What is hot or not with fintech media?

What’s really driving the conversation in fintech — and what’s just noise?

It’s never been harder to tell. Technologies, regulations, and players rise and fall in the headlines at breakneck speed. 

With so much out there, understanding what really matters — the underlying themes that sustain attention and shape sentiment — is key to connecting with the market. 

Our latest analysis takes a data-driven look at the fintech media conversation in Q3 '25, cutting through the noise to reveal which topics have lasting impact, which are losing momentum, and which new narratives are likely to shape the conversation in Q4 '25.

Most popular evergreen themes

Tokenization is the only new entry into the top 10, claiming tenth place on the list. Much of the coverage on the topic was related to the development and regulation of crypto, including the US Senate adding a provision to its crypto bill to keep tokenized stocks as securities and the UK petition for blockchain innovation.

While the top 10 didn’t see much movement, the topics of fraud and compliance & regulation both climbed two places owing to their breadth. Articles under the topics range from phishing to blockchain city projects and the SEC battle involving Ripple to the US Senate’s crypto bill.

Themes - Top 10

• AI - 10.7k
• Blockchain - 8.74k
• Stablecoins - 5.31k
• Compliance & Regulation - 4.5k (+2)
• Defi - 4.27k (-1)
• Privacy & Data - 3.86k
• Fraud - 3.85k (-1)
• Sustainability - 3k
• Cross Border - 2.13k
• Tokenization - 2.11k (NEW)

Least popular evergreen themes

As expected, the bottom ten is more volatile, with topics like legacy moving as much as two places. Legacy coverage largely came around efforts to modernise global payments, with much of it citing projects and initiatives in the crypto and blockchain industry.

Despite some small movement at the very bottom, cashless, biometrics, and BaaS continue to make up the bottom three.

Themes - Bottom 10

• Open Banking - 698
• SaaS - 625
• Embedded Finance - 585
• Legacy - 537 (+2)
• Insurtech - 520 (-1)
• BNPL - 491 (-1)
• Quantum - 391
• BaaS - 145
• Cashless - 113
• Biometrics - 94

Top stories

GENIUS Act establishes US stablecoin framework - The first federal legislation on digital assets creates regulatory structure for payment stablecoins

Nine major European banks unite for Euro stablecoin - Danske Bank, ING, CaixaBank, UniCredit, and others launched a consortium to create MiCAR-compliant Euro-denominated stablecoin, targeting H2 2026 launch as "European alternative to US-dominated stablecoin market”

Santander acquires TSB - Santander announced a £2.65 billion deal to become the UK's third-largest bank by market share

Trending topics

But which are the biggest movers? ….

Themes - Top 3 (Growers)

• Rachel Reeves +42%
• Stablecoins +34%
• Memecoins +24%

Themes - Bottom 3 (Losers)

• Tariffs -60%
• CFPB -58%
• Tax -35%

What to expect next quarter

AI, Blockchain, and Stablecoins remain the hottest topics, so fintechs must capitalise on these topics if they want to hold media attention.

Conversations around cashless, biometrics, and BaaS failed to capture media interest again in Q3. Perhaps there’s whitespace for fintechs operating in these spaces with the right story to tell.

More widely, we think these will be the prevailing themes that will dominate discussions in the next quarter:

• The End of the Fintech Winter: After a long chill, the thaw is here. Investment, deals and M&A activity are on the rise across the fintech landscape. But it will not be evenly spread. Regions, sectors and business models are faring very differently. Media coverage will focus on which players are thriving and which are still struggling to find their footing as the market moves into a new era of growth.
• Digital Sovereignty: As competition between regions intensifies, governments will sharpen their focus on digital sovereignty. Public policy will increasingly be used as a lever to protect local ecosystems and support homegrown innovation. Expect strong rhetoric and some protectionist measures as countries seek to ensure that critical fintech infrastructure remains under national or regional control.
• IPO and the Circle of Life: The fintech IPO drought is broken. With Klarna, eToro and Circle leading the charge, new listings have injected fresh momentum into public markets. Their success will embolden others to follow suit. Crucially, this influx of public capital will cycle back into the ecosystem, giving rise to the next wave of fintech startups. In fintech, as in nature, life finds a way.
• Stablecoins (again): Policy discussions will heat up as governments around the world accelerate regulatory frameworks. Rival chains and new entrants will fuel competition, while major institutions move to bring stablecoin products into the mainstream. Expect both bullish announcements and fierce debate as stablecoins edge closer to becoming a fixture of global finance.
• Agentic Commerce: AI remains the most powerful force shaping fintech, but the battlefront is shifting. Q3 will see the rise of agentic commerce — autonomous AI agents transacting on behalf of consumers and businesses. The fight will be over who controls the rails, the standards and the monetization models.

Conclusion

Fintech is moving again.

The familiar power trio of AI, Blockchain and Stablecoins continues to set the pace, but fresh stories are emerging around investment recovery, regulatory confidence and new forms of digital value. From agentic commerce to the return of IPOs, the next quarter will test which players can turn attention into advantage.

As ever, understanding what is established, what is emerging and where the whitespace lies will be key to helping brands position effectively and build lasting awareness.