Podcast 131: Is compliance a fintech product or a set of navigational instructions? – Fintech Garden

Podcast 131: Is compliance a fintech product or a set of navigational instructions?

In this episode, Igor Tomych and Dumitru Condrea dsicsuss everything surrounding compliance in fintech. Dumitru believes compliance can be either a part of a fintech product or even a standalone product. Tune in for reflections on key fintech stories such as Silicon Valley Bank and Wirecard.

Key Insights from the Conversation #

• Compliance navigates fintech: Compliance acts as the map that helps fintech companies move through a complex and constantly changing financial landscape. It guides how products should be designed, how data should be managed, and how risk should be controlled. Instead of slowing innovation, strong compliance makes it possible for fintech companies to build solutions that work at scale and remain viable in different markets.
• Compliance offers trust but not safety: When a company follows compliance rules, it signals that it respects regulations and is transparent about its operations. This creates trust with customers, investors, and regulators. However, compliance alone does not remove the underlying risks of financial activity. It does not guarantee that users will always be protected or that a company will operate without failure. It simply shows that the company meets the minimum legal requirements for how it should behave.
• Crypto is a finance ‘wild west’: The crypto sector still operates with fewer structured rules compared to traditional finance. New assets and platforms appear quickly, and many players enter the market without clear oversight. This creates an environment filled with opportunity, volatility, and uncertainty. The lack of consistent regulation means that users must rely on their own judgment, because the guardrails that exist in banking or payments are not always present.
• True compliance takes place when enough people demand it: Regulation only becomes meaningful when users, markets, and institutions all expect companies to meet a higher standard. When customers demand transparency, when investors insist on proper controls, and when regulators respond to public pressure, compliance becomes part of the culture rather than an obligation. At that moment, companies adopt responsible practices not because they are required to, but because the market rewards them for doing so.

Why Listen #

Hear the opinions of fintech builders with over 25 years of experience in the field on what compliance is, how it works and what happens when it’s not there. The hosts will also treat you to insightful stories regarding fintech’s most infamous incidents.