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Hey, fintech fam! 💜

Who else is ready to slam their laptop shut and kick back until 2025? I know I am! It’s the perfect time to reflect on what an incredible year it’s been—so many highs, a few lows, and everything in between.

While I’ll be taking some well-deserved time off, I’m also hard at work behind the scenes, creating a space where you can continue connecting, collaborating, and building meaningful relationships—just like we’ve done at our in-person events.

Check out our official membership community landing page: The Academy of Fintech.

Oh, and if you’re still looking for that perfect last-minute gift for a colleague, mentor, or friend, why not gift knowledge with Fintech Feminists? You’ll be supporting not just me, the author, but all the women whose stories are profiled in the book.

Grab your stocking stuffer here.

Now, let’s dive into the latest news!

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What’s Up In Fintech

Every Thursday, I bring you the latest fintech news and trends, delivering the key insights that matter most to the industry—and you.

#1 Chime’s IPO Filing: What It Means for the Future of Fintech

Chime, one of the most well-known names in digital banking, has confidentially filed for its initial public offering (IPO), with plans to go public in 2025.

But this isn’t just a big moment for Chime; it’s a crucial marker for the entire fintech ecosystem as we look ahead to the next phase of growth and disruption in the industry.

A Look Back: The Rise of Fintech IPOs

Fintech has exploded over the last decade, with companies revolutionizing everything from payments to lending and wealth management. As we near 2025, it’s important to reflect on how we got here—and what’s next.

Several high-profile fintech IPOs—Square (now Block), PayPal, and Affirm—have demonstrated how these companies can successfully disrupt traditional financial services.

SoFi took a different route, going public in 2021 through a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), while Robinhood made waves with its IPO that same year. Though Robinhood faced some post-debut volatility, it highlighted both the potential and the risks of fintech.

After a quieter period in 2022-2023, fintech IPOs are returning to the spotlight.

Chime’s filing signals the resurgence of the IPO pipeline, reminding us that even in a shifting economic landscape, fintech remains a hotbed of innovation and growth.

Why It Matters

Chime’s decision to go public in 2025 carries implications for fintech founders, business leaders, and investors. Here’s why:

The Rise of the Neobank: Chime has helped validate the neobank model—banking that’s digital-first, without the costly overhead of physical branches.

Having raised $2.65 billion, Chime is operating in a space where digital banking is no longer just a trend; it’s becoming the standard. This growth signals that consumers are looking for cost-effective, user-friendly financial services. If you’re building in this space, now’s the time to create digital-first experiences that cater to evolving consumer needs.

A Reinvigorated IPO Market: Despite challenges over the past couple of years—rising interest rates, inflation, and market uncertainty—fintech IPOs are making a comeback.

Chime stands poised to capitalize on this renewed investor confidence. The IPO market is heating up, which means that while it’s competitive, it’s also full of opportunities for companies that can show sustainable growth and solid business models.

Embedded Finance Keeps Heating Up: Chime’s IPO is also a bellwether for the embedded finance revolution. As fintechs move into 2025, companies will need to integrate their financial services deeper into everyday life.

Chime’s model, which includes checking, savings, and even paycheck advances all within one app, offers a roadmap for how embedded finance will continue to grow. Whether you’re building a neobank, lending platform, or wealth management solution, consider how your product can seamlessly integrate into users’ daily routines.

Lessons for Founders: Chime’s IPO journey offers valuable insights for any fintech founder considering scaling from startup to public company.

Customer acquisition, user retention, and operational efficiency will be essential components of your growth strategy. The company’s success also highlights the importance of brand trust—especially for digital-first companies.

Users need to feel secure and confident that their financial services provider is stable and reliable. Building that trust starts with transparency, user-friendly tech, and strong community engagement (for inspiration, check out Chime’s Instagram content).

Who Could Follow Chime’s Lead?

As we talk about IPOs, I can’t overlook the female-led fintech startups positioning themselves for similar success. Several female founders are actively shaping the fintech landscape, and I’d love to see more women-led companies making their way to the public markets.

Ellevest is one such company. Founded by Sallie Krawcheck and led by co-CEOs Sylvia S. Kwan and Connie Hsiung, Ellevest is focused on providing financial planning and investment services tailored specifically for women. Its mission to address the gender wealth gap has resonated with many, especially as women continue to make up a larger portion of retail investors.

Ellevest has raised significant funding over the years—$144 million—demonstrating high confidence in its potential. This level of investment, combined with a clear path to profitability, positions Ellevest as a strong contender for an IPO in the future.

By diversifying its offerings to include retirement accounts, financial planning, and impact investing, Ellevest is creating a sustainable revenue model capable of withstanding the scrutiny of public markets. With its user-focused approach, it could very well follow in Chime’s footsteps.

As we approach 2025, the path to going public is clearer than ever—and for those building fintech companies, now is the time to think seriously about how your company can scale to meet future demands.

If you’re focused on financial inclusion, personal finance, or even embedded finance, the market is hungry for innovation.

Investors are looking for companies that offer sustainable growth with solid business models—and they’re increasingly focusing on companies that are scalable.

Now’s the time to think about customer acquisition, expanding your offerings, and making sure your company is ready for the long game.

The future of fintech is bright, and there’s plenty of room for more companies to follow Chime’s lead. As fintech founders and leaders, we’re not just watching the future unfold—we’re helping create it.

#2 How The TikTok Ban May Impact Fintech & Financial Literacy

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court announced it would hear arguments next month over a contentious federal law that could potentially ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese parent company doesn’t sell it. The case, set for January 10, will focus on whether the law violates the First Amendment by restricting speech.

With over 170 million users in the U.S. alone, TikTok is a cultural juggernaut, and its potential ban could have serious implications—not just for social media, but for the fintech space as well.

TikTok’s Role in Financial Education

TikTok’s influence on personal finance education has exploded since the pandemic.

Financial literacy content gained significant traction, with many users—especially Gen Z and marginalized communities—turning to TikTok for advice on everything from saving to credit scores.

As a result, fintech companies like SoFi, Step, and others have jumped on the TikTok bandwagon, partnering with influencers and hosting events to share valuable financial tips through short-form videos.

What’s more, these influencers have become key conduits, funneling their massive followings directly into fintech platforms.

For example, financial influencers like Vivian Tu (@yourrichbff) and Tori Dunlap (@herfirst100k) have shaped the conversation around financial literacy and served as spokespeople for major fintech companies like SoFi.

Their endorsements and personal narratives help guide their audiences toward products and services that promise financial empowerment.

But here’s the catch: if TikTok is banned in the U.S., these fintech companies could lose a powerful tool to reach millions of potential users—especially those who might not traditionally have had access to financial advice.

The Opportunity for Fintech

One thing is clear: Millennials and Gen Z prioritize financial education and autonomy more than ever.

By 2025, fintech platforms will need to embrace gamification and educational content to stay relevant and engage these younger, more financially-savvy consumers.

If your fintech company isn’t investing in these tools yet, now is the time to start. The younger generations are increasingly looking for fun, interactive ways to learn about finance, and if you’re not providing it, someone else will.

A Shift in Community Values

Before TikTok’s rise, financial advice was often a privilege reserved for the wealthy or those with access to expensive financial advisors. But thanks to social media, anyone with a smartphone can tap into financial wisdom that was once out of reach. For underserved communities, this has been a game-changer.

Creators like Vivian Tu (@yourrichbff), who has 3.5 million followers, have made financial literacy accessible to women, people of color, and marginalized groups—communities often overlooked by traditional financial services.

In fact, a survey by Forbes Advisor found that 78% of Millennials and Gen Z say they now have more access to financial advice than previous generations, thanks to social platforms like TikTok.

Financial Feminism and Generational Wealth Gaps

TikTok has also sparked important movements within fintech, like financial feminism, led by creators such as Tori Dunlap (@herfirst100k). Tori’s “financial feminist” movement aims to empower women to take control of their financial futures—and it’s working, with 2.3 million followers.

Similarly, Lea Landaverde (@latinawealthactivist) is using her platform to break generational wealth gaps, an especially crucial issue for the U.S. Latino community, whose economic output in 2019 was equivalent to the 7th-largest economy in the world.

These TikTok creators are turning financial education into businesses and driving an untapped demographic to become customers for fintech companies.

For fintech firms, there’s a massive opportunity here to build a loyal user base by offering the same kind of educational content that has made these influencers so successful.

Founders as Educators

As a creator myself, I’ve seen firsthand how fintech companies can leverage educational content to build trust and community. A few early-stage fintech founders are already capitalizing on TikTok as a critical business strategy, with great success.

Take Alinea, an investing platform that has 500,000 users, with 92% of users being female and 72% first-time investors. Co-founders Anam Lakhani and Eve Halimi are building a strong following on TikTok by sharing their personal stories and engaging directly with users.

For fintech companies, this is a cost-effective way to market—especially compared to traditional advertising methods that can be out of reach for many startups.

Plus, Alinea's success shows that building a community in fintech by providing value-driven content that enhances human connection is important for profit-making.

The Bottom Line: TikTok’s role in driving financial education is undeniable, and even if the platform faces challenges in the U.S., its impact on the fintech industry has already been substantial.

Fintech companies must recognize the potential to leverage educational content and social media platforms to build trust, reach new audiences, and establish themselves as influencers in financial services and education.

If TikTok does face a ban, the opportunity for fintech companies to step up and meet consumers where they are—whether on TikTok or elsewhere—has never been more important.

Companies prioritizing education and empowerment through the power of great storytelling and community will have an edge in 2025 and beyond.

The insights from this story first appeared on my Forbes contributor page in March 2023 when discussions about the TikTok ban began.

#3 Anonybit: Frances Zelazny’s Solution to the Growing Fraud Crisis

On May 1 and 9, 2024, data breaches rocked major players in the tech industry.

Dropbox disclosed that hackers had accessed user data, while Dell revealed a breach affecting 49 million records. These incidents are part of a broader, escalating trend—data breaches and fraud are on the rise, costing companies millions and jeopardizing consumer trust.

One industry particularly vulnerable to these threats is fintech, which faces a staggering $51 million in annual fraud losses.

As digital footprints grow, so do the risks, with cybercriminals using stolen data from breaches to exploit weak authentication systems. The result? Increased fraud and growing financial instability.

Frances Zelazny, a veteran in biometric security, is tackling the root cause of this issue.

Having worked across identity solutions and fraud prevention, Zelazny founded Anonybit, a startup that uses biometric technology to secure personal data.

Unlike traditional methods, which store data in centralized repositories, Anonybit anonymizes and distributes biometric data across a peer-to-peer network, eliminating the threat of massive breaches.

Zelazny’s mission is simple yet powerful: safeguard identities at the source. By disrupting outdated fraud prevention methods, Anonybit is helping fintech firms—and their customers—secure sensitive data without fear of exposure.

As the fintech sector continues to expand, security is no longer just an option—it’s a necessity. With Anonybit’s innovative approach, Zelazny is leading the charge to reshape cybersecurity, making fraud prevention proactive, not reactive.

Tune in to hear more about Frances’s journey and Anonybit’s mission in my live podcast recorded during Money 20/20. Don’t miss it—listen now here!

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Join us every Thursday to keep up with fintech events!

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[NEW YORK] Style, Sip & Shop: A Networking Night with DALYA (open to the public)

Fintech Is Femme is hosting a one-of-a-kind networking event at DALYA, where women in fintech come together to celebrate leadership, innovation, and personal style. 🌟

We’ll be diving into the intersection of leadership and style, exploring why it’s essential for us as women to feel confident and authentic in what we wear—because the way we dress is a reflection of the leaders we are. 💪👗

Whether you’re a fintech pro or passionate about empowering women in business, this is a great space to connect, network, and share insights with like-minded professionals.

You’ll also get the chance to explore custom-suiting options with DALYA founder Farida Raadat, sip refreshing drinks, and engage in meaningful conversations with women who are making waves in the fintech industry. RSVP here.

_{FRIDAY, JANUARY 24}

[NEW YORK] Community Soirée: The Academy of Fintech (Members only)

We’re excited to invite you to the Academy of Fintech’s first-ever members event on January 24, 2025—an evening inspired by Gloria Steinem’s legendary living room discussions: warm, intimate, and full of meaningful connections.

The event will be hosted at the home of Lule Demmissie, creating the perfect setting for great conversations and shared insights.

With 50 incredible members already part of our community, we’re opening up applications to bring in even more passionate voices to help shape the future of fintech.

We’d love for you to join us—apply now to get on the waitlist and be a part of this exciting new chapter in fintech leadership.

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That wraps up today’s edition—thanks for reading! Until next week, keep innovating and challenging the status quo. See you Tuesday!

Love,

Nicole 💜