The Ground Is Shifting
A critical window is opening ahead of full EU AI Act enforcement in 2026, followed by sweeping AML reforms in 2027. European fintech is now operating under regulatory, technological, and compliance pressures. MiCA is redefining digital assets, while DORA places cybersecurity firmly at the boardroom level.
The EU AI Act, introduced in 2024, offers a new layer of compliance that most companies are not yet ready for. AI technology itself continues to evolve, including updates to tokenisation and blockchain infrastructure.
For many mid-to-senior fintech leaders, the pressure is no longer theoretical—it is operational: AI governance, AML readiness, and infrastructure scalability are becoming immediate board-level concerns rather than long-term planning topics.
In this environment, no single company can navigate the complexity alone. Collaborative events like Zero Day, where leading members of Lithuania's FinTech space can share ideas, are critical for staying ahead of the curve.
Frameworks like MiCA, DORA, and the EU AI Act are not isolated developments; they are reshaping how FinTech operates at every level. The shift we are seeing is not just technological or regulatory — it is structural.
Below, we asked four experts from inside the BCCS ecosystem to tell us what they are actually seeing from the AI Act, what they think it means, and what companies should be doing about it right now.
AI Is No Longer a Tool — It's a Regulated System
The EU AI Act is not simply introducing compliance requirements. It is redefining how AI fits into financial services architecture.
It has moved beyond computer science and now requires regulation, monitored by human oversight.
As one expert from the BCCS ecosystem, Paulius Sartatavičius, COO of CEE Attorneys, explains:
2026 seems to be the year where FinTech companies, as well as other industries, need to start treating AI not simply as a technology layer but as a regulated system under EU legislation, in particular the AI Act.
Paulius Sartatavičius, COO of CEE Attorneys
In practice, "human oversight" means more than a symbolic review layer; it requires active, accountable involvement in decision-making processes, especially where outcomes affect customers directly. This is reinforced by Paulius:
It is very important to note that FinTechs analyzing financial or behavioural data with AI must comply with the GDPR requirements, as the EU AI Act explicitly references and operates alongside data protection rules.
Paulius Sartatavičius, COO of CEE Attorneys
For the European FinTech ecosystem to operate effectively, this alignment with GDPR is critical:
In a practical sense, that means companies must ensure that data is being processed lawfully, no automated decision making is being done without human intervention and that AI systems adhere to data security standards by design.
Paulius Sartatavičius, COO of CEE Attorneys
The result is a structural shift. AI is no longer just enabling FinTech innovation; it is becoming part of the regulated infrastructure that defines how financial services are delivered, monitored, and scaled across Europe.
Regulation Is Expanding — And So Is the Cost of Getting It Wrong
Europe is entering a broader regulatory acceleration phase that will define fintech competitiveness over the next decade. Regulatory change in European FinTech is no longer gradual — it is ingrained as a key element of annual development, with multiple frameworks converging to reshape how financial institutions operate, scale, and manage risk.
The upcoming EU AML framework, set to come into force in 2027, is a clear example of this shift, significantly expanding both the depth of compliance obligations across multiple industries.
We caught up with Agnė Daukšienė, CEO of ExpertLab, who stressed the importance of these legislative steps to AML:
EU regulatory developments are moving faster than ever. In July 2027, a unified EU AML framework will come into force, requiring financial institutions and newly obliged entities to adapt to an extensive and demanding set of AML requirements.
Agnė Daukšienė, CEO of ExpertLab
For FinTech companies, this goes beyond policy updates. It requires fundamental changes to internal processes, data management, and technology infrastructure:
AML regulation will introduce a more centralized supervisory model, expand the scope of obliged entities, impose stricter customer due diligence requirements, enhance transparency of ultimate beneficial owners, and set more rigorous standards for remote identification.
Agnė Daukšienė, CEO of ExpertLab
At the European level, the direction is clear — toward greater transparency and accountability, with additional measures to enhance financial security:
The new payment services framework (PSD3 and PSR) will focus on strengthening consumer protection and combating fraud, significantly impacting both contractual arrangements with clients and introducing new responsibilities for the FinTech sector. While regulatory change brings complexity, it also creates opportunity. Greater harmonization enables seamless cross-border service delivery, reduces fragmentation, and supports more efficient scaling across markets.
Agnė Daukšienė, CEO of ExpertLab
The implication is clear: compliance is becoming a technology and data challenge as much as a regulatory one, and companies that invest early in adaptable, integrated systems will be best positioned to compete.
The Technology Stack Defining the Next Generation of FinTech
While regulation is setting the direction, technology is determining who can actually move at speed. Across the European FinTech ecosystem, a new generation of infrastructure is emerging — one that is more flexible, scalable, and aligned with both regulatory requirements and market demand.
Michael Barskyi, Head of S-PRO Switzerland, welcomes these emerging trends of European FinTech:
We're seeing a real shift in European FinTech as stablecoins, tokenization of bankable assets, and AI-driven tools lower the barriers to building sophisticated financial products. At S-PRO, we work with both FinTech challengers and established financial institutions to turn these opportunities into scalable, compliant platforms. This helps our clients move faster, adapt to evolving regulation, and compete in a market where the lines between banks and FinTechs are increasingly blurred.
Michael Barskyi, Head of S-PRO Switzerland
The takeaway is clear: technology decisions made today, particularly around architecture, scalability, and compliance-readiness, will define competitive positioning for years to come.
What This All Means and What to Do Next
Across all perspectives, a clear pattern emerges: regulation and innovation in European FinTech are no longer separate forces. AI is becoming a regulated infrastructure. Compliance is becoming embedded in product and platform design. Technology decisions are now strategic decisions that directly impact a company's ability to compete, scale, and respond to change.
For FinTech leaders, this creates a new set of priorities:
Treat compliance (AI, AML, DORA) as a core capability, not a limitation.
Build technology that provides flexibility, scalability and is regulation-ready.
Invest in data quality, governance, and real-time monitoring.
The institutions that act early, embedding compliance into their architecture while leveraging technologies like AI and tokenisation, will define the next phase of European FinTech.
Join the Conversation
If you are as enthusiastic as we are about decoding the FinTech landscape, be part of what's next at "Zero Day", BCCS's FinTech leadership event. Secure your place today.
The experts featured in our thought piece on emerging FinTech trends are part of the growing BCCS Cluster, where FinTech leaders, technology partners, and compliance specialists collaborate frequently to solve exactly these challenges.
If you are building, scaling, or shaping the future of European fintech and want to be part of this ecosystem, connect with the BCCS Cluster.
Share this post
