The Open Banking Expo UK & Europe 2025 concluded recently in London, celebrating its largest gathering to date with over 1,650 attendees. The event brought together key players from banks, fintechs, regulators, retailers, and technology providers to discuss the transformative potential of Open Banking, Open Finance, and Smart Data.
Across the two-day expo at the Business Design Centre, more than 180 speakers took to five stages, focusing on themes that are currently shaping the financial services ecosystem. Core topics included the scalability of commercial variable recurring payments (cVRPs), the importance of building consumer trust in Open Banking payments, and the growing role of collaboration between banks and fintechs.
Collaboration and regulator alignment take centre stage
A key theme resonating throughout the event was the imperative for collaboration, a sentiment encapsulated by Huw Davies, co-founder and co-CEO of event sponsor Ozone API, who shared: “If you want to get there fast, go alone. But if you want to go really far, you need to go together.”
The event featured the first-ever Regulator Day, held in partnership with Raidiam, Ozone API, and KPMG. This unique session convened regulators from 13 countries to share insights and align on global Open Banking and Open Finance developments, underscoring the shift toward international regulatory coherence.
Other notable discussions included the impact of Open Banking on financial inclusion, the intersection of AI with Open Finance, and the increasing role of stablecoins in the ecosystem—topics that signal the future direction of the industry.
Awards validate sector progress
The event also hosted the highly anticipated Open Banking Expo Awards 2025 ceremony, which recognised winners across 17 categories for their outstanding contributions to the Open Banking and Open Finance landscape.
Todd Clyde, chief executive officer of headline sponsor Token.io, reflected on the event’s growth: “It really is amazing to see how Open Banking Expo has grown. And I believe that this show really has emerged as the event for Open Banking where the industry comes to meet.”
Looking ahead, Kelly Stanley, co-founder of Open Banking Expo, confirmed that the focus is on expanding the Open Finance and Smart Data elements of the Expo, aiming to attract a global audience and increase engagement from merchants, retailers, and the e-commerce sector in 2026.
