Jun 18, 2026 Tyrone Castelanelli
ShareMoney20/20 Europe is always a place where the financial services industry comes together to take a peek in the future. Banks, fintechs, payment service providers, technology companies, regulators, and innovators all meet in Amsterdam to discuss where the industry is moving next.
From big ideas to practical implementation
One aspect stood out clearly this year: the conversation around innovation is becoming less abstract and getting more concrete. Unsurprisingly, AI was a common denominator in most conversations. But the discussion has moved on. It is no longer only about the potential of AI, but about how AI can be applied responsibly, effectively, and at scale. Across the event, the focus was much more on practical use cases, operational value, and real-world implementation.
This was especially visible in payments and financial crime prevention. As financial institutions face faster payment flows, more complex fraud patterns, and increasing regulatory expectations, the question is no longer simply whether AI can help. The more relevant question is how it can help in a way that is reliable, explainable, and trusted.
For fraud prevention and AML compliance, this distinction has a great impact. Financial institutions need intelligent systems that can identify risk quickly. But they also need transparency, control, and the ability to understand why a transaction, customer, or case requires attention. In other words, speed and intelligence need to be matched with explainability.
New infrastructure needs new risk thinking
Another major topic in Amsterdam was the evolution of financial infrastructure. Stablecoins, digital assets, real-time payments, cross-border efficiency, and account-to-account payment models were all part of the wider conversation. These developments point to a financial ecosystem where money moves faster, customer expectations are higher, and infrastructure is increasingly connected. That creates new opportunities for efficiency and innovation, but it also changes how quickly risk can emerge and spread.
Fraud does not stop at institutional boundaries. After all, criminal networks do not think in silos. And financial crime patterns often become visible only when signals from different sources are connected.
That is why the future of financial crime prevention will depend not only on stronger individual systems, but also on better collaboration, better intelligence sharing, and a broader view of risk across the ecosystem.
What this means for financial crime prevention
For INFORM and RiskShield, Money20/20 Europe confirmed several developments we see across the market.
First, financial institutions are under pressure to act in real time. Instant payments, digital channels and increasingly sophisticated fraud scenarios leave less room for manual review and delayed decision-making.
Second, fraud prevention and AML can no longer be viewed as separate worlds. Financial crime is interconnected, and institutions need a more holistic view of customer and transaction risk.
Third, AI must be practical, controllable, and explainable. The financial services industry is not looking for black-box innovation. It needs solutions that can support better decisions while remaining transparent, auditable, and adaptable.
And fourth, collaboration is becoming central. Whether through partnerships, network intelligence, shared signals, or ecosystem-wide initiatives, the industry is moving toward a broader understanding of risk.
These points are highly relevant for the future of financial crime prevention. They show why financial institutions need systems that combine intelligent automation with expert knowledge, real-time decisioning with transparency, and internal data with external intelligence.
Collaboration is becoming a strategic necessity
Beyond the stages, panels, and product announcements, the real value of Money20/20 was once again in the conversations.
Some were planned, others happened spontaneously. Some were with long-standing business partners, others with new contacts, prospects, and peers from across the industry. Together, they showed how important direct exchange remains in an increasingly digital and automated financial world. This is something that should not be underestimated.
Technology may help us process more data, detect more patterns, and act faster. But trust is still built between people. Partnerships still begin with conversations. And progress still depends on the willingness to exchange perspectives, challenge assumptions, and work together on common problems.
For the fight against financial crime, this is especially important. Fraud prevention, AML compliance, and payment risk management are not isolated challenges. They sit at the intersection of technology, regulation, operations, customer experience and industry collaboration. No single institution can solve these challenges alone.
From conversations to action
Money20/20 Europe 2026 was a reminder that the financial industry is not standing still. AI is moving from concept to execution. New payment infrastructures are gaining relevance. Regulation and innovation are evolving side by side. And collaboration across banks, fintechs, PSPs, technology providers, and regulators is becoming more important than ever.
At the same time, the event also showed something more human: the value of being in the same place, having real conversations, and connecting ideas that may otherwise remain separate. To put it simply: progress happens when we connect the dots. This can be between people, ideas, and institutions, or between technology and real-world use cases. But perhaps the most important connection is between different parts of the financial ecosystem that can no longer operate in isolation. For all the talk about the future of finance, this may be the most important takeaway.
Progress does not happen in isolation. It happens when people, technology, expertise, and trust come together. Now it is time to turn those conversations into action.
So, if you are aiming to strengthen your real-time fraud prevention, AML compliance, or payment risk decisioning, this is exactly where INFORM’s RiskShield comes in. Learn more about how our AI-powered Decision Intelligence can support faster, smarter, and more transparent financial crime prevention with experts remaining in control.
About our Expert
Tyrone Castelanelli
Senior MarComms Manager | Risk & Fraud
Tyrone Castelanelli has been with INFORM since April 2022, and is part of the marketing team at the Risk & Fraud division. Tyrone has specialized in marketing communications, with experience of over 15 years in three tech companies.
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