OpiniQ at iFX EXPO 2026

Three days. Dozens of conversations. One of the industry’s most concentrated gatherings of the year.

iFX EXPO continues to be a defining meeting point for the financial services sectorб bringing together fintech companies, payment providers, brokers, affiliates, and technology partners in one place.

Payment infrastructure was the central theme running through almost every conversation at this year’s event and it is easy to understand why. Real-time payment rails have shifted from optional features to core infrastructure, while cross-border payment networks are increasingly being built around speed, cost efficiency, and regulatory complexity rather than legacy correspondent banking models. The market is bifurcating: platforms that win through payment expertise and scale, and vertical players that win through deep industry specialisation. The middle is disappearing.

What stood out at iFX is how directly these shifts are felt by the businesses in the room. Payment infrastructure is no longer just a technical consideration it has become a strategic one. Businesses that have invested in building the right banking and payment foundations find it easier to enter new markets, maintain operational continuity, and respond to regulatory shifts without disruption.

For those still managing fragmented payment relationships, ad hoc compliance processes, and misaligned banking structures, the trade-offs become more visible over timeб in margin, speed, and room to manoeuvre.

The discussions at iFX reinforced what we observe consistently in practice: the businesses navigating growth most steadily are not necessarily those moving fastest. They are the ones that got their infrastructure right first.

Thank you to everyone who made time for a conversation.