The rapidly changing Fintech market has exploded over the last few years and is changing the financial services industry completely. It is exciting to watch, but also a little overwhelming. New applications are being developed and discarded daily.

PayPal used to be the big name in Fintech throughout the early 2000s, with both large companies such as Amazon, and smaller ones like World Market using it as one of their primary secure payment options. With the development of blockchain technology, however, it is undoubtedly going to wane in popularity in the years to come.

There are some solid indicators as to which way the market is headed, though. In this post, we will examine some of these.

Expect Cryptocurrencies To Diversify

Once there was only Bitcoin, now everyone seems to have own version of a cryptocurrency token. This has been both good news and bad news for investors. The good news is that, if you choose well, you can make a lot of money.

Unfortunately, everyone wants in on the game. ICOs are a great way to raise funds, and the lack of market regulation has made this a lucrative venture for criminals. Many ICOs fail as well, so it is a risky investment. Still, expect to see more new offerings this year.

Watch The Blockchain

It is the tech that made Bitcoin great, and it will continue to become more widely adopted as more and more innovative applications are developed.

More In Near Field Communications

This is the technology that allows you to pay by just holding your bank card over the reader. The latest smartphones usually also have this capability with the appropriate app. 

There are those that believe that this tech will eventually allow us to have a surgical implant with these capabilities so that all you have to do is to pass your hand over the scanner. This is something that is still quite a way off, though. 

But it is an indication of the importance placed on it. Expect to see this tech in a range of new devices, like smartwatches and the like. We can also expect promotional options to become smarter as well. Expect to see more discount vouchers being used through this kind of tech.

Stricter Regulation

Up till now, some aspects of the Fintech industry, such as cryptocurrencies and ICOs, are little more than a free-for-all where just about anything goes.

There are those that have been duped and those that have made a lot of money. Governments worldwide have been trying to regulate these industries better in an attempt to protect investors and to get their cut of the profit.

The prospect of regulation is still something of a grey area, but one that is constantly evolving.

In 2018, expect even more regulatory measures to be implemented.

Expect Fintech To Become More Established

To date, the Fintech market has mainly been driven by smaller companies and tech startups. Initially, the major players in the financial arena were slow off the mark and so unable to keep up.

But in the last few years especially, they have been investing in or partnering with smaller Fintech companies, putting their extensive resources to work. As these relationships mature, we will start to see more innovation and a lot more money being spent on Fintech projects.

Fintech is an interesting area to watch. While we can not be entirely sure what to expect in 2018, we can be sure that it will be an interesting ride.

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Written By Josh Wardini

Josh Wardini, Editorial Contributor and Community Manager at bitcoinplay.net. With a preliminary background in communication and expertise in community development, Josh works day-to-day to reshape the human resource management of digitally based companies. When his focus trails outside of community engagement, Josh enjoys the indulgences of writing amidst the nature conservations of Portland, Oregon.