The Cross-Border Payment Challenge

For years, the fintech industry has worked to make cross-border transactions seamless, emphasizing speed, transparency, and efficiency. However, rising regulatory scrutiny and shifting geopolitical factors have added new layers of complexity.

“Formerly easy lanes of monetary travel are becoming difficult,” Sanjib Kalita noted. Increased compliance requirements, enhanced reporting, and operational constraints are forcing fintech companies to rethink global money movement.

In this evolving landscape, companies must balance efficiency with compliance, ensuring that fintech players can still offer frictionless payments while staying within regulatory frameworks.

AI in Financial Services: Hype vs. Reality

As AI takes center stage in fintech, Kalita, who has been researching AI since the early 1990s, reflected on both its opportunities and its limitations.

“AI errors in entertainment are one thing, but in financial services, hallucinations can be catastrophic,” he explained. Regulatory scrutiny and risk management concerns mean that AI adoption in fintech is happening primarily behind the scenes—in areas such as fraud detection, customer service automation, and internal risk assessment.

Despite the hype, AI’s direct impact on consumer-facing financial products remains limited. Kalita believes that while AI will transform financial services over time, its immediate role will be in operational efficiency rather than direct decision-making for customers.

The Rising Cost of Data and What It Means for Fintech

Kalita raised an underexplored issue that could significantly impact financial technology: the rising cost of data.

As data-driven decision-making becomes central to financial services, higher costs could have a ripple effect—limiting access to AI-powered risk assessments, increasing customer acquisition costs, and reshaping how fintechs scale.

GTM Strategy: Why Human Interaction Still Matters

As fintech continues to innovate, the human element in go-to-market (GTM) strategies remains irreplaceable. Kalita pointed out that even in partnerships between tech-first companies like Stripe and financial institutions like J.P. Morgan, perspectives can be vastly different.

“I’ve worked on Google Wallet, Citi’s credit card division, and fintech startups, and the way companies approach the same product can be dramatically different,” he explained. “Even when two organizations collaborate, they often speak entirely different languages.”

This disconnect between financial institutions and fintech disruptors highlights the need for strong relationship-building, tailored messaging, and alignment on long-term goals.

Key Takeaways for Fintech Leaders

Reflecting on Fintech Meetup 2025, Kalita shared practical advice for attendees looking to maximize their experience:

✅ Register early – A well-planned approach enables better networking and strategic discussions.
✅ Approach fintech events as alumni networks, not high-stakes encounters – Fintech thrives on relationships, and long-term success comes from collaboration, not just competition.

As fintech leaders grapple with AI, regulatory pressures, and evolving payment models, those who can navigate complexity while maintaining customer-centricity will emerge as the industry’s biggest winners.

Final Thought

With AI, regulation, and cross-border payments evolving rapidly, fintech companies must strike a balance between innovation, compliance, and operational efficiency. As data costs rise and financial institutions adapt, staying ahead in fintech will require a strategic, adaptable mindset—one that blends technology with human expertise.

Disclaimer: The above podcast episode was generated using AI based on an interview transcript. While the content remains true to the original conversation, the voices, tone, and delivery were synthesized and do not represent actual recordings of the speakers. This AI-generated format is intended to enhance accessibility and provide an alternative way to engage with the discussion.

We’re thrilled to welcome Liberis as an official Unofficially Fintech sponsor. Embedded finance is a major theme at this year’s event, and Liberis is leading the charge by providing seamless funding solutions directly within platforms that businesses already use. They’ll be attending Fintech Meetup, talking all things embedded finance, so be sure to book some time with them! 👇

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