# Challenger banks aren’t that different after all Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2019-04-04 Category: BANKING Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/banking Meta Title: The Challenges Faced by Fintech Start-Ups in Financial Regulation Meta Description: Explore the hurdles that fintech disruptors encounter as they navigate the intricate web of financial regulations and compliance. Learn why rapid growth can Tags: featured Tag URLs: featured (https://financedigest.com/tag/featured) URL: https://financedigest.com/challenger-banks-arent-that-different-after-allhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/andrew-mitchell-1736839068974-compressed.jpg) **By Andrew Mitchell,** VP Development and Infrastructure Support at JCB International The financial landscape is changing at a dizzying pace. In a sector purposefully designed around tightly-controlled checks and balances, the prominent fintech start-ups seem to be having difficulty adapting as they grow. It’s a classic scenario that many start-ups face across all sectors as they mature, but in financial services, which is one of, if not the, most heavily regulated, it goes [beyond the typical company working culture and surface level](https://www.financedigest.com/ecbs-lagarde-raises-prospect-of-rate-hikes-beyond-neutral-level.html "ECB’s Lagarde raises prospect of rate hikes beyond neutral level") PR issues that we’ve seen with the likes of Uber, as the unstoppable ‘move fast and break things’ force hits the immovable object of regulation and compliance. ![Andrew Mitchell](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/andrew-mitchell-1736839068974-compressed.jpg) Andrew Mitchell The thing is that for all the shiny interfaces and hyped-up TechCrunch profile features, fintech disruptors haven’t been operating on the fringes. Far from it. These businesses have been supported from the get-go by the very heart of the financial regulatory [system](https://www.financedigest.com/the-role-embedded-finance-systems-will-play-as-commerce-goes-increasingly-digital.html "The Role Embedded Finance Systems Will Play as Commerce Goes Increasingly Digital"). The second payments services directive (PSD2) [opened the banking](https://www.financedigest.com/why-open-banking-is-safe.html "WHY OPEN BANKING IS SAFE?") landscape to a range of innovative providers who could challenge convention. It invited non-traditionalists to the party who blew apart staid structure in favour of transparency, speed and convenience. The problem is that whilst entrepreneurs can play around in small teams in the FCA’s regulatory sandbox early on in the [development process](https://www.financedigest.com/crowdsourcing-of-data-to-drive-the-high-throughput-process-development-market.html "Crowdsourcing of data to drive the High Throughput Process Development Market"), the underlying regulation still needs to be accounted for as they grow. The fact is that [fintech start-ups](https://www.financedigest.com/how-partnerships-between-fintech-start-ups-and-traditional-banks-herald-a-brave-new-world-of-opportunity.html "How partnerships between FinTech start-ups and traditional banks herald a brave new world of opportunity") are like icebergs. What people see, the sexy interface, appears to be the whole thing, but in reality, the majority of the operation – the rails and [systems underpinning the company](https://www.financedigest.com/automated-liquid-handling-systems-market-global-leading-companies-analysis-revenue-trends-and-forecasts-2027.html "Automated Liquid Handling Systems Market Global Leading Companies Analysis, Revenue, Trends and Forecasts 2027") – is hidden below the surface and is no different to any other financial organisation. For modern [fintechs and providers to function well](https://www.financedigest.com/why-well-look-back-on-2022-as-a-defining-year-for-fintech.html "Why we’ll look back on 2022 as a defining year for fintech"), they still need a solid grasp of finance’s founding principles, something that can take years of training and experience to acquire. As a result, we’re starting to see some of the revolutionary [fintech solutions](https://www.financedigest.com/why-a-liberated-cfo-and-fintech-solution-are-a-dream-partnership-for-navigating-economic-uncertainty.html "Why a liberated CFO and fintech solution are a dream partnership for navigating economic uncertainty") falling foul of unforeseen problems on the regulatory side as their rapid expansion marries with the overwhelming complexity of upgrading compliance systems with a constantly shifting nexus. The recent problems that beset Revolut regarding it’s monitoring of high-risk transactions are a worthy example. There are many reasons why such [challenges might not befall the larger established institutions](https://www.financedigest.com/unfolding-the-great-payments-disruption-how-consumers-can-navigate-this-new-financial-world-and-how-financial-institutions-can-rise-to-the-challenge.html "Unfolding the Great Payments Disruption – how consumers can navigate this new financial world and how financial institutions can rise to the challenge"). With more experience of the entire ecosystem, [red flags](https://www.financedigest.com/finance-brokers-bank-on-red-flag-alert-to-help-beat-fraud.html "FINANCE BROKERS BANK ON RED FLAG ALERT TO HELP BEAT FRAUD") are easier to identify. [Size can be a benefit as it provides the resources to invest in the technologies and specialists required to keep on top](https://www.financedigest.com/truck-mounted-concrete-mixer-market-size-top-key-players-latest-trends-regional-insights-and-global-industry-dynamics-by-2022.html "Truck Mounted Concrete Mixer Market Size, Top Key Players, Latest Trends, Regional Insights and Global Industry Dynamics By 2022") of the churning wheel of regulation. But [growth of the established institutions has also been slow](https://www.financedigest.com/china-nov-export-growth-slows-but-imports-accelerate.html "China Nov export growth slows but imports accelerate") – glacially so in some cases. There has been no need to react with quite the same degree of immediacy as fintechs seem go from nought to 60 in the blink of eye. Finally, the simple fact is that, having been around the block themselves, the established financial brands will also have [made their fair share of mistakes and learned](https://www.financedigest.com/tripling-the-size-of-my-business-in-the-pandemic-the-mistakes-made-and-lessons-learned.html "Tripling the Size of my Business in the Pandemic — The Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned") from them. Considering their trajectory, speedy learning is vital for [fintechs that find themselves in challenging](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-overcome-the-current-challenges-facing-your-fintech-business.html "How to overcome the current challenges facing your fintech business") situations, many are doing just that. Bringing in [industry veterans from the corporate world onto the board as non-executive directors](https://www.financedigest.com/fiat-republic-the-specialist-baas-platform-that-bridges-web3-and-banks-announces-the-appointment-of-two-industry-experts-as-non-executive-directors-to-the-board-of-its-dutch-subsidiary.html "Fiat Republic, the specialist BaaS platform that bridges web3 and banks, announces the appointment of two industry experts as Non-Executive Directors to the board of its Dutch subsidiary.") and advisors, certainly seems to be a sensible strategy, a simple perusal of the website of most neo-banks generally shows the wealth of relevant industry experience in their boardroom composition. What this demonstrates though, is the [need for traditional](https://www.financedigest.com/traditional-banks-need-an-overhaul.html "Traditional banks need an overhaul") and new to come together more than ever before. Much has been written about established [banking brands needing](https://www.financedigest.com/banks-need-to-become-a-lifestyle-brand.html "Banks need to become a lifestyle brand") the support of new, agile technologists to help bring the former into a more responsive and transparent age. Less has been said about these new entrants’ [need for sage guidance and support](https://www.financedigest.com/hung-out-to-dry-smes-need-further-support-to-stay-afloat.html "Hung Out to Dry: SMEs need further support to stay afloat"). Fortunately, collaboration seems to come as second [nature in the fintech world](https://www.financedigest.com/fund-nature-protection-now-or-face-huge-losses-says-world-bank.html "Fund nature protection now or face huge losses, says World Bank"). Often, many of these new companies are designed specifically as point solutions. On their own they only solve perhaps one or two consumer problems, although there are handful that are maturing towards a full-service financial solution that the traditional market might recognise, like Atom and [Metro Bank](https://www.financedigest.com/metro-bank-posts-flat-third-quarter-loan-growth.html "Metro Bank posts flat third-quarter loan growth"). As point solutions, these businesses are comfortable with being part of an ecosystem that can morph and realign to suit any number of highly personalised customer needs including underpinning the services of traditional operators; who in [turn can bring established brand](https://www.financedigest.com/is-the-tide-turning-for-chinese-brands-overseas.html "IS THE TIDE TURNING FOR CHINESE BRANDS OVERSEAS?") names and the trust that engenders into any relationship. That trust is built on decades, centuries even, of [banking security](https://www.financedigest.com/open-banking-as-a-means-to-enhance-social-commerce-security.html "Open banking as a means to enhance social commerce security") and compliance and is critical in maintaining a relationship to consumers. Simply put, consumers are currently willing to sample fintech, but their conservatism seems to preclude wholesale [market adoption](https://www.financedigest.com/increasing-consumer-awareness-to-fuel-adoption-of-trailer-suspension-system-market.html "Increasing Consumer Awareness to Fuel Adoption of Trailer Suspension System Market"). We are beginning to see the fruits of partnership in the marketplace. Wells Fargo’s Startup Accelerator fosters solutions for enterprise customers and looks to fintech startups like Edquity, Hurdlr, Redrock [Biometrics and SimSpace to help the bank explore innovations in payments](https://www.financedigest.com/can-banks-acquire-customers-with-biometric-payment-cards.html "Can banks acquire customers with biometric payment cards?"), AI and cybersecurity. Fintechs are continuing to attract significant investment, $4bn in the third-quarter of 2017, according to CB Insights [\[1\]](https://www.cbinsights.com/reports/CB-Insights_Fintech-Report-Q3-2017.pdf?utm_campaign=Report%20-%20Content%20Emails&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9AHBawb7WBcZUHTQywbPg-VyPXLMyyb3BshactcGLoBZLxCkHAtJkvSSBHM7CQnwKY1mjVemQEqXMdSyyCNzZbSgNDUw&_hsmi=57470085&utm_content=57470085&utm_source=hs_automation&hsCtaTracking=18de6ee3-e040-498d-800c-f91925c6d578%7C77848ca4-1f53-4051-bea3-17476c68c1de). The strength of their propositions is recognised. Through fintechs, [traditional providers](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-banking-traditional-banks-vs-fintech-providers.html "Digital banking: Traditional banks vs. fintech providers") gain access to rapid innovation, new customer solutions that are being demanded here and now by an increasingly impatient client base. Through established banks, [fintechs gain access to established customer](https://www.financedigest.com/how-fintech-aids-financial-inclusion-and-helps-customers-through-crises.html "How Fintech aids financial inclusion and helps customers through crises") bases and deep sector understanding and expertise. This is not an either/or race. Alone, there is a very real chance that any institution – the young and risky or the old and staid – might flounder. Together there is a real sense that they become stronger than the sum of their parts. [\[1\]](#_ftnref1) https://www.cbinsights.com/reports/CB-Insights\_Fintech-Report-Q3-2017.pdf?utm\_campaign=Report%20-%20Content%20Emails&utm\_medium=email&\_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9AHBawb7WBcZUHTQywbPg-VyPXLMyyb3BshactcGLoBZLxCkHAtJkvSSBHM7CQnwKY1mjVemQEqXMdSyyCNzZbSgNDUw&\_hsmi=57470085&utm\_content=57470085&utm\_source=hs\_automation&hsCtaTracking=18de6ee3-e040-498d-800c-f91925c6d578%7C77848ca4-1f53-4051-bea3-17476c68c1de --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---