THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINTECH INDUSTRY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE FINANCIAL SECTOR

Abstract

FinTech field began to develop rapidly since 2008, after the Global Financial Crisis. This was due to the fact that financial institutions could not quickly respond to consumer needs because of a number of regulatory and legislative restrictions that were implemented to overcome the consequences of the crisis. At the same time the main factors of FinTech development were technological evolution, emerging customer expectations, availability of funding and capital, and support from governments and regulatory authorities. FinTech makes traditional financial services more affordable, flexible and secure, and therefore FinTech is one of the main drivers of digital transformation of the whole financial sector and the development of financial accessibility in the world. The development of the FinTech industry has a huge influence on the financial sector. FinTech strives to make financial services more accessible for both consumers and businesses. FinTech companies are fast growing and attract a large amount of investment each year in their development. At the same time, traditional financial institutions feel threatened on their part, because with the increasing number of FinTech companies, competition in the financial services market is growing too. In order to stay on the market, traditional banks are forced to adapt to modern realities and develop cooperation with FinTech companies. FinTech companies can help banks provide financial products and services more effectively and strengthen their competitive advantages. For example, they can improve financial inclusion, enhance customer experience, increase transparency, improve security, and provide support and guidance. Thus, financial institutions in cooperation with FinTech companies are able to provide new financial products and services to groups of customers who previously did not have access to traditional financial services. In addition, thanks to new technologies, financial institutions can offer personalized services and communicate online with customers, which significantly increases their engagement and experience. Furthermore, FinTech companies can help financial institutions detect fraud and deal with cyber-attacks and other online risks. Keywords: FinTech, financial technologies, financial services, financial innovations, FinTech adoption.