In 2024, fintech (a portmanteau of financial technology) is changing the way we handle money faster than ever. It’s not just about paying bills online anymore. It’s about new ways of banking, investing, and managing finances that are simpler, faster, and more secure. From paying for coffee with a tap to investing in crypto, it’s everywhere.
At BrightMarbles Group, we’re driving this change. The software we’re creating helps businesses and people do things faster, safer, and smarter with their money.
But let’s make our works speak louder than words. In this post, we’ll take you through how we’re shaping the future of fintech. We’ll share detailed stories of our key projects (at least of those that aren’t restricted to NDAs), like how we transformed a top cryptocurrency platform to be faster and more user-friendly.
You’ll see how we helped a banking app win awards by integrating all their services into one seamless experience. In those collaborations, we’ve applied our engineering expertise, project management experience, and adaptability to (un)expected situations.
We’ll also talk about the trends driving these changes, like blockchain technology that makes transactions safer and open banking that gives users more control over their finances.
Ready to see how we’re making waves in fintech? Let’s dive in.
The Evolution of Digital Payments
Digital payments have come a long way since the first online transactions in 1994. Back then, buying something online was a novelty. While there are differing claims about the very first online purchase, be it a Sting CD, Pizza Hut sale, or Amazon bookstore offer, one thing is clear: It was the start of something big.
The real game-changer came in 1998 with the launch of PayPal. Suddenly, people could send and receive money online easily and safely. This opened the door for e-commerce to grow rapidly. More people started shopping online, and businesses had to keep up with the demand.
Over the past 25 years, the variety and volume of online transactions have exploded. We now have countless ways to pay online. Credit cards, digital wallets, and even cryptocurrencies are part of our daily lives. This shift has made payments faster, more secure, and more convenient.
Today, fintech companies are pushing the boundaries even further. We’re seeing the rise of mobile payments, contactless transactions, and peer-to-peer payment apps. These innovations make it easier to pay for things with just a tap or a swipe. Blockchain technology is also playing a big role, making transactions more transparent and secure.
As mentioned above, we’ve been part of this journey, having worked and still collaborating with various businesses to develop software solutions that meet the needs of modern digital payments. Our projects have helped improve user experiences, speed up transactions, and ensure compliance with changing regulations. But the evolution of digital payments is far from over, so let’s move on and see what direction it’s taking.
Where Is Global Fintech Headed?
The present condition and future direction of fintech is based on the following three pillars:
- Development of innovative payment methods supported by state-of-the-art tech solutions.
- Advent of blockchain technology, making transactions secure and transparent.
- Open banking and further democratization of bank account properties.
With new solutions waiting for us behind the corner – we can expect that technological inventions get denser in the time ahead – a fresh-from-the-oven study by Fortune Insights has revealed that the global fintech value will have reached $1,152.06 billion by 2032, developing at the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.5% in the 2024-2032 period.
As breezy new markets are developing at a real-time-payment speed (a fitting metaphor that has deservedly replaced the lightning speed cliché), this growth is highly likely to get even faster. As a matter of fact, Asian tigers and tiger cubs already use their own software tools, such as super apps, with integrated payment systems. Together with alternative payment options used across Africa and other developing regions, fintech companies based in the US and Europe need to keep implementing fintech updates to stay competitive.
BM Insight: None of the above is possible without software engineers, testers, cybersecurity experts, finance and legal specialists, and other relevant experts behind every fintech solution and procedure. BrightMarbles is a place where you can find all the above, plus some other business experts to help you develop your fintech features or entire products. Read more about the diverse professionals we nurture under our roof in our blog post The Entourage of IT Projects – The Binding Tissue of Software Development.
Digital Payment Trends and Inventions
This article isn’t about payment methods, so we won’t bother you with too many details.
Let’s just mention a few interesting trends and news that speak in favor of the incredible potential of the fintech industry for users and companies.
An article published on the BBC website in April 2022 brought a story about Dutch Patrick Paumen, who had a payment microchip implanted under his skin. This person doesn’t have to bother with bank cards, digital wallets, or mobile payments. He just swipes his hand above the POS terminal and voila – he’s made his purchase. And this is only the beginning of such payment options.
Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are also entering the fintech battlefield, gradually changing customer support and dramatically advancing threat detection and prevention.
Innovative software solutions, such as softPOS terminals (short for software POS), are becoming widely used. In this case, a merchant or business owner doesn’t have to purchase a tangible POS device anymore but can install a software tool that behaves like a digital POS terminal. To top it all off, you can turn any modern smartphone or tablet into your POS terminal using softPOS solutions.
Open Banking Disrupting the Scene
The EU PSD 2 directive, adopted in 2015, initiated open banking, allowing bank account owners to grant third-party access without needing bank consent.
For instance, a bank customer can allow a home budget app to access their bank account data and help them plan their personal expenditure.
This innovation has additionally democratized the banking sector, encouraging entrepreneurs and finance experts to launch more accounting, expense-tracking, and other monetary apps.
The BrightMarbles management team has closely followed these developments, leaving nothing to chance. Hence, we’ve recently signed Eric Wasescha as our Head of Corporate Development – an experienced Swiss banking executive, adept at spotting new business opportunities from the fintech sector and turning them into our projects.
BM Insight: Our engineering, project management, QA, and testing crew are here to guide you through the entire mobile app development process in various fields, including financial technology. For more information about our approach to MVP, PoC, and the entire development cycle, read the article Mobile App Development: From Ideation to Polished Product.
Our Exquisite Fintech Projects
We’ve been a valuable software development asset to dozens of clients in the eight years. From software solutions for companies from the entertainment industry to food and beverage manufacturers, to real estate and healthtech, our goal wasn’t only to build software.
We pride ourselves on committing our expertise to tech-advanced and meaningful projects that improve people’s lives and wellbeing. Let us guide you through a concise overview of our successfully completed collaborations in the fintech niche.
Transforming LiteBit’s User Experience
Service Type: Digital Product Development
LiteBit, a cryptocurrency platform that was voted the best cryptocurrency broker in 2019 and 2020, was one of our largest software development projects. Based on blockchain technology, the Litebit endeavor had our engineers get familiar with the most optimal tech framework for the requirements in question.
Together with the LiteBit team, our developers were simultaneously developing their existing iOS app made on ReactNative and building an Android app from scratch. One of the client’s main requests here was to grow their competitiveness on the Android crypto market and fortify the image they’d reached in the iOS market.
Our product was a quick and secure cross-platform solution built on Flutter. Our team managed to surpass the initial ReactNative app and deliver a faster, more responsive, feature-packed solution to the benefit of our clients and our managers.
These are the key results of our partnership with LiteBit:
- User Impact: Helped over 1 million crypto traders buy, sell, and store over 80 cryptocurrencies with a fast, simple, and secure mobile app.
- Regulatory Compliance: Built a safe environment and ensured compliance with the rapidly changing laws and regulations regarding crypto within the European market.
- Performance Improvement: Re-engineered LiteBit’s mobile apps using Flutter, resulting in a 30% increase in transaction speed and a 40% reduction in customer support tickets.
Numbers weave stories of their own, but a direct client testimonial is even more plausible; so, in the words of ex Department Head at LiteBit: “BrightMarbles has been part of our company’s success and everything we’ve done on the technology side.”
Our team has been flattered to build and maintain such a multi-feature crypto platform.
Streamlining Anycoin’s Backend
Service Type: Team Augmentation
Anycoin, one of the most experienced crypto brokers in the Netherlands, has attracted over 500,000 users since its launch in 2013. The founders of Anycoin had this idea of building a crypto hub for buying, selling, storing, and swapping cryptocurrencies that’s not complicated. That’s why they’ve been insisting on simplicity and ease of use from day one.
Since BrightMarbles joined the project, the development velocity of the client’s cryptocurrency platform has increased. Our developers have seamlessly integrated into Anycoin’s development team, enhancing collaboration and productivity. They mostly covered the backend part of the project, implementing two API gateways between frontend and backend, one for the website, and the other one for the mobile app. Both solutions were built in ASP.NET, i.e., C#.
This was a crucial implementation to turn a client’s idea for a crypto trading platform into a fully functional solution, used by many satisfied customers.
These are the key results of our partnership with Anycoin_
- User Simplicity. Ensured a straightforward and user-friendly experience for over 500,000 users.
- Enhanced Development Velocity. Increased the development speed and efficiency of Anycoin’s platform.
- Technical Excellence. Developed robust API gateways that seamlessly connect the frontend and backend.
- Customer Satisfaction. Delivered a reliable and efficient solution that met the needs of a growing user base.
As for the client feedback: “They listen to the needs of their clients and come up with the most suitable solution.” – CFO, Anycoin (you can read more about these projects and our clients’ praises on the BrightMarbles Clutch page).
We’re proud to have played a role in making Anycoin a leading name in the cryptocurrency world. Our team’s expertise and dedication helped bring their vision to life, providing a smooth and efficient trading experience for users.
NF Innova Digital Banking Solution
Service Type: Team Augmentation
NF Innova, a provider of innovative digital banking solutions, aimed to improve online financial services. They approached us with the ambitious idea of building a one-of-a-kind, omnichannel B2B app. This app needed to integrate all channels and devices—from smartphones and tablets to the Internet, ATMs, and contact centers—to provide a unified customer experience.
Our task was to develop a solution that could be adapted for various financial institutions and business clients. We worked closely with NF Innova to ensure the app met their high standards and the specific needs of their clients.
Through this collaboration, NF Innova received the product they envisioned, which we then customized for their notable fintech clients.
Our partnership has yielded two major achievements:
- Award Recognition. The platform won the Finovate 2020 Award for the best global digital and technology innovations.
- User Experience. Provides seamless and personalized banking experience, enhancing customer management services and establishing a strong presence in the digital banking industry.
Again, we’ll share the feedback we received from our client: “BrightMarbles really put the tech in fintech. Thanks to a combination of top engineering talent and proven expertise in Finance & Banking, they aided us in bringing our Finovate 2020 Winning Digital Banking Solution to the market.” – Vasa Šegrt, ex CEO, NF Innova.
We take pride in our role in helping NF Innova achieve their vision and secure recognition for their innovative digital banking solution.
Transforming the World’s Oldest Store of Value into a Digital Asset with Gilded
Service Type: Cybersecurity
Gilded is a pioneering platform that transforms the management and utilization of physical gold into a digital, mobile, and usable asset. Our focus was on ensuring the highest level of cybersecurity to protect this groundbreaking platform.
Since joining the project, UN1QUELY (part of BrightMarbles Group) has provided a security operations professional and an application security expert for Gilded. Our experts were responsible for maintaining the client’s security scanning tool, streamlining day-to-day application security operations, and continuously improving and remediating existing issues.
These are our key contributions to Gilded:
- High-Level Security: Implemented robust cybersecurity measures to protect user data and transactions.
- Continuous Improvement: Maintained and improved the application security scanning tool, ensuring ongoing security enhancements.
- Daily Operations: Engaged in daily threat hunting, project work, and other security operations, maintaining a seamless workflow.
Client Feedback: “We’re extremely happy with the folks we hired from UN1QUELY. They are not only highly skilled but also great to work with. Their contributions have been invaluable, and we have no areas for improvement.” – Eric Stroud, Information Security Operations Manager, Gilded.
Our team has consistently delivered high-quality performance, helping to create a secure and reliable environment for Gilded’s digital gold transactions.
Enhancing Fintech Security with UN1QUELY
We can’t stress enough how important security features are in financial technology. The largest number of data breaches happen because hackers or other unauthorized intruders want to get into possession of online payers’ personal and financial data.
At BrightMarbles Group, we stay ahead in this critical area through our dedicated cybersecurity subsidiary, UN1QUELY. The UN1QUELY cybersecurity services, provided by its dedicated team include checking your current security status, performing penetration testing, addressing your weak spots, and significantly improving every fintech entity’s security in the shortest time possible.
Eric Stroud, Security Operations Manager at Gilded, describes his collaboration with the UN1QUELY team in the following words: “They were able to create our day-to-day application security program, report on findings, and successfully remediate issues that were found in the operational side of the business.” (source: Clutch review)
An anonymous director at a financial services company from California also heaped praises on our cybersec company, claiming that UN1QUELY delivered a complete penetration report on time, having effectively communicated the entire process effectively via messaging apps and email. The client in question was delighted with our work and impressed with the entire collaboration.
Another representative of a fintech company – a New York-based one – shared that UN1QUELY has helped this enterprise a lot in identifying their cybersec weak spots, especially appreciating the incremental retesting.
Our Broader Impact
The BrightMarbles software development team has also worked with top-ranked banks in the domestic and internatinal markets, including Intesa Sanpaolo, Erste, Raiffeisen Bank, and Lovćenska banka, providing both software development and cybersecurity services.
We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional cybersecurity solutions that protect our clients’ data and ensure the integrity of their operations. Our expertise and dedication make us a trusted partner in the fintech industry.
Healthtech and Fintech Correlation
In the last few years, we’ve moved toward developing healthcare software solutions that should bring doctors to every household out there and make medical services more accessible. Among our recent healthcare projects, Carna Health takes a special place. Conceived by a team of humane, knowledge-fueled, and success-driven doctors and scientists, Carna Health has been accompanied by the BrightMarbles CEO Boris Berat and our in-house professionals.
United in the mission of helping people detect chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a timely manner and receive proper treatment, this is one of the largest projects we’ve worked on. With the beginning of the initial screening sessions, first in Bermuda, and then in Cameroon, Carna Health has already proven to be saving people’s lives.
However, health-tech projects like Carna Health require robust financial strategies, involving investors, national governments, and other stakeholders. Here is where the intersection of healthtech and fintech becomes crucial.
In the case of some more commercial health-tech projects, there’s always the payment factor. For instance, our Concorde Health app, aimed at business professionals and their wellbeing, will contain certain tiers and subscription plans that people and companies can choose from. Such financial integrations require tech know-how, as well as compliance and cybersecurity knowledge.
BM Insight: At BrightMarbles Group, we offer a comprehensive suite of services that combines our fintech and healthcare technology expertise. This unique capability allows us to meet all the needs of our clients, providing end-to-end solutions that drive success in both sectors. Find out more about the BrightMarbles softdev and biz way from the interview with our CEO and Forbes Technology Council Member Boris Berat.
Conclusion
A rule of thumb in technology is that if you don’t follow every developmental stage, you fall behind. The fintech world is even a bit harsher, in the sense that things are changing so fast that software development companies must continuously embrace new tech solutions to remain competitive.
BrightMarbles Group advocates a proactive, knowledge-centered approach to every niche we provide with modern software tools. Hence, we take each fintech client with unique attention, applying our engineering seniority with utmost care. From product conceptualization and prototyping to sole coding and continuous integration, all the way to product delivery, we are here to remove the potential obstacles and build a fintech-driven business future.
With dozens of well-executed, live software products, many of which are directly or partly related to the fintech industry, BrightMarbles Group is the only partner you’ll need to get your apps up and running. Let us help you navigate the complexities of fintech and achieve your business goals.
Reach out to us and we’ll schedule a discovery workshop to show you why we’re the right choice for your (fin)tech demands: https://brightmarbles.io/contact/.
About Author
Pavle Bobic is a resident content marketing strategist and business writer at BrightMarbles Group Holding. A long-term holder of master’s degree in the English language and literature and once-teacher, he has been producing content in biztech, IT, fintech and eCommerce since 2013. His expertise drills deep into the correlations between information technology, business development, and financial technology, with a pinch of SEO on the top.