Financial tech: The 8 next big things, from secure crypto to fairer mortgages

As the past few years have demonstrated, the world of finance is ripe for disruption. And it’s not just cryptocurrencies that are upending this space. Among the winners of Fast Company‘s inaugural Next Big Things in Tech awards are companies that are finding new ways to eliminate age-old problems, such as Zest AI, which is tackling discrimination in lending. Others are taking on decidedly more 21st-century problems, like Mastercard, which is layering on protections for credit card transactions so they can withstand a quantum computing attack. See a list of all the Next Big Things in Tech winners here. Winners Anchorage Digital For solving crypto’s custody problem Until Anchorage came along, many institutional investors were wary of cryptocurrency on grounds relating to security and storage. The company’s digital-asset platform is designed to overcome their reservations through biometric authentication, cryptographic user keys, and hardware modules. [Illustration: Noma Bar] Grabango For letting established stores ditch checkout lines Grabango is one of many startups retrofitting stores with AI-based cashierless checkout technology. It’s focused on bringing the tech to grocers and convenience stores that may stock thousands of products—and letting them shuffle their wares around stores at will without confusing Grabango’s AI.

Mastercard For protecting payments from quantum computing attacks Quantum computing’s ability to crack existing encryption standards could pose an existential threat to existing payment systems. With its Enhanced Contactless Payments technology, Mastercard has added a layer of protection to credit card transactions that is capable of withstanding a quantum attack, but keeps the processing time to mere milliseconds.

Orum For moving money instantly Orum taps into machine learning to enable real-time payments and better predict the risk of failure when money is moved between banks. By reducing bad transactions, it saves consumers from overdraft fees and institutions from high return rates.

Zest AI For making consumer lending less racist Zest’s Fairness Kit uses adversarial de-biasing, a machine learning technique, to make consumer lending more equitable and accurate. It is being adopted by mortgage and auto lenders, along with credit unions.

Honorable Mentions NMI For enabling Android phones to accept contactless payments

Orchid For creating a crypto-powered VPN service Pilot For unlocking financial insights by applying AI to accounting

https://www.fastcompany.com/90696300/best-fintech-innovations?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Creată 4y | 18 nov. 2021, 11:21:21


Autentifică-te pentru a adăuga comentarii

Alte posturi din acest grup

This startup is bringing photos—and even video—to 911 calls

It’s become commonplace to message someone a photo, text them an address, and switch to a video chat all in the middle of a phone call.

But 911 systems, largely designed for the er

30 mai 2025, 17:10:05 | Fast company - tech
Bluesky is most definitely alive and kicking

Last weekend, an ugly rumor of a tragic death spread began rocketing around Bluesky. What made it odd was the identity of the dearly departed: Bluesky itself.

It’s not entirely clear wha

30 mai 2025, 14:40:05 | Fast company - tech
Tesla’s best-selling Model Y could be dethroned by this newly launched Chinese EV model

Xiaomi rolled out its new sports utility vehicle in Beijing on Thursday, as the firm best kno

30 mai 2025, 14:40:05 | Fast company - tech
For CEOs, AI tech literacy is no longer optional

Artificial intelligence has been the subject of unprecedented levels of investment and enthusiasm over the past three years, driven by a tide of hype that promises revolutionary transformation acr

30 mai 2025, 10:10:04 | Fast company - tech
The AI search wave is real. Can media survive it?

People like to say that change happens gradually, then all at once. That pattern seems to be holding with respect to

30 mai 2025, 10:10:03 | Fast company - tech
Nepo babies are using the ‘holy airball’ TikTok trend to humble brag about their famous parents

The “holy airball” trend that’s all over your For You page is the latest way the internet is sharing humble brags. 

The videos, which have amassed millions of views on T

29 mai 2025, 22:30:05 | Fast company - tech