Two intense days at Nordic Fintech Week in Copenhagen gave a clear signal: the Nordic fintech ecosystem is maturing fast, and the conversation is shifting. The hype around open banking and PSD2 is long gone. Today, the big topics are AI agents, partnerships, global fintech competition, fraud prevention, and crypto's emerging role in financial services.
Photo: Nordic Fintech Week
Across keynotes and panels, one theme was impossible to ignore: AI agents are here, and they’re moving into finance - fast.
From Visa’s “Intelligent Commerce” concept, where AI agents shop and pay on your behalf, to banks experimenting with generative AI for customer interaction and product development, it’s clear that autonomous systems are no longer theoretical. The discussion has shifted from “if” to “how”: How do we handle liability when agents act on their own? How do we protect customers from fraud when machines, not people, initiate payments? And how do we build trust in systems that move faster than regulation?
That tension between innovation and risk was everywhere. Panels on fraud and financial crime highlighted how fast criminals adapt, with scams spreading on TikTok just as quickly as the latest payment innovations. The industry’s response is to layer rules-based monitoring with machine learning, device intelligence, and behavioral biometrics — always trying to stay one step ahead. Still, as several speakers reminded the audience, technology alone won’t solve it. Education, collaboration, and smarter regulation will be just as important.
At the same time, global players like Revolut and Apple are setting new standards in speed, user experience, and adaptability. Their rise is creating a real sense of urgency in the Nordics — pushing established players like Vipps MobilePay and regional banks to move faster, experiment more, and rethink how they compete in a market where customer expectations are being reset by global tech.
As Rune Garborg, CEO of Vipps MobilePay, put it during his panel discussion
Another striking takeaway was the renewed attention on crypto, blockchain, and stablecoins. After a quieter period, digital assets are firmly back on the agenda — not just as speculative tools, but as building blocks for the future of financial services. We see this shift in the Norwegian fintech space as well, with big players like DNB launching their crypto conference "Digital Assets Summit" just a week earlier.
Discussions at both conferences pointed to crypto’s potential to transform cross-border payments, settlement infrastructure, and digital identity, while stablecoins in particular are drawing interest as a bridge between traditional finance and Web3.
Another interesting development to note: Only a few days before Nordic Fintech Week went live, Copenhagen Fintech, together with Finans Danmark and Finansforbundet, launched Denmark’s first national fintech growth strategy. The report outlines 25 recommendations to strengthen the ecosystem: from developing talent and supporting startups to ensuring regulation keeps pace with innovation.
The timing of both the conference and the report underscored the sense of momentum in Danish fintech right now — not only in the private sector, but also in political and institutional circles. For Denmark, this demonstrates that fintech is no longer a side hustle, but a core part of the country's growth strategy.
For Norway, as a close neighbor with significant potential in the fintech space, Denmark’s initiative is both inspiring and a valuable example to learn from. The question is whether Norway will follow suit and give fintech the same strategic weight.
That conversation will continue at Norway Fintech Festival, April 21–23, 2026 — and we look forward to carrying the momentum forward there!
