What Is Fintech And Why Is It Important For Business School Students Today?

Today, the term ‘fintech’ conjures up images of retail trading platforms and neobanks with easy-to-use apps, but technology has been a key driver of financial sector change for decades. 

ATMs, international banking communication systems, and PayPal are all examples of technological innovations that have transformed the operation and delivery of financial services. 

In 2025, that evolution remains the central aim of those operating within the ever-growing fintech sector—experts predict the global fintech market will grow to more than $1.1 trillion by 2032. 

Now, with developments in areas such as AI and decentralized finance continuing to expand the scope of change, technology remains key to the future of the financial sector. It’s also an area where demand for talented professionals is high. 

So, what does this mean for those striving for careers in finance? To find out, we spoke with Roman Beck, a professor of computer information systems at Bentley University, who co-designed a new specialist fintech major for the school’s MSc in Finance, set to launch in Fall 2026. 

The landscape of fintech in 2025

According to Roman (pictured), there are two key types of fintech innovation: product innovation and process optimization. 

“Fintech has become a commonplace notion to explain not only startups coming around with new, innovative ideas that are tech-driven, but also scaling up in traditional financial business models by the intense use of technology,” he explains. 

New products can be seen throughout daily life. Neobanks operating solely through mobile phones have disrupted consumer banking by offering convenience and efficiency that appeals to modern, tech-savvy customers.

Likewise, in many economies, traditional cash and checks have been replaced by real-time, zero-cost payments systems such as Venmo. In emerging markets this shift has been particularly significant—the Unified Payments Interface in India contributed to 34% of the country’s digital payments in 2019, rising to 83% by 2024. 

Meanwhile, within banks and financial institutions, the implementation of technologies to digitize bankers’ workflows and provide more data-driven insights to clients has become fundamental to daily practices. 

“The system has changed dramatically. The potential of technology has increased exponentially,” says Roman. With AI now a significant disruptor and blockchain technology facilitating developments in areas such as cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, this potential is only likely to grow, he adds.  

“It’s very important for the financial services industry not only to catch up with the innovation speed of technology, but also to make sure that there is continuous value creation that is in conformance with regulation and is creating jobs, benefits, and profits.” 

Demand for new financial sector talent

Within an ecosystem that’s constantly evolving, the types of responsibilities and roles sought by companies operating across the financial sector are also changing. 

Roles in areas that were once clearly defined, such as trading and investment banking, are adapting, with a need to understand new technologies and how they can be used to optimize processes and innovate to offer new products and services. 

Cutting-edge fintechs meanwhile seek new hires with knowledge of the fundamental technologies upon which their businesses are built, as well as how they can be utilized effectively. 

Professionals who can span the boundaries between finance and technology are therefore crucially important, Roman explains. The job market is changing, he says, with increasing demand for people who “understand the different interacting technologies and how they are embedded in a bigger picture to generate value, new financial products, and services.” 

Technical skills, interpersonal capabilities, and the ability to problem-solve, innovate, and create are highly valued within the sector today—and expected to rise in demand in future. 

It’s for this reason that Bentley University has taken steps to launch a new major allowing students to specialize in fintech, focusing on both the existing and emerging technologies expected to define the future of finance. 

A specialist major in fintech 

For Roman, who will teach on one of the major’s three modules which span key areas such as decentralized finance and AI, the role of the new offering is not necessarily to meet the demands of the current job market, but to give students the tools to help shape the future of an industry that has yet to be defined.

"Students should be able to define their jobs and their future professions, specifically in a highly dynamic market such as the financial services industry,” he says. 

Teaching is therefore rooted in fundamental, theoretical concepts while also exploring use cases and how students can practically apply their knowledge to make an impact. Students will also be able to gain real-world insights by attending guest lectures hosted by leading figures across the sector. 

“There is this research component, but there's also an applied edge to it—this engaged scholarship—where a real world problem needs to be solved,” Roman explains. 

When dealing with decentralized networks, for example, students must not only understand the principles of value creation and capture but also how to develop new business models based upon this technology. 

Taking this approach across the entire major means that ultimately, he hopes, students’ expertise will allow them to be productive and impactful long after they graduate from their master’s degrees. 

“It’s not just educating students on a craft, it’s providing the kind of analytical skills that allow them to create and innovate again and again and again.”