Lakhasly

Evolution of Financial Technology (Fintech):
Financial technology (better known as Fintech) is used to describe new tech that seeks to improve and automate the delivery and use of financial services. At its core, fintech is utilized to help companies, business owners, and consumers better manage their financial operations, processes, and lives by utilizing specialized software and algorithms that are used oncomputers and, increasingly,
smartphones. Fintech, the word, is a combination of "financial technology."
When fintech emerged in the 21st century, the term was initially applied to the technology employed at the back-end systems of established financial institutions. Since then, however, there has been a shift to more consumer-oriented services and therefore a more consumer-oriented definition. Fintech now includes different sectors and industries such as education, retail banking, fundraising and nonprofit, and investment management, to name a few.
Fintech also includes the development and use of crypto currencies, such as Bitcoin. While that segment of fintech may see the most headlines, the big money still lies in the traditional global banking industry and its multi-trillion- dollar market capitalization.
Since the mid-2010s, fintech has exploded, with both startups receiving billions in venture funding (some of which have become unicorns), and incumbent financial firms either snatching up new ventures or building out their own fintech offerings.
North America still produces most of the fintech startups, with Asia a relatively close second, followed by Europe. Some of the most active areas of fintech innovation include or revolve around the following areas (among others):
 Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.), digital tokens (e.g., NFTs), and digital cash. These often rely on blockchain technology, which is a
distributed ledger technology (DLT) that maintains records on a network of computers but has no central ledger. Blockchain also allows for so- called smart contracts, which utilize code to automatically execute contracts between parties such as buyers and sellers.
 Open banking, which is a concept that proposes all people should have access to bank data to build applications that create a connected network of financial institutions and third-party providers. An example is the all-in-one money management tool Mint.
 Insurtech, which seeks to use technology to simplify and streamline the insurance industry.
 Regtech, which seeks to help financial service firms meet industry compliance rules, especially those covering Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer protocols which fight fraud.
 Roboadvisors, such asBetterment, utilize algorithms to automate investment advice to lower its cost and increase accessibility.
 Unbanked/underbanked services that seek to serve disadvantaged or low- income individuals who are ignored or underserved by traditional banks or mainstream financial services companies. These applications promote financial inclusion.
 Cybersecurity. Given the proliferation of cybercrime and the decentralized storage of data, cybersecurity and fintech are intertwined.