Sehrish Alikhan - Community Author: Finextra Research

Rewiring trade finance: How technology is powering a front-to-back revolution

Amid geopolitical shifts and regulatory pressures, trade finance is evolving into a more intricate and demanding landscape. To stay competitive, banks and corporates must modernise their international trade strategies – balancing compliance, agility and innovation. In 2024, the global trade finance market was valued at $9.7 trillion and is estima...

10 September 2025 /Sibos

Top payments stories you missed in August 2025

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

Carbon markets in 2025: A year of volatility and innovation

The carbon market is a dynamic and fast-moving space within sustainable finance. As it is nascent, fintechs, regulators, and financial institutions are still in the process of standardising and organising the carbon market so that carbon credits can mitigate climate change and propel us down the road to net zero. Weighing up where we stand amid al...

13 August 2025 /sustainable

What are debt-for-nature swaps and what is their impact on climate financing?

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

What are debt-for-nature swaps and what is their impact on climate financing?

Debt-for-nature swaps have become more common among nations in attempts to boost conservation efforts and refinancing climate. The concept of debt-for-nature swaps is for creditors to forgive governmental debt in return for their commitment to sustainable and green initiatives, allowing for indebted countries to ease their financial burden whilst f...

06 August 2025 /sustainable

5 sustainable-focused fintechs you should know about

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

5 sustainable-focused fintechs you should know about

In a follow-up to my previous long read on sustainability-linked bank accounts available to users, now I am looking at sustainability and green-focused fintech platforms for the everyday consumer for those seeking a climate-conscious banking experience. Looking at the biggest banks in the world, the likes of HSBC, Barclays, and JPMorgan Chase have...

23 July 2025 /sustainable

Can reducing fossil fuel subsidies advance global climate goals?

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

Can reducing fossil fuel subsidies advance global climate goals?

Research from ZEW Manheim found that worldwide climate targets can be met by reducing subsidies for fossil fuels. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to below 2°C to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Targets range from achieving net zero by 2035 to 2070 depending on the country, with most settling in the middle at 2050. The UK is aim...

16 July 2025 /sustainable

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

Solving modern KYC challenges

In today’s digital age, banking is expected to be seamless, frictionless, and to make it plain and simple: easy. However, with a constantly shifting regulatory landscape, increased demand for hyper-personalisation and desire to be digital – financial institutions have obstacles to overcome to keep up with consumer demand. A pain point in the digit...

15 July 2025 /retail

What sustainability-linked bank accounts are out there?

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

What sustainability-linked bank accounts are out there?

Due to the increasing pressure on big banks to meet net zero goals and fulfill environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements, a wave of sustainability-focused banking services have been released, seeking to help integrate green initiatives into consumers’ everyday lives. As Scott Hamilton detailed in an earlier Finextra long read on ES...

11 July 2025 /sustainable

Payments modernisation: How banks can leverage partnerships to scale up

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

Payments modernisation: How banks can leverage partnerships to scale up

As digital-first banks and neobanks take the lead in the global payments space, traditional financial institutions are looking to evolve. To keep up with the rapid pace of the industry, banks need to be in a constant stage of evolution. How can legacy banks modernise, and what tools are available to support them in their digital transformation jou...

16 June 2025 /payments

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

What is the future of money in Europe?

The following article is an excerpt from The Future of European Fintech 2025: A Money20/20 Europe Special Edition. In the European payments space, emerging technologies are taking the lead to define what the next big thing will be in banking. Where is the future of payments leading, and how will it benefit the consumer and propel the industry forw...

09 June 2025 /devops

A crisis of trust: European and global verification brings safety to payments

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

A crisis of trust: European and global verification brings safety to payments

Verification of Payee (VoP) has rapidly become an essential aspect of banking and payments, ensuring security and safety in payments transactions. By October 2025, all European Payments Service Providers (PSPs) using SEPA instant and non-instant transfers will need to verify payee account details before processing payments. As the EPC’s deadline is...

29 May 2025 /security

What UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s US cryptoasset collaboration means

Sehrish Alikhan Reporter at Finextra

What UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s US cryptoasset collaboration means

At the Innovate Finance Global Summit (IFGS) 2025, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves took the stage to speak on the Government’s commitment to supporting and advancing the fintech sector. Reeves discussed UK-US collaboration on fostering an environment primed for digital asset development, new additions to the Pensions Schemes Bill, and ...

30 April 2025 /crypto

Long reads