With 71,000 attendees gathering in Lisbon, Web Summit once again proved why it’s one of the most influential global stages for technology innovation. This year, fintech drew some of the biggest audiences, and our Co-Founder, Lissele Pratt, played a key role in shaping those conversations.
Invited to moderate two fully packed sessions, Lissele guided discussions that moved beyond surface-level debates and into the real operational, ethical, and behavioural challenges facing the industry. Across panels, interviews, podcasts, and behind-the-scenes conversations, she brought the clarity, curiosity, and grounded insight that fintech leaders increasingly look for at Web Summit.
Key Takeaways
- Lissele moderated two high-demand Web Summit sessions with leaders from BVNK, Rain, and Zopa.
- Conversation themes included stablecoin adoption, AI transparency, trust, and the next chapter of fintech growth.
- She recorded two podcasts and met with journalists.
- Background conversations revealed pressure points and opportunities shaping payments in 2025 and beyond.
- Web Summit reaffirmed fintech as one of the fastest-evolving and most closely watched tracks of the event.
Expert-Led Conversations: Guiding Two Packed Web Summit Panels
The sessions Lissele moderated were built around questions that cut through hype and focused on what fintech leaders really want to understand, a tone that resonated strongly throughout Web Summit.
“The Stablecoin Sandwich”: A Clear Lens on Digital Money
Moderating a session with Chris Harmse (BVNK) and Farooq Malik (Rain), Lissele opened with a simple but powerful framing: how has the idea of the “Stablecoin Sandwich” evolved now that stablecoins are shifting from experimentation to real financial infrastructure? That question set the tone for a discussion that explored stablecoins not as abstract concepts, but as tools already influencing treasury flows, B2B settlements, and global merchant payments.
Throughout the conversation, she guided the panel through the practicalities, asking how the hybrid model works in real-life payment journeys, what it enables that traditional rails still can’t, and whether this new layer ultimately complements or competes with systems like SWIFT. The discussion expanded into trust, transparency, compliance frameworks, and the very real barriers holding the industry back from mass adoption.
As the audience filled every seat, it was clear there is a strong demand for grounded, operational insight on stablecoins rather than speculative narratives.
“Fintech with Feeling: AI Beyond Automation”: Where Technology Meets Emotion
In the second session with Clare Gambardella, Chief Customer Officer at Zopa, Lissele opened by exploring how AI is reshaping the way people interact with their money, a framing that shifted the conversation toward real behaviour and decision-making rather than just technical features. It created an open, thoughtful atmosphere that encouraged both speakers to dig deeper into how AI can support people more meaningfully in their financial lives.
She invited Clare to unpack how AI can make financial decision-making feel more intuitive, whether customers should sense the intelligence behind the experience or simply benefit from it working quietly in the background, and how fintechs can build strong in-house AI capability while still designing products that feel transparent and supportive.
As the session drew to a close, Lissele left the room with a reflective question: if AI could change one emotion people commonly feel about money, which one should it be? It was a simple, grounding moment that connected the conversation back to the people fintech ultimately serves.
Beyond the Stage: Podcasts, Media, and Industry Insight
While the panels were centre stage, a significant part of the real insight at Web Summit happened behind closed doors, in the podcast studio, backstage lounges, and media rooms.
Lissele also recorded two major podcast episodes during Web Summit, including conversations with Kimberly Waldron and Ellie Kirkman on the Get Started Podcast and with David Savage on Tech Talks. Alongside industry insights, she spoke about her own career journey and experiences in fintech, giving listeners a more personal look at her path.
She also sat down with Business Cloud and Essential Business, where the conversations focused mostly on her journey in the industry, her experiences in fintech, and the perspectives she’s gained along the way.
Throughout the week, Lissele also recorded sharper, more intimate conversations with industry leaders like Chris Harmse of BVNK and Arbia Smiti of Rosaly. These will be available in the next few months and will offer a closer look at the discussions taking place behind the scenes at Web Summit.
Fintech’s Next Chapter
Across the formal sessions, interviews, and countless informal chats, a few themes popped up again and again at Web Summit, and they all pointed toward a more mature and grounded phase for the industry.
Across the sessions, interviews, and the many conversations happening in hallways and the speaker’s lounge, a few themes kept resurfacing in a very real, very grounded way. It’s clear the industry is moving into a phase where people want solutions that actually work, not just big ideas.
Stablecoins are starting to feel less like an experiment and more like a practical tool that businesses and individuals are genuinely trying to understand and use. AI conversations have shifted too, away from “what can it automate?” and toward “how do we make this feel fair, transparent, and genuinely helpful for people?”
There was also a noticeable focus on regulation, but not in a negative sense. Leaders were talking about it more pragmatically, as something that needs to catch up with innovation, so companies can build confidently rather than cautiously.
And overall, there was a shared sense that customers are raising the bar. They want financial products that are smoother, safer, and easier to trust. That expectation is quietly shaping a lot of the decisions fintech leaders are making right now.
These weren’t hype-driven predictions, they were the kinds of conversations that happen when people who are deep in the industry compare notes and realise they’re all dealing with similar shifts.
Looking Ahead
This year’s Web Summit highlighted a fintech sector evolving rapidly, shaped by founders, operators, and innovators who are thinking bigger and building smarter. By steering two of the most engaging discussions and diving into behind-the-scenes conversations, Lissele helped amplify the insights shaping where the industry is heading next.
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Tune into Lissele’s conversation with David Savage here.
Discover more of Lissele’s journey on the Get Started Podcast here.
