Rapid advancements in financial technology, or fintech, are opening the door to greater financial inclusion and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. However, the growing knowledge gap between innovators and regulators regarding fintech and business models that apply it threatens to undermine the benefits while giving rise to new challenges.

Financial technology (fintech) development could significantly increase access to financial services in Asia and the Pacific, but also poses risks to consumers, especially among disadvantaged groups. A greater understanding of the relationship between fintech, financial literacy, and financial inclusion is needed to design effective policies to promote these imperatives for inclusive and sustainable growth in emerging economies.

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance Online Course on Fintech & Regulatory Innovation built knowledge and capacity in technology-enabled financial and regulatory innovation for the policymaking and regulatory community. Topics covered foundational technologies in fintech, banking regulatory reform, payment innovation offices, alternative capital raising regulatory sandboxes, fintech credit regtech/suptech, cryptoassets and distributed ledger technology, and international and regulatory cooperation.