2025 Session Replays

Opening of the 12th Canada Fintech Forum ⬇️

Organized by Finance Montréal, the Canada Fintech Forum confirms its status as the largest fintech event in the country. Since 2013, it has brought together leaders in finance and technology to stimulate innovation and partnerships. Listen to the opening remarks by Jacques Deforges, CEO of Finance Montréal.

Plenary session 1 - Platformization of Financial Services: Are Banks Becoming Tech Companies? ⬇️

Banks are not becoming technological: they always have been. The platformization of financial services is ushering in a new era in which banks and fintech startups are collaborating to offer an integrated, secure, and seamless customer experience. The priorities are open banking, data governance, artificial intelligence, and payment modernization.

Panel 1 - Faster than ever : Real-time payments and the future of financial institutions⬇️

The Real-Time Payments (RTP) system will transform the Canadian payments system by enabling instant, secure transfers available 24/7. Based on the ISO 20022 standard, it will offer data-enriched payments, improving cash management and fraud prevention. Developed by Payments Canada and the Bank of Canada, RTR will promote increased innovation and expanded access to new financial service providers.

Panel 2 - Borderless by Default: How Embedded Finance is Redefining Cross-Border Payments ⬇️

Cross-border payments are evolving thanks to collaboration between banks and fintechs, the adoption of the ISO 20022 standard, and real-time systems. Despite challenges related to costs, delays, and regulation, stablecoins and new compliance tools are paving the way for faster, more secure, and more accessible transactions.

Fintech Review Canada : 2025 and Beyond  ⬇️

The Fintech Review 2025, presented by Jeet Bhatti (Fathom4Sight), reveals a rapidly growing ecosystem: $1.5 billion raised by 46 fintechs, a proliferation of partnerships between banks and fintechs, and the arrival of new international players. Key trends include the rise of AI, real-time payments, open banking, and stablecoins.

Panel 4: Part 1 - The rise of stablecoins ⬇️

At the Canada Fintech Forum, Karim Gillani (Luge Capital) showed how stablecoins are revolutionizing international transfers: instant, low-cost payments that are accessible at all times. Backed by real currencies, they offer a modern alternative to traditional banking systems. He invited Canadian institutions to develop a Canadian dollar stablecoin to remain competitive.

Panel 4: Part 2 - A Rich Fintech Ecosystem ⬇️

During this panel discussion, Laviva Mazhar (Luge Capital) presented four startups that are transforming payments: Loop Financial, Cybrid, Ezo, and Zum Rails, which offer solutions ranging from global merchant banking to real-time payments and stablecoins.

Keynote 1: Part 1 - Reinventing everyday banking ⬇️

In this talk, Daniel Eberhard (KOHO) shares his vision for a fairer and more accessible digital bank. KOHO wants to democratize access to better financial products through technology and a low-cost structure, while advocating for a more innovative and competitive Canadian economy.

Keynote 1: Part 2 - The next frontier of consumer credit ⬇️

Michael Linford, Chief Operating Officer at Affirm, presents the company's vision: to offer honest financial products and rethink consumer credit. Affirm stands out for its model with no hidden fees or late penalties, focused on consumer well-being.

Present in Canada since the acquisition of PayBright, Affirm offers a transparent alternative to traditional revolving credit, promoting flexibility and trust. The company focuses on personalization, strategic partnerships (notably with Shopify), and technological innovation, including AI and “agentic” commerce, to offer solutions tailored to each customer.

Opening of Day 2 of the 12th Canada Fintech Forum ⬇️

In his opening remarks, Michael Godin of CGI highlighted Montreal's role as one of North America's most dynamic fintech ecosystems, with 275 companies and more than 20,000 jobs in Quebec.

CGI, founded in Quebec City nearly 50 years ago, presented key industry trends: legacy system modernization, digital identity, open payments, cryptoassets, and, above all, artificial intelligence, whose value in Canada is expected to quadruple within five years.

Plenary Session 2 - The Rise of AI Agents: How Autonomous Systems Are Reshaping Financial Services ⬇️

This panel discussion focuses on how AI is being used as a transformation accelerator in financial services, emphasizing the challenges associated with AI adoption and the need to build trust among employees and customers. The panel addresses the evolution of generative AI, distinguishing between current semi-autonomous systems and the theoretical concept of fully autonomous agents, while advocating for a collaborative and incremental approach that emphasizes human literacy and sensitive data management.

Panel 5 - From blueprint to buy-in: Choosing your AI journey ⬇️

This conference addresses three key issues: the urgency of an AI roadmap, the choice of a strategic priority (growth, optimization, or protection), and the conditions for successful deployment.

The panelists discuss how AI is transforming financial institutions—from process automation (such as managing high call volumes) to improving the customer experience. They emphasize the critical role of human talent, data quality, and organizational culture in fully realizing the potential of artificial intelligence.

Panel 6 - Cloud Collabs, Cyber Gaps and Collective Accountability: Securing GenAI Workspaces at Scale ⬇️

This panel brings together cybersecurity experts from the financial sector and the Quebec government to discuss the risks and opportunities associated with generative AI. Panelists explore the balance between innovation and data security, shared responsibility, and the importance of the human factor, governance, and training for the safe and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence.

ElleFintech Demo Day 2025 ⬇️

The ElleFintech panel highlighted female entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of finance.

• OWNI, represented by Lin Sok, facilitates access to home ownership through AI-powered real estate co-purchasing.
• CloudSibyl, represented by Marie-Hélène Grenier, helps companies reduce the costs and carbon footprint of the cloud.
• Zelros by Earnix, represented by Domitille Dien, demonstrates how generative AI is transforming the distribution of insurance products and enhancing customer personalization.
• Rose des Vents, represented by Odrey Robillard, guides institutions toward sustainable finance and better integration of ESG practices.

The session concluded with a presentation by Coinbase Canada on the future of stablecoins and crypto regulation in Canada.

Panel 7 - Bridging the AI talent gap: The future of work in financial services ⬇️

This discussion explores the global shortage of AI talent and strategies to address it in the financial sector. Panelists discussed the war for talent, key skills to develop (from AI literacy to data science), and the importance of a culture of continuous growth.

They emphasized that financial institutions can compete with tech giants by leveraging their purpose, impact, and Canadian partnerships that promote talent retention.

Panel 8 - AI in Financial Crime Prevention: Striking a Balance Between Security & Privacy ⬇️

Experts from Sardine, Equifax Canada, and MEMCYCO discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on financial fraud prevention. While fraudsters use AI to create fake accounts, deepfakes, and phishing sites, institutions are relying on behavioral biometrics and predictive analytics to counter these threats.
The panelists call for a proactive and collaborative approach, based on data sharing, to strengthen cybersecurity in the financial sector.

Keynote 2 - The New Financial Playbook: AI as a Systemic Game-Changer ⬇️

At this Canada Fintech Forum conference, technology and finance experts explored how artificial intelligence is establishing itself as the true operating system of the financial sector. AI is no longer an experiment, but a strategic necessity that is transforming the customer experience, operations, and markets.

Panelists also emphasized the importance of balancing innovation and responsibility, focusing on transparency, governance, and trust frameworks to promote the ethical and competitive deployment of AI on a global scale.