The market has definitively moved from hypotheses and hype to practical use and scaling: Yurii Danilov on Fintech trends in 2026
13 January 2026 20:35What shaped the direction of the international fintech industry in 2025? How much has the influence of AI grown in operational processes? Which fintech trends look the most promising, and where will investments flow in 2026?
Yurii Danilov — a well-known fintech entrepreneur specialising in payment and regulatory infrastructure — spoke about all this in an exclusive interview with UA.News.
Which technologies and events became key for the international fintech industry in 2025?
Yurii Danilov: 2025 became a turning point for the fintech industry in terms of the institutionalisation of technologies that had previously been perceived as experimental or niche. The market has definitively moved from hypotheses and hype to practical application and scaling.
At the same time, there was a convergence of fintech and crypto infrastructure. Most crypto players finally moved away from speculative models and focused on payment, custodial and infrastructure solutions. The influence of AI in operational processes also increased significantly — from compliance automation and risk scoring to fraud detection and customer support.
A separate trend worth highlighting is the market’s focus on on-ramp and off-ramp solutions. Fast, legal and scalable gateways between fiat and digital assets have become a strategically important part of financial infrastructure. For our business, the key factor has been precisely the combination of regulation, technology and payment infrastructure, rather than individual hype-driven products.
Which global fintech trends do you consider the most promising in 2026, particularly from an investment perspective?
Yurii Danilov: In 2026, I see several clear and long-term directions for development.
The second important trend is infrastructure fintech. This is not about front-end applications, but about the core elements of the financial system: custodial platforms, payment cores, clearing systems, settlement and liquidity management.
The shift from B2C to B2B fintech will also continue. Business solutions with predictable cash flows are becoming significantly more attractive to investors compared to mass consumer products. Tokenisation of real-world assets also deserves mention — but not as another hype cycle, rather as legally structured models linked to real estate, debt instruments and corporate assets.
Your view on AI investment projects: a peak or a new “bubble”?
Yurii Danilov: I do not believe that AI as a technology has reached its peak. However, the investment hype around AI is indeed close to overheating. A significant share of today’s AI start-ups do not represent proprietary technology, but rather a marketing wrapper around existing models.
Which global fintech trends will be relevant for the Ukrainian market?
Yurii Danilov: For Ukraine, the same global trends are relevant, but with local specifics in mind. First and foremost, these are digital payments and cross-border solutions, driven by the large number of citizens living or working abroad. Crypto assets and stablecoins will also play an important role as tools for value preservation and transfers.
I also see strong potential in Fintech-as-a-Service. Ukrainian teams have all the prerequisites to create strong B2B solutions for the global market. Integration with the European financial space — including SEPA, EMI and EU licensing models — will remain a key development direction.
Which business projects are you currently focused on, and what will be the priority in 2026?
Yurii Danilov: At the moment, my main focus is financial infrastructure for businesses, rather than mass consumer products.
This includes payment solutions for fintech and crypto companies, on-ramp and off-ramp infrastructure, regulatory compliance in the EU and the United Kingdom, as well as software solutions built with a PCI DSS and AML-first approach.
