Fintech benchmarks – the latest data and analysis
Fintech
Fintech Benchmarks 2025 report – supervising security
Benchmarks highlight how technological advancement needs to go hand in hand with tougher security
‘Supervising security’ is the theme of this year’s Fintech Benchmarks, as central banks seek to fortify their own systems and local financial networks against cyber threats, amid widespread geoeconomic instability. Cyber security, supervisory technology and central bank digital currency are respondents’ most prominent fields for research. At the same time, more central banks are making use of AI and improving their work with granular data.
Charts
Cloud pros and cons
Some 80% of benchmark respondents now use some form of cloud services in their work, most commonly for running software and storing data. Chief among the perceived benefits are business continuity, flexible working and automation. But central banks also see risks, primarily due to privacy, the location of cloud servers, and cyber threats.
For the full breakdown, use the benchmarking service’s interactive charts to explore the data.
Model banks analysis – Fintech 2025
Explore key differences between central banks across economy groups
Fintech data
View the full breakdown of responses to the Fintech Benchmarks.
Fintech licences issued yearly remain below 10 on average
Number of fintechs in operation averages just over 60
Central banks keep trialling link between wCBDC and RTGS
Most respondents motivated to issue wCBDC to enable financial innovation
Majority of central banks still lack CBDC issuance powers
Legal mandates are scarce in both larger and smaller central banks
Two in five CBDCs designed to be programmable
Over half of respondents’ retail CBDC projects are at research phase
Some central banks expect CBDC to boost seigniorage
Result depends on design features of digital currency, with many central banks unsure of the outcome
Payment innovation is top fintech research priority
Recruitment and retention of talents is biggest tech challenge, but constraints vary somewhat by teams
Central banks facing fintech hiring challenges tend to have bigger teams
Private sector opportunity is most widely reported issue for fintech staffing
The Genius Act: a smart move for global payments?
Experts from the stablecoin industry discuss if new US law can live up to its name
The cost of inaction on wholesale CBDCs
A gap exists between demand in capital markets and most central banks’ research priorities as evolving risks accrue
Fintech Benchmarks 2025 – model banks analysis
Data breakdown reveals differences in CBDC research, AI use and adoption of the cloud
Working group minutes: facing up to CBDC adoption challenges
Participants at Cape Town meeting saw drawbacks to digital currency versus other payment methods
Fintech Benchmarks 2025 – executive summary
Benchmarks shed light on research priorities, progress with CBDC and use of cloud