Kia ora,
After a month away in the south of France and the UK, I found myself thinking about many of the same themes we have been discussing across the FinTechNZ community — customer experience, cashless payments, platforms, open data, digital identity, integration, resilience and what all of this means for the next phase of open finance in Aotearoa New Zealand.
What stood out most was how quickly cashless and connected experiences have become the default in most markets. From QR-code payments at restaurants and small vendors, through to digital wallets, integrated booking and payment journeys, and the occasional moment where payment infrastructure did not work as expected, it was a useful reminder that digital finance is only as strong as the systems and settings sitting behind it.
That is the focus of my latest blog, Cashless, connected and under the hood: reflections on open finance from abroad. In it, I reflect on what these everyday experiences overseas can teach us about inclusion, resilience, real-time payments, open banking, stablecoins, digital identity and the practical infrastructure needed to support open finance progression here in New Zealand.
It is also a useful lens for this month’s newsletter.
We are continuing to progress a number of important conversations across the sector — from the proposed Under the Hood event series, which will look at how emerging technologies and financial infrastructure actually work in practice, through to the launch of FinTech Hui Taumata 2027, returning to Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre on 17–18 March under the theme Open Finance | The Next Frontier.
There is also plenty happening across the policy and regulatory landscape. The FMA has opened consultation on custody and stablecoin market settings, and FinTechNZ is preparing a joint submission with Blockchain Forum New Zealand and Digital Identity New Zealand. Election-year policy conversations are also starting to sharpen. In this update, we also share a useful MinterEllisonRuddWatts podcast on government decision-making during an election year, alongside updates on digital assets, payments, tokenisation, Singapore FinTech Week and other community news.
The common thread across all of this is practical progress. Open finance is not just a policy ambition or a technical concept. It is about the way data, identity, consent, payments and services connect to create better experiences for people and businesses.
Read my full blog: Cashless, connected and under the hood: reflections on open finance from abroad.
The Latest from FinTechNZ
Introducing the Under the Hood series
We’re proposing to launch a new Under the Hood series designed to explore how fintech innovation works in practice. Topics will likely include stablecoins, customer experience, AI use cases, core banking, payments and open finance.
We are inviting members and industry experts to share practical examples, implementation lessons and emerging use cases.
If you’re interested in contributing, reach out to Jason.
FinTech Hui Taumata returns to Wellington
We’re pleased to confirm that FinTech Hui Taumata will return to Wellington on 17–18 March.
The theme of this year’s hui is Open Finance | The Next Frontier, reflecting the sector’s shift from open banking toward a broader open finance, real-time payments, trusted data sharing and digital infrastructure.
Expressions of interest for speakers, sponsors and contributors are open now.
FinTech Insights 2026 Report
For those of you who may have missed it last month. Our latest FinTech Insights report remains an important reference point for the sector, highlighting the opportunities and challenges shaping fintech in Aotearoa New Zealand. As open banking progresses and the conversation shifts toward open finance, the report provides timely context for industry, government and regulators.
Regulatory Updates
FMA updates: custody consultation and financial conduct priorities
The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has released two important initiatives for financial services organisations.
First, they’re seeking feedback on whether current custody and stablecoin market settings remain fit for purpose as markets, business models and technology continue to evolve. The consultation paper outlines the current regulatory framework, insights from monitoring and misconduct reports, and key issues and risks for the sector.
Submissions close 5pm, Monday 27 July 2026.
We encourage members to review the consultation and provide feedback directly to the FMA. In parallel, we are preparing a group submission with Blockchain Forum New Zealand and Digital Identity New Zealand.
Following the submissions process in August, we will share key insights with members and gather further feedback to help inform ongoing sector engagement with regulators.
Read the custody consultation and submit feedback
Secondly, they’ve released its latest Financial Conduct Report, a strategic document for boards and senior executives. The report outlines the regulator’s conduct priorities for the next 12 months, shares insights from supervisory and response work, and provides examples of effective practices and areas needing attention.
Read the FMA Financial Conduct Report
Payments monitoring snapshot
A new payments monitoring snapshot examines the growing use of Mastercard and Visa card payments in New Zealand and what this means for business acceptance costs. It also considers emerging pay-by-bank alternatives and the factors influencing competition across the payments system.
Read the payments monitoring snapshot
Upcoming Events
Digital Assets, Tax and CARF
Join Blockchain Forum New Zealand and industry participants on Tuesday 7 July at Lane Neave in Auckland for an in-person evening session exploring the evolving relationship between digital assets, tax and cross-border reporting, with a focus on what the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework could mean for New Zealand. Register here
FSC26 Amplify financial services’ future
FSC26 Conference: Amplify returns to the New Zealand International Convention Centre, Auckland, on 12–13 August 2026, bringing together financial services, government, politicians and regulators to help shape policy and the future of financial services in Aotearoa.
We’ll be hosting a workshop, Digital Intelligence Unleashed: Opportunities, Challenges, and Practical Applications. This mixed-format masterclass will explore how AI and digital transformation are reshaping global financial services, and what this means for New Zealand as open finance, advanced machine learning and responsible AI deployment begin to define the future of customer experience, risk management, product design and operational efficiency.
The session will feature FinTechNZ members, including Apex Group, LexisNexis, Mastercard, ElementX, KPMG, and others to be confirmed.
Special offer: use our code FSC26FTNZ to get two tickets for the price of one! Learn more.
Singapore FinTech Festival 2026
Prepping for Singapore Fintech Week, 18-20 November, we’re actively looking at sending a startup delegation to Singapore Fintech Week in partnership with Visa. Contact Jason if you would like to be involved.
Community Noticeboard
Qippay industry report
Qippay has released a new industry report exploring developments across payments and fintech. Read the report.
Revolut expands business and payment capabilities
Revolut has announced two significant updates for the New Zealand market. Revolut Business has launched locally, offering SMEs access to digital financial tools and cross-border capability. Read more about the launch. Revolut has also enabled Click to Pay for eligible Visa cardholders, bringing tap-like simplicity to online commerce and supporting the shift toward tokenised, digitally native payments. Learn more.
Exploring tokenisation safely
We’re delighted to welcome Apex Group as a FinTech New Zealand member! Check out Apex’s Tracey McDonald’s recent thought piece, which outlines practical first steps for New Zealand institutions looking to explore tokenisation safely. Read the article
Immersve joins global Open USD stablecoin initiative
We’re excited to see the rapid progression of our member Immersve on the world stage. They are the first company in the world to settle directly with Mastercard using stablecoins. Immersve has recently joined Open Standard as a founding member, alongside Mastercard, Visa, Stripe, BlackRock, BNY and others. Open USD is a new stablecoin designed to support global money movement. We look forward to more great insights from Jerome and the Immersve team
FCA Emerging Technology Horizon Scan 2026
The FCA’s Emerging Technology Horizon Scan 2026 is worth a read for members tracking generative and agentic AI, autonomous financial systems, cyber and fraud risks, tokenisation, DLT and cross-border interoperability. On a personal note, I find this both exciting and scary. Read the Horizon Scan.
Open banking momentum in the UK
The UK open banking ecosystem recently passed a major milestone, with more than 40 million open banking payments made in a single month. API calls, user connections and variable recurring payments continue to grow, highlighting the importance of resilient infrastructure and consent-led payment experiences. View the latest UK open banking data.
Election 2026 podcast: government decision-making in an election year
MinterEllisonRuddWatts has released the latest episode in its Election 2026 podcast series, exploring how government decision-making is shaped during an election year, including the pre-election period of restraint and post-election Caretaker Convention. Listen now. In addition, for those of you who are interested, we’ve been promoting the views around what we need to do to become a digitally enabled nation. Read our manifesto.
As you can see above, a lot is moving across the fintech landscape. Our focus for the coming year is to continue to bring members together, advocate for practical progress and creative opportunities, and create opportunities for our members. As always, please reach out if you would like to collaborate.
Ngā mihi nui,
Jason Roberts
Executive Director, FinTech New Zealand