports and airlines will harness its potential. The winds of change are sharp and swift, and early adopters of AI will gain a significant competitive edge, while those who resist risk being grounded.
Rembrand CEO / Co-Founder Omar Tawakol:
Looking ahead to 2025, the emphasis is likely to shift from purely creative applications of generative AI to more contextual and seamless ad integrations. Advertisers are starting to recognize that it’s not just about creating more content — it’s about making sure that content fits naturally within the broader viewing experience. By embedding products directly into existing content, brands can maintain visibility even as traditional ad formats become less effective. As this technology advances, it will offer advertisers more flexibility and control over how their products are integrated, allowing for more sophisticated and contextually relevant placements. This approach ensures that ads aren’t just seen but also feel like an organic part of the viewing experience.
As AI becomes more integrated into advertising, another challenge for 2025 will be ensuring that the technology is used responsibly. The line between tailored experiences and manipulation is thin, and advertisers will need to walk this line carefully. Building trust with consumers by using AI in transparent and ethical ways will be essential to maintaining long-term success. This means not only focusing on what technology can do but also considering the broader impact it has on consumer perceptions and trust.
Ultimately, AI has brought about a revolution in how advertising is created and delivered. It is both enabling faster ideation and creation, inspiring new directions, and even making it possible for advertisers to leverage new channels that reach audiences who had previously become unreachable. Of course, there are more complex questions about the role of technology in shaping consumer behavior and these will be addressed in subsequent months and years. The trends set in 2024 have laid the groundwork for more nuanced and thoughtful uses of AI. As advertisers and brands move forward into 2025, the focus will likely be on continuing to find innovative ways to integrate AI while keeping consumer trust and engagement at the forefront of their strategies. The industry’s ability to adapt and respond to these evolving dynamics will determine how successful AI-powered advertising will be in the years to come.
EverC CEO Ariel Tiger:
Fraudster Predictions: Criminals are capitalizing on the scale of ecommerce to grow their illegal operations in a rapidly expanding and complex ecosystem. With nearly a third of the world transacting online – around three billion people – fraudsters are increasingly infiltrating the system. They’re leveraging crowdfunding, websites, and marketplaces to launder money on a massive scale. Fraudsters are difficult to catch because they move quickly. The fraudster you see today on one platform or region could be on a completely different one tomorrow. Unlike legal businesses, they don’t face constraints – they don't follow rules or have budget limitations. And this trend will only escalate as technologies like ChatGPT make it easier for fraudsters to spoof product descriptions and images.
Regulatory Predictions: The EU is facing a “tsunami of regulations” that will affect the entire ecommerce ecosystem, including social media, where more transactions are occurring. In 2025, we anticipate increased regulation around AI as its use grows. Lawmakers are working hard to keep up, and unlike crypto – which took over 15 years to regulate – AI regulations are being introduced much sooner. In the U.S., AI legislation at the state level will increase, alongside a trend toward strengthening consumer privacy laws. This could create complications for businesses operating across state lines, especially with potential federal deregulation under the incoming administration, which could conflict with state-level legislation.
Industry Predictions: As AI becomes more prevalent, many companies will claim to use it, but that doesn’t mean much – anyone can use ChatGPT to write emails. At EverC we’re using AI as part of our core technology, positioning us as experts in building and refining AI models for our industry. While other companies will experience stops and starts as they learn the limits of AI, we will continue to lead, thanks to our deep understanding and management of AI in fintech, risk management, and ecommerce.
Zeebu CEO / Founder Raj Brahmbhatt
In 2024 I learned that patience and focus are non-negotiable when building for scale. It’s easy to get swept up in trends, but true innovation comes from solving real problems with precision. This year reaffirmed the importance of building not just technology but trust—among users, regulators, and institutional players. I also think that blockchain’s value lies in its ability to create transparent, scalable systems that solve inefficiencies in payments, supply chains, and asset tokenization. It’s about building trust and delivering economic value to institutions and individuals alike. This is where blockchain will make its greatest impact in the years to come. Regulatory clarity will serve as both a challenge and a catalyst. 2025 will be about finding the balance—creating frameworks that encourage innovation while protecting participants. The global industry will benefit from harmonized regulations, but only if they focus on enabling compliant innovation.
In 2025, crypto needs to focus on integration and accessibility. It’s no longer about disruption for its own sake; it’s about building scalable systems that complement traditional frameworks. Blockchain has to solve inefficiencies in payments, capital markets, and supply chains while remaining compliant and user-friendly. Blockchain’s role in tokenizing real-world assets like real estate and carbon credits will unlock unprecedented liquidity, while advancements in payments will further streamline cross-border transfers. Key regions like South Korea and the UAE, with their proactive regulatory frameworks, are positioned to lead this evolution. In the US, with Trump’s victory, I am aggressively bullish on the US becoming a global leader in the space by the end of the year.
Chargebee CMO Guy Marion**:
Almost half of all companies (46%) planned to invest in AI for operational efficiency, market analysis, and product enhancement. News flash: There’s a critical factor that will determine the success of these investments: your data. If your data isn’t organized and reliable, your AI efforts will fall short. Inaccurate or poorly entered data—often called “dirty data”—can distort insights and hinder growth. Businesses that rely on recurring revenue need a unified view of their customers, interactions, and usage patterns.
As AI becomes a key player in shaping business strategies, the companies that succeed will be the ones with high-quality data. Without it, they can’t effectively train AI models or draw meaningful conclusions. It’s essential to ensure that systems—like CRM and ERP—are well-structured and capable of supporting companies’ AI ambitions. By prioritizing clean data now, they are not just setting the stage for effective AI use but also improving decision-making, customer targeting, and retention. Investing in a strong data foundation today will empower businesses to fully leverage AI’s potential, leading to greater efficiency, improved customer experiences, and sustainable growth.
Agoric Systems CEO Dean Tribble
The big thing that crypto needs in 2025 is to provide real users with solutions for the problems they face every day. Take some interesting examples that show up in AI. There are the obvious uses around AI agents, and then utility for what is essentially infrastructure for AI agents to be able to come to consensus, and I think those are both useful places where we can actually bring value. This is largely why usability is so important - because as these actual use cases become available, they also need to be usable to the population outside of those few who have been deeply involved with crypto for years.
We’re also only at the beginning of what AI agents can do in an environment powered and secured by blockchain infrastructure. There’s a potential future economy where much of the activity is AI agents conducting business in a Web3 environment, and that’s one of the most interesting intersections of these two foundational technologies.
Alongside the explosion of AI, I think a key trend in 2025 is going to be orchestration and automation, expanding the ability to perform complex multi-chain workflows effortlessly. Chain abstraction will attract more players, as the demand for intuitive cross-chain solutions skyrockets, and this will naturally create demand for orchestration platforms to build seamless products. These systems are changing how we think about Web3 user experiences, removing the need for users to understand or manage individual steps like bridging, swapping, or staking manually.
Bitcoin’s all-time high will spark renewed interest in crypto from institutions and regulators alike and should reinvigorate the entire crypto sector in 2025. Institutions, potentially inspired by Bitcoin's performance, may allocate more resources and capital to the crypto space, signaling confidence in its long-term potential. While this brings challenges, like increased scrutiny, it also accelerates the push for comprehensive regulatory frameworks. Clear regulations would build trust and open doors for mass adoption, and balanced policies would foster innovation while addressing legitimate concerns like security and fraud. Ultimately, Bitcoin’s milestone is a signal for a shift in how the wider world views and engages with crypto.
Genius Avenue President Megan Wood:
Insurtech will finally focus on improving the UI/UX: Insurtech has impacted the insurance and benefits market in many ways. From underwriting to claims, insurtech solutions providers are driving change and unlocking cost savings and efficiencies across the value chain. However, the user experience for most policyholders remains sub-par in comparison to other industries. The expectation that the next generation of buyers will tolerate an inferior user experience or purchase insurance products they don’t understand how to use is entirely flawed, yet we haven’t seen any company leverage leading UI/UX, conversational AI or the full scope of digital payments and disbursement to improve the user experience. If we redefine enrollment and engagement with a simple, streamlined, understandable mobile experience, we will dramatically increase adoption and retention.
AI has been such a buzzword in Insurtech that it is difficult to grasp what is real and what is hype. For the last five years, several of our carrier and product partners have mentioned their efforts to leverage AI in the underwriting process, but very few insurance or benefit companies have considered the amazing impacts AI could have on sales, adoption, and broader utilization of insurance and benefit products themselves. This is why Genius Avenue focuses on using conversational AI throughout the user journey and developing our platform to integrate with best-of-breed solutions. Having an AI “agent” online 24/7 to translate insurance policies into intelligible, human language and present the actual benefits and limitations, could have a transformational impact on the user experience.
Raiinmaker Founder / CEO J.D. Seraphine:
2025 is poised to be a pivotal year for crypto, marked by the momentum of the ongoing bull run. While it may not mirror the retail-driven frenzy of the 2021 cycle, significant milestones like Bitcoin reaching all-time highs will energize the market. This energy is expected to flow into altcoins and emerging sectors, particularly AI within blockchain, which has already proven central to the future of the industry. With every day and hour during the bull run carrying immense importance, the focus must be on channeling this energy into transformative projects and supporting visionary founders driving world-changing innovations.
The greatest opportunity for innovation lies in fulfilling crypto’s promise of financial empowerment. Despite advancements, many people, especially the unbanked, remain on the sidelines of the global financial system. 2025 offers a moment to address this gap by building mature, user-centric products that genuinely uplift underserved communities. This year’s bull run provides not just a chance to capitalize on financial growth but to align the industry with its foundational mission of creating accessible, inclusive solutions for all.
AI agents are expected to take on a more prominent role within decentralized communities. Their evolution will depend on decentralized solutions to ensure high-quality training data while safeguarding user privacy. Even traditional Web2 AI companies are likely to adopt elements of distributed architecture to enhance their capabilities. For end-users, AI agents offer a unique opportunity to stay competitive by leveraging cutting-edge tools and decentralized infrastructure. This intersection of privacy, decentralization, and innovation will enable individuals and organizations alike to harness AI’s potential while maintaining trust and security.
As industries increasingly embrace AI for data management, ethical considerations will become paramount. Today, individuals surrender their data in ways they may not fully understand, creating a premium on high-quality data for training next-generation AI models. Decentralized frameworks can help empower individuals by ensuring their data is protected and that they are fairly compensated for its use, offering a more equitable alternative to systems that often exploit data without consent.
Unity Wallet COO James Toledano:
In 2025, we expect to see significant advancements in interoperability, enabling seamless cross-chain asset transfers and DApp integration. I also think the lines between TradFi and DeFi will continue to become less blurry and we can expect more crossover between the two given DeFi’s $3T heft. As the industry passes it’s 15-year mark, we should also expect to see plenty of business consolidation and regulations will likely make it harder to launch new currencies unless they have actual utility —this will be especially true in Europe with MiCA regulations. This is a good thing.
Additionally, the convergence of artificial intelligence with DeFi will redefine user experiences, risk management and crypto trading —AI will also play a growing role in highlighting potential threats as well as being their very source. Regulation will remain a central narrative, with nations (especially the U.S.), vying to attract crypto innovation —especially as blockchain applications extend beyond finance into areas like supply chain, identity verification, and gaming. I do think blockchain ID verification will be quite important over the next year or two as a means of ameliorating fraud, laundering and sanctions circumvention.
Dimitra Founder / CEO Jon Trask:
In 2025, crypto needs to focus on usability and real-world applications. The industry needs to move beyond speculative narratives and prioritize projects that solve tangible problems, such as supply chain transparency, financial inclusion, and climate resilience. I believe the key trends that we will see in 2025 are:
Regulation and Compliance: The EU’s efforts to establish regulatory frameworks, such as EUDR, will drive the global conversation on this topic.
AI and Blockchain Integration: By combining AI's analytical power with blockchain's transparency, new opportunities will emerge, especially in areas like agriculture and finance.
Real-World Asset Tokenization (RWAs): The tokenization of assets like carbon credits, farmland, and commodities is expected to grow rapidly as blockchain connects traditional and digital economies.
Africa and Latin America will be key growth regions. These areas are uniquely positioned to benefit from blockchain’s ability to improve access to markets, credit, and technology. Sectors like agriculture and supply chain management will particularly thrive as blockchain addresses the challenges of transparency and inclusion.
As we navigate the 2025 blockchain landscape, I truly believe one of the greatest opportunities lies in leveraging blockchain for environmental and social governance (ESG). From carbon credit ecosystems to deforestation compliance, blockchain can empower industries to meet sustainability goals while driving profitability.
BOB Co-Founder Alexei Zamyatin:
Looking into 2025 and beyond, the advancement and implementation of BitVM will supercharge this growth. Layer-2s like BOB, that use BitVM to inherit the security of Bitcoin and to power trust-minimized BTC bridges, will become increasingly popular DeFi destinations. They will be able to onboard large institutions and retail holders that were previously reluctant to engage in Bitcoin finance via custodial bridges. We expect to see an explosion in products, protocols, and ways for people to interact with Bitcoin.
Bitcoin DeFi currently accounts for 0.1% of its total asset value (compared to its 1.7 trillion market cap). For Ethereum this same figure is 30%. That’s a 300x opportunity to grow DeFi on Bitcoin. With a number of networks expected to deliver BitVM to production in 2025, we can already sense a shift in Ethereum’s near-monopoly over DeFi applications. More importantly, investors can sense this shift too.
Chronicle Founder / CEO Niklas Kunkel:
As we move into 2025, institutional adoption of crypto assets will continue to rise. For this to happen, the infrastructure must evolve to bridge the two.
For example, as RWAs are not crypto-native, they require metadata that is not necessary for crypto-native assets, whose properties are recorded and readily available onchain. In order to bring the value of tokenized RWAs onchain, institutional investors will need an infrastructure partner that can make these assets crypto-native. This is where innovations like Oracles – which have become more sophisticated through developments made during the bear market – are well positioned to serve as the infrastructural bridge between traditional finance and decentralized finance in the next year.
I think we will see a consolidation around DeFi’s leaders. Capital begets capital; therefore, leaders in their verticals, such as Sky, Aave, and Ethena, will continue to accelerate away from the chasing pack.
Visual Lease Principal ESG Solutions Advisor Bill Harter:
Looking ahead to 2025, the evolving ESG landscape in the U.S. remains largely shaped by market forces rather than federal regulatory changes. While federal-level action, such as the SEC rule, has been minimal and may continue to recede, and even with Chair Gensler’s recent announcement to step down, state-level legislative activity continues to gain momentum.
We expect demand for sustainability information to remain strong. While the largest companies continue to navigate requirements stemming from California legislation or international frameworks like EU/ISSB, much of the industry will likely turn to market-based solutions to address sustainability goals.
For fintech specifically, this could mean heightened importance on tracking actual results for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, as stakeholders and investors prioritize measurable outcomes over compliance checkboxes. This evolving landscape presents an opportunity for fintechs to develop and deliver innovative tools and platforms that prioritize centralizing data across teams, enabling accurate emissions tracking and reporting.
Quantoz Payments CEO Arnoud Star Busmann:
Bitcoin’s surge past $100K is no surprise, particularly with expectations that Trump’s administration will create a more favourable regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies. The introduction of the stablecoin USDT was a game-changer, unlocking liquidity and transforming crypto trading dynamics. With a better US regulatory environment and next-generation stablecoins driving adoption in Europe, we believe Bitcoin and the broader crypto market could continue to go from strength to strength. History offers a striking parallel, just as the guilder revolutionised liquidity on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in 1602, today’s stablecoins are reshaping markets. Europe is taking the lead with innovative e-money tokens like EURD, EURQ, and USDQ.
Percent President Prath Reddy:
Looking ahead to 2025, we anticipate a transformative year for alternative investments, especially in private credit. As the alternative asset sector matures and becomes more strategically segmented, private credit will play an increasingly sophisticated role in portfolios. This segmentation is driving strong demand for specialized private credit strategies, spanning litigation finance, consumer lending, and commercial finance – areas that offer precisely the differentiated exposure that today’s investors seek. Each sub-strategy offers distinct risk-return profiles, creating new avenues for diversification and tailored exposure. Additionally, investors are increasingly shifting focus to the lower-to-middle market, where a wealth of untapped opportunities awaits. Amid a higher-for-longer interest rate landscape, which we predict will persist into 2025, private credit remains poised to deliver attractive yields and compelling risk-adjusted returns. Its resilience, despite rate hikes and geopolitical uncertainties, reinforces its position as a trusted, reliable diversifier in institutional portfolios.
Xapo Bank Director and Head of Public Affairs, Policy and Regulation Joey Garcia:
For many tech-based, fintech, or blockchain native businesses next year MiCA will represent quite a significant step into the world of regulation, and high regulatory standards being applied to a largely nascent space. However, they will also need to understand the implications of non-compliance. Soon after the 30th of December, I expect authorities will want to show the industry their capacity to take decisive measures against what would then be the unlawful provision of services. These measures may look like sanctions, operational restrictions, or administrative penalties as high as 700,000 euros for individuals and 5,000,000 euros for legal entities. Undoubtedly, any regulation prioritizing consumer protection and market integrity, applied to a developing industry, will likely prompt actions to establish clear standards.
Kueski SVP of Finance Andrew Seiz: “Payments technology will remain essential in shaping the financial services space, driving wider investment interest. It will also enhance the financial lives of consumers, especially in emerging markets like Mexico where a large portion of the population remains unbanked and without access to traditional credit products...”
Amdocs Global Head of Fintech Solutions Bentzi Aviv:
GenAI has the power to really elevate the customer experience with faster service and quicker response to questions. Amdocs found that in 2022, most businesses only analyze 5% of conversation data, but in 2025, we’ll see banks leveraging GenAI to analyze much larger data sets. The results will be 24/7 support, completely reshaping the way banks interact with customers. For challenger banks, it’s also a game-changer for the upcoming year—they can launch AI-powered call centers instead of sticking to just digital channels.
Next year, banks that haven’t yet, need to prioritize mainframe modernization in order to increase agility and easily integrate with the latest technologies and practices. The generation that built and maintained legacy systems is retiring, which means it’s time for banks to move to a more modern cloud environment for increased elasticity, horizontal scalability and reliability. This shift could mean ‘re-platforming’- moving core applications to the cloud with minimal code changes - or ‘refactoring,’ which involves re-architecting applications for optimized cloud performance. In addition to staying competitive, banks that take the leap to modernize their mainframes can unlock major benefits, including up to 90% savings on operating costs.
Vestigo Ventures Founder / General Partner & Mass Fintech Hub Board Member Mark Casady:
It will soon be much, much easier for the average CFO or consumer to articulate their preferences to providers through highly personalized AI agents. These agents will have the intelligence to navigate complex pricing models and empower users to make better financial decisions. While Predictive AI already offers some insights, Generative AI is set to take this to the next level. Take, for example, the cash sitting idly in your checking account. These accounts typically offer little to no interest, meaning your money isn’t working as hard as it could. To optimize returns, individuals or businesses need to constantly monitor their accounts, transfer excess funds to higher-yield options, or time their bill payments businesses. But what if an AI agent could handle these tasks for you? While some of this technology exists today, we’re on the brink of a new era where your AI agent will seamlessly interact with your bank and investment accounts to maximize interest earned and optimize cash flow by scheduling payments precisely when due. We are soon going to see very empowered consumers and businesses using these agents.
Kueski Chief Data Officer Krishna Venkatraman:
It’s clear that the initial AI hype cycle is winding down. However, the excitement and momentum around AI in financial services and fintech will continue in 2025. Next year, AI will continue to drive financial inclusion further, streamline underwriting and lending processes quicker, and personalize offerings better. Fintechs at the forefront of AI will continue to innovate and reimagine how cutting-edge AI technology can be used to transform the financial sector. Emerging markets, including Mexico, with high growth potential and a still large untapped consumer market, have the most to benefit from these transformative initiatives and will see continued growth throughout 2025 and beyond.
In 2024, we saw many “first-of-its-kind” AI regulations, including the implementation of the EU AI Act and the proposed California AI bills. I expect in the next year we’ll see a period of sustained regulatory activity and adaptation as agencies attempt to strike the right balance between enforcing regulations and encouraging innovation. As society becomes increasingly aware of the power of AI models, their rapid proliferation and their widespread use, more guidelines will come into play as an attempt to not only preserve a path for ongoing innovation but to also limit the substantial damage that these technologies can wreak in the hands of malicious or bad actors.
Reading Cooperative Bank President / CEO & Mass Fintech Hub Co-Chair Julie Thurlow:
2024 was not kind to Fintech with BaaS blowback by agencies, regulatory brakes on AI adoption for consumer facing products and escalating fraud on every platform. I am optimistic that 2025 will be a better year for Financial Innovation. Agency leadership changes and an administration that leans more favorably into innovation should provide a fertile environment for innovators in the crypto, fraud and fintech space. I expect that the best ideas and innovations will have the opportunity to thrive.
CoreLogic Chief Data & Analytics Officer John Rogers:
As billion-dollar weather events continue to multiply, the real estate industry will be focused on making climate risk a solvable puzzle through technology. Next year, leveraging AI and data-driven insights in a bigger way will be crucial to not just predict disasters, but also proactively build future resilience – protecting homes, communities and the entire $45 trillion housing market from the unpredictable. In this way, 2025 will be the year of translating data into actionable solutions.
Sydecar CEO Nik Talreja:
Heading into the new year, the factors that have been limiting liquidity and returns may loosen up, as we expect the IPO market to open up and regulatory easing to make M&A easier. For emerging managers, this means there may be a slightly more favorable landscape, but perhaps only incrementally – we’re likely never going to see the same level of emerging manager activity (the number of Fund 1s launched) as we did in 2021-2022. This will be a healthy correction, as fundraising as a venture manager should be hard, but not impossible.
BankTech Ventures Head of Bank Technology Pam Kaur:
In 2025, the easing of Basel III requirements under the new administration is expected to unlock additional capital for lending and growth. But with that opportunity comes a higher level of risk, especially as the economic landscape remains uncertain. In addition, there will be more mergers and acquisitions as relaxed regulations create a wave of consolidation, giving the biggest banks an even larger slice of the pie. Meanwhile, the spotlight on digital assets is likely to grow, potentially leading to a more crypto-friendly regulatory environment that could spark innovation across the sector.
But there’s a catch: while deregulation can create immediate growth opportunities, it raises big questions about long-term stability. In a time when the financial sector is already feeling pressure, any major disruption could set off a chain reaction, risking cascading bank failures if a few large institutions falter. The road ahead could be a bit bumpier than we think.
BankTech Ventures Head of Bank Technology Pam Kaur: “While deregulation can create immediate growth opportunities, it raises big questions about long-term stability. In a time when the financial sector is already feeling pressure, any major disruption could set off a chain reaction, risking cascading bank failures if a few large institutions falter. The road ahead could be a bit bumpier than we think.”
Stratyfy COO Deniz Johnson:
Over the past year, stricter regulations drove financial institutions to view fintech in a different light. Some looked to fintechs to solve various pain points – especially around compliance. Overall, the demand for automation and efficiency continued to drive most partnerships with fintechs. Financial institutions of all sizes continued to analyze their core infrastructures to remove friction in operationalizing fintech partnerships and integrating new technologies with legacy systems. Smaller institutions, in particular, have increasingly looked to fintechs to enhance their operations.
In 2025 and beyond, we expect community banks to lean on fintech partnerships to keep pace with the larger institutions that have the resources and manpower to innovate in-house. With its proliferation across more industries than ever, AI adoption will be fundamental for financial institutions to stay relevant and create new openings for greater innovation. However, FIs will also need to adopt their own strategies for developing and implementing AI to ensure proper guardrails and protect against risk.
Kueski SVP of Finance Andrew Seiz:
Payments technology will remain essential in shaping the financial services space, driving wider investment interest. It will also enhance the financial lives of consumers, especially in emerging markets like Mexico where a large portion of the population remains unbanked and without access to traditional credit products. Moreover, in 2025, investments in mobile wallets and digital payment platforms will continue to expand financial inclusion, particularly in markets where the traditional banking infrastructure is lacking. Laser focus on payment innovations will lead to more seamless customer experiences, preventing fraud and driving financial inclusion. Companies that can make the payment and credit experience more seamless and user-friendly are likely to be particularly appealing to potential investors.
Looking ahead, I foresee increased investment in Mexico’s fintech sector as companies focus on scaling innovative credit products tailored for underserved consumers. With continued venture capital interest, this investment will play a pivotal role in supporting access to credit across the region, enhancing consumer choice and fostering economic growth. What’s more, trends like nearshoring will help drive operational efficiency, market access and digitization and will be essential in expanding the Mexican fintech sector and financial ecosystem.
Uplinq Head of Product Abhishek Bhasin:
AI regulation will be a key area to watch out for in 2025. As of now, there is a lack of consensus in the US on a regulatory framework at the federal level. State policymakers have introduced close to 700 AI legislations in 2024. What kind of stance the federal policymakers will take and what the impact of that stance will have on data practices at banks will be a major topic of interest in 2025 for fintechs that partner with banks.
Today, banks reach about 5-10% of the addressable SME market. The exact percentage is actually unknown, because the majority of SMEs that could effectively use debt capital for growth and business improvement never even try to get credit. The gauntlet is too difficult and unfair. There is a massive opportunity for fintechs to work with banks in a profitable, compliant way to benefit the lender, borrower and greater community by unlocking access to affordable credit for small businesses.
Code Ninjas VP Education & Training Ed Kim:
AI won’t replace humans. Generative AI is driven using LLMs, or large-language models. It learns by combining the prompts and queries you enter with the information available from many sources, including the web. Generative AI can create base code with a simple prompt, but it still needs a software engineer or programmer to check that code, understand what needs to be modified, and then apply it to the right context and use in a program. AI frees the programmer from debugging and instead allows for a focus on creativity. It lets us reinvent a better wheel—a wheel that more people can access and benefit from. AI provides the starting point, but you are ultimately responsible for the final product. You use your critical thinking skills and creativity to apply the generated results in the way you want and need.
This also leads to the idea that not all coding jobs will be eliminated, they will just evolve. Programming positions today require an intensive number of hours to learn and master the coding languages that a specific job requires (i.e. Python, C#, etc.). This requirement for highly specialized knowledge to be qualified for a job will go away as AI continues to improve. It will continue to be critical to learn how to code in the future, but the knowledge and training a programmer needs will shift to knowing how to leverage tools and AI-built programs, rather than the hundreds of hours needed to master a specific programming language. While there is a long pathway ahead for a generative AI tool to be 100% accurate and free of errors, there will be a time in the future when AI becomes the everyday tool to support our lives. For every disruptive tool or invention, there are also new jobs to improve and maintain such creations. In the programming world, there will always be a need for those who understand the code that drives the technology that we use.
University of Phoenix CIO Jamie Smith:
For business and technology leaders eyeing trends in 2025, the need to capitalize on recent developments is coming to a head—in other words, it’s time for AI and other promising tech to get real and dramatically impact productivity. This need to own up to promises has big implications not just for AI, but for SaaS partners, end users, and the businesses who are hoping to rely on them.
While there has been some tide turning on optimism for AI, businesses are continuing to press forward with its adoption; I expect 2025 to be the year they start demanding results. These solutions can start on the back end, where AI tools can begin to be incorporated up and down the DevOps tool chain. If all goes well—and if businesses are betting big on it—then we can see engineering output increase and potentially even double in the next 12-18 months. That’s twice as much output with the same number of staff. If it works on the back end, businesses won’t stop there: they’ll begin incorporating AI across the business, with big implications for employees, users, consumers—everyone. This push forward could be transformative, but it’s also a necessity, as the costs of AI begin to trickle down.
Looking ahead to 2025, I anticipate several key technology / digital trends that will further enhance the fusion of educators, AI and multimodal learning:
Expansion of Multimodal Learning Experiences: Students will increasingly expect learning materials that engage multiple senses. Integrating short-form videos created and vetted by actual educators, interactive simulations, and audio content will cater to different learning preferences, making education more inclusive and effective.
Deepening Collaboration with Educators: Teachers will play an even more critical role in developing and curating multimodal content. Their expertise ensures that the integration of technology enhances rather than detracts from the learning experience.
Leveraging Audio Models for Accessible Learning: Audio learning will become a significant component of education. By utilizing advanced audio models, we can provide students with the flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere, accommodating those who prefer auditory learning or need to learn while multitasking.
Hybrid Learning Models Becoming the Norm: Blended learning environments that combine in-person instruction with AI-driven, multimedia-rich online resources will become standard. This approach acknowledges that while technology can significantly enhance learning, the human touch remains essential.
AI-Powered Personalization Enhanced by Multimedia: AI will deliver personalized learning paths enriched with various content formats. By adapting to individual learning styles—whether visual, auditory, or kinesthetic—we can make education more engaging and effective.
AI-powered personalization will continue to push brands beyond search. AI transforming search from keyword queries to predictive, intuitive experiences. Through natural language processing and advanced data analytics, AI-powered personalization will continue to anticipate user intent, recommending products, services, and content before users even ask. This shift will enable brands to deliver hyper-targeted messaging, offering real-time, responsive recommendations based on individual behaviors and preferences. Marketing executives will use AI to enhance customer experiences across every digital touchpoint, making campaigns both scalable and deeply personal.
Edge AI will move data processing closer to the source, enabling quick, secure responses without relying on centralized cloud servers. This approach is especially valuable in customer interactions, where real-time responsiveness and data privacy are paramount. Marketing executives will leverage edge AI to improve personalized interactions, from dynamic digital ads to customer support, all while ensuring compliance with data privacy standards and reducing latency in customer interactions.
The rise of synthetic media is redefining content creation. With AI-generated influencers, brands can create virtual personalities that interact, entertain, and engage audiences 24/7. From AI-powered fashion shows to branded avatars, synthetic media enables scalable, cost-effective campaigns that transcend traditional limitations. This technology will accelerate helping brands be more agile, tailoring digital personalities to reflect brand values and connect with niche audiences, opening up new avenues for personalized engagement without the overhead of real influencers.
Cloverleaf Co-Founder / CEO Darrin Murriner:
Continued experimentation with the use of AI. I suggest experimentation because we are still in the early stages of applying AI in key business processes, and the tooling is still immature or requires additional skill. This will continue to evolve rapidly as both computing power and the tools built around it continue to advance. We serve talent management and learning and development organizations, and we are seeing applications for scaling and building content more cheaply and efficiently, but there are many more opportunities to unlock in 2025.
Along with these additional uses and application of AI will come more and better personalization. We see this happening rapidly with personalized learning and development opportunities in areas like automated coaching that allows workplace coaching to be customized to the workplace contexts that employees need help with. One such application that we have deployed at Cloverleaf is in meeting preparation, providing customized insights into the needs of the individuals in a meeting to have better collaboration and improved communication.
Continued focus on skill building, not just new and emerging technical skills for areas like AI, but also a renewed focus on human skills. Human skills are even more necessary as the automation of even non-routine tasks that previously required a human for individuals to leverage their unique human capacities to build relationships, solve complex social problems, and connect with others.
Green Check Co-Founder / Chief Strategy Officer Mike Kennedy:
Integrated compliance must be the default, not an aspiration. Fintech solutions must leverage the heavily regulated cannabis industry’s infrastructure to deliver compliant solutions without adding unnecessary burdens.
Cannabis fintech of 2025 must cater to the industry’s unique needs by offering a full-suite, customer-centric financial ecosystem. This includes payment processing, lending, payroll, and tax services—all with built-in compliance tools. Like all tech sectors, cannabis financial technology must continue to evolve with the security and fraud landscape. AI, machine learning, and high standards for data quality and privacy will be essential to staying ahead.
Cisco Collaboration SVP/ General Manager Anurag Dhingra:
You’re going to wake up one day in 2025 and realize you’ve been using Generative AI all along. At work, at home, when you’re on vacation, or just using your phone – AI will subtly work its way into nearly everything we do. At work, part of this will be driven by a push for greater efficiency. Companies will make AI more accessible to employees with better tools and training. In our everyday lives, we'll start to engage more and more with AI Agents. As we get more comfortable interacting with AI at home and at work, companies will be more comfortable using AI to scale their customer experience operations.
Webex is seeing an increased interest from customers in adopting AI use cases, with more customers indicating AI adoption is a priority in 2025. Part of this will be driven by increasing comfort with the technology. As individuals, we'll get more accustomed to what AI assistants can do for us, and where their limitations are.
Value in the AI market will move up the stack: shifting from infrastructure providers to application providers. The huge industry investment in generative AI is driving down unit cost. LLMs are not only getting more capable, but they are also getting less expensive. The cost of building AI applications is going down, and as a result, we will see a proliferation of applications using AI, including AI agents. Monetization models in the industry will start to stabilize as AI adoption demonstrates value and the level of user savvy increases. ROI will become easier to measure in many cases driving a bigger wallet share of AI spending towards applications (e.g. customer experience).
Gnosis Co-Founder Friederike Ernst
Over the past year, we’ve seen significant growth and maturation across the DeFi landscape, with increasing sophistication in Web3 products and services. As DeFi platforms become more interoperable, the lines between Web2 and Web3 continue to blur, further integrating the benefits of decentralised finance into traditional financial systems and signalling a shift towards broader mainstream adoption. Challenges remain, such as security concerns and regulatory clarity, but the industry is positioning itself for a more resilient year ahead.
The impact of AI on DeFi will continue to be present and develop quickly. So far, most of the interest in terms of AI development and VC funding has been siloed within the existing Web3 community. But in 2025, I anticipate we’ll start to see more crossover interest from traditional Web2 companies into the Web3 space. At Gnosis, we are particularly excited about AI's potential to drive greater adoption of decentralised applications by addressing the 'ease of use' challenge for humans and enabling a whole new class of non-human users in the form of AI agents.
Predicting the future of innovation, AI, fraud, crypto, femtech, and blockchain in 2025 is a fascinating exercise in exploring technological advancements and societal shifts. Here’s a breakdown of potential developments across these areas:
1. Innovation in General
Hyper-automation: Automation will not just be limited to traditional industries but will also extend to creative fields like design, music, and even certain aspects of content generation. Expect more seamless human-AI collaboration where AI can enhance human creativity, taking over repetitive tasks while leaving room for innovation.
Edge Computing Growth: The shift from centralized cloud systems to decentralized edge computing will allow for faster data processing at the point of generation. This will become essential for applications like autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and industrial IoT.
Personalized Health: Advanced genomics, biotechnology, and AI-driven health diagnostics will enable near-perfect personalized medicine, tailored treatments, and drug discoveries. DNA-based therapies could become mainstream, and widespread genetic testing could be the norm.
Sustainability Tech: Expect breakthroughs in clean energy, waste management (e.g., AI-powered recycling systems), and carbon capture technologies. Industries will increasingly focus on achieving carbon-neutral or negative footprints.
2. Artificial Intelligence
General AI Progression: While artificial general intelligence (AGI) may still be some years away, AI systems in 2025 will have become more capable, adaptable, and even somewhat autonomous in solving complex, multi-faceted problems. Applications in medicine, law, and education will be common.
AI in Creative Industries: AI will be capable of generating sophisticated content in a variety of forms, including video, music, and even fine art. It will be less about replacing creativity and more about augmenting human creators, potentially leading to new forms of entertainment and media.
Human-AI Collaboration Tools: AI will become an integral part of the workplace, not as an assistant but as a true collaborator, assisting in everything from project management to data-driven decision-making.
AI Ethics & Regulation: As AI systems become more integrated into society, there will likely be greater focus on AI ethics, transparency, and regulation. This includes frameworks for AI governance, safety standards, and data privacy laws.
3. Fraud and Cybersecurity
AI-Driven Fraud Detection: AI will play an increasingly vital role in detecting and preventing fraud in real-time. Using machine learning models, fraud detection will become more predictive, identifying patterns that might have previously gone unnoticed. Financial institutions and ecommerce platforms will be especially proactive in using AI to combat fraud.
Quantum Computing Threats: As quantum computing progresses, it may be able to crack traditional encryption methods, leading to a shift in cryptography practices. Blockchain and encryption standards will evolve to resist quantum attacks, leading to the development of quantum-resistant algorithms.
Ransomware Evolution: Cybercriminals will continue to use ransomware attacks, but the sophistication and frequency of these attacks will increase. Expect more targeted ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure, where attackers exploit AI and automation to maximize damage.
Digital Identity Solutions: The rise of biometric authentication (face recognition, iris scans, etc.) and decentralized identity systems will aim to reduce identity theft and ensure secure authentication processes. Blockchain-based digital identities may become mainstream.
4. Cryptocurrency
CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies): By 2025, several nations will have fully rolled out central bank digital currencies, fundamentally transforming the financial landscape. These government-backed digital assets will likely coexist with decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum but under more regulated environments.
DeFi Maturity: Decentralized finance (DeFi) will have matured with better security protocols and greater integration with traditional finance. It's likely that DeFi platforms will offer a wider range of financial products, including insurance and complex derivatives, all without intermediaries.
Cross-chain Interoperability: The ability to seamlessly transfer assets across different blockchains will improve, potentially via interoperability protocols or multi-chain ecosystems, facilitating greater liquidity and reducing fragmentation.
Sustainability of Proof-of-Work: With growing concerns over energy consumption, Ethereum-like networks may replace traditional proof-of-work systems with greener alternatives. We may see further development in sustainable consensus mechanisms, such as proof-of-stake or new hybrid models.
5. Femtech
Personalized Women’s Health Solutions: By 2025, personalized health solutions for women will be a significant focus in femtech. This includes AI-driven apps for fertility, menopause management, and mental health tracking, all customized to a woman’s genetic and hormonal data.
AI for Health Diagnostics: AI algorithms will be specifically trained to recognize and diagnose conditions that disproportionately affect women (e.g., endometriosis, PCOS, breast cancer). Early detection through wearable devices will become commonplace.
Period & Pregnancy Tech: Wearables for period tracking, fertility predictions, and pregnancy health monitoring will evolve into more sophisticated, health-integrated platforms that can provide doctors with real-time data for remote consultations.
Virtual Healthcare Networks: Telehealth for women’s health will be more widespread, with virtual consultations and AI-assisted symptom checking becoming normalized, making healthcare more accessible and convenient for women everywhere.
6. Blockchain (2025)
Blockchain for Supply Chain: By 2025, blockchain will be more extensively used for transparent supply chains. Consumers will be able to trace the origin of products, verify sustainability claims, and reduce fraud in areas like luxury goods, food safety, and pharmaceuticals.
Tokenization of Assets: Real estate, art, and even traditional financial instruments like stocks will become tokenized, allowing for fractional ownership and easier transfer of value across global markets. This will democratize access to traditionally illiquid assets.
Privacy and Security Focus: Blockchain-based solutions will offer more secure, private ways to manage personal data. Zero-knowledge proofs and other privacy-focused protocols will gain traction as people demand better protection of their data online.
Interoperability & Scalability: As blockchain adoption increases, interoperability between different blockchain networks will be crucial. Solutions like Polkadot or Cosmos may help ensure seamless communication across different chains, enabling more unified decentralized ecosystems.
That’s a wrap! Best wishes for a peaceful holiday season and see you in 2025!
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*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this series are those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.