The year 2020 was disruptive and chaotic. And while it derailed or delayed some companies' plans for growth, it also created opportunities for new combinations — or, at the very least, didn't slow them down.

Coastal Community in Washington is an investor in and the first client of Synctera, a software company that aims to help community banks manage their fintech relationships, including regulatory obligations.

During the crises, most of the investment is going toward mature fintechs, creating more challenges for startups, says Global Processing Services' Richard Hodgson.

The measure, just the second of its kind the nation, mandates that fintechs, factoring firms and other nonbank small-business lenders clearly explain the terms and conditions to borrowers.

OPay, a Nigerian fintech startup founded by Opera, plans to expand its payments service operations to North Africa early next year after Covid-19 restrictions led to a spike in transactions on its platform.

Underpinning the technology with mathematically sound models can make a better case to consumers and regulators for why a loan applicant was denied.

Rapidly spreading coronavirus and an unclear Brexit outcome are bearing down on the U.K., leaving the fate of London as a technology and finance hub in the air as 2020 draws to a close.

Join Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square as he offers his insights into where the Fintech industry is headed next year. Will a Biden administration insist on greater regulation? What will happen in the cryptocurrency markets? What will be the big IPOs in the sector? Will GooglePlex make a big splash? What new technologies or applications should we be expecting?

Data that mimics the original set is part of coronavirus vaccine trials, and also has ramifications for mapping financial services metrics, says Aite's Ginger Schmeltzer.